South America

Machu Picchu Inca Archaeological Site

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Attraction | "Somewhere You Must See Before You Die"

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If you were asked to write a list of places you MUST see in the world I believe this would be on most people’s list. It was certainly on my list; it is a destination of a lifetime, a dream come true and one of the most fascinating archaeological finds of recent times. Everyone interested in travel recognises the picture postcard view but nothing prepares you for your own first sight of Machu Picchu when you see it for yourself the first time.Machu Picchu was made a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1983 and on July 7th 2007 it was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the world. Conservation experts are now becoming concerned about the damage that is being done to the site because of the...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 11, 2010

Machu Picchu Inca Archaeological Site
Above The Urubamba Valley
Cusco Region, Peru

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Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

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Attraction | "I Am Not a Celebrity so Leave Me Here!"

The 'bus' that took us to the resort Photo - Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Puerto Maldonado, Peru

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We flew from Lima via Cusco to Puerto Moldinardo with a very short stop in Cusco to let some passengers off and others to board. The flight was pleasant and we had a little box of biscuits and cake as a snack as well as drinks – I think non-alcoholic only – of your choice.On arrival at the Airport we reclaimed our suitcases and took any toiletries, mosquito repellent and sunscreen that we needed for the jungle out of them and put them in our overnight hand luggage bags. The suitcases were stored by Inka Terra at the office in Puerto Moldinardo. We walked out of the tiny airport to be greeted by Inka Terra staff with bottles of cold water and shown the ‘bus’ which was a lorry with wooden se...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 25, 2010

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Puerto Maldonado, Peru

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Libertador Hotel Cusco

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Hotel | "My palace in Cusco"

Cusco main square Photo - Exploring Cusco, Cusco, Peru

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Libertador Palacio del Inka hotel - CuscoThis is a large busy hotel just five minutes walk from the main square and next to the Inca Temple of the Sun . It is a traditional 16th century Pizzarro’s Palace with Spanish colonial additions beautifully decorated in Spanish/Peruvian style. The lobby is large and airy with many areas for sitting comfortably in groups to share a cup of the complimentary coca tea which is on tap 24 hours a day. The coca tea was essential to avoid altitude sickness and I found I needed several of the little cups in the day and when I woke in the morning if I didn’t have a cup fairly quickly I did feel a little wobbly and shaky particularly the first morning...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 25, 2010

Libertador Hotel Cusco
Plazo Leta Santo Domingo No 259
Cuzco, Peru
(511) 518 6500

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Emperador Hotel

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Hotel | "Is This Hotel Fit for an Emperor?"

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Emperador hotel Avenida Del Libertador 4201001 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina(0)11 4131 4000 The hotel is situated within walking distance of most areas in Buenos Aires and is close to the main railway station. The entrance is modern looking with gold revolving doors, there is at least one doorman at all times to welcome you in. The lobby is quite spacious and very well appointed, there are flower arrangements on tables which are fresh and look welcoming. The reception desk is on the left as you walk in to the hotel and they will also change money at a reasonable rate here. On the right hand side is an open looking bar with comfortable seats and tables. At the bac...Read More

Emperador hotel Avenida Del Libertador 420
1001 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
(0)11 4131 4000

The hotel is situated within walking distance of most areas in Buenos Aires and is close to the main railway station. The entrance is modern looking with gold revolving doors, there is at least one doorman at all times to welcome you in. The lobby is quite spacious and very well appointed, there are flower arrangements on tables which are fresh and look welcoming. The reception desk is on the left as you walk in to the hotel and they will also change money at a reasonable rate here. On the right hand side is an open looking bar with comfortable seats and tables. At the back of the hotel, through the lobby is the restaurant with is actually quite small for the size of hotel. This is where we had our breakfasts but we did not eat in the hotel other than breakfast.

On the first night we arrived at about 10pm and decided we would have a drink in the bar before going to bed. I ordered a gin and tonic and my husband had a 33Occ of beer and this came to a total of £11. Needless to say despite the fact we got a bowl of peanuts with our drinks, we did not frequent this bar again. Another couple had two drinks and a round of sandwiches each and said it came to £30. We chose not to eat in the hotel apart from our breakfasts which were included in our nightly rate.

Our room was lovely, really large with a big double bed, a desk, smaller round table and chair, a mini bar cabinet on top of which was the TV. There was a wardrobe and a few small drawers. This was a major defect as we came to unpack, there was no where to put anything, 6 hangers and 4 tiny drawers is not enough storage space for people on holiday. It might be enough for business men staying only a couple of nights but not for people travelling for longer times. There was a coffee machine and then tea bags and sugar, we couldn’t work out how you would use a coffee filter machine to make tea and there was no coffee provided!! There was internet access in the room but the price was 60 Argentinean pesos for 24hours – about £10 but I didn’t want to be on for 24 hours so I didn’t bother going on the internet at this hotel. There was also wireless access in the lobby at the same price.

The bathroom in our room was huge with a bidet and toilet, bath and shower plus a huge area, almost enough to hold a party in. There were toiletries, conditioner, shampoo, tissues, shower cap and the first time ever I found bath crystals which smelled a bit like rose. The hair ddryer was fixed to the wall and was quite efficient.

Breakfast was not as good as some of the hotels we stayed at but was not bad. The juices were only a strange tasting orange or grapefruit, the water in the jug labelled mineral water was warm, and not just room temperature it was actually warm and tasted odd. There was champagne in a bucket which was empty on the first day and not open on the second so I wasn’t able to enjoy a bucks fizz which would have been nice but hey.. The fruit was fresh and included a fruit salad, melon, watermelon, slices of oranges and peaches ( not sure the peaches were fresh as I didn’t have them. There were tubs and jugs of yogurt as well as variety of cereals. There was a good selection of cakes, breads and pastries as well as cheese and cold meats. My husband sampled the scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and mushrooms. There were not hotcakes or pancakes and the fruit juice selection was not good. There was a hostess who escorted you to your table and on the first day we had to go and collect or coffee from an urn in the middle, on the second day we were given an insulated jug on our table. The coffee was quite nice, very strong so you couldn’t drink many cupfuls.

The staff were not especially helpful at the reception desk as they refused to accept a travellers cheque accidently signed in the wrong place even though the person concerned said she would countersign it and it was all done in front of them. The concierge was very pleasant and pointed us in the right direction for our places we wanted to visit. The waiting on staff were okay but they would not make an early breakfast for our group on the day of departure – coffee and cakes left over from the previous days afternoon tea was all they would off and considering we had paid for bed and breakfast and there were 20 of us I felt they could have made a bit more effort.

In short the room was large and comfortable but the service was average and the food and drink VERY expensive.

I seem to have lost my photos but the website has a few if you would like to look:
http://www.hotel-emperador.com.ar/ESP/index.html
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Member Rating 2 out of 5 on January 25, 2010

Emperador Hotel
Av Libertador 420
Buenos Aires, Argentina
+54 (11) 41314000

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Hotel Libertador Lima

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Hotel | "Comfortable but a Long Way from Tourist Sites"

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Libertador hotel LimaLos Eucaliptos 550Lima, Peru511-421-6666The hotel is very small only 56 rooms and is situated next to the golf course and country club. The lobby is very small with a few comfortable seats but was very functional rather than a place where you might sit and chat with friends. There is a side room with a couple of computers offering internet access but there was free wifi access in the rooms as well which was accessed by a code given by the reception staff if you asked. The reception desk would exchange currency at a reasonable exchange rate which was safer than going into the town and very convenient.On the same ground floor as the lobby th...Read More

Libertador hotel Lima
Los Eucaliptos 550
Lima, Peru
511-421-6666

The hotel is very small only 56 rooms and is situated next to the golf course and country club. The lobby is very small with a few comfortable seats but was very functional rather than a place where you might sit and chat with friends. There is a side room with a couple of computers offering internet access but there was free wifi access in the rooms as well which was accessed by a code given by the reception staff if you asked. The reception desk would exchange currency at a reasonable exchange rate which was safer than going into the town and very convenient.

On the same ground floor as the lobby there was a small quite cosy bar and a restaurant. We did have a drink or two at the bar and when you ordered your drink you were given a bowl of home made potato crisps as well which was nice.

We didn’t eat in at the hotel except for breakfasts so I can’t comment on the food but I have been told by others who did eat there that the food was good. Breakfasts were very good with the usual fruit juices, fruit, yogurt, cereals, breads and pastries, cold meats and cheeses followed by an array of cooked stuff such as bacon ( nice and crispy) scrambled eggs, fried potato, tomato and so on. Coffee and tea served very quickly and top ups offered regularly. The staff were all friendly and very helpful. They even had a very early breakfast of hot rolls, fruit juice and coffee for us at 4am one morning. On the morning that our entire group was leaving they put a full buffet breakfast on an hour earlier than normal which was exceptional service.

The rooms were quite dark as they were furnished with dark thick curtains and the lighting was not great, the room never seemed to be light. Apart from that it was comfortable and the air-conditioning was easy to control. We had a double bed and plenty of pillows as well as a small desk and easy chair but not much else as the room was quite small. There was a large wardrobe with plenty of hanging space and also drawers for storage. There was a safe in the room for security which was easy to use and of course a mini bar which we did not use as the prices were the normal expensive mini bar prices. The bathroom only had a shower but it was very clean with large, thick white towels. The usual toiletries were in a little basket and there was a hairdryer on the wall - one of those large creamy coloured things that are not really very efficient but fortunately my hair was short and it did the job for me. Our room was at the front of the hotel overlooking the golf course if you looked to the right, immediately in front was the Delphine Casino and we could just see dolphins in a pool behind the casino.
There was a gym somewhere in the hotel but I'm afraid that was not of great interest to me as I was there to see Lima not to get fit!! I would perhaps have gone in a pool had there been one but had to content myself with looking at the dolphins in the casino pool opposite instead.

My complaint with this hotel is that it is too far from Mira Flores or the old part of Lima. It was too far to walk and a taxi cost about 20 soles. There was nothing nearby the hotel apart from the Country Club, Starbucks or the Casino so to buy water you had to go a log way. They did give you two free bottles in your room which was helpful and these were replaced daily however we needed more than this and so we either had to pay mini bar prices or remember to buy some while we were out sight seeing.

I felt it was more of a business person’s hotel - functional, clean and good quality but lacked any character and was in the middle of nowhere which was not convenient for sight seeing at all. It would also not really be suitable for someone disabled as the lift was very small and the rooms not really big enough to cope with a wheel chair - the bathroom certainly would have been extremely difficult. Having said this I cannot praise the staff enough. They were all very helpful and nothing was too much trouble for them.

If you are interested in looking at the hotel website then it is:
http://www.libertador.com.pe/home-lima-libertador
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 25, 2010

Hotel Libertador Lima
Los Eucaliptos 550
Lima, Peru
511-421-6666

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Libertador Hotel Puno

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Hotel | "Is That a Liner I See on the Horizon?"

The hotel from the lake Photo - Libertador Hotel Puno, Puno, Peru

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Libertador , Puno, Lake Titicaca, PeruWe stayed at the Libertador hotel in Puno, Lake Titicaca which was built in the shape of a liner snuggled into a hillside on Esteves Island on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. It is the only five-star hotel in the region, and all rooms have a view of Lake Titicaca. The views which were stunning and we watched both sunset and sunrise from the lobby area of the hotel which has floor to ceiling windows so that the views are not spoilt at all.Having said the hotel is 5 star is a bit misleading, it is possibly the best in the area and certainly the position is wonderful but the hotel is showing signs of its ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 25, 2010

Libertador Hotel Puno
Isla Esteves S N
Puno, Peru
51 51367780

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Sheraton Santiago Hotel & Convention Center

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Hotel | "A Room with a View near San Christobel Hill"

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Sheraton hotel SantiagoThe hotel is a modern hotel just in front or behind San Cristobel Hill. It overlooks the river and we were lucky enough to have a room at the front of the hotel with views across the city with the snow capped Andes in the distance. The lobby was open and spacious with a large seated bar area in the middle. There were a number of seated areas for waiting or meeting friends with comfortable chairs and settees. The concierge desk would order taxis and organise private tours whilst the main desk offered check in and out as well as a money exchange at quite a reasonable rate. All staff were very helpful, friendly a and efficient.The bar area was in the m...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 28, 2010

Sheraton Santiago Hotel & Convention Center
AVENIDA SANTA MARIA 1742A
Santiago, Chile
56-2-233-5000

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Catedral de São Sebastião

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Attraction | "Cathedral or Cooling Tower?"

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Catedral MetropolitanaThe Metropolitan Cathedral in Rio de Janeiro is incredibly surprising in shape and impact. When we first arrived and were told that this was a Cathedral we didn't quite know what to say. I thought it was such an ugly looking building, resembling n electricity cooling tower rather than a Cathedral. I'm not big into Cathedrals and churches but they are usually quite attractive buildings and often have an interesting history. While we had been in South America we had been into quite a number of the really ornate, ostentatious Catholic churches which were full of gold and silver statues and other gilt decorations and so this was even more of a surprise because...Read More

Catedral Metropolitana

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Rio de Janeiro is incredibly surprising in shape and impact. When we first arrived and were told that this was a Cathedral we didn't quite know what to say. I thought it was such an ugly looking building, resembling n electricity cooling tower rather than a Cathedral. I'm not big into Cathedrals and churches but they are usually quite attractive buildings and often have an interesting history.

While we had been in South America we had been into quite a number of the really ornate, ostentatious Catholic churches which were full of gold and silver statues and other gilt decorations and so this was even more of a surprise because we expecting a similar Cathedral, maybe even bigger and more elaborate but no, what we were faced with was a simple concrete conical building with no decoration outside at all.

This cathedral is a modern replacement for a number of churches that were used as Cathedrals prior to this one .Rio cathedral or Saint Sebastian Cathedral was begun in 1964 and completed in 1976 and is 83 metres in height (250 feet).It is conical in shape from the outside and looks to have no windows at all. Inside it can be seen that it is in fact 12-sided, with four glazed walls of coloured glass reaching up the full height to a cross shaped roof of lights. These four large stained glass windows are each 64 metres (210 ft) from floor to ceiling.

As you walk in you are immediately struck by how cool it is inside. Outside it was extremely sunny and very hot, inside the building which is just one level and appears very empty, there are seats but within the huge high space they do not seem to take up any room at all. There are no windows at all - the four huge stained glass walls or windows are there but otherwise there are no opening windows. The fresh air comes through openings in the walls that are layered so that rain cannot come in but cool air can. The architect has designed it in such a way that no electricity is needed for cooling the building. Hot air rises and leaves through the top vents and cool air comes in through the open doors and lower vents. Electricity is not needed to light the building either as usually sufficient light passes through the stained glass windows, the vents and the large doors. It was certainly light and cool while we were there.

After experiencing this and hearing the story of how the design was chosen, this building was beginning to grow on me. I'm not fond of fussy architecture (although I do love the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona) and although I was initially quite appalled at the ugliness of the Metropolitan Cathedral I was now becoming quite impressed.

Once you were inside the four tall floor to ceiling windows immediately took your eye and then you were drawn to look upwards and found that these windows met and created a cross in the top of the building - subtle rather than' in your face' imagery. The altar was simple, no fussy, gold and fancy statues at all. Behind the altar was a smaller chapel which was again, very plain, white walls and no statues and the walls only went up to a certain height then finished so that the main Cathedral roof could still be seen and all the cooling effects of the vents could still be appreciated. There was a statue outside this chapel in the same simple style, like a Lladro figurine rather than a Dresden or Royal Doulton one with clean lines and in plain white stone.

This strange ugly/beautiful building has a capacity of 20,000 people and has not only become one of the Rio's landmarks, but is now also considered a masterpiece of modern art. It was designed by the world renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer who was born in 1907. According to our guide, there was a competition held to select a design for the new cathedral and this one was chosen because it was cheap to build and also cheap to maintain ( no painting and little external cleaning required) and also cheap to upkeep as very little is needed to cool or light the inside of the building. I have said it was cool inside when we were there but I'm not sure how comfortable it would be with 20,000 people inside.

The architect, Oscar Niemeyer was born in Rio to wealthy family and he has made his name in architecture for his modern designs and for pioneering and exploring the formal possibilities of reinforced concrete solely for its aesthetic impact. He was also famous for his role is designing many buildings in the modern capital city of Brasilia, notably the National Congress of Brazil, Brazil's National Museum and the cathedral of Brasilia. Niemeyer has also designed buildings in Europe (Casino in Funchal, Madeira which looks a bit like the Cathedral in Rio) and around the world (the Penang State Mosque in George Town the state capital of Penang, Malaysia in 1970s).

So after the initial shock of seeing a concrete cooling tower instead of the usual church building I grew to like this Cathedral. I am not sure that I could ever describe it as beautiful as it is a dingy grey concrete colour in a simple conical shape with cooling vents as its only external feature. Inside it is more attractive purely because of its simplicity. I am most attracted to this building because of its 'green' quality. It was before its time in this as most people in the 70's didn't give a thought to economical use of resources and yet the architect of this building did just that and designed a building that was economical to maintain for a country that has many people living in poverty. It is not ostentatious and so poorer people can feel as welcome as the rich as there is no flashy decoration merely simple seating and a cone shaped building in which you can worship God should you choose. Apparently this cathedral is packed on a Sunday and the people of Rio love their odd looking cathedral and are very proud of it and of Oscar Niemeyer who designed it.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 28, 2010

Catedral de São Sebastião
Praça XV de Novembro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20010-010

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Iguazu Falls

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Attraction | "This Must Be one of the New 7 Natural Wonders"

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The Iguacu Falls are part of the Iguacu National Parks on both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides and are designated UNESCO World heritage sites since 1984 and 1986 respectively.On our first day we enjoyed the Upper (or Superior) walk and we were treated to our first sight of these amazing waterfalls. During the walks we were also lucky enough to see a badger-like creative called a Cotymundy foraying in one d the title bins. It was a sort of cross between an anteater ad a badger but about the Size of a small dog. As we walked along we were also able to enjoy a huge variety of tropical butterflies which fluttered around us and even landed on us with their wings opening and shutting to disp...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 28, 2010

Iguazu Falls
Puerto Iguazú
Iguazu, Argentina

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Ruins of Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco)

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Attraction | "Bolivia's Hidden City"

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Tiwanaku is about 50 miles west of La Paz and near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco or Tihuanacu) has the Pre – Columbian ruins which were the capital of the state for over 500 years and are in the process of being excavated. The city dates back as far as 1500BC but it is between 300BC and 300AD that Tiwanaku is thought to have been a religious pilgrimage centre and at the height of its importance. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site administered by the Bolivian government. Prior to this there have been a number of archaeological investigations, some more sensitive than others. The price of entry to the site is much less for Bolivians than fore...Read More

Tiwanaku is about 50 miles west of La Paz and near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco or Tihuanacu) has the Pre – Columbian ruins which were the capital of the state for over 500 years and are in the process of being excavated. The city dates back as far as 1500BC but it is between 300BC and 300AD that Tiwanaku is thought to have been a religious pilgrimage centre and at the height of its importance. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site administered by the Bolivian government. Prior to this there have been a number of archaeological investigations, some more sensitive than others.

The price of entry to the site is much less for Bolivians than foreign tourists, It is 80 Boliviano for foreigners and 10 for locals which considering how little local people earn I think is more than fair, it is certainly not expensive for foreigners.

We travelled through the Andean plateau area which is quite a poor farming area and the farms were mud brick buildings with a few llama or sheep and the crops were very limited. It is pretty well subsistence farming. There were a number of road blocks on the road stopping people going to La Paz as there was a big pro government demonstration there; because of this we had to take a side road which was unpaved and very much un-made. This was very interesting as it took us through the real countryside area and the road was extremely uneven, at times it disappeared downwards in a dramatic fashion and we went very slowly down through the shallow river and climbed out again. I give credit to our driver who got us there safely with no damage to the bus.

At Tiwanaki there were two very new museums; one only had a monolith – the Bennett Monolith or Pachamama -in it and nothing else. The story goes that at one time this monolith was moved to La Paz and that year there was a really bad earthquake in La Paz which was unheard of prior to this. They returned the monolith to Tiwanaki and that year in La Paz they had severe rains and flooding in many parts of the city. I think they will not be moving the monolith again as they fear every time it is moved something bad happens.

The other museum holds relics found at Tiwanaku and told the story of the development through the ages in this area. At one time Tiwanaku was near Lake Titicaca and as the water level in the lake fell then the city became less important; possibly because it became harder to continue the agrarian way of life that the city depended upon. If you are interested in more history about Tiwanaku then these sites are quite interesting and the first one has some older drawings of the site: http://www.jqjacobs.net/andes/tiwanaku.html
http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/tiwanaku/

The actual site is huge and is still in the process of being excavated which means that there are some areas you cannot visit. The main pyramid or Akapana was originally surrounded by water or a type of moat and is still mainly unexcavated and looks like a mound of dirt except for one section. There were seven stepped terraces with buildings on the top but today there are archaeologists working in this area and we were unable to visit. The Kalasasaya is a large raised walled area with the Puerta del Sol at one end and the Peurta del Luna at the other There is a fascinating hole in the wall which acts like a megaphone – if you put your ear near the hole and somebody speaks inside the walled area you can hear them quite clearly. These walls are vertical unlike those in Cusco which were angled, that is because in Bolivia they had not the need to build to stand up to earthquakes.

We were told that the sun gate had been moved from its original position but I’m not sure if I misunderstood, perhaps she was just saying that it had been repaired as it did have a huge crack in it. It was originally astronomically aligned so the sun shone through onto the centre of the pyramid but if it has been re aligned, its new position it was still regarded as important. On mid summer’s day there is a big celebration of local people which unfortunately being more modern, usually requires alcohol and sometimes parts of the ancient ruins are damaged in this revelry.

There was an underground temple or sunken courtyard with strange stone faces in the walls. They were all rather odd and many were worn or damaged. No-one really knows who or why there were carved there. It is one of the many Inca mysteries. We really liked these faces as they were so odd and we enjoy a mystery.

It is a work in progress and as the museums are only 4 years old there is plenty of opportunity for this site to become better known as more is unearthed in the next few years. There is some discussion between archaeologists as to whether some of the reconstruction has been rather over enthusiastic and is not as authentic as it might have been so it hard to know what parts of what we saw is reconstructed and what is merely rebuilt.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 28, 2010

Ruins of Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco)
Near Shores Of Lake Titicaca
Bolivia, South America

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Santiago, Chile

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Attraction | "Places to Visit in Santiago"

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The good:Santiago is a very modern bustling city with clean well organised streets. The fines for speeding, using the mobile phone while driving or drink driving are extremely severe as so driving is very good generally. If a driver gets 3 fines in a 3 year period he loses his licence - very strict indeed. They also stop for zebra crossings, the use of the horn is rare and traffic flows freely most of the time.There are not many high rise buildings as Santiago suffers from frequent earth quakes. Because of the fact that buildings need to be built to resist earth quakes it means that building costs are high too. Santiago is spreading outwards as it cannot go upwards so it is geographi...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 15, 2010

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La Paz (General)

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A FEW FACTS:La Paz is the capital of Bolivia which is a land locked country next to Peru in South America. It is one of the poorest South American countries but this I no way detracts from its charm as a country to visit.Strangely in La Paz the wealthier you are the closer to the bottom of the valley in La Paz is where you live. The poorer people live higher up the mountain sides and so get the best views, I'm not sure why this is whether they were closer to the river initially or what but I found it quite odd.LA PAZ AT LAST:The first view of the city of La Paz is breath taking. Quite literally as it is about 4,000m (12,008 ft) high and is the world's hi...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 15, 2010

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Copocabana

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Attraction | "Blessing Cars with Beer, Wine and Flowers"

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We crossed the border between Peru and Bolivia on land. We walked to the Peru passport office and were stamped out of Peru then walked a few yards to be stamped into Bolivia. We got on a bus that took us to Copacabana. Now while it shares the same name with the famous Brazilian beach of Rio de Janiero, Copacabana Bolivia couldn't be more different. It is small town lying on the shores of Lake Titicaca and so it is Bolivia’s main beach resort. Bolivia of course has no sea shore so this is the nearest they get to a beach.The huge cathedral or basilica dominates the town is a highlight of Copacabana it was built around the 17th century it is considered one of the finest in Bolivia. When...Read More

We crossed the border between Peru and Bolivia on land. We walked to the Peru passport office and were stamped out of Peru then walked a few yards to be stamped into Bolivia. We got on a bus that took us to Copacabana. Now while it shares the same name with the famous Brazilian beach of Rio de Janiero,
Copacabana Bolivia couldn't be more different. It is small town lying on the shores of Lake Titicaca and so it is Bolivia’s main beach resort. Bolivia of course has no sea shore so this is the nearest they get to a beach.

The huge cathedral or basilica dominates the town is a highlight of Copacabana it was built around the 17th century it is considered one of the finest in Bolivia. When we were there the entire front area was packed with vehicles waiting to be blessed and there vendors selling various souvenirs including medallions of the Virgin Mary, as the chapel holds the famous statue of Virgen de Copacabana.

It was Sunday in Copacabana the day we were there and we witnessed the most unusual sight outside the church while we were waiting for our hydrofoil to cross lake Titicaca and outside the church there were a huge number of new cars all decorated with flowers and having beer or champagne shaken over them. The priest then came and blessed them one by one after which loud fire crackers were let off. It was all noise and excitement with bands playing and fire crackers and all the local people dressed in their national costume, the ladies in bowler hats and colourful outfits. There were stalls selling scarves and other local souvenir type items which all added to the noise, colour and atmosphere.

In the cathedral itself, there was the usual baroque opulence around and highly decorated altar. This seemed to be the norm for Catholic cathedrals in Peru and so we were not surprised to see this again in Bolivia. The Cathedral itself was empty, all the excitement was taking place outside it seemed. However to one side of this cathedral was a smaller room, the candle room where people could offer their prayers and place candles. This room was packed, you could barely move and the whole room was covered in wax, including the floor which was rather slippery. The room was quite dark and not very attractive presumably it was specifically built to keep all the wax away from the main cathedral , however the atmosphere within this crowded dismal looking room was humming with prayer and emotion.

We left Copacabana and got on a hydrofoil which took us to Sun Island. On this island was an Inca temple ruins dedicated to the sun. We had to climb up rather uneven steps carved out of the hill in order to get to the temple. Ordinarily this would have been quite hard work but in the altitude we were all puffing after step 6!! Our guide picked some herb which she said was mint but smelled a little like catnip which she told us to rub between our hands and inhale. It was great, it really opened up our nasal passages and enabled us to breathe more easily.

At the temple ruins we wandered around and took photos, there was only a facade and then a few huge stone walls that remained but it was an interesting facade. There were local people selling woven items, necklaces and dolls at extremely reasonable prices. We bought a necklace based on the Inca calendar, a belt and a doll for $3.50 US which pleased me and helped them.

We returned to our hydrofoil and moved onto Moon Island where we were to enjoy our lunch. If we thought the Sun Island steps were steep these were even higher. Once we finally reached the top we were rewarded with a beautiful clear view of Lake Titicaca with a stunning blue sky and white fluffy clouds. There was a welcome sight of a table laid with a white table cloth and with umbrellas so that we could enjoy our lunch while also taking in the view of the lake.

Lunch was a set meal of local soup, Lake trout in breadcrumbs with local potatoes and vegetables followed by watermelon. The food was all fresh and locally produced and very efficiently delivered by local women in their traditional dress.

The welcome we received from the people in Bolivia around Copacabana and Lake Titicaca was so friendly and they were so very proud of their country it was a pleasure to share these sights and buy some different and inexpensive souvenirs to help support the local communities.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 15, 2010

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Uros Floating Islands (Islas Flotantes)

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Attraction | "Floating Islands"

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Puno and the Uros IslandsLake Titicaca is 3,812 m above sea level which makes it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. It is also the largest lake in South America in volume of water and the deepest point of the lake measures 284m . It lies in both Peru and Bolivia and Lake Titicaca is fed by rainfall and from glaciers on the Andean Sierras. Five major river systems also feed into Lake Titicaca; these are the Ramis, Coata, Ilave, Huancané, and Suchez rivers.Lake Titicaca is one of the nominees for the New Seven Wonders, natural wonders. If you haven't heard of the New 7 Wonders website the go and have a look. They have recently come up with a New 7 wonders list of man mad...Read More

Puno and the Uros Islands
Lake Titicaca is 3,812 m above sea level which makes it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. It is also the largest lake in South America in volume of water and the deepest point of the lake measures 284m . It lies in both Peru and Bolivia and Lake Titicaca is fed by rainfall and from glaciers on the Andean Sierras. Five major river systems also feed into Lake Titicaca; these are the Ramis, Coata, Ilave, Huancané, and Suchez rivers.
Lake Titicaca is one of the nominees for the New Seven Wonders, natural wonders. If you haven't heard of the New 7 Wonders website the go and have a look. They have recently come up with a New 7 wonders list of man made wonders and are now tasking nomination for the natural wonders - Lake Titicaca is one of these. After they shortlist you can then vote for your 7 natural wonders (if you didn't vote for the man made 7 wonders, it is too late - the voting has finished). This is the website if you are interested http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/southamerica/c/LakeTiticacaLake

We stayed at the Libertador hotel in Puno which was built in the shape of a liner with all rooms having a view of Lake Titicaca. The views were stunning and we watched both sunset and sunrise from the room. This review looks at the Peru side of Lake Titicaca which is quite different from the Bolivian part of the Lake. The famous floating Uros, reed islands are particularly found in Peru and in the bay near Puno. These are a group of 42 or so artificial islands made of floating reeds (totora, a reed that grows only in the shallows of the lake). Only the Uros islanders are allowed to harvest these reeds as they are protected for their sole use. The original reason these islands were constructed was for defence as they could be moved if required in times of conflict.

Very early at about 6am we boarded a boat to take us out to visit the Uros floating reed islands. The boat went quite slowly so we were able to see the water birds swimming and also the local people rowing their boats along and fishing or collecting reeds for repair work on the islands.

Once we arrived at the islands we went to visit one called Isla Tupiri. We were greeted with huge smiles and welcomed onto the island home. The main leader showed us how they made their islands by creating a mini island with a commentary from our guide. They begin by collected great chunks of reed roots that float and they tie these together with rope. They then layer loads of reeds at reeds at right angles to each other until they have a thick bed. They add to this regularly. They build up platforms of reeds higher than the main island bound together with rope and on these platforms they construct their reed houses. Outside each house a solar panel donated by the government and so inside each house there was a small black and white TV but otherwise every thing else was traditional.

They lived in an extended family group of about 6 families per island and if a marriage takes place then the couple move to the 70% to girl’s family and the other 30% move to the boy’s family’s island. If the group grows too large then they can cut the island in half. If they need to enlarge the island they simply add to it with more floating reed roots, more layers and attach this to the main island with more ropes. The islands are anchored with long ropes to the main land and the ropes are weighed down with stones so that they are not cut by motors boats.

On the larger islands there are schools, post offices and clinics for the island people. The children are collected by boat and taken to the school daily. On the smaller family islands they cook on a stone slab outside the houses and each family does their own cooking. They eat a lot of lake fish, reeds (the bit near the bottom is white and full of nutrition), guinea pig and a little other food that they may purchase from the boat shop or the mainland. They keep the guinea pigs on a mini island attached to their main island and they have a reed shelter too. They also grow some herbs in a small garden on the island which they regard as their medicine cabinet. In the middle of the island is a patch of water and they can catch fish from this area as well as from the main lake.

Nowadays the majority of these floating islands make money from tourism and selling their souvenirs to tourists. There are a few island groups who do not want to be visited by tourists and they have built their islands away from the main group and they are left to their own devices. The majority of island families welcome tourists and put on a little welcome singing performance before showing you their houses and how they live, cook etc. Then you are invited to purchase they hand made embroidery and other souvenirs at reasonable prices. This is how they earn their living in these times to supplement their own fishing and reed harvesting.

The area around Lake Titicaca is predominantly Aymara speaking, with the exception of the Amantaní and Taquile islands, where Quechua is spoken. However, the area to the west of the lake is Quechua, and the lake is the meeting point of these two cultures. The Uros culture also comes from this area, although it has largely died out, and the Uros Islands are now Aymara speaking. We passed a look out tower on or way to the islands with a huge sign "KAMISARAKI" which is Aymara for hello. We were told to say this as we arrived on Isla Tupiri which we duly did - the only word we could say in Aymara -and of course lots of smiling from both the island residents and us - a smile goes a log way when you don't have words to communicate with.

The islands and lake are at a high altitude which means that you do need to be careful during the day to avoid too much sun or where a high factor sunscreen. Because the air is 'thin' the sun's rays are much stronger, then temperature need not feel too hot and so you don't notice that you are burning. The altitude also makes everything so clear and fresh, the sky seems bluer and the lake becomes almost too blue to be true. It is a truly beautiful place and so far despite a large number of tourists it does seem relatively unspoilt.

It is a fascinating visit and even though the islanders do invite for tourists to visit them and buy their craft work it is obvious that they live in a very traditional way ( even with the solar panels for TV) despite these visits and all the other modern technological changes that can be found in the rest of Peru.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 28, 2010

Uros Floating Islands (Islas Flotantes)
Lake Titicaca
Puno, Peru

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Corcovado

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Attraction | "One of the New 7 Wonders of the World"

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The famous iconic statue of Christ the redeemer blessing the city of Rio with his open arms is about 30 metres high and is on the top of the Corcovado Hill which is about 700metres high so it can be seen from many parts of Rio on a clear day. Once you are up on the Corcovado hill standing under the statue you have the most wonderful 360° view of the city of Rio de Janeiro provided there are no clouds hovering over the statue. The statue was designed by the Brazilian artist Heitor da Silva Costa alongside the French sculptor Paul Landowski. The statue was built between the years 1926 to 1931 from donated funds. Mr da Silva Costa was the engineer overseeing the construction and the French sc...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 28, 2010

Corcovado
Rua Cosme Velho 513
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 22241-090
+55 21 5581329

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Exploring Cusco

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Attraction | "Cusco, a Charming High Altitude Town"

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Cusco is a beautiful city in south-eastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain range (its altitude is around 3,300 m (10,800 ft). It is the former Inca capital city of Peru and was also the Colonial Spanish capital for many years. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and the Cusco Province. The city has a population of 348,935 which is triple the figure of 20 years ago. It has narrow cobbled streets and wonderful Spanish architecture and there is something of interest around every corner.We flew into Cusco from Puerto Maldonado with LAN Air. We were met at the airport and taken to our hotel - The Libertador Palacio Del Inka While we were checking in we w...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 16, 2009

Exploring Cusco
Cusco, Peru
Cusco, Peru 00 51
0051 84 273693

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Nazca Lines

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Attraction | "Flying High Over a World Mystery"

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Review of the flight over the Nazca Lines with Air Condor.We took a trip organised through Kuoni as an ‘add on’ to our South American panorama tour. We flew into Lima two days before the main tour and took this trip on the day after we arrived.We were picked up from our hotel at 6am which was interesting after our flight from the UK the day before – but we did it. Our guide was delightful and showed us the sea front of Lima as well as geological information about the rocks we could see on the way out as well as commenting on the crops grown along the way and various other interesting points about Peru generally. The driver was excellent and drove safely and sensibly at all time...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 16, 2009

Nazca Lines
Nazca Desert in Southern Peru
Nazca, Peru

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