Contrasts of South America - 1
A few years ago, I treated myself to a wonderful holiday with a
well known tour company [which shall remain un-named ~ no free publicity from
me] that went under the name of "Contrasts of South America."
This holiday was aptly named, as it aimed to "give
a snapshot of three of South America's most well known and contrasting features."
- First, the Andean heartland of Peru - home to the Incas in ancient times-
around Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.
- Second, the rich
wildlife habitat of the Galápagos Islands.
- Last, a brief look at the
jungle in miniature, visiting a small area of Ecuadorian cloud forest.
Some
features of each of these facets are further described in the rest of this
article.
Part 1: Peru
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The Plazas de Armas, Cusco
Cusco is believed to be the oldest inhabited city in the western hemishere, situated in a beautiful position
11,300 feet (3,480 m.) high in the Andes. The Incas regarded Cusco as being the centre (or navel) of the
world.
The Spanish conquistadores later built their own capital city on the foundations of the Inca city, and
these foundations can still be seen today.
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Machu Picchu
Not far from Cusco lies the Valle Sagrado or Sacred Valley of the Incas along which runs the Rio Vilcanote (Urubambe). In and around the Sacred Valley are many Inca sites and ruins, the most famous of which is Machu Picchu - lost to the forest and only re-discovered in 1911. This is widely acknowledged as being one of the most fascinating and impressive sites in the whole of South America. It is reached from the small town of Aguas Calientes, which is only accessible by narrow-guage railway or by helicopter from Cusco (try them both if you can afford it). |
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Other sites include Pisac, Sacsayhuman, Tambomachay, Ollantaytambo, Pucapuccara, Quenco, and many more.
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Plaza de Armas, Lima
Lima, Peru's capital also has at its heart a spanish colonial square called Plaza de Armas. This was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535. It was not far from here that, between 1570 and 1813, the Dominican monks of the Spannish Inquisition carried out their reign of terror. The photograph shows Lima cathedral |
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