For the Inca, Cuzco was the navel of the world and thus, the city is laden with history. Like Rome, all roads led to Cuzco and the greatest buildings were constructed here. Not surprisingly, the Spanish also focused their efforts on crushing and embarrassing the Inca here, particularly in the main Plaza. None of the original structures in the city survived, but the solid Inca foundations appear all over the city with colonial buildings...

The road that connects Puno to Cuzco is called the Sun Road as the sun follows the same path between the cities. We highly recommend taking the bus for this trip. The train is an outrageously expensive option (over $200USD per person) and only stops once on this magnificent journey. Take the bus instead; we used Wonder Peru. The bus stops a few more times, offers the same inspiring views, and cost us only $25USD, including lunch (but not...

Of course a trip to Puno would be incomplete without venturing into Lake Titicaca. We joined a full-day tour to see the floating islands of Uros and one of the two larger Qechua islands, Isla Taquile. As of April 2012, there were 52 floating Uros islands built out of mud and reeds. Each island houses between three and ten families. Our next stop was Isla Taquile, which claims to be a possible birthplace for the Incas (along with many other...

We followed the “Gringo Trail” in southern Peru, landing in Puno after our time in Arequipa. Puno sits on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest (navigable) lake in the world. How high? 12,400 feet/3800 meters. We had our first taste of real altitude, getting short of breath from climbing just one flight of stairs. An ancient burial ground lies on a tabletop peninsula near Puno. Built originally by the Colla people, the family...

Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa was established in 1580 and is often regarded as a city within a city. At its height, the monastery housed 420 nuns and workers. Early in its life, entry to the order was limited to daughters of wealthy families who could afford the expensive dowry. Extensive earthquake damage in the 1960s forced the order to turn for outside help, and the monastery was finally opened to the public in 1970 after almost...

We finally crossed a new border when we went from Chile to Arequipa, Peru. Arequipa is known as the “White City” for using the volcanic stone, sillar, in many of its original buildings. The historic center is full of ancient cathedrals dating to the conquistador era and established by various Catholic orders. We serendipitously arrived to spend Holy Week in this devout town.

Our original plan was to continue on through Bolivia, visiting the world famous salt flats of Uyuni, spending a few nights in La Paz – the highest city in the world, before crossing into Peru via the shores of Lake Titicaca. But a few different factors changed our plans: • We were supposed to apply for a visa before entering (whoops). We could still cross the border but it would be a hassle, and we would need to hope they didn’t...

4AM is very, very early but that was when our alarm rang so we could catch the 4:30AM pickup for the bumpy drive up, up, up to the Tatio geysers. Why so early? Because the geysers are most active right at daybreak when the air is cold. Sneaking a peak out the van windows in the wee hours of the drive did reward us with a stunning night sky, and the Milky Way visible to the naked eye. After a chilly and early morning, the next stop was the...

We took a full day tour to see the salt flats (or salars) of Atacama. Ancient volcanic activity isolated these regions, and as the climate changed, the lakes dried and left vast deposits of salt. Like our time at Valle de la Luna, the scenery expanded our imagination of what our planet can look like. We chose a more expensive tour company, Cosmo Andino, that takes in one more stop that the other tours skip. This was completely worth the extra...

San Pedro de Atacama lies on the northern end of Chile, right at the doorstep to Bolivia. Today, this tiny town exists almost solely for tourism from the otherworldly landscapes within a few hours drive. The adjacent volcanic mountain range is clearly visible from the center of town, reminding visitors of the massive forces that created the nearby sites. Just three kilometers from town lies the remains of a twelfth century fortress built by...