In the middle of a cliff face in Northern Peru, lie the ancient dwelling of the dead. Ian Griffith gives us his perspective on what he saw during his visit to the region. Here’s a blend of my perspective and the author’s thoughts on the region.
If ancient mummified ruins, vertical dwellings of the dead and great vistas during the hike sound good to you, please visit Peru. The warmth of the hardworking local people, the Andes, Tequila and the aroma of hot food will attract you to the Peru over and over again.
What’s there to do in Peru?
Well, this is a good question keeping in perspective the wide variety of things that Peru offers it’s visitors.
You can take a sort of mule safari in the mountains and then scramble up the rocks to check ancient remains out like Griffith. The mules or ‘mulas’ will get you up the trail if you don’t feel like hiking. Of course you might be greeted with a room full of corpses but, that seems to be the highlight of the Northern Peruvian trip.
You will see a mummified remains of a 14year old Peruvian girl in Leymebamba museum. This was just one of the mummies found by anthropologists in the Lake of the Condors. These ancient ruins are inscribed on a cliff face in Northern Peru. They tell us the story of the Incas.
The above picture is one of the Temple of the Sun which can be seen if you decide to take the Macchu Picchu hike.
What’s so unique about this temple?
At a certain time of the year, the sun shines through a small window of this temple onto a sacred stone located in one of the walls.
Besides these scenes on the Macchu Picchu hike, you can also check out the other Panchacamac ruins. Unfortunately, some of these ruins are buried as of now.
Ian Griffith mostly concentrates on Northern Peru. I think there’s plenty to see in the South as well. The Andes is a tourism hotspot in the country.
More on logistics:
As of now, there are plenty of travel deals that you can avail. Package tour operators operate all over the country. For example, a particular tour operator can charge anything from USD 346 to 390 for a 4 day/3 night vacation on the Inca trail.
But, in a country as poor as Peru, gotta watch out for frauds. The mountain people are pretty cool and trustworthy. But, never know.
I would advice you to travel responsibly in Peru. Stick with your guide and do not wander about unnecessarily.
Image Credits: Lost-civilizations, Huaraz, and Flpoint4
