PERU
We marveled at the baroque churches built be the Spaniards to replace the golden Inca temples, at the street markets full of women wearing all kinds of men’s hats; but most of all we were moved by the folkloric dancers, local students wearing traditional costumes, performing mesmerizing dances. I arranged a special photo session and was touched by their kindness; they insisted I wear one of the costumes to make me feel like one of them.
Finally we visited MACHU PICCHU, one of the new seven wonders of the world, the lost city of the Inca hidden away in the high Andes, a truly magical and sacred place.
We continued our trip by land to reach the fabulous lake Titicaca, still inhabited by Indians, the Uros, living on floating reed islands.
We found Lima a depressing city full of poverty, so we quickly made our way to Iquitos on the mighty Amazon river, photographed some jungle Indians, saw a terrible slum, Belen.
Then we flew to Cuzco, the highlight of our trip, the cradle of the Inca empire. More soroche -we were at 11,200 feet- but by now we knew the cure: tea made of coca leaves.
