Wrapping up the big trip, returning home...

*note: Although our Peru adventure came to a close in late December,  here I am making the final blog posting of photos...

Laguna Lagunillas, along the bus route from Puno to Arequipa. In this area, one can easily see wildlife such as flamingos and vicuñas (wild alpacas).

The Andes Mountains between Lake Titicaca and Arequipa

Arequipa

     After enjoying a brief but AMAZING visit to Lake Titicaca, we accepted the fact that our trip now was coming quickly to an end.  From Puno, on the shores of the big lake, we took a 6-hour bus ride westward through the Andes mountains. We arrived in the heat of a lowland afternoon at Arequipa, Peru's second largest city.  The kids did not care about continuing on to Ica (12 hours more by bus!), they were ready to be off the bus.  I pulled out the South American Handbook, my trusted friend in such moments, and found what would be the most comfortable hotel of our whole trip, la Casa de la Abuela (Grandma's House).  Abuela's offers homey, clean rooms with bathroom, HOT water,  a very large backyard with many ways to relax--hammocks, shade trees, and even a small swimming pool. Across the street, a pizza place provided dinner...and we enjoyed a movie in our room!

Cooling off at Casa de la Abuela, Arequipa

Eduardo relaxing in the backyard at Abuela's, Arequipa

Backyard hammock at Abuela's

These big earthenware vessels may have been used as cisterns (water storage) in a previous era.

Serena swinging Will in the backyard hammock of Abuela's

Beautiful flowers at Casa de la Abuela

Kids rocking with a new Peruvian friend at Abuela's

Relaxing with a show in our room at Abuela's

Going to the Beach

Our final weekend in Peru was spent at the small, very downhome beach resort of Mejía, on the south coast near Arequipa. Public transportation is abundant, cheap, and relative efficient. It took about 2 hours to get from Arequipa city to Mejía.

We took a taxi to this informal "terminal" for shared vans ("colectivos") going to the coast.
The vans don't have a particular schedule; they leave when full,  or nearly full, so we had to wait a while.
It is the job of the lady in the purple shirt and baseball cap (Left of center) to find passengers to fill seats.

Will trying a local ice cream as we wait for our van to depart for the coast

 It was a 2 hour ride to the coast on a paved highway to the quiet beach resort of Mejía. The Peruvian coast is desert, barren but no super hot. Still, we were relieved to get to the ocean to cool off. At the hostel, we made friends with a nice family from Arequipa, a mom and her two young girls. We spent a pleasant day at the beach.

Serena joins the girls for some cooling off in the surf

Serena made friends with the girls, who had a little electronic game on their phone

The Empanada Lady at Mejia beach kept us happy with her delicious
empanadas de queso (cheese  fritters) dusted with powdered sugar

Pelicans gliding above the surf were a common sight at Mejía, on the southern coast of Peru

Serena tries out the guitar one evening at our hostel

Early morning tea ritual, Abuela's

 A little beach play

The small, very laid-back resort town of Mejía, in Arequipa Dept.

Full Circle: return to Lima

After three months in Peru, we finally circled back to the capital, where we had first arrived in Peru.

The flight from Arequipa to Lima was about 1.5 hours, and offered amazing views of the coastal desert.

 

Settlement is possible in the Peruvian desert because the Andean rivers carry water down to the coast.

Amazing views of green river valleys coursing through the desert

Atacama Desert, the world's driest

Our first view of Callao, Lima's port city and location of the airport

Collecting our baggage at the Lima Airport

Will likes to be comfortable, wearing his pajamas while traveling

The Amazing and Grand Lake Titicaca

     

     Titiqaqa (as it is spelled in Aymara and Quechua) is renowned as South America's Largest Lake

and also the World's Highest Navigable Lake (3812 metres (12,507 ft) above sea level). Some believe it  to be the 2nd Chakra of the Earth. It is a place of power, mystery and majesty. It feels close to the sky, with wonderful clouds, islands, and traditional peoples living on the islands.

Evening boat ride to Amantani Island

 ¡ Familia !

 After coming together in Pisac in a wonderful way, we invited our newly-found "familia" to join us for a very special Soulstice excursion to Amantani Island, in the blue waters of Lago Titicaca. We converged at the guest house of Amadeo, and walked together up to the high point of the island.

Breakfasting with our adopted family at Amadeo's

Bjorn relaxes in the courtyard at Amadeo's house

Centuries-old terraces still used by local farmers

Archway at the start of the walk up to the temples
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Following the marvellous path up to Pachamama temple

La casa de Amadeo, a wonderful guest house on Amantani Island

Andean Gull

Duck family near Puno harbor

Girls with their dolls, followed by a local boy on his way to school

Quinsacocha Lake Ceremony above the Sacred Valley

In the mountains above Pisac, three high peaks (known as "Apus" or deities to the local people) cradle a magical lake known as Quinsacocha, a place of pilgrimage for centuries.  Many of our friends living in Pisac recommended we go up there, but for some reason, it took us a while to schedule the trip. Finally, in late November, the day came, and we took an hour-long taxi ride way way up a dirt road to the lake. Guided by a local shaman, we walked into this magical alpine valley.  In the Quechua language, "cocha" means lake.  It was such a special day for us, a day of envigoration and celebration of our time in Peru.

Rush hour in highland village: alpacas, sheep on roadway near Quinsacocha

Friendly weavers selling their handiwork at the trailhead

Cuti, our guide,  gave the adults a wool vest to bearing the Andean cross (not the Christian cross!), ancient symbol reflecting the cosmology (world view) of the local people. We were also given special walking staffs, which definitely help when you're hiking a mountain trail at 14,000 feet!

Beginning the hike into the hidden valley

Envigorating!

The Andean Cross represents the Inca Cosmology: four directions, three worlds...the heart opening ceremony took place at the high lake Quinsacocha, a wonderful, magical, spiritual place of renewal

Cuti carefully creates the "mesa" or altar, using symbolic objects that represent abundance, joy, and other values.

Blocking the wind in order to help the fire catch 

Once the altar is complete, it is wrapped up in paper and burned with llama fat and llama dung. The idea is to send the prayers upward with the smoke towards the Apus (mountain spirits).

Blessings on our family

Cuti giving each of us a blessing for health, abundance, fertility (productivity)

After the ceremony, we were free to wander around, searching for small meteorites in the meadow.

I found it humorous that the tiny meteorites looked VERY similar to sheep pellets, which were much more abundant on the meadow! Can you tell which is the meteorite???  OK, it's the one on the left, where my finger is pointing.

Walking round the lake, elated. Giving Thanks to the Apus.

Andean Geese