LIMA, Peru -- Which of your children do you like best? That is a question that's almost impossible to answer. It's much like being asked what area of Peru is your favourite. It's a challenging proposition.
The Islas Flotantes, (Floating Islands), the area's top tourist attraction, are home to the Uros people.
The country, curved a bit like a Cheezie, hugs the western coast of South America. The Andes mountains, the world's second highest range, slices the country into three distinct geographical regions, making Peru a destination where you could frolic on an oceanfront beach and ski down a snow-covered peak on the same day.
It's almost as if some ancient Inca god decided to create a one-size-fits-all kind of country spread over 1.2 million kilometres.
The Pacific coastal strip is predominantly desert. In its midst is Lima, Peru's frenetic capital with nearly seven million inhabitants. Flying in from Canada, it serves as the starting point for journeys around Peru.
First impressions of the city are unlikely to be positive. Traffic can be horrendous because Peruvian drivers seem to think of red lights as merely polite suggestions, and the sky is often a battleship grey, thanks to the city's close proximity to the ocean.
But first impressions can be deceiving.
At its core, Lima is a fascinating place, rife with historical treasures that trace its path through time, from its ancient tribes to the Spanish conquest.
Though you might be tempted to exit the city quickly, linger a couple of days to explore sites like Plaza de Armas, the church of San Francisco and its creepy catacombs (where the Spanish buried the dead), then hang out and sip a pisco sour (Peru's cocktail of choice) in the chic Miraflores district, which is perched alongside a cliff overlooking the crashing waves of the Pacific.
A bit of understanding of Peruvian history is a good thing to have just so you can put into context what you'll see elsewhere in the country. A trip to the Museo de la Nacion does the trick for a Coles Notes-type overview of what happened to whom and when. For kicks, visit the excellent Museo Larco, which showcases 3,000 years of pre-Columbian history as well as a curious R-rated collection of erotic ceramics.
From Lima, many visitors head to the Amazonian lowlands, another distinct region that is a unique world of its own. It's a must-visit area that may end up on top of your list of favourite Peruvian destinations. A trek down the Amazon River into the jungle begins in Iquitos, the world's largest city that cannot be reached by road. It may be isolated, but it's hardly Dullsville. It's a hive of activity that borders on manic with motorcycle taxis, tourist buses, and locals clogging the city streets.
Tour packages can be booked in Iquitos, which could include transportation, accommodation, meals and day trips in the jungle. Depending on your taste, you can opt for luxury with a lodge like Ceiba Tops, which features a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and air-conditioning, or you can get down 'n' dirty with a camping and hiking trek.
Once you've arrived in the jungle, be prepared for a smorgasbord of sights and sounds like no other, from three-toed sloths sleepily clinging to tree trunks to brightly coloured macaws swooping over your head. Tourism has become important to the Peruvian Amazon so you'll find plenty of things to do.
Try your hand at piranha fishing in inky black rivers, take a boat ride to search for pink dolphins, or conquer your fear of heights by hiking the canopy walkway which swings 35 metres above the ground. Or do nothing at all, but listen to the whistles and chirps emanating from the jungle at the crack of dawn.
Though the Amazon is wonderful, it's the highlands of the Andes that are fascinating. This is site of the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, the country's most popular attraction. Its iconic status as a symbol of Peru draws hordes of tourists who stay at pricey hotels in picturesque Cuzco, then head up to this ruins.
Without a doubt, it's well worth seeing; but equally enchanting is the lesser-known Lake Titicaca region, located further south toward the Bolivian border.
You might remember the name Lake Titicaca from when you were a kid. Your teacher may have told you that it was world's highest navigable lake at 3,821 metres above sea level. Just saying "Lake Titicaca" can cause giggling. It sounds like something your mother would wash your mouth out with soap for uttering.
The meaning of its name isn't known for certain. Some think that it combines words from Quechua and Aymara languages that mean "rock puma" -- a reference to the lake's shape that resembles a puma hunting a rabbit.
There's nothing funny about the highlands region itself. It's truly lovely and charms at every turn. Driving from the airport in Juliaca, towards the centre of town, you sense right away that you're somewhere quite different from the rest of Peru.
At such a high altitude, the blue of the skies appears to be more intense and the sun shines brighter, unencumbered by fog or smog. In this light, these golden plains that straddle between the east and west Andes seem to glow.
On the downtown streets of Juliaca, women head to market wearing traditional highland dress, featuring bowler-like hats that perch precariously on top of their heads and full skirts in gemstone colours like ruby and emerald. More scenic eye candy awaits in Sillustani, an archeological site poised on the shores of the Umayo lagoon, about 25 minutes from Juliaca. From a distance, you can see what look like chimneys dotting the rolling hills.
As you get closer, it become clear that they are cylindrical stone towers (up to 12 metres high), a kind of grave marker called chullpas. Built by the Colla people (who pre-date the Incas), they were ransacked after the Spanish conquest in 1532.
It's a bit of a climb from the parking lot up to the towers. Under normal circumstances, it would be an easy walk; but when you're more than 3,800 metres up, the body reacts differently. Some slight dizziness or shortness of breath is pretty common. Some people have a full-blown case of altitude sickness, which, according to a fellow traveller, feels like "having a machete stuck in your head."
In addition to headaches, a lack of appetite, insomnia and nausea can strike. The remedy? Take time to acclimatize and drink plenty of coca leaf tea (derived from the same plants used to make cocaine, but is legal). If you're concerned about getting altitude sickness, ask your doctor about a prescription drug called Diamox.
The waterfront town of Puno is an ideal location from which to take excursions. It's also one of the cheapest places to buy goods made from alpacas (closely related to llamas) and their lusciously soft wool. In local restaurants, you can eat alpaca in the form of filets (tastes like pork) and alpaca carpaccio.
Haggle with vendors for slippers, blankets, hats, and gloves for the folks back home at the central market, or just steps from the Juliaca airport. In Puno, book an excursion to the Islas Flotantes (or Floating Islands).
While not exactly floating in the way that a bar of Ivory soap may bob in a bathtub, these islands are constructed from buoyant totora reeds. Judging from the number of camera-touting tourists flocking there by boat, you might think that the islands were created merely to sell handicrafts. But this is a fully functioning community inhabited by the Uros people.
There is a school, a medical centre and homes, built on top of layers and layers of cut reeds that are freshened up with new batches regularly as they rot. For about a dollar, you can take a short cruise to a neighbouring island aboard a boat made of tightly bundled reeds.
Many packaged excursions continue on from there to Taquile Island, about three hours away. It's a fascinating place with some unusual sights. On this six-kilometre long island, there are frequent sightings of men knitting. Yes, knitting.
Taquile has a long history of weaving and handicrafts on the island and it's part of their social customs, too. If a man wears a red hat, he's married. Red and white is for bachelors. Women wear intricately embroidered blouses and multi-layered skirts. Much of what they make is available at reasonable prices in shops located around the town square. Be forewarned that there's an hour-long climb to get there from the dock. It's the only way up since this is a vehicle-free island.
Before you attempt the 540-plus steps to return to your boat, fuel up at lunch on freshly grilled lake trout in one of the pint-sized eateries around the plaza. Heading back to Puno, the sun is starting to set. It's a fantastic light show as it begins to slide behind the distant peaks of the Andes mountains. It's a perfect way to end a day in the highlands -- the part of Peru that would be my favourite -- if I really had to pick just one.
Michele Sponagle is a
Toronto-based travel writer.
Visiting Peru
Getting there
Air Canada offers direct flights to Lima from Toronto (flying time is about eight hours). Canadians require a valid passport entry into Peru. Tourist visas are not required.
Getting by
* Language: Spanish is the predominant language of Peru, English is spoken at hotels and in tourist areas.
* Money: The currency is the nuevo sol, though U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Internet access is available at many hotels, but it's less expensive to use Internet cafés (as little as $1 US for an hour).
* Health: Protect yourself by drinking only bottled water. Consult with a travel clinic to see what, if any, vaccines or medications are recommended.
More information
www.peru.info/perueng.asp
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