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Lima
Area1,285,220 km²
(30.9x Nederland)
UTC -5
LanguageSpanish, Quechua
Highest pointHuascarán - 6,768 m
The flag was designed by the South American independence fighter José de San Martin and adopted on February 25, 1825. Red represents the blood that was shed during the struggle for independence. white represents courage and peace. The coat of arms contains the Vicuña, the Cinchona tree and the cornucopia.
The Nuevo sol (named after the Solidus, used in the Roman Empire) is the currency in Peru. It was introduced on January 4, 1991. Depicted on the banknote is a national hero: José Abelardo Çuiñones Gonzáles. During the war with Ecuador in 1941 his plane, an American P-64, was hit in an attack on an Ecuadorian position. Instead of briging himself to safety with his parachute, he sacrificed himself by crashing his plane on the enemy position.
The reed islands of the Uros in Lake Titicaca near Puno are very
touristic but well worth it. This year there are 32 islands that
all want to earn something. When entering the area
two islands are assigned. This way, all islands can welcome
tourists. The construction of an island takes six months.
An island lasts about 20 years and there is room for seven
families. Among other things, a demonstration is given of how an island
is being built and of course the souvenirs are also present.
Ruins of what must have been an important Inca place are located in Raqchi,
on the road from Puno to Cusco.
There are approx. 100 Colca's (food storage) The Colca's
lie in a straight line and have a diameter of 10 meters. The
Remains of the temple are special because of the use of adobe.
The monumental village of the same name has
a souvenir market where the saleswomen wear traditional costumes.
By train to Aguas Calientes, a very touristic place and the
base for an excursion to Machu Picchu. If you have time then
walk along the railway to climb the
Cerro Putukusi with beautiful view of Machu Picchu. This ascent
is very steep and you have to climb several long ladders
Not recommended when it rains because the ladders are slippery.
Take one of the first buses to Machu Picchu. Get up very early in order to
avoid waiting in a long queu. Once in Machu Picchu sit on one of the terraces
and watch the clouds drift over the ruins. The
ruins were discovered in 1911. A Peruvian boy was leading explorer
Hiram Bingham to the site.
Make an excursion to the circular cultivation terraces of the
Incas in Moray. The terraces, which act as a kind of bowl between the
hills, were created to acclimate crops to higher altitudes.
At Maras there are thousands of salt basins
against the hill. The salt water spring that rises on the hill
feeds the basins through small channels. Once a basin is filled it is plugged.
A month later, when the water has evaporated, the salt can be extracted.
In Ollantaytambo lies an impressive Inca ruin. This is the only place where
the Incas were victorous over the Spaniards.
Cusco, the Quechua word for navel, was the capital of
the Incas. A beautiful city with a mix of Inca architecture and
that of the Spaniards. When the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro conquered the
city in 1533, he ordered demolition of the existing temples and palaces to its foundation
to place colonial buildings on top. The way
on which the large stones fit together shows the craftsmanship
of the Incas. Make sure to be in Cusco at the end of June. Prior to
the Inti Raimi festival there are several parades with floats and dance groups.
Don't forget to visit the beautiful cathedral. Above the city lies the Sacsayhuamán temple.
In 1535 Manco Capac II with an army of 100,000 Incas tried to recapture Cusco on the
Spaniards. He didn't succeed.