A couple of years ago I went to an exhibition at the MALI in Lima about the archaeological site of Chavín de Huántar and ever since I’d wanted to visit. Luckily, visiting the Cordillera Blanca meant that this was finally achievable!
Laguna Parón is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
I was inspired by my last post to think of some favourite locations here in Lima that I find myself returning to again and again. Obviously there are so many amazing places to eat here, and some of those I’ve been to a few times, or wish I could visit more often, but these are the places that have remained a constant over the last few years. These are also the places that I continuously take people that come to visit me as I always know I can trust the quality.
Ica is the main area in Peru for distilling pisco, the national spirit.
Pisco is made in a similar way to some types of brandy, but the final product is clear instead of dark. The grape juice is first fermented until it becomes a young wine. This means pisco is actually made from wine, not from the leftovers of wine production. After the fermentation has taken place, it is distilled and then rested in an odourless, non-reactive container (no wood) for a minimum of three months until it can be bottled. Pisco production is very strictly regulated and each producer must follow these same rules.
Pisco is absolutely delicious, especially when you buy it from a great producer.
My first trip to Ica this year was with my brother back in April, and we took the opportunity to do something super fun.
Sandboarding.
I have been amazingly lucky to visit Ica twice this year.
It was an area I had been wanting to visit for a while now and this year was finally the time. I went in April when my brother came to stay and more recently for my birthday at the end of August.
This first post is actually all about the latter stay and the beautiful resort we stayed in to celebrate my 30th.
So, without further ado….
We started the day again with breakfast on the balcony looking out over the beautiful square.
After having our fill of cheese, bread, cereals and fruit, we set off for the market.
We awoke bright and early the next morning to enjoy breakfast on the balcony before making our way across the sunlit square to visit the great Basílica Catedral de Arequipa.
The sunshine was incredible and bounced off of the white volcanic stone, making the cathedral gleam.
After a final visit to the alpacas at the Colca Lodge we packed up our belongings, headed for the bus and began our journey back to Arequipa.
I must share with you the wonderful place that we had the pleasure of staying at during our time in the Colca Valley.
There is an amazing sight to behold in the Colca Valley.
Aside from the incredible landscapes, there is something else to steal your gaze.
We awoke the next morning to a gloriously sunny day and enjoyed breakfast out on the hotel’s balcony
My parents had booked up a personalised, private trip with Amazonas Explorers to take us into the Colca Valley for 3 days. They were familiar with the company as they had used them before on a previous trip to Peru, but within the Sacred Valley.
The Little Edition 