Cusco Peru

Grandpa and Grandma went to Cusco Peru.  Cusco is the historical capital of the Inca Empire.  The Incas ruled here, built and managed  cities, trails, infrastructure; and, agriculture until the Spaniards invaded about 400 years ago.

Every year about the time of the Summer Solstice (Dec 21st) people in the surrounding villages make pilgrimages to Cusco to honor the Inca traditions.  

Here is a picture of a pilgrim.

Here is another.  The kids are eating a pastry of fried dough filled with Jam.  Very much like a stick doughnut.  The vendor has wrapped a paper towel around the treat so their hands stay clean.

Here is a picture of a village group marching around the plaza.  They play music and dance.  Each village competes to be the best.

Here is a picture of people watching the parade.  Many are wearing homemade hats because of the rain.

Loads of Love.

Lima Peru

Grandpa and Grandma went to Lima Peru.  Lima is the Capital.  Lima also has the oldest functioning university in the Americas --the University of San Marcos - founded on May 12, 1551 -by the Spanish colonialists. 


Lima is currently home to over 9 million people and is divided up into 43 districts - each district has its own local government. 

Here is a picture of a grocery store.  There are lots of fresh vegetables; cheese; fruit and fancy meats.  Friendly staff stands - by to give samples and help people choose. 

Miraflores is one of the districts in Lima.  There are many luxury hotels; shops and restaurants; parks and green areas, in Miraflores. Larcomar, a popular shopping mall and entertainment center built on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, features  - bars, dance clubs, movie theaters, cafes, shops, boutiques and galleries. 

People like to fly paragliders here - along the cliffs and out over the ocean.
  

Here is a picture Grandpa carrying his paraglider to the Miraflores Launch over the Pacific Ocean.  Another person is playing with a paraglider behind Grandpa, while others meet and chat.  Lima is a very social scene.

Here is a picture of the posh Larcomar entertainment center.  The center sits on the cliff almost directly below where Grandpa is flying.  The Marriott Hotel is the mirrored high rise behind.  All along the cliff are green grass parks for all the people to enjoy.  The long beach below is also a public park.  

Nightlife, shopping and entertainment also center around a park in the heart of Miraflores that is always bustling with people and live performances.  

Here is a picture of some of the performers there in a fancy Holiday Parade sponsored by the CocaCola Company.

Grandpa and Grandma hope you have enjoyed learning about a bit about Lima, the Capital of Peru.  

Loads of Love

Pisaqua Chile (Pee Water)

Grandpa and Grandma visited Pisaqua Chile.  The town is on the Northern coast.  -- named by the early Spanish explorers who came ashore almost 500 years ago to collect the river water.  They were very disappointed to discover the water bitter-- contaminated -- with nitrate.

So they named the Place  "Pee Water"

During the first years of the 20th century, people wanted the nitrate to make stuff like fertilizer and explosives.   Pisagua became one of the areas most important ports.  The town had  almost 2500 people.

Now about 250 people live there.  They mostly harvest seaweed in their small boats and sell it to processing plants.  

Grandpa and Grandma took 5 liters of gas from Iquique to Pisagua and traded it for a boat ride out to see the seals and sea lions that live on the rocky islands near shore.

Here is a picture of the boat engine.

Here is a picture of the 5 liters of gas.

Here is a picture of the sea lions

Here is a picture of the seals

Here is a picture of town.

Here is a picture of the Cemetery.

Here is a picture of the Crypt.

Here is a picture of the Pisaqua Delta launch.

Loads of Love--

Surplus Shipping Container Hotel

Grandpa and Grandma stayed in a paragliding hotel at the foot of a giant sand dune in Iquique Chile.  The hotel was built out of surplus shipping containers.   Before shipping containers (in the 1950s) stuff was loaded, tied down, untied and unloaded from the ship one piece at a time. 

However, by putting all the stuff into containers; everything is moved at once.  Shipping containers have reducing shipping time by 84% and costs by 35%.   Now more than 90% of world trade goods are transported in containers.


But shipping containers get old and can no longer be used.  Or; a port has more containers coming in than going out and they pile up.  People around the world are repurposing these surplus container in innovative ways.    Like our hotel.

Here is a picture of our shipping container hotel.

Here is a picture of inside our hotel suite.

Here is a picture of the Patio outside our suite.  

Here is a picture of the view from the Patio,

Here is a picture of Grandma playing with her paraglider to shake all the sand out in the landing area of the Hotel.

Grandpa and Grandma hope you have enjoyed learning about shipping containers.

Loads of Love

Iquique, Chile

Grandma and Grandpa are visiting Iquique, Chile with their friends.  We all came here to go paragliding.   The climate is perfect for this sport.  It is the driest place on earth. 


The prevailing wind comes from the East over the High Andies Mountains.  As the wind goes up over the mountain it gets colder.  


Have you ever seen a mountain with snow on it's top?  That is because it is really cold up high.  When the air gets cold it can not hold water and the rain all falls back down to the earth.  All the rain falls on the East side of the Mountains in the Amazon River Basin and none of the rain comes over to Iquique.  

But Iquique is also on the Pacific Ocean so the air is moist and cool.  Temperatures range between 65 degrees at night and 75 during the day.  Perfect !!!


The people and plants get all their water from the East in a pipeline.  There are a lot of minerals just East of here for mining and a big shipping port to bring goods in from other countries for distribution throughout South America.  The people here have a lot to do and seem very happy.


Here is a picture of Grandpa on launch on the big hill above the town.  The Pacific Ocean is 1500 feet below.













Here is a picture of the town of Iquique.  Grandma took the picture as she flew her paraglider over the town to land at the Beach.

Here is a picture of the Beach Landing area.

Here is a picture of the Golf Course.  Looks like they have figured out how to have a golf course without using massive amounts of water for the fairways and putting greens. 

Loads of Love