It is hard to believe that we have been on our voyage for 3 weeks already – the time is flying by.  We have had excellent presentations about the history, economics, politics and prospects of the places we have visited – in addition to specialized discussions concerning the Aztec civilization in Mexico, the Mayans in Central America and the Incas in Peru in Chile.   

We just spent several days in Peru, viewing the old colonial- era squares and the modern neighborhoods (you can find the ruins of over 300 Incan pyramids in Lima, some of which are right in the middle of these busy neighborhoods). 

Yesterday we visited the peninsula of Paracus, just outside Peru.  We saw some of the thousands of acres which comprise the Paracus Natural Reserve – an ancient desert that was part of the floor of the Pacific Ocean before the rise of the Andes mountains.  This desert sits between the Ocean and the Andes – and the ocean mist that rolls across the land is blocked by the Andes Mountains, so Peru gets virtually no rain.  Hence, a desert and lots of well-preserved pyramids.  In the Paracas Natural Reserve you can see red sand (high iron content) and fossils of snails and other shellfish that lived in the Pacific Ocean ages ago.  

Peruvian cuisine has received global recognition in recent years, for good reason.  The Chinese and Japanese who arrived as workers in Peru and Chile in prior years have greatly influenced the food in this part of the world, especially with respect to fish recipes.  Delicious!  

We will be in Chile tomorrow, where we have several days of exploring planned.   Stay tuned.  

Joe and Mary Anne