P E R U

The Republic of Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina.  The capital is Lima.  The main official language is Spanish, which is spoken by 80% of the population.  Other official language is Quechua, spoken by 16% of the population, mainly Inca descendants.
It can be said that Peru is a country of extremes. It boasts a lot of the world's highest mountains, the world's driest desert, the world's most biologically diverse rain forest, the world's richest fishery, and the world's most extraordinary cultural and archeological diversity.  The most extraordinary ancient stone architecture in the world is in Peru.  The most extensive pre-Columbian empire in the New World revolved around the imperial capital of Cuzco.   The deepest canyon in the world is in the southern Andes of Peru.  The world's greatest varieties of cultivars and cuisine are found in Peru.  Corn, potatoes, beans, chocolate, hot peppers, peanuts, pumpkins, squashes, quinoa, amaranths, and dozens of other tubers, grains and fruits are native to and were first grown in Peru. Peru has over 1700 bird species -more than any other country in the world, of which 114 are unique to Peru.  More species of tress (300) are found in 2.5 acres of rain forest in northeastern Peru than in any other place in the Earth.
There have been people inhabiting this land for approximately 10,000 years.  The Incas came around 1500 AD, and were possibly the most organized civilization in South America.  Their economic system, distribution of wealth, artistic manifestations and architecture greatly impressed the first of the Spanish chroniclers.
The Inca worshiped the earth goddess Pachamama, and the sun god, the Inti.  The legend of the origin of the Incas tells how the sun god emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca and sent his children Manco Capac and Mama Oclio to found a sacred city at the "navel of the world", which was to be named Cosco and become the capital of the Inca Empire.
The rapid expansion of the Inca domain stemmed from their extraordinary organizational skills.  The vast territory of this magnificent civilization covered the country of Peru, part of what is modern-day Colombia to the north, Chile and Argentina to the south and all of Ecuador an Bolivia, with a population calculated at more than three million people.  
In spite of this grandiosity, the imposing Inca Empire lasted only a few decades.  The fall of it may be attributed to two factors.  First, Atahualpa, the actual ruler, had been attacked by his step brother, thus dividing the empire in two groups at war with each other.  The other component was the ancient and deep belief of all the Incas in the coming of a messiah or god, who had light features and was coming mounted on a huge animal.
When Francisco Pizarro crossed the Andes in 1532, found a multitude of worshipers kneeling at his presence.  The Spanish troop of only 18 soldiers captured Atahualpa and triumphantly entered Cuzco shortly afterwards.
Peru was declared an Independent Nation in 1821 and in 1824 Simon Bolivar put an end to the War of Independence.  But the young republic faced tough economic crisis and was governed for many years by military strongmen who gave civilians little chance to govern.  It was not until 1860 that the first civilian president, Manuel Pardo, was elected.
Lima, the capital, is an attractive modern metropolis with very heavy traffic.  Being on the coast, the humidity is extremely high, although it rarely rains.  The center of the city is of a distinct architecture and is always full of tourists.  It is recommended not to visit it at night.  Outside of the center area, the streets teem with mansions, modern high-rises, excellent parks and exuberant gardens.  Banks, businesses, restaurants and night clubs are abundant in the neighborhoods of Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro.
Cuzco is situated across the Andes from Lima and the only way to get there is by plane.  It has an altitude of 11,470 feet above the sea level, which is the cause of soroche (high altitude sickness).  It is a city where the past and the present collide in a striking mix. This mystical capital of the Inca Empire preserves with pride its walls and battlements of stone, on top of which the Spaniards built their colonial churches and mansions.  All the roofs are uniformly made of red adobe and the cobblestone, windy streets  are intriguing and charming.  It is the archeological capital of Peru and the world, surrounded by impressive remains of the glorious past, such as the temple of Qorikancha, the citadel of Machu Pichu, the Fortress of Saqsaywaman, the Pisac temple and the Ollantaytambo compound, just to mention the important ones.
Puno is the city adjacent to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,500 feet above sea level.  The lake is full of    floating islands made of totora reefs, which grow wildly in the lake. The Uros people  have been living there for thousands of years. The last of them died a few years ago, but they had mixed with the Aymara tribe, which had followed the same custom. Their houses and picturesque boats are also made of totora, a fiber tuber that is also edible.
These are some of the interesting memoirs of our trip to Peru in 2005.