http://www.backpackers-around.com/index.php http://www.backpackers-around.com/en-rss-galleries.php info@backpackers-around.com info@backpackers-around.com IT-it http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-trujillo.php Trujillo is the starting point to go visiting the surrounding temples: the tomb of the Cao Lady, the Huaca del Sol e de la Luna, Chan Chan,... very important temples when they were built. Unfortunately they are now not a lot more than mud; they were built using mud, and the rain has destroyed almost everything.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-05-07
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-canon-pato.php Canon del Pato is a canyon at the northern end of the Cordillera Negra in northern Peru. The Rio Santa flows through the canyon and is used for hydro electricity. Despite the river, the canyon is very arid. Its formed by the Cordillera Blanca (to the East) and the Cordillera Negra (to the West), which run parallel for nearly 140km from South to North, with an average gap of about 16km,which become as close as barely 6m, and still with tops at 6000m and above.
An unpaved road runs 35km through the canyon and passes through 35 tunnels before it reaches Huallanca.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-04-27
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-pastoruri.php Huaraz it is possible to visit the Pastoruri Glacier at about 5400 meters on sea level. The road to reach it is spectacular, as well as the feeling of altitude and lack of oxigen near the glacier.
Around Huaraz it is also possible to visit some nice waterfalls and do nice trekking, in a quite and peaceful area, surrounded by lovely landscapes.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-04-17
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-huaraz.php Huaraz, at 3052 meters on sea level, is located in the middle "Cordillera Blanca", wonderful mountains above 5000 meters, always covered by snow.
Nice and quite city, its surroundings are simply amazing: small lagoon in the mountains, small villages with ancient traditions, old temples... and a wonderful view of the mountains.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-04-04
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-paracas.php Pisco, destroyed by a earthquake a couple of years ago, doesn't have anything special, but its surrounding have! Tambo Colorado and the National Reserve of Paracas.
Tambo Colorado is an old inca ruin, still well preserved but not often visited by tourists. At the National Reserve of Paracas is possible to see penguins, sea lions, and many different kind of birds, all together in small islands. It i a wonderful view!
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-03-20
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-huacachina.php desert, sand and dunes all around, there is the picturesque Huacachina lagoon. A small oasis with palm trees, a lot of water and some hotels and restaurants for he tourists.
The funniest part of staying in the lagoon is going in the desert to do dune-buggy and sand-boarding... it is incredible the experience to go down the sand dunes!
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-03-06
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-palpa.php Palpa is not even named in the touristic guides, even if it has a lot of hidden treasures for the tourist to discover.
Geoglyphs, petroglyphs, ancient ruins and tombs are located just a couple of kilometres from Palpa. A nice break from the tourist Nazca.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-03-02
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-nazca.php Nazca is famous worldwide for its misterious lines. Strange figures cut in the stony desert and only visible from the air. They are dated from a period going from 900BC until 600AC and their purpose is still unknown.
The Nazca area is also dotted with hundred of cemeteries; the dry and humidity-free climate has perfectly preserved many mummies, only things remained of these graved after the grave-robbers ransacked the tombs and left only skulls and bones.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-20
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-panamericana.php The Panamericana connecting Arequipa with Nazca is particularly wonderful. During the 8 hours by bus on this road we have been taking many pictures. Desert, rice fields, ocean,... all mixed in a wonderful landscape.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-18
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-toro-muerto.php Toro Muerto, an archeological site situated in the middle of a desert, is the biggest area of the world for petroglifics. Thousand of stones of vulcanic origins, carved with humans, animals, birds, and geometric figures, around an area of about 20kms. The origins of these carvings are still unknown, but they think they are about 1200 years old, belongings to Wari culture.
It is a pity this archeological site is often forgotten and nothing is done to preserve it from vandals and thieves.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-17
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-colca-canyon.php Colca Canyon is home to 14 small villages inside its valley. A spectacular oasis, with palm trees and natural swimming pools, is located at the base of the canyon. Perfect place to rest after a long trekking.
The area is dedicated to agriculture and tourism, bring the traveler back of about 100 years.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-14
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-cabanaconde.php Cabanconde, a small village in the Colca Valley, still keeps its old traditions. All the ladies wear typical dresses and hats, the houses are built with abode bricks, and the village closes down just after sunset.
From Cabanconde you can start various trekking to visit the Colca Canyon and the oasis at the bottom of the Canyon.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-13
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-peru-arequipa.php Arequipa, known with the name of 'La Ciudad Blanca' (the white city) from the color of the stone used for its ancient buildings, is an old city built in the 1540. On the back of the city it is possible to see the high vulcan Misti.
The center of Arequipa keeps an ancient magic, with old churches and monuments; Arequipa is incredible in the night, when the moon give lights to the white stones of its buildings.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-07
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-chile-lauca.php North of Chile, at the border with Peru and Bolivia, there is one of the best National Parks in Chile: Laura national Park.
Starting from Putre, a small village at 3000 meters, it is possible to visit lakes and vulcans and to see vicugnas and lamas. The road to Bolivia cross the National Park, and simply going through this road you can see breathtaking landscapes.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-03
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-chile-iquique.php Iquique, lovely sea town, with a nice square.
Very curious are the ghost towns of Humberstone and Santa Laura, villages in the middle of the desert, built only for the estraction and elaboration of salnitre and then abandoned when the business closed.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-02-01
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-chile-pedro-atacama.php San Pedro, in the middle of the Atacama Desert, still keeps some special areas and atmosphear, even if is crowded with tourists.
In its surroundings it is possible to visit old pre-inca ruins, geyser, lagoons and salinas, and the famous Moon Valley.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-30
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-salinas-grandes.php salt area many kilometers large o top of an highland at about 4000 meters.
A so strong white that your eyes burn and the shadow of the clouds on the salted water, make the landscape of Salinas Grandes, at the border between Argentina and Chile, a bit surreal and incredible.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-24
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-iruya.php Iruya. Impressive the road and landscape to reach it!
And,in the valley and easily reachable there is Humauaca and Purmamarca. The last one is advertised everywhere for its Seven Colors Hill... Nothing special!
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-21
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-tilcara.php Tilcara is a small village in the North of Argentina, in the Jujuy Province. Small streets, houses done with adobe and small local markets/, all this surrounded by strange mountains with lovely colors.
To visit a pre-inca fortress and a Garganta del Diablo, a deep canyon which can be reached by car or by a long but nice trekking.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-20
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-cafayate.php Cafayate, with its quite streets, the adobe houses, wineries and bodegas, give a special touch to the village.
But the most spectacular thing about this place it's the Quebrada, the road connecting Cafayate with Salta. A road stolen to the mountains, in a fairy landscape. Mountains with many different colors, strange rock formations, and wonderful trekkings in the middle of nothing, far from everything and everybody.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-17
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-amaicha-quilmes.php Amaicha with an incredible museum, fruit of the strange mind of a local artist.
And the, the ruins of Quilmes Village, population killed by the Spanish conquerors. Today their name remain only as the label of an Argentinian beer.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-13
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-tafi-valle.php mountain village, located at 2000 meters, Tafi del Valle is a vacation place for people living in the hot and humid Tucuman. Here there are many villas and second houses, and the village is full of people only in summer time. Nice streets, good restaurants, and many nice walks around the valley.
A small Gesuit museum, and a field with strange stones (Menhires) with important archeological value are the main attractions in the Valley, but the place is so quite you end up staying longer than you think.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-05
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-ischigualasto.php Ischigualasto National Park, known as 'Moon Valley', is one of the most famous Nation Parks in Argentina, both for the strange rock formations and because here have been found fossils of the most ancient dinosaurs in the world. We are not speaking about big Spielberg dinosaurs, but small and ancient species.
After the rainy season, when erosion due to wind and water has changed the field, groups of scientists work on this park looking for other fossils hidden here since a long time.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2010-01-03
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-san-agustin.php San Agustin de Valle Fertil, as the name says, a Fertil green area surrounded by desert, is the best place from where to start visiting the 'Valle de la Luna' (Moon Valley).
It is a pity most of the tourists, always running, do not stop here for a couple of days, to enjoy the quite and friendly village. We have also been very like and had the change to partecipate to a Gaucho Festival, with people coming from all the Province but without tourists.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2009-12-31
http://www.backpackers-around.com/photo-argentina-san-juan.php San Juan, even without having many attactions, is a peaceful and quite place to spend a couple of days.
Many wineries surround the city, and many good bogedas are inside the city itself. Less famous than the ones in Mendoza, these wineries produce good quality wines and the bodegas offer good tasting and interesting tours inside the wineries.
[VISIT THE PHOTOGALLERY] ]]> 2009-12-24