Mendoza, Argentina

 Place: Mendoza, Argentina

Weather: Plentiful sunshine, 63/87F.

Route: From Cordoba 606 km southwest on RN20.

Population: 115,021 (2010)

Places to visit: National Wine Museum, Natural History Museum.

Most tourism in Mendoza is centered on the wine industry - Mendoza is one of nine "wine capitals" in the world.

Images:

One of the many vineyards just outside of Mendoza (from argentina-travel-blog.sayhueque.com)

Downtown Mendoza (from cnn.com)

Cordoba, Argentina - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Cordoba, Argentina

Weather: Sunshine and some clouds, 65/92F.

Route: From Quebrada de Humahuaca 1,056 km south on R34 and R9.

Population: 1,391,298 (2010)

Significance: The UNESCO World Heritage Site is specific to the Jesuit Block - including university buildings, churches, and agricultural buildings. Most of the buildings are from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Places to visit: Museo Historico UNC Manzana Jesuitica, Museo Palacio Ferreyra, Museo De Ciencias Naturales Arturo Illia, Capilla Domestica Compania de Jesus, Catedral Cordoba, Iglesia Santo Domingo.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

Cordoba Cathedral (from albomadventures.com)

Jesuit Mission (from lacgeo.com)

Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina

Weather: Some clouds, isolated thunderstorm in afternoon, 47/71F.

Route: From Potosi 524 km south on 14 and RN9.

Significance: Quebrada de Humahuaca is what UNESCO calls a cultural landscape. It is a valley that runs 150 km along the Rio Grande river. Its significance is that it has been lived and and traveled along for over 10,000 years - from hunter and gatherers to the present day.  It is also a good place to highlight the Qhapaq Nan - the Andean road system largely built by the Inca civilization. This road network covers over 30,000 km in the harsh terrain of the Andes from Colombia in the north to Argentina and Chile in the south.

Websites: Qhapaq Nan UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quebrada de Humahuaca UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

The Camina Inca along the valley (from whc.unesco.org)

Homes built by an ancient method with stones (from whc.unesco.org)

Potosi, Bolivia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Potosi, Bolivia

Weather: Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms, 40/62F.

Route: From Sucre 155 km SW on 5.

Population: 174,973 (2012)

Nickname: Imperial City

Significance: Officially the industrial revolution started in the mid 18th century - but there were complex industrial processes occurring here to extract silver in the mid 16th century. The town was founded in 1545 and quickly became a center for silver extraction. There was a period of time when over half the silver production in the world was from the mountain in this city.  By the early 17th century the population was over 200,000 people.  Most of the laborers were native people who were forced to work the mines by the Spanish.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The mountain that produced all that silver above the city (from whc.unesco.org)

The church of San Lorenzo (from whc.unesco.org)

Sucre, Bolivia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Sucre, Bolivia

Weather: Scattered thunderstorms, 53/77F.

Route: From Fuerte de Samaipata 371 km SW on 7 and 5.

Population: 300,000 (2010)

Nickname: The City of Four Names

Significance: This city is called The City of Four Names because it has its name has changed from pre-Columbian times, through colonial times, to after Independence from Spain.  There are examples of architecture all the way back to the 16th century.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Places to visit: House of Liberty Museum, Museo del Tesoro, Dinosaur Tracks, Church of San Felipe Neri, Museum of indigenous Art, La Glorieta Castle, Museo de la Recoleta, Sucre Cathedral, San Lazaro Church.

Images:

Covento de San Felipe Nari (from theculturetrip.com)

Sucre Cathedral (from villaantiquahotel.com)

Fuerte de Samaipata, Bolivia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Fuerte de Samaipata, Bolivia

Weather: Partly cloudy, 66/86F.

Route: From Cochabamba 388 km east on 7.

Significance: Inhabited by different peoples - it was an Inca city prior to Spanish invasion. The most distinctive part of the site is a large red sandstone rock with many carvings that are thought to have spiritual significance. It had a strong defensive position on a hill.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images: 

The large sandstone rock with etchings (from whc.unesco.org)

Defensive wall (from whc.unesco.org)

Cochabamba, Bolivia

 Place: Cochabamba, Bolivia

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 56/88F.

Route: From La Paz 387 km SE on 1 and 4.

Population: 630,587 (2012)

Nickname: City of Eternal Spring

Places to visit: Palacio Portales, La Cancha, Covento Museo Santa Teresa, Incallajta, Catedral de San Sebastian, Museo Arqueologico de la Universidad, Iglesia y Convento Santa Clara, Museo Villa Albina.

Images: 

El Cristo de La Concordia (from boliviahop.com)

Catedral de San Sebastian (from boliviaturismo.com)

La Paz, Bolivia

 Place: La Paz, Bolivia

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 38/70F.

Route: From Tiwanaku 76 km east on 1.

Population: 816,044 (2020)

Elevation: 11,975 feet (highest capital in the world)

Places to visit: Mirador Killi Killi, Iglesia de San Francisco, Mercado de Las Brujas, National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, National Museum of Art.

Images:

La Paz with Mt. Illimani in the background (from theculturetrip.com)

The House of Congress (from theculturetrip.com)

Tiwanaku, Bolivia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 40/66F.

Route: From Puno 192 km ESE on 3s.

Significance: The Tiwanaku civilization predated the Inca, its height was from 500-900 CE. The most impressive buildings still standing (many have worn away in the harsh Andes environment) are Akapana and Kalasasaya. The themes are related to the agricultural calendar and stone heads thought to symbolize the leaders of peoples throughout the Andes who paid reverence to the Tiwanaku.

Video:

Images:

A large statue thought to symbolize a shaman - spiritual leaders who still exist today (from whc.unesco.org)

While the pyramid of Akapana is impressive - only one of the seven platforms that existed originally have lasted to the present day (from whc.unesco.org)

Puno, Peru

Place: Puno, Peru

Weather: Partly cloudy, 41/68F.

Route: From Arequipa 291 km ENE on 34a.

Population: 128,637 (2017)

Nickname: "City of the lake" (Puno is on Lake Titicaca)

Places to visit: Sillustani, Portal de Aramu Muru, La Casa del Corregidor, Catedral de Puno, Museo Carlos Dreyer, Chucuito Temple of Fertility, Iglesia de San Juan Bautista.

Images:

Aerial view of Puno on Lake Titicaca (from andeantravelweb.com)

Cathedral of Puno in the Plaza de Armas (from bestdistricts.com)

Arequipa, Peru - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Arequipa, Peru

Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 47/71F.

Route: From Cuzco 491 km south on 3S and 34A.

Population: 1,008,290 (2017)

Nickname: The White City

Significance: It's nickname comes from the fact that most of its buildings are made from the local white and pink volcanic rock. There are three volcanoes in the vicinity of Arequipa.  The architecture of the city includes both Spanish and native building methods. 

Places to visit: Monasterio de Santa Catalina, Mundo Alpaca, Museo Santuarios Andinos, Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, Museo de la Catedral de Arequipa, Museo de Arte Virreinal, La Mansion del Fundador.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

The White City from above (from whc.unesco.org)

Plaza de Armas (from butterfield.com)

Cuzco, Peru - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Cuzco, Peru

Weather: Variable clouds with thunderstorms, 43/63F.

Route: From Machu Picchu 203 km on 28B, 110, 3S.

Population: 428,450 (2017)

Nickname: The Navel of the World

Significance: Cuzco was the capital of the Inca empire in the 15th century, although it had over 3,000 years of occupation prior to that. In the 16th century the Spanish conquered the city. They left the city design mostly untouched - although they built baroque buildings over the Incan architecture. Today it is the base for tourists visiting Machu Picchu and other Incan sites.

Places to visit: Sacsayhuaman, Cusco Cathedral, Qorikancha, ChocoMuseo Cusco, Museo de Arte Precolombino, Tambomachay, Museo y Catacumbas Del Convento San Francisco de Asis Del Cusco, Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, Museo Inka.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The Cathedral and mountains behind (from theculturetrip.com)

An example of the well constructed Incan walls found throughout the city (from whc.unesco.org)

Machu Picchu, Peru - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Machu Picchu, Peru

Weather: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, 45/60F.

Route: From Nazca 662 km ENE on 30A.

Significance: If not the most well known site on UNESCO's list, Machu Picchu is at least very firmly in the top 5.  It was built at the height of the Inca Empire in the 15th century.  There were ~500 inhabitants - it was most likely built as a holy site for the elite to worship the sun god and mountain gods.  It is arguably the most picturesque human development on the planet. It is on the east side of the Andes - near the Amazon rainforest.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The morning mist partly obscuring the site (from whc.unesco.org)

The terraces grew maze - a complicated system helped to divert and store water on the site (from whc.unesco.org)

Nazca Lines, Peru - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Place: Nazca Lines, Peru

Weather:  Partly cloudy skies, 56/81F.

Route: From Lima 420 km south on 1S.

Significance: From 500 BC to 500 CE people scratched these incredibly large lines and geometric shapes in the ground - which can only be fully appreciated from the air.  Of course this has led to theories of ancient air balloons or even proof of aliens.  It is one of the more intriguing mysteries of ancient civilizations. The most likely explanation is that these lines and shapes were important in regards to water sources in this arid area. The animals represented are mostly those that were seen just before or just after rain.  The Nazca people may have walked along the lines as they prayed for rain.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site 

Video:

Images:

A glyph in the shape of a hummingbird (from whc.unesco.org)

A glyph in the shape of a condor (from machutravelperu.com)

Lima, Peru

 Place: Lima, Peru

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 61/77F.

Population: 8,838,102 (2020)

Nickname: The City of Kings

Places to visit: Museo Larco, Circuito Magico Del Agua, Fortaleza Real Felipe, Huaca Pucllana, Pachacamac, Museo Convento San Francisco y Catacumbas, Parque Kennedy, Museo MATE, MALI - Museo de Arte de Lima, Parque El Olivar, Museo Oro del Peru, Baslica y Monasterio de Santo Domingo, Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Cathedral of Lima.

Images:

The modern coastline of Lima (from forbes.com)

San Isidro business district (from forbes.com)

Historic Center of Lima, Peru - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Historic Center of Lima, Peru

Weather: Partly cloudy, 61/78F.

Route: From Caral-Supe 174 km south on 1N.

Significance: Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. The University of San Marcos was founded in 1551 - meaning that Lima had a university 70 years before the English landed on Plymouth Rock. Although there have been several earthquakes in Lima - there are still many impressive buildings remaining from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries here.  Many of the buildings were constructed in cooperation between local builders and Spanish architects and artisans. Lima has 9 million inhabitants (second largest population in South America) and is a very modern city - which I will focus on tomorrow.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video: 

Images:

The Cathedral of Lima - completed in 1649 (from whc.unesco.org)

Government Palace of Peru (from whc.unesco.org)

Sacred City of Caral-Supe, Peru - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Place: Caral-Supe, Peru

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 59/70F.

Route: From Chavin 280 km south on 110, 3N, 16 and 1N.

Significance: Even older than Chavin, Caral-Supe was built over 5,000 years ago. It is the oldest known civilization in South America. Six large pyramids dominate the site. It is on a desert terrace overlooking a river valley. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

One of the larger complexes (from whc.unesco.org)

The six pyramids, valley, and mountains. (from whc.unesco.org)