October 18, 2007

I'm back !

I’m back! Very happy with my trip! Sincere thanks to all of you for the comments that you have left during my absence!

I will now start posting some (too many?) photos from Peru and Bolivia, but will do it in pieces, place by place, probably during a week or so… before resuming my normal Paris reports.


AREQUIPA
After a quick one night transfer via Lima (which I visited at the end of my trip), my first goal was Arequipa.

Arequipa is Peru’s second most important city with a population of about 1 million. It’s located in the “shadow” of the nowadays sleeping volcano El Mitsi. It was recommended to start the trip here, the altitude being a mere 2400 meters (7800 feet).

The city centre is on the UNESCO world heritage list since 2000 and has a very typical and homogenous Spanish colonial style, mostly dating from the century which followed the present city creation in 1540. Many of the buildings are built of “sillar”, a pearly white volcanic rock – the city goes under the name La Ciudad Blanca (The White City).

The photos include views of the central place (Plaza de Armas), the Cathedral, the church La Compania with its adjacent monastery and the Convento de Santa Catalina (the red and blue buildings). In the evening I had a “Pisco Sour”, the ever served local cocktail (Pisco brandy, lemon juice, egg whites, syrup, regional bitters…), on the balcony of my hotel. A tourist bus passed by. We waved.If you wish to see the original photos in large, I propose that you visit my other blog, "Peter - photos".

50 comments:

Zhang Chunhong said...

Bienvenu d'être de retour.

Zhang Chunhong said...

J'attends le rapport de ton voyage, impatiemment.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Peter. I am glad to see your name again. I think you are the only Peter on the blog community. I like your photos so far and look forward to the others even larger versions on your other blog. You will have to say what all you did. Just look around or poke into back alleys and bistros or just photography of buildings, people, and scenes? It should be a welcome for all of us who have missed you.

GMG said...

Peter, welcome back! I'm so envious (bad feeling)... :(

Meanwhile, while out, you've been tagged. And you’re supposed to pass the tag on...

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

Enjoy, and have a great time!

Peter said...

I had to go step by step for this post; difficulties with the system. Some of the first comments here were given when the post was not yet complete.

di.di said...

Glad you are back, Peter. I've missed the updates! Can't wait to see all your trip photos!!!

Cuckoo said...

Welcome back Peter !! We've missed you.

Waiting impatiently for the trip narration... step by step. ;)

Heather said...

Welcome back, Peter! Such beautiful photographs already -- I look forward to hearing about your voyage!

lyliane six said...

Ton absence a semblé long à toutes tes groupies, mais pour un résultat magnifique!, nous allons pouvoir voyager ensemble, déjà de très belles photos et d'intéressants commentaires.

Anonymous said...

Bonjour Peter!! quelle joie de vous revoir parmi nous! Comme dit Lyliane, il manquait quelqu'un sur la toile ces dernières semaines. :-)
Vous allez vous en douter, je vais vous demander quel est l'effet du "Pisco Sour"sur l'organisme lorsqu'on en boit plusieurs? Je suis sûre que vos explications pourraient aussi intéresser la dame HPY qui ne crache pas dans son verre quand ce qu'il y a dedans est fameux. En tous les cas, la photo du verre avec le bâtiment en arrière plan est très sympa! J'irai regarder les photos sur l'autre blog quand j'aurai un peu de temps ce WE. Je me réjouis en tous les cas de voir quelques photos de montagnes, les Andes, qui doivent être bien différentes des Alpes. Je vous embrasse et vous souhaite un bon retour

EMNM said...

Welcome back Peter!!

What a amazing pictures! more, more

alice said...

Peter est revenu! Peter est revenu! Ah tu nous as manqué, tu sais...Maintenant, on va savourer les photos que tu as rapportées.

Gaëlle said...

Nice to see you on the internet again! I'm looking forward to seeing more photos from your trip!
And to answer your essential question about Ikea on my Grenoble DP: I could'nt survive without Ikea so I used to vistit the store in Lyon until now!

hpy said...

Delirium a encore mis trop de champignions hallucinogènes dans son vin - elle se prend pour un dauphin et veut se battre avec un chameau à deux bosses qui en réalité est un elfe prénommé Bruno et qui a une perceuse black et d'équerre. J'ai du mal à la suivre malgré mon petit vélo dans la tête - la preuve, elle a réussi à te faire la bise avant moi. Promets moi de ne pas lui donner trop de Pisco Sour la prochaine fois.

Anonymous said...

super ! tu es revenu! plein de photos d'Amérique du Sud à découvrir. Pa

Hyderabad Daily Photo said...

Looking forward to your trip photos and descriptions. I liked your blog color combo very much. I may "borrow" it if you don't mind. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - as someone said). I also liked the idea of grouping multiple photos in one (don't know if it is called "collage") and then also providing a link if someone wants to see the photos in detail. Obviously you have a lot you want to share. Welcome back to DP.

SusuPetal said...

Welcome back, Peter. Pisco Sour sounds delicious and likewise are your photos!

Keshi said...

Wb Wb! :)

**Pisco Sour

sounds like a treat!

btw I love that last pic where all the tourists r waving at ya...very heart-warming!

Love all the pics actually. Wish I was there too!

Keshi.

isa said...

Enfin!
Sounds like a successful holiday!
Will check out the larger version photos to fully appreciate La Ciudad Blanca.
Was a train you main mode of transportation?

(re: Pisco Sour - raw egg whites, really? REALLY?)

Shionge said...

Hiya Peter :D Welcome back and we are all very happy to 'see' you again. Bet you have an exciting trip and can't wait to see more....thanks for visiting my blog :D

Peter said...

zhang:
Merci! Il faut maintenant revisiter, le post n'était pas complet quand tu as regardé!

oldmanlincoln:
Hope you have another look; the post was not yet complete when you commented! (I hope to have some more photos of people in the coming posts.)

GMG:
I should be the jelous one! You - and your wife - have been EVERYWHERE! Concerning the tagging, I may revert later, no time right now!

Peter said...

drama div@, cuckoo and heather:
Thanks! Welcome back for the coming posts!

lyliane:
Merci!

delphinium:
Je n'ai jamais bu plus qu'un seul - à la fois! Sinon, on boit et mache de coca (pas en version coca cola)! Le vin local est aussi plus que buvable ainsi que les bières!
Oui, les montagnes sont différentes, plus hautes que les Alpes, mais sous le soleil et avec moins de neige (sauf au dessus de 6000 m). ... et il ya des vaches (et de llamas et des alpacas...)!

Peter said...

matritensis:
Yes, there will be more. The problem is to select!

alice et bleeding orange:
Donc, à bientôt pour la suite!

hpy:
J'ai l'impression que délires bien plus que "delirium"!!

Peter said...

lasiate:
Merci et à bientôt!

hyderabad:
Thanks for this (first?) visit! You may borrow or steal whatever you like from my blogs; no copyrights!

suspetal:
Pisco Sour is quite nice, of course to be consumed with moderation!

Peter said...

keshi:
A bus full of young female tourists!!! But, nothing more than some nice waving!

Peter said...

isabella:
Unfortunately not so much be train - not available. However, I made the famous train trip from Cusco to Titicaca (10 hours) and also used the train from Cusco to Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes)! The rest by plane, boat, bus, feet... Yes, there is plenty of raw egg whites in the Pisco Sour!

shionge:
Thanks and welcome back tomorrow and...!

Anonymous said...

All I can say is that it makes me feel like buying a plane ticket

sonia a. mascaro said...

Welcome back, Peter!
I am glad you enjoyed your trip!
What a great reportage and wonderful photos! You always do a good job on your blog, with maps, photos and informations! I will check out "Peter Photos" soon.
Have a nice day!

Kate said...

Peter, It's too bad that no-one missed you while you were gone ;=) !! I'll add my voice, too, and welcome your return. Looking forward to more wonderful photos. Do you recall how many photos you took? Were you on a self-guided trip or a tour?

Peter said...

kate:
Maybe 800 photos. The problem is that you are not allowed to take photos in churches and museums and if you want to take a close up of people, they would ask you for some money compensation... I was on my own, but had occasional guides. Of course, hotel bookings, flights and train reservations had been made in advance.

black feline said...

Omigosh! welcome back!!!!!!!!!!!!! and what i trip u have had there! Will be checking daily..

Chuckeroon said...

How kind of you to drop in so soon.

I'll wait patiently for the "feast" to be gradually and gracefully served.

Marguerite said...

Ah ! Peter ! Tu nous a manqué !
Ton délicieux accent de commentateur suédois en français nous a manqué !
(Je ne peux dire si en anglais tu as un accent suédois, surement mais je ne suis pas assez fortiche pour m'en rendre compte)
Je commençais à m'inquiéter sévère. Allais tu finir au fond d'une géole pour avoir voulu poser les questions qui fachent ?

Je vois que tu es revenu avec de la matière pour nourrir ton blog.
Et tu es comme toujours affuté et irréprochable point de vue infos (je pense que je suis pas sûre de vouloir partir avec toi en vacances pdt trois semaines. Je crois qu'alors je serais un peu sur les rotules...)

Tes pictures st extrémemnt dépaysantes
Tu en as choisi une beautiful pour accrocher le lecteur au dessus.
J'aime bien aussi la avec au premier plan le verre.
Et la avec les taxis. Je trouve qu'elle rend bien compte de la vie de tous les jours de là bas, dis donc...
Et pis celle de l'arbre fleuri

Pas que des compliments : il y a des imprécisions :
*Quand est ce que tu es rentré ?
Ce matin, hier, avant hier ?
*Quid dans le verre ?
*C'est quoi comme arbre?
.....

Allez, Peter, repose toi. Tu nous a manqué mais faudrait pas que tu disjonctes...
(comme ton ordi, y paraitrait...)

Peter said...

marguerite:
Et tes commentaires me manquaient!
Des réponses: Je suis rentré ce weekend, mais la connection était coupée jusqu'à hier. Dans le verre il y avait du Pisco Sour (il faut mieux lire mon texte!) Selon Lyliane, l'arbre serait une jacaranda!

Nihal said...

Very interesting write-ups and beautiful asthetic photos from a trip! My wish list is ever growing up;) Thank you so much for sharing.

Peter said...

nihal:
Thanks for your visits! I now visited also your blog, which is amazing!!!

Nihal said...

Bonjour Peter:) Thanks also to you for letting me visit your journal. To reply your questions,(1) Sorry me but I really do not make a note aside how I found yours/others. Be sure one to another while surfing that I should come across with yours. Probably the ones when I was visiting dailyphoto blogs -as those blogs are nowadays in my interested areas-. (2) MERCI beaucoup for yr kind comments on my blog; that is NOT new one to hear since I started on blogging stuff from Aug '07:) All comments are nice to spoil me very much. (3) No, no, definately I do NOT spend too much time on my journal. All comes out from my brain and culture-tank:)Say I'm a speedy gonzalez;) Reversely, I spend time only on thinking what to TALK in my upcoming posting that's all, but its cooking(=publishing) takes less than half hour for me:) Believe me, sometimes I prefer to put 2 days btw my each postings in order to give my readers to read freely. But I can hardly wait for my next writing, as I love writing and sharing, thats my way:)
So good to hear from you! U're always ALL-WAYS welcome to visit me again chez-moi. A bientot!
Nihal in Istanbul

Cergie said...

AH ! Alors tu as quoi dans ton verre, du sirop, de la bière, du brandy ou du Pisco sour ???
Ne buvant que de l'eau et du vin, je ne fais pas la différence du moins juste avec les yeux...

Cergie said...

C'était une coq tail !
C'était pour te mettre à l'unisson avec HPY !

Peter said...

nihal:
No problem; I will be back regularly!

cergie:
Oui, c'est un coq tail, le fameux Pisco Sour! J'ai bien bu aussi du "thé coca", du vin local (pas si mauvais) et bp d'eau (en bouteilles)!

Mona said...

YAYYY! Peter is back!! :) :)

You really seem to have enjoyed your trip.

Those buildings in red & blue are really so awesome & I have never seen a violet blossom before. Thanks for posting your ever wonderful pictures. I shall visit your other blog to see them!

Peter said...

mona:
Thanks for your visit(s)! I was desperately waiting!

Kunterbunt said...

So here I am, reading your report with delight, after having seen your photos on the other blog ;-)

Neva said...

You're BACK!! Yeah---an initial visit to your photos looks like you had a fabulous time...I will catch up!!

Peter said...

april:
OK. You went the "wrong" way, but welcome here anyhow!

neva:
OK. Take your time! You have the whole weekend until my next report!

krystyna said...

Welcome back Peter! I've missed you.
Love All your photos.
Big thanks!
Good luck, my friend!

Peter said...

krystyna:
Thanks, my dear friend!

Ming the Merciless said...

Welcome back!

Emilieee said...

Welcome back, Peter! I'm back, too. (Been missing for 2 weeks, not posting any commentary and so.) Guess it's time to stop being unproductive. I can see that you had a great time there, and I'm really envious of you. The cathedral is wonderful. Nice collage you've got here. =)

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Peter! These photos are a beautiful combination of bright S. American colors, architecture, flora and landscape. I will enjoy catching up.