On this peru escorted tour with Globus, you will explore some of South America’s most breathtaking views and sightseeing experiences. Peru’s Amazon and tropical jungle is home to thousands of exotic wildlife and vegetation, contribute to Peru’s incredible scenery. 
In 1939, an American scientist studying irrigation systems in Peru was flying a light plane along the arid coastline near the village of Nazca when he made a startling realization. The lines carved into the earth over a 50-mile distance were not the remains of ancient waterways, as he had assumed, but enormous artworks. When seen from the air, the lines formed precise geometric shapes that numbered in the hundreds, as well as 70 figures, which included a monkey, whale, a hummingbird, a shark, spiders, and plants.
But why would the ancient Nazca people, who thrived here from 200 BC to 500 AD, have created illustrations that could only be seen from far above the earth? It’s a puzzle that has kept archaeologists—and science fiction writers—speculating ever since. The most notorious suggestion came in 1968 from pop-scientist Erich von Däniken, who declared in his oddball bestseller Chariots of the Gods that the lines were spaceship landing pads made by extraterrestrial beings, using their superior technology.
At the time, scientists declared the idea absurd and proved that the lines could have been created using simple tools and surveying equipment available to the Indians. But the motive is still unexplained. Do the lines indicate points on the horizon where celestial bodies rise and fall? Are the figures artistic reflections of constellations, or part of the Nazca astrological system? Today, the enormous artworks are off limits to foot traffic in order to protect the engravings in the delicate soil, but hundreds of travelers a day get a chance to speculate about the ancient gallery on a 45-minute aircraft flight.
It now seems straight out of Indiana Jones. In the summer of 1911, a dashing American explorer named Hiram Bingham led a Yale University expedition through the jungles near Cuzco to discover an unknown ruin perched on a spectacular Andean crag: the “lost city of the Incas.” Adventurers had been searching for the site for centuries, although nobody had been sure of its existence. News of the romantic find spread around the world, and Bingham would go on to become a U.S. Senator. But the 1911 “discovery” was actually less heroic than it sounds.
Bingham had actually been led to the site by a local farmer named Melchor Arteaga, whom he had met while camping on the Urubamba River. Far from being “lost,” the Peruvian peasants of the area had always known about the site—and gave it its name, Machu Picchu, which means Ancient Peak. Still, to modern archaeologists, Machu Picchu raises more questions than it answers. About 1,000 people once lived there, in around 200 structures, but why was the spectacular citadel built? Bingham himself threw out wild theories. At first, he thought he had found the last refuge of the Incas who held out against the Spanish, Vilcabamba. (In fact, he had already come across the real ruins of Vilcabamba, which lay 60 miles to the west, and he had found them unimpressive). He then decided that Machu Picchu was the last holdout of Cuzco’s sacred Virgins of the Sun, who had fled the marauding conquistadors. For want of another theory, this has certainly held the popular imagination.
A century later, archaeologists are still arguing about the city’s true purpose. Most agree that it was a religious center for the Incas. Beyond that, speculation reigns. Was it part of a province wiped out in a rebellion? Or a royal estate supplying Cuzco with coca leaves? One thing hasn’t changed since 1911: everyone’s first glimpse of the city poised high above the jungle-covered ravines is one of the most majestic images in South America.
All over the Andes, Spanish colonial buildings are supported by the foundations of Inca masonry, relics of the bloody conquest that shaped Peru’s fate. It remains one of the most astonishing acts of bravura in military history. On September 24, 1532, a haphazard group of conquistadors – a mere 106 foot-soldiers and 62 cavalrymen – landed on the Pacific coast, at the edge of the powerful Inca empire, led by an illiterate pig farmer named Francisco Pizarro. Their timing could not have been better. The sprawling empire had recently been weakened by civil war and a smallpox epidemic transmitted by the first European explorers, and the new arrivals boasted metal armor, gunpowder and horses, all unseen in South America. In the faraway capital of Cuzco, the Inca ruler, Atahualpa, assumed that the mysterious new arrivals were possibly of divine origin. Not realizing how bloodthirsty and ruthless the Spaniard could be, he agreed to meet Pizarro in Cajamarca surrounded by thousands of guards. But within minutes of the encounter, the conquistadors seized the Inca king in a surprise attack, using blasts of gunpowder and cavalry to terrify the vastly superior Inca forces. The Spaniards then threw Atahualpa into a cell with a chain around his neck. During his imprisonment, the Inca observed that the Spanish were obsessed with gold. (He assumed they must eat it). So he offered to fill his cell – about 90 cubic yards – with the precious metal as a ransom. Pizarro eagerly agreed. But no sooner had the room been filled than the greedy conquistadors double-crossed the Inca. He was put on trial and executed by strangulation. Pizarro then marched on capital Cuzco – called by Incas “the navel of the world” – where they looted such wonders as the Temple of the Sun and melted its fabulous gold artifacts into ingots. The greatest empire South America had ever seen was defeated, although its culture, language and traditions would survive in its people – the living foundations of Peru.
Consisting of 13 large and hundreds of small islands in the Pacific Ocean off the western coast of South America, the Galapagos Islands are home to some of the world’s most fascinating animal life. On a small-ship cruise of the Galapagos you are sure to take in some breathtaking sights.
On your way to cruise the Galapagos Islands you are sure to make a stop in Quito. Here are some must-see sights while on your South America vacation:
ORTEGA P. & HIJOS
Owning a “toquilla hat” means owning a piece of myth and legend. Visit this local outlet for renowned Cuenca hat manufacturer, Ortega and Sons, for the best hats hand-woven in Ecuador since 1899.
PARQUE EL EJIDO ARTS & CRAFTS MARKET
Held every weekend, this market sells everything from handmade jewelry to carved wood. But it’s famous for its paintings depicting Quito’s city scenes. If you want a piece of art to remember your visit to Quito, this is the place to go.
MERCADO DE SANTA CLARA
For a true taste of Quito, visit the vegetable, herb, and flower stands of this colorful farmer’s market. You can even purchase a locally woven basket to carry home your loot.
LA QUERENCIA
Whether you sit inside by the fireplace or outside by the garden, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of Quito while savoring traditional Ecuadorian dishes like lamb stew and fried bananas.
LA RONDA
This quiet street in one of Quito’s best-preserved sections winds around 18th-century stucco houses with brightly colored balconies. It offers the perfect spot for a leisurely stroll.
PLAZA SANTO DOMINGO
Locals venture to this charming square on the weekends to listen to storytellers and delight in jugglers and mimes.
MUSEO FUNDACIÓN GUAYASAMIN
Tucked in a residential area of Quito, this museum features the works of Oswaldo Guayasamin, one of Ecuador’s most famous and prolific modern artists.
LA REINA VICTORIA
A British pub, La Reina Victoria, is practically the only place in Quito where you can get a draft beer. Enjoy a pint and a game of darts.
CAFÉ LIBRO
If you’d like to take home some Ecuadorian literature or photo books, this bookstore carries an extensive collection of books in both Spanish and English.
PLAZA FOSCH AND PLAZA EL QUINDE
Located in Av Fosch between Amazonas and Reina Victoria, you’ll discover lots of good restaurants and cocktail bars here. Sometimes concerts are held in the square.
Don’t forget that camera on this journey to the west coast of South America, where the most incredible wildlife in the world can be captured on film. It’s time to fly to the Galapagos Islands, where you’re most unforgettable adventures await you.
From the erupting volcanic islands to the amazing ancient ruins, the Galapagos Islands will fill your thrill for adventure. Whether you enjoy exploring on land or under the water, this getaway is just right for you. If you possess a strong passion for the theory of evolution, enjoy visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station. Take a break from the water and spend some time sightseeing with a local guide or exploring the Galapagos National Park.
It’s time to prepare for your favorite vacation or small-ship cruise where you will encounter your most amazing memories and will bring never before seen sites to life. Get ready to dive into the most unforgettable trip of your life.
A small bronze plaque at Iguazu Falls commemorates the wandering Spanish conquistador Cabeza de Vaca, who in 1541 became the first European to set eyes on one of South America’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders.
We have no record of what the crusty fortune-hunter thought when first encountering the 275 cataracts that cover a distance of over a mile and a half, including the great arc known today as The Devil’s Throat, where water surges so violently over the rim that visitors today feel the need to wear raincoats on the walkways. But we do know that when Eleanor Roosevelt visited Iguazu Falls, now shared by Brazil and Argentina, she exclaimed: “Poor Niagara!” Oddly, this South American powerhouse remained largely off the world radar until the 1986 film The Mission, starring Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons, which shed some light on the area’s unique colonial history.
It was around Iguazu that teams of Jesuit priests began setting up their mission stations in the 1600s to convert the local Guarani Indians to Christianity. Compared to other evangelical attempts of the time, it was a noble and humane experiment. Instead of putting the Indians to work on brutal plantations, the Jesuits created an enlightened system that allowed the Guarani to study, grow grain and carve musical instruments that became famous in the courts of Europe. At their height, the missions housed 100,000 Guarani, with a standing Indian army to keep out marauding slave traders. And this system survived for over 150 years. But when the Spanish king expelled Jesuits from South America in 1767, the missions began to collapse, slave traders pounced and the Guarani fled back into the jungle.
Today the ancient missions remain as poetic ruins on both side of the Brazil-Argentine border, their walls decorated with elegant Indian carvings of angels and stars. In one, San Ignacio, the gravestones of the priests bear simple but clear messages: “Here lies Father Juan, a good man.”
The last thing you might expect to find in the middle of the world’s densest rainforest is a Italian opera house. But in the city of Manaus, the Renaissance-style Teatro Amazonas, Amazon Theater, looms above the fast-flowing river like an apparition from a distant world. Its improbable saga began in the 1880s rubber boom, when the pneumatic tire was invented and Amazon rubber suddenly became a valuable substance. Pioneers flooded into the jungle by riverboat, and the remote camp of Manaus, thousands of miles from civilization, became a boom town overnight.
In this Brazilian El Dorado, millionaire rubber barons outdid one another to prove their sophistication, ordering the latest fashions from Paris, building art nouveau mansions and lighting their cigars with $100 bills. In 1881, the local governor decided that Manaus should become the southern hemisphere’s cultural hub by building an opera house along the lines of Milan and Naples, then pumped a fortune into the project. It took a decade and a half to ship the luxury materials from Europe, including swathes of Carrara marble, 198 chandeliers and 36,000 ceramic tiles, but on New Year’s Eve, 1896, the marvelous house was inaugurated with a performance of La Giaconda.
The audience sweated through the show in tuxedos and evening dresses, swatting malarial mosquitoes with their theater programs. But the evening was a huge success: patrons were dazzled by the sumptuous interior, which boasted four levels of Corinthian pillared balconies and Louis XV-style red velvet chairs. The house curtain was painted with Grecian nymphs lolling at the meeting-place of the Amazon and the River Solimoes, which occurs at Manaus.
In 1982, the theater enjoyed a renewed fame when it was featured in the Werner Herzog film Fitzcarraldo as a monument to human obsession. Today, operas are still performed here, although the musicians are mostly immigrants from Eastern Europe, lured to the jungle from their chilly homelands.
