RECREATION & TRAVEL: Peru: a jewel of South America

By Sun Advocate

By ALEXANDER HOLT
Contributing Writer
When someone is asked where in the world they would most like to visit, you would expect them to say Japan, France, Germany, Mexico or the United Kingdom and not Peru. This is unfortunate because Peru has so much to offer.
Peru is one of the jewels of South America, having a rich history, amazing food, diverse customs and cultures, and some of the most breathtaking view on the planet.
A lot of the essence of Peru can be captured in the capital and largest city of Lima, home to about nine million people or about one-third of the nation’s total population.
Lima is home to many museums and important landmarks such as the Palace of Justice, the President’s Residence and the Museum of the Nation as well as great entertainment and recreational and shopping venues like Club Regattas and Real Plaza Centro Cívico Mall.
Moving away from Lima and venturing to out into the heart of the Incan Empire to the ancient city of Cusco, you can really get a feel for countryside and the history behind the Incan Empire until their conquest by the Spanish in the late 16th Century.
Cusco was once the capitol city of the Incan Empire before it was conquered. The Spanish and the Catholic Church suppressed the native population by destroying many of the Incan temples and buildings that dotted the city. Today, however, Peru embraces its Incan roots and has restored as much of the ruins as possible, turning Cusco into a tourist town.
Nearby to Cusco are many of the remaining Incan archeological spots such as Morey, which was used to experiment with different seeds and plants, Ollantaytambo, an Incan city and the last refuge of the Inca during the Spanish conquest, Pisaq, a Incan military fort, and the legendary lost city of Machu Picchu whose reason for existing still remains unknown.
Machu Picchu is one the seven world wonders and is listed by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site. It attracts over 400,000 people a year and one of the most visited sites in all of the Americas.
Peru has a lot to offer, and worth a visit, so pack your bags, grab your camera and get ready for a life-changing adventure.