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This is the most enigmatic giant ground drawings (geoglyphs) in South America.  It is best seen from a several miles out at sea.  I saw it fairly close (about a few miles to a few hundred yards.)  It is etched into a sloping mountainside at Pisco Bay on the Peruvian coast.  The figure resembles a candlestick; thus its name “The Candelabra of the Andes.”  It is about 600 feet long and is visible from 12 miles out at sea.  It also is located in a place that receives less then one-half and inch (or 1 cm) of rain annually.  The prevailing winds come from behind (the south).  Thus it is protected from wind and rain.  It remains today pretty much the way it was over 2 millenia ago.

Archeologists have found pottery nearby which has been carbon dated to 200 BC and part of the Paracas Culture. Its purpose and symbology are in doubt, however one theory is that is was dug as a marker of some sort.  Some archeologists say it is merely a trident.  It was discovered in 1860.  There is also a theory that it is related to a similar symbol found in California’s Cleveland National Forest.  The archeologist associates the two candelabras in this way: The ancient inhabitants of Peru voyaged to California to collect Jimson Weed and other hallucinatory drugs.  The archeologist believes the symbol resembles the Jimson Weed itself and served as a navigational aid.  Hallucinatory drugs were widely used by these peoples in ceremonies and rituals. Please note that the hallucinagens were not used as navigational aids, just the symbol of course.

This experience was as though I was in a live National Geographic Magazine. So many varieties of birds. The ones I was lucky enough to see (and in great numbers) included the Peruvian Booby, Red Legged Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Peruvian Pelican, Guanay Cormorant, and the Humboldt Penguin. I also witnessed an amazing sea lion habitat. There were beaches where the sea lion give birth. There were rocky beaches where the older (male only) sea lions hang, and plenty of young sea lions on the rocks.
This place is the Galapagos Islands of Peru. Totally protected to the point where no humans are permitted to step foot on the island or the surrounding rocks. I took all my pics obviously from my launch.
The sea lions were the most fascinating. Here’s some info of which I was unaware.  Their gestation period is 11 months and all sea lions are born from January to March. Since I am here in March I was able to see many babies. (see pics) The female usually gives birth to only one baby per gestation period.  In the rare event that two are born, the mother must kill the weaker one since she can only feed one per birth. So rather than have the one unfed baby suffer she will kill the weaker baby.  I found this fascinating.
All the wildlife here feeds from the sea. There are no Orcas of sharks in these waters. Thus, these sea lions usually die of old age.

 

This place was literally crushed by an earthquake in 2007. It destroyed its infrastructure and killed over 600 people. But the spirit here lives on. Pisco is a town on the rebound. It seems to be reinventing itself too; almost as though it has the resilience of some kind of phoenix. In spite of the substantial damage the town remains open. Street venders are almost everywhere. The nearby beach resort is called El Chaco (Paracas). This place, while having several hotels and beaches is more importantly known as the base from which you can motorboat to the Islas Ballestas. Islas Ballestas is an amazing sanctuary for many birds, penguins and sea lions. (See seaparate post and pics)
Pisco shares its name with the national beverage, a brandy like drink made through the region. The area is of historical and archaeological importance as having hosted one of the most highly developed pre-Inca civilizations, the Paracas culture from 700 BC to 400 AD.

As we approach the port fog shrouds the entire place. It takes a little imagination to get beyond the grit of Lima’s first impression. This place is only second after Cairo as a sprawling metropolis. There are over 10 million people living here. The area has, like most cities of this size, areas that are desirable to visit and many that are not. This is Lima.  Shrouded in history, gloriously messy and full of aesthetic delights.  Lima is the capital city of Peru.  Interesting enough however is the fact that there is very little litter present anywhere, however lots of graffiti may be seen all around.
Street venders are ubiquitous; hocking everything from religious stuff to candy to clothes to balloons.  Peruvian people have unmistakable features. Check out the pic of the guard. The people seem friendly even in the rough areas of town.
The food here is awesome. This place has over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, as well as many varieties of fruits and vegetables.  The Amazon is also a source for spices and other esoteric fruits and vegetables.  The fish and ocean sourced items are plentiful. They also boast a substantial cattle industry. The land is very fertile.  So as you can see the sources of food are as varied as they are plentiful. The ceviche with slivers of fiery chili and corn is amazing. Sushi as all around. No surprise that the famous Chef Nobu is from Peru.  The spaniards came here in the 1500s.  But before that Peru’s civilization dates back millennia.  The Incas had a thriving civilization here for thousands of years, prior to the Spanish conquest.

 

 

Also known as Papa Nui, this is quite a mystical island. This place is as distinct as any place on earth; it is as if the island appeared from somewhere out of this world. Easter Island is located approximately 2,000 miles from the western coast of Chile. It is quite hard to reach. This isolation is why the mo’ai
(pronounced mo i) giant rock sculptures made of volcanic rock, survived. These mo’ai statues are between 1,250 and 1,500 years old. Some weigh as much as 85 tons and stand 30 feet tall. There are 887 such statues on the island.

Today much of the island is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site. The Polynesian people settled here in the first millennium. They estimate that at one time the tiny island sustained nearly 15,000 people. However, overpopulation and the introduction of the Polynesian Rat resulted in the gradual and complete deforestation of the entire island. This event then led to the decline of the Rapa Nui civilization.

In 1722 when european explorers came to the island there were only 2,000 inhabitants. The population suffered further decline until 1877 where only 111 people remained. The name Easter Island was given to is because it was discovered by the Dutch on Easter in 1722. Wild horses roam freely all over the island (see pictures).

Pitcairn Island is not for everyone. However if you were a fan of the book or movie “Mutiny on the Bounty,” please read on. Pitcairn is one of the remotest of all of the world’s inhabited islands, lying just halfway between New Zealand and the Americas. 4,800 KMs separate Pitcairn from everything else. Just a few archipelagos lie to the north; and the southern seas are empty until you reach Antartica.

Here’s were it gets really fascinating. The Island is inhabited only by the decedents of the Bounty mutineers and a few Tahitians. The total number is only 56. The history is still apparent in the surnames of these people. With only 56 inhabitants, originating from only 4 main families, Pitcairn is the least populous national jurisdiction in the world.

The Island has artifacts demonstrating that is may have had inhabitants before the mutineers landed and settled there in 1790. The tale of the mutiny of the British tall ship Bounty, which then let to the founding of Pitcairn is well known. All which needs to be mentioned here is from Tahiti with a cargo of breadfruit trees for planting in the West Indies, the captain’s mate Fletcher Christian, and others mutinied.  Casting adrift the Commander, Lieutenant William Bligh, and 18 other officers loyal to Bligh.  They were set adrift in the Bounty’s small boat.  The mutineers then set sail back to Tahiti.  (Bligh made it back to England to file charges against the mutineers.)

Their relations with the Tahitians soon deteriorated and, fearing discovery and arrest for the act of mutiny, 8 of the mutineers set sail with Fletcher Christian in search of an uninhabited island from where they could hide from the rest of the world.  To help in their cause the mutineers took 6 Tahitian men and 12 women.  Thus, you can imagine these guys had a pretty small gene pool.  Truth is many times stranger than fiction, and in this case, for sure.

Unfortunately for me, the day we planned to make landfall the seas were far to rough.  The ocean swells were 10-12 feet.  Even with the help of the islander’s “longboats” it would have been far too dangerous.  You know if the locals are opting out it must be bad.  So I had to settle for some pics which were taken while circumnavigating around the island.  Just to give you a few nautical facts as to Pitcairn’s location, it is 1,350 miles southeast of Tahiti, 4,100 miles west of Panama, and 3,300 miles from Auckland, NZ.  Auckland is where their administrative headquarters are situated.  Pitcairn remains the only British possession in the South Pacific.

 

This is actually a tiny Atoll, albeit one of the largest in the island chain. It’s really the stuff of South Seas fantasy. White and pink sand beaches are the rule here. Only 3,000 inhabitants enjoy this beautiful idyllic place. Bikes are the best way to get around. The entire place is a Unesco-protected area.
Being such only testifies to the richness of the ecosystem of this atoll: particularly rare fauna and flora, with kingfisher hunter, the palm trees of the Tuamotu and, in the lagoons, the abundant variety of shellfish.
Fabulous diving and snorkeling experiences here too. The waters contain a high concentration of pelagic fauna and fishes such as barracudas, hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks. After being in the water with these animals you do develop a certain comfort level, but always have an elevated awareness around you.

This is a pretty magical place.  Check out the pics.  You just keep shooting them, the atoll seems to get more beautiful as you spend time here.

This place is unmistakable due to its unique mountains and typography.  The waters where the lightest in color are at a depth of 1 meter.  The slightly darker hue is about 3 meters.  It is possible to walk for hundreds of yards at the 1 meter depth.  While snorkeling is is quite common to spot black tip and reef sharks along with the other thousand of so varieties of wildlife.  At first you are taken aback when you spot the sharks and realize that you are in their habitant and they are only 5 meters from you.  Unless they are feeding, they remain incredibly graceful.  Awesome experience.

As you can see from the colors it is easy to believe for a moment that you are on hallucinagens.   Amazing palette of colors.  Water temps are ranging from 78 to 84 degrees F.

Today I find myself in this truly beautiful place. However, there is something for someone traveling here to be aware. I’ll begin with a brief public service message. Chikungunya is a virus carried by mosquitoes and transmitted to humans through a bite. It’s symptoms can be severe and may last longer than anyone wants. Although deaths from the virus are rare, they are not unheard of. The symptoms may include rash, fever, headache, severe joint pain and swelling, and muscle pain. There is no vaccine so the only way to avoid it is not to be bitten in the first place. These islands are not the only place one may find the virus, so before you travel to warm tropical places check with the CDC at cdc.gov/chikungunya/. Enough about that. Just suffice to say I have my share of repellant and wrist bands to wear while visiting these beautiful islands.

Huahine is a tiny island with only 6,000 inhabitants. As you can see from the attached pictures, the water is awesome. Lots and lots of underwater life. When I find myself in these tropical waters, which are so very abundant with life, it makes me want to live in their beautiful underwater

 

world. I snorkel every opportunity I get while I’m here.

The people who live here are fluent in four languages (Tahitian, French, English and Spanish). Life is very simple for them and poverty, while it exists is extremely rare.