The 3rd ... or 5th ... or 16th Highest Waterfall in the World

The 3rd ... or 5th ... or 16th Highest Waterfall in the World

Do you know which is the world’s 3rd highest waterfall? And the 5th? And the 16th? Well, depending on which source you read, they are all Gocta Falls, in the Department of Amazonas.

Whatever their official ranking, it is incredible that they have only recently come to general attention. 

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Riding with Elvis ... to Three Forests

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Riding with Elvis ... to Three Forests

Peru is well known for its diversity, with the much-quoted triumvirate of Coast (Pacific), Mountains (Andes) and Jungle (Amazon) only providing a hint at the number of distinct eco-systems within her borders. To get an intense feel for this diversity, Peru North can recommend making the drive from Tarapoto in the department of San Martin, to Chiclayo in Lambayeque, on Peru's northern coast. And who better to have at the wheel for a journey as intensely spectacular as this, in the company of one's parents, than a driver called 'Elvis'. (This was not a nickname.)

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The Pisco Earthquake

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The Pisco Earthquake

Peru’s President, Alan Garcia, famously gaffed on the evening of August 15th, 2007, after a powerful seismic tremor had been felt in Lima for over two minutes, saying that ‘fortunately it hadn’t been a tragic event, as there were not many victims to mourn’. 

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Santa Rosa de Lima

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Santa Rosa de Lima

August 30th is a public holiday in Peru in honour of Santa Rosa of Lima, the first female from the Americas to be canonized, and the patron female saint of Peru, the New World, the Philippines, the Peruvian Police Force, and the Argentinean Armed Forces ... among others.

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And then the kitchen blew up ...

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And then the kitchen blew up ...

  • Lima - Huancayo train line is 2nd highest in the world.

  • A remarkable engineering feat: begun in 1870 - finished in 1907.

  • Only runs intermittently, for benefit of tourists.

  • A must for rail enthusiasts.

I had been interested in the historic Lima to Huancayo train for some time, and can finally give a first-hand account of the journey.

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Immaculate Conception ... Explained?

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Immaculate Conception ... Explained?

Most of you are probably aware that 8th December is a public holiday here in Peru, and much of the Catholic world, but I doubt many of you know why. It is the Day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception which celebrates God’s granting of ‘grace’ to the Virgin Mary.