Lunahuana

Hello again faithful, loyal, patient readers of the blog~
I hope life is treating you all well. Winter has descended upon Lima within the last couple weeks, ending an extended summer by reintroducing the gray, foggy skies that get trapped between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains ringing the sprawling city. While it certainly doesn't rival a Minnesota winter, an escape from the overcast scenery is eagerly taken when available which is what Marianella and I did this weekend.

Lunahuana (pronounced loon-uh-wanna) is about a two and a half hour drive south and inland from Lima. As we progressed down the Peruvian coast and turned inland, the anticipated sun was not arriving. It was not present until we advanced through a mountain pass and began the descent towards Lunahuana where rays of sun began to break through the cover and as we passed into the small town, we were bathed in sunshine. Lunahuana exists in a river valley that bursts with vegetation while the surrounding barren mountains remind us of the desert climate that runs all along the coast of Peru. The town itself resembles a caterpillar, stretching itself beside the highway, unable to expand outward due to the sheer cliffs of the mountains.

With a rushing river that contains copious amounts of rapids, Lunahuana has gained notice in recent years with the adventurous crowd, especially those who like to go whitewater rafting. As you may have already guessed, that did not draw Marianella and I to the area, but rather the relaxation promised by the resorts. Arriving at Los Palomos, we were greeted by the sound of the rushing river and the chirping of birds, while the sun highlighted the vibrant colors of the flowers and greenery. The air was crisp and cool, a welcome departure from the humid dampness of Lima. In fact, if it wasn't for the mountains, the weather recalled one of those ideal days of May in Minnesota.

Unlike other excursions that Marianella and I have taken, we chose to stay put upon arrival. We really had no reason to leave; with the beauty of the river and surrounding landscape we were quite content. We caught up on our reading, played Chinese Checkers and Sapo (more on this with the picture), enjoyed extraordinary dining and got ourselves rejuvenated. And of course, took many pictures, a few of which we'll share with you here. Take care everyone, you'll be hearing from me again real soon.

Sapo (Spanish for frog) is a game where you toss gold coins towards the board and hope they fall into the holes to gain points; if you make it in the frog's mouth, you earn big points:
Marianella in the process of defeating me at Sapo (but I exacted revenge in Chinese Checkers!):
That million dollar smile:
More pictures of the river and landscape:
From the terrace of our room:
Our first bonfire in Peru:
Feeling pretty relaxed: