Chris Backe's Blog, page 88

Where to go instead of Machu Picchu: 7 archeological sites in Peru

Peru’s Machu Picchu is hardly the only prize from the past worth exploring – in fact, with a trip to Machu Picchu costing the average visitor hundreds of dollars a day, there’s a very good chance you could enjoyall seven of these places for less than the cost of Machu Picchu.

Presenting 7 other archeological sites worth exploring in northern Peru (note the cities in parentheses are the best places to start from)

Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan / Royal Tombs of Sipan (in Lambayeque, or 11km from...

7 archeological sites in Peru that want to be the next Machu Picchu

Peru’s Machu Picchu is hardly the only prize from the past worth exploring – in fact, with a trip to Machu Picchu costing the average visitor hundreds of dollars a day, there’s a very good chance you could enjoyall seven of these places for less than the cost of Machu Picchu.

Presenting 7 other archeological sites worth exploring in northern Peru (note the cities in parentheses are the best places to start from)

Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan / Royal Tombs of Sipan (in Lambayeque, or 11km from...

Machu Picchu to test ‘surge pricing’

Machu Picchu, one of Peru’s most populartourist attractions, has announced they will be testing the so-called ‘surge pricing’ system. Used by Uber, Disney, Universal Studios, and a host of other companies, ‘surge pricing’ increasesthe price in times of higher demand.

“We’re always looking for ways of collecting more tourist revenue,” said Juan Suarez, a senior manager of the property, at a March 31stpress conference. In 2013, the site saw almost 1.2 million visitors.

Despite Machu Picchu bei...

One of the longest murals on the planet is in... small-town, Peru?

Ever wondered what a 3,000 square meter mural looks like? Wonder no more.

Originally founded in 1824, TheUniversidad Nacional de Trujillois one of the oldest universities in Peru. Built from 1994 to 2008 in several parts, this one-kilometer-long mural offers up an array of themes: history, nature, animals, conquests, and a whole lot more.

Some 30,000,000 mosaic squares (1cm x 1cm) were used in over 50 colors.

100 tons worth ofmajolica (earthenware pottery) was used to make the tiles.

Cro...

Destination: Trujillo, Peru – a creepy toy museum, a partially restored ancient city, old-school pots, and the continent’s longest mosaic mural

Trujillo (true-HEE-yo), Peru doesn’t get much attention by tourists, even when you’re in Peru. If you’reexploring Peru, however, it makes for a great stop for a few days to rest and travel.

Start with theMuseo de Juguete,or the toy museum in central Trujillo. After entering and paying, the creepy dolls are one of the first thing you’ll notice in this three-room museum.

While there aretoys from prehistory to the 1950’s, most are from the 20th century – and none of them are for playing with,...

Destination: Chiclayo, Peru – a witches market and ancient pyramids

And now, presenting a part of the world that just doesn’t see much tourism at all. As you might have guessed from the name of the blog, this is one weird globe, not one normal world. In any case, full credit for the vast majority of this itinerary goes to my wife, who’s both better at Spanish and awesome at finding some of the less-traveled places on earth.

To say Chiclayo, northern Peru is on the tourist trail is kind of saying a stopped clock is correct. Twice a day, you might see a touris...

The quirks you see while drinking beer around the world

I’ve enjoyed a cold brew on five continents –and along way I’ve seen how every country does their beer a little bit differently. In alphabetical order of countries where I’ve enjoyed a brew… Austria: a whole lotta legacy – and variety

Vienna is a walkable, outdoor museum, with plenty of stuff to see from the awesome music museum or some of the Emperor’s former treasures. Like the museums and sights, the beer comes in all sorts of styles.

What to drink?Ottakringer or Stiegl, personally (theHef...

3 weird and wonderful places to go in Mexico

As travel destinations go, Mexico has some obvious plus points, such as incredible weather, affordable food and drink, and some amazing resorts with swim-up bars. But it also plays host to some more unusual tourist draws as well.

We’ve already mentioned5 awesome and unusual festivalsfor you to explore in Mexico. This time around, join us as we look at 3 of the weirder natural and archeological attractions that you can enjoy if you decide totake a trip to Central America.

Catch a glimpse of a...

How to research your travels quickly – the only four pages you need to check

Stop me ifany of these have happened to you: You’ve just arrived at the airport and need to exchange money, but forgot to research the exchange rates. You have no idea on the best way to leave the airport. You forget if the tap water is drinkable or not. Yousee the locals at their local customs but don’t know how or if you should reciprocate. I have kind of a confession to make: I love researching our travels.

So does my wife. While there are definitely times I wish we didn’t have to resear...

Getting Around: Cuenca, Ecuador to Chiclayo, Northern Peru

New category time! ‘Getting Around’ posts are about getting around the globe more easily – screw-ups and successes alike

The cities

Cuenca, Ecuador: one of Ecuador’s wealthier and tourist-friendly cities, especially for the older crowd or anyone who enjoys classic architecture.

Chiclayo, Peru: a major transit point in Northern Peru with a few interesting sights nearby.

The challenge

A fewof them, actually:

It’s a 12-hour, overnight bus ride (which actually took us 14 hours) Until recently (s...