Some interesting facts about Peru (basically, some reasons to be jealous...and visit)

Some interesting facts about Peru (basically, why you should be jealous of me and want to visit):

- In Peru, there are more than 50 mountains over 6,000 meters (19,700 feet). Peru has the second largest mountain range in the world, after the Himalayas. Peru has the tallest tropical mountain in the world.
- The tomato, taken to Europe by the Spaniards, is Peruvian.
- Canon del Cotahuasi, is the deepest known canyon in the world – over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Oh yeah, the bird with the largest wingspan in the world is there also, the Condor (the largest males have over a 12 foot wingspan).
- Almost 4,000 varieties of potatoes originated in Peru, some of which were taken to Europe by the Spaniards around 1560 and by the English around 1850.
- Alpaca is Peruvian.
- The finest cotton in the world is Peruvian Pima and Tinguis.
- Peru has 468 different dishes, which according to The Guinness Book of World Records is the largest variety in the world.
- The weeping willow tree, which contains a component that is the base for aspirin, is Peruvian.
- The University of San Marcos, established in 1551, is the oldest University in the Americas.
- 84 of the 103 ecosystems that exist in the world are in Peru.
- Ceviche.
- Peru has some of the best waves to surf in the world.
- ANTAMINA, the largest mine in the world, is located in Peru’s central highlands.
- Lake Titicaca, shared by Peru and Bolivia, is the highest navigable lake in the world.
- 28 different types of climate develop in Peru, placing it in the top 5 most biologically diversified countries in the world.
- The Peruvian ocean offers 700 different varieties of fish and 400 varieties of shellfish.
- Senor of Sipan is the oldest and most magnificent tomb found in the Americas; it is only comparable to that of Tutankamon in Egypt (King Tut).
- ummm…Machu Picchu. Not to mention all the other ruins yet to be discovered that are just as beautiful as Machu Picchu, but nobody really knows about them – which are the ones I’m most interested in visiting.
---Machu Picchu has about 1,000 visitors per day.

Taken from Lonely Planet: Peru – “Imagine scenery on the scale of an Indiana Jones flick, with forgotten temples entangled in jungle vines, cobwebbed imperial tombs baking in the desert sun and ancient bejeweled treasures beyond reckoning. Wild rivers that rage, pumas that prowl in the night and hallucinogenic shaman rituals that are centuries old – and it’s not just a movie here, it’s real life.
…no one could completely conquer this jaw-dropping terrain, from glaciated Andean peaks where condors soar, down to the vast coastal deserts and the hot, steamy rainforests of the Amazon.”

Thanks for reading,

Jake