A Day in Lunahuaná

    On Sunday we went to Lunahuaná, a small desert town lying on the Río Cañete. Like other desert towns in Peru's river valleys, it is a place of jarring changes in topography, weather, and population density. The Río Cañete is a vein of green vegetation and pristine mineral water surrounded by stoney, wind worn cliffs and hills. In it, we had the pleasure of white water rafting and driving ATVs across the landscape, followed by a delicious lunch at a local rest stop, a local honey tasting, Pisco sampling, and a tour of the town's main church.
     The first part of the tour began with ATVing across the town's drier edge. After being quickly instructed on how to operate our ATVs, we toured around the edge of town. The vehicles were stripped of nearly all unnecessary parts, making driving them an exhilarating open air ride in the desert. Afterwards, we went rafting down the river; on our ride up, the river seemed thin as we passed the agricultural areas. However, when we reached the town it was much faster and heavier, creating an all natural roller coaster that passed countless desert scenes. 
     After a lunch of fried trout, we made our way to a local beehive. The bees were everywhere, but no person was stung; they had become used to humans after careful rearing. They flitted about as we tried their different varieties of honey from local plants. Next, we sample different wines and piscos at a local winery; they ranged from a tangy sweetness in the weaker wines to the fiery smoothness of their pisco liquors. Finally, we toured the local church, the main center of worship for the town's overwhelmingly Catholic population. Like many other Peruvian Catholic churches, had been established during the 1700s on top of an Incan temple, making it more appealing to the local Indians.