A zoo with ruins, or ruins with a zoo? I think it's obvious which came first. This unique zoo is the first I've ever seen with actual ruins within its boundaries. Though the first surprise came before we even entered the gates. There were literally thousands of people all trying to buy tickets to enter the zoo! We specifically went on a Friday to avoid the crowds, but later found out this was the last day of a two-week school break for the holiday. Lesson learned! Luckily, they have many ticket lines, so we probably only waited for 20 minutes.
Once inside, it was immediately obvious this zoo is unlike any other. 500-1000yr old ruins greet you just inside the gate, and are scattered throughout with signage for each structure.
The other thing that struck me, was how it was a strange combination of not just ruins and zoo, but modern life. Imagine living in those apartments and looking out your window at both penguins and pre-Incan structures! We noticed a dog lying in a window of an apartment just watching the zoo full of people. What an interesting show he enjoys each day.
Just a few days earlier, we'd seen our first wild penguins, but it was still fun to see these Humboldt Penguins up close. This is when I realized they each have their own facial and body markings, making it easy to distinguish between individuals.
This is the first time I've seen an albatross in real life. They are incredibly large birds! There are multiple species in this family including the Wandering Albatross which has the largest wingspan of any bird at 12ft! I hope to see one in the wild soon.
The face of the Guanay Cormorant (left) is really striking. Peruvian Booby (right)
Three of the world's six species of Flamingos can be found in Peru. These Chilean Flamingos are distinguished by their large size, half black bill and gray legs with pink knees.
More ruins between the enclosures.
Crocodile
The aviary was closed, so we were looking forward to walking thru the butterfly house, but sadly the only butterflies we spotted were outside. Not sure what has happened, but to ease the disappointment, I posed the question, "Have you ever been to a butterfly enclosure with ZERO butterflies in it?" Well, we've just experienced a new first, and we can laugh about it now.
Journey really enjoyed seeing the white lions and white tigers.
The last thing that surprised us about this zoo is that probably half of it is dedicated to play- playgrounds, amusement park rides, inflatables, mazes and even a large lake where you can take a boat out. I think this also explains its popularity. I imagine this is the place to take your child for an epic day of play, oh and you can also see some animals and ruins if you want.
Asher and Journey loved the bungee jumper and did some full flips!
This place is huge and though we started around 10am, we didn't make it to all of the animals before we had to leave for Spanish class. You definitely need a full day to see everything.
This photo cracks me up! While in the Uber, Asher's eyes got wide, he pointed at the window and asked if he can lower it. He whispered, "I've never seen one of these before!" The crank. He's never seen non-powered car windows! Both kids took turns winding the window down. Sometimes it's the simple things.
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