Here and There Blog

After Machu Picchu, we took a private tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The tour had an unexpected detour to visit llamas and the opportunity to buy expensive llama clothes, blankets, etc. I learned that I am allergic to llamas. No clothes for me. The Sacred Valley is beautiful and the streets are a challenge to walk when it's rainy and muddy. We managed though and had a good day.

To help adjust to the altitude, everyone drinks Coka-Tea to get the blood flowing. The tag line for the tea is "No Es Droga" or it's not a drug. This stuff would sell well here, it's like the Red Bull of teas! Drink too much and you'll never sleep. No, I didn't risk bringing any back. Our arrival at Machu Picchu was quite impressive and we had every opportunity you could ever want for scenic photos without hundreds of tourists. During peak season, 3000 people per day arrive at Machu Picchu. I can't even imagine how they all get around each other on some of the trails.

Election Day means that no alcohol is served anywhere, not even in the private lounge of the hotel. It's as bad as Ramadan except you can eat. Luckily the hotel mini-bar still had the beer! After trying the Peruvian Cusquena, I decided that I'll stick to water and Coke Light.

More Lima - even in Peru, feeding the birds is a favorite activity for children. I'm not sure how this boy is going to handle the sudden frenzy of pigeons but he looks prepared. We arrived on Election Day. Everyone was out and about and the sqaures were crowded all over town. We must have been in the unpopular area to have a square to ourselves! This park overlooking the ocean is a tribute to Gaudi. There was a lot of Barcelona influence in the building of Lima. OB & L laughing at something that Homer just said or did. We're all trying to ignore the mime that is somewhere behind us. Yes, even in Peru, you can't escape mimes!

Photos from Lima: Every city has a rock. The view from the hotel window. Me and the Lima ocean. One thing that Lima has going for it are all the flowers. The entire city has flowers everywhere.

This morning is our last in Cusco. Now that I´m used to the place, it seems fairly easy to get around and I know enough not to run at 12,000 ft. anymore. Cusco is a long way from anywhere and I feel more remote here than most places that I´ve been to. It´s probably the trains, planes, and automobiles syndrome. This is the first place where I have buying power and I´ve bought nothing except magnets. But, sometimes, everything starts to look the same and there´s nothing that I want to buy. Mondo - even in Peru, you can hear Al. We were eating at a seaside cafe in Lima and next thing you know, Al´s music is coming over the speaker system. Some things are universal. Our flights have been an adventure. Some get canceled and rolled over into the next flight. The flight today is on-time but the flight before was canceled so our flight will be packed full. Eventually I´ll find a list that spells out the names of where we went yesterday because I really have no idea anymore. I guess it´s time ...

Yesterday we made it to Machu Picchu. It took 4 hours to get there and it was worth the train ride. The ruins and mountains are in a green valley, surrounded by only wilderness and the chain of tourists. Luckily for us, we made the right decision to hire a private guide to lead us around the place and give the history and significance of the ruins. Without her, we would have taken a few photos, walked around, and been there, done that. We ended up walking up and down and out to the Inca Bridge and along the Inca trail. The mountain face didn´t beckon and that was left to people who want to hang on a rockface cliff for fun. Then it was time for the 4 hours back to Cusco. A long way to go to see the home of the Inca Kings. Thanksgiving seemed better suited to a slower paced private tour of the Sacred Valley and we went everywhere. I couldn´t even begin to remember how to pronouce or spell the towns and Inca ruins but we were there. Photos when I return. Tonight we´ll have Thanksgiving d...