Nov 21, 2009 - Peru: Lima

We are in Lima for a few days to allow the kids to catch up on their homework (wifi at our hostel) and relax a bit before our 13 hour bus ride to Cajamarca in northern Peru. ... We also visited La Catedral de Lima, which has the remains of Francisco Pizarro. ... He died a brutal and violent death at the hands of some disgruntled fellow conquistadors.We are in Lima for a few days to allow the kids to catch up on their homework (wifi at our hostel) and relax a bit before our 13 hour bus ride to Cajamarca in northern Peru. ... We also visited La Catedral de Lima, which has the remains of Francisco Pizarro. ... He died a brutal and violent death at the hands of some disgruntled fellow conquistadors....

Nov 20, 2009 - the trek!

Hi everyone, sorry we have been out of touch, we have been busy crossing the andes without internet access! here´s a rundown of what has been happening since we last caught you up day one: we got up early and bussed over to ollaytantambo, a small village of 2000 people, we were given our duffel bags to pack our trek gears into and had some free time to explore. Day eight (today): Free day in Cusco, shopping, recovering and laughing. ... Crazy taxi´s everywhere in the company of Liz and her father John (the aussies).Hi everyone, sorry we have been out of touch, we have been busy crossing the andes without internet access! here´s a rundown of what has been happening since we last caught you up day one: we got up early and bussed over to ollaytantambo, a small village of 2000 people, we were given our duffel bags to pack our trek gears into and had some free time to explore. Day eight (today): Free day in Cusco, shopping, recovering and laughing. ... Crazy taxi´s everywhere in the company of Liz and her father John (the aussies)....

Nov 18, 2009 - Peru: Nazca Lines

Peru's Pre-Columbian Nazca culture built huge geometric line drawings in the desert over a thousand years ago. ... Hummingbirds, spiders, whales, condors, monkeys.Peru's Pre-Columbian Nazca culture built huge geometric line drawings in the desert over a thousand years ago. ... Hummingbirds, spiders, whales, condors, monkeys....

Nov 16, 2009 - Peru: Arequipa

Arequipa is a beautiful colonial city surrounded by towering volcanoes. ... We visited "Juanita" the frozen (for 550 yrs) Inca princess found perfectly intact inside a glacier 15 years ago.Arequipa is a beautiful colonial city surrounded by towering volcanoes. ... We visited "Juanita" the frozen (for 550 yrs) Inca princess found perfectly intact inside a glacier 15 years ago....

Nov 12, 2009 - las puertas siempre estan abiertas

The amount of weird connections Mom and I had with our fellow trekkers is amazing…first it was randomly being on the same trek as Jeff and Marra from San Diego. Sure enough, it turns out that Judy, the adoptive mom, does consulting work for the CDA school district and we had actually planned on visiting the orphanage ourselves! We made plans to meet up with Andrea and Chris later in the week to buy food and cook dinner for the 20 girls living in the orphanage in Anta, just 30 minutes outside of Cusco. ... The first few we asked refused to drive all the way to Anta, so we just hopped in the first one that agreed and when he quoted the price (50 soles) we didn’t think twice, we were just happy to be on our way finally. ... At the time we couldn´t figure out why he was so talkative and friendly, stopping in several places to help us find the orphanage and making sure we made it inside safely…but after we found out the ride should only have cost us 10 soles it made sense why he was in such a chipper mood.The amount of weird connections Mom and I had with our fellow trekkers is amazing…first it was randomly being on the same trek as Jeff and Marra from San Diego. Sure enough, it turns out that Judy, the adoptive mom, does consulting work for the CDA school district and we had actually planned on visiting the orphanage ourselves! We made plans to meet up with Andrea and Chris later in the week to buy food and cook dinner for the 20 girls living in the orphanage in Anta, just 30 minutes outside of Cusco. ... The first few we asked refused to drive all the way to Anta, so we just hopped in the first one that agreed and when he quoted the price (50 soles) we didn’t think twice, we were just happy to be on our way finally. ... At the time we couldn´t figure out why he was so talkative and friendly, stopping in several places to help us find the orphanage and making sure we made it inside safely…but after we found out the ride should only have cost us 10 soles it made sense why he was in such a chipper mood....

Nov 12, 2009 - cusco without altitude sickness

Hola! Buenas Tardes. Tomorrow brings more sightseeing at 500m lower than where we are now, so we should feel even more active, we start trekking on saturday eek! We both really love cusco, its vibrant, friendly and yet ancient and traditional. ... The buildings all have inner courtyards, in the colonial spanish style.Hola! Buenas Tardes. Tomorrow brings more sightseeing at 500m lower than where we are now, so we should feel even more active, we start trekking on saturday eek! We both really love cusco, its vibrant, friendly and yet ancient and traditional. ... The buildings all have inner courtyards, in the colonial spanish style....

Nov 11, 2009 - Peru: Cusco - Champs Meet

This past Friday we had the Cusco region Championship Swim Meet at the Wanchaq pool. ... Swim season is now over for us as we prepare to leave Cusco and explore the rest of Peru. ...

Nov 10, 2009 - ¡muy bien señores!

Knowing that you have to wake up at 430am to spend the next three nights hiking to Machu Picchu is somewhat detrimental to a peaceful nights sleep, we were both exhausted but thrilled on Friday morning when we hopped on the bus to Ollantaytambo and met the rest of the trekkers in our group. Our first day in Cusco I could barely climb one flight of stairs without passing out, and there we were sprinting up steep Inca Steps with no hesitation. ... Several in our group, including Mom, got sick just as we were boarding the train back to Cusco—we think the water supply on our last day or two might have been contaminated. ... I escaped the worst of it, but Mom is recovering in the hotel room today.Knowing that you have to wake up at 430am to spend the next three nights hiking to Machu Picchu is somewhat detrimental to a peaceful nights sleep, we were both exhausted but thrilled on Friday morning when we hopped on the bus to Ollantaytambo and met the rest of the trekkers in our group. Our first day in Cusco I could barely climb one flight of stairs without passing out, and there we were sprinting up steep Inca Steps with no hesitation. ... Several in our group, including Mom, got sick just as we were boarding the train back to Cusco—we think the water supply on our last day or two might have been contaminated. ... I escaped the worst of it, but Mom is recovering in the hotel room today....

Nov 5, 2009 - Cusco at last!

We arrived in Cusco with some major symptoms of altitude sickness. ... Both of us felt extremely tired, had headaches, and even a little bit of nausea.We arrived in Cusco with some major symptoms of altitude sickness. ... Both of us felt extremely tired, had headaches, and even a little bit of nausea....

Nov 4, 2009 - Finally arriving in Lima and meeting Mom

I was about to bail on the whole lot of them and hop on a flight to Lima, but the prices were outrageous so we got on ANOTHER bus to Chiclayo, figuring at least there were a few interesting markets and sights to see once there, also at least shops and cafes would be open by the time we arrived. ... No buses until 7pm to Lima, so we rested, ate, and regrouped at a small café for several hours. ... I got probably the best night of sleep on a bus so far on the trip going to Lima, probably because I was so exhausted at that point my body was simply shutting down. ... I said goodbye to the Irish and the Israelis and found my way to a centrally located hostal in Miraflores neighborhood in Lima. ...

Nov 3, 2009 - ...went on for days...

We were assured by many people along the way that a bus from Piura to Lima would be departing within several hours, but of course that was not at all the case. ... The next direct bus wasn´t until 8pm or something ridiculous.We were assured by many people along the way that a bus from Piura to Lima would be departing within several hours, but of course that was not at all the case. ... The next direct bus wasn´t until 8pm or something ridiculous....

Nov 2, 2009 - Peru: Cusco - Dia de los Muertos

We celebrated All Saints and All Souls days this weekend, which in Cusco is called "Dia de los Vivos" (Day of the Living) and "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). ... On Dia de los Muertos, we went to the cemetery to celebrate the dead, along with most of Cusco. ... We held a small service for our Aunt Marilyn, who recently died of lung cancer.We celebrated All Saints and All Souls days this weekend, which in Cusco is called "Dia de los Vivos" (Day of the Living) and "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). ... On Dia de los Muertos, we went to the cemetery to celebrate the dead, along with most of Cusco. ... We held a small service for our Aunt Marilyn, who recently died of lung cancer....