Looking out over the coast from Larco Mar mall in Miraflores, Lima.
Looking out over the coast from Larco Mar mall in Miraflores, Lima.
Coastline from Larco Mar
Larco Mar
Gabe, Heidi and Julie at Larco Mar
Tuq-Tuq taxis
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The street outside Hostal San Isidro in Pisco
Another view from Hostal San Isidro
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Cross outside the dock where we boarded our boat to the Islas Ballestas.
Candelabra figure carved out of the hillside. This particular hill gets very little wind & rain.
First view of Islas Ballestas.
Very orange Sue.
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Tropical penguins!
Blurry sea lions.
Every few years they use these docks to unload guano from the islands.
Birds and guano.
There are hundreds of thousands of birds hanging out on this island.
The candelabra again.
Pelicans and Gabe.
Heidi, Julie and Gabe chillin at the seaport.
These people are so poor their houses are just woven mats.
The start of our van tour of the Paracas National Reserve. The entire coastline is desert.
Flamingos on the shore. The wind blows toward the sea, causing the desert and blowing warm upper water out to sea. This causes an upwelling of nutrient rich cold water from below, attracting plankton, fish and birds in enormous quantites.
The mountains look airbrushed.
Yellow desert by the coastal cliffs.
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They call this formation The Cathedral.
Mud flats
Totally different landscape just a short distance from the last picture.
Okay we're on Mars now right? Where's the rover?
More streets in Pisco - I was trying to capture typical streets as the van drove past them.
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Another street we drove by.
Pisco street
Pisco street corner.
Pisco street.
Pisco street.
Pisco street.
Pisco street.
Pisco street.
Walking around Pisco. I can't walk by a church without taking a picture.
Especially not when there's a pretty red tree in front of it.
Sort of an imitation of some Italian churches, but without all the marble.
Main church at the Plaza des Armas in Pisco.
Plaza des Armas of Pisco.
Julie and Heidi on the bus to Nazca.
Too bad this is blurry, it would have been a nice picture.
Hanging out with beer and snacks in Hostal Alegria in Nazca.
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Plaza des Armas of Nazca. The statues are 3-D representations of the Nazca lines.
Plaza des Armas of Nazca.
Plaza des Armas of Nazca.
Plaza des Armas of Nazca. We walked down the torn-up street a bunch of times during our time in Nazca.
I just thought some little hut makes a funny Internet cafe. I like the good condition of the wires heading into there too.
Near the web house some dog was literally sleeping in the road, and everyone (including cars) was just going around him.
Nazca.
Gabe gets his first street food! These people seemed to think he was crazy.
Yum! Smoked pork, giant corn kernels, onions and hot sauce.
Hostal Alegria in Nazca. Julie's lounging next to the pool.
Driving to the Nazca airport.
Nazca.
Nazca.
The runway at the Nazca airport.
These are the planes we flew in.
Heidi and Julie are ready to fly!
Sue got to sit in the copilot's seat and look at the dashboard.
Just like flight simulator. But I hope this guy flies better than I do.
Oh gosh here we go.
Vineyards at Nazca.
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The reflection of the pilot's statue of Mary is guarding over us. I think these are actually the start of the lines.
Whale (left of middle of the picture). Unknown squiggle on the right.
Mountains
Close-up of some of the straight lines.
Flood plain with trapezoids.
Giant triangle. They think most of the triangles pointed toward distant sources of water, to ask the gods for more water.
Giant triangle again, plus its little tail.
Just a shot of the way the terrain looked.
Trapezoid with three offshoot triangles.
Trapezoid running up to the hills.
They call him the astronaut.
Astronaut.
Astronaut.
More flood plain. They built the road before they realized the lines were here.
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Giant trapezoid and a bunch of lines.
Monkey! They think these pictures were made to be processed around (tracing the lines as you walk) in a ceremony.
Monkey.
Dog.
Monkey again.
Big triangle and watchful Mary.
Spider.
Condor.
Condor.
I was starting to feel pretty airsick by this point.
Hummingbird.
Spiral and triangles.
They call this the heron I think. I cut his beak off a little since I was pointing & clicking quickly in my ill state.
Being up in the plane makes you realize the sheer scale of these giant lines and trapezoids. Though the drawings are much smaller.
They call him the parrot
Top left are the hands, and center is the tree. Both are a little faint. The road nearly cut them. You can also see the viewing platform they've built for these.
Okay, not feeling quite so airsick anymore.
Coming in for the landing.
This is a video of Gabe's plane taking off. He had to go separately from Julie, Heidi and I.
The view out our hotel room in Nazca. The roof of one house is patched with woven thatch, and another is covered with bricks and work materials.
Hotel Alegria in Nazca.
Hotel Alegria courtyard.
Imitation tomb site at a museum in Nazca. The Incas packaged the body up in fetal position.
At the back of the museum is a real Inca aqueduct, still in use today.
Along the walk between the museum and our hotel.
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Much more modern than most of the curches we saw.
Fried dough with honey! Tastes like funnel cakes. Honey ran down into Sue's sleeve, yuck.
Nazca market.
This kid tried to jump into Gabe's photo of the Nazca market, but was much more shy when we directly took a picture.
Gabe gets some fried chicken on the street.
Organs!
Up early in the morning to catch the bus back to Lima. Sue accidentally bought MUCHO bread.
On the bus back to Lima.
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Silly video from the bus, showing all the tuq-tuq's driving by.
More woven mat houses.
One of the towns we drove through.
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There were many chicken farms on the sea shore.
The bus stopped at an inspection station, where they were searching a truck.
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More views from the bus.
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In the San Miguel district of Lima.
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Julie's first street food! Mazamorra, made from purple corn, plus arroz con leche (sweet milk rice).
Slow down on that cheesecake.
The bakery sold something called stuffed potato so Sue decided to try it. Turns out, it really is a meat-stuffed potato. Why does a bakery sell that??
Eating the stuffed potato in the Lima airport, before flying to Cusco.
Hillside on the way driving in to Cusco.
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Wendy, James, and Julie. Our first coca tea in Cusco, as we were signing in to Hostal Garcilaso.
Gabe and Heidi drinking coca tea.
Church of San Francisco in Cusco.
Plaza San Francisco.
Church of San Francisco.
Looking away from one corner in Plaza San Francisco, at the church of Santa Clara.
Who's that guy hiding in the shadows?
San Pedro church, with the red-roofed market to the side.
Meat!
Fruit!
Bread!
Grain!
Cheese!
Spices and herbs!
Baskets and utensils!
Flowers!
Chocolate!
The lady gave me a chocolate bean thing to pose with.
Yummy chicken noodle soup!
Potatoes! (Peru has over 200 varieties)
Broths - of head, of eyes, of ears, of belly, of tongue -- don't know the last two.
Organs!
Cusco city runs up into the hills.
Cusco hillsides.
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A big poof of smoke shot out right when I went to take this picture.
Cusco Plaza des Armas - the Cathedral.
Cusco Plaza des Armas - La Compania
Cusco Plaza des Armas.
Cusco Plaza des Armas.
Side church on the left of the Cathedral.
Gabe, James and Wendy walking past a small church.
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Courtyard of Hostal Garcilaso in Cusco.
Back at the Cathedral and the Plaza des Armas.
La Compania
Plaza des Armas
On a walking tour of Cusco.
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The Church of Santo Domingo was built on top of the Inca Qorikancha temple.
Santo Domingo / Qorikancha
View of the hills from Santo Domingo / Qorikancha
The windows of multiple temples in Qorikancha align so that you can look through them all.
Table at Qorikancha, and a good view of the shape Incas used for doorways, windows and wall niches.
Doors and windows, Inca style. Note also how the incas fitted stone tightly together without mortar.
Stone with holes bored through it, for fitting ropes into.
Traditional music and dancing.
Looking from Qorikancha to the Cusco hillside.
Dang reflections!! It was impossible to take a picture of this window/opening.
Important doorways had a second inset level. James and Wendy check out the stonework.
The stone in the center of the picture is all one single piece, carved at many angles to fit the doorway.
Cusco hillside.
Cusco hillside.
Jaime shows us another inset into the wall at Qorikancha.
Santo Domingo / Qorikancha
This area had been owned by the army for many years, but removing the buildings exposed old Inca foundations.
La Compania
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Steep streets in Cusco.
12-pointed stone in the wall.
San Blas church.
San Blas church.
Back down the steep street.
Looking out over rooftops in Cusco as the sun sets.
Rooftop ornaments on a house near the Chincheros ruins.
Beans and wheat sitting out to dry.
Fields near Chinchero
Hillside at Chincheros ruins.
Making mud bricks.
Sorting and preparing potatoes.
Chincheros ruins (Spanish church on top of Inca foundation)
The stone where the overseer watched workers in the fields.
Stepped fields at Chinchero
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Stairway cut into the stone.
Driving past mud brick houses.
Stepped fields at Moray. Archaeologists think that the Incas used the steps to experiment with growing crops at different altitudes. This bowl is being restored by workers.
2nd of the 3 bowls at Moray.
3rd bowl at Moray. The piled-up stones once came from the step walls.
3rd bowl at Moray
Water channel in the wall of the 1st bowl.
Mountains and fields near Moray.
Along the road. Patchwork fields on the hills, and a (presumably recently built) monument.
Salt pools at Las Salinieras.
Salt pools. The salt water originates in the top left, presumably running out from a salt mine deep inside the mountain.
Looking at the Urubamba river from Las Salinieras.
Salt processing buildings at the top of Las Salinieras.
Eating lunch overlooking the salt ponds.
Salt ponds. The brine river is directed into each pool, then evaporated. Salt has been harvested here since before the time of the Incas. The ponds are family owned and worked, each family having 10 or so ponds.
Close-up of salt crystals on a pond.
Harvesting salt.
Harvesting salt.
On our walk from the salt ponds to the Urubamba river.
Cool rocks and plants.
The river is still salty after it runs off from the salt ponds (above).
Inca tombs in the hillside above the salt river.
The salt river flows into the Urubamba river.
Cave houses near the river. Mud brick houses nestled under the rocky overhang.
Church among the cave houses.
Cave house church.
Inside the house next to the church. They are drying seed pods which are used to make cough medicine. They'll sell these to a pharmacy.
Inside the house was a bin where they keep Guinea pigs (for eating).
The kids were interested to see my camera while I photographed the Guinea pigs, so I took a picture of them to show them how it worked.
Inside the cave house church.
Cave houses.
Jaime gave out pencils to the kids we passed, so he had a following of friends.
Compared to the cave houses, these mud brick houses are much nicer.
Cool plants on the hillside at Ollantaytambo ruins.
Ollantaytambo. Granaries?
Stepped walls at Ollantaytambo.
Across the valley from Ollantaytambo were more ruins -- granaries in the hillside.
The marketplace and town below Ollantaytambo.
Mixed building styles visible in the walls at Ollantaytambo.
Ruined buildings below Ollantaytambo.
Inside an old temple at Ollantaytambo.
Stepped fields across the valley from Ollantaytambo.
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Looking down at a soccer field and bullfighting court.
Gabe in front of some giant stones at Ollantaytambo.
Inca fountain, decorated with the 3-step design representing the 3 Inca worlds (heaven, earth and the underworld)
Blankets for sale.
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At the first checkpoint on our hike on the Inca Trail! James, Wendy, Sue, Gabe, Julie, Heidi, Virginia and Raul.
Mountain views from the trail.
Mt. Veronica, named after a woman who climbed it.
Ruins along the trail. Miscay?
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A first look at the type of ascents we'll be making on this hike.
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Llactapata ruins.
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Composite image from the previous 4.
I was a little surprised by this toilet at the time, but by the end came to like these better than sit-downs because annoying people didn't poop all over them.
People living near the ruins.
Porter taking a break to drink chicha (alcoholic drink made from fermented corn).
Mr. Donkey please stop pooping all over our trail.
Gabe tries to get close to take a picture.
But the sheep was not having any of it.
1st campsite, near baby alpacas. All night we heard munching noises near the tent.
Heidi in the mountains!
Heidi in the mountains!
We had 13 porters plus a cook, for 8 hikers and 2 guides.
The porters constantly passed us on the trail.
Wheat field in the middle of the mountains.
Bromeliads.
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Sue, with stone steps in the forest.
Llamas.
Cool mountain formations.
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Getting near the top of Dead Woman's Pass! We can see her nipple.
Gabe on the trail.
Looking back down from the trail.
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From the top, looking down to the other side.
From the top, looking back the way we came from.
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Here come Wendy and James. James' green hat made him easy to spot.
Meanwhile Gabe climbs up to the nipple.
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Wendy and James approach.
Gabe made it to the top.
The stairs on our way back down the other side.
On our way down.
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Runkurakay ruins. We'll see them on the way up to the second pass, on our third day.
Almost to the 2nd campsite!
Yeay, off our feet at the 2nd campsite!
Tired.
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Our campsite.
Nice view from our tent!
Looking from our campsite out at the clouds that rolled in later that night.
Clouds over the campsite.
Writing a journal in the tent.
Runkurakay ruins.
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With our guides Marithca and Yanita.
Sayaqmarka ruins.
Small ruin below Sayaqmarka.
Sayaqmarka ruins.
Different view of small ruin below Sayaqmarka.
Inca walls at Sayaqmarka.
Walking around Sayaqmarka.
Julie and Heidi. Heidi managed to remove her long underwear while still wearing pants!
Hillside views from Sayaqmarka.
Sayaqmarka ruins and the mountains above.
The bamboo trees we passed were different from Chinese bamboo.
At lunch the chef surprised us with a beet & carrot woman.
Everyone is impressed.
Sue & Gabe at an Inca tunnel.
Phuyupatamarka ruins.
Phuyupatamarka.
Phuyupatamarka.
Stepped fields on a hillside.
Stepped fields, with beam from the setting sun.
Stepped fields.
Taking a break near our 3rd campsite.
First glimmer of sun over the mountains on the 4th day. (Eye of Sauron?)
Super steep steps on the way to the Sun Gate.
First view of Machu Picchu from Intipata (the Sun Gate)
Intipata (Sun Gate)
Gabe at Intipata.
Sue & Gabe at Intipata, looking down at Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu mountain.
Marithca explains a llama-shaped altar at Intipata.
Looking at the mountains from Intipata.
The clouds started rolling in over Machu Picchu (8:17am)
Where did Machu Picchu go? (8:19am)
Stone altar and tomb site.
Stepped fields at Machu Picchu.
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Wayna Picchu mountain swathed in cloud.
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Sue & Gabe at Machu Picchu
Sue & Gabe at Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu catching the sunlight.
Machu Picchu
The fog catches the sun to make a rainbow.
An example of Inca roof building techniques. The wooden poles are tied to stone outcroppings in the wall.
More stairs!?
Machu Picchu
Temple district on the left. The rounded building has two windows placed to catch the sun directly at the two solstices.
Looking down from the hut at the top of the cascade of fountains, at the mountains surrounding Machu Picchu.
Stonework in the temple district, next to the fountains. Sitting on a raw uncarved stone.
Interior tomb, and the three steps representing the 3 worlds.
Marithca talks to us beside a colorful stone outcropping.
Bromeliads and greenery by the ruins.
Seismic movement is slowly crumbling some of the ruins.
This stone is a compass, pointing in the 4 cardinal directions and displaying the shape of the Southern Cross constellation.
Stone quarry
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Condor altar and condor-shaped walls at the Temple of the Condor.
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Many buildings perched on raw stone.
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James and Gabe exploring the ruins.
Tumbledown ruins below.
Stone mortars, now believed to be mirrors for reflecting the night sky.
Mortars / mirrors
I just liked the shape and color of this standalone wall.
Looking down over the cascade of fountains in the temple of water.
Llamas mowing the grass.
Old City Gate.
In Aguas Calientes town below Machu Picchu, the church was preparing for the Virgin of Carmen festival.
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First glimpse of many Virgin of Carmen dancers and bands.
Aguas Calientes town nestled between steep mountains.
Gabe gets more meat on a stick.
Patchwork roofs in the marketplace at Aguas Calientes town.
Cheers! James and Gabe drink chicha.
Preparing the firework stands for the Virgin of Carmen festival.