San Agustin Monestario De La R Urubamba

... a wonderful married couple, Isabella & Ricky...bless you, wherever you are!!!). Arrived at the hostel about 11pm and fell into bed.

Yesterday, got some much needed rest and put lotion on my minor sunburn.

My legs still hurt today, but tonight, Iīm going out dancing with my friend, Raquel. And out tomorrow night with some new amigos. I think if I have any more fun - I might implode!

Wish you all coulda been there...

... ruins that surround it. Our first stop was the most stunning site, Sacsayhuaman, which overlooks the city of Cusco. It took thousands of men some 100 years to build, using only stones, no mortar. One of the stones used stands about 16 feet tall and weighs more than 300 tons. Next to Sacsayhuaman is another archaeological site, Kenko, which was another Incan temple. We also visited Puca Pucara. Finally, we stopped at Tambomachay, another ...

... the bridges to the other side of the city and passing the market, things normalize a bit yet I would not give this city any awards for honest and respectable business ethics.
Guides and tours in general seem like a sham. They are overpriced-sometimes hundreds of dollars per day for something you can do yourself for a minor fraction of the price. They don’t tell you the cost of things. People on tours asked us what the prices were and were in general ...

Hello again everyone. Just wanted to say thanks so much for reading and (hopefully) enjoying this blog. Not only is it for you to read about our adventures, but it is a great way for Amy and I to keep a record of our travels so we can remember the details later on.

Today is our last day at K'uychi Rumi (our house) in the Sacred Valley. Tomorrow we take an early train to Aguas Calientes, which is the town at Machu Picchu, but that is a tale to be told later.
Urubamba, Sacred Valley, Peru derekjjensen

... same time. On deck: more ruins, a salt mine and more shopping. And of course more wonderful Peruvian food!

I'm thinking about just throwing in a random thought or funny story at the end of each of these. Today's story: how your humble narrator almost lost his mind last night after dinner. I am carrying a messenger bag around with me here to hold my camera, camcorder, etc... (my man-purse as Amy likes to say). It also had my passport in it last night. No ...

Who knew that there were 400 different types of orchids in the Machu Picchu area and that 372 of them can be found on the grounds of the Inkaterra Hotel in Aguas Calientes? We found out on their orchid tour today.

Before we knew it, it was time to board the Vistadome ...

... The next moring we got up early and made our way to Machu Pichu. There is a moutain in Machu Pichu called Wayna Pichu. They only let 200 people in between 8 and 10a and 200 people after 10a, then they close it down. Mae and I made it up there around 830ish and waited in line. Luckily, we were number 186 and 187 of the 1st group. We climbed up the peak in the foggy morning, catching glimpses of Machu Pichu along the way as the fog would permit. We made it to the top ...

After our hike back to the bus after investigating the ruinas of Pisac (the hike back was, at times, just as hard as the hike there!) we got back on the bus and drove an hour to lunch in the city of Urubamba. The city of Urubamba is nestled quietly at one of the lowest points in the Sacred Valley and is right next to the famous Rio (River) Urubamba. We ate our lunch with a beautiful vista of the mountains and then got back on the bus again for another ...

... a real estate website which he hopes to franchise. The bike ride itself went extremely well. There were enough challenges without it ever being death defying (unlike our prior Antigua Guatemala experience). The general scenery was breathtaking - mountains, clouds, verdant hills, postcard peasants shooing cows or sheep, and little kids calling out "hola!" The sites themselves-- first Moray, then Salinas-- way out-did the innumerous guide book pictures ...

... of scandals involving controversial appointments of friends to high places, and the awarding of lucrative contracts to family members. Now the Peruvians can have their revenge by blowing Fujimori up for Christmas! Thatīs respect for you. The other custom at this time of year is the wearing of bright yellow underwear - and there are stalls selling vast quantities of it everywhere you look. I am yet to find out exactly how ...