Category: Peru
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Iquitos: Goodbye Peru
It was time to bid Peru farewell. We had done and seen so much. We had trekked, climbed and explored from one end to the other. We were tired, but tremendously happy. We went out for a last bash with Jan and Ryan in Lima. We danced our hearts out. Then a plane whisked them…
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Climbing Giants in the Andes
During the 2017 winter in South America we climbed four mountains in the high Andes. The first was Huayna Potosi 6,088m / 19,974ft In Bolivia. This massive peak towers over the city of La Paz. It’s summit is guarded by a long knife edge ridge. This was Val’s first time climbing a mountain in her…
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Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru
On our second visit to the famed Machu Picchu we decided to walk. Our journey took us over high passes and through deep valleys. Val’s friend Jan flew in from Alaska to join us and we had an incredible time.
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Peruvian Highlands
Life is hard in the high plains of southern Peru. Few animals survive here. Endless seas of grass stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by patches of lifeless rock in the brilliant red and purple hues of volcanic upheaval. We had been gently inquiring about religious festivals for weeks. We had…
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Ausungate Trek, Peru
Nevado Ausungate 6,384m / 20,945ft is Peru’s fifth highest mountain, but perhaps it’s most sacred. Most of the high peaks of Peru’s Andes are in the North of the country around Huaraz. Ausungate rises out of the grasslands as one large freestanding massif. Valerie and I trekked a complete circle around the mountain. We saw…
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Arequipa, Peru
We came to Arequipa, Peru’s white city, to eat. We wanted find out what Peruvian food was all about. We ate ceviche, grilled lamb, soups of all kind, and roasted chicken accompanied. We particularly loved a restaurant called Tupac – a seafood focuses Peruvian-Thai fusion restaurants. The epicurean delights didn’t stop with the food. We…
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Lake Titicaca, Peru
Homestays are always an interesting experience. It can be awkward, it can be transcendent, and it sometimes dizzily sways between the two. My parents, Dan and Terri, had recently joined us in Peru. We spent a comfortable week in and around Cusco, Peru’s frenetic and beautiful tourist city. We had eaten international food, shopped, had…
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The Sacred Valley, Peru
After Machu Picchu we began making our way back to Cusco. Along the way we visited Ollantaytambo, a weaving center, and stopped at miradors (viewpoints) in our private taxi – oh what luxury!
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Machu Picchu, Peru
It’s not easy to find a traveler, or anyone really, that hasn’t dreamed of visiting Machu Picchu. I had the pleasure of sharing my visit with my parents and Valerie. My father was not blessed with a strong ability to pronounce unfamiliar words, (in fact listening to his attempts is one of the greatest sources of…