Today we left the Cusco region and traveled south to Puno on Lake Titicaca. The 8 hour bus ride was broken up by stops at several historic sites as well as lunch. The highest point we reached was 14,800 feet. I'm pleased to find that my altitude sickness precautions worked well. The highlight of the day for me was a visit to the small farm owned by a family who earn extra money by allowing tourists to come in to their home and see how a typical family in this ...

The Pisac Market is unique because practically the whole town is the market. Our guide started our shopping by taking us to a natural dye maker, a silversmith, and a textile vendor. Each person explained how to distinguish between good quality products and inferior quality products. He also introduced us to Oscar who had a shop that sold a variety of Peruvian craft items and to a painter who was mute and communicated with us through gestures. I was surprised that...

Our second morning at a lovely hotel, Hacienda del Valle, located at the top of a rutted dirt road. Alan brought coffee to me so that I could sit on our balcony and enjoy the flowers, birdsong, views of the mountains, and sound of the water flowing under the little walking bridge outside our room. Just snapped a pic of a hummingbird! My impressions of the Sacred Valley include steep mountains with pointed peaks and terraces for farming; crops including potatoes,...

What an amazing place! In preparation for today, I read "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" and watched a DVD series on Incan history. Despite that, I wasn't prepared for this incredibly beautiful site. The trip from our hotel involved a 15 minute bus ride from the Hacienda del Valle hotel, an hour PeruRail train ride that followed the river and often paralleled the Inca Trail, and, finally, a bumpy bus ride up the mountain that included many switch backs. My first vie...

We flew into the Andes to Cusco this morning. We started with a cup of coca tea at the hotel to avert altitude sickness and are ready for a light lunch before touring the city this afternoon. We took the guide's recommendation and had a light soup lunch at a restaurant near the hotel. Instead of the typical bread we are served before a meal at home, we were served 3 inch chunks of cooked corn on the cob with salsa and small squares of a soft cheese. The corn cobs...