We’re back in Chile after an amazing trip to Peru and we’ve had our welcome home earthquake.  Check out the Earthquake tab for details.  There’s also a new entry in El Diario for those who follow it.

I know I will always smile when I think about the trip.  A trip to Peru is definitely a worthy bucket list item.  Machu Piccu is stunning and thankfully it wasn’t discovered until after the colonial period.  I will write more about that when I write that post.

The second highlight that rates almost alongside Machu Piccu was Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world and far deeper than the Grand Canyon.  It also has one of the greatest attractions in the world – the Andean Condors.  The bumpy dirt road drive is part of the Peruvian charm on this side trip.

We found Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world with it’s floating islands quite interesting along with a lunch stop with a shaman and his family.  Having a view of the distant snow capped Andes didn’t hurt the experience either.

The Sacred Valley amazed us with the Inca architecture, ingenuity, and even agricultural laboratories on a giant scale.  I couldn’t help but feel both sad and angered about the utter destruction of this culture by the Spaniards and the Catholic Church.

Yet in Arequipa we found a beautiful working cloistered monastery.  There will be some great photos of the place.  In Arequipa Wooly discovered Anis Najar Seco and Recoto Rellenos.  The first is a dry licorice liqueur and the second is a spicy twist on the stuffed pepper.  There is also a great legend about the volcanoes that tower over the town.

June in Cusco is a lot of fun.  It seems like the entire month is one festival after another with all the crowds to squeeze past.  And ladies, when in Cusco keep your purse zipped and hold it tight, or better yet, leave it in the hotel safe.  Regardless it’s still a lot of fun.

And yes, I’m back on the blogging wagon so you will hear and see all about them.  You will follow us on our journey in the order we traveled it which means you have to keep checking in because Machu Piccu is last.  And that’s also how I would recommend you schedule your own trip to Peru.  Machu Piccu will overshadow the rest of your trip if you go there first.  Save the best for last, just like I’m going to blog about it.

In the meantime while you’re waiting for the next post, enjoy this picture of a condor’s eye while he is in flight.