.Jesse, Diane and Karren experienced a fantastic, wonderful excursion to Peru to visit Megan and Tyson as they spent 18 months living in Cusco, Peru. Megan taught cello lessons in a private music school while they explored the wonders of western South America.
In order to adapt to the high altitude of Cusco, we visited the Sacred Valley first. These pictures are from the terraced hillsides of Pisac.
Ollantaytambo Ruins with Quinoa growing in the background. The Llamas were very friendly with Karren and almost spit on her!
Sacsawayman, the famed Inca fortress of the Spanish conquest of Cusco.
Ancient tombs along the drive to Pilcopata.
Their apartment was cozy with two bedrooms, bathroom and a kitchen which had a cooktop but no oven. We enjoyed a wonderful meal cooked by Meg and Ty from fresh market veggies and Alfajores from the bakery. One evening we went to a restaurant complete with dancers, singing and every kind of ceviche you could imagine!
The streets of Cusco remain narrow as they were in Inca times. Some of the stones date back to the Inca period.
Meg and Ty introduced us to many new fruits and vegetables to try in fruit smoothies at the local market.
Maras Salt mining is done by different families. The circular designs of the terraced agricultural fields were done as a means to see which crops grew at different altitudes.
Machu Picchu is the crown jewel of the Sacred Valley! We all hiked up Huayna Picchu for spectacular vistas of the mountains.
Views from Machu Picchu
Megan talks to Juaquin, the owner of El Alberque, the inn where we stayed in Ollantaytambo. He is a kayaking friend of Tyson. He grows the food on his farm for the restaurant at the Inn and it was terrific!
They are discussing the ancient method of cooking in the ground.
Pisac and Snow-capped Andes in the back ground.
Inca Royalty on their thrones!
Megan hired an expat friend to take us to Manu National Park which is located on the Amazonian rainforest side of the Andes. We decended 12,000 feet to sea level for three days and explored the Madre de Dios River area.
Paucartambo provided a lunch break of fruit smoothies. This small village is the site of a dance festival every year which Megan attended.
Jesse just chilling in the best Hostel in Pilcopata!
We climbed on the Hinquiori Petroglyphs and snuggled with the sloths at the wild animal refuge.
The capybara is the largest rodent on earth!
Our grass hut accomodations kept us dry and the meal our guide, Scott, prepared of noodles and fried yucca plant tasted very good! The natural hot springs felt wonderful!
The Madre do Dios River held lush foliage and many different species of birds. The McCaws were sparse but still colorful.
Our last day in the jungle of Manu!
Our final memories hold the Koricancha inca walls, la flora quantu, the main Plaza and climbing through the tunnel at Sacsawayman. A dream come true for all of us to experience Peru with our personal tour guides, Megan and Tyson!
Now that was a good trip! I can't believe we did all that!
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