Lima, Barranco District
December 13, 2018 in Peru
Barranco district of Lima - Bridge of Sighs, central plaza, visited Pedro de Osmas art museum.
Lima, Centro Historico
December 14, 2018 in Peru
Historic centre of Lima - lots of colonial buildings (government offices, churches). Visited the catacombs in one of the churches.
Lima, Coastline
December 15, 2018 in Peru
The beautiful coast, parasailers and not-so-beautiful beaches of Lima.
Paracas
December 16, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Paracas - gateway to Ballestas Islands
Ballestas Islands
December 17, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Ballestas Islands - also called "Poor Man's Galapagos". Saw penguins, sea lions and thousands of sea birds.
Ballestas Islands 2
December 17, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
More Ballestas islands - in the one picture, notice how many birds are on the one island - it is just covered!
Pisco and Wine Tasting
December 17, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Visited some wineries that make Peru's famous drink, Pisco, and wine. We did a lot of taste testing!
Huacachina - Desert Oasis
December 17, 2018 in Peru
Visited a desert oasis called Huacachina. Had a blast riding in the dune buggy and sand boarding!
Nasca
December 18, 2018 in Peru
The famous Nasca lines. Went to the lookout tower - could see the tree, hands and the lizard. Spent the afternoon at the pool.
Santa Catalina Monastery 2
December 19, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
More pictures of the monastery - it's so photogenic! The stone basins are where the laundry was done - the water runs through the central pipe and you can fill the side basins by blocking the waterRead more
Arequipa
December 19, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Arequipa - "The White City" - beautiful architecture and lots of Christmas celebrations underway while we were there. The city is surrounded by three volcanoes and is one of the most active earthquakeRead more
Santa Catalina Monastery
December 19, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
A city within the city and founded in 1580 - the historic part of the monastery is open to the public as a museum. Part of it is closed off and still used today by nuns of the Dominican CatholicRead more
Llamas, Vicunas and Alpacas!
December 20, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
On our drive from Arequipa to Chivay, we saw many wild vicunas and domesticated llamas and alpacas.
Chivay
December 20, 2018 in Peru
Arrived in Chivay, a very small town at high altitude, and spent time at the hot springs.
Colca Canyon 2
December 21, 2018 in Peru
More Colca Canyon - tried to take pictures of the Condors, but they are hard to see in the pictures.
Colca Canyon
December 21, 2018 in Peru
Went sightseeing at the Colca Canyon - one of the biggest, deepest canyons in the world. Amazing landscape and many terraces built into the mountainsides for farming. They grow corn, potatoes, beansRead more
Cusco
December 23, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Views around the central plaza in Cusco - including a pit stop at Starbucks for Wifi.
Rainbow Mountain
December 24, 2018 in Peru
Rainbow Mountain - started hike at 4800 m above sea level and ended up at 5100 m - air was very thin and it was hard to breathe! Amazing scenery though and totally worth the effort. The locals hadRead more
Rainbow Mountain 2
December 24, 2018 in Peru
More shots of Rainbow Mountain. I didn't edit or filter any of these - most tourist pics of Rainbow Mountain are heavily edited, so I made sure to adjust my expectations of what it would be like. ItRead more
Inca Trail - Day 1
December 26, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Start of the Inca Trail! Hiked 11 km on the first day.
Inca Trail - Day 2
December 27, 2018 in Peru
Most challenging day on the trail - just 12 km, but a steep 1250 m elevation gain before going over Dead Woman's Pass. Made it to camp by 1 PM and then it rained all afternoon - the only rain we hadRead more
Inca Trail - Day 3 (Part 2)
December 28, 2018 in Peru
More views on Day 3.
Inca Trail - Day 3
December 28, 2018 in Peru
16 km today but mostly downhill - some steep spots and lots of stairs. Beautiful cloud forest and amazing views today. Stopped at Phuyupatamarca ruins. The Incas had settlements, checkpoints andRead more
Inca Trail - Day 4 - Sun Gate & MP
December 29, 2018 in Peru
Up at 3:30 AM to hike to the Sun Gate where it is possible to get a first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, it was extremely cloudy when we were there, so all we could see were clouds. But, asRead more
Machu Picchu
December 29, 2018 in Peru
Our reward at the end of the trail - the beautiful site of Machu Picchu! Can you spot the chinchilla?