We fell in love with the people, mountains, lakes, and Incan creations of Peru. Pachamama, Mother Earth, speaks to you here.
We began our journey in the
Miraflores district of Lima full of
cafes, shops, galleries and great restaurants overlooking the sea.
This is a Peruvian dish made with
giant corn kernels served with three sauces. Absolutely addictive.
Founded by the conquistadors in 1535,
Lima became Spain's largest and wealthiest
city in the "New World." Lima's historic city
center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lima became Spain's largest and wealthiest
city in the "New World." Lima's historic city
center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
School girls in Lima
A shepherdess who allowed us to photograph her.
We visited an animal rescue and rehabilitation site.
I was praying this guy wouldn't spit at me.
I was praying this guy wouldn't spit at me.
A sleepy puma...
... and an Andean condor
These women were weaving the
items for sale in the gift shop.
We saw so many chapped-cheek children.
The ancient city of Pisac in the Sacred Valley where ruins are surrounded by agricultural terraces constructed by the ancient Inca people.
In the kitchen of the home where we enjoyed our home-hosted lunch.
As honored guests, we were served the Peruvian delicacy, cuy.
We visited the workshops of Pablo Seminario,
a world-famous sculptor.
His works were astounding.
Ken was quite good at tossing the brass disks into the frog's mouth. We played this game at a local "bar".
Our guide, Raul, holding a glass of chicha, a popular drink made from fermented corn. The farmers consume a lot of this on hot days.
Scooping off the chicha foam.
Yum yum.
An armadillo skin guitar
hanging on the bistro wall.
hanging on the bistro wall.
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| A twisted branch and pot lids... |
...and veggies fresh from the garden.
People and scenes from the village of Ollantaytambo.
On the Inca Rail for our train trip into the gorge of the Urubamba River and on to Machu Picchu, the legendary "Lost City of the Incas."
Machu Picchu may have been the religious center of Inca life. The temples, astronomical observatory, and a remarkable solar clock are all signs of the Incas' devotion to their sun god. The fate of the people is still debated. It is known that smallpox decimated the population in the early 16th century, and the remainder may have succumbed to drought or disease, been conquered by the Spanish, or may have simply abandoned the site.
On the way through the Urubamba Gorge.
In the city of Cusco...
A 17th-century cathedral built on the foundation of an Inca palace.
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| Decorated railings on the avenue. |
This woman earned money by posing with her baby lamb.
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| I SO wish I had bought this alpaca hat! |
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| Amazingly beautiful textiles. |
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| Incan cobblestones. |
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| Another beautiful Peruvian child. |
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| Inti, the Incan Sun God. |
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| These bulls atop houses symbolized fertility and prosperity. |
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| The courtyard of Antonio Olave, a famous artist in Cusco. |
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| He was having a ball whacking those plastic bottles on the railings! |
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Traditional braids. The large pom poms indicate she is married.
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| Cheeses at the Chinchero market... and chickens... |
...and "dragon's blood" sold by the local shaman.
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| The Rolls Royce of Peru! |
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| Costumes for the upcoming dance performance at the school we visited in Chinchero. |
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| Whips seem to hold a special place in the ceremonies... |
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| This girl gave a remarkably emotional performance of a poem. |
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| Natalie, my student guide. |
At an Incan weaving cooperative. 
A mestizo medicine man performed a curandero ceremony, an Incan healing ritual.
We burned away symbols of our worries and blew three times on cocoa leaves to bring to us our desires.
We burned away symbols of our worries and blew three times on cocoa leaves to bring to us our desires.
The ruins of the largest Inca
temple in Peru at Raqchi.
temple in Peru at Raqchi.
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| A vendor at the outdoor market at Raqchi. |
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| Women, always knitting, in the plaza in Chucuito. |
At the Inca fertility temple in
Chucuito.
Chucuito.
Ahem. A shepherd's emergency hut.
In the mountain village of
Lake Titicaca, this lady
baked our potatoes. The
Incans had over 3,000
varieties. People of the village....
Our lunch, prepared by the villagers.
On to the Uros Islands where Uros Indians
live on floating islands made of reeds.
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| The women are famous for their colorful embroideries. This is the one I bought! |
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These are the traditional balsas,
or totora reed boats.
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It is impossible to not photograph these beautiful children!
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| On Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca. We hiked at 13,000 feet. Phew! |
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| His sister had just thrown water in his face! |
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| This young artist has built a museum to keep alive the traditional arts of using reeds. His work was breathtaking. |
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| This rocker cost $18 USD. I wish I had shipped it home! |
