My excuse is that my desktop won't connect to the internet anymore, so I have to do double steps and do it through my laptop.
There's a lot of pictures, so if you have a slow connection, go get some coffee and wait. Click the small versions to get a bigger image. These are only my favorite 50ish images out of about 800, so if you want all of them (since there are lots more, with more snaps of people in the group, etc), on a CD or DVD, email me or leave a comment here, and we'll do that. If you happen to want any of them printed, tell me so I can get you a full-resolution version.
Because of this page's formatting, the trip runs "backwards" - the pictures towards the top of the page are from the end of the trip; the pictures on the bottom of the page, are from the start of the trip.
Peru was an amazing place. As we hiked the Inca trail, and walked through the Andes mountains that were dotted with ancient ruins, it was one of the most memorable trips I've taken.
Hope you like looking at these half as much as I liked taking them!
View from the main Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru.
The taxis, and drivers in general, were crazy.
On our last day there, we got to wander through the sights and sounds of a religious festival, I think it was celebrating the ascension of the 'Blessed Virgin'.
I have no idea what this guy has to do with a Catholic festival?
The cars really don't stop for pedestrians...
My dad, happy we finally found somewhere that serves espresso.
On our train ride back from Machu Picchu to Cusco, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere... and a large group of kids just surrounded the train, hoping to score some easy money off the blancito tourists. Instead, I opened the doors in our boxcar, and one of the girls in our group started handing out stickers to the kids. As soon as the other kids realized there were stickers to be had, there was nearly a riot. Definitely one of the most memorable moments of the trip, for me. Not just because it was funny, but because some cheap little stickers could be such a huge deal, and bring so much happiness to these kids...
One of our amazing guides, getting to relax on the trainride back with us...of course, you can't relax in Peru without Cusquena.
Our porters were awesome. The trip would have been a lot different (to say the least) without them, and it was a bonus that they were such cool people. After the trek, we had the good luck to run into a couple of the porters in Aguas Caliente.
Touring Machu Picchu (with a billion other people)
I wish I knew what this animal was...
Setting foot onto the site of Machu Picchu:
One of my favorite frames I shot on this trip: morning sunrise coming through in Incan Sun Gate, illuminating Machu Picchu, and Huayna Picchu. Pretty unforgetable sight, and an awesome way to end our hike.
Nearing the end of the Inca Trail:
Looking out over a huge valley, from the top of an Incan terracing site.
Tents at night...
One of the many Incan tunnels (or "inca toenails" as the guides pronounced it) along the trail:
The everpresent llamas:
Looking down from the top of Dead Woman's Pass (~13,500 ft. elevation). We started at the bottom of the valley in this shot, and hiked up in about 4 or 5 hours. If you ask me, it was pretty brutal.
Looking out over the Sacred Valley.
Before we started our hike, we got to stop in a tiny Amerindian community to do some shopping and sightseeing and give out some school supplies. It was cool to watch the women dying and weaving the llama wool into the rugs and hats and everything else.
The kids were impossibly photogenic.
