December 30, 2011 - January 1, 2012 - Colca Canyon, Peru

4,800 meter above sea level

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Mirador de los Andes

Valley, Colca Canyon

Baby Alpaca 

Valley, Colca Canyon

Cruz Del Condor

Traditional attirement

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In search of condors, we took an overnight bus to Arequipa and headed straight to Colca Canyon. The journey took approximately 3 1/2 hours across the High Andean plateau, an area which covers unique ecological zones from desert to altiplano to dry tundra. The scenery was breathtaking. We saw vicunas, llamas and alpacas running in the wild rugged landscape. At one point, we reached the highest altitude of 4,800 meters at the "Miradores the Volcanoes" with astounding views of snow-capped volcanoes as high as 6,000 meters. We spent the night at Chivay, a small village near the canyon, and rose early the next morning to see the condors at "Cruz del Condor." Unfortunately, due to the rainy season, most of the canyon was covered in fog but we remained hopeful and waited patiently for the condors to appear. Sadly none did. However, on our way back, we were fortunate enough to spot one from far away. Though it wasn't what we hoped for, we felt lucky to see the one...our lucky condor.

December 26-29, 2011 - Cuzco, Peru

Capital of the Inca empire, Cuzco is a stunning city at a high altitude of 3,400 meters above sea level. The popularity of Cuzco is easily understood the moment you first lay eyes on it.  Spanish colonial architecture mixed with ruins of Inca walls, arches and doorways are interspersed throughout the streets. These structural remains are symbolic reminders of the Spanish conquest and their destructive role in the collapse of the Inca empire. Undeniably, Cuzco has a strange look to it; part Inca, part Spanish and part Tuscany or Florence due to the red-tiled roofs that cover many houses. It's no wonder it draws thousands of visitors each day. Unfortunately, for that same reason, the magic of this city is hindered by the thousands of travel agencies, restaurants and bars that have infiltrated the city in support of tourism. We quickly learned NEVER to book anything through a travel agency, especially in places as touristic as Cuzco.

December 24-26, 2011 - Machu Picchu, Peru

What hasn't been said about Machu Picchu, that you haven't heard before. It's just as breathtaking and spellbinding as you can imagine. There are no words to describe it. You simply have to see it for yourself.

December 17-23, 2011 - Lima, Peru

Barranco, Lima

Ceviche, El Muelle

Parihuela, El Muelle

Popular Restaurant in Barranco

Plaza de Armas, Lima

Lima

We took an overnight TRC bus to Lima and arrived at 6am, Saturday morning. We headed over to Jeff's old hostal, Domeyer, in Barranco. Barranco is easily our favorite neighborhood in Lima. Only ten minutes away from Miraflores, this small, bohemian neighborhood has everything you need within close proximity. Charming bars, cafes, restaurants, parks...what more can you ask for? For our first lunch, we ate at El Muelle (a restaurant where Jeff worked a few years before) and ate one of the best ceviches and parihuelas. The only downside to Barranco was Jeff's food-poisoning episode which was caused by eating chicken wings at a local Sports Bar in Miraflores. Luckily, after one day of severe vomiting and diarrhea, he felt better thanks to the help of Frutti Flex 50 (a miracle electrolyte solution). After we headed to Martha's parents home in La Molina where we enjoyed a few days in the comfort of their lovely home.