The World Through Our Lens
Photography of landscape we have observed during our travels.
We took a drive up from Toronto, Ontario on October 1, 2012, to checkout the fall colors in the Algonquin Park and Oxtongue Lake areas. From atop the Dorset tower, the view of the color sure proved the drive worthwhile. According to the local people with whom we spoke, this was the best fall color seen in this area in 10 years. Read more
Over a quick breakfast in Agua Calientes, Bob and I debated whether or not to actually tackle climbing up Huayna Picchu Mountain, which sits overlooking Machu Picchu. The hiking trail up this mountain follows another ancient Inca path with an ascent up steep stony pathways, through tunnels, and along sheer cliff edges that offer no protection for hikers. We both decided that it would be an exhilarating and challenging trek, but I was unsure if I would have the courage. I have to tell you that I am very afraid of heights. Read more
When it was finally time to set foot on the Inca Trail, we were guided by an authorized trail guide and accompanied by two other hikers, guides in training. Our adventure would be a one-day hike along the time-worn Inca Trail, headed for Machu Picchu. Our excitement was palpable.
After a night of heavy rains, Bob and I departed Puno aboard PeruRail’s Andean Explorer headed through the Andes Mountains for Cusco. Our early-morning departure soon left behind the very wet world of the village of Puno. Read more
The Mummies of Chauchilla Cemetery in Peru, are the mummified bodies of ancient pre-hispanic Nazca people. As we soon learned on our tour, their bodies have been preserved because of the dry climate of the Nazca valley. Archaeologists have dated these grave sites to somewhere around 1000 AD, and it is believed the burials occurred here over the course of 600 years. Read more
Early on our second morning in Lima, Bob and I hired a driver to take us southeast of Lima to the Ruins of Pachacamac. These ruins are some of the oldest pyramids uncovered from beneath the desert hills and dunes of Peru. To the casual eye, the 500 acres of this national museum and archaeological site just appear as a monotone conglomeration of crumbling adobe bricks. Read more