Tag: Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean

Our Climb Up Huayna Picchu At Machu Picchu

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View of Huayna Picchu mountain at Machu Picchu, in Urubamba Province, Peru.

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

Visiting Machu Picchu, Our Long Time Dream

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.An image of foggy sky over Machu Picchu in Urubamba Province, Peru.

Bob and I managed to get aboard the first bus of the day from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu.  The 20-minute bus ride up the switchbacks of the dirt road had us clinging to our seats whenever we rounded the sharp corners.  The other option is to hike up to the mountain, but it is supposed to be a pretty long and very tough climb. We preferred to use that time to explore the ruins at the top. Read more

Hiking the Inca Trail – Our Adventure of a Lifetime

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Jean hiking with a group on the the Inca Trail in Peru, South America

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.

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Riding the Andean Explorer Train Through The Andes

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Peru Rail Andean Explorer going through Puno in Peru, South America

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

Our Travels To Puno On Lake Titicaca

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El Misti volcano near Arequipa, Peru, South America

It was an earlier start to the day as we made our way to the Arequipa airport to catch a flight across the Andes Mountains to Puno on Lake Titicaca in Peru.  On our drive to the airport we had a chance to see the beautiful, conical, snow-capped volcano known as El Misti. Read more

Arequipa, the White Stone City

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Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Arequipa, Peru

Bright sunshine greeted us when Bob and I awoke in Arequipa, Peru at 6:30 a.m.  It is amazing how a little sunlight can change the face of a place.  When we emerged from our hotel with a city map in hand, the cobbled streets and high walls seemed less daunting than when we arrived in the dark the night before. Read more

Our Drive On The Pan American Highway to Arequipa

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desert along pan american highway near nazca peru - frame to frame

Our destination heading south from Nazca on the Pan American Highway in Peru was the city of Arequipa.  At 556 kilometers from Nazca, we figured the drive should take us about 6 hours and put us in Arequipa well before dark.  The day’s drive, however, sure proved that calculation to be wrong.

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Wild Vicuna In Peru

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Vicuna in the National Reserve of Pampas Galeras in Peru, South America.

In the harsh climate high in the mountain meadows of the National Reserve of Pampas Galeras in Peru lives the rarely seen vicuña. In 1974, the vicuña was declared an endangered species; at that time, only 6,000 of these animals were left alive in Peru. Today, there are about 350,000, and although it is actually considered very hard to catch a glimpse of vicuña in the wild, we managed to sight them in Peru. Read more

Nazca Gold Processing – The Ancient Method by Foot

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Stone boulder used to process gold by foot in Nazca, Peru

After visiting the Chauchilla Cemetery, our guide, Hilda, recommended a side trip to the Nazca Gold Processing plant in the village of Nazca.  Bob and I were very surprised to see that the processing is done by foot. Read more

The Mummies of Chauchilla Cemetery near Nazca, Peru

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Chauchilla Cemetery south of the city of Nazca in Peru, South America.

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