Cusco

"I know what you are up to, and I will have none of your bullshit, young lady!"
(Dog seen in Cusco)

Our first night in Cusco was really crappy (pardon the pun; you'll understand in a moment.)

Machu Picchu

View of the Andes from Machu Picchu.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the post you've all been waiting for: Machu Picchu!

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo, pronounced oll-hyan-tay-tam-bo. Say it three times, fast! This picturesque little village was a pleasant surprise on this trip. We stayed for two nights, and I would gladly have stayed longer.

Heading for the Hills

A woman "harvests" salt at the salineras de Maras.

[Please forgive me for the photos in this post. As I intimated in my first post about Peru, I bought a new camera the night before we left Ottawa. Somehow, I set the camera to "Portrait" mode which blurs the image. Intentionally! I've used Photoshop to recover some of the details, but it was extremely frustrating to deal with at the time.]

When I was planning our trip, the travel agent suggested many things — and I accepted them without much thought, really. We ensured a leisurely pace (at least two nights in each location, occasional free mornings or afternoons), but ensured that we made the most of our trip.

Consequently, there were many pleasant surprises for us, including the salineras de Maras  (the Maras salt mines), which was our first stop after flying to Cusco from Lima.

Orange-Cranberry Sauce

Getting ready to dollop cranberry sauce on a turkey sandwich.

A few facts:

1. I love turkey.
2. I love Thanksgiving leftovers.
3. Turkey without cranberry sauce is like a present without a bow.
4. I have never had a canned cranberry sauce that I liked.

Over the years, my sauce has evolved from the basic sugar + water + cranberries into a more unique sauce. Having been asked a couple of times for the recipe, I finally decided to put it in print.

More Lima

Leche de tigre or Tiger's Milk.More about this below. (The white lumpy things are large corn kernels.)

Lima is the modern capital of Peru, established by the Spanish conquerors in 1535. For me, the highlight of our tour of the historic district of Lima was the elaborate European architecture that the Spaniards brought to the country, so out of keeping with the Inca style.

Lima!

Mother and child, Plaza de armas, Lima, Peru.

Travel Tips:

1. Do not buy a new camera to take on a major vacation the day before you leave.
   You will take bad pictures while you learn the new tool.
   You will accidentally take videos instead of photos.
   You will drain the battery at inopportune moments (like in the middle of the jungle).
   

Change Orders

Kane gives his approval to the new rug in the front hall.

When you are working with a contractor, it is no surprise that, if you ask for changes half-way through a project, you will incur a surcharge. It only makes sense: they've hired labour, bought supplies and booked time based on your agreed contract, and they've taken time to revise any plan drawings.

When you share a bed with your handyman, however, you get away with a lot of "change orders." Often, instead of costing you more, these changes actually save you money.