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.

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).