Views of Cusco - On to Machu Picchu

Written by Karen.
Cusco, Peru is 11,200 feet above sea level; some 11,000 feet higher than where we were just a few days ago in Peru’s capital city, Lima.  Cusco is another UNESCO World Heritage site - full of Spanish Colonial architecture and restored churches in the historic city center - built upon the the ruins of the former Incan empire capital city of Qusqu.

Nightime in Downtown Lima, Peru.

Cathedral of Lima in Plaza de Armas

Written by Karen.

Lima is a beautiful, interesting and dynamic city. The architecture, cobblestoned streets, great restaurants, events/activities, friendly people, and the large plazas make this a very walkable and fun city to explore.  Even at night.  The air cools down a bit, and people spill out into the main plaza, Plaza de Armas, and side streets to grab a bite to eat, watch the futbol game, sit and talk, or just people watch. Time seems to slow down.  No one is in a rush.  The night is young.  Why not hang out for awhile? 

San Cristobal - Lima, Peru

Written by Karen.
Earlier in the week, we had seen the colorful homes climbing up a mountain near the downtown historical center, and noticed the huge cross that was on top of the mountain light up during the evening hours and wondered about it. What was the significance of the mountain with the huge cross?

Saturday Afternoon in Lima, Peru

Coastal Views

Written by Karen.

We slid into Lima as if into a pool filled with cool satin.  Effortlessly.  We have only begun to scratch the surface of this City, but already we know that we really like this place.  A lot.  Lima is the first city that we have explored in South America where we can see ourselves living in for awhile.  

Lima, Peru

Zorritos, Peru

Written by Karen.
I know....it's a big jump from our last blog post written in Cuenca, Ecuador.  We've been on the road for the past 10 days - mostly without internet access and at times without electricity service! - so I'll post some experiences that we had on the road at a future time.  But, for now....we're in Lima, Peru!  

Off the Beaten Path: Ingapirca, Ecuador

The final approach to Ingapirca, Ecuador

Written by Karen.

We left from the Terminal Terrestre bus station in Cuenca for the largest Incan archeological ruins in Ecuador: Ingapirca.  Translation: the Incan wall.  Ingapirca is approximately 80 km north of Cuenca in the Cañar province and is approximately 10,357 feet in altitude.  So, it's a bit higher than our current altitude in Cuenca of 8,370 feet.

Pretty Coca-Cola and Avocado Milk on the Side, Please.

Cuenca, Ecuador

Written by Karen.

Today we were at the Terminal Terrestre, Cuenca's main bus station, researching options for the next leg of our trip. It was hot and muggy, and due to a neighbor having a loud conversation at 3:15 a.m., we were both lagging just a bit.  

Happy New Year - 2013!

Written by Karen.

Last night, we - along with a multitude of other Cuencanos - celebrated New Year's Eve in downtown Cuenca. 

Earlier in the month, we wondered about the life-sized and headless dummies that we saw in Baños, and had seen lots of plastic masks being sold in tiny shops and market stalls.

Rx in Cuenca, Ecuador

Written by Karen.

One of the biggest challenges that we faced before we left on our trip was how to ensure that Adam could continue to take his required medications.  These aren't unusual or high-risk medications, rather they are the everyday, preventative and ongoing maintenance medications that are required as a commitment to better health.   

Pase del Niño Viajero

Written by Karen.

The big Cuenca Christmas Eve parade was today and it didn't disappoint. The weather was cloudy and cool - perfect parade watching weather - and the mood was festive.  The City erected a serious sound system in the downtown main square and for the next 8 hours played familiar and unfamiliar Christmas carols and music.  

The Pase del Niño Viajero parade and celebration in Cuenca is said to be the biggest in Ecuador, with Ecuadorans coming from all over to participate and to watch.  As we understand it, the purpose of the parade is to highlight Mary and Joseph's travels and to honor the baby Christ child.  

The Eve Before Christmas Eve

Fresh rose petals on the side of the road 

Written by Karen.

The evening sky is turning pink, complimenting the dark gray and white clouds above and casting a pinkish-red glow over the city.  The colors of the buildings seem to warm and provide a contrast with their blue, orange, yellow and white facades.  Although the skies have been overcast for most of the day, it is still warm outside.  The air is almost soft as it settles in for the night and the first lights of the evening sputter on.  

Buses and Baños

Piedra de Aqua, Baños

Written by Karen.
Except for two taxi rides that we took early into our visit to Cuenca, we have preferred to take the local bus to our destination.  This might seem to be an odd preference, particularly since a taxi costs less than $5.00 USD, but where would the fun be in that?  

Venturing Out: Chordeleg, Ecuador

Written by Karen.
Adam gave himself another reprieve from shaving today.  We woke up to find that our Cuenca apartment didn't have any water.  Again.  Zero.  Nada.  This is the third day without having water.  Unlike what we are used to in the States, there is no notification - either advance or after-the fact - that you will not have water and when you might expect to have the water turned back on. You find out that there is no water when you turn the spigot and you get nothing but air.

Flashback: Bogota, Colombia - November 2012

Written by Adam

First of all, I am certainly no expert on South America.  It’s actually my first time ever visiting this continent.  I remember studying South America in about the fourth grade - Peru, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, the Incas, the Spanish conquest, that sort of thing.  Pretty perfunctory, and certainly the material was not presented in any meaningful context at that grade level.

South America was that huge continent located below “ours”.  Mexico was that large country in between the two continents, along with that famous canal in Panama that changed shipping in the hemisphere forever.  

Venturing Out: Gualaceo, Ecuador

Written by Karen.
We walked down the dusty cobblestoned streets to the Terminal Terrestre (the bus station) which is in the southern part of Cuenca.  We planned to take a bus and explore several towns: Gualaceo, Chordeleg, and Sigsig. We wound up exploring just one today: Gualaceo.  Cost of the bus ride: 60 cents USD one-way per person.  

Venturing Out: Turi, Ecuador

Turi, Ecuador

Written by Karen.
Right outside of the city of Cuenca and atop a surrounding hill is the tiny parish of Turi.  We had read that you can see a very nice and expansive view of Cuenca from this little town, so we walked across the City to catch the bus heading towards Turi.  Cost: .25 cents each for a one-way trip.  

Ups and Downs of Traveling Slow

Cuenca, Ecuador

Written by Karen.
After not making a fully auspicious entrance into the City, it took us another six bumpy days until we were able to regain our footing and begin to hit our stride here in Cuenca, Ecuador.  

Cuenca itself is a charming Spanish colonial city of approximately 350,000 residents, with a vibrant historical downtown area that is fully being used in the everyday real sense, despite its UNESCO designation of a World Heritage site. The colorful architecture has been well-preserved in the historical downtown district and the cobblestoned streets and sidewalks make exploring the city a pleasure. 

Stuck for a Moment

Written by Karen.

Welcome to Cuenca, Ecuador.  I breathe a rather large sigh of relief.  We are high in the Andes mountains; we are so high that both the clouds and snow cover the sharp outlines of the craggy and rugged mountains.  As far as altitude goes, we have dropped from 9315 feet in Quito to 8370 feet here in Cuenca.   

The Calories, Calles and Carreras of Bogota

Written by Adam

One fascinating aspect of walking the streets of Bogota, Colombia is the incredible variety of snack foods and general merchandise that are easily available from earnest street vendors.  There are thousands of industrious people living in Bogota who have staked a claim to a busy street corner to park a pushcart on.  Others utilize the street-level alcoves of large buildings.  I have yet to see a single vending machine anywhere in the city.

Venturing out: Fusagasugá

Written by Karen.
We ventured out of Bogota again over the weekend, heading south this time and dropping 2,943 feet in altitude to visit the town of Fusagasugá. Since Fusagasugá or Fusa, as it is also called, is about 40 miles outside of Bogota, we figured that with an early start we should arrive by 11:30 am, at the latest.