February 02, 2015

Parade in Huaraz

This morning (February 2), I noticed the sound of marching bands right outside. Lo and behold, there was a full parade happening on the street below. I haven't yet determined why there was a parade.

February 01, 2015

Laguna Wilkacocha

On January 31, I flew to Lima, and the same day took a 7 hour (OK, 10 hour, since the bus broke down) bus ride to Huaraz, Peru, home of the Cordillera Blanca (White Range) mountains. On February 1, I took a short hike up

January 27, 2015

Pisac and Colca Canyon

On Friday, January 23, I visited Pisac, a small town outside of Cusco in the Sacred Valley. It was a really nice place to visit, as it was very calm and quiet compared to Cusco. The ruins on the hills surrounding the town were neat

January 23, 2015

Salkantay Trek

At 4am on January 17, I set out on the Salkantay Trek. This five day trek starts in Ollantaytambo, and climbs over the Salkantay Pass, into the jungle, and finally ending in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). The last day is spent at Machu Picchu.

January 22, 2015

Qorikancha

On January 16, in addition to preparing for my trek, I visited Qorikancha. Qorikancha was the Temple of the Sun in the Inca culture. When the Spanish arrived, they converted the temple into a church, but incorporated much of the original Inca structure, which remains