Finding Peace

Though the journey may be difficult., there is always peace to be found

Cristo Blanco

The open arms of Cristo Blanco embrace the people of Cusco, Peru.

A Night Out

A late night out in Cusco shows this Peruvian city remains quite active long after the sun has set.

Entrar

Do you ever wonder?

An Inca Story

A closer look at the intricate stone walls, weathered stairs and grass covered fortress boundaries at the World Heritage Site Machu Picchu tells a small part of the Inca story.

Time Doth Tell

A Quechuan woman crosses the street to go to market.

Magical Moment

The ancient city of Machu Picchu appears to be basked in sunshine while cottony clouds hover over the Inca ruins.

Harvesting Salt

Established at the time of the Incas, the Maras salt mines in Peru are an intricate maze of tiny channels that direct the salty water from a subterranean stream into awaiting earthen pans. Once crystals start to form in a pan, the channel to that pan is turned off to allow it to dry at which time the salt is harvested.

Chinchero

Chinchero is a Quechua village at 12,400 ft in the Central Andes region of Peru. This adobe colonial church dates back to the early 17th Century and was built upon the foundation of an Inca temple or palace. Some of the best weavers are in this region. We were fortunate to sit with two Quechuan ladies and learn how their magnificent tapestries are made from start to finish.

City of Ancient Past II

Another view of long time Bucket List, the 15th century Inca site of Machu Picchu. The Inca city must have been a thriving civilization at one time. We spent a lot of time on the adjacent meadow contemplating what it must have been like to have resided in this breathtakingly beautiful setting. It truly is spectacular!

CIty of Ancient Past

Long time Bucket List location Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca site located on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley. It was built around 1450, and abandoned 100 years later as a result of the Spanish Conquest. The mountain behind Machu Picchu is Huayna Picchu. We made the almost 1200' trek to the top of this peak. The views were breathtaking! From the overly scenic rail trip through the Sacred Valley, to the crowded bus trip up the switchbacks to sitting on the ledge overlooking the ancient Inca city, Machu Picchu will always be a special place to remember, an experience never to be forgotten.

Qurikancha

Qurikancha in Cusco, Peru was at one time the most revered Inca temple in Cusco. Its walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold. When the Spanish invaded Peru, they tore down the original temple and built Church of Santo Domingo. The Inca stonework mixed with the Spanish colonial style makes this building very unique.

Maras Salt Mines

In the Sacred Valley of Peru with the Urubamba Valley as a backdrop lie the salt pans of Maras. The highly salted water emerges from a spring and is directed into an intricate network of tiny channels filling the various pans. Once the pond within the pan is dry, the workers then harvest the salt that is left behind.

Inca Orbs

An early morning sunrise at Peru's beloved Machu Picchu. We were lucky to have the ancient Inca estate almost all to ourselves with the morning sun gloriously cascading the mountainside.

Raqchi Gold

A Thousand Words

An elderly Quechua man makes his way across the grounds of Raqchi.

The Andes have the back of these incredibly lucky and beautiful wild flowers.

An Awanakancha weaver weaving a story out of alpaca wool dyed from various indigenous methods.

A Quechua woman going to market in Urcos, Peru.