Machu Picchu

Here are my first batch of pictures from Machu Picchu. My hiking group and I climbed up from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu early in the morning so we could see the ruins before anyone else arrived. On feature that impressed me at Machu Picchu and at other ruins was that, in many cases, the Incas built structures without mortar. They simply places stone on top of stone. Archaeologists still have a hard time figuring out how they carved the stones to such perfection that they could stay in place for hundreds of years.

Hike to Machu Picchu part 3

The last part of the hike to Machu Picchu was through the jungle. This was a lot warmer and more comfortable at night than up high in the mountains but meant that we were walking through fierce swarms of mosquitos. Luckily for me, I had plenty of bug spray that was 98% Deet. The other people in my group, those who had spray that contained 50% Deet, were eaten alive.

Hike to Machu Picchu part 2

At one point in the hike we reached an altitude of 4600 meters. This was basically to the face of one of the mountains. To reach the top you would have to climb more than 2000 meters higher. I don´t think I´ll ever be able to do that.

Hike to Machu Picchu

My five day hike to Machu Picchu included some of the highest in southern Peru. The snowcapped mountains are over 6000 meters high.

Cuzco

I stayed in the Cuzco area for about two weeks. I say the Cuzco area because five days was spent hiking in the mountains and jungle to reach Machu Picchu while the other days I visited the Inca ruins around Cuzco and the Sacred Valley.

Puno

Here are a few views of Puno, Peru. It is a very congested city that lies on the coast of Lake Titicaca.

Taquile Island of Lake Titicaca part 2

The first, third, and fourth pictures show the agricultural terraces. The last picture is the main town on the island. An interesting fact about this culture: After marriage, the new wife cuts off her hair and weaves it into a belt for her new husband.

Taquile Island of Lake Titicaca

The people of Taquile Island focus on agriculture as a main source of food. Views of the terraces will be more evident in later pictures. The second picuture shows the native people in the vibrant clothing.

Los Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca part 2

Live on the islands has a few luxuries, such as solar-powered T.V. and radio. The last two pictures are from inside one of the homes. Also, they aren´t restricted to the use of boats made from the totora reeds. The boats in the first picture make fishing a lot easier.

Los Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca

I got the chance to visit a couple of distinct cultures on Lake Titicaca. One of those, Los Uros, is an Aymara-speaking community of about 40 islands near the city of Puno. They use floating islands that are made from the roots of the totora plant that are staked to the floor of the lake. Then, the roots are covered with many layers of totora plant. This plant is used for their boats, homes, islands, and fuel.

Peruvian Mountains

I never climbed any of the mountians surrounding Arequipa because the altitude difference between the city level and the tops of the mountains and volcanos is too much but I did find some good views. The piles of rocks near the road are blessings to the mountain gods that the local people have offered.