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Adventures in Peru

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by: Andrea
Photos from our adventure to the Tambopata National Reserve and Machu Picchu.

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Adventures in Peru

Want to go? Wild Tambopata

I went to: Peru, Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Refugio Amazonas, Tambopata Research Center, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu Ruins, Amazon
Machu Picchu...exceeds every expectation.Ceviche at Astrid & Gaston's. To die for!Pink-toed tarantula, part of the welcoming committee at Rainforest Expeditions.The super hero porters taking our bags to the river to head into Tambopata.Ivan and Antonio lead the way. These incredible guides make a great trip even better.And so it begins! On the canoe, heading upriver to our first stop, Refugio Amazonas.This is roughing it? I dont think so! The lodge at Refugio Amazonas is increddible.Ivan and Lee at the top of the canopy tower at Refugio.One of the blue dacnis we saw from the canopy tower. Gorgeous little bird!The clay lick near TRC. Incredible to see so many parrots and macaws in one place!Antonio (with another eye roll!), Andrea, and Lee at the clay lick. Was getting up at 4:30 a.m. to see this worth it? Absolutely!Tree frog...we saw lots of these on our night walks at TRC.Night walk at TRC. You cant believe how many things your guides can find in the dark!Lee with one of the chicos at TRC. Really great TRC lets you get so up close and personal with these macaws.Scarlet macawClear-wined butterfly...so pretty!Keep your binocs handy...you never know what youll see!Even the spiders are fascinating!Marco, our chef, Andrea, Lee, and Antonio serving the lunch we made (with lots of assistance from Marco!)A feisty mama chicken tarantula protecting her babies.White-lipped peccaries roaming around TRC.A dusky titi monkey on one of our hikes.The Tambopata RiverThe trees and their buttress roots are massive.Breakfast at TRC...were really going to miss these folks!Red howler monkey...oooooooo eeeeeee ooooooo!Our first day in Cusco. Love this city!Sunset at the Plaza de Armas in Cusco.We arrived in Cusco on the Day of the Cross and found these beautifully decorated crosses all over the city.The market in Cusco...they have everything you could imagine!The market in Cusco. The hats the women wear indicate the region theyre from.The most touristy shot of the bunch, but how could we resist this sweet woman and her llama?The zigzag walls of Sacsayhuaman (Sexy Woman), the fortress protecting Cusco.The fact so many buildings are still standng is a testament to the skill and ingenuity of the Inca.View of Cusco from the Temple of the Sun.Large statue of Christ overlooking Cusco.Feeding the llamas!The terraces at Pisac. You can see the graineries at the top. The circle terraces at Moray. You can climb all the way down, but at 12200 feet, its the climb back up that gets you! Worth every step!Another jaw-dropping view in the Sacred Valley.The salt mines at Maras.The view from the top of the ruins at Ollyantaytambo.We got to visit the home of someone in Ollyantaytambo and these little guys were running everywhere!Yes, thats what you think it is. The skulls of someones ancestors.Traveling in style to the train station in Ollyantaytambo. Machu Picchu here we come!Were here! Standing in the middle of one of the most iconic places in the world.Andrea and Santiago at Machu Picchu. Best guide ever and a great new friend.Incredible views everywhere you look.The ruins are amazing, but the setting is even better.Andrea at the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu. What a gorgeous view!Three amigos at the Sun Gate. Exploring the ruiins.Absolutely gorgeous views everywhere you turn.Llamas roam freely all over the grounds. One last picture of this amazing place before we have to say goodbye.Santiago wearing my Cardinals cap at the Paul McCartney concert in Lima (you can see Sir Paul on the screen). This picture arrived just as I landed at home.

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