Many moons ago, I mentioned in one of these posts that part of our goal with the blog was to use it as a way to get the kids to practice their writing skills. Every now and then one of the kids would volunteer to take on a topic and every now and then we would "assign" one. Let's just say that one of our assignments is still lingering in the "to do" pile and we still don't have our Machu Picchu summary. But in the interest of time, I'm going to at least post some pictures. A bit more about our trip (the cool train ride through the Andes...the not-so-cool Liadan illness...Audrey and kids having an awesome morning at Machu Picchu...Ella going back a second time later in the day to be my personal tour-guide...etc.). It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience (unless you are Ella and you announce that "some day you are going to come back and hike he full Inca Trail on your honeymoon"). : )
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Hiking near Machu Picchu...those shafts of light that peer through the clouds happen all the time. It is eery and awe-inspiring! Morning hike Like right out of a movie... Holy symbol of hell/earth/heaven steps (Snake, Puma, Condor) Yes, there are actual WILD llamas roaming the ruins of Machu Picchu! Needs no words... As you can tell, the kids loved the llamas... There's that lighting again...you can see why people call it a "spiritual experience" when you come upon it the first time... A reminder...these stones have stood for over 500 years and there is NO mortar...they are simply placed one on top of the other...it is incredible. Part of the reason no mortar was used is b/c of earthquakes...when one hits, they say the "stones dance" and land exactly where they were (!?!) You can see why the wild llamas stay. Good and easy eatin'. The guide took Audrey and the kids on a hike up above he ruins... Hairy-head and her mom. : ) OK. Sure. It was a staged pic by the guide but looking out at the Andes like that is pretty cool... Taking a break. I wish we could have all gone together but I'm glad Audrey got the experience of hiking MP with the three older ones! Now we are into pics that I took with Ella when she came BACK with me in the afternoon... This just kinda cracked me up for some reason. Something about the way she was climbing the stairs (her gait, etc.) made me think "whoa...she is an Audrey clone!" Selfie by the terraces... Me and my adorable little guide. : ) We found the Inca ruler's bathroom so we HAD to take this pic of me running to answer nature's call (for the record...you can't USE his bathroom anymore) This particular llama has evidently had enough... Trying out black and white... Hard to explain this one. On the train ride back there was this guy dancing down the aisle as a "spirit" or something. Of course this was followed by a fashion show trying to sell Alpaca sweaters.... This was our burning up sick kiddo sleeping away after the others went to Machu Picchu. She never let go of my hand. : ( Something about the town of "Aguas Calientes" (the town at the base of MP) felt like an old-western US town Everyone except Charlie had been sick or was sick. Thus the labeled cups in the hotel rooms for water. Cool footbridge near town. Going for a walk/hike the day after Machu Picchu (on the roads around the little town) Yup. Another festival of some sort. Brass bands, etc. We were trying to cheer her up by taking a pic. Didn't work. This was after Liadan vomited ALL over me at the dinner table in the hotel restaurant. Not sure why I pulled this pic other than for Audrey's look on her face. This was on the train when the 'spirit dancers' came out for the first time. : )
Hiking near Machu Picchu...those shafts of light that peer through the clouds happen all the time. It is eery and awe-inspiring!
Morning hike
Like right out of a movie...
Holy symbol of hell/earth/heaven steps (Snake, Puma, Condor)
Yes, there are actual WILD llamas roaming the ruins of Machu Picchu!
Needs no words...
As you can tell, the kids loved the llamas...
There's that lighting again...you can see why people call it a "spiritual experience" when you come upon it the first time...
A reminder...these stones have stood for over 500 years and there is NO mortar...they are simply placed one on top of the other...it is incredible.
Part of the reason no mortar was used is b/c of earthquakes...when one hits, they say the "stones dance" and land exactly where they were (!?!)
You can see why the wild llamas stay. Good and easy eatin'.
Hairy-head and her mom. : )
OK. Sure. It was a staged pic by the guide but looking out at the Andes like that is pretty cool...
Taking a break.
I wish we could have all gone together but I'm glad Audrey got the experience of hiking MP with the three older ones!
Now we are into pics that I took with Ella when she came BACK with me in the afternoon...
This just kinda cracked me up for some reason.
Something about the way she was climbing the stairs (her gait, etc.) made me think "whoa...she is an Audrey clone!"
Selfie by the terraces...
Me and my adorable little guide. : )
We found the Inca ruler's bathroom so we HAD to take this pic of me running to answer nature's call (for the record...you can't USE his bathroom anymore)
This particular llama has evidently had enough...
Trying out black and white...
Hard to explain this one. On the train ride back there was this guy dancing down the aisle as a "spirit" or something. Of course this was followed by a fashion show trying to sell Alpaca sweaters....
This was our burning up sick kiddo sleeping away after the others went to Machu Picchu. She never let go of my hand. : (
Something about the town of "Aguas Calientes" (the town at the base of MP) felt like an old-western US town
Everyone except Charlie had been sick or was sick. Thus the labeled cups in the hotel rooms for water.
Cool footbridge near town.
Going for a walk/hike the day after Machu Picchu (on the roads around the little town)
Yup. Another festival of some sort. Brass bands, etc.
We were trying to cheer her up by taking a pic. Didn't work. This was after Liadan vomited ALL over me at the dinner table in the hotel restaurant.
Not sure why I pulled this pic other than for Audrey's look on her face. This was on the train when the 'spirit dancers' came out for the first time. : )