# A cyclist in Peru (Part 1).



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

_What can you say when you have just returned from one of the best vacation trips ever? Give me a month or two to put everything in perspective but right now it is still too real to quite get a grip on being back._

The story; A few months back we got a call from Ed, "Want to go to Peru in the Spring?", "Want to hike to Machu Pichu?", "I'll take care of the details."

Who doesn't want to see Machu Pichu and we do like to hike.

So knowing no more than where we were headed we took off a couple of Fridays ago for a new adventure. We got a ride to the airport, sat on a couple of planes for way too many hours, waited in line at customs in the middle of the night and just like that we were in Peru.

We were traveling with a group from the college where Ed teaches. Trying to get 34 professors, students and assorted folks to move in one direction was like hearding cats. Since Miss M and I are kind of anal about being on time we usually ended up being the first to where ever the group was scheduled to be (fine with us and we soon started taking advantage of it to see a lot more of the area).

Saturday we explored Lima, it was nice but not what we came for. 

I did notice the lack of performance bikes, just about every 2-wheeler we saw was converted to SS include the police bicycles. There were a lot of 3-wheeler pedal carts carrying everything from entire families to entire kitchens.

It wasn't long before we had enough churches (decorated with a taste for blood and gore), catacombs (although I think I did see a ghost) and tour groups to last us for a while. We headed off on our own to the beach which turned out to be fogged in but it was a nice walk to get there.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Sunday we took a plane to Cusco an got our first look at the Andes. The flight took us from sea level Lima to Cusco which is about 2 miles above sea level. Made walking around really challanging for a while.

Then it was onto a bus for a day long ride towards the Urubamba and the Inka Trail. With lots of stops on the way to let everyone mill around, shop and eat. 

Miss M and I skipped the milling around and shopping. Everytime the bus stopped off we would walk as far a time would allow and explore a bit. I did notice a LBS that seemed to carry some good brands but they were sold out.

We did get to explore some of the villages (and meet some of the locals) which were really different than anything you would see in the US (kind of reminded me of parts of China more than anything else). We didn't push ourselves in the high altitude but we did get to see a lot. Then it was off to a beautiful converted monastery to spend our first night in the Andes.

Talking it over Miss M and I agreed that even though we actually hadn't gotten much exercise for the last couple of days we were having a really good time.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

You know how on vacation you lose track of time and date? Yes indeed this was a real change. I'm thinking it was Monday we finally got a chance to really stretch our legs and explore some trails and Inka ruins.

As early risers we had a chance to explore the Monastery before the days scheduled tour.

The bus dropped the group off at the end of the road at the bottom of a hill. Way at the top of the hill was a Inka village. Miss M and I seemed to have a lot more energy then most of the rest of the group and we soon were on our own. Great views from the top and we sure enjoyed scrambling around the cliffs. 

Then it was off to the nearest village for a really cool lunch served in someones house. Those streets were like nothing we had ever seen. The vendors caught up to the group after lunch, it was amusing to see how much junk everyone was buying but the prices sure were low.

At the end of the day Miss M and I got off the bus a few miles from the Monastery for a bit more exploring and walking around.

Tomorrow......the hike to Machu Piccu!


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

Wow!!!!!


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## JoeDaddio (Sep 3, 2005)

Absolutley amazing. I am incredibly jealous, having never really explored anything outside my So. Cal. bubble. I can only hope that one day I'm as lucky as you. Great pics. Thanks,



joe


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

*does this qualify for the semi-finals?*

i was wondering where you were at, mb ...
the attached pic left me breathless.
thanks for posting.


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## racerx (Jan 29, 2004)

*Giant Dog Invade Peru!!*

Awesome journal. Too late to enter the best pics contest? Sure winner for the 06 award.

I loved two pics:

the one with your reflection in Ms.M's glasses is simply spectacular! Something you would see on display in an art show. The clouds, detail, the idea, everything. My favorite from you so far.

The other is the dog. Is "depth of field" the correct description for getting everything in focus? Looks like the woman is just getting ready to reach up and pet 'em.

Nice trip. Thanks for sharing. 

PS. I am never complaining about my LBS not having things in stock again.


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## ChuckUni (Jan 2, 2003)

Man....my brother has been following you around. He just got back from there....and from D.C. during the last snow storm.

Anyway not to steal from your thread...he has a bunch of pics up you might want to see. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vegancheesesteak/ 

In bolivia they took a MTN bike tour up to like 15k feet and then road back down to about 4k i think. I will make him put those pics up at that link shortly. They aren't there for the most part, although the truck in the waterfall pics is from the ride. Look for more pics in a bit.

www.chacaltayatours.com/ was the bike tour company if interested.

Awesome stuff.


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## VeganCheesesteak (Oct 6, 2005)

*Bolivia.*

I'm ChuckUni's brother... 

Peru and Bolivia were both great fun. You've got some great pics too. I have flickr albums of some of mine if your interested:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vegancheesesteak/

The highlight of my Bolivia trip was definitely the "Death Road". It descends from 15,400ft to around 3,500 ft. There is a small 6mi climb at the higher altitude part that was really rough (especially on a mtn bike), but I made it. Not too bad considering it was my 2nd day in high altitude, thought I was going to faint... Part of the trail is paved as you get to the bottom it is gravel then dirt and finally mud and some stream crossings. It would have been a ton of fun to do the top paved part on a road bike, I couldnt spin the mountain bike any faster and I was flying. Check it out for sure if your ever down there again. Also they have a trip to a salt flat which i hear is amazing also.


Here are a couple more pics from the downhill.


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## northcoast (Jul 11, 2003)

Amazing post!


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

*Wow! Wow! Wow!*

Post like this make me feel like a total loser!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*A cyclist in Peru (Part 2 Machu Picchu)*

_After a few days of not much exercise I knew what was about to go down. Ed and his wife (Miss M's sister) had seen it before but everyone else was in for quite a suprise._

At last we were on our way to the fabled lost city; Machu Picchu. There really isn't any way to drive there, you can hike, take a train and then a bus or I suppose jump out of a plane. 

We were hiking.

Way early in the morning our tour bus dropped the group off at a train station. Then after about an hour along a narrow gorge we were let off at Chachabamba and our start on the Inca Trail (quite a few of our group were feeling less than full strength and about 1/4 of them passed on the hike).

We crossed a hanging bridge over the raging Urubamba river and then had to kill quite a bit of time waiting for all the paperwork to clear (Peru really controls who and how many are on the trail at one time). The group met up with 4 guides and 4 porters, Miss M and I were not worried about getting lost and we sure didn't require a porter but a lot of the folks were more than happy to get all the help they could.

Once were on the trail Miss M quickly worked her way to the front. Now when she does this cycling she can put the hurt on me. From all our riding together we are almost in exactly the same shape but she weighs a lot less so she can hurt me on the hills. Hiking is another story, my legs are a lot longer than hers and on the surfaces we were about to cover longer legs are a real advantage.

Of course being in a mixed group there were some young guys who were not about to allow an "lil' old lady" to walk away from them.  

It took the best part of a mile before we were on our own. I think she was taking it easy.  

I asked the head guide where we should stop and got some suggestions so about every mile we waited for a few folks to catch up. 

We kept getting higher and higher above the river. In the first three miles we were going to climb about 2,100 feet. The river got smaller and smaller way down in the canyon. When we reached the ruins of Winay Wayna we waited for everyone to catch up-it took about an hour before the group was together again.

It was starting to rain but Miss M was having fun and feeling good (as was I).


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

It just struck me when I went back to look at the photos a second time, how _freakishly_ clean the streets are. I mean, spotless, and not a speck of trash.

As always, impressive pix! Really looking forward to Macchu Picchu.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Our group had the ruins to ourselves which was pretty neat. Let me tell you walking through them was a lot like climbing a cliff, those stairs were STEEP!

Then we took time for lunch and were back on the trail. This time it took Miss M a few hundred yards to drop everyone but me. It was getting wet but the rocky trail and the stone steps (built by the Inkas hundreds of years ago) were holding up well. Good thing we were wearing sturdy boots.

Miss M and I had our cycling rainwear along so we had no problem as it got wetter and wetter. The head guide caught up with us for a bit as we enjoyed the views-he was comfortable with his traditional Inka plastic sheet wrapped around his pack.

A couple of miles and a bit more climbing after lunch we reached Inti Punku and finally got our first views of Machu Piccu way below us in the clouds.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

What with the rain and all we didn't spend a lot of time hanging around waiting for folks to catch us. As soon as the first couple showed up we headed down the wet slippery trail to Machu Picchu. We decided the clouds were a good thing since we couldn't see how far we would fall if we slipped (there were no guard rails here).

We reached the first guard shack and got out of the rain. Then we zipped up our raingear and cooled our heels for almost 2 hours waiting for everyone else to catch up. 

By the time the group was together the clouds finally broke and we had an amazing view of the ruins.

Everyone else was tired and cold after the hike, climb, descent and rain. We on the other hand after all that rest were raring to go. Waiting around for the group we had found out about a trail down to the river-they took the bus we took the trail (man it was steep) straight down off the mountain.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

When we finally reached the bottom the river was roaring. Since it was several thousand feet below the top of the trail it was a lot warmer too. For the first time that day we were on almost level ground, it felt really good.

We followed the river for a couple of miles to Agua Calientes and our hotel for the night.

After a quick shower we were more than ready for a good dinner. There were a great variety of places to eat in town. We decided to choose something fairly local (the waiter was awfully young but really friendly). The menu was interesting and I finally discovered why every home we visited had so many of those cute pets around.  

It was tempting to try the meat but Miss M had the potato soup, I had the vegtable soup and we split a plate of fries. (I'll tell you, the whole trip we never had a bad potato and we tried a lot of them-good stuff).

Tomorrow-off for more adventures.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I took some pictures of some puddles. I feel so inferior. These have to be your best yet, I love the mix of color and BW shots. BTW, Tantalus TT is this weekend.


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## KenB (Jul 28, 2004)

Amazing shots! Stunning! I couldn't even begin to pic a favorite yet although I keep going back to the waterfall shot.

Also really like the one yesterday of your reflection in the sunglasses.


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## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

*Super!*

It looks like you had as good a time hiking through the Andean redoubts of the Inca as I had bad a time cycling through the polluted reaches of the Absheron penninsila in Azerbaijan! Good on you and great pictures!!

Seeing those ruins brought back memories of my undergraduate anthropology studies and of the pivital role played by Pachaquti Inca Yopanqui in the sudden rise and expansion of what had previously been a relatively modest mountain people!

Thanks for sharing what looks like a wonderful time. Next time you are in France, just look me up!

A+

Philippe


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*How come..........*

even when you guys are walking, your pictures of Miss M are always from behind? Do you thinkthat's the only way we will recognize her?     

Great pictures.........what an amazing place. Glad you got back safe. 

Len


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

Great pictures and it sounded like you all had a nice time. I can't believe you didn't try the guinea pig. I thought you and Miss M loved adventure.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*We were really careful about what we ate.*



bigrider said:


> Great pictures and it sounded like you all had a nice time. I can't believe you didn't try the guinea pig. I thought you and Miss M loved adventure.


Everyone in our group that ate the exotic stuff spent some time driving that porcelain bus. We wanted to stay healthy more than anything else so we could enjoy our adventure and get out and go every day.

Otherwise yes, I am a very adventurous eater. 

We plan to go back to Peru fairly soon so I expect to have another chance to try the local delicacies.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Dude, you try it!*



Len J said:


> even when you guys are walking, your pictures of Miss M are always from behind? Do you thinkthat's the only way we will recognize her?
> 
> Len


First you have to pass her (not the easiest thing in the world to do on those narrow wet trails). Then you got to get far enough in front of her to have the time to turn around, compose the shot and take it. After all that you then have to catch up with her after she passes you in a spray of wet Inka mud.

It is amazing I have any frontal shots of Miss M at all! ;-)

BTW Miss M was thinking that you may have been to Machu Picchu, is that so?


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Lol......*



MB1 said:


> First you have to pass her (not the easiest thing in the world to do on those narrow wet trails). Then you got to get far enough in front of her to have the time to turn around, compose the shot and take it. After all that you then have to catch up with her after she passes you in a spray of wet Inka mud.
> 
> It is amazing I have any frontal shots of Miss M at all! ;-)
> 
> BTW Miss M was thinking that you may have been to Machu Picchu, is that so?


I figured I'd lob you a hanging curve ball.

Yes I was there back in the early 80's......long long time ago. The memory I have is of the Clouds partially obsuring the ruins, giving ghostly glimpses....and the stillness.......and being in awe of what was accomplished in such a harsh environment.

Len


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## YuriB (Mar 24, 2005)

*I want to go!!!*

Simply awesome.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Apr 14, 2004)

nice pics. my wife and i did the 4 day hike unsupported and unguided a few years ago. i heard you cannot go unguided anymore.

i also heard that the 'hitching post of the sun' (ini-sumthing) was broken when filiming a beer commercial. did you see that? 

on a separate trip, my friend snuck in at night and stood on the hitching post buck naked and howled at the full moon. the guards came, saw him, and let him be and just left. he is a big guy with a beard and long hair.

here are my versions of some of the classic shots. we have lots of stories from that trip! thanks for bringing back memories. you would have loved the full multiday hike.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Miss M doesn't do camping any more.*

When she got back from riding across the US she burned her sleeping bag and tent and vowed, "Never again". She might be willing to camp out one night for a really nice hike but no more than that ever.

We are thinking about going back and doing the Inka Trail in one or 2 days-when we exercise we like to move right along. There are a lot of other trails in Peru that are quiter than the Inka Trail nowdays. 

The Inka Trail lets up to 500 hikers plus their required guides and whatever porters they hire enter the trail each day. Since most folks do the 4 day option that means maybe 3000 people on a 25 mile trail at a time-a bit crowded for us. Still the trip was great and we intend to go back soon (in the next year or so).


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## jh_on_the_cape (Apr 14, 2004)

MB1 said:


> When she got back from riding across the US she burned her sleeping bag and tent and vowed, "Never again". She might be willing to camp out one night for a really nice hike but no more than that ever.
> 
> We are thinking about going back and doing the Inka Trail in one or 2 days-when we exercise we like to move right along. There are a lot of other trails in Peru that are quiter than the Inka Trail nowdays.
> 
> The Inka Trail lets up to 500 hikers plus their required guides and whatever porters they hire enter the trail each day. Since most folks do the 4 day option that means maybe 3000 people on a 25 mile trail at a time-a bit crowded for us. Still the trip was great and we intend to go back soon (in the next year or so).


i hear ya. we didnt see too many hikers because they are in groups of at least 10 or so. so people are not spread out. you mostly just get passed by porters all day long. i would not want to do it with a group because you have the inevitable bozo on your trip.

that would be a tough hike to do in 2 days due to the altitude. very doable if you have porters, though.

as far as i know, there is nothing quite like the inca trail. we looked for a trip with a week of hiking (no cars) and some cool archeology on the way in a nice climate. inca trail. the mayan ruins in mexico you apparently have to drive everyday. 

we also went to ankgor what in cambodia, and you go around on short little moped rides. you guys would love biking there. some of the temples are very far away from siem riep, maybe a half hour on the back of a moped. we stayed in a great hotel there, too. you should put that on your list.

i would like to see a pic of the waterford fixte in front of angkor wat, please. thanks.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

jh_on_the_cape said:


> i would like to see a pic of the waterford fixte in front of angkor wat, please. thanks.


So would I.


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## mrrun2fast (Apr 14, 2003)

OK... You win.. best pictures this year.

Those pictures were amazing. 

Thank you for sharing.


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## steephill (Jul 14, 2005)

I really like your choice of shooting many photos in b&w. 

One's world travels must be considered incomplete without a visit to Machu Picchu... so mine are incomplete... thanks for reminding me... some day.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Fine pictures. A true travel experience. Glad you made it back okay. What did you and Miss M eat (and what did you avoid)?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*A Cyclist In Peru (Part 3-the end)*

_After hiking to Machu Picchu we weren't sure if everything else on the trip was going to be a letdown. It wasn't._

We got up nice and early the next morning to explore a bit of the town before taking a bus up the hill to Machu Picchu for a guided tour. It didn't take us much more than 100 yards of stumbling after a bunch of worn out tourists before we headed off on our own for a couple mile hike to the Inka Bridge.

It was a fine hike and it was nice to be on our own. Once we saw the bridge we were really glad that we didn't have to cross it in yesterdays rain (actually it is closed now-no one is allowed to cross the crazy thing).

Then we went back to the ruins to catch up with the group. They were less than half way through the tour so we decided their pace was too slow and the crowds were too large for us so we blew them off again for a walk back to town and a bit more exploring before catching the train back to Urubamba where we were going to spend the night.

Our impression of Machu Picchu was that it was fine to hike to and to see from a distance but it has become far too popular to enjoy being there for long (getting there on the other hand was great). The other Inka sites we visited were a bit smaller but since they were pretty much empty the experience was a lot nicer.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

So far we had toured Lima, visited the ruins of Ollantaytambo, Wiña Wayna and Machu Picchu. Did a little shopping (very little) ate some local food and generally had a good time. We really had no idea of what was coming next.

We were leaving the Urubamba River and heading by bus over to the city of Cusco. Sure the plan was to visit the ruins at Pisco but we didn't expect much so we got up early and walked up the side of the valley to get some exercise before the bus ride but mostly to get some views of a really pretty area.

We got some good views of the river and folks heading off to work for the day. The cows though were quite a suprise to Miss M.

We were both suprised by the Pisco ruins. Turns out the Inkas had a real habit of building their villages way up the side of mountains (the roads to get to the ruins looked great for cycling if only they wern't 2 miles above sea level  ). It was really quite a scramble to see the place. Then there was some time to check out another LBS and the local market before the ride to Cusco.

Any day that ends with a rainbow has to be good.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Great pics! Thanks for posting those. A quick question...Did you feel safe / did you ever feel unsafe in Peru?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Cusco turned out to be a busy place with a lot of stuff to see. Our tour group planned to visit a bunch of the local churches (again decorated with a taste for the macabre) and museums. We started out with them but didn't even last an hour. We wanted to move around and to see more of the city than just the regular tourist sites.

We walked along narrow stone streets (steep suckers they) broad plazas and before the end of the day reached the top of the city.

Then it was time for some shopping. Miss M is really picky-she wants only the best and just wasn't buying much. 

I had decided that what I wanted was a nice messenger bag. In one of the markets I saw a guy with a sewing machine. We talked it over-he with his Peruvian Spanish and me with my best SoCal Spanglish. I ended up drawing the dimensions and picking the fabric out of a pile of his scraps. Then we negotiated the price-we ended up agreeing on 18 Soles for the custom bag.

That is right, for a bag built to my specifications with the fabric of my choosing I paid almost $6.00.  

Life is good!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Our last day was going to be a long one. We got up early for one last walk around Cusco. Miss M wanted a last chance to shop, I wanted to capture some of the local flavor. We both got lucky.

Just before the bus was scheduled to pick us up for our flight to Lima the roads got all blocked in by an anti abortion demonstration-felt just like DC except that everyone was so well behaved.

When we finally reached Lima there were several hours to kill before our red-eye to Newark. Miss M really wanted a massage, sounded good to me. We found a clean looking place and each got a fairly nice going over. Since we still had some time before the flight Miss M decided we needed facials too. Sure, why not?

The whole mess cost us $40 with a pretty good tip. Hmmm....we really LIKE Peru.

After the usual airport scramble (and some very odd billboards(that some of our group sure could would have liked to have seen earlier in the trip))) we caught some sleep and woke up just in time to see the sunrise over the Potomac.

Then just like that we were home in our familiar DC traffic. The city hadn't changed but we likely had.

Even though it is good to be home we are looking forward to another hiking vacation soon. In the meantime if you happen to be in DC and see a cyclist with an odd looking but colorful messenger bag be sure to say hi.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Much safer than in DC.*



Mr. Versatile said:


> Great pics! Thanks for posting those. A quick question...Did you feel safe / did you ever feel unsafe in Peru?


Tourism is a huge part of their economy and they don't want to mess it up. We saw police all over the place (with big guns and bulletproof vests-a left over from a few years ago when the country was having problems).


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

One last photo.

Not bad for five bucks.


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## KeeponTrekkin (Aug 29, 2002)

*Great Photos, great report...*

Thanks for sharing; it's a lot of work, especially a long 3 part report, like this. Your insights are always keen an discriminating. And, that has to be the best looking messenger bag on the east coast....

I know you are always very careful with your spelling, diction, etc., so what is "Inka", other than a spelling with which I am not familiar???


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*The local (correct) spelling for Inca.*



KeeponTrekkin said:


> I know you are always very careful with your spelling, diction, etc., so what is "Inka", other than a spelling with which I am not familiar???


http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=Inca

Inca
One entry found for Inca.


Main Entry: In·ca 
Pronunciation: 'i[ng]-k&
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, from Quechua inka ruler of the Inca empire
1 a : a member of the Quechuan peoples of Peru maintaining an empire until the Spanish conquest b : a king or noble of the Inca empire
2 : a member of any people under Inca influence
- In·ca·ic /in-'kA-ik/ adjective
- In·can /'i[ng]-k&n/ adjective 

For More Information on "Inca" go to Britannica.com

Get the Top 10 Search Results for "Inca"


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Mapei Roida said:


> Fine pictures. A true travel experience. Glad you made it back okay. What did you and Miss M eat (and what did you avoid)?


We ate cooked or packaged foods, fruit that we peeled and drank bottled water and sodas (no ice please). Pretty much standard precautions for visiting way foreign countries for just a few days. If we had been there any longer I would have started to introduce small amounts of other foods to give my system a chance to get used to it.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

The Walrus said:


> It just struck me when I went back to look at the photos a second time, how _freakishly_ clean the streets are. I mean, spotless, and not a speck of trash.
> 
> As always, impressive pix! Really looking forward to Macchu Picchu.


Alas, that just wasn't the case. Except for the ruins (controlled access by the state) there was trash everywhere.


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## MN Dan (Nov 22, 2005)

*Parts 1,2, and 3- outstanding!*

Wow, what a trip! The sunglasses with the reflection is my favorite. 
Tell me again why you don't shoot photo's for a living? Nice bag too.
MN Dan


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## fastfullback (Feb 9, 2005)

*beautiful shots, MB1.*

Thanks for sharing your trip pictures. I'm glad you and the Mrs. had such a good (and picturesque) time. Where to next time? If you're taking the camera, I vote for New Zealand, Spain, or Scandinavia.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

*Beautiful pictures MB!*

Very nice. What a wonderful vacation. Very awesome. So, can you get around all right without speaking Spanish? My wife is a Mexicant (Mexican American who's parents refused to teach Spanish. . .not sure why) and my Spanish consists of the Taco Bell menu. 

Also, cool messanger bag. There's going to be no mistaking who is riding the DC area if they see that bag. Great investment.


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## haiku d'etat (Apr 28, 2001)

MB, sorry i missed this one. should have been cross-posted on NCD.

Miss M is the mirror image of my greatest love, i wish you both well.

you are a lucky human.

and one of my grandest dreams (aside from the FC508) has been MP.

thank Miss M for me, for allowing her pics.

you are my hero.


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## Eretz (Jul 21, 2012)

I love re-reading this thread and seeing the photos. Great photography MB1!


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

What a wonderful trip.


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## mrrun2fast (Apr 14, 2003)

jd3 said:


> What a wonderful trip.


Funny. I forgot about this thread until you posted. My wife and I did the 4 day hike on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu with Llama Path a couple of years ago and it was an unbelievable experience. We visited a lot of amazing sites on the trail before Machu Picchu, which sort of took away the grandeur of it, but it was still amazing walking around it. The highlight of the trip was climbing dead woman's pass. We didn't notice that many people on the trail until the morning of Machu Picchu since all tour groups were in line for customs at the park. I have traveled around the world and I'd say Peru has been one of my favorite places to visit. Amazing landscape, food, and people.


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