Machu Picchu

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Machu Picchu

We are on the airplane flying from Peru to Salvador, Brazil. We were in Machu Picchu yesterday.

Tomorrow is Halloween at home in the USA. Halloween has been my favorite holiday for
as long as I can remember. Kim and I both love dressing up and staying in character for the evening.

One of my first memories was dressing up as the Riddler, one of Batman's enemies. I think I was in the first grade. My mom made the costume and I wore it to school. The costume was
all green spandex with a large question mark on the front of the chest. Nobody could have convinced me that Gotham City was safe.

Kim's earliest Halloween is when she was Raggedy Ann at a very early age, maybe 5 or 6. She remembers falling into a Cactus and her mother picking thorns out of her back side.

The pictures are from Machu Picchu and Cusco. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is where you land before heading up to the Inca ruins called Machu Picchu.

In Machu Picchu, you are shocked about how steep the mountains are surrounding you. It is like you are Danny Di Vito and you are in a huddle with Shaq, Mutombo, and Mingming. They are so steep and close to you that you are surprised that plants can grow on them. They would fall on you if they were not made of granite. Next, you wonder whether you are more impressed by the mountains or the ruins.

You must eat at Indi Feliz Restaurant in Machu Picchu. Also, cover yourself from head to toe in clothes when out doors in Machu Picchu (and Agua Caliente), and wear DEET. There are sand flies biting that itch like crazy and leave awful welts. Don't bother going to the "Hot Springs" in Agua Caliente. They are warm at best.

Here are a few interesting facts about Machu Picchu. It is built using large stones brought a great distance. No mortar is used between the stones. The stones were cut so perfectly that you can't fit a sharp knife between them. It remains standing today after over 500 years because it is highly resistant to earthquakes.

The people of Peru are lovely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco
http://www.about-peru-history.com/facts-machu-picchu.html

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Comments

[aimee perry]

breathtaking
Kim and Dan, Everytime Thomas and I look at your blog we are more and more inclined to travel. We are seriously considering moving abroad for a year with the kids. We would possibly start in Spain, because my friends Mom owns a house north of Madrid and she only goes once a year and we might be able to stay there for a couple of months. I, think we are truly serious about this. We would have to home school Caiden, but we are more than capable of this. We are both finding it very liberating about liquidating most of the junk we have acquired over the years, so much unnecessary stuff. Well I'll keep you posted... Aimee