PERU...to play the flute under the condor's beak

Looks great
Will have to put that hostel on our list when we finally get to Peru. Hope Macha Pichu was all you expected. Look forward to the blog.

Like a beautiful song.
I often sit down in the evenings with a cup of tea and read a few travel blogs... This blog is wonderfully written, colourful and abstract! You really captured some of the more spiritual parts of travel - the inner journey... It was a pleasure to read. Thanks Dave (and Theresa)

Pukara Bulls
Well first off, excuse my interpretation of the story as it was told to me by my host family in Spanish, but a long time ago there was this old couple who had tried and tried to have a child, they were so sad that they decided to make one of their calves born into their son, and they raised the calf like a child, feeding and bathing and loving it, just like a son. Until one day, the devil came and said they must sacrifice their calf to him. They refused so the devil threaten to kill all the family. Unknownst to them that night, the little bull broke out of his paddock and went to the lake where the devil lived, and he fought to the death with the devil to save his family, so now placing a pair of Bulls on the roofs is a form of protection and guarantees a son be born into the family for protection, the end.

Kind of...
... makes me want to sip a bit of coca tea and not go to work today. Ahhhh, didn't do a longer trip for a long time now. Great, and yeah, I guess I would've want to come back also -

You're breaking my heart
Machu Picchu and environs are my most favorite place on earth. It moved me the first time I was there in 2001 and on two trips (2003, 2008). I would go back again in a minute. I can't explain the pull it has on me but I think you summed it up in your beautiful piece. When I read blogs where the writer shrugs and says: what's the big deal? I am mystified. I find the ruins to hold so much sacredness that I am overwhelmed with feeling for the people and the culture which they are holding on to. Thanks for a beautiful blog. Carolyn (gunga in Memphis)

Ollantaytambo looks interesting
Ollantaytambo looks like an interesting place. I guess we might drop by if we ever go back to Peru again. /Ake

Life is a journey
Another wonderful chapter in your journey. We loved our time in Olly and your creative writing brought back cherished memories. Surreal..."we walked back in silence". You'll always have fluted memories my friend. Wonderfully written and photographed.

Great shot!
I love this photo! My Spanish is not great but think ferrocarrill means railway

This ones for you!
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Can hear the tunes...
...of that flute in my mind, wonderful description. You where right to go back there, I want to go there now after reading this!

If only I'd known
If I'd read this before going to Peru and doing the Inca Trail years ago I would have gone ahead to Olly for a few days and picked up the bus on it's short stop there. Oh well, just an excuse to go back!