Helen and I just got back from a 9 day, lodge to lodge trekking trip in Peru from Cusco to Machupicchu ( Machu Picchu ). It was a seriously incredible experience. We stayed in these amazing lodges by Mountain Lodges of Peru – top comfort accommodations in the middle of nowhere at 12,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes. The only way to get to most of these lodges is by mule or hiking. We weren’t exactly ‘roughing’ it!
Trip highlights: Long days spent hiking, 2 amazing runs at elevation, big elevation changes (highest elevation of 15,400 feet between Salkantay and Womantay mountains), glacier capped mountain peaks, visited a family with a small potato farm, legs got eaten alive by mosquitoes, trekked through rain, clouds in the cloud forest, blazing sun, tromped through a mix of mud and mule manure up to my ankles, developed new friendships that will last a lifetime, ate guinea pig, experienced the most beautiful and inspired city on earth – Machupicchu, swam in a river that lead to the amazon and a glacier lake at 14,000 feet, hiked the Inca trail, stayed in this crazy Peru meets the wild-west town called Aguas Contaleros (LOVED IT!), Ate some great food and drank some great wine (and a few Cervesas).
Thumbnails are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/adventuresofgreg/BackroadsPeruGregHelen#
Slide show is here:
emptyowe on April 19, 2009
You've got me JONESIN' to go back to Peru! What a very special place!
Anonymous on April 20, 2009
swimming at 14,00 feet was the water a bit cold?
Lilias Milne on April 20, 2009
Thanks for sharing your Peru trip Greg. Pics are wonderful! Love to your folks…Lilias