Gaucho Day or Dia del Campo

We spent a day in a town about an hour and a half outside of Buenos Aires called San Antonia de Areco. We went to a large estancia/farm where we had a whole day to enjoy the grounds as well as a meal (Dia del Campo). We took a cart ride, ate a huge meal called an Asado (all traditional grilled meats and salads), and watched a show of dancing and singing styles from the various provinces of Argentina. After lunch we watched traditional gaucho games, where a man rides a horse very quickly down a dirt track and attempts to put a small wood stick through a tiny ring hanging from a string. We then got the opportunity to ride a cabalgata--a long horseback ride. We toured through the city and parks of the small town and were able to walk, trot, and gallop on the horses.

Iquazu Falls

We flew with Ben and Shannon to Iguazu in the north east part of Argentina, tucked between Paraguay and Brazil. We spent two days exploring the unbelievable spectacle of the Iguazu Waterfalls. There are over 200 falls in one location. We were able to see them via many walkways and scenic lookouts as well as by boat. We took an excursion via an open top truck through the jungle and down to the river where we loaded into a motorized large raft-like boat. They took us up-close-and-personal with the falls. We were completely soaking wet from the mist and water at the base of the falls. At one point they drove us right up almost underneath one of the largest falls. We took a train ride out and around to what is known as Garganta del Diablo (the throat of the devil)—the largest horseshoe-shaped falls. We were able to view them from above and look down into the gushing water below.

Ben and Shannon's Visit

Ben and Shannon came down to visit us for a long week—on Ben’s “Spring Break”. We explored the city and the markets on the weekend as well as the cemetery and the port area. We found some new, interesting shops and unique places to eat throughout the city. We went to a traditional parilla-style steakhouse, a super modern wine bar/restaurant, a tango show, and a modern art museum—the MALBA.

Bellavista Cloud Forest, Ecuador

We took a trip into the rainforest area on the northern border of Ecuador. The mountains are so high and so much moisture exists here that the areas are known as cloud forests. In this area we saw a lot of hummingbirds and took long mountain hikes. We called it adult camp, as we had a little lodge of our own and met in a mess hall for meals. We had a really great time and enjoyed relaxing in the hammock and reading when it rained.

Quito, Ecuador

After returning to Cusco and enjoying our last night in Peru we set off to Ecuador. We landed in Quito in the afternoon and headed out to explore the city. Ecuador, especially Quito, seemed much more modern and developed than Peru, a lot less geared for tourism and better set up for business. In Ecuador they use the US dollar as their currency, making us feel somewhat at home, but in a strange way. We saw some amazing old churches and city architecture. The military presence was very obvious in Quito due to some recent run-ins with Columbia and the FARC on their northern border. Here are a few images of Quito and the people of Ecuador.

Sol y Machu Picchu

We came down from WP and got back on MP soil. At this point there were a lot more tourist groups and regulars that had arrived. We had a great sky and sun all day. We had another amazing dinner with our “personal” chef and feel asleep easily that night! Here is a few more shots.

Climbing Wayna Picchu

Wayna Picchu is the mountain peak in the background of many photos of Machu Picchu. At 7:00 every morning they open up the trail to willing climbers. We of course were 5^th and 6^th in line. By 7:15 we were in the lead and by 7:50 we had reached the summit first! This strenuous climb allows for sweeping and breathtaking views of MP. We were there early enough to see the fog break and slowly reveal MP. While up top we “discovered” a small cave-trail that lead to higher ruins. Here we relaxed a bit and ate our lunch (at 8:45 AM). We also met a nice Australian couple that we later had dinner with. Here are a few images from our climb and from the top of WP.

Foggy Machu Picchu

The town of Aguas Calientes doesn’t have much to offer, just tourist restaurants, drink specials and hostels. We fortunately found a hotel with a great little private kitchen and enjoyed some of the best food that we have eaten this entire year. We were the only ones eating and had a great conversation with the Peruvian chef. We went to bed early in order to make the 5:30 bus and be the first to arrive to Machu Picchu in the morning. When we arrived the sun had barely risen and the area was covered with fog. We were in a nearly empty Machu Picchu and were fortunate to have the site almost completely to ourselves. Our first view of the layout through the mystical fog brought gasps of amazement. Here are some images from the early morning.

Ollyentaytambo, Peru

After an amazing dinner, spicy Mexican food and tasty fruit shakes, we walked through the old stone Incan streets at night, truly a magical experience. The next morning we set off into the ruins, arriving early to avoid other tourists. The ruins were nearly empty and we took advantage of the great morning light. In the afternoon we caught the train towards Machu Picchu and the town of Aguas Calientes. These are images of the town, night, and ruins.

Pisaq, Peru

We woke up in the morning in Cusco and hired a taxista, Francisco, to drive us around the Sacred Valley and take us to our next destination, Ollyentaytambo. The politically opinionated Francisco drove us to many of the key sights in the sacred valley and also informed us of the centralist tenancies of the Peruvian government, very interesting. We went to the town of Pisaq and got our first taste of true Incan ruins. All of the Incan ruins in Peru were started, constructed and abandoned within 125 years, incredible! We had a beautiful day in Pisaq and spent time in the town at a local restaurant and a market. We stopped in a number of other small towns along the way and finally reached Ollyentaytambo in the late afternoon.

Cusco, Peru

We flew into Lima and arrived late in the evening, the next morning we caught a quick flight to Cusco, the starting off point for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Cusco is an interesting old city, nestled in the mountains of Peru. We met up with our friends Robert and Susannah who were leaving Peru later that day. They were off to Buenos Aires and moving back to San Francisco, they will be missed in Buenos Aires! We had two different nights in this city on either side of visiting Machu Picchu. This is the town where everyone who is traveling has to gradually get adjusted to the extremely high altitude and tiredness. We visited a Pre-Colombian museum that was very nicely curated with artifacts and artwork (especially ceramic) from the Incan period as well as neighboring tribes of that time and before.