SOUTH AMERICA TOUR

Hard to believe but just a few weeks rest after our Holland America Cuba cruise we hopped on a plane from Yuma to Lima, Peru.  Call us crazy but I blame it all on our traveling buddies Kurt & Diane.

It was a world-wind land and sea tour that left our heads spinning.  I'd like to share with you some of the highlights of the tour starting with Machu Picchu.  We've all seen the photos of this UNESCO World Heritage Site but walking through the ruins was a once in a lifetime opportunity and puts into perspective the scope and size of this 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge almost 8,000 feet above sea level.  Imagine this place was unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911.

We stayed in 5-star luxury hotels located in the middle of no-where in places we'd only heard about from the travel channel or National Geographic.  It was a grueling land tour on trains, planes and motorcoaches from Lima to Cusco to visit places like Saqsaywaman, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo. Then to Santiago, Chile for another awesome guided tour.  Then back to Lima to catch the cruise ship which stopped at Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After almost a month of traveling, I was ready for our final port of call in Los Angeles to stay one night with Kurt & Diane before heading home to Yuma.

These bull statues were on many rooftops for good luck

Did a lot of stair climbing of more Inca ruins

Dressed colorfully and hoping American dollars

Inca laboratory for acclimating crops from the higher altitudes to adapt to lower

Colorful marketplaces everywhere

They wrap their babies like this and then wrap them in another blanket around their back to carry

Can't beat cruise food for presentation

Our hotel rooms were gorgeous 

Thanks for stopping in to say hi and God bless.  Coming back with a head cold and cough, we're looking forward to doing nothing for a while and just enjoying the hot sunny days here in Yuma.