A nice hike in Great Falls National Park this morning. We got back to the car just as the rain started.
Category: Uncategorized
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Wild Strawberries -
On my last day in Kauai I met friends for a swim (Hanalei Kayak was closed!) in Hanalei bay.
Brazilian Cardinal and wild orchids.
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Today was a good day for a brief stop at a cemetery I’ve been driving by on the trips to Lihue.
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3 countries, 3 Wonders of the World, 21 days, 11 flights (23,279 miles), 18 airports (12 unique), 10,155 average steps/day.
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Walked to Plaza de Armas and caught the flag raising ceremony.
Climbed Pachaquteq Monument for a panoramic view of the city.
Donated the last of my Soles for pictures.
And, the journey home begins.
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Saturday morning in the city. A busy day for confirmation and wedding ceremonies.
Regional History
Contemporary Art
Confirmation party 
Folk Art
Folk music and dance performance ended the day.
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Sacsaywaman is believed to have been a ceremonial temple dedicated to the Sun god. The “lightning” walls shaped walls are a highlight.
Dance competition 
Qenqo, one of the largest holy places in Cusco. It was an entrance to underworld and sacrifices and mummification are believed to have been done here.
Farewell Lunch
Our tour over, we ended the day with a visit to the Cusco Planetarium and learned about Incan astronomy, then observed Mars, Castor and the moon through telescopes.
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We had some time this morning to explore Cusco’s historic center on our own. We started with Kusicancha which had been a royal residence.
Then we wandered through town taking in the sights, and hustle and bustle of this vibrant city.
Cuy is Guinea pig After lunch our group took a guided walking tour.
We visited Santo Domingo Church which incorporated some of the ruins of Qorikancha – an Inca temple.
Hand carved 
Sun window 
Sun gate 
We visited the San Pedro Market and contributed to the Cusco economy.
Our last stop was a tour of the Cusco Cathedral (which doesn’t allow pictures) on the Plaza de Armas de Cusco.
The Church of the Society of Jesus, and the water fountain are also on the plaza.
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This morning a group of us hiked up Huayna Picchu (aka the “Stairs of Death”). The bus took us up to Machu Picchu and we walked through part of the park to the control station.
We signed in for the hike at 7:25. We were fortunate as the trail was in the shade most of the way up and back. As promised, there were spectacular views of Machu Picchu and the surrounding Andes mountains.
We reached the top – a 750’ elevation gain – about 9:00.
The climb down was not quite as difficult. We signed out at the station at 10:20 – just under 3 hours round trip.
On our way of of the park we saw the Condor Temple. Natural rock formations form the body and wings.
Body 
Right wing 
Left win We had lunch in Aquas Calientes, then made our way to Cusco by train and bus. They celebrated a tour member’s birthday on the train.
Celebration 
Ruins 
Glacier 
Cusco 
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Bus ride to Ollantaytambo. We stopped to see the Skylodge – a mountain climber hotel.
Train ride to Aquas Calientes where we had lunch before boarding the bus to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Main Gate/Inca Trail 
Sun Gate (east) 
Sun Temple 
Sun Gate (west) 
Altar (sunset) 
Temple 
Southern Cross altar 
Drainage 
Drain in wall 
Irrigation 
Centipede 
Tarantula Hawk Wasp 
Chinchilla 
Llama -
We started the day with a Pachamana (Earth mother) ceremony conducted by an Andean Priest.
Afterwards, we boarded our bus to Ollantaytambo. As we entered town, we passed a base camp for guides for the Inca Trail. Our walk through town included a visit to the home of a local family.
The Bulls of Pucará are talismans of happiness, protection, fertility, and wealth. Two bulls balance positive and negative energy. Then we explored the ruins of the Sun temple and fortress which predate Machu Picchu.
Pre-Inca Temple 
Inca “Lego” block 
Sun gate 
Sun Temple 
Temple Wall 
Warehouse across valley 
Inca Trail 
Back in Urubamba, we visited Seminario Ceramics to tour the workshops and studio of Pablo Seminario and Marilu Behar.
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This morning we had more time to explore Urubamba. We saw the cemetery, revisited the market area, and had lunch in town.
The Salt Mines in Maras have been a source of salt for over 500 years. Saltwater from an artesian spring is diverted into about 3000 pools where it slowly evaporates leaving salt crystals. Each pool produces about 150 kilos of salt per month.
Maras is also home to the Moray archeological site. The Incas used this area for agricultural research.
Model 
Floating steps 
Maras 
Glaciers have lost 70% of the ice in the last 20 years. -
This afternoon we met the Brand g group at Lima airport to start our Machu Picchu “makeup tour.” We flew to Cusco and boarded buses to our hotel in Urubamba.
After checking in , we walking to town and found the markets and a little restaurant.
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We began our last morning in Brazil with a walk down Ipanema Beach. It was Tiradentes Day, so the beaches were packed but the freeways were empty.
Then we walked over to Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.
We returned to the apartment, checked our bags, and went for a last meal along Copacabana before heading to the airport for our evening flight to Lima.
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This morning we went back up Corcovado mountain. Our apartment was just one block away from the station for a van ride to the top of the mountain. Another short van ride took us to the statue.
Then we caught an Uber to the center of town for a walking tour.
Our visit took us first to the “bohemian” Lapa district. We saw the Arches (remnants of the Carioca aqueduct built 300 years ago) and walk through the neighborhood to the Selerón Staircase.
The steps are the work of Jorge Selerón and he worked on them from 1990 until his death in 2013.
After climbing the steps, we walked down a street (that we recognized from our Uber ride) and realized we were at the top of the Arches.
Top of Arches 
The route to the Municipal Cathedral of St Sebastian, took us under the Arches.
Audrey II? I nerded out at the Royal Portuguese Reading Room.
We walked through market area and found another church.
Our last stop was historic Cinelándia Square where we toured the Metropolitan Theater. The tour was in Portuguese but the theater was beautiful.
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This morning we took the cog train to the top of Corcovado mountain to see the Christ the Redeemer statue.
This afternoon we rode the cable car up Sugarloaf mountain. Afterward, we walked along the beach there.
This evening we walked along Copacabana beach. We saw fireworks from the beach soccer stadium. We ate at a beach-side cafe while watching people practicing beach tennis and footvolley.
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We had a slightly delayed, but otherwise easy, flight from Foz do Iguaçu to Rio de Janeiro.
Last view of the falls You can see Copacabana beach from the front windows and it’s a block away. After settling in, we walked along the beach and had dinner along the boardwalk.
Beach Soccer 
Footvolley 
Clarice Lispector 
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This morning we said goodbye Argentina and hello Brazil. After checking into our hotel we took a cab to Iguaçu National Park to view the falls from the Brazilian side of the river. The park is smaller but the views are expansive.
The park 
Coati 
Hotel 
Argentine flag (we were there) After our hike we went on a boat ride! In the rain.
These are “selfies” of me under a waterfall. We were in the bow and the pilot steered directly into the cascading water. A couple of times.
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Iguazú National Park is home to many species of wildlife. We didn’t see most of them: jaguars, tapirs, anteaters, and possums – just to name a few.
But, seeing the toucans was a highlight for me.
The jays would take food out of people’s hands. And, there were lots of water fowl.
Plush Crested Jay 
Butterflies were everywhere.
Coatimundi (Coati) were all over – foraging for food, looking for handouts, and climbing in and out of trees.
Monkeys
And a huge catfish!
Rain was forecast for today, so it seemed like a good day to stay indoors.
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We spent the day at Iquazú National Park, Argentina – a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Park Map We bought our tickets, walked in the park and waited for the next train to Estación Garganta, the trail head for the walk to Devil’s Throat which would be our initiation point for the falls.
You walk over a lot of water!
First you hear the roar, then you see the mist, then you see the head of the falls.
Devil’s Throat
Upper (Superior) Trail:
Lower (Inferior) Trail:
San Martin Island 
Upper Trail Falls 
Saying “Yes” to Adventure 