Pics from ruins...

This is the Pisac ruins, where Incas lived in the Sacred Valley, south of Machu Picchu.

A friend, Bert, and I on yet another hike.
BIG rocks at Sacsayhuaman ruins outside of Cusco.

Amazing ruins.

More to come soon. Thanks for all the emails - I'm back in Cuzco for now, studying hard!

ciao,

laura

Some pics of the hike

We started hiking in the valley...this is part way up. The entire hike was 1200 meters. Wow!
A view looking toward Cuzco from the top.
The little pueblo in the valley is Pisac.

On the way down...very tired. These are the salt mines we saw on Tues. Really beautiful, like nothing I'd seen. The salty water comes from the mountains and each family keeps one square, where they divert the water. After about a month, the water has evaporated and they can harvest the salt.

A week in Taray

Hola amigos! I have changed locations for the time being. My Spanish school has a location outside of Cuzco that you can choose to study at for a week. It is in a tiny town called Taray, outside of Pisac (a larger, more well-known town). It is right in the heart of the Sacred Valley, just a bit south from Machu Piccu. We arrived on Sunday and will be here until Sat. My classes are in the afternoon (4-8), which means I get the whole morning to explore. Yesterday, I summited the peak that is just outside of Taray - more than 1000 meters of climbing in about 7 hours! It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done and today my legs are barely working. But it was amazing. When I return to Cuzco I`ll upload pics to share.

I am loving being in the mountains. The Sacred Valley is breath-taking and filled with unbelievable Inca ruins everywhere. Today we will head to some local salt mines and Th to some old archeological ruins close by.

This experience continues to be incredibly rich. I am learning Spanish at a great pace and feel confident about using it more and more. The other travelers I have met are great, mostly from Europe, Canada, and Australia. Everyone seems to enjoy getting out and seeing and doing as much as possible, which is great for me. It is wonderful to be surrounded by people who are also thinking a lot and enjoy sharing their thoughts and reflections as we experience this country and culture.

I hope all of you are well in your corners of the world. Thank you for the messages...it is energizing to get little glimpses into your lives. It makes me feel not quite so far away. I do carry all of your energies with me, and for that I am incredibly thankful.

Now in Cuzco

Old Spanish church in La Plaza de Armas.
This is a view of the market just down the street of my house.
La Plaza de Armas, right in central Cuzco. About 2 blocks from my school.
Looking out over the rooftops from one of my new favorite spots, South American Explorers clubhouse.

And more...

Their cure little place...clearly, Benj is still enjoying the morning lounge.
View of Huascaran

And more views from their cute little pueblito, Musho. Pretty amazing.

A few photos...

So you can see some of the frisbee crew...quite a gameª

Just the beginning...

Hello friends and family!

After much discussion and thought, I have decided that a blog is a great way to keep all of the important people in my life informed of what I am doing this year. It is my hope that this forum will allow each of you an open window into my life and ease our communication lines as my time here passes.

I arrived in Lima last Wed late and awoke early to take a bus 8 hours north to Huaraz. I was there greeted by the warmest of warm hugs by Libby and Benjamin, who are in the middle of their Peace Corps service, based 2 hours north of Huaraz. The town of Huaraz is at 10,000 feet, nestled in the Andes, filled with Peruvians and trekkers. Quite an interesting mix, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. After a restful night, we awoke in Huaraz to play...yup, you guessed it! Ultimate frisbee! For 4 hours 14 of us played a great game in the mountains. A great introduction to this country! After my lungs could take no more, we left Huaraz and headed for some hotsprings to ease our aches from so much activity.

That night, we nestled into Lib and Benj´s adorable blue room, bellies full of soup and bread, hearts and minds happy with our conversations and explorations. We arose with the view of Huascaran so close, I felt I could touch it. We took a great hike into the mountains, and headed back down to Huaraz so I could catch an evening bus for Lima, where I would then fly to Cuzco. It was a whirlwind weekend, but one that warmed me so much with their friendship and love. We have a few more travel plans in the near future...

Now I have arrived in Cuzco, ready to learn and eager to explore. My host family is very sweet, the other students seem great. This is a touristy city, but one that has a lot of character and places to explore, not to mention the amazing ruins that sit so close to me! I will stay here for at least a few months, if not more depending on how much I enjoy my volunteer placement, etc. Right now, I am focusing on my Spanish, which is definitely improving.

I must run off to a dinner, but I will post more soon and try to get some photos up. Know that I am healthy, well, and refreshed by my journey thus far.

Ciao,

Laura