I left my heart in Peru...

Newest addition to the South American adventure. Many fine photos of the one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to: Peru. Words do not do justice for this place. Its almost difficult to remember all the beautiful moments I spent there. It is with great hesitation that I only write these few sentences and leave you with these few pictures. Eh, such is the writers block I guess.

Masks to represent the fool, someone who partakes in too much indulgence. Many of my classmates who went on the trip with me bought these. All different colors and all wonderfully cute. I took one home as a souvenir for my friends four year old son. He thought it was totally awesome.

Piso Sour. Fermented corn alcohol, with a very high content, with foamed egg whites on top. Hard to get down, curses you with light headedness that is only increased by the altitude.

View of the planes wing as we left the states.

My traveling group, waiting in the Miami Airport to board our first of many international flights.

View from the balcony of the room I shared with another female student at the first hotel we stayed at on the trip in Cuzco Peru. Gorgeous and humbling. We were staying in the mattress dristrict, where usually only bed ensembles and furniture were sold, surrounded by even more oddly specific vendor districts.

City marketplace view showing the wide streets and modern conviences mixed within.

Extremely fast paced traffic could catch you off guard in this city that never sleeps.

On a winding road through the mountains we stopped at this vendor market place that had been in use for centuries. Hand made goods were displayed side by side with mass produced Peruvian culture specific wares shipped in from China. Even in third worldl countries there seems to be a overload of tourist based products.

Market place built in the 14th century still in use today.

Mother and children, dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing style.

We visited an artisan weaving studio where they raise Llamas, Vicunas and Alpacas, shear their fur, dye it with natural organic flora and fauna based colors and then weave it into one of a kind hats, gloves, rugs and tapestries. This is one of the many that we got to pet and feed alfalfa. Did you know Llamas make very funny grunting and cooing noises when they are happy?

Note the ancient building with modern advertisment.

Long climb to the Temple of the Sun, along the huge terraces of soil which were used for commerce and agriculture. This was shockingly difficult but only scratched the surface of the climb we had in store for the next three days to reach Machu Picchu.

Wall structures over 3,000 years old at Temple of the Sun, located in the Incan Valley, one of the most holiest of places for the Incan people. Giant boulders that were cut from the mountain side still lay abandoned throughout the surrounding town and valley, all in a traceable line leading up to the ramp that workers dragged the giant rocks up towards the quarrys. These large stones were added to an assembly process to create the materials necesary to make terraces, walls, steps and solid carved structures.