Itinerary

Thu 14
	Breakfast
09:00	Excursion to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  Proceed to Ollantaytambo to admire the magnificence of the Inca fortress and stroll through the quaint streets of the present town.  Lunch at a nice hostelry in the countryside.  In the afternoon an opportunity to bargain with the vendors at the typical market in Písac.  Overnight at Posada Del Inca Hotel in the Urubamba Valley.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  I'm glad I called home last night.  It was nice to hear a familiar voice and to know my girls are doing well.  Yes I was a little homesick but the call cleared my mind and made me feel a lot better.  It was also nice to hear Cali in the background doing her AROO!

I got a call last night from Lima Tours indicating that the Puerto Maldonado part of my trip has been canceled due to a strike and they could not guarantee my safety.  So they asked me if I was willing to go North to Iquitos - of course I said YES!  I asked my guide about this today and he didn't know anything about it.  So I'll have to most likely wait until I get back to Cusco to find out.  If I see Lawdra at all (the tour guide who I've been with the most), I'll ask her if she knows anything about it.

I woke up early (of course!) this morning, even though I wanted to sleep in a bit and had time to.  I had breakfast and was checked out by 07:30 so had to sit around in the lobby for an hour and half.

I had a new guide pick me up at the hotel and we then went to another hotel and picked up a couple.  They are from Australia and are really nice.  So it was just three of us, which was kind of cool.

We drove to Písac and went to a market.  It was amazing to see all the stuff that was for sale.  Of course there was bargaining to be done.  I got a steal of a deal on a jacket - only $25 soles (about $7.00 USD!).  I don't have any more shopping to do.  Anyway, I'm shopped out.

We then proceeded to our hotel in Urubamba Valley.  This is the nicest place I've stayed at so far.  Besides it being very peaceful (it used to be a monastery), I got a room with a king-size bed!

After lunch we drove through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Ollantaytambo.  We walked through part of the town and visited some typical houses.  These houses were part of the Inca time and people are still living in them.  It was very dirty and smelled smoky.  I am sure glad I live where I do.  I just can't believe people live in conditions like that.

We then went to the Temple of the Sun.  I have to say it was truly amazing.  It is incredible how they moved these huge rocks from a quarry 5 kms away (down a mountain), to the location on the side of another mountain.  And the stones fit perfectly.  They did not use any mortar at all.  Some stones had at least 10 different sides to them.  It is incredible to see how they can make these huge stones fit together perfectly.

One thing I was upset with was the amount of people (tourists) there was at this place.  It was truly crazy.  I just hope Machu Picchu is not that bad.

At the Temple of the Sun, of course it was on the side of a mountain.  I am proud to say that I was able to maneuver the 150 stairs with little or no problem.  I've learnt here that you have to take it very slow or you could be in trouble.

I tell you, after today this trip was definitely worth it.  Of course if I had to do it over, I'd change things like:

1. skipping Arequipa and the Colca Valley
2. starting in Cusco and making  a day trip to Lake Titicaca and Uros.  You spend only two hours on the lake and it could be done in a day.  Most of the time would be the travel - four hours each way from Cusco.

You know how I wrote that if I died after seeing Lake Titicaca, I'd be happy?  Well I'd be really ecstatic if I died tonight.