Where I've been hanging out for a week.

[Richard D]

[alfredo]

1. Beautiful, but where's the Starbucks? Where is that?

[Richard D]

2. Starbucks is in the third cave from the top.

A good three days climb. That's Huarascan (I think that's how it's spelled), largest mountain in Peru. The picture totally doesn't show how huge it is. Really a dominating force in the area.

Here's a couple more from the last couple days:





What's pretty cool about these photos is that generally the indigenous Quechua women don't like getting their pictures taken. In fact, here's the first picture with the little girl. Took a bit of work to get to the smile.



Then this:

[Mira]

3. Oh Richard ! How spectacular. Thank yo for these, and

I'm so happy for you to be there.

[alfredo]

4. Great images. Getting out of the States and mixing with other cultures

will dramatically change your life. I lived overseas for a few years and it colors every aspect of my life.

You will never be the same.

[Richard D]

8. True indeed

This is my 12th trip out of the country - not counting Baja California. Each trip has been for more than a month, one for two years to Central Mexico. Each one has dramatically affected my world view. One of these days I'll probably ex-pat myself, probably to Peru which is a land and people i really love and for some odd reason fit into quite well. Plus it's photographically super inspiring!

[Mira]

9. Hey- you're in Lima. Cool. Are the trees still gray from lack of rain? In Lima,

my best memory is a national museum of history, unfortunately I don't remember the name because it has been - could it be - 35 years since I was there.
At that time I was still not too interested in the historic details of a people, but that museum knocked my socks off.
There are skulls there, where it is obvious they drilled into them to do brain surgery, called "trepanning". That's what is coming back to me, anyway.
And pottery that shows that once upon a time the people of Africa and the people of South America had a shared parallel history.

I am mentally sharing your experience, hope you will go to Cuzco, along the Urubamba and see You Know What: Macchu Pichu.
Are you planning to?
I feel certain you have not been there yet. Because the photos would be overflowing.
Don't hike to go up Huana Pichu (sp?), the new mountain. I tried and had to turn around, the drops around some turns where you have a foot hold of 12 inches or so are all the way down. Straight down. Miles down.

Other than the river, I mostly remember a setting sun along that train ride that was so beautiful over the Andes, and the terracing the Indians do to eke out some vegetable harvest at the sides of mountains, the great colorful potatoes plus lots of corn you showed us in your photos.
And the Indians selling popcorn at the stops, and their babies naked from the waist down til toilet trained.
Is it still like that?

I apologize to you and anyone else reading this, it's memory lane to one of the finest highlights of my life, and everybody is lucky I'm shutting up now, because I could go on for a long time.

And upstairs in my house, in large envelopes are hundreds of slides from that trip. I dare not look to see their condition.

[Richard D]

11. Actually . . .

. . . Everything in Lima is gray. Sort of a reflection of the near eternal overcast skies here.
I've been to machu Picchu three times, but not this year. I went up to Huaraz instead for an amazing trip to Chavin and for hanging out with some friends there. I climbed up to the top of Apu Machu Picchu, which is the mountain that the sanctuary was named after. From the top you look way way down on Huano Picchu. Way down. It's a killer of a hike to get to the top, but no drop offs which really do scar the poop out of me. Stairs all the way up. So incredibly beautiful from the top it defies belief. I'll put some pictures up when i get home. Right now i'm in the Lima Airport wifi-ing in starbucks. America is everywhere.

[hippywife]

5. Hi, Richard!

Gorgeous shots. You must have really charmed that little girl.

Thanx for sharing your travels. :hi:

[Celebration]

6. Where are you hanging out now, Richard?

I want more pictures!

[Richard D]

7. I´m in Lima now

On my way back to los estados perdidos in a couple days. Lots more pictures coming as soon as I have time to edit them.
Thank you!

[priller]

10. Look forward to seeing more!

Those are great pics.