Almost forgot our Picnic lunch yesterday.
Tents, tableclothes, wine and about 6 courses ... Just beautiful.

Chicken, Alpaca, potatoes, chips of 4 different flavors with guacamole, salad with chutney, cannot remember the rest, I have attached the menu.

After lunch we had time with an Andian Priest where he conducted an offering to Mother Earth. 

Following the offerings to Mother Earth, we trekked more. We came across a community of persons who were digging a trench to bring water to their area to irrigate their land. There were hundreds persons digging along the way. 

This is where we first came across the community digging the trench. It was along our path, so they helped us re-route where we were going. They needed the water, the government was not planning to do the project, so on a Sunday they gather every able man / boy in the community. A little Chicha (home brew), they will work all day. 

A ruin which was called Alter of the Moon.

I have been a little delinquent, but we ahave been going from morning to night.
Saturday: We took a train from Machu Picchu to Cusco. It was a 90 minute train ride.
It included a light snack and a fashion show. It also included some entertainment.

This was the entertainment on the train. He is what is called a "Sachar", a devilish person. One who is mischievious. He danced up and down the isle to Peruvian music. People were clapping.
Ken was sleeping when this started and he woke to this mask in his face. (hehe)

 Pictures loaded out of order - This was us boarding the train. The Peru Trail system is actually owned by Orient Express - but this is all in the Peruvian style. Very comfortable and staff very accomodating.

 Oh and yes the Sachar (the devilish one), came by our seats and I thought he was just reaching to shake my hand and he pulled me up from my seat to dance in the isle with him... thought I was going to lose my balance and land in Jeff's lap - one of our other travelers. Ken was quick to get the camera up for this one.

When we reached Cusco, we had a bus ride to get to our hiking spot for the day. A few more ruins and wonderful landscape. 

Through the streets of Cusco, this is a typical balcony you will see. Nicely carved and all wood. 

The Cathedral in Cusco - there is the main church and two wings. Could not take pictures inside.

 Sunset and rainbow over Cusco.

Sunday morning, I got up for a 0630 birdwatching and Saturday afternoon, I went on an Orchid walk. 

I don't remember all the names but they were beautiful. The birds on Sunday, I need to crop the pictures, but cannot do it very well in this computer. 

Orchid walk: There were many and I am only posting a few. One was so small our guide use a magnifying glass so we could see it. 

 This one I know is called the Princess Orchid - there is a story that goes with this about a Princess who was in love with a man her father did not want her to marry - long story short, when she was not allowed to marry him, she was offered to be turned into a flower because her father was going to kill both her and her lover.

 This bloom was about the size of your fingernail.

 This was the tiger orchid.

 Yes this too is an orchid.... So many, over 200 species.

Most of my pictures are hummingbirds - others I will post after we get home when I have a chance crop them.

Blue tananger - They put banans up in the trees once a week to draw them, but don't want them to become dependent on this. The jungle this hotel complex is in is many acres and beautiful property.

What a hike and what an experience yesterday. I took 149 pictures and that was after I deleted 50.

I had no idea most, no all of the trail would be on a ledge. Many steps carved out of the rock by the Incans, going up and then down. Mostly up - We climbed from 6500 feet to 9000 feet. So we were lower than our hike the other day when we went to 14,000 feet. Saw many orchids along the way and got pictures of some. Hundreds of varieties of Orchids. Begonias grow to giant heights here. Just amazing.

Weather rained on us a nice soft rain in the morning which was fine as we have rain gear. Stayed overcast as that was great to keep the sun off and temps cooler. Will be hard to select just a few pics for today's line up. Here goes.

This is the Urubama River, and their hydro electric plant. We are on the Inca trail and gives you an idea of how far up we are.

Me on the trail, you can see how narrow the trail is. Here it is not as much of a cliff. There is one other woman  - Deb - who also has issues with heights. We are keeping an eye on each other throughout this day. On an earlier day's  hike, her husband said I was Deb's carnary - if Helen could do it, she could too.

This is looking back on the trail we just traveled. You can see how it was just carved into the side of the Andes Mountain. I am doing incredibly well with the heights. Ken says since I have done this so well, he thinks we can tackle any of the National Parks now.

Only one of many beautiful Orchids in the wild here. I have more and will select a few more to put here.

Kenny here showing you the steps we climbed up and down all day. Now to keep up on what we have gained in strength here.

It is Thursday mornig, I did not have a chance to post Wednesdays information

We have learned that Corn is #1 followed by pottatoes (400+ varieties) and quiona, and one other grain much like quiona, but smaller. At the moment I cannot remember the name. Amarinth - is the name -

The most impoverished live on $1 a day. next level is about $3/day and that is for a family.

There are no fences so you will see steers, sheep and pigs tethered anywhere along the way  - even on the shoulder of a road. Dogs seem to be community dogs and wander everywhere.

Inca Ruins in Pisac (or Pisaq)

 Concentric circles created by the Incas - no one is sure what they used it for. Many mystic type people visit here to "feel the energy from mother earth"

 Example of animals along the way.

 This herd of sheep were in our path as we were walking along this trail. As we approached, they moved along out of our way.

Today (Tuesday) We went to an Inca Community and shared in one of their fall activites. We had more bus time than hiking time but that should change tomorrow.

The ceremony was thanking Mother Earth and asking for continued good weather. They have just finished (or are finishing) their harvest. It is fall here. Our guides speak Spanish of course, but this group if Incans speak Quechuan so one of their leaders spoke both languages and interpreted.

Also our day yesterday saw a variety of things, I had mentioned walking in the Sacred Valley and up the Incan steps to a worship level.

Our lunchh today was prepared by the Inca Commuity, they have a resturant, but that was under renovation. So we ate in a room used by the school, this children were so cute. I was mad at myself because I had a bunch of pencils for children and did not put them in my back pack.

The are feeding the LlamaChicha - a local brew - as they are preparing him to be the Alpha male and leader of the of the pack. They will be marking his ears with red ribbons.

 Here they are using a needle to thread the ribbons through his ears to mark him as theirs and the leader.

 Here the Alpha Llamma received his necklace for the celebration.

 Our lunch line at the Cuyni community.

 The children in the school yard. We gave them each 50 Sol (35 cents) for taking their pictures.

An Inca Woman and her baby in the community of Cuyuni near Cusco, Peru.

 An Incan woman preparing yarn to weave.

  An Incan priest offering Coca leaves and other items to Mother Earth. Thanking her for a good harvest (it is fall here) and asking for a good planting season and continued safe and good weather.

 Incan community members digging dirt to prepare to dry in bricks that they will use as fuel in their houses through the winter (remember I said this is their fall).

 Ken and I trying to use their tools to dig the dirt for them. They were hard to use. After they shared their potatoes and cheese with us and made us mint tea.

 This is their 'nurse', she traveled the walk up the hill to the ceremonial spot. on her back is a first aid kit and in the bag in her right hand is an oxygen tank. yes reallly as we were at 13,800 feet and as visitors unfamiliar with being at that level, should one of us experience altitude sickness, she was ready. Thankfully none of us needed it.

This pictures above is Ken standing at a museum in Lima we went to that has the largest number of Inca artifacts. It was pretty amazing.

More later.

Very poor internet connetion, so won't be loading pictures. Also so tired I cannot stay away.
We flew this morning from Lima to Cusco. We then had a bus ride to our hotel. the primary road is knocked out for repair so we took a vey unfit bumpy road.

We walked a sacred site in Sacred Vally.

We had Tappas fro dinnner.
Time for bed. Love Helen

Very poor internet connetion, so won't be loading pictures. Also so tired I cannot stay away.
We flew this morning from Lima to Cusco. We then had a bus ride to our hotel. the primary road is knocked out for repair so we took a vey unfit bumpy road.

Very poor internet connetion, so won't be loading pictures. Also so tired I cannot stay away.
We flew this morning from Lima to Cusco. We then had a bus ride to our hotel. the primary road is knocked out for repair so we took a vey unfit bumpy road