We spent two days in Lima, visiting the National Museum and touring the ciy.

We flew to Cuzco and from there took the train to Macchu Picchu. This was a once in a lifetime experience. The Inca ruins are massive and were built in the 15th Century high up in the Andes. We hiked to the Inca Gate which literally took our breath away. The view from the top was amazing.

Cuzco is a lovely city surrounded by mountains. It was once capital of the Inca empire. Plaza de Armas is the central square in the old city, with arcades, carved wooden balconies and Incan wall ruins.

Santo Domingo Convent was built on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), and has archaeological remains of Inca stonework.

Saqsaywaman (sounds like sexy woman) is just outside Cuzco. It was built as a religious center by Andean man. The Incas called it House of the Sun. The stones are massive and we wondered how they got them to stack together without any mortar. Llamas and Alpacas were roaming the area.

The Sacred Valley is a lush green valley north of Cuzco. The Inca people settled in the area because of the rich agricultural land.

Ollantaytambo is south of Macchu Picchu. It's known for the Ollantaytambo ruins, a massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces on a hillside. The town at the foot of the ruins is an Inca-era grid of cobblestoned streets and adobe buildings. It is the only Inca town still inhabited. On some of the smaller streets, you can see the waterways that once carried water through the city for irrigation and drainage.

The extension to our trip was a visit to two villages along the Amazon. We traveled up the river 25 miles and stayed at Ceiba Tops. It was interesting to see how the people live along the river.