Peru!

I have to confess that it was positively easy for me to stay off of the internet for the past week or so. We were on an amazing trip to Peru, and I did not take along a laptop or tablet, although I did check in with email once a day.

When my daughter was in second grade, her class learned about Peru, and I found out about Machu Picchu. She even built a little clay replica of it. (As a kid I had learned about the ancient cultures of the Americas, but I don't remember learning about this particular site.) For the past 18 years, I have dreamed about tromping about in these ancient ruins. Back in January, I started thinking about where we might go for a summer vacation, and I realized that the time had come to realize this dream. We planned and planned and researched, and even though the best time to go to Peru is either May or September, those times are not great for people who work in schools.

Some friends had been on an REI Tour a year ago last April which they recommended, and that is what we ultimately ended up doing. That was probably the best decision we made about this trip. Our local guides were outstanding, and the tour was very small with only two other couples. We got along so very well, and it is exciting to know that we all live in the greater LA area, so we are thinking about getting together again - perhaps for Peruvian food in downtown LA.

Today I am trying to process all the amazing experiences that we packed into 11 days. I have been sorting through the 1000+ photos that I took (I have already deleted over 250 of them). Don't worry, you don't have to see them all! For the next few days or so, I will choose the very best and blog about the highlights of the trip.