CUZCO AND MACHU PICCHU, PERU

We arrived into Cuzco, Peru and 11,000 ft in altitude and needed to spend a couple of days there to get adjusted to the altitude and lack of oxygen before we headed out to Machu Picchu! We found Cuzco to be a beautiful city situated around a large square which was beautifully lit at night! We loved the food there, especially a little restaurant called Limo which served the best ceviche, sushi!, and lomo saltado! The lack of oxygen was somewhat off putting and we drank coca tea to adjust. The people of Peru were also warm and welcoming. We took a 4 hour train ride DOWN to Machu Picchu from Cuzco.

We were fascinated by the Inca culture from the beginning and learned more through guided tours of their amazing intelligence and industriousness.The mystery and magic of Machu Picchu was captivating and breathtaking. It was hard to leave and one of the most fascinating parts of our entire trip. How they build their civilization to avoid destruction during the powerful earthquakes (or terramotos) was an incredible feat. The buildings are perfectly preserved with not mortar between the stones! Perfect engineering and perfectly amazing to see!
While we did not hike the 4 day Inca Trail we did read a great book called, "Turn Right at Machu
Picchu" which was the story written by Mark Adams who rewalked the path  of Hiram Bingham who originally discovered Machu Picchu in 1917. A fascinating and fun read. We left Peru through Lima, which we found unmemorable except for a fabulous dinner we had at Herve's celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. We passed this random sign outside a hotel on our anniversary! Tacky but funny! Off to Costa Rica...

SANTIAGO, CHILE

We flew over the Andes to Chile. They were a sight to see in an airplane! We arrived in Santiago and had one of nicest rooms yet, looking back at the Andes, watching the sunrise over the mountains every morning from the 18th floor of the Park Hyatt. It was breathtaking! A friend of a friend, Sylvia, who is from Santiago, showed us around Santiago which was wonderful! She took us to special restaurants she liked and we spent a day shopping with her daugher. We look forward to seeing Sylvia in Sun Valley!

Behind us in the photograph is an Easter Island statue (or head) that her grandmother bought years ago and an auction. We loved Santiago! We found her family also to be incredibly warm and welcoming.

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

We took a wine tour through Mendoza on a beautiful sunny day and started tasting wine
no later than 10am! We toured 4 very different wineries all specializing in 100 percent Malbec which we discovered we both love. Our first stop was a very old one begun in 1928-Mendel with very high end boutique wines; another new and very modern winery- making Gran Estirpe; and one that also made delicious olive oil as well as wine named Tapiz and where we had a 5 course meal and I can't remember the fourth one...haha! Just kidding! It was Clos de Chacras. Each one was unique and special. We loved Mendoza after Buenos Aires. Clean, safe with very friendly people.

We spent three days in Mendoza including a trip to the foot of the Andes and an hour walk up the incredible Aconcagua, 22,000 ft at the summit and the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere! The Andes are enormous, rugged and majestic. Off to Chile and then Peru!

IGUAZU FALLS AND MENDOZA-

Amazing Falls and beautiful Wine Country. We loved Mendoza-very walkable, clean, great restauarants.

BUENOS AIRES

ARGENTINA

Our first stop was Buenos Aires! Exciting city-loud, bustling, terrible traffic all day long, and dirty with many, many broken sidewalks, trash strewn everywhere, etc! Best steaks in the world where you can cut the steak with a spoon-literally! We stayed in the Recoleta. Traditionally, it has been the nicest area of town and where all the wonderful hotels are and where the incredible Recoleta cemetery is (Eva Peron is buried there). But we found the city to be overrun with dogs barking and dog walkers everywhere (sometimes with 12 or 14 dogs all together)!

 It seemed that everyone smoked and the cigarette butts were everywhere. But then you would turn a corner see tango dancers in the street with their amazing dance steps and music-incredible to watch. We walked everywhere and saw many parts of the city! As in Turkey, cabs were not reliable. 

Every night we were awoken at 3 in the morning when the bars closed and the revellers would flow out into the streets and continue partying until close to 6 am. Then the morning was quiet and places didn't open until noon. I don't know how anyone gets any work done.  We are told they don't! Haha! 

PRAGUE

We saw Prague briefly on a stop-over and now we are back for three days and are glad we came back. Our first impression was April 1st, it was cold and grey. The buildings, while architecturally
beautiful were dark and dirty as well. There was an overall pallor which was not pleasing. This time the weather was much warmer, sun was out and people were everywhere, strolling along the river, in the squares and the impression was much more pleasing. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were people performing, bands playing, people singing. It was like a different city.
Only negative was we thought we lost Scott's only bag...no sign of it at the airport, in the computer even with the hotel clerk calling more than 5 times a day after each flight had come in
from Istanbul. It had to happen after more than 25 plane flights that one of our bags was lost! I shopped to replace the necessities and magically it appeared on our last night in our room with no warning. Definitely brightened up our impression and our stay in Prague! We loved the astronomical clock which is the only one in operation today!

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

I have to admit we were a little apprehensive about going to Turkey in the first place given its location so close to the Syrian and Iranian borders, and the millions of refugees pouring in at the moment, not to mention all the turmoil in this part of the world! But we are glad we did!
One cannot come to Turkey and be neutral about it. It is an important country for its historical significance, its location between Europe and Asia, and its enormous size and population of mostly Muslims. That this 90% Muslim country could maintain its secular government all these years is amazing, but the winds of change are palpable.
Ephesus was captivating, an ancient city that was only excavated in the 1970's which was originally built hundreds of years B.C. Our guides were wonderful and we enjoyed our stay out in the countryside of Turkey. The layers of different civilizations were amazing-especially the Terrace Houses!

We read an amazing book entitled, "Yes, I would love another Cup of Tea!" which
gave us insight into the Turkish life, the importance of family and their daily routine including the call to Prayer 5 times a day that would first sound before sunrise. Along with "Birds Without Wings", another wonderful read, we were quite ready to explore Turkey and Istanbul in particular.
 Istanbul is uniquely fascinating, with contrasting people, its new and its old, its unrivaled mosques and its melting pot of the East and the West into one enormous city. The beauty of the Bosphorus and both sides of its waterfront were captivating. We walked and we walked and Scott was saved by carry-on suitcase capacity from the magical bazaars! What a show! We even loved Turkey in spite of the Turkish young men who would yell at you to buy their wares, and follow you and want to be your guide and the taxi drivers who would either charge you too much or return improper change!