As a springboard into summer, some of us are banding together and hopping between favorite vacation spots identified on participating blogs. Join us! The wonderful co-hosts below also have special giveaways on their blogs, and who doesn’t like free stuff–especially books?
Lexa Cain: http://lexacain.blogspot.com/
Melanie Karsak: http://www.melaniekarsak.com/
T.F. Walsh: http://www.tfwalsh.com/blog/
Vanessa Morgan: http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com/
Jolie Du Pre: http://www.preciousmonsters.com/
Stuart R. West: http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/
For my favorite, I cracked open my picture folder and sifted through the hundreds of photos I have from my favorite vacation ever. It was 2010, and I was finishing up my Master’s degree program with one final class–the best class ever. The class involved one thing: a trip to Peru, Chile and Easter Island. Seriously. I loved the trip–especially Peru. Easter Island was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but it’s an island. Once you’ve driven from end to end and everywhere in between, you’ve seen it.
But not Peru. Oh my gosh. We went to Cusco, Ollaytaytambo, Pisac, Machu Picchu and several other cultural sites, and we barely scratched the surface. The people were warm and interesting and the history was spectacular. Take a look at just a small sampling of what Peru has to offer:
A women’s collective organization showed us how they dye and weave the textiles they make from alpaca wool. Afterwards, they cooked guinea pigs for us. They’re considered a delicacy in Peru.
The Maras Salt Mines cover an entire mountainside and make up the income for dozens of families. Individual pools of water and salt that make the hillside look snow-covered. We hiked in along a beautiful path and then enjoyed the subsequent hike out through a valley. This picture cannot even begin to do justice to the view.
Terraces everywhere. The ancient Incas made use of terraces on mountainside after mountainside. We hiked a number of them. Beautiful sites to behold and great for the calves. I may or may not have been lapped by an older Peruvian women carrying a baby coming down the side of one of these.
And Machu Picchu needs no explanation. AMAZING!
If you enjoyed my vacation pics, why not hop on over to more participant blogs. It’s the next best thing to actually going to those locals yourself. 🙂
| 1. | Poppy Lawless (INT) | 2. | Lexa Cain |
| 3. | Melanie Karsak | 4. | T.F.Walsh |
| 5. | Vanessa Morgan | 6. | Jolie Du Pre |
| 7. | Stuart R. West | 8. | Fiction and Film |
| 9. | Marilyn Parel | 10. | Shah Wharton |
| 11. | Beverly Stowe McClure | 12. | Andrea R. Cooper |
| 13. | Write Game | 14. | Harper A. Brooks |
| 15. | Colleen Myers – thoughtful, sexy, fun | 16. | Just Get It Written |
| 17. | Bish Denham | 18. | Margo Berendsen |
| 19. | Elizabeth Seckman | 20. | Cherdo on the Flipside |
| 21. | Bell of Peace | 22. | Kim Lajevardi |
| 23. | Maynard’s Horror Movie Diary | 24. | Denise Covey |
| 25. | Mama Diaries | 26. | Alexia Chamberlynn |
| 27. | Romance World | 28. | Curious as a Cathy |
| 29. | Linda Kay | 30. | Avalon Media |
| 31. | Catherine Stine’s Idea City | 32. | messymimis meanderings |
| 33. | Kim Graff | 34. | Writing Off the Edge |
| 35. | Pempi’s Palace | 36. | dcrelief |
| 37. | Yolanda Renee – Defending the Pen | 38. | Albom Adventures |
| 39. | Curious as a Cathy | 40. | WRITING IN THE CROSSHAIRS |
kimlajevardi 
Wonderful pictures. I’d love to go. Such amazing history and landscapes.
If you ever get the chance, take it. The pictures pale to the actual sites.
Peru is definitely high on my list! But no guinea pigs for me – vegetarian 🙂
If you get the chance, do it. Worth every penny. As for food, there’s a lot of non-meat items to choose from. Peru actually has an extraordinarily high variety of potatoes farmed locally. If I remember correctly, it’s pushing over two-hundred types.
I would love to go to Peru!
Precious Monsters
Paranormal Romance Blog Hop
Do it. Amazing place!
Sounds amazing!
It was.
Love the photos, and goodness what a trip. Can only imagine the beauty. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! If you ever get the chance, take it. 🙂
Oh you lucky, lucky thing!! Holidays with alpacas – who could wish for anything more? What an experience AND Easter Island!! My own favourite cannot compete with this but maybe it might be another new holiday experience for you – Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace
Thanks! It was fantastic. I enjoyed yours as well, though. The pictures were so cool!
OMG you’re making me pack my bags. Seriously, Machu Picchu is on my bucket list.
Definitely go if you get the chance. So amazing!
What an amazing travel adventure. Your photos of Peru are wonderful. Machu Picchu and Easter Island in the same trip would certainly make a dent in my travel bucket list.
Thanks! If you get the chance to go, take it. Worth every penny and then some. 🙂
It looks like a fascinating place. My parents went to Peru before i was born and we always had little Peruvian objects and artworks around the house as I grew up. But somehow, with all my traveling, South America has eluded me…
What a great experience for your parents. It’s good that you had the influence of such a rich culture as the backdrop of your home. If you ever get the chance to go, take it. It really is an amazing place.
What a wonderful holiday experience you’ll never forget. Thanks for sharing it with us, pics included!
It truly was. My pleasure!
That sounds like a once in a lifetime event! I envy you. I would love to see Peru. These posts are all giving me all kinds of ideas.
It was a fantastic experience. Turn your ideas into a trip there if you get the chance. Such an amazing place.
Wow… how amazing. Would love to visit Peru one day:) loved your photos.
Thanks! You should if you get the chance. 🙂
Wow, that really was the trip of a lifetime!
Something I’ll never forget.
What an incredible experience! I’d love to go to Machu Picchu.
It really is as amazing as advertised.
This is fantastic! It would be so cool to see Easter island, but to see Machu Picchu and all those other places would be even more amazing. These setting sound like a great place to set a novel – people love reading about exotic places and you can’t get much more exotic than Peru! Thanks so much for joining the hop! 🙂
Agreed! My pleasure.
Peru seems like a total fantasy. Must get there some day!
If you do, you’ll never regret it.
What an amazing trip! These sorts of places are only savored from afar by me. You’ll never catch me traveling anywhere that requires getting there by plane or boat. lol It’s nice meeting you today!
My favorite vacation spot – the Pine Tree State #bloghop
We had more than my share of plane rides, but it was so worth it.
That would be a fascinating place to visit!
It was. Best trip ever!