Sunrise over the lazy Amazon river. The last ten days were spent with Ma and Pa Krejci in the Amazon Rain Forest witnessing a dicotamy of amazonian paddling their low to the water dugout canoes fishing for Pirahna right next to speedboats full of turists with binoculars and cameras slung around their necks. We drifted silently through the swamps at night and hiked through the jungle during the day trying to spot wildlife and my Mom actually finished the canapy walkway at 118ft. off the ground. We had a great time taking a break from our vacation and spending time with family. If it weren´t for the mosquitos, Jamie and I could see ourselves staying there for a while.

Lima gets a bad rap for being a hot, polluted, dangerous city. We found it to be one of our favorites of the big South American cities. We just happened to show up during the city´s anniversary celebration and were surrounded by colorful parades, live music, fireworks and a strong military presence making sure that everyone was having a nice time. This was the view from our Hostel which was a crazy old masion with statues and paintings in every nook and cranny. There were even human skulls in the foyer.

Arequipa, Peru is one of those "Gringo" hubs. This is a great place to spend time and stage many different expeditions and future travels. You can hike into the deepest canyon in the world, climb 18,000 ft. volcanos, river raft, mountain bike or see frozen mummies of sacrificial children. We are staying here until we head to Lima to meet the Krejci's for a visit to the Amazon.

Cañon de Colca is the Peruvian version of the Grand Canyon but twice as deep. It would be the same as if you slide the Rocky Mountains to the edge of the Grand Canyon and measured from the top of the peak to the river at the bottom of the canyon. Unfortunately you can't hike if the deepest part because the terrain is too rugged. We did a two hike down the canyon on a "knee-busting" trail, then climbed out the next day. We gained 3,000 ft in a little less than a mile and a half. Yes, as you may have just figured out, that is really steep uphill. We finally feel like we are in Peru as this trail went through a couple of local villages. People still live the traditional lifestyle deep in the canyon with the only access being a three hour donkey ride. They just had electricity installed two months ago.

Huanchaco, Peru has been a nice change of pace after the crazyness of Mancora. A laid back family beach town just a few minutes outside of Trujillo, this town is famous for it's unique fishing boats. They paddle out through the breakers using a piece of bamboo as a paddle, drop nets, and surf back into the beach. We had a chance to do a little surfing as well. Jamie is now a master of the craft. Due to heavy rains in the mountains, we have changed our plan a bit and are going to continue heading down the coast into Peruvian wine country, and possibly check out their version of the Grand Canyon (which we hear is quite a bit deeper). Check back for more updates.

It seems we were part of one of the biggest parties in Northern Peru. People came in from as far as Lima to ring in the New Year in the hectic beach town of Mancora. A little Salsa dancing and a few too many beers made this a New Years to remember. This was by far the "Hottest" New Years either of us has ever had. Feliz Año Nuevo!