Cerro Paine Grande, the highest peak in Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile. How could you not fall in love with a mountain like that. We spent most of the previous evening watching the sun-set reflect off the "ice mushrooms" on the summit and listening to the thunderous sound of the glaciers calving in powder waterfalls.

Water, water everywhere. This is a spring next to one of our campsites in Torres Del Paine National Park. We were lucky in that most of the water we saw was already on the ground and not falling from the sky which is what normally happens in Patagonia.

This is what really old ice looks like. A little different from the piles you see around Telluride Town Park in the springtime. We actually had a chance to see a large peice of this glacier "calve" into the lake while we were eating cream cheese and salami sandwiches for lunch. The sound is a lot like a thunder clap mixted with an air force fighter jet. The wall of ice is probably about 100 ft. high out of the water.

Yes, it is very windy; and yes my hair really does have that much body. This was the first pass on the Torres Del Paine Circuit hike that really afforded a nice view. The one nice thing about the wind is that is keeps the pesky mosquitoes away.

La Paz, Bolivia - The highest capital city in the world at over 12,000 ft. It is a jumbled mess of circular streets, round-a-bouts, and plazas. It seems like every streets sidewalk is lined with black market venders booths which encroach on the sidewalk to make them just as crowded with pedestrians as the streets are with trafic. From where I am sitting at this computer I could by hairspray, a belt, packing tape, or a Pentium 4 processor within about 10 ft.
From here, we start our long travel down to Patagonia. We are pretty much going to head straight south from Arica, Chile until we hit Puerto Natalas and Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia.

Sunset over Lake Titicaca from Isla Del Sol. We were having dinner at a restaurant that didn´t have electricity which featured fire baked pizza. Yes, it was as cold as it looks at 12,500 ft.

Jamie, the Sacrificial "Virgin" at the place where the whole Inca empire legendarily started. We spent two days on the Isla Del Sol in Lake Titicaca which is where the sun was supposedly born. It makes sense because this island was the sunniest Incian place we have been. All the other ruins, Machu Picchu included, are typically covered in fog and clouds. This arid island is covered in Inca terraces so they could cultivate even the steepest land. Reached only by a two hour boat ride from the main land, Isla Del Sol was a nice change of pace for us because there were no cars. Because of this, you would think it would have been pretty quiet, but instead of cars, the island was infested with the loudest and most comical donkeys we have ever heard.

Llamas look funny when they go to the bathroom!

Machu Picchu was just as amazing and awe-inspiring as everyone says. We were a little frustrated by how much it cost and how difficult it was to get there (Machu Picchu is the only place in Peru that doesn´t have a bus, the only way to get there is by train), but after seven hours of hiking up and down Incan stepping stones, we think Machu Picchu is just about the coolest place we have been yet. We started hiking at 5:00 am through the morning mist arriving at the entrance gate just after opening and had the place relatively to ourselves. We climbing to the top of WaynaPicchu (the mountain that forms the backdrop for the ruins) then hiked down to the Great Cavern. We were the only ones there and felt like Indiana Jones as we climbed through the overgrown and mossy houses build into the cave. In hindsight, it was worth all the effort, but a word of advice - Go early in the morning because by noon there were about 1000 people clogging the pathways.

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!

We will ring in the New Year in a new country. So far Peru has been hot, dusty, crowded and chaotic. But the water is a fantastic refreshing temperature compared to the hot sun. The Peru - Ecuador border was basically a crowded highway with no control, or nothing stopping you from walking or driving back and forth. Luckily, we had a "Friend" help us through the whole process and get us on our way without costing us too much money. We are currently in Mancora, Peru camping and surfing until after the New Year when we will head further South and look for the longest left-breaking wave in the world. Feliz Navidad y un Prospero Año Nuevo.

This three day backpack through the Cajas National Park ranks as one the most challenging, diverse, and awe-inspiring hikes we have ever been on. This park is said to have over 230 lakes with-in its boundaries. I feel that the mountain, rivers, waterfalls, cloud forests, natural springs and huge spanning grass lands to be more impressive than the lakes (which were everywhere). The trail which we had elected to hike was the "Camino de la Inca" but it was really very hard to find. We had to rely of map and compass navigation. The trail would shift rapidly between rolling hills with massive views to dark, moss covered forest where we literally had to swing from vines to get through. We both are very happy to have taken this trip because it justified us carrying our camping gear for so long.
We are planning on staying in Cuenca, Ecuador for Christmas because there is said to be a great holiday parade and many churches to choose from. From here, we are heading to a surf town in Northern Peru to party for the new years. Happy Holidays.

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Galapagos. More can be seen by clicking the Honeymoon Photos link on the right side of this page.

Well, it was worth it! Eight days on a boat sailing through the Galapagos with eight other people the same age as us was a real treat. The water was amazingly blue, the wildlife was amazingly tame, we both got amazingly sunburned, and neither of us are afraid of sharks anymore. We were able to snorkle with sea turtles, whitetipped reaf sharks, and all kinds of other tropical fishes. We walked around islands trying not to step on baby sea lions or iguana watching blowholes on the cliffs as the surf rolled in. We have been eating so well on the boat that it is a tough transition back into backpacker traveler mode.

Surfing time is about to be put on hold for a bit. We are going to start snorkling with rays and turtles in the Galapagos for the next 8 days. For the last week we have been hanging out in Mantanita surfing and relaxing after our rigourous intensive Spanish Classes. We definitly had some quality hammock-time in Mantanita. Once we return from the Galapagos, we will try to post a few pictures.