Coroico, Boliva

On the way to Coroico we passed the jagged Cordillera mountains only to emerge into lush forest.

Below are my mom and dad sitting in a field of Coca, the same plant used to make Cocaine. The Coca leaf only takes 4 hours to dry once it is picked, then it is ready to be sold (not in cocaine form, the locals chew the leaves for a multitude of medicinal purposes).

My mom placed her hand about 6 inches from this poisonous coral snake before realizing it was there. Gets the heart pumping.

Isla Del Sol In Lake Titicaca

Though the boat to Isla Del Sol was by far the slowest boat I have ever been on (even slower than a swan shaped paddle boat), we got some excellent views along the way.

Isla Del Sol reminded me of the Mediterranean, it was hard to believe that we were in the middle of a lake at 12,500 ft. The island itself is the birthplace of Incan mythology. We were able to see several ruins.

Here I am in front of the sacred rock. The rock where the Incan gods descended to start the ancient civilization.

Cursing Manilow

I breathe a sigh of relief as we cross into Bolivia. Finally an escape from the hordes of tourists and massive cities of Peru. The charming little town of Copacabana sits on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. The only downside to this town is that Barry Manilow's classic has been stuck in my head for 3 days. "Her name was Lola, she was a show girl, she wore flowers in her hair......"

We happened upon this town on a festival day (what festival, is not really clear). The locals watching the festivities were easily as enjoyable as the dancers themselves.

Floating On Titicaca

On Lake Titicaca, off the shore of Puno Peru, there are some 300 floating islands that the locals have constructed of dried reeds. As you step onto one of these over sized rafts, the "ground" squishes a bit below your feet. As the reeds on the bottom rot, new reads are added to the top maintaining the integrity of the island. Usually one large family or several small families live on each of these islands. If there is fighting among the islanders, they simply sever the island and float away from each other.

The local ladies.

The boats are also made of reeds.

Cute on the way down

What would a visit to Peru be without a sample of the local cuisine? Turns out guinea pig tastes a lot like chicken. The time and labor commitment would dissuade me from eating it in the future. Lots of bones, not all that much meet. And no, I didn't eat the head. That would just be barbaric.

Cusco, Peru- Llamas In The Streets

Yep. This is about what it is like traveling with my parents. It has been so fun. My dad is constantly ridiculous and my mom is sweet as ever. We took Cusco by storm. I loved the cobble stones, the llamas and the outfits of the locals. The only downside is the cold. Going from jungle to high elevation is traumatic. I hate to admit it, but I am a fair weather girl.

A random parade sprang up. Why not.

Old

So I am 27 and feeling rather old. However, I can't imagine a better place to spend my birthday than at Machu Picchu with my parents. It was ridiculously magical. And I am still young enough to do a few ninja moves.

We hiked the Machu Picchu mountain. Surprisingly, few tourists do this hike. It was through a cloud forest. Parts of the hike made me feel like I was scuba diving because the moss growing on the rocks resembled coral. There were also tons of flowers. Yipeee.