Off we go again!

Blindsided by the loss of our Mac powercord, we floundered in Blogger wilderness for a few days. It's amazing how dependent we can be on our electronics, even when supposedly dropping off the face of the earth to wander the globe. And yet... we still have perfect access to the net via internet cafés on every street corner. I marvel at the differences between travel now and in the past, waiting a month for a letter to arrive, knowing that a response would take at least as long . Now I can sit in an internet cafe listening to the new TV on the Radio album and chat away over skype or gchat...

We spent a few days enjoying Cuzco with my brother, were stunned by the exploitative town at the base of Machu Picchu, and marveled at the brilliance of the lost city of the Incas. My brother returned home and Megan and I escaped Cuzco before it drove us absolutely insane. The "Gringo capital of South America" is both a beautiful small city of cobblestone alleyways and a nightmare of trying to avoid the ubiquitous entrepreneurs/street touts trying to make a buck off everyone passing by- no surprise, as just about every traveler in South America passes through Cuzco. The bars even sell t-shirts that say "No Gracias" across the front. I still can't wait to put up our photos from those days though, especially Machu Picchu. I can only imagine what Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and the Sacred Valley were like when Megan's parents spent time there on their own travels. It sounds like it was a totally different world.

We've enjoyed the pristine and relaxed environment of Arequipa for the past few days, a breath of fresh air and time for me to deal with my own bout of stomach troubles. Healthily recuperated by a mix of anti-parasite pills, fresh vegetables, and more soup than I ever want to see again; we are off to Colca Canyon tomorrow. Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, it's depth is only eclipsed by the nearby Cotahuasi Canyon (apparently that depends on how one measures Canyon depth, however that's done). When we return from a few days of hiking down and back up, I'm sure we'll have gleaned a bit of understanding on the topic...

PS- For any DC residents, an interesting article on local restaurant culture: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/dining/14wash.html?pagewanted=2&em