re: 9 days in Peru - highlights, pics, etc.

Ya, the ATVs looked like an opportunity to get out in the country a little bit.

We're going to train to Aguas early tomorrow morning, go up MP, and then catch the train to Poroy station in Cusco.

We're staying at Tambo's sister property Palacio Del Inka in Cusco for two nights.

Ya, Cusco did look dirty. It pretty much looks like what India and Cambodia cities look like. We'll spend the day around the plaza and market and go see the ruins. Have reservations at La Cicciolina which is supposed to be great.

We fly to Lima mid day on the 5th, so we'll run into town to have dinner at "amaz" in Miraflores before our 330am flight back.

Yeah i wanna check out the Amazon/ jungle one day

If you have time, you can surf in miraflores. It's nothing amazing but still fun. I ate at mangos in some mall on the coast the views are awesome.

Are you using anything from the OP trip review? I thought it was pretty damn awesome and am looking forward to anything you post/review.

I'm doing a good bit, if not all, of what's in the OP in the Sacred Valley. Due to time constraints I won't be visiting the oasis or Nazca, Titicaca, etc.

I'll have about a day in Lima. So will see how much I can do with that time outside of the dinner we have planned.

I'm being better about taking pictures of my food for a potential review, which is awkward as hell for me

Eating at what is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Cusco as well as in Lima.

About to mount up for the ATV tour, so I'll let y'all know how that goes. Hopefully I get some good shots.

ATV tour yesterday was cool. Salt Mines are pretty and Moray is totally aliens

On the bus in Machu Picchu Pueblo right now about to go up.

Ha I am so screwed. I guess I'm forcing myself to the gym the next 5 months.

That looks he11a gnar brah

I wanted to throw this is since it is a world record by LSU that nobody knows about and it will also be my last spot to visit in Peru (Morro de Calzada). And yes, I will be wearing my LSU baseball cap on this trip.

A New World Big Day Record – 354 Species!

The LSU Peru Big Day team has broken the world record for the most species observed in a single day! Their total of 354 ABA-countable species breaks the previous record by Robinson and Parker set in 1982 (as well as a non-ABA-recognized total of 342 set in Kenya). Below is a report on their effort with additional details. This was an effort to raise support and funds for research on Neotropical birds. You can find out more about the LSU Museum of Natural Science research program and donate to the cause at lsubigday.org

We knew we were close to the ABA big day record of Parker and Robinson when we arrived at the cliff-ringed peak of Morro de Calzada. Their record was 331 species, and a rough tally had us somewhere around 310. We also knew we could get at least ten additional night birds after dark. The last 45 minutes of daylight became critical. We raced down the roads, nearly got our vehicle stuck in wet sand, and sprinted up two trails into forest and scrub. We ticked off species as quickly as possible, trying to get the whole team on each (we were near our limit, per ABA rules, of 5% of species that may be missed by one or more team members). Dusk arrived quickly, birds became silent, and we tallied our additions. 335 species! We had beaten the Parker and Robinson record!

We knew, however, that another record existed, although it is not recognized by the ABA. In 1986, Terry Stevenson, John Fanshawe, and Andy Roberts had set a big day record in Kenya of 342 species. We thought we could beat that, too. We spotted Barn Owl and Blackish Nightjar around the cliffs of Morro de Calzada, and then tracked down a few more nightjars and owls and also found a few species we had accidentally left off the list. We got skunked by Ocellated Crake and Band-bellied Owl, but found both Stygian and Striped owls. At 9:30 pm, we finished the day with a trip to a slot canyon where Oilbirds nest. Struggling to keep our eyes open, we counted the peculiar Oilbird as our 354th and final species.



The spot:

Yeah I was going to suggest that earlier. We trained into agua mid afternoon stayed the night, woke up and did MP and HP and then trained/ busses back to cusco. frick that.
We bussed up to MP at 6am and didn't get back to cusco till 1am the next day. It was miserable. The train and busses sucked, I was car sick but my sister..... she threw up in a plastic bag we bought souvenirs in, 3 times. Then I had to make the bus driver pull over so she could empty the bag, throw up and SHITE on the side of the road( she was car sick and has c-dif or something) it was hell on earth, party our fault for thinking we would sleep on the late train/ bus back.

So if anyone plans on doing MP. What you need to do is.
Bus into Agua calientes one evening. Have dinner and sleep( or if you are a soccer fan like me play with the locals till 11pm, they have a big turf field in the middle of the mountains, breath taking views even at night and it's in the slums and very eye opening) then wake up early and be on the first bus to MP( or hike, it really isn't that bad from agua to MP but you will want to bus back so buy a ticket) then spend all day at MP. Bring snacks and water but they do have a little restaurant up there. Since you will be there all day take your time and do both Huyana Picchu and la Montana, make sure you walk the sun path or whatever. There's a ton to see and you have enough time. Oh bring sunscreen too. I did HP and it gives you amazing views of MP. It's not too bad but when we hiked they had a guy fall and bust his head, the rescuers carried him on their shoulders all the way down, anyone who has hiked it will now what a feat that is. Props to those park rangers . Some spots are narrow, steep and very slippery
Anyway just make sure you spend all day up there and I suggest getting a private guide, oh your ticket to MP lets you enter 3 times.
Then stay the night again in agua. You will want a good dinner and hot bath( i didn't go to the hot baths their, which is what agua calientes mean, they looked sketchy and we were starving.) THEN wake up and take a train out of there. Trust me.