How to do Machu Picchu and more

Dear Readers, Thanks for stopping by. I am a sporadic blogger and I appreciate your sticking with me. We've recently returned from five weeks in Peru and Colombia. Too many stories! But I will start with one of the best — Machu Picchu. Got a few minutes? 

A view from inside the citadel showing a small part of Machu Picchu...

... and a view from atop Machu Picchu Mountain, which we managed to climb. 

The truth is I didn't want to go to Machu Pichu. And neither did PK. Almost everybody has seen the iconic Machu Pichu photos, right? How much better can the place be in real-time?

A whole lot better, it turns out — it is among my most inspiring travel experiences ever.

Thanks to Steve Lambros, one of our two travel partners, for insisting that If we're going to Peru, I'm going to Machu Picchu! And so did we all. 

Our travel buddies Steve Lambros, Laurie Gerloff

on the train to Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu.

During our trip planning, we learned about Machu Picchu's infamous crowds.  A World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist destination in South America, and also at the top of the list for most beautiful places on the entire continent.  Guide books warn to order tickets far in advance and plan strategically to avoid hordes during high season.

Fortunately, we traveled to Peru during the low season, which often means rain. We got lucky. No rain and only a small crowd at Machu Picchu around 8:30 a.m., Dec. 13, 2019. 

When to go? According to a tour company's brochure:

The best months are late March, APRIL, May, and September, OCTOBER, November. During these months, Machu Picchu and the hiking trails that lead to it tend to be less crowded and with relatively good weather.

Note that June, July, and August - peak season with tons of tourists - are not recommended, and neither are December, January, and February - rainy season. 

Had it been raining on our Machu Picchu day, we would have been stuck with it as our arrangements had been made well in advance.

The thing is, you don't just say, on a lark, "Oh! It's a beautiful day! Let's go to Machu Picchu!" And there you are, dropped off at the gate. You can't take a direct flight, or direct anything, to Machu Picchu except for the short bus ride from Aguas Calientes that does stop at the gate. At the very least, once in Peru, a train and a bus are involved, and for hardy souls, two or four days of hiking the Inca Trail.

Machu Picchu tourists most often must find their way from Cusco, and that journey is worth noting. Machu Picchu is part of the storied Sacred Valley, as is the ancient city of Ollantaytambo, where tourists hop on a train to get to the most famous of all Inca ruins.

The Ollantaytambo train station is a marvel of efficiency with two final destinations: Aguas Calientes, a gateway to Machu Picchu, or, going the other direction, Cusco.

We hired a van to tote us 45 miles from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, in itself a tourist destination. Even without Machu Picchu being an hour and a half up the train tracks, this town's own grand archeological site and the ancient city's Inca-era grid of cobblestone streets and Inca-style walls and buildings would still draw and awe crowds.

This is the door to someone's home. See the modern 422 address? The larger smooth stones were likely placed by the Incas. The smaller stones held together with mortar were likely not. 

Our Machu Picchu guide said that visiting during the rainy season is
advantageous because one can observe the clever drainage system.
Stone gutters go for blocks uncovered, then disappear and reappear all 
the way to the mighty Urubamba River. 

We scored a great hotel with a balcony overlooking the scene pictured below. Altogether, we spent nearly a week in Ollantaytambo, and it took that long to figure out how to pronounce the name. 

The Ollantaytambo Archeological Park as viewed from across the valley. This site, the town itself, and Machu Picchu are all part of Peru's incredible Sacred Valley.

Typical indigenous dress and a typical tourist look.

Next, we caught the train to Aguas Calientes, a 1.5-hour ride away, and the next morning, a shuttle bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.

This is the rip-roaring Urubamba River, which the train to Aguas Calientes follows the entire distance. It is a breathtaking river studded with Class 5 and 6 rapids and waterfalls. If you go, try to get a seat on the "river" side of the train. The river can be seen from numerous vantage points from Machu Picchu  Mountain. 

We stayed overnight in Aguas Calientes, just a short bus ride from Machu Picchu, so we could enter around 8 a.m. and begin climbing Machu Picchu Mountain by 9 a.m.

When you buy your MP ticket, you must select an entry time and a time to climb either MP Mountain or Huayna Picchu, if you choose to climb either. Huayna Picchu is the peak that appears behind the Inca City in the classic postcard photo of Machu Picchu.

But wait. What about Aguas Calientes? Everyone who visits Machu Picchu must pass through this town, which you can't drive to. The town has capitalized on its captive audience with remarkable public art and numerous hotels and restaurants.  If you visit Machu Picchu, staying the night before in Aguas Calientes makes good sense.

The hot springs for which the town is named are walking distance from
 the train station and downtown.

Back to Machu Picchu Mountain - The Climb Begins

We registered at the trailhead soon after 8 a.m. and started up after we decided to climb first, tour the citadel later. Four hours is the average time required to get up and down the mountain.

We began at 8,000 feet elevation and ended at 10,042 ft. after 1.5 miles. Whew! Fortunately, we were acclimated from having been at high elevation for several days. But still. We were huffing and puffing all the way.

The trail is advertised as being suitable for older people and children. We didn't see any children, and we were by far the oldest people. In all, we may have seen 20 others during our four hours on the trail. Most appeared to be in their 20s or 30s.  It is so weird to always be among the oldest people. We're grateful to be ambulatory and even, dare I say, fit.

Yes, the trail is super steep and rocky.

Every now and then, a person must stop and rest.

Huayna Picchu, the other mountain trail, is shorter and steeper but requires less time. However, people with vertigo or fear of heights were cautioned, and children under 12 are not allowed.

Although the Machu Picchu Mountain trail was in great condition, it was a series of steep rock steps of varying heights. 

Climbing the mountain required eager lungs, a stout willing heart, stalwart legs, bulletproof knees, and a clear brain focused on the task at hand, not straying toward sanity issues. 

So beautiful. So steep. Don't fall.

PK and I were grateful for the steep hills we'd forced ourselves to hike near our Oregon home in preparation. Little did we know at Machu Picchu that the MP Mountain was easy compared with another hike coming at us in a few weeks. Worst hike ever. Later. 

Not exactly the view Steve was hoping for when he reached the top of Machu Picchu Mountain, but the mists disappeared quickly.

A few moments later....clouds are on their way out. So amazing.

I love this photo of Laurie taking her last few steps to the summit

It almost hurts to take in all this beauty. A view from the mountain trail

                    
                                     What goes up must come down.

Laurie always uses a hiking pole. Me too. 

Descending was almost as challenging as climbing. I would have been helpless without a hiking pole. Yet hiking poles were not allowed except for "older people." (See below all the objects and behaviors that are forbidden.) I passed a young woman on the descent who was clinging to her partner, covetous of my stick. The reason for the rule? Hiking sticks with metal tips may damage features of the ruins. Rubber-tipped sticks are permitted for older people. We'll take it.

Every view change is gasp-worthy.  It isn't just the citadel, but the river and the mountains. If you can go, do.

Machu Picchu Rules

I love most of the Machu Pichu regulations. My absolute fave is that selfie sticks are not allowed. I loathe selfie sticks and their tendency to create self-absorbed people. I can't count the times during the past few years of travel that selfie-stick-users have ruined otherwise fabulous scenery. They're so oblivious. Who could possibly be interested in their photos when their faces are front and center in every single one?

More Machu Picchu rules, and the entire list:

• No general tumult. (The actual word used.) 
• No running or jumping
• No climbing or leaning on features.
• No weapons
• No tripods. This is a tough one, but tripods take a lot of space and time when both are limited.
• No high heels. Duh.
• No obscene acts inappropriate in a public place and that threaten morals and good manners such as undressing, disguising, lying down, or running. They're really against running.

Our guide, Fran, was excited telling us the Machu Picchu story.

Seeing Machu Picchu with a Guide - It's a Rule

If you want to explore this stunning and surprising place, you must hire a guide. We did not need a guide to climb the mountain, however.

Numerous accredited guides hang out near the entry. We happily paid $20 a person for a couple hours of guide services, then provided a generous tip because having a guide increases comprehension and enjoyment immeasurably. Plus it undoubtedly saves the site from people who'd love to chip off chunks of Inca genius.  Evidence of genius is everywhere at Machu Picchu.

The Incas were dialed into the stars, earth, rivers and all of nature. Their astronomical knowledge, agricultural skills, and engineering expertise continue to wow visitors and scientists. 

This wall seems ordinary, right? It is ordinary in Machu Pichu and other Inca ruins, but not elsewhere. Each rock is polished and shaped to fit perfectly with surrounding rocks. A credit card isn't thin enough to slip between the junctures. Even more amazing, the citadel withstood a 6.5 earthquake in the mid-1400s as described in this National Geographic article. Also, a great deal of engineering is in the foundation which extends deep below ground.

By contrast, our guide said, this wall was erected as part of restoration sometime after Machu Pichu was "discovered"  in 1911 by a Yale archeologist, Hiram Bigham. You could put all your credit cards in the cracks and never see them again.

What the heck is this? Note that the small rock "column" remains after the stone it was carved from has mostly disappeared. But why? Our guide couldn't wait to tell us.

The detail carved into rocks on either side of a door anchored the gate. This is just one little tiny thing in a vast outdoor museum of wonders.

I could go on about the Incas, but instead, I will leave you with images of beautiful things that renew each season.

FLOWERS ALONG THE
MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Yard Sale Encounter Reveals Reality of Losing a Life Partner

Dear Readers. This post is a departure from my usual photo-heavy accounts of travel and everyday life. Instead, it is a look back to the 1980s when I was a 30-something reporter/columnist at southern Oregon's Grants Pass Daily Courier, an independent newspaper that is still publishing.

I wrote this column decades ago. Now I'm older than the widowed man who inspired it. Now I have friends who've lost their life partners and many others who are facing this inevitability. As are we all.

I found this yellowed clipping in a tucked-away "miscellaneous" folder. I was surprised that the younger me kinda got it about this time of life. The older me sure does. 

                                                                                   

This was an early weekly column of mine published in the newspaper.
 Later it was called Second Thoughts. 

I was driving between Rogue River and Gold Hill late in the afternoon last week, reveling in the richness of spring, when my car swung a quick left into a yard sale.


The drive led through high brush and opened onto a rough clearing. It was the kind of clearing that looks like the forest would gobble it up if your back was turned too long.

An older fella sat on a straight-backed chair at the edge of an unkempt yard. He tipped back in his chair to look me over as I stepped out of my VW van. 

The yard sale was disappointing. There wasn't much in the way of toys for my little boy, who was with me. No plaid wool shirt for my husband, no vintage clothing or kitchen gadgets for me.

The old man, however, was interesting. He followed us around the sale, offering a comment here and there. He seemed disoriented like it wasn't really his stuff at the yard sale. He seemed to feel a need to explain. 

"Ya, I've been alone now six months," he said. ""No need for all these things now. No one to answer to when I get up in the morning. No work and no wife." And he laughed a dry little laugh.

I poked around in the yard sale: a pressure cooker, polyester women's clothing, a few colored bottles, ashtrays, books.

My son spotted a tiny electric organ and wanted to try it.

"Oh, it's all full of dust," the man apologized. His light blue eyes were watery and bloodshot. His face was blustery. He spat tobacco and shuffled around, wanting to talk.

"My wife got this for me," he said, nodding toward the organ.
"Never did learn to play it."

Together we got the thing to work. It wheezed thin organ noise, but the sound was lost in the racket of a near-by mill and the roaring traffic on the I-5 corridor.

I fiddled with a lawn decoration, a donkey that kicked its heels when a propeller it was attached to was spun around.

"Wife got that for me," the man said. "Almost don't feel right selling it. She said I was a jackass and got that for me when I come home from a work trip," he said, a smile trying to happen. "It has real sentimental value."

The plastic donkey kicked up its heels while my little boy spun its propeller, oblivious to sentimental value, growing old or losing a life partner.

"I got a call in Alaska that she was sick," he said like he still could not believe it. "Six months later, she was gone."

"Cancer?" I asked. 

"Yes," he said and spat into the dust. 

"We had plans," he told me. "We were going to do so many things when we retired, but now all that is gone."

We spoke a bit about how nothing on this earth can be counted on to last. He told me of his plans to travel and, like the plastic donkey, kick up his heels.

"Maybe one day I'll settle down again," he mused, but it didn't seem like he was ready for any heel-kicking. 

"We pretty much got wiped out this last year," he said to no one in particular. "Hospital bills came to about $75,000 and not much covered by insurance. About wiped us out. About wiped me out," he amended.

His words leaked out in slow motion and hung around his head a while before disappearing into the woods. His trailer house squatted against a lush Oregon hillside. An old log structure sat incongruously nearby. The yard sale surrounded him.

"I'm selling everything," he said, sweeping a hand around. "Everything."

Together we looked at what represented everything in his life. Old boots, a folding cot, his wife's clothing, cracked dishes. The donkey yard decoration.

Another potential customer drove into the yard. A young man busted out of his pickup as if he was afraid somebody else would get the juicy bargains if he didn't get to them first.

"Well," I said, lamely. "Goodbye. And good luck in your travels."

The man did not respond but looked past me into the Rogue Valley's afternoon haze.

My empty words spiraled and fell flat into the dust. 

G-Pa and G-ma Summer Camp 2019

Childhood passes all too quickly. 

We have only two grandkids and we don't see them often enough. They are ages 9 and 6. We miss them. We love them. Knowing how years flash by and children disappear into adults, we decided we needed to do something while they're still kids.

We reside six hours from Reno, where they live. When we see them there, we're usually squeezed into a short weekend. 
Once we recover from how much they've grown since our previous visit, we've hardly had time to get reacquainted.

Short of relocating to Reno, we decided in 2018 to try hosting an annual five-day G-pa and G-ma Camp. 

Here they are at ages 2 and 5. We did not consider hosting a camp then. It wore us out just to watch them!

But in 2018, Noah, then 8, ventured north solo to assess conditions and entertainment at our first camp. We passed his test. Hadley, then 5, hung behind in Reno, not quite ready to leave her parents. 

This year she made a personal growth decision and joined the party. Yay Hadley! 

G-pa PK drove to their Reno home and returned with both kids on a Monday afternoon. Camp started during the drive.

En route, they listened to NPR's Wow in the World podcasts.  They snacked. They also stopped for an hour at Burney Falls not far from Mt. Shasta. Great stop for anyone. They snacked.

The moment they arrived at our home camp, it was  GO time! It was also snack time, which continued throughout their waking hours for the entire time they were with us. 

Here we are now. And we're hungry. Almond flour bread and homegrown blueberries on the table. Noah consumed about a pint of blueberries daily. The Almond bread is grain-free, protein-rich and delicious. Kids can't tell it's healthy. With a little maple syrup and strawberries, they loved it. Recipe here, thanks to Erin at Well Plated blog.

A to-do list for short list of grandparent camp activities ends this post.

Here's what we did this year.

MONDAY
Exploring our 3.5 acres of orchard,  garden, and pasture created some happy moments. They discovered a ping pong table, new since they were here last November. They visited the miniature horses across the road, and the rescued horses around the corner. They ate.

Noah climbed apple trees as his father did.

They played in the hot tub every night.

Noah reads to Hadley at bedtime. One child sleeps in the bed, the other on the floor. Taking turns. So sweet. They are great companions. Such a gift. We were so impressed by Noah's care for his little sister.

TUESDAY

PK and I kept to our Tuesday schedule of classes (me) and machine workouts (him) at Club Northwest in Grants Pass and the kids spent two hours at the club's KidZone. 

The kids' KZ verdict: Fun!

We had lunch at Circle J in downtown Grants Pass, just a few steps from the Grants Pass Museum of Art where I'd signed them up for a kids' drawing workshop, the first of a summer series.

Two hours of drawing seems long, but both said they'd do it again. I wish they could! There's still time to sign kids up for additional classes.

Artist and museum employee, Kristen O'Neill, shows aspiring young artists paintings by master graphic artist M.C. Escher. Noah is all eyes and ears.

The class ended at 3 p.m. but one little student persisted.

WEDNESDAY

We started the day at the Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center, a popular community and tourism fixture that has made numerous improvements since we last visited a couple decades ago. 

They scampered forth eager to see black and

grizzly bears, a cougar, wolves, birds of prey

and many other rescued animals, incapable of

living in the wild. 

Afterward, I took them up a mile of our rural road to visit a friend who'd invited us to frolic a bit with her baby goats.

Entertaining kids doesn't have to be complicated.

Every creature was happy.

Next, we visited the thrift shop at the Rogue River Community Center.  This was not on the entertainment roster, but Noah hadn't packed long pants and the next day we would be touring the Oregon Caves.

The caves are a constant 44 degrees Fahrenheit. The kid needed long pants. The community thrift shop is in an old one-story house staffed by volunteers. Prices are very good.  

The thrift shop quickly became "entertainment."

Noah and Hadley searched the entire space, ferreting out a cardboard box filled with small items. mostly toys, priced at 50 cents each, and another box priced at 25 cents.

After an hour or so, I spent $13.50 on items such as a vintage Barbie doll, a fishing tackle box, a pair of shoes for Hadley (the blue ones above), and various and sundry items. 

No pants. But we were able to borrow some from a neighbor. 

A thrift shop visit will be part of the itinerary next year as grandparents camp continues. 

We'll carry on as long as they want, and we have the energy

Another adorable bedtime story scenario. Hadley loses a tooth during this time. See the envelope in her hand? It's a note to the tooth fairy requesting $20. I could have cried "inflation!" But the tooth fairy came through with the cash.

THURSDAY - Best Day Ever!

In the morning, PK took the kids to tour the Oregon Vortex, AKA the World Famous House of Mystery, the "famous circular area with its unique phenomena." It is notable that the kid on the left is taller than Noah, on the right, by several inches. Many other optical illusions can be experienced.

Then it was on to It's a Burl!, a not-to-be-missed-outrageous-local-color Southern Oregon art attraction. We were en route to mid-afternoon reservations to tour the Oregon Caves

Here they are at It's a Burl in Kerby, OR, an enchanting conglomeration of whimsical, fantastical wooden furniture and art pieces. Including four climbable treehouses. 

It's a Burl's outside tree houses are crack for kids, although they're as steep and rugged as they are irresistible, and adult supervision is recommended, especially for younger children.

PK keeps vigil below while I'm occupied above in
a tree house with Noah and Hadley.

I don't how many times over the decades we snubbed It's a Burl going to the Oregon coast and back. We dismissed it as a trashy tourist trap. We were so wrong!  If you're traveling Hwy. 99 between Grants Pass and the Oregon Coast, treat yourself to a visit. Kids love it as well as adults.

This is our Caves guide, Neil, a retired geologist who led a group of 11 on an educational and entertaining 90-minute tour of the Oregon Caves. Part scholar, part comedian he initiated selfies with everyone when the tour ended.

Noah loved the caves. Hadley was not as enthusiastic. She declined to be in the selfie.  I was unable to get any decent cave photos, but this site has em.

After the up-and-down caves tour, we took the somewhat longer route back to the parking lot that included an overlook of the Siskiyou Mountains and the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. 

Several trails start at the visitors'
center. Next time we'll plan more hiking.

The friendly Caves visitors' center offered coffee and hot chocolate, which we accepted with gratitude. Hot chocolate put the kids in the mood for a nap on the way home.

It was almost 7 p.m. when we got back to "camp." We took the easy way out for dinner and drove a mile to a super little Mexican restaurant, Taqueria La Guacamaya, in Rogue River. They list dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and French fries on their Kid's Menu. Clean plates!

FRIDAY
Their parents will arrive mid-afternoon, and we didn't plan any morning excursions. So we made stuff.

Brother and sister love art projects. G-ma made a still life arrangement and both were happy with what they created. Then they helped  G-pa with preparations for an early afternoon fishing float in the wooden driftboat G-Pa built years ago.

This fuzzy photo is G-pa with kids in his driftboat preparing to put-in at the boat ramp in Rogue River after the fishing trip. Noah even caught a fish! The photo is a screenshot from a video taken by the kids' mom, Heather. She and our son, Quinn, surprised them at the boat ramp.

With parents' arrival and camp officially over, we reveled in having both of our sons and their loved ones with us for the next couple days.

Heather shows Hadley how to make a friendship bracelet.

Noah doesn't need a lot of help putting together a motorcycle, but Dad (Quinn) is there for him. 

Playing with sand, water, rocks, and sticks at a safe beach along the Rogue River entertains them for hours.

A challenging log accumulation task for a young man with only one supervisor.

Hadley has her own project.

• 

  Noah and Hadley at the center of our family. Chris on the left with Chelsea, Quinn with Heather, G-ma and G-pa. 

PARTIAL LIST OF WHAT TO DO WITH KIDS- ROGUE VALLEY SPECIFIC
*places we've been with g-kids

• Hike Waters Creek Interpretive Trail - near Grants Pass
• Hike to Rainie Falls - Along the Rogue River Trail from Grave Creek
• Hike, hike, hike. Trails are endless.
• Family Fun Center  - Central Point
• Riverside Park Spray Park - Grants Pass
• Mill Creek Falls hike with a stop for pie at Beckie's Cafe
• Kerbyville Museum 
• It's a Burl* - Selma/Kerby
• Crater Rock Museum* Central Point
• Grants Pass Museum of Art kids classes*
• Hellgate Jetboat ride - Grants Pass
• Touvelle Jetboat Ride
• Oregon Caves* Cave Junction, closest town
• Cole H.Rivers Fish Hatchery* - Prospect area
• Oregon Vortex* - near Gold Hill
• Science Works Museum - Ashland
• Railroad Park - Medford
• Cat Park - Cave Junction
• Glass Forge - Grants Pass
• Sanctuary One - animal rescue - Applegate Valley
• Rooster Crow in Rogue River *- last weekend in June
• Numerous community celebrations and festivals throughout the summer and fall.

WHAT TO DO WITH GRANDKIDS ANYWHERE

Playing with sand, water, rocks, and sticks entertains children for hours. Clean water and sand just about anywhere will do. As would swimming pools, public spray parks, and other water-play features.

• Arts and crafts such as tie-dying, rock painting, beading 
• Scavenger hunts 
• Cooking/baking with G-ma or G-pa 
• Construction projects
• Public library activities or just browsing
• Fishing, hiking, swimming, bike riding
• Visiting the Oregon Coast and/or Redwoods