Only buses are allowed to drive up and down the #road to Machu Picchu. It's a narrow and bumpy ride. #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/to-walk-or-t...

There are three choices for getting to #MachuPicchu: a 4 day hike on the #IncanTrail, a 25 min bus ride, or a 1 1/2 uphill hike from Aguas Calientes. With time being a limiting factor, we chose the bus. #travelblog #Peru #AndesMountains www.savorthemomentphotography.com/to-walk-or-t...

The town of #AguasCalientes is nestled deep in a valley of the #AndesMountains. #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/aguas-calien...

The only way into #AguasCalientes in by foot or train. There are no cars in town; however, there are buses to take you to Machu Picchu. #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/aguas-calien...

The town of #AguasCalientes was originally inhabited by a few farmers and mine and railway workers. It is now considered to be the gateway to Machu Picchu. #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/aguas-calien...

The train station in #Ollantaytambo is lined with souvenir and food booths. It takes an hour and a half to get to Aguas Calientes. #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/aguas-calien...

#AguasCalientes is a great place to stay when visiting Machu Picchu. We happened to be there during a parade and the streets were packed. #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/aguas-calien...

Our #hike ended in #Ollantaytambo nestled in the #PatacanchaValley. #travelblog #Peru #hikingadventures www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

The slopes of the mountains contain the green mineral olivene. When the sun shines on it, the color is stunning. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture the color with my camera. #travelblog #Peru #hikingadventures #hike www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-the-patacancha-valley-in-peru/

We thought we left the giant #insects behind in the Amazon Rainforest, but the Andes Mountains has some impressively large insects. #travelblog #entomology #It'sABugsLife #ShooFly www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

As we descended down towards the #PatacanchaValley, the scenery became more impressive. #travelblog #hikingadventures #Peru #hike www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-canyonlands-national-park/

Our visit coincided with the end of the dry season, so the terraces had no crops, but they are all still in use today. #PatacanchaValley #Peru #AndesMountains #farming #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

There were just a few homes located on the side of the mountain that we hiked down. #LifeinPatacanchaValley #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

The #PatacanchaValley #trail follows the irrigation canals that were built over a half century ago and are still in use today. #travelblog #Peru #terracefarming www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

The altitude at the beginning of the #PatacanchaValley #hike was 11,122 feet. Glad we were going downhill! #travelblog #hikingadventures #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

We started our hike down into the #PatacanchaValley from the Pumamarca ruins. I would say it was an easy #hike because we started at the top and worked our way down. #travelblog #Peru #hikingadventures www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-down-...

A #taxi in #Ollantaytambo, #Peru. It has one wheel in front and two in back. I really wanted to watch my over 6 feet tall husband try to fit inside one.😂 #travelblog #cultureshock www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the...

If you visit the ruins in #Ollantaytambo, be sure to give yourself some time to explore the town as well. #travelblog #SacredValley #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

We saw our first #llamas at the #Ollantaytambo #ruins. They also roam around Machu Picchu. #travelblog #Peru #animalphotography www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

The Incans utilized several different construction methods, all remarkable and impressively earthquake proof. #Ollantaytambo #Incan #ruins #Peru #travelblog #architecture www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

You must pass through the #market, geared towards tourists, to get to the entrance to the #Ollantaytambo ruins. Picking up a few souvenirs is a great way to support the locals. #travelblog #Peru #SacredValley www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

The view of the town and valley is stunning. We only spent about an hour here; you could easily spend the day exploring the ruins and the town. #Ollantaytambo #SacredValley #Peru #AndesMountains #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

The large structure built into the side of the mountain was used to store crops. The higher altitude and the way they were constructed allowed for maximum air flow to keep the crops fresh. #Ollantaytambo #travelblog #Peru #Incan www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

Window placement in #Incan #Architecture was always purposeful. In many cases, they were aligned with either the sun or various constellations. #Ollantaytambo #travelblog #Peru #ruins www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

When climbing to the top of the #ruins at #Ollantaytambo it is important to be mindful of the altitude. The town, even being located in a valley, is 9,160 feet above sea level. #travelblog #Peru #traveladventures www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

#TempleHill, also called the Fortress, was used primarily as a religious site. It consists of farming terraces, crop storage buildings and the Temple of the Sun, which was never completed. #travelblog #Ollantaytambo #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

The #Ollamtaytambo #Ruins were built in the 15th century as part of the #IncanEmpire in the northern end of the #SacredValley in #Peru. #travelblog #archeology www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-the-ollantaytambo-ruins/

The grounds are beautiful at #CasaAndinaPremiumValleSagradoHotel. There are restaurants and a spa on site. However, it is not within walking distance of anything so you will need a car/driver for any sightseeing. #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/casa-andina-premium-valle-sagrado-hotel/

At the #CasaAndinaPremiumValleSagradoHotel all second floor rooms have private balconies with views of the mountains. I love #aroomwithaview! #Peru #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/casa-andina-premium-valle-sagrado-hotel/

We spent two nights at the beautiful #CasaAndinaPremiumValleSagradoHotel, nestled in the mountains of the #SacredValley in #Peru. #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/casa-andina-premium-valle-sagrado-hotel/

The drainage system in the town of #Pisac diverts the water from the town and to the farming fields. The system built at Machu Picchu is still in use today. #travelblog #learnsomethingneweveryday #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

These are all watercolor pigments. The color they paint, is not always the color you think they will make. They are so vibrant and beautiful. I bought two sets. #Pisac #Peru #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

The town of #Pisac was cute. We arrived late in the day and the #market was already beginning to close. Many of the markets in the Cusco region sold the same items, so if you miss the one in Pisac, there are many more. www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

I was not aware of how prevalent #terracedfarming is throughout the country of #Peru. It makes sense, as half of their country is covered by the #AndesMountains. #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

The sun setting behind the mountains in the #SacredValley of #Peru. #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

We learned to tell the difference between authentic baby alpaca fur and synthetic. The first shearing of an alpaca has the softest fur and is therefore more expensive. #SacredValley #Peru #TextilesSulca #travelblogger www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

Our fifth day in #Peru had us sightseeing and shopping in the #SacredValley. Our first stop was #TextilesSulca, a museum and boutique. #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/sight-seeing-and-shopping-in-the-sacred-valley/

There's something about #bridges, doesn't matter the size, that makes me want to stop and snap a photo. #Amazon #rainforest #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-a-mammal-clay-lick-in-the-amazon-rainforest/

Not a great photo, but the best we could manage. Our guide was so excited, he had not seen a #HarpyEagle in years. He heard it, told us to follow him, and started running through the jungle. As we were running, I was remembering the top cause of death in the jungle is getting lost! #wildlife #bird

There is a #capybara sitting right in the middle of the frame...looking like a lump of dirt. 😂 One of the many times I regretted not have my telephoto lens. #travelblog #Amazon #wildlife #rainforest #jungle www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-a-mammal-clay-lick-in-the-amazon-rainforest/

...and I thought the Hawthorn trees near my home had thorns... Impressive defense mechanism. #tree #Amazonrainforest #Peru #jungle www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-a-mammal-clay-lick-in-the-amazon-rainforest/

Sometimes it was difficult to tell a #vine apart from a #tree. #travelblog #Amazon #rainforest #peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-a-mammal-clay-lick-in-the-amazon-rainforest/

Our final expedition was hiking to a mammal clack lick deep in the #jungle. #travelblog #Amazon #rainforest www.savorthemomentphotography.com/visiting-a-mammal-clay-lick-in-the-amazon-rainforest/

The bottom third of the #StranglerFig #tree was all we could fit in the frame. #travelblog #Amazon #rainforest #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/amazon-rainforest-hike-in-peru/

I asked our guide if we could go in the tree. He smiled and said, "Yes, after you." I asked, "Do you think anything lives inside the tree?" He said, "Probably." I said, "You first." He laughed and said, "That's probably a good idea," and unlatched the fastener holding his knife. #StranglerFig #tree

The #StranglerFig #trees were so huge that I could not fit them in my camera frame no matter how I positioned myself. #Amazon #rainforest #travelblog #treehugger www.savorthemomentphotography.com/amazon-rainforest-hike-in-peru/

I spy an #eel. To confirm that it was an eel, and not an anaconda tail, I pointed it out to our guide. When he was done laughing hysterically at me, he said, my first guess of eel was correct. #travelblog #wildlife www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-through-the-amazon-rainforest-to-oxbow-lake/

When I saw where we were disembarking from the canoe, I thought, oh, look, anaconda grass and a moderately foreboding looking trail into the jungle. #travelblog #Amazon #Peru #youonlyliveonce www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-through-the-amazon-rainforest-to-oxbow-lake/

Feeding #pirahnas was not on my bucket list, I retroactively added it, just so I could check it off. 😂 #Amazon #Peru #travelblog www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-through-the-amazon-rainforest-to-oxbow-lake/

As I was focusing on dragonflies, attempting to relax, our guide announced he was heading to the grass, to anchor the boat, so we could feed piranhas. #AmazonRainforest #travelblog #Peru www.savorthemomentphotography.com/hiking-through-the-amazon-rainforest-to-oxbow-lake/