Travel Tips

Despite all of the clues that we've loaded on our VT Machu Picchu page, we still had several fine photos left over. Sure, we could have written three or four tips about looking through windows at Machu Picchu or on llamas, but that wouldn't have made sense. So this travelogue will consist of the eight photographs that we liked the most but couldn't associate with a Machu Picchu tip. So, it will lack the humor of oour Irish travelogue or the Adventure of our Tierra del Fuego write-up, but we hope it will be at least as visually attractive.

This picture was taken on our first, rainiest day, and reminded us of Chinese paintings that focus on vertical mountains and softening clouds.

This picture didn't remind us of a chinese painiting, because we couldn't think of any that had llamas. But the llamas are just too difficult to ignore with your camera. And they make excellent props for window shots or if you need something interesting in the foreground.

The llamas are best when they're alert. Their ears swing around like radar dishes catching a long-sought signal from outer space.

Sometimes, wandering around Machu Picchu makes you feel like you're in a maze and it's easy to get separated from the rest of your party. So it's always good to see them again.

Huayna Picchu is ubiquitous mountain -- it's hard to go anywhere in Machu Picchu without seeing it. Luckily, it is perfectly shaped and always dressed in a different garment of clouds, so you never get tired of it. Okay, maybe this llama disagrees with that statement, but the llamas see it every day.

Take pictures often. I went through four rolls of 36-print film and Andrea filled up her digital camera. Sarah took countless photos herself, and we still didn't get bored looking at them.

Machu Picchu is beautiful in its architecture and its setting.