Author Archives: 3jmann

West Coast Fall 2023, Part One

October 10 – 19 October rolled around and we planned a three week road trip that would take us to Oakland to celebrate Jessica’s milestone birthday (I won’t reveal what age that is), Kamp Angst, Bishop, Henderson, Meadview (to visit 90 plus year old Uncle Dick), Flagstaff, Sedona, and Tucson, giving us lots of opportunities […]

Cisco Fest 2023 – Portland, Part Two

September 26-28 We continued east a quick ten miles on Interstate 84 to the Bonneville Dam and Cascade Locks complex, a site I’ve visited before and look forward to each time.  At the time of its construction in the 1930s it was the largest water impoundment project of its type in the nation, able to […]

Cisco Fest 2023 – Portland, Part One

September 26-28 After our return from Peru, we enjoyed a couple of trips close to home, including one to Oakland to see the kids and little Gemma, got caught up on our bike riding, and generally enjoyed being at home for a stretch.  Unfortunately, towards the end of August, I suffered the beginning of what […]

Peru – The Amazon

July 27-29 Our first day in the Amazon would be a full one, starting with a 3:00 am departure from our hotel in Cusco that soon found us at the airport for our flight to Lima (our direct flight was cancelled) to Puerto Maldonado, which sits 34 miles west of the Bolivian border and is […]

Peru – Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu, Part Three

July 25-26 In our last post we left Joanna at KM 104 to begin her hike up the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu.  Not fond of writing, she reluctantly, but effectively, related her experience for us as follows: “When the train stopped at KM 104 (Chackabamba) I was a bit anxious as I wasn’t sure […]

Peru – Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu, Part Two

July 25-26 The four of us (Luis, Beppie and Ian) soon arrived at the entrance to the grounds, cleared security and began to wind up our way upward through the terraced landscape until we reached a high ground overlooking the entire complex.  It was steep going and at this altitude not as easy as one […]

Peru – Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu, Part One

July 25-26 This would be a long and exciting day as we finally make our way to Machu Picchu, starting early in the morning to catch our ride, the Inka Trail’s 360 Machu Picchu Train, a dedicated line that runs from Cusco past Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.  Featuring panoramic windows, free snacks and an […]

Peru – Ollantaytambo, Part Two

July 24 Arriving in Urubamba, we parked on one of the main streets, walked into a walled lot and found ourselves ready to enjoy a break at AMA Sacred Valley, a local organization that provides training and job opportunities to the vulnerable populations of the Sacred Valley.  Its boutique sells traditional (alpaca) handicrafts made by […]

Peru – Ollantaytambo, Part One

July 24 Although our driving time today would not be as lengthy as prior days, we would stay very busy visiting several sites, including the first of the day, a local jewelry maker high in the hills above Cusco.  Operated by a local artist, we entered the shop through the ground floor garage and climbed […]

Peru – Cusco, Part Two

July 22-23 We set out from the hotel for a quick walking tour of the neighborhood nearby; indeed, one of the selling points of the overall tour was the central location of the hotels we had been staying in.  In this case our initial destination was the  San Pedro Central Market, the city’s main food […]