Natalie and I finally posted our pictures from Peru. We both had cameras, so we ended the trip with about 1,500 pictures. After two weeks of adjusting, cropping, and deleting pictures, we've wittled it down to only 757 photos.

I know, I know, that's one heck of a lot of photos, but we decided there were just too many that couldn't be deleted.

We've posted the photos on Picassa, so if you're interested in seeing them, drop me a line, and we can get you permission to the album.

Enjoy.

My girlfriend and I have been travelling around Peru for the past week or so. It has been nothing short of awesome.

Our first stop was in Lima for one night, after which point, we left to go to the Amazon Basin, specifically Puerto Maldonado. In Puerto Maldonado, we were picked up by our guide, and quickly ushered down the Tambopata river. From our jungle lodge, we had a number of rather excellent excursions. We went to a bird clay lick, where we saw a fair amount of birds, including red maccaws. We went to a jungle farm, and learned about their practices, and ate a bunch of fruit (some normal, some strange). We climbed a tower into the jungle canopy and did some bird watching from there, and we spent a night camping in the jungle. On that last excursion, we saw the most poisonous spider in Peru (I think), and saw some other spiders that I have to admit were damned frightening. So far, no malaria, or other jungle diseases to speak of.

At the moment we are in Cusco, which is effectively the tourist capital of Peru. Today we saw the Sacred Valley, and tomorrow we head out on a four-day hike along the Inca trail, culminating at Machu Piccu.

From here, we head to Arequipa, and from there, to Lima and then home.

My girlfriend and I have been getting ready to go to Peru finally, and one thing we had to do was to make some real hats to will keep us warm at night.

I've spent some time shopping around for hats, but really, when it comes down to it, there is no finer camping hat than a balaclava. It can be worn on your head Smurf-style; It can be worn all the over your head burglar style; Perhaps you want it below your chin, or maybe above. You can pull the whole hat over your entire head and poke your head through the face hole so it works as a scarf. I ask you what other hat could possibly accomplish all this?

Ah, the balaclava - My favorite piece of gear. After months abuse, they never give up. The ones that I make are always made of 200 weight Malden Mills Polartec fleece, which is the finest fleece in the land. I just take a sheet of it, hold it around my head and start pining. After a good twenty minutes of pinning and stitching, I cut out the face hole, give it a blessing and consider it done.