I spent 7 weeks touring the wonderful country of Peru.  I mt. biked in the Cordillera Blanca and Negra around Haurez with Julio Olaza of www.chakinaniperu.com.  I stayed a great Hotel in Haurez called Olaza’s Guest House.  I also stayed at the beautiful Lazy Dog Inn at 12,000 ft that is owned by an expat couple from Canada who are doing wonderful work in the surrounding community.  I rode a wonderful horse named Yurak Yacu to the base of Mt. Pucaranra and experienced the wilds of the Huascaran National Park.  Julio and the rest of the Olaza family introduced me to Peruvian family culture and made me feel welcome in their home of Haurez.

I also did a 10 day tour from Cusco into the backcountry of Peru’s wonderful Andean Highlands and the Manu High Cloud Rainforest with KE Adventure and the local guides of Amazonas Explorers. My traveling companions from Norway, the Uk, and Scotland were great adventure partners.  My Peruvian Guides and staff made my trip a memorable adventure.

In between I rafted the world class Apurimac River with Mayuc Inc, a truly experienced professional guide service. I enjoyed the culture of Cusco including  the markets, theatre, artisans, and discos. I sweated unmercilfully in the Amazon Jungle along the Tambopata River and saw an exciting array of jungle wildlife.   I met an exceptional adventure “Jungle Diva” who is one of a group of pioneering women in the profession of jungle guides. 

All in all it was truly an epic adventure of a lifetime.  The people in Peru were wonderful.  They offered me friendship and good advice from Lima to the backcountry of the highlands and beyond.  Thank you for all that you showed me in a wonderful adventure where I learned about your incredible culture and country.

Also thank you to all the international travelers who expanded my understanding the the bigger world and who commiserated with me on the upcoming U.S. elections.  I’m happy to say that the future is looking brighter now after November 4th.  I only hope that our new president can bring a better understanding of how we are part of the global community.

Backyard Adventure Girl

I have written stories below some of the journals.  Just scroll down to the bottom of the pages to read the journals. I plan on adding more in the next couple of weeks. 

If you would like copies of photos from any of these galleries e-mail me at backyardadventuregirl@comcast.net