Betty Zee in PC

we conquered the andes, now we’re ready for the amazon

plaza de armas en puerto maldonado

it took an hour bus ride then an hour and half boat ride to get to our lodge

lista!

a short hike from the river through dense jungle to get to our rooms

here they are!

had the whole place to ourselves

the jungle is so beautiful…

but also terrifying. this is literally my worst nightmare realized.

canopy beds

there’s toilet paper in the stalls!

best friends boat ride

piranha fishing in the lake.

i caught one!

im happy

rio tambopata

relaxing on the river…ahhhh

deep in it

daytime jungle walks

everything is so green and lush

not a bridge, but we’ll cross it

nighttime river rides

probably our favorite thing about the lodge

no electricity anywhere in the lodge except for the bar. and even then, for two or three hours at night.

joel and his ladies

back from our jungle expedition

this calls for a celebration!

delicious thai food in puerto maldonado

monkey friendsssss

hasta luegooo, puerto!

pre-Machu Picchu night at our murder den of a hostel. so excited!

they make 5am look gooooood

sun’s not quite out at 6am. wait for it…

c’mon sun!

starting off the Montaña Machu Picchu hike

don’t be fooled by the smile, its a tough hike!

straight up stairs for 1.5 hours

chao!: lee and i break off from the group and continue to the top of the mountain

up in the clouds

this view was worth it!

we make dead tired look gooood

its obvious why the ruins were never found by the Spanish during the conquest of Cuzco. they’re almost inaccessible, even with modern transportation.

meanwhile these cuties…

…were hanging out with this cutie

taking it all in.

mid-hike selfie!

en serio. you have to see this for yourself.

just lounging here for a little bit.

Machu Picchu remained unknown to the world from the 1500s until it was discovered by Yale historian Hiram Bingham in 1911.

traditional inca terraces

UNESCO World Heritage Site

una mas!

hanging out before it’s time to go.

Pueblo Machu Picchu

we did itttttt

taaa-daaa!

and we’re off!

the eagle has landed.

welcome to cusco!

plaza de armas

learned to play ‘chasing the 2’ and our lives will never be the same.

guess who’s up to their old antics?!

views of the plaza from our breakfast table.

silly hats. serious beer funnels.

the sacred valley

beautiful green landscapes at every turn.

14 years of best-friendship across 3 continents ❤

cholitas guapas.

snugglelambs!

heyyy cristi

ollantaytambo, “the living inca city”

a living inca princess. i got quechua on my body!

modern construction built upon ancient inca stonework.

literally every view from any angle in the valley is breathtaking.

leggings crew.

a few centimeters back and the ground drops off, ensuring certain death. maybe the danger adds to the beauty, no?

harv’s girls!

dinner at a fancy pisco bar where we did NOT consume any pisco. everyone: “let’s go get beers at the irish pub”