Santy was here!

Hey, look at all of these nifty presents the folks sent us!

 It's Christmas!

Yea!!!!

Oh, feel this wonderful chenille scarf. Love that red&black! 

And black walnuts! MMMMMM

That nice soap is for you, Laars!

Are you saying something?

Yeah - Thanks Mom & Dad!

Lima Bun

I'm in Lima!

As soon as I work myself free of the architectural details, I'm heading to the 1st International Congres on  Breast and Colorectal Cancer in Peru. 

At the 1st ICBCCP, with Esteemed Colleagues Eva and Jenny. 

We are working hard. Really! We have badges and everything.

Here I am chairing the Coffee Break Session, with Alexandra, Nancy, Professor Dominguez, Mom Dominguez, Mev, Mabel, and Jean-Baptiste (who does not, thankfully, have a dog).

Mom makes really good dinners!

Michel and family, my generous Chief of Transportation. Thanks for getting us on the right buses!

Lost Civilization of Buns

After Cuzco we explored another archeological site: Caral. 

Caral is all the rage now. It's too recently discovered to be in all the guidebooks, so only people who know go there. Nancy and I now belong to this elite.

I'm glad we have a guide to the ruins, because otherwise I wouldn't make head nor cottontails of what's what. This is the town clock, apparently.

And that's me & Nance, in front of some other significant item. It's remarkably round, is all I know.

We didn't stay the night in Caral because all the hotels seem to be piles of interesting rubble. Instead we stayed in Huacho and took a walk along the beach. These kids were on their way home to dinner and wanted to know all about us. Showing your tummy must be some special Peruvian ritual greeting.
Next: Lima!

Did I mention Roast Guinea Pig?

 Why, yes! Piles of them, stuffed with herbs and spices, just waiting to be popped back into the oven for a last crisping & reheat.

And there you are!

Bon appetit.

Bun in the Peruvian highlands

Now there's Peru for you. High plains with snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Enigmatic ruins.

It's a fun ruin, but the steps are for giants!

Salt mines; got your salt mines.

And roast guinea pig! Very tasty, and only slightly cannibalistic.

.

We're going where?

These are my new buddies Helle and Christina. They do research on Lynch syndrome & stuff, but today we are leaving all that behind to go exploring in Peru. 

Yes!!!

We are on the train to Machu Picchu even now!!!

 This is The Train Guy.

 And ZIP!

Well, not so much as zip, as a slow and easy clackety-clack across the fields and down the valleys, and then off the train in a town full of tourists and the people who try to sell them things. Then on the bus, bang-thump (careful of those other busses coming down - I thought this was a one-lane road) up up the mountain and here we are.

 Machu Picchu

This place is so awesome that no exclaimation points are necessary. I would just have to put rows and rows of them.

 The scenery is fantastic.

 The ruins are really cool, with niches to display the Sacred Rabbit and to make offerings to him.

 Back in the village we had a great lunch and a look around. 

For the whole story of our South American Adventure, see Have Genes Will Travel (in the coming days), and I'll be back with more in a few days.