बेक इन लौसंने

So we're back "home" again..... Pretty wonderful that the titles of the postings still by default are converted to Hindi :)

Ka was really not feeling ready to go back; Ra literally had to drag her to the airport in Cusco. The year has gone by so fast! When we see our friends here again, it's like we left them only a couple of weeks ago. Ka realizes she had nothing to dread, though: it's really nice to be back. Our appartment seems like a Palace! Upon arriving, we were like "wow, not bad this hotel room, at 45$ per night". Now just enjoying getting installed - to buy stuff we need without weighing it or estimating its volume in our luggage; to have tons and tons of shelves; as much hot water as we want, in profusion & with pressure; we do live in luxury here in the west! Full summer in CH, hot as hell, sunny and Swiss people actually smiling & in a good mood. Life is good!

Hugs from Café de Grancy, pic taken with Photobooth on our old laptop recovered from Ben (merci Ben & Yuna!)

Hello all from Taray, Peru, where we're spending the final weeks of our trip in retreat with this lovely community. Sadly the knapsack with our computer was stolen upon our arrival in Cuzco, so there won't be any more pictures posted. But anyway there are only a few small weeks left before we're home in Switzerland. Thanks for all your emails and love to all you wonderful people!

Bolivia, que buena onda

Hélas, à la vue de cette carte, en s'apercevant que la Bolivie, en taille, c'est l'Espagne et la France réunie, nous nous trouvons un peu désemparés et frustrés du peu de temps qu'il nous reste...


Nous reviendrons, donc...

Fernanda, we miss you!

et la Paz au fond

La Couronne d'Espagne n'a pas uniquement tué toute la civilisation inka!

Elle a laissé quelques belles cours intérieurs




et quelques vitraux qui font rêver Karin

Photo volée

... et voilà ce que cela donne

Encore un pays où la vie se décline dans la rue

Comme en Asie, à la différence qu'ici, les gens détestent se faire photographier, d'où le recours à diverses ruses:

1. Faire semblant de photographier les enfants, et vite bouger l'objectif au dernier moment
2. Prendre les photos depuis le taxi
3. Porter l'appareil nonchalamment à bout de bras, contre la taille, et mitrailler discrètement

Karin ne casse-t-elle pas des briques?

Sur les traces de Jean-Paul II

à l'église de Copacabana

A la fin du chemin de croix, l'horizon

presque infini du Lac Titicaca


(et petite Fernande)

Notre Père qui êtes aux cieux

una chica rubia muy interesado por la visita de La Paz

Merci à Louis Pasteur, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Jules Verne, Ernest Renan, Armand Colin, qui, en 1883, fondèrent l'Alliance française

Des heures de lecture paisibles pour les enfants



et quelques cafés, en paix, pour nous...

Last post from Cuzco

So, off toward Boliva tonight; first stop will be Copacabana, on the Bolivian side of Titicaca lake

The long way back to Cuzco......

Arrived back at the hostel 3 at in the morning....

The llamas of Machu Pichu

The bird at Machu Pichu

Magic mountain

Feel so lucky to have been here.... What a privilege.

Hi and lots of hugs to you all!

Mamie in front of Waynapichu

Phew! Finally arrived at the top

View of the ruins from Waynapichu

On the way up Wainapichu

That is, the mountain next to Machu Pichu. Up up up to see the view

The temple of the Sun (Inti = the Inca god of the sun)

Machu Pichu

Machu Pichu

Up at 4 in the morning to see the day break at Machu Pichu. First mystical mist, then slowly we could make out the contours of the ruins

Boarding train to Machu Pichu

Tara. La patriote?

Cozy reading time with Mamie: what a luxury for the kids to have her here

Toma lo bueno

Amerigo - owner of our Hospedaje, best host ever.

I'm impressed by the kindness, sweetness, and humor of the Peruvian people. Que buena gente

Mamie's luggage arrived!! REAL chocolate!!

Inca ruins - seem to be everywhere

Corn drying in the sun

Quechua street names....

Try pronouncing this one!

Quechua street names....

Cour intérieure Cuzco

Best veggie place in Cuzco - mmmmmmmmmm the lasagna

Typical Inca wall, incredible work with blocks of stone weighing tons and tons

More endless Inca streets

Gorgeous... strong energy

The endless original Inca streets of Cuzco - survived all the successive earth quakes

Church on Plaza de Armas, constructed by the conquistadores, on the fundaments of Inca temples

Plaza de Armas, Cuzco

Beautiful, although it gives me slight agoraphobia (literally ;-D) and 'package-touristo-phobia'

View of Cuzco from our Hospedaje

Hospedaje Inca

Hospedaje Inca

Wonderful place to stay, highly recommended, a little bit outside the frenzy of central Cuzco. Very basic and very cozy

Ordering tickets for Machu Pichu