Rustic Bicycle

Although there is relatively a lot of traffic in the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba, you still see many bikes parked along the curb. People duck into small, hidden doorways on their bikes or they might just dump them on the secluded, dusty sidewalk for convenience. Sometimes, like I observed on numerous occasions in Costa Rica, you may see a teenager balancing their younger sibling, who is sitting between the seat and the handlebars, on the crossbar.

This image is everywhere in Peru. Especially in my favorite place — The Sacred Valley.

Downtown Cusco at Night

The walk up the hill from the Plaza de Armas, along Calle Suecia, brings you to one of my all-time favorite viewpoints. On one side, you have the sprawling ruins of Sacsayhuaman (sexy woman), and on the other side, you have this.


At night, the bustling city, which is nestled in a bowl between mountains at approximately 11,500 feet above sea level, is aglow with the lights from the cathedrals and main thoroughfares. I could spend a lot of time here, as it is far enough removed from the noise of cars and barking dogs to observe in relative silence.

This particular photo is taken from a Catholic church perched atop the hill the entrance to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman. Stone and concrete benches are placed throughout the ancient Spanish courtyard, and on any given night you will find at least a half-dozen high school-aged lovebirds cuddling while taking in the view.