South America suggestions?

[Ironwood]

Steve,

We spent an afternon and then evening accending / descending a road up into the high Andes out of Cuzco to the town of Tinki (sic) perilous. The herdsman and the guides had just lost 11 freinds in a van. They had not been there since the accident the previous week. We stopped and they did a coca leaf ceremony. The van was still 1500-2000' below although the bodies were removed. The road was a single track with few turnouts. The jungle triaxles stacked, fuel, wood, and passengers (in that order) were always afforded the right of way. No guardrails, dry (thank God) but HUGE drops and questionable bed rock stability at the edge. There were gov't surveyors there trying to figure out how to make it safer. It is the only way into and out of the rainforest in that part of Peru. PERILOUS. I can appreciate your fear, luckily our bus was a charter, which in that part of the world USUALLY make it a safer bet.

  Did the little boys chase your bus down from Machu Pichu?

  Worth mentioning also is the ability to stay at the "hotel" up at Machu Pichu, which is usually booked, but for a solo traveller, perhaps a cancellation could land you a spot.

Wachu Pichu is the mountain is the immeaditate back round.


                        Ironwood

[Steven A.]

No little boys chasing the bus. I did have a great time there. One morning my guide and I hiked to the top of the mountain [sungate] overlooking Machu Picchu before dawn. We watched the sun come up and illuminate the ruins below.
Spent a couple of afternoons in Aqua Calientes drinking beer with a contractor building a hotel there. 25 men breaking up large boulders by hand then carting the rubble across town in wheelbarrows to another contruction site.
18th century technology... I bought the whole crew pop and they were as grateful as if was gold.   I was by myself, therefore I could spend a good part of the trip drinking with miners and construction and railroad men. It was a "guy" trip.

[Ironwood]

Steven,

I actually cherish that part of traveling hte most, veiwing how others do and live. I do see the natural spots , but don't care much for the museums and such. I love to view the day to day, 


These are the national historical crew working behind one of the churches in Cusco. Homemade jointer, tablesaw, and handbuilt scaffold out of bambo and wood held together with rebar wire. I love this part of travel.

Steve, your "wide angle shot" is from sungate, yes? We hiked to there also.
               Ironwood

[Steven A.]

Thats the kind of people I visited with. Many of them were pleased that a tourist would pay attention to them. In Bolivia I stopped at a one man welding shop, the guy makes man powered mine ore carts. A dark old place like the blacksmith shops here in the 30s. He had a Milwaukee grinder though, I mentioned it was made near where I live. " Milwaukee,  bueno, muy bueno" he said with a grin.
The picture is from the trail on the way to sungate. 
I don't care for heights, that trail scared me poopless. Never would have made it up there except that it was dark on the accent so I could not see how far I'd fall if I slipped.

[Ironwood]

Met a guy near Pueblo Mexico that his great grandfather had a soap factory (now a climbers dorm) and the biggest machine was made in Titusville Pa. before the turn of the century HUGE. He was very proud of it and the stories passed down, he was exstatic that I knew were that was and lived near there and EVEN been there.

Wachu Pichu was even worse (even for someone who climbs, no ropes of course) looked like you would land in Aguas Calientas.!!

               FUN, Ironwood

[Paschale]

So I'm about 80% sure I'm going to head to Costa Rico.  It sounds fantastic!  I've been reading up on things to do and see, and I think I'd head to San Jose first, then explore some of the national parks, do some canopy tours, maybe some whitewater rafting.  But here's what I'm wondering:  should I rent a car while I'm there, is public transportation very workable?  I also understand I'll be going during one of the peak vacation seasons for Costa Ricans...will finding hotels be very difficult? 

Anyway, any suggestions on what to see would be appreciated! 

[Handy Andy]

  Wow, Deadheader, that is some view!  Makes me think of joinin you there.  But no way my wife would ever leave our grandgirls.  Don't think they'd let me go for more than a week either. Carly wants me to take her along on our trips.  Figures she could go divin with me.  Her only concern is if I would hold her on the boat.  Divin looks easy on the video to her.  Jim