3 Challenges in One Post

It just so happened that this week my fledgling challenge worked in beautifully with The Daily Post’s Weekly photo Challenge – Vivid and Where’s my Backpack’s Travel Theme – Handmade so I am going for the Hat trick.

First just let me quickly introduce my own Travel trinket and Memories challenge.

Challenge Outline

Being a big fan of several Photo Challenges, I am going to try and host one myself. I am not sure how long it will last but would love it if you could take part! Please click here for the challenge outline. I’d love you take part. Please post a link to your post on this page and I will make sure I put it on my challenge page for others to see too!

I look forward to checking out your posts!

So without further adieu here is my second trinket which is handmade, vivid in colour and　memories.

2010 Peru, Lake Titicaca, The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu

Peru

This trinket brings back vivid memories of a special trip for me. It was the trip that can be credited with getting fitter and losing a considerable amount of weight and my entrance back into adventure tourism. I have since trekked in the Himalayas, climbed Mt Kinabalu and Mt Kilimanjaro.

My friend and I visited Peru to do the Inca trail after a year of training around the hills and mountains of NZ.

We visited Lake Titicaca and had a homestay on Amatani Island. They remind me of an evening dancing with the locals on Amatani. The locals were in traditional handmade dress and they dressed us up too. The band played “handmade” live music that had us whirling and twirling, clapping and foot tapping.

I bought these little handmade beauties from a local’s house on Taquile Island. We were wandering around the cliff faces and this little house was perched on the side of the cliff. On Taquile Island there are many handicrafts for sale in the local square. Surprisingly it is the men who knit and I bought several beautifully hand crafted knitted hats.

They remind be of all the people we saw on the islands, in Cuzco, Puno and on the trail. We met many a llama on the trails we followed. We saw many handcrafts made from Llama and Alpaca fleece and my winter “go to” comfort sweater is from this trip.

The Inca trail was wonderful, I have fond memories of our trekking mates, Dead Woman’s Pass, the incredible trail and the workmanship and man power put into creating the trail, all handmade without modern technology, and the now remains of what were spectacular structures. Our trek through the night to arrive at the Sun Gate for sunrise was well worth the effort. I remember our porters, guide and chef who took such good care of us and managed to whip up a birthday cake for one of our trek members complete with frosting! My adventurous travel buddy sampled the local cuisine on our last night in Cuzco and munched down on a Guinea pig.

I love how this little handmade family of 4 (Did you notice the baby?) holds so many vivid memories! The perfect trinket!

In reponse to Weekly Photo Challenge – Vivid, Travel Theme Challenge – Handmade Thank you for yet more excellent challenges.

Also in response to my own Travel Trinkets and Memories Challenge.

Thanks to these kind participants who took part in the inaugural challenge Travel Trinkets and Memories #1. Please check out their posts.

Greta of the BeautifulHartProject and The Snow melts somewhere

I hope you will share some trinkets and memories next week! Please post a link on my page! Take me with you down memory lane.

Yoroshiku Onegai Shimasu images (1)