I lived in Pisac for the wet season this year, and in the Sacred Valley, I truly don´t see much difference between the wet season and the dry season. There is some rain (and great rainbows!) , but not the constant downpours that everyone foretold to me.

But, do beware if visiting other parts of Peru during the wet months of November through April. This past week I´ve realized why. The roads in the back-country places outside of The Sacred Valley just are not safe during the wet season. Rock slides, mud and slick conditions make travel by car or bus very treacherous.

It´s officially the dry season here now, and with it, I can see a HUGE increase in travelers. We traveled for hours last week along bumpy, unpaved roads that twisted through 14,000´ plus mountain passes with mountain streams often pouring across the roads. One taxi driver pointed out to us where a bus his friend was driving lost control last month on the wet gravel road and fell into a gully.

I´ve had a good time living here during the slowest part of the year, getting to know the people and seeing lots of rainbows. But there is a reason why the dry season is more happening for travelers in this region – it´s safer for travel and sunnier for sightseeing. But still, don´t let the wet season deter you as it´s got high points as well.

My plan was to house-sit and nest and get all comfy in Pisac for the entire duration of my friend´s vacation and then upon his return to use his house as a sort of home base while I get out there and enjoy some of the sights of this awesome country. So, that´s what I´m doing now.

Last Saturday was the first night I´ve stayed away from ´home´ since my arrival in The Sacred Valley back in December of 2008 . . . nearly three and a half months of staying in one place and now I´m back on the open road, with hardly a minute to process all the wonderful things that unfold on a daily basis . . . stay tuned for updates from Peru, Ecuador and Colombia before I finally head back to the US . . .

So, Matt and I are checking out The Inca Heartland from now til the end of April . . . trying to see as much as we can that is off the beaten path. That means we´re not going to Machu Picchu. He went in February with some friends . . . and I went in 2005. We´ve found some breathtaking places that are much more secluded and continue to stumble upon the greatest people and situations . . .