I have Machu-ed and Picchu-ed and now it´s time to come home!

The trek to Machu Picchu was AMAZING! I can´t wait to share the details and pictures with all of you trusty-rusty blog followers. My legs are pretty sore after hiking over 50km, including a summit of 4600m (that´s just over 15,000 feet!) over the last 5 days. Today was spent touring Machu Picchu itself. Pretty darn amazing! Currently, I´m at an internet cafe in the tourist town of Aguas Calientes waiting for the train to take me back to Cusco. After spending money (that I need to be careful of after not working for 2 months!) on souveniors earlier in the afternoon, I figure spending a couple bucks for internet access will be better use of my time. (And it is a good way to let those who care and worry about me, MOM AND DAD, know that I am safe and sound :)) Besides, I don´t want to press my luck with my bartering skills anymore...I think I fared pretty well in wheeling and dealing today! I´d post about my adventures this last week now, but I think it will be a long one, and I have an 8 hour layover in the Lima airport tomorrow, so I shall save it for then! And then...after that...Home sweet home!!! I cannot wait! What a wonderful, challenging, exhausting, rewarding, frustrating, fulfilling, life-changing experience this has been, but I am ready to get back to normal life. And get ready for Christmas! It´s hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it is 70 degrees out. Today I watched for awhile as they put up the Christmas tree in the town square here...made out of green plastic bottles. A good recycling project, but just not the same if you ask me!