In celebration of the production start on two major iRobot products, contributing members of our product development and marketing teams were treated to a cruise of Boston Harbor and an exquisite lunch served on board. Despite a forecast for continued rain, the weather cooperated and we got to enjoy the views without getting wet although the grey skies did little to enhance the quality of the photographs.

After work the family was joined for dinner by Nora, who is about to complete her Master’s Degree at MIT. I have been her Gordon Leadership Program Mentor for the past two years and she will be leaving for Seattle to join Microsoft as a Program Manager when she completes her thesis. It was great having the opportunity to introduce her to the entire family and the kids really enjoyed meeting her. I hope to remain in touch and am expecting great things in her future.

While I was in Peru, Nicolai attended the Sophomore Semi (semi-formal ball at the high school) with his friend Chloe and we just received this photo of them together at her house. I hate missing an opportunity to photograph the kids when they are all dressed up and I am simply going to have to wait until the junior prom for my next chance.

My Audi was in for its first scheduled service today. While waiting, it was hard not to admire the R8s on the showroom floor. While I appreciate the beauty and awesome engineering, I no longer find myself coveting such cars. Now that I can afford one my priorities have shifted to a car that can carry the whole family, a couple of kayaks, and never be stranded in the snow. The thought of a second car just for tooling around is simply too wasteful to consider.

Sporting the alpaca sweater I purchased for him while in Peru, Kyle does internet research on a company which has a very similar business model to Yard Dogs. He is trying to decide if it makes sense to expand his general landscaping business to include lawn mowing. Doing so would mean buying mowers for each of his crews. I enjoy discussing the various options with Kyle and watching the mind of a true businessman at work. There is little doubt in my mind that his career is destined to follow a very entrepreneurial path.

A team photo I took earlier in the season was missing a couple of players so we took another today after our match with Ashland. Spirits were high as we avenged our only loss of the season and moved solidly into first place. We scored twice, late in the first half and held them scoreless for the 2-0 win. I have lost ten pounds in the two weeks since I last played and was feeling down right speedy.I had one shot on goal, a chest trap to a left foot volley which was just wide of the net. Jeanine and I went out for lunch and then spent the afternoon shopping for furniture, something we do about once every five years. We were unable to find what we were looking for and agreed that it made more sense to complete our shopping on the internet. Poor excuse for a date, but I was happy for the time together.

Occasionally I am presented with a photo opportunity which defies my own imagination. This afternoon Maya and a group of her friends created this human collage and I was actually requested to take a photo so they could see the results of their artistic endeavor. Earlier in the day, during her soccer match, Maya scored a very nice goal off a full volley and I enjoyed listening to her retelling of the story.

After work this evening I met Jeanine and our friend Carolyn Haney at the CCHS soccer fields where Maya has practice until 7PM. We did some power walking on the course used by the cross country team. It was a very healthy way to pass the time. We also paused to watch the high school students attending the Junior Prom emerge from the school, dressed to the 9’s, promenading in pairs to the buses which would take them to the gala. I found it both entertaining and a little sad to watch all the young girls struggling to walk in their ultra high heel shoes and have made a note to discuss the insanity of these foot torture devices with Maya before she is brain washed into thinking that fashion trumps comfort.

After each quarter in which my division at iRobot exceeds its business plan objectives we head out to a different venue to celebrate. Q1 was a great success and our destination today was Waxy O’Connor’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. I made a point of socializing with folks outside my department and was glad to meet and get to know several folks from the sales and marketing organizations. The party began at 4PM at this unlikely looking building which looked more like a high end home than an Irish pub. Once inside, however, there was little doubt as to the authenticity of the theme.

Maya is generally an enthusiastic kid but today she could hardly contain her excitement as she modeled her new ballet point shoes for me. Jeanine was equally happy about the mother-daughter experience of fitting and buying the shoes together. A future entry will no doubt document Maya’s first ballet recital on point. Her interest in dance and ballet continues to grow and it appears she will be the Calabria from this family who will carry on the tradition of dancing established by my parents.

My red-eye from Lima arrived in Houston early this morning. I was able to clear customs quickly allowing me just enough time to catch a much earlier direct flight to Boston, shaving 8 hours off my planned return travel time. The flight took me over the Mississippi River which is experiencing terrible flooding. The photo quality is not good but if you click to enlarge you should be able to see many farms and homes that have been surrounded or inundated by water.

For the first time on this vacation I sleep in until 7AM and enjoy a proper breakfast before setting out on a walking tour of Cusco.

After a few hours of walking I happen upon the main area where the locals shop, a tented open air market with rows and rows of tiny stalls organized by the type of merchandise for sale. I decided to buy alpaca wool sweaters and hats for the entire family. At half the price asked by the street vendors with no haggling over price I was happy to pay $7 per sweater and $1.50 per hat. Had my backpack not reached capacity I would have purchased twice the amount. With my gifts in hand I returned to the hostel, packed for my return and left for my flight from Cusco to Lima which arrived at about 2PM. With more than 9 hours until my departure for the US I left my main bag in a locker and hired a taxi to drive me around for a tour of the city. We visited the Miraflores and Barranco districts before heading downtown to the historic center where I left the taxi and completed the remainder of my tour on foot.

In order to catch the sunrise and beat the crowds I woke up at 4AM this morning to begin the climb from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Using a headlamp to illuminate the path, I made a one hour vertical ascent to the main entrance gate. This is an arduous trek with 20 pounds of camera gear, water, and food for the day in my day pack. Most early risers are interested in getting one of the limited number of stamps permitting access to climb Huayana Picchu (the tall peak rising behind the ruins). Although I obtained a stamp, my sole focus was on photography and I immediately entereded the grounds and made a final ascent to the the guard house. I was the first to arrive and immediately awestruck by the magnificence of the birds-eye view of the citadel. I quickly began to photograph the ruins before they were over run with visitors.

Even small adjustments in positioning expose new perspectives on the ruins and I spent several hours photographing the site. Over the coming weeks, I will process all my images and select a few favorites for enlargement. Included here are some of my initial picks.

When my appetite for photography was sated, I relaxed and started a leisurely exploration of the ruins. Rather than move between points of interest at the pace of the tour guides, I dwell in each location and imagine what it must have been like to actually live in this place of amazing beauty and architectural sophistication. Food is not permitted on the grounds but I have smuggled in a small lunch which I enjoy in the privacy of a tiny nook which overlooks the majesty of the Andes careful to leave behind no trash. The true purpose of Machu Picchu is still a matter of scholarly debate. What is clear, is that this place was created by a people filled with a deep spiritual connection to the natural world, an appreciation for beauty, and engineering skills far ahead of their time. This place is indeed one of the wonders of the world.

I descended Machu Picchu by bus, collected my main back pack at the hostel and then proceeded to the train station. The rail journey to Ollantaytambo offered spectacular views at every turn not to mention a fashion show by the crew (modelling Peruvian knitted wear). Next I shared a taxi with a very friendly couple from Uruguay for the final two hours of the return to Cusco. After settling into my hostel and showering I headed out for a light dinner followed by a one hour ($12) massage leaving me totally relaxed. I slept like a baby.

Our trekking group (pictured above later in the day) is off to another 5 AM start to what will be a predominantly downhill trekking day along the Rio Santa Teresa. Temperatures continue to increase as we descend into the jungle, and the flora we encounter today includes some extremely beautiful varieties. I find myself stopping continuously to capture images of flowers and having to scamper to keep pace with my comrades.

Included here is a small sampling of the flowers that I encountered today.

In addition to my fellow trekkers, Roberto and Taylor have been my constant companions on the trail, responsible for managing the horse that carries my gear. Although he speaks no English and I little Spanish, we were able to communicate fairly well, and he came to anticipate when I would be most likely to reach for my tripod and when I was likely to make a lens change. He also made some good suggestions for photographs, and I did my best to explain to him what I was doing. I gave him a very handsome tip at the end of the trail and also shared my water with him throughout each day.

Because of my limited time in the country, I must leave the group a day early and take the train from Hidroelectica to Aquas Calientes, where I have a hostel reserved for the night. We coordinated a plan to share contact information, and I truly hope we will stay in touch, or better yet, see each other again. The train ride was an adventure in itself. Five minutes out of the station, it stopped and started going backwards. I assumed we had forgotten something at the station. The train was navigating a set of switchbacks needed to climb the steep grades.

As the train approached Aquas Calientes, there was a great view of a mountain adjacent to the one upon which Machu Picchu sits, giving some perspective as to why the Spanish never discovered the Incan Citadel during their years of occupation. Compared to other mountain ranges I am familiar with, the Andes have the most sheer vertical edges of any. After arriving in town, I stowed my gear at the hostel, grabbed a quick bite, and then set out for a little nighttime photography before enjoying my first hot shower in days and a really good night’s sleep.

The group is awake and packed by 5:30AM (some with more prodding than others) for what will be our toughest climbing day. We will spend just over ten hours on the trail and cover 15 miles crossing the Salkantay Pass at 15,100 feet.

Fatigue from traversing the endless switchbacks gives way to exuberance as we reach the rock strewn pass with phenomenal views in all directions.

Our guide, Willie, takes pictures of the group as we briefly rest at the highest elevation on our trek.

Now the toughest part of the trek begins for me, the descent. I find going down far more difficult because of the impact on my knees, and I break out my trekking poles to help absorb some of the strain. I have managed to keep pace with the youngsters as we climb, but will be last into camp every day that we descend. Around 1PM, we reach Huayracmachay, where we pause for lunch and rest.

Every few hours along the trail, one can find a tiny little shack where the local farmers add to their income by selling bottled water, sodas, and snacks. They are welcome waypoints, and the group is always happy to take a break from the climbing.

Following the group all day is Taylor, the cute little dog owned by the tender of the horse carrying my photo gear. (S)he is very careful not to get underfoot and has been a great traveling companion who can be counted on to pick the easiest path through mud and water. We arrive at our camp in Chaullay with the last light of the day and enjoy a well-earned dinner by candlelight. Each tent holds two people, but as the eleventh member of the group and the one with the most stuff (read camera gear), I am afforded single occupancy.