Perusing my options - with your help

I haven't been much inspired to write this summer, but I think the next few weeks will give cause for a more frequent series of interesting posts.

The first news I'm excited to share is that today, when I should have been busy working, I was booking a trip to Peru! Yay!

Some background: Ever since I got back from my amazing Cabo trip last year, I promised myself I would start taking annual vacations. For my entire adult life, I have complained that I never have enough vacation time, don't have the money, can't ever coordinate time off from work. All valid reasons, but really, just excuses. Excuses that have kept me from some of the amazing life experiences many of my friends have had by now. You could say I've developed a slight case of passport envy.

I'm going in October with my friend Heather from New York, so we were primarily looking in South America because it's about equidistant between the two of us, and the weather would work out with our timing. From the first time I ever heard about it, I've been fascinated by Machu Picchu. I've heard that the land is very spiritual, which I love, and am intrigued that it is so remote, one literally must take a plane, train, and an automobile to get there.

We booked our tickets today, in and out of Lima, but still have to book hotels, our mini tour to Machu Picchu (3-5 days) and possibly other day tours/trips around Lima (2-3 days). I would love any suggestions you guys might have, including, but not limited to, the following:

- Can you recommend any good (reputable) tour companies we might look into for the MP trip? There are so many online, it's overwhelming, and I don't want to end up on Dateline as the posterchild for what NOT to do when booking an online vacation.

- Other than TripAdvisor, can you recommend any good websites we might research the above information?

- What are things we might do/see in Lima? Should we consider a tour company for sightseeing, or is it easy to walk around and see for ourselves?

- Does anyone have Intro to Spanish on audio I might borrow? I can't imagine purchasing a Rosetta Stone just for a vacay, but I would like the option of not spending the week sounding like an asshole.

- So, I booked my flights (which were surprisingly inexpensive on Hotwire) and I have about an hour layover in Panama City, Panama. I was concerned that wouldn't be enough time, what with customs and all, so I called, and they assured me it was enough time, that the airport was small, the airline was the same and would transfer my bags, and they wouldn't have booked the flights that way if the time was too tight. I found the airport online, and it does seem small - the size of Bob Hope in Burbank, which is tiny and delicious and my favorite departure option. But do you want to rain on my parade and warn me otherwise? That you have done the same thing and no, an hour is not enough time for an International layover? You can tell me. I can change the flight. (I would rather not, though.)

Any other advice or suggestions are appreciated. I'll keep you posted as we continue booking and the trip gets closer. But, just so you know, there's a lot going on between now and then...