50 Signs You Might be a Globe-Trotter

1. You simply ask for the “toilet” in lieu of bathroom, restroom, washroom, w.c., comfort room, etc.

2. You perk up when you hear English as opposed to a foreign language being spoken around you

3. You can’t remember the last time you wore makeup or styled your hair

4. You are no longer phased by hotel rooms that provide ants, cold showers, questionable elevators, semi-clean towels, “security” workers who sleep in the lobby, bucket-pour-flushing toilets, garbage can dispensers for TP, twin beds with less than an inch apart, sporadic electric outages

5. You are shockingly surprised by hotels that offer toiletries, windows, top-sheets, more than one pillow, bathtub, privacy glass for the shower, hairdryers

6. You now use the smell-test for laundry… and it now requires a wince to justify washing

7. You instinctively use your pants or skirt as a napkin

8. You feel like you are sometimes living inside a beer commercial

9. You have an easier time remembering your passport number rather than your SSN

10. You have replaced the words, “reservation” with “booking”, “shot” with “shooter” and “hotel” with “accommodation”

11. You officially embrace “air drying” everything – hands, hair, body, clothes

12. You start and end most conversations with other travelers in the same way: “Hi – where are you from, where have you been, what was your favorite part, where to next, by the way – my name is Maria; with locals, it goes something like this: “ Hi – where are you from, are you married, what is your name

13. You can fully un/pack your backpack in less than three minutes

14.   You can turn one dress in to a swimsuit, nightgown, evening gown, casual sundress and hiking attire

15.   You no longer have a definition of “breakfast food” – anything will work, especially if it is included with your room

16.   You no longer remember what it is like to drink a beverage with ice

17.   You eat mystery meat, even though you know you will pay for it later

18.   You refuse to do the math to see where your budget stands

19.   You say a silent prayer every time you approach an ATM, hoping it will work

20.   You realize roosters don’t cock-a-doodle exclusively at sunrise – it’s 24/7

21.   You are covered with bites from insects, despite all efforts

22.   You begin speaking in duplicate words like “same same, cool cool, ciao ciao, chop chop, sure sure, yeah yeah”

23.   You no longer require an alarm clock to enjoy the sunrise, naturally tire after sunset – and can no longer distinguish which is which in your thousands of photos

24.   You end up spending hours in a supermarket or pharmacy when given the rare chance because you are overwhelmed by all the options

25.   You are equally disgusted and yet desensitized by the amount of rubbish – everywhere

26.   You perk up when you first spot a 7-Eleven, and then realize they are every 20 yards

27.   You no longer have any concept of time, day of the week, date or what country you are in

28.   You have to stop and think about the last time you showered

29.   You have to use the world clock app to know what time it is back home

30.   You forget what it feels like to ride in a sedan, instead by motorbike, tricycle, tuk tuk, minibus, kayak, bus, speed boat, ferry, containership, tractor, carriage, ATV, bicycle, bamboo raft

31.   You forget to check whether or not a travel Visa is required for your next country

32.   You become hyper aware of how much water is in your bottle and constantly fear running out

33.   You realize traveling IS a full time job

34.   You always carry toilet paper with you and finally learn to squat without spraying yourself – but haven’t mastered avoiding the floor just yet

35.   You find currency from at least 10 countries in your wallet and no longer recognize which is needed to pay

36.   You have officially embraced Nescafe instant coffee

37.   You realize 90% of what you have in storage back home is unnecessary for living

38.   You enjoy spending hours staring at maps wondering where your next destination may be

39.   You find yourself in a never-ending search for proper nachos, only to be met with disappointment time and time again

40.   You adapt to sleeping anywhere, anytime, anyway you can to catch up on much needed zzz’s

41.   You always carry a package of 2-minute noodles with you in case of emergency

42.   You are on your 7^th pair of sunglasses in 10 months… and are currently wearing a pair missing an arm

43.   You no longer remember what high speed WiFi feels like

44.   You can spot a charging station for your devices 50 yards away

45.   You swear off selfie sticks – for life

46.   You do a happy dance upon the discovery of Amarula

47.   You succumb to self-mani/pedis, partially due to convenience but mostly due to budget

48.   You can no longer imagine paying more than $10 for an hour-long massage

49.   You realize today is the best day of your life…until tomorrow

50.   You also realize it has been MONTHS since you last updated your travel blog… and are okay with it ;-)

Thank you for your patience and stay tuned for more updates… Happy New Year!!

You’ve been delivered!

For all of the doubters, naysayers or simply concerned family and friends, let me put your mind at rest. I was safe. In fact, I felt more secure on the ship than many other segments of our travels thus far. This experience definitely felt different than the others, but each are of great value and I treasure my memories of all.

I believe the main differences between voyaging across the seas via cruise ship vs. container ship are simple. While on the container ship, we experienced: No crowds. No all-you-can eat buffets. No happy hours. No list of 20 activities a day. No decisions. Life on a container ship is simple (for passengers, anyway) – embark, show up for 3 scheduled meals-a-day (set menu) and fill in the remaining time on your own. I LOVED it.

One might think the days would drag on, but I found it to be quite the opposite. The days flew by and I was a little regretful we chose to disembark in Port Elizabeth, South Africa instead of carrying on to Singapore. I don’t feel like there was enough time to fully appreciate the quiet, calm and opportunity to write, read and learn more about the industry from our knowledgeable crew. The first week was filled with wonder and adventure of the ship and sea, but I could have used more time for the “newness” to wear off and settle in to a routine. I suppose if we had faced rough seas, I may be happier to now be on solid ground.

As for the journey itself, from the moment we arrived to port in Santos, Brazil, the crew on board instantly made us feel welcome. We were blessed to have a fellow passenger who was embarking upon his 19^th voyage via container ship – he was a joy to share our meals and time with and patiently listened to and answered all of our “novice passenger” questions. Although I did not exactly know what to expect in regards to hospitality, the crew exceeded any and all expectations. Some of my highlights include:

Sunrise/Sunset – the internal calm felt inside while watching the day begin and end on an infinite horizon fed my soul. It was impossible to capture the beauty with a camera lens, so I did my best to breathe in the beautiful gift of Mother Nature and take in the mental imagery. Standing on the bridge, gazing out to the sea and sun, her elements enveloped me. I could feel with warmth of the sun’s rays on my skin, coolness of the wind blowing thru and around me, smell the salt of the sea and feel energy rising above from the water below. The best way I can describe how I felt in those moments – alive! The sky and sea were never the same and I enjoyed the complexity and evolving elements that made each day’s beginning and end unique.

Accommodations – pleasantly surprised is how I can best describe my initial reaction to our living quarters. Each of us had our own room, which was quite nice after sharing one for the prior 3 months. The room itself was larger than our cabin on the cruise ship and had two large windows I could open and enjoy the view. I had my own desk, refrigerator, lounge area including sofa, coffee table and chair, as well as a double sized bed. The bathroom was spacious and the hot showers were the best. Our steward cleaned it daily while I was at breakfast, so I felt a bit spoiled. We had our own passengers lounge to enjoy reading or watching a movie from the DVD closet. While modest in form, the ship even had an indoor pool and gym.  

Logistics – as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I was on cloud nine. Those who know me well, know how much I respect and thrive on process – it is how my brain works. After witnessing only a glimpse of the loading/unloading, port management, navigation, engine maintenance, etc. – I was blown away by the logistical requirements of transporting goods across the globe. I kept imagining myself trying to document an end-to-end process map and I’m not convinced Visio could handle the number of swim lanes and decision points to capture all the suppliers, customers, moving deliverables and dependencies.

Without going in to too much detail, for I recognize the limitations of my knowledge based upon a short-term personal experience, I will try to capture some of the complexity that I gained immense respect for.

Safety – people, ship, containers…in that order. It was evident to me that the ship’s captain is never willing to risk the safety of his crew, ship or materials on board to meet a deadline.

Navigation – wind, currents, swell size, other vessels, oil rigs, fuel efficiency, just-in-time arrival to the port, etc. It was interesting to see the use of maps (pencil in route, erase and reuse next time), computers, binoculars and so forth. While technology helped, navigating the ship was a very hands-on responsibility.

Port management – it did not occur to me that every port has its own set of rules and way of doing things. Instead, I assumed there were industry standards that drove the process to ensure consistency throughout the globe. How wrong I was. I learned the head office does most of the negotiations with the loading/unloading and container manifest long before the ship arrives to port. Some ports charge per container, while others may contract a lump sum for the job. It also surprised me the port workers are responsible for the physical loading and unloading – I always thought this task was in the hands of the crew on board the ship.

Berthing – Apparently pilots are not limited to planes. It surprised me to learn a skilled set of pilots board the ship sometimes hours in advance to help guide the large vessel in to the port. After witnessing first-hand the intricacies in navigating through narrow channels with minimal clearance below, I now understand why they get paid the big bucks. They epitomize the phrase, “subject matter expert” and work closely with the captain, crew and tug boat operators to ensure a safe and successful docking process.

Containers - witnessing the loading and unloading of containers was worth the price of admission. For anyone who likes process, puzzles or organized chaos – this was utopia. So many moving parts – trucks lined up with containers and perfectly placed for the cranes to lift and ever-so carefully place on the ship in designated slots. Between the people guiding, hydraulic lifting, lowering and constant flow it felt more like a symphony than a shipyard. The occasional crescendo of a slightly off-kilter container was a good reminder of the massive weight the oversized Lego pieces fitting together. One inch off caused shake and boom that reverberated across the vessel.

Level-loading the containers was another admirable challenge. Some considerations include weight, port of call, and type of container (i.e. refrigeration “refer” unit or those containing hazardous materials). All strategic factors the on-shore planner inputs in to a sophisticated computer generated algorithm and then confirms with the Chief Officer. The plan takes in to account the number of containers, weight, height, strategic placement, bend of the vessel, ballast requirements, buoyancy, shear force in between bays, fuel efficiency, safety, industry regulations…you get the idea!

Once fully loaded, the ship had an entirely different feel. It was as if the containers went to sleep – the only sound you could here was the hum of the refers and slight sway of the stacked metal containers that almost sound like a gentle snore at times. I was told this historically has been referred to as the “singing of the containers”.

In summary, if you have ever considered this mode of transportation – do it. I hope to board another vessel as we continue our travels around the globe and will be forever grateful for our memorable and safe journey.

Challenge Accepted: Find the Blind Man at Urubamba City Hall

In a town with a population of less than 3,000, this may seem like an easy task. With the help of our friend and local Rhomina, Stephanie and I quickly found out – there is more than one blind man that hangs out near city hall. Let me fill you in on the back story…

Steph’s grandmother, or known to all of us as “Granny”, has had a faithful companion and helper named Alejandrina for more than a decade. Alejandrina, who now goes by Alita, grew up as a poor Inca girl who sold flowers on the streets of Urubamba to help her family. Over time, she made her way to the United States, but much of her family remained behind in Peru. She was over the moon to find out that Stephanie was going to be visiting her childhood hometown, as she herself has not been back for years.

Alita had one simple request for Stephanie, “please find the blind man at city hall”. A little confused at first, Steph asked Alita to clarify and she went on to explain that her cousin still lived in the town and spent most days sitting outside of city hall visiting with locals – and is a well-known figure in the community.

Steph agreed to look for him and quickly solicited help from our La Capilla (BEST hotel ever) host Rhomina. Steph figured, and I agreed, it could be a little awkward for two gringas who don’t speak a word of Spanish to a Spanish-only speaking blind man. Fortunately, Rhomina was eager to help so the next day during her lunch break she agreed to meet us in the Plaza de Armas and seek him out.

As we entered city hall through a group of watchful security guards, we were pleasantly surprised to quickly find a blind man sitting in one of the offices. Steph and I were delighted until witnessing a quick exchange in Spanish, we could tell from body language that this was not Alita’s cousin. He was, however, a very helpful blind man that pointed us in the direction of his friend and fellow blind man, Victor. Apparently Alita’s cousin was now employed at the town library next door. Excitement arose as we knew we were one step closer to finding him.   

The three of us quickly walked next door, up the stairs and sure enough – found VICTOR. It all happened very fast, but you can tell from the photos and video that we really hadn’t thought things through once we found him. Fortunately, Steph had the quick wit to call Alita and put her on the phone. Witnessing the moment of joy in Victor’s face when he heard Alita’s voice for the first time in three decades was priceless. His smile lit up Urubamba. While Steph and I shared tears of excitement, we were privileged to witness an exchange of relatives thousands of kilometers apart, yet one family in that moment.

After a quick catch up, he handed the phone back to Steph and shared with Rhomina how surprised and happy he was. When Steph hung up with Alita, she followed her instructions and gave him some money. Smiles ensued as Victor immediately stood up to embrace Stephanie, then Rhomina and finally me. It was a lovely moment to be a part of and we were all so grateful to facilitate the meaningful connection. We were on cloud nine for the rest of the day and still smile when reminiscing about our time in the Sacred Valley – there’s no doubt this was one of the highlights of our journey thus far.

Catching up with Peru

Who’s messing with my calendar? Can it possibly be May 8^th? Where has the time gone? I promise I had good intentions on keeping the blog up-to-date on all of the great places we have visited and the people we have met… but I suppose the best part of being so delayed on updating the blog is that we’re out living life rather than writing about it.

Before our travels began, my good friend Beth reminded me to, “be open”… and I think she’d be proud of how open we have been to new experiences, unknown destinations and to possibility. The universe has definitely taken care of us in countless ways so far… and we’re only a little over a month in to our sabbatical.

I’ll do my best to recap some of the highlights of the places we have been to thus far, and hopefully the photos will fill in many of the blanks. Try as I might, keeping a daily – let alone weekly – travel journal has proven to be a more difficult undertaking than expected. With that caveat in mind… here goes nothing!

Statendam Cruise Ship (from San Diego, with stops in Mexico and Panama, on to Lima, Peru)

Steph and I have a new cruising family and are the proud founding members of a not-so-secret society. It all started with a mixology class followed by happy hour (pretty much on a daily basis). Full disclosure, our crew quickly found and took advantage of all the happy hour options, in between trivia, Chris and his guitar, bingo and Justin the piano man. We had the BEST time and despite our efforts to meditate every day, exercise and stay within budget – it was clear our Cultural Sabbatical wasn’t going to start until we made land in Lima.

Lima, Peru

Lima was quick to overwhelm – what a massive, massive city. While it is rich in culture, history and ornate architecture, it is also filled with substantial amounts of cars, noise and people.

Upon disembarkation from the cruise ship, it was nearing the Easter weekend holiday so the plaza and main cathedrals were full of catholic worshipers preparing for Palm Sunday. Many were in traditional wares and paraded down various side streets. This made for a challenging cab ride as we were unable to get close to explore any of the main tourist areas. Fortunately, we were staying in Lima for a few nights so had the opportunity to gain an insider’s view of the city the following day.

Fortunately our friend Rosi was available and kind enough to drive us around, show us some highlights and guide us towards some amazing restaurants (Tanta!). Eduardo wasn’t kidding when he joked about “eating his way thru Lima” – one could definitely take a culinary vacation there to embrace all the food.

We loved the Miraflores area where we stayed in a cute 2 bedroom apartment we found on airbnb. It was within walking distance of the Oceanside cliffs with breathtaking views of the water and vast community parks that the residents took full advantage of. It was easy to forget we were in Peru, as it felt more like Southern California at times. We enjoyed a fast-paced 2 days of sightseeing and eating in Lima and quickly made our way south to Paracas via Cruz del Sur – a trustworthy and reliable bus system throughout Peru.

Paracas

Upon arriving at the Paracas bus station, we were happy to see that our accommodations were right next door – as in steps. One of us still hadn’t mastered the art of packing light, so it was nice to not have to trek far to drop our luggage off and explore the area. Our room was delightful – well lit with a small patio both outside our door and above on the room with a great view of the water. We did the short 5-minute walk in to town to explore and realized it only took an additional 5 minutes to explore the entre pier and tourist-centric restaurants and shops.

We decided to keep walking and found sanctuary for the next several hours – a 5-star luxury resort. We quickly decided this was a brilliant plan for budget travel. Book cheap accommodations and enjoy the amenities of the wealthy resorts for fast WiFi and (unfortunately expensive, but worth it) drinks.

The next morning we got up early to explore Little Galapagos Island. As expected – we found A LOT of birds… and I mean A LOT. It was advisable to wear a hat, and not to protect against the sun. Let’s just say if bird droppings are a sign of good luck, I should have purchased a lotto ticket that day. In addition to the large variety of sea birds, including a pair of penguins. Bittersweet to see them as the island used to be home to thousands, and the population has diminished to hundreds. It was a blessing that we got to enjoy the pair.

Continuing on around the island, we were greeted with the whimpers, grunts and deep bellowing sounds of the seals. Papa seal seemed eager and proud to show off his pups – dozens of babies lined the shores and rolled in and out of the water with the crashing waves. If you closed your eyes, it sounded like a nursery full of hungry babies…quite an entertaining orchestra of sound. However it couldn’t compare to the cuteness of the pups trying to “walk”, i.e. flounder around the rocky shore. It brought a smile to everyone on board our tour boat.

Nasca, Peru

The next day we hopped back on our trusty bus service and headed further south to Nasca, known for the Nasca Lines – which many believed to be extraterrestrial. We were greeted at the bus station by our wonderful host from El Jardin B&B. I can’t recommend this bed and breakfast enough if you travel to the region – great family, amazing breakfast and central location.

With only one night booked in town, we decided to hire a taxi for a few hours and explore the area including historical aqueducts and some of the famous lines. While many choose to fly and view the lines from above, we found visiting them by car and hiking up to viewing platforms sufficient. I’m certainly glad we did that particular day as some fellow B&B friends ended up waiting for 4 hours at the airport that day to catch a 15-minute flight on a sketchy (at best) plane. In fact, he told the pilot the door wouldn’t stay shut when he leaned on it, so the pilot’s solution was to tell him to not lean on it – classic!!!

With our tour safely on the ground, we returned to the B&B to enjoy the company of our hosts and received an educational session on local fruits, cotton, coca leaves, pecans, cocoa beans, discovered the super fruit aguaymanto, etc. from the region. It was both education and fun… and of course included a pisco tasting session as well.

The following day we BARELY made it to the bus terminal in time to catch our overnight transportation to Arequipa…lesson learned – Peruvian time means you will be late (you are now forgiven Eduardo J).

Arequipa, Peru

Arequipa, also known as the white city due to the colonial buildings nearly completely built out of sillar, a kind of white volcanic stone. It is the second largest city in Peru behind Lima. While it is vast in nature, it didn’t have the same metropolis feel to it. Instead, the main Plaza de Armas is quite striking, architecturally beautiful and very tourist friendly.

While exploring the plaza, we found a restaurant based upon a recommendation from our Nasca friends, Cocina Pre Inka Sonccollay. Within minutes, we were greeted by the chef who ended up spending the next 5 hours with us sharing stories, recipes, philosophy, you name it! We got to make our own passion fruit swordfish & sea urchin ceviche in the small kitchen (yes, I tried the fish!!). After enjoying the alpaca, ceviche and river shrimp…and a few pisco sours, he proceeded to walk us up to the rooftop. From there, we got to enjoy the 360 views of Arequipa and the Plaza de Armas. Timing was perfect as we watched the sunset as a pre-Easter processional filled the streets and entered in to the plaza. It was a special moment not to be forgotten.

A few glasses of wine later, our chef escorted us to his son’s bar. Although it was an early 9pm and the bar was nearly empty, Steph and I decided to stay for “one” drink. Famous last words! The bar quickly filled in and it was fun to enjoy people watching with the locals, listening to music and making new friends.

The following day we played tourist and sat on a double-decker bus that toured the city and countryside. It was historically informative and gave us an appreciation for the massive size of the region. It was equally beautiful and alarming as the amount of rubbish, particularly plastic bottles, polluted the beautiful landscape. This was my first realization of the juxtaposition of Peru. It is equally beautiful as it is tarnished with waste, illegal dumping and rubbish. It was a sad moment of realization.

Colca Canyon, Peru

After a day of sightseeing, we decided on an overnight excursion to Colca Canyon – BEST decision thus far in to the trip. We piled in to a small tour bus and climbed up to 4,900 meters before dipping back down in the canyon, which sits at 3,650 meters. Let’s just say our lungs could feel it. We were chewing on, and drinking mate de coca leaves like there was no tomorrow – it definitely helped with preventing altitude sickness. At the top, we were greeted with snow so we of course had to partake in our first and likely only Peruvian snowball fight.

That night, we stayed in the small town of Chivay. As a group, we visited the local town hall and were treated with live music and traditional Peruvian dances -  also known as sexo sexo – according to our tour guide (first indication that tour guides often take creative liberties with “rare” sightings or experiences…more of this later).

Our hostel was cute and basic. Unfortunately, no heater was provided so we ended up with 3 (I swear 20 lb.) blankets. Steph and I chose to freeze in lieu of being smothered under 60 lbs. of alpaca/sheep wool.

The next morning we got to experience the condors deep in the valley, which is nearly completely covered by pre-Inka terraces. Words cannot describe the beauty of the canyon or majestic creatures as they became one with the wind. No sound, only soaring condors sweeping alongside the cliffs – up to 8 at one point in time to our delight. It’s no wonder these beautiful creatures are known as “angels of the mountains”. (photos speak for themselves).

Back to Arequipa, we said our goodbyes to our now friend and host Beliza and set out on our next night bus to Cusco.

The Nigh Bus, between Arequipa & Cusco

Once we checked in, settled ourselves, and fell asleep on the bus, Steph was the first to wake up to a non-moving vehicle around 4am. Mind you, we weren’t due in to Arequipa until 8am, so something was off. When she opened the closed curtain and peered out the window, she quickly realized we were in blizzard conditions. Yes, we were now stuck in 5-inches of fresh snow and miles of cars, semi-trucks and busses pointed every which way on the 2-lane highway atop a mountain. Hmmmm. Let’s just say I’m glad I was still asleep for this discovery. I tried to convince Steph this was a common occurrence as she was ready to swear off any more night busses for the rest of the year, but unfortunately she had already spoken to the driver and a few other locals. Of course she had to step outside and get the skinny on what was going on. J Apparently this type of scenario “never” happens – go figure!! After several hours and shovels of snow later, the drivers were able to sort through the mess and we safely went on our merry way to Cusco…only 4+ hours late.

Cusco! Cusco! Cusco!

To be continued…

Photos!

We're a little behind on catching everyone up on the fantastic places visited and people we've met, so we're including a link to our photo albums thus far. Many of you have seen them on Facebook... but I know not everyone has a FB account. Here are some links to the cities/towns visited thus far. Enjoy perusing through and we'll work on updating the highlights of each place - love them all!!

Cheers,
Maria & Steph

• Lima, Peru
• Paracas, Peru
• Nazca, Peru
• Arequipa, Peru
• Colca Canyon, Peru
• Cusco, Peru (1^st pass)
• Urubamba, Peru (to be continued…)
• Salinas de Maras and Moray

 

Clean Water – One Reservoir at a Time

This past weekend we had the opportunity to tag along to a community project in a small town, Yanahuara, outside of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley, Peru. We were given this chance due to our host family’s tie to government and the continued pursuit of clean water in the region. Our host, Rhomina (in the purple top), has only been at her job for a few short months, but has already made huge strides in educating the community about the importance of clean water and maintaining the community reservoirs. In fact, it was due to her efforts this community act came about.

A month ago Rhomina, who has a Biology background, visited the small town and taught a class on chlorides, appropriate levels and the root causes of imbalanced numbers. This was not by accident – Rhomina had been monitoring the level for some time and knew the numbers were off. Instead of raising a red flag and calling for immediate action, she knew the best approach would be to present the facts to the community so they could draw their own conclusions, and help guide them toward a solution (sounds familiar to Change Management in Corp America).

After her lecture, the townspeople were energized and the class participants immediately walked to the reservoir to see for themselves if any of the potential problems Rhomina described were impacting their water. Mind you, this is not an easy trek, as we also did it and still feel the effects in our muscles.

Upon visiting the reservoir – it was crystal clear the water was polluted. Even though the tanks were supposed to be monitored on a daily basis, no amount of chloride in the treatment facility could counteract the sludge, decomposing plants, worms, etc. found milling about in the water. While the community had the best of intentions, without the proper education and guidance, they couldn’t know any better. It wasn’t until children were getting sick and Rhomina’s thoughtful insight that caused a chain reaction of events to clean the reservoir.

Fast forward to this past weekend – more than 200 community members (yes, they documented volunteers in a hand-written ledger) and the local fire department showed up with shovels and picks in hand to go to work. The firemen assisted with pumping out the water so that they could start with fresh, new water from the uphill stream after cleaning. Once the tanks were empty of water, they were tasked with scrubbing each chamber with a Clorox Bleach mix. Even the town mayor climbed in the tank to help out (he's on the far right).

As indicated in the photos, the reservoir tanks are composed of several chambers – each serving as a filtration system. The first chamber is full of large rocks to prevent any large items filtering through. Each chamber is separated by bricks with holes in them, allowing the water through. The rocks get smaller and finer as the water passes through one chamber to the next, eventually leading to filtered water that leads to the treatment center down the hill.

During the cleaning of the tanks, the women scrubbed the chambers with their buckets filled with the bleach solution while the men dug up and washed the rocks with the help of the powerful fire hoses ran from a pump. The approach was a combination of teamwork, chaos and community service – a beautiful sight. While we were ready to roll up our sleeves and pitch it, it was clear our role was to stay out of the way, take photos, and meet the locals instead.

Knowing only a few basic Spanish phrases… and that’s a stretch, we engaged with a few locals to the best of our ability. They were interested in where we were from and some assumed we were hikers headed out on local trail for a 3-day trek – ha! We explained we were with Rhomina and they treated us like family. They took the time to walk us further up the water line to see where it originates, how the process works – through broken English and hand gestures. They then walked us down to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by a few local women for all of the volunteers.

In all, it was an informative, inspirational and productive day. They community came together in a way we only wish my former neighborhoods did. All of us learned about the water filtration process and more importantly, we will never take clean water from the tap for granted again!!

We want to thank Rhomina for including us in her day and commend her for her passion and ongoing efforts to make her home and community a better and safer place to live.

 

Post #1 - Launch Day!

Welcome to Cultural Sabbatical!

Wow – what a whirlwind! It’s hard to believe we are officially 13 days in to our career break and we’ve managed to visit 7 cities already!! That doesn’t count the two weeks on the cruise ship for two reasons: 1) we officially blew our budget on the ship and 2) we wanted to start with our feet on the ground – literally and figuratively.

Upon disembarkation on March 30^th, we’ve been on the go, hitting Lima, Paracas, Nasca, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco and Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. Today is our first official day of rest, reflection and writing!

We’re excited to finally launch our web site and blog to share some of the highlights thus far in our travels. The blog will evolve over time, but for now the goal is to keep family and friends updated on our experiences and inspire you to live vicariously thru us or better yet – join us on the road! We’ll do our best to recap the people, places and experiences we encounter along the way.

Here’s what you can expect from the blog in the coming months:

Intention of the week – recap of our discoveries and learnings from applying a weekly intention for personal growth.    

Country/City recap – top three favorite memories or “ah-ha” moments from each place we visit.

Volunteerism – summary of our volunteer efforts with a goal to bridge anyone from anywhere to anything in need.

This is our way of staying connected to “home” while on the road. Feedback is welcome – we’re organically planning our travels (translation: making it up as we go along), so we’d love to hear from you. Any recommendations? Inspirations? As expected, the best information comes via word-of-mouth vs. reading it out of an outdated travel guide – tripadvisor.com being the exception. J

Let the adventure continue…