Who’s messing with my calendar? Can it possibly be May 8th?
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…
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.
