Peru Day 4 - on to Cusco

Got up at 6am in order to eat and be at the airport in time for our flight to Cusco. Poor Michelle rode backwards in the van to the airport and got car sick, then air sick - poor thing. She's looking a little green here, and staying close to the bathroom.




Diana on the other hand enjoyed a head massage from Washi. He shared with all of us, then we reciprocated for him with a neck/shoulder massage. We became a very close knit group very early on.

I felt great when we arrived in Cusco. It was sunny and warm and I took off all my layers except one for the first time in Peru. I was actually hot! We had our private driver Gido pick us up and take us to Madre Tierra (mother earth) where we would be for 4 days.

Madre Tierra






Here are some photos inside the place and arriving. The streets in San Blas (the neighborhood in Cusco we are in) are so narrow the cars have to back out. Our luggage was on top of the van - Rocker (Washi's brother - who's real name is Rogerio, but none of us could pronounce it in Spanish so he's Rocker) and Washi brought it all down and took it in for us. The beginning of just how good they took care of us. Washi called us "Pacha Mamas children". Pacha Mama is also mother earth, in Quechua the native tongue.

Michelle and I were roommates again, she went straight to bed sick - while the rest of us had lunch and an hour of free time to get acclimatized. I was feeling great, which made me feel a bit guilty cause she was feeling so awful.

After our rest and freshen-up period, we had our welcome ceremony with Jenni and Diana. We set our intentions for the trip, and wrote down one thing we wanted to release and burned it in a bowl. Then we set what we wanted to embrace and I said my inner goddess, feminine essence and complete open love. We also picked names to see who we would be a secret angel for. It was our job as angel to send little messages or gifts anonymously to them throughout the trip, and to encourage them on achieving their intentions. I had selected Michelle, which she didn't find out until the end of the tour. We certainly did bond and she took care of me and was my angel later when I was sick.

We did a diad (two people) exercise to find out about each other on a deeper level than just "I'm a photographer from Edmonton, blah, blah, blah". It was right up my alley and most of us had cried at least once by the end. We had to tell the other person "tell me who you are" and I remember saying things like:

- I am growing and learning
- I am grateful to be here and at peace
- I seek connections with people
- I am on a physical and spiritual journey (I had NO idea!)
- I am living life fully and loving it
- I am a goddess to Rob's warrior
- I have been a warrior and now is time for the goddess
- I really felt connected to Jenni this day (she is fearless and powerful, but tender and caring also)

We also created an alter and placed our special objects on it. We would use it again often in the trip. I added my string of Chinese coins I hang in my purse to represent prosperity, and a single chocolate to remember Rob's mom who passed away 4 days before I left home.

Afterwards we had about 2 hours to explore or rest. Most people napped but I was itching to get out and start photographing Cusco. It is SO cute and quaint I couldn't sit still and besides I felt great. But I was wary not to overdo it (unlike later in the trip).

I ran into Susan, which was a good thing as she had her map which I had forgotten to bring with me. Here are some of the photos I took that day.













Susan and I found the main square and then started wandering back. We ended up going off the small map Jenni had provided and were not sure which way to go. It was getting dark and we were now late to meet the group back at the Hostal. We stopped under a street lap to try and read the map, turned and looked down the street to our right - couldn't find a labelled street sign that was on the map. Turned to our right and saw the rest of our group walking towards us. Seems we stumbled upon the street the restaurant was on, and Rocker was left to wait for us at the Hostal.

We passed this amazing view of the moon over these cacti and went on to eat the crepes you see below. I had the chicken with mushrooms, peas and artichokes and to drink had fresh squeezed papaya juice that was amazing and tried the Chicha morada that Washi was having (blue corn drink, very sweet). Michelle was feeling better and came with us, then started her mission to have as many desserts as possible. She ordered this one that had fruit and pisco (their liquor) and it was beyond amazing! We all had a taste and wanted more.







Washi gave us all Southern Crosses to wear around our necks. Is the Andean 12 sided cross with great meanings - more on that later. He also gave us each our Quechua names. Mine is Monay Tika which means "beautiful flower".

Got to do email here for free, they have a computer for guests to use. Surprisingly they have internet and email everywhere in Peru. Got to talk to Rob and Mom, they called me. What a great day, what an amazing place. And we were just beginning!

Peru Day 2 - Lima

Forgot to mention a few things one must know about traveling in Peru.

1 - always carry tissue or a 1/2 roll or toilet paper in your pocket or pack. The bathrooms here usually have no paper, and you're actually quite lucky if there is a seat on the toilet! Many times you have to squat and hover, and you never put the paper in the toilet - always in the little bin on the floor. Yes - always!

2 - had my first Pisco Sour yesterday. Is the drink of Peru but Chili and Peru each claim at their own and that theirs is best. I don't know about the Chilean version but I LOVE the Peruvian ones. Most restaurants offer one free one with dinner.

3 - there are internet cafes everywhere and for about 4 soles an hour you can get access. (that's about $1.30/hr)

Now, on to day 2, Friday September 14th. Had to move to another room at the Hostal today. Michele is arriving tonight now. Jenni is flying out to Cusco ahead of us to get set up there.

My day started with a freezing cold shower, there was no hot water. Didn't do much today, we all had coffee and lunch then Jenni was off. Washi was missing so she took a taxi herself to the airport. We found out later he was sick the night before and did go to the airport last night and waited for Michele. Poor Washi!

For lunch I had asparagus soup and tacos especiale (beef, chicken, sausages and beans). They make good Mexican food in Peru. The garlic sauce is pure garlic and is to die for!

I had a nap in the afternoon. I hit a wall finally and had to just rest. Feeling very positive about doing well physically at the high altitude in Cusco. I will be 100% fine, I have just decided.

So here is my second room at Hostal el Patio. I didn't have a peep hole, I had a "peep window" LOL.

QUOTE: "The world is a book. Those that do not travel, read only one page" author unknown.

Learned a lot about Diana and Washi today. Diana and Jenni have traveled a LOT, done some scary things, been to many spiritual places. They seem fearless - my heroes! Next year they are adding trips to Nepal and Diana is going there on October 23rd with her husband. She invited Washi along and said she'd pay for his trip. He was like "are you serious" with his cute Spanish accent. She was - and he's going! He was over the moon, he said he's always dreamed of going there. Rob is completely jealous. Is on my list now too. Red Lotus adds it to the repertoire for 2008, and I'm SO there. I also found out I know Jenni's fiance, Greg Masuda, who's a photographer in Calgary and used to be a Queensberry client of mine.

For fund raising between Diana, Jenni and myself we have almost $3000 US in cash, plus we each brought a huge bag of school supplies. I'll be so glad when we can give all that away and not have to haul it around.

Diana and I did a bit of shopping today. I did some on my own and I helped her get a top for Jenni - we're about the same size, so I had to try it on. Do you have any idea how hard that is when you're wearing 4 tops and a jacket and have a backpack on too? Not fun, let me tell you! But I did manage to buy a cute pair of slip on cowboy pseudo boots, and a very bling bling pair of latina jeans. When in Lima . . .

Here's Diana buying a pair of fuzzy boots for 60 Soles ($20)
It was like boot heaven! Why didn't I get a pair again???

Here are some street scenes from Miraflores area in Lima. I did some walking around and noticed that there are a lot of people kissing in the parks there always! Made me miss Rob even more. He could text message me on my phone for free but I couldn't reply. That was kinda weird but good to be connected to him somehow.








Had a weird allergic reaction of some kind to something I ate for dinner and my throat was all scratchy. Cleared it with Calli tea and more Sunrider foods. Had picarones for dessert. Is a kind of donut made from fried yams served with chancaca (a very sweet cane syrup).

Diana and Washi and I set up the other 2 rooms with t-shirts, candies and candles for the other ladies arriving tonight. Then I hit the sack and they went to the airport at midnight. Michelle snuck in about 2am or something and we ended up talking for about an hour. She had quite the journey and I warned her she'd be freezing at night so she wore her toque to bed. There was very load music playing from some bar down the street so we had trouble falling asleep. Thank god for my iPod and relaxation audios!

Life after going to Peru

Well! So here it is 4 weeks later and I'm a changed person. Going to a third world country and seeing ancient ruins and such abject poverty will do that to you.

How do I begin to write about what I saw, experienced, people I met, the whole thing? At the beginning I guess, so here goes. I'll do piece by piece.

Sept 12th - man I LOVE using my airpoints to fly first class! 5 hours in Toronto airport in the nice quiet lounge with free snacks, salad, soup, internet, magazines, etc. Oh yeah - booze! I had a glass of wine, so there. I arrived in Lima and had a "Holy shit, what have I done!?" moment at the airport. It's a bit chaotic there to say the least. A driver from my hotel (hostal) met me and took me there. So here I was at 1am in the morning, driving through Lima's scummiest areas (there aren't many that aren't that way) with a strange man that doesn't speak my language. "Hmm, is this a good idea?" went through my head - but after what I was told about taxis by my tour leaders, the hotel driver seemed a good option. This is Hostal el Patio:


I got to my room and boarded up the door - I was SO tired! There was a pitcher of water on the desk, but when I asked if they had bottled the guy just said it was good to have that water. I wasn't convinced. Then another man comes and is speaking Spanish to me through the door and I so wasn't getting his message. I didn't want to open the door but was on the phone (rented a cell phone for $10 for 3 weeks in Lima airport) with my Mom at the time so I figured if she heard screams she'd notify authorities, LOL. I was actually in the wrong room.

I ended up in this room with 3 beds, as Michelle was supposed to arrive the next night and share with me. When I got there I had a note from Diana and Jenni who were still in Lima and did I want to go to a cathedral with them and our guide Washington tomorrow - so YES! I was so happy to see her note, from someone I knew - in ENGLISH!



Dig the key to this room!!! Cool or what?!

So I slipped a message under their door (after a crazy search to find it, there is no rhyme or reason to how the rooms are numbered here) to tell them to sign me up for the tour Thursday.

I will write about my next few days in Peru one at a time. Like it was happening - just 2 weeks later. So, stay tuned for more stories and photos! ;-)