Persuasive Peru

If I was truly a worthy writer, this blog post would have been posted two weeks earlier and divided into three installments so that I could have done Anthony Bourdain-style  justice to each of our Peruvian stops.  The packed days, almost non-existent WIFI, and meeting up with great friends for a last hurrah beach week has sidelined my writing.   I’ve also noticed that we’ve been taking less photos as our trip nears the end.  While we are one camera short (if you don’t know, don’t ask), perhaps it’s a sign that we are learning how to be in the moment rather than capturing and preserving the moment.  

Don’t get me wrong, photography is an unparalleled medium with which to share a place, moment, feeling, or inspiration.  But sometimes, especially with non-professionals like us, the lens of a camera can be the barrier between watching and experiencing.

Our 18 days in Peru have been some of our best.  We seem to have found our collective rhythm as a roaming family.   Everyone is more malleable and accepting to the global “come what may” of traveling.  Long lines, unappealing food options, and unknown destinations somehow don’t seem as daunting as they did a few months ago.  Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I’d almost venture to suggest that the boys might not disagree that new people, places, and moments almost always offer something worthwhile despite a brief moment of potential discomfort.

Our first stop in Peru was Lima, a not-to-be-missed foodie’s paradise.  In another time and place, we might have jumped out of bed to tour the city and learn about the unique mix of cultural influences that fuel it’s current gastronomical hotbed.  

But, we were still recovering from our blows in Buenos Aires, so we thought of no better way to transition into a new culture than a morning of surfing. 

We learned quickly that surfing in Lima was no resort experience.  After squeezing us into wetsuits, our not-like-in-Nicaragua instructors led us though a rigorous warmup akin to an intermediate Cross-Fit class.  We felt like 5 sausages being salted and peppered before the sizzle.  There wasn’t a lot of chatting or friendly banter.  Had they not been so organized with cones, hoops, and ladders, I might have walked off on the spot.   Once we stepped into the frigid water, we realized it was for good reason.   

Successful in our salt water mental cleanse, we regrouped with a leisurely afternoon strolling through the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima.  Think Santa Monica with less yoga, more ice creams, and equally stunning sunsets. 

I’m sure the museums could have offered enriching insight and history, however Sean and I decided what better way to settle in to the Peruvian groove than with a proper pisco sour making lesson.    I can’t recall where the boys were at this moment…

FYI, this will be the specialty cocktail served at Casa Lavin for the next few months.  Doors are open.

A Lima food market tour the next day followed by the most insane meal of our trip quickly shifted us into second gear.   

For an off the charts culinary experience at La Picanteria, we had to arrive early to pick out “our” fish.  People from Lima (a.k.a. those that really know good food) never eat ceviche after 5pm because by then, that morning’s fresh catch is no longer considered fresh.   How we will ever buy Connecticut supermarket fish again I’m not sure.

Naively, we thought La Picanteria was a one plate kind of place.   How were we so clueless?  The boys tossed in the towel after three courses.  After the fourth, Sean and I decided that this is why we did sit-ups.  After the seventh, we were determined to cross the finish line of eight.  Ironic how our goals can change.

Next stop, the Colca Valley region, where unparalleled beauty in both landscape and people transported us to the Peru of the Incas.  The Colca Canyon, which lies at 12,000ft above sea level, is twice the depth of  the Grand Canyon.   Filled with remarkable Inca ruins and terraces, and peppered with indigenous  communities, you can’t stand in a bad place here.  

Most visitors who come here head straight for the Cruz del Condor, a renowned spot in the deepest part of the canyon where condors soar along the cliffside through the valley’s air vortexes.   Thinking that we had learned all there is to know about condors, we almost bypassed this moment thinking it was for the “condor newbies”.  Our guide politely encouraged us to reconsider.  Good call Miguel, gracias.  

 

Never underestimate the awesomeness of seeing something in nature do what it does best…even if you have seen it before.

Onwards to Urubamba, a small village nestled in the Sacred Valley between Cusco and Machu Picchu.  We were worn out from a too-rigorous pace over the last three weeks and in desperate need of hanging our hats in one place for many days.    Many people told us that a week in the Sacred Valley would be too much time,  as most people opt to tour Cusco then head straight for Machu Picchu.  To those folks I’d say it’s your loss, as we found great joy in the simplicity of the lifestyle here.    

In our travels, we’ve learned that home can be a point of view.  Of course, we definitely missed the comforts and familiarity of our home back home, but a cozy fireplace, a hearty kitchen, and dogs who scratch at our patio door looking for a playmate will fit the bill just fine.  

We were fortunate to have connected in advance with the Sol y Luna school in Urubamba, in order to arrange a visit wth the kids for a morning.  It’s an amazing school with an even more amazing story.   As we’ve learned time and time again, kids are kids no matter where you are in the world.  They have their own universal language whereby they successfully navigate awkward introductions better than any adult ever will. 

Don’t be fooled, my family has exhibited numerous less than picture perfect moments on this trip.  Lucky for OLL readers,  we just didn’t have our cameras ready.   That said, if you ask me what some of my top moments were on this Latin Leap journey, our day at Sol y Luna will now be one of them.   

Mountain biking through some backroads of the Sacred Valley proved to be an adventure like none other.   For the better part of a day we were immersed among stunning countryside to which photos can’t do justice.  Unfortunately, we learned that there are plans to build a new international Sacred Valley airport along the exact road where we rode.  Even more reason to visit Peru, NOW!

 

No trip to Peru would be complete without a visit to Machu Picchu, a destination worthy of it’s international fame.   I could post endless photos and provide intricate detail about the awe inspiring engineering accomplishments of the Incas, but that information is readily available at anyone’s fingertips.  I have no doubt that many writers have captured the essence of this world wonder better than I ever could.  

 

 What I will emphasize is this:  GO NOW.    There is much talk about UNESCO imposing severe restrictions within the next few years in when and how tourists can experience Machu Picchu.   Apparently there is even talk of building a cable car that spans above Machu Picchu so that one can only look down, not walk within.    It’s worth the time and the trek to be in this magical place.

As we head home we are still digesting all that we have done, seen, learned, and wondered.  It’s been a tremendous journey so thank you to all who have kept us entertained and encouraged along the way.   Stay tuned for a “finally at home” post.  Not sure yet what that will look like…