Vidal Jaquehua travels to the US for the first time
By the time I came to the end of our women's trip to Peru in November, the four of us had bonded with each other, and with Vidal. We were friends. As friends, we talked about everything; our personal lives, our businesses, our…
Puno: gateway to Lake Titicaca
The super high-altitude city of Puno is a fascinating gateway to Lake Titicaca and offers locally run restaurants and comfortable hotels. Immersion into the local culture is instant. If you don't speak Spanish, you may find yourself…
Peru: life in the sky at 12,500 ft above sea level
Can people really live that high up? I'm talking going to school and work every day. At 12,500 ft above sea level! Visiting a high altitude destination in the U.S. involves an interaction with nature. Boots and backpacks prepare…
We were high. Really high. Lake Titicaca
(continued from PREPARING TO HIKE) Not that kind of high! This was a "real" high. The kind that blows your mind in a different way. The kind that makes you more connected with the planet you live on. The kind that makes you wonder…
Preparing to hike the Inca Trail
(Continued from previous post HOME AGAIN) In order to plan the next trip, I had to stay in touch with Vidal. I noticed that he would go for weeks and weeks without any time off from his job. He answered emails late at night. …
Home again. Follow up to our trip to Peru (part 11)
We jumped right back in to our lives and now we dreamed of our visit to Peru. The crazy things that happened seemed surreal. One thing I knew in my heart was that I would return to Peru. It was just a question of how. In my mind,…
Traveling Peru: we were the stars in our own documentary (part 10)
(continued from "My Name is Forever Carved" part 9) The world we thought we knew collided with a very different world. Each of us was struggling with the dawning of the rest of our lives. The students and I had been changed, were…
Peru: my name is forever carved in their stove (part 9)
(continued from "Life in the Andean Lodge" part 8) "Over the river and through the woods" (literally) were the homes of families who had been selected to be the recipients of 3 mud-brick stoves. More than just a fun activity for…
Peru: life in the Andean lodge (part 8)
(continued from "Peru Comfort Food" part 7)After you've been sick for a while, you get weak and shakey. The first thing to do was to get my son to stand, then walk, then exit the hotel without falling down the stairs. (no elevator)…
Peru comfort food: Chota style (part 7)
(continued from "At Least He Could Walk in to the Village Hosptal part 6)Within an hour of settling in the room, my son started throwing up violently, over and over all night. Then the diarrhea started and there were times when…
