PERU 2017

I went on this trip by myself … well, sort of.  It’s a tour, but only three people besides myself were in the group.  My backpack stuffed and suitcase packed carefully leaving room for any wonderful treasures I must bring home.

The altitude is high.  Cusco is 11,000 feet.  My mountain home is only 6,500 feet above sea level.  I brought altitude sickness pills prescribed by the doctor.  I booked a hotel for a day to lay around and try to acclimate before joining the others.  The hotel is nice with amazing views of Cusco which was the original capitol of the Incas.

The next day Miguel is waiting at the hotel desk.  He is to be our host.  After taking a few pictures of the great views, we leave the hotel.  When I get into the car there is a woman, Stacey, sitting in the front seat.  She is one of the three people I will be travelling with. 

“Hi, I’m Karen.  Where are you from?” 

“Atlanta.” She responds without looking at me.

Oh great, this is going to be fun.

“What’s your name?”

“Stacey” she says, again without looking at me.

It’s a quiet car ride to Miguel’s house.

I immediately don’t like her.

There is a young boy waiting just outside Miguel’s house.  His name is George.  He and his mother, Katrina, are the other two in our small group.  It turns out Stacey and I became friends as will be demonstrated in Peru 2018.  She had little sleep and suffers from motion sickness while riding in cars . . . hence, her bitchiness-self is forgiven.

Peru is my favorite country.  Every new country is my favorite.  Well, okay, I love all the countries I’ve visited.  I love my Peace Corps Saint Lucia home and my Webster University Ghana home.  I began my interest in these countries when visiting my son Jay while he was Peace Corps Honduras.  Guatemala was amazing….I could clearly go on forever.  You must understand what I’m trying to say.  I like cultural differences.  Diversity is the reason I travel and I suppose the reason I’ve taken little interest in developed countries in Western Europe.

ME, KATRINA, GEORGE, AND STACEY

Peru began slow so we could adjust to the altitude.  There was plenty of coca leaves, coca tea, and coca candy.  A tour of Cusco which included us dressing in traditional attire…and, of course, a silly tourist photo.

We moved to Andahuaylas where Miguel and his family have what is affectionately known as the Farmhouse.  I’m not sure why it’s called that.  Stacey named it.  More about Stacey later.  They raise guinea pigs for food.  

They have geese which I think are there to annoy people because as you must know geese are not exactly affectionate.  But in contrast there are two stray dogs, Benjamin and Osa that will ensure safety for a small morsel of bread.  

THEY SAY THIS IS A FRUIT
SOMEWHAT LIKE A TOMATO

There are also vegetables planted in various nooks in the garden filled with beautiful flowers and trees and plants.  It is a place where dragonflies and hummingbirds are easily spotted. The farmhouse has rooms for guests, and can accommodate about 40 people.  It is equipped with a large kitchen and dining room.  It is a small village haven, peaceful and serene.

One day local women came and taught us to make traditional dolls.  We purchased some of their handmade items, which I bought for displays at the grandkids International Day.  Doll making is a nice experience and even though I am far from crafty, I love my dolls.  Another day we toured the ruins at Sacred Valley, a site where Incas lived and grew agriculture.

I became intrigued with the beauty of doors and cobblestone streets.  At home  workers poor hot tar and asphalt into the streets, and patching potholes has become job security.  The cobblestone streets which have been there for years look as beautiful as they likely were when first laid…but I must say they can be difficult to walk on.  So once again in a foreign country, I look down as I walk.

It seems any small reason becomes a champion for a parade.  We went to so many, some planned and some we just happened to come upon.  Villages each have a variation of costume.  They dance around squares with baskets of offerings.  Some parades have booths with games and traditional foods.  The trout was some of the best I’ve had . . . sometimes cooked in clay ovens and sometimes buried in plantain leaves and cloth.

Our evenings were filled playing games, doing homework, and making lanterns with local school children.

One day we went to a local boys home to make lunch for them.  We met volunteers who were painting a new facility and we interacted with many of the boys who were playing on the trampoline.  We toured the large vegetable garden, walked over to the chicken coups, and talked to the kind retired policeman who is trying to keep the facility alive for these boys.

PICTURE AT BOYS HOME

After lunch we drove to a local zoo, so to speak.  A man who is obviously an animal lover takes in animals who are injured.  He feeds them and loves them.  He has no funding and does this from the heart.  I can only imagine what he does to ensure they are fed.  There are alpaca, llama, monkeys, parrots, a sloth and even a condor.  Condors are quite sacred in Inca culture.  They believe when people die they must be put into a fetal position.  Left, they will be picked up by a condor and carried to the heavens.  We took pictures and donated money to feed these amazing animals.  I must say holding a sloth was quite amazing.  It was the most cuddled I’d been in my lifetime.

By now Stacey had warmed up and we were becoming friends.  This is when I began noticing that Miguel, our host, seemed to be taking an interest in her.  She had no idea.  She’s a last minute, put everything off type person.  She lives in the moment, leaving her job as a Physicians Assistant to travel and “find herself”.  She travelled to various countries, Japan among them.   Then she tried to travel to other countries, each presenting some difficult barrier, and she eventually settled on Peru.  This clearly would end in significant event.

One day we went to visit a shaman in the hills where he performed an healing offering.  We climbed up to a cave and all was well until we started making our way down.  That’s when Stacey decided to take a shortcut and tumbled down the mountain.  She had dirt and burrs and leaves and mud all over her but never lost her sense of humor.  One of the travellers was a doctor and immediately went into doctor mode but in the end all was well.

And on another day we went to a doll factory run by a Peruvian artist.

The two highlights of the trip came towards the end.  We rode horses to Rainbow Mountain, a spiritual site where weather and minerals make beautiful rainbow colors.  It is high and a difficult climb for me even with a horse.  There were many times when we had to get off the horse and hike because of the difficulty.  The last quarter mile was on a steep incline.  At an altitude of 17,000 feet I admit it…I was exhausted and wanted to quit, but did make it and glad I did! 

The second highlight, of course: Machu Picchu.  Although no one really knows it’s exact use, anyone experiencing the ruins can see it was a bustling community for the Incas.  There is evidence of a cultural caste system, study of the sun, farming, and a belief system of the sky, inner earth and outer earth.  They have symbols for each: the Snake sheds it’s skin and emerges to the outer earth where they gain the strength of a Puma.  When death arrives, they were placed in a fetal position where the strength of the Condor picks up the dead and carries them to the sky.  This is a circular process of rebirth and death.  It is common to see these three symbols throughout Cusco and its surroundings.

It was a nice couple of weeks and a beautiful country…another favorite.  Little did I know I’d be back for Peru Round 2.

And the reason I am a year late in writing this blog is this.  I flew home and called Brendan to come get me at LAX.  “Bring Barkley”.  He said ok and we hung up.  A few minutes later he called and said Barkley didn’t look good.  “Should I bring him to get you?”  “No take him to emergency.  I’ll meet you there”.  Barkley was on eight pills a day and suffered from congestive heart disease.  Three hours after coming home my precious, beautiful friend passed in my arms.  It was July 1, 2017 and I still cry everyday.  He was my friend, my companion, and my reason to begin each day.  He hugged me every morning when I picked him up and carried him to the kitchen for breakfast.  And then, a month later, my long time sister-friend died.  It was August 8, 2017 when Leslie, my friend of over 40 years left.  It has been a difficult transition for me to bare.