A few final thoughts

While flying our final leg back to Orlando, I had a chance to reflect on what a fabulous trip we were completing.  I spent a little time thinking about each of the destination, but what really made this expedition special was the people.  And by this, I mean both the people we met at each destination but especially the people we shared the experience with.

The people that signed up for this trip are obviously up for an adventure.  This trip is not for the faint of heart with 5:00 a.m. wake-up calls and a new destination every few days.  However, everyone kept a smile on their face and welcomed each new destination with a continuing sense of wonderment.  We met some wonderful people that we will not hesitate to contact when passing through their hometowns.  There may even be some additional travel with some of our new friends in the near future.

The TCS staff was outstanding and made the trip feel effortless even though there were countless hours behind the scenes making sure everything ran on time without any major problems.  Eszter, Lynn and Mary all were our moms, making sure our luggage boarded the plane and was delivered to our rooms, our customs documents were filled out, and our tours were informative.  To make this trip on our own would have taken much longer due to all the logistics we would have had to handle on our own.  Bravo to them all.

The expert presenters added color to the trip with minimal effort on our part.  In particular, Charles was invaluable when making decisions on what tour options to take, also offering shopping services when needed.  The presentations helped make our 7 hour flights fly by.

The flight crew really worked hard to make our 72 hours on the plane pass by with as little discomfort as possible.  We really felt like we were returning to our family when boarding the jet.  On our final flight, David and I along with a couple of other passengers were recruited to give the safety demo.  Video to follow.  They greeted us with warm towels and smiling faces.  David was the recipient of two large bags filled with sour cream pretzels that they knew he had become addicted to.  They were truly a special addition to the trip.

Would I do this again?  In a heart beat.  Do I have any regrets?  None.  We've already started looking at future trips with TCS hoping to entice some of our new friends to join us.  I hope this blog has been informative and entertaining and worth the time you've spent reading it.  It definitely will serve as a reminder to me what a special November I had in 2011.

Last Stop - Morroco

It’s hard to believe, but our trip is almost over.  Our final stop is Fes, Morocco home of one of the largest medinas (old walled city) in the world and we were staying right next door.  Walking through the gates of this city within a city was like walking into the past.  No motor vehicles are allowed (perhaps because their streets more resemble alleys) which means mules are truly the beast of burden of choice.  There are thousands of streets, which makes a guide essential if you want to emerge sometime this year.

Small shops line the streets with sections  of the souq dedicated to textiles, food markets (if you love olives, this is your place), jewelry, pottery, practically anything you would ever want.   Hidden behind doors are courtyard houses of up to 4000 square feet where extended families continue the tradition of sharing housing. 

This is a country that values craftsmanship (no blue light specials here) which shows everywhere you look.  The tile mosaics, hand tooled plaster and intricately carved doors decorate every square foot of the buildings.  Silk threads (made from the agave plant not worms) were spun right on the streets.  Inside, we watched these same threads woven into colorful cloth that could be made into anything you desired.

We visited a tannery where centuries old methods (and some dyes that are made from less than appetizing natural sources) turn fresh animal hides into beautiful leather items such as coats, belts, purses and shoes.  This place smells so strong that you are issued a sprig of mint at the door to sniff while watching the dyers dip the hides in huge circular vats of color.  I bought a white leather coat which was dyed using the excrement from, well, let’s just say I may have an urge to perch around parks waiting for crumbs of bread.

If you can judge a society by the wellness of their pets, Morocco is very healthy indeed.  The streets are filled with plump, well groomed kitties.  Scraps of food are offered to them by the local butchers.  Dogs are relegated to the country.

Our final evening concluded with a cocktail party followed by a dinner featuring Moroccan delicacies. I love their use of spices and the stews made from lamb, chicken and beef.  This is one place I definitely will return.  The evening’s entertainment was geared to the guys – a comely belly dancer that happily enticed members of our group onto the dance floor for a little hip shaking.  I’m sure all the women will return home and take up this new pastime if we’re all promised to look like our dancer did!

Pharaohs and Temples

Egypt, the land of Pharaohs and temples, provided quite a contrast to our stop in the animal kingdom of Tanzania.  We would have a chance to visit some of the oldest archaeological sites in the world in the next couple of days.  We’d also have our taste of one of the countries involved in the Arab Spring.

Our only museum visit of the stop, the Luxor Museum, was small but lovely.  We had it all to ourselves which gave us the freedom to view the beautiful artifacts at our leisure.  To put it in perspective, many of the items we were enjoying are thousands of years old, much older than anything found at Machu  Picchu or Ankgor Wat.  The beauty shown in the carving of the facial features was stunning as were the preservation of the mummies housed here.  It formed a great introduction for this historical visit.

The next day, we started with a visit to the Valley of the Kings, without which we might have never experienced Steve Martin singing in a skirt.  Yes, that’s right, this is the final resting place of the boy king, Tutankhamen. While not very important in the scheme of pharaohs, he’s very important to modern visitors because his tomb was one of the few found still intact.  In fact, we even got to view his mummy.  Other tombs, much more decorated with hieroglyphs, were also available for touring.

A word about our constant companions during our tour around Egypt, the souvenir hawkers.  They were everywhere and everything they were selling was quoted in American dinero, mostly a dollar. At first they were cute if slightly annoying.  By day two, they were the scourge of our merry band of travelers.  In addition to selling wares, photo ops and camel rides were on the bartering menu.  This is one part of Egypt I was glad to leave behind.

Our lunch was on board a felucca, a traditional Egyptian sailing vessel, on the Nile.  One of our guides joined our small group and entertained us with his description of the current political situation.  He was there, in a tent, when Mubarak relinquished control of the country and has pledged to return to the square if the Muslim Brotherhood finds a way to win elections being held later this year.  This is a progressive country that respects women’s rights with no plans to return to their restrictive past.  If all Egyptians are as passionate about their country as this gentleman, they have a bright future ahead of them.   

Our afternoon visit took in the Temple of Karnak (no sightings of Karnak the Magnificent, though).  Everything about this temple is huge, from the pillars to the obelisks.  And not just a few pillars but over a hundred of these magnificent beauties.  I could have spent hours here wondering around the temple, but we still had a big night ahead of us, so back to the hotel we went.

If you’ve read my description of our grand evening in India, then our night on the town in Luxor should not come as a surprise.  Horse drawn carriages whisked us away to the Temple of Luxor, reserved exclusive for our evening’s entertainment.  Brightly costumed waiters bearing torches and drinks met us in the artistically lit temple which we were free to wonder through on our own.  An orchestra provided classical music to enhance the evening.  We retired to our dining tent for our grand dinner which we consumed while viewing this ancient structure.  Thus ended a day in Egypt we won’t soon forget.

No trip to Egypt would be complete without visiting the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx in Giza.  A quick one hour flight found us in the capital city of Cairo, complete with 20 million (that’s right that’s million with an m) people.  We avoided most of the traffic on our journey to the 4000 year old site.  This is one of those places that you have to see to believe.  The scale of the Great Temple, not to mention it’s two slightly smaller buddies, is so big you can’t take it all in at once.  The building blocks weigh tons which makes this one of the ancient (and only remaining) wonders of the world.  The Sphinx is equally impressive sitting just a few hundred yards from the pyramids.  This is definitely bucket list worthy.   

In conclusion, I very much loved this progressive Muslim country with its bright future, engaging citizens and amazing past.  Now on to the final destination of this marvelous expedition, Morocco.

On Safari

And now, for something completely different.  Upon landing at Mt. Killamangaro "international" airport, we boarded a little 12 seat bush plane for our adventure into the wilds of Africa.  This is the most efficient way to get to our lodging in the migration camp as the roads apparently are less than ideal.

Toyota Land Cruisers (the kind meant to climb rocks not drop kids off at school) picked us up from the grass landing strip to take us on our first safari.  I'm not sure what I expected from Africa, but it is very green with trees and underbrush and water in small ponds.  Herds of impalas, zebra, giraffe, topi, baboons and an incredible variety of birds are casually feeding everywhere we look.  I know our guide is used to tourists being amazed at every animal we come across but he patiently stopped for photos whenever asked.  He obviously is quite skilled at finding animals even though they blend quite well with their environment.

As in any civil society, drinks awaited us on the top of an observation deck where we were treated to a brilliant sunset and a roaring fire.  The dinner menu avoided any of the animals we had just 'shot' with our cameras.  Our accomodations are large one room tents that sit ontop of wooden floors. If this sounds like we're roughing it, think again.  There are nice hot showers, a king size bed and even sherry for sipping as we sit on our deck.  Our white noise for sleeping was the sounds of hippos in the river.

We were up early the next day for another drive looking for the big cats that had eluded us the previous day.  One of the hardest to find is the leopard because they spend much of their days lounging in trees.  After an hour of looking, our driver received word that a mating pair had been sighted.  Hang on to your hats, we're in hot pursuit.  We arrived just in time to see them coming out of their tree to lounge on the savana (and pose for our pictures).  They eventually jumped back up into another tree where they were totally hidden from our view.  Marvelous.  Next, we found a pride of lions hanging out in an open field.  They are as magnificient as you would expect, surveying their kingdom. 

It took our third time out to find the cheetah.  These cats are a little different than the others.  They are extremely fast but are weak so they must use their speed to capture their meals.  Apparently they make a barking sound.  They were a little irratated by our intrusion but again posed for our cameras. 

After a good nights sleep, we left for our final drive. Our driver, Lema, hoped to find us elephants, but to no avail. However, we did happen upon a dead giraffe that was being picked clean by buzzards. This was mot as gross as it sounds, just a glimpse into the life cycle of the Serengeti. Our final find was a pride of 10 lions having a nice rest near the road. Africa had rewarded us with her great beauty and was a great respite from the crowded streets of India.

One day in India

We found out part way through the trip that the runway at Agra was still being repaired which meant we would not be able to land, visit the Taj Mahal and then move on to Jaipur.  We had to choose between a five hour bus ride, viewing extreme poverty the entire way, spend an hour at the Taj Mahal, then five hours back, OR spend the morning touring Jaipur and spend the afternoon at the spa at the Palace.  Somehow, we didn't think this was a tough choice.  The Taj wasn't really on our bucket list, but seeing a little of India definitely was.

Our morning began by boarding a bus to the Palace Museum and Astronomical Park, getting a great view of the city along the way.  Talk about sensory overload!  Flower markets, cows, vegetable markets, pigs, people sleeping on the street, men urinating on the street, motorcycles, taxis that reminded me of the tuk tuks in Cambodia, beautiful women in saris and men in both traditional and western dress were packed in everywhere.  The are no rules on the road.  People walk down the middle of the street and cars seem to be in a constant contest of chicken.  However, elephants can go anywhere and not fear for their lives. 

The Palace Museum had interesting artifacts but the real draw was the architecture.  The tiles were absolutely beautiful.  The current residence of the royal family is directly behind the museum and is currently headed by a 15 year old.  I would bet his life is much different than the one I saw on the street.  Our second stop was a large open air plaza filed with giant sundials, some of which are accurate to within 2 seconds.  And talk about "takes a lickin and keeps on tickin", these have been here for hundreds of years.  They also had all the signs of the zodiac represented.  Pretty amazing stuff.

Our afternoon was spent wondering the grounds of our beautiful resort.  The grounds have a very diverse array of fowl, including several beautiful peacocks roaming the grounds.  I have to say, they were a little distracting at our morning yoga session.  We even indulge in pedicures at the world class spa.  Talk about different from our Cambodian reflexology!

I have to say I'm still torn over India.  The people are polite and happy to flash their big smiles for our cameras.  There are luxury accommodations that far exceed anything at home.  However, the masses of people and lack of apparent order are a little out of my comfort zone.  Perhaps I will return someday to see the Taj Mahal and more of this huge, diverse country.

A Night in Colonial India

Each stop just seems to get better on this trip.  This time, we're staying in an actual palace - The Rambaugh Palace.  Another flower lei opportunity, but this time there were two women tossing rose petals over our heads as we ascended the stairs to the lobby.  The patio floors were decorated with fresh flower petals crafted into patterns.  I now have a new idea for decorating for our next pool party!

We are staying in one of the most beautiful palaces in one of the most beautiful cities in India, Jaipur.  This evening was one of our grand celebrations, and boy was it.  This was straight out of colonial India when the British still controlled the country.

First stop, men receiving turban head wraps and women, scarves.  David was in heaven because in addition to wine and beer, gin and tonics were offered on the patio.  In the courtyard below, seven painted elephants, camels and white horses stood for our photo ops.  While the women were snapping photos of animals, the men were entertained by lovely women dancers. Next was our own private fireworks display.  After sufficient time to enjoy our beverages, a bagpipe band led the animals and dancers along with us in tow to the back field in anticipation of our elephant polo match.  I'm really not kidding.

Canapes were passed while we watched our fellow travelers mount elephants and play a chucker.  David practically ran to get his shot atop an elephant.  I even took a try at it.  This was unbelievably fun.  We really felt like royalty sitting under our white tent, in white clothed chairs, sipping our gin and tonics while enjoying a little polo.

Finally were led to yet another outdoor venue with white clothed tables, a band playing American classics (think Elvis, Bob Segger and The Beatles) with Indian accents, and a grand buffet of Indian foods for our pleasure.  There was waitstaff to attend to our every need.  Dinner was followed by dancing under the stars.

What a glorious, if a little over the top, evening!

Charming Cambodia

Cambodia is perhaps the most exotic locale that I’ve ever visited.  I remember as a kid hearing about it in reference to Cambodian refugees.  However, many may know of it because of two famous movies.

Lara Croft - Tomb Raider, that Angelina Jolie (she adopted a child from here), Oscar worthy (not), teenage boy fantasy movie, has a very famous scene filmed in one of the temples in Cambodia.  Do you remember the temple where the trees have grown over the ruins?  Well, that’s here, along with several other fascinating relics from a time when Cambodians were a force to be reckoned with.  These are temple complexes the size of Manhattan.  And, one of the largest, also considered one of the wonders of the world, is Angkor Wat.

It’s hard to get a real concept of the size of Angkor Wat because there are moats, then walls, then galleries, then more moats, then reflecting pools, then stairs, you get the idea.  The reliefs carved into the walls are exquisite, telling the story of the Khmer people and their Buddhist and Muslim past.  Buddhist monks still use this temple for worship.  Best of all, there were temple monkeys!   There were also lots of Cambodian children selling bracelets, guidebooks, postcards, anything they thought a tourist might buy.  They knew enough English to not take no for an answer.  I told one little girl that I had no money and she replied, “No money, no honey, no baby”.  Classic.

At our last temple stop, we were treated to a ride around the complex on elephants.  Not the smoothest ride, but definitely one I won’t forget.  Another temple experience I couldn’t miss was sunrise at Angkor Wat.  It sort of reminded me of one of those sun god rituals where everyone gathers at the edge of the water to bow before mother sun as she rises in the east.  There were throngs of people with all sorts of camera gear waiting to record the break of day.  As with most highly anticipated events, they’re never quite what you expect (brilliant colors reflected on the water with the complex in the distance) but I’m glad I experienced it none the less.

The second movie that really was an Oscar contender, The Killing Fields, tells the tale of the short but brutal reign of Pol Pot.  Millions were killed, gunned down in these killing fields, simply for being part of the intellectual class.  Wearing glasses or having smooth palms was enough to make you a target.  The country is still trying to recover from his regime.  Sorry, I really can’t think of anything cute or clever to say about this one.  Humans can really be horrible to each other.

With that uplifting note, I will say that we found the Cambodian people to be charming, engaging, happy people that are the epitome of resilient.  The streets are filled with motorcycles hauling entire families (no car seats here!) at all hours of the day, kids wedged between parents or just clinging to the driver on the back.  Taxis here are called tuk tuks, and involve a motorcycle pulling a rickshaw like contraption.  You can get almost anywhere for a couple of bucks.  The view was well worth the price.

We also experienced the homeland of reflexology/nail salon/spa by getting an hour long leg and foot massage for $6 American.  While this is a place you’d never step into in the states, somehow it seemed okay here.  The one treatment that we avoided was stepping into a tank filled with dead skin eating fish.  Creepy!  Our trip doctor however, thought a picture of him juggling while receiving the fish treatment was worth the risk.  I just hope they have back-ups in case he catches some rare fish flu and has to be airlifted to Singapore.

In conclusion, we LOVED Cambodia, its people and the spark of life you could see in their eyes.  They are fighting their way back from a dark past into a future that hopefully will bring them peace and prosperity.

Land Downunder

Gooday, mate, welcome to the land down under.  Now that I have that out of my system, on to our two, wonderful days in Australia.  Our approach into Cairns (pronounced Cans for some reason that we did not get an explanation for) revealed a wonderful view of the Great Barrier Reef from the air.  It’s easy to believe that you can actually see this coral landmark from outer space.

We’re actually staying in Port Douglas, a cute resort area on the northeast coast of Australia in Queensland.  We were told to expect a ‘special guest’ at our wine tasting before dinner, one we definitely would want our cameras to record.  Well, there was quite a buzz on the plane with speculation ranging from Crocodile Dundee to Gregg Norman.  We’d have a couple of hours wait (and a quick washing of clothes in our fabulous condos) to find our guest wasn’t a person at all but a very adorable koala.  We all got a chance to pet the soft, cuddly symbol of the Aussies.   He was very gentle and tolerant of all of our attention. But, alas, he had to return with his zoo keeper to his home down the road while we went off to eat the other symbol of Australia, the kangaroo.  Quite tasty if I do say so!

While most of the travelers chose to visit the Great Barrier Reef, we took the road less traveled, so to speak, into the rainforest.  Our first stop was the Daintree Rainforest with a walk in the woods with an Aborigine guide.  Talking about the ultimate survivors, the Aborigines used every part of the land to survive in the rainforest.  There are leaves that turn into soap when rubbed, nuts that can serve as mini torches when lit, glowing mushrooms used to fish at night, natural pigments used to decorate their bodies, you get the idea.  Richard Hatch (for you Survivor fans) wouldn’t stand a chance in a contest with an aborigine!

Next we visited a 20 acre Garden of Eden appropriately named the Botanical Ark.  An upstate New Yorker decided as a child that he was really an Aussie at heart and found his way to this part of the world as soon as he could.  He and his wife bought a former sugar cane plot and turned it into a zoo of rainforest fauna and flora from around the world.  They were determined to raise their daughters in healthier fashion by more or less living off the land.  They raise plants that produce fruit that keeps you from getting body odor (originally reserved for royalty), treat skin disorders, treat cancer, produce harmless dyes, and just plain taste good.  They’ve introduced plants into Australia that are now grown commercially.  They even had a hand at introducing rainforest flowers into florist shops around the world.  What a fantastic legacy.

Following our tour we were treated to a lunch featuring some of the food they grow in their ‘garden’.  Green papaya salad, sweet potato salad, local caught fish, and most surprising, a mélange of ginger flowers, each with a slightly different taste ranging from cumber to a slightly sweet, crunchy bud graced our plates.  It was equally pleasing to the eye unlike many of the beige foods that we often eat at home.   After dessert, we tried a variety of tropical fruits that most have not had the opportunity to sample.  The grand finale, a miracle seed that when allowed to coat your mouth turns a sour lemon into a sweet orange, capped off an eye opening afternoon of living off the land.

A word about our accommodations.  Our rooms were actually two bedroom condos with full kitchens and, most importantly, the afore mentioned washers and dryers.  Our home also had a rooftop deck complete with our own private hot tub.  Others could walk straight into the bucolic saltwater pool that formed the interior courtyard.  It had a wow factor with were sad to leave behind.

Samoa - friendliest place on earth

I can now say I’ve been in Tahiti.  Well, that’s not totally accurate.  The plane I was riding in stopped to refuel in Tahiti but we couldn’t disembark.  Let me just say, the views from the plane made Tahiti look pretty spectacular – volcanic mountains surrounded by shallow turquoise waters.  I’ll be back and this time I’m getting off.

David has now been laid twice, or should I say he’s had two leis from lovely native women placed around his neck, while on the trip.  I’ve asked him if he could manage to greet me at least once a week with a fresh flower lei when I walk in from work.  I can’t really tell you his response but suffice it to say I’m going to have to teach the cats a new trick if I expect a flower necklace when I walk in the door.

Samoa is a lush tropical island with the friendliest people on earth.  As we drove to Robert Louis Stevenson’s home we got a real flavor of the island.  All the natives happily waved as our little bus drove by their brightly painted homes with community gathering areas in the front.  These areas are open air roofed structures with cement floors.  Oh, and did I mention they bury their dead in the front yard?  Yep, almost every yard has a raised crypt like structure right in the middle of the yard where their dearly departed are laid to rest.  I guess that’s one way to keep an eye on the family once you’re gone.

Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island fame spent his final years living on Samoa.  His home has been turned into a lovely little tour and gift buying opportunity for tourists.  The grounds are splendid with native plants surrounding the property.  Upon arrival, we were entertained by a group of school girls wanting to thank us for our donation to their school (the tour company makes a donation at each of our stops to local charities) by singing a couple of songs for us.  Next we had a Kava ceremony which is a way to mark special occasions.  Natives in the local garb (a cloth wrap called a lava) recite the sacred words while dipping a bundle of dried plant stems in dirty looking water, squeezing it out, tossing it behind their back, then they offer you a drink.  I think my one bout with an upset stomach  is enough for one trip!

Aggie Grey’s Lagoon is exactly what you’d expect to find in this tropical paradise.  Fresh flowers were scattered throughout our room.  Our balcony overlooks the ocean complete with fishermen in boats heading home from a day’s work.  A slight upgrade from our last stop.  One thing I didn't expect was the humidity.  One step outside the room meant a 15 minute wait for the fog to clear from the camera lense.  Houston, take that!

Another buffet dinner was followed by another exhibition of native dance and also a demonstration of fire dancing, which I think would be a delightful addtion to Dancing with the Stars.  My vote still goes for the hard bodies on Easter Island.  The bugs came out and we went in.

While Easter Island used the standard rooster for alarm clocks, our resort on Samoa employed skinny little cats that would stand outside your door meowing at the top of their lungs to get your attention.  They did allow us our first full nights sleep in several days.  The breakfast buffet offered one very unusual addition - spagheti with tomato sauce.  Oh, and the sauges had a slightly Vienna Sausage feel.  Fresh cooked eggs offered a more 'normal' alternative.

Before departing the island, we visited a Women's Committee meeting.  Think quilting bee except they weave mats for their floors and sleeping and you've got the picture.  It was clear the Samoan women, while maybe not officially in charge are a feisty group that manage to get their way.  There was singing and dancing and a makeshift market where several in our group bought silkscreen cloths for gifts back home.

Next stop, Australia.

The Remotest Place on Earth

Have you ever circled an island at 1500 feet not once but twice in a 757?  Well, we did.  Because there’s not a lot of air traffic around Easter Island, one of our travel experts asked our pilot if he could get clearance to circle the island twice, once for the right side of the plane and once for the left side of the plane.  We could see inside the crater of a dormant volcano, we could see statutes on the beach, you name it we could see it.  What an experience!

For those of you that have or have had teenagers (especially boys), you’ll relate to our welcome to Easter Island.  Before we were allowed off the plane a very nice person boarded and walked down our aisles spraying disinfectant.   I guess like teenagers, they weren’t sure where we’d been and what we might be have gotten into, but a little Lysol seemed like a good way to make us a little more socially acceptable.

Rapanui, better known as Easter Island, is one of the most remote places on earth located in the Southern Hemisphere between Chile and the Polynesian islands.  We probably would have no interest in it except for the very large stone sculptures known as moai left in various locations around the island from an ancient culture.  I’m sure you’ve seen photos, large heads attached to legless bodies with very long arms, much like the people they seem to interview after a tornado hits a trailer park in the Midwest.  They come in all sizes, but like most things, we are much more fascinated by the really big ones.  And big they are.

First, a note about our accommodations.  Think about a 1950’s era motor lodge and you’ll have a pretty good idea what awaited us.  It was clean, had a comfortable bed, but far from luxurious.  What they lacked in luxury they more than made up for in scenery.  The sunset was stunning, with gentle waves lapping at the rocky coastline. a gentle breeze at our back.  Picture postcard perfect.

The morning we headed out to view various moai locations around the island, it was a little overcast with a threat of rain on the horizon.  Our first stop was a location with statutes in various states of repair at a rocky beach location.  As the visit progressed, the skies darkened and precipitation began to fall.  We hurried to the bus, on to the most historically significant location on the island.  By this time it was really raining and those gently breezes weren’t quite so gentle.  We waited a few minutes for it to blow over (which apparently it always does) but to no avail.  We zipped on our rain coats and headed out.  If you have every watched that movie classic, Caddy Shack, think about the scene where the priest is having the game of his life in hurricane like conditions and you’ll have a good idea of our touring conditions.  We soldiered on because this might be our only shot at visiting the quarry where the moai were carved in place.  To say we were soaked is an understatement.  My phone got so wet that it no longer functions and it was inside my purse!

A quick change of plans (no beachside lunch) found us back at the motel changing into dry clothes and waiting out the rain.  After lunch, it did clear to a point a few stalwart travelers were ready to try again.  We visited a site where our guide, Claudio, and his archeological team restored an alter to its original splendor thanks to the gift of a Japanese crane donated to assist in their work.  It took five years, surviving a labor shortage due to a really bad Kevin Costner movie that briefly made all the natives “actors”, to complete the movie and reassembling the seven moai back to their rightful location.  Barring a major earthquake or tsunami, they should be there for years to come.

Our evening’s entertainment was a local dance troupe that won a dance competition among the Polynesian islands.  I’ve never been fascinated by Chippendale dancers, but let me say these guys were really something to watch!  Talk about abs of steel.  I’m sure if David was writing this post he could add a description of the female dancers, but frankly I was too fixated on the shimmering tanned natives gyrating a few feet in front on me, pounding their (shaved) chests and flexing their muscles all to native inspired music to even notice anyone else on stage.  Enough said.

Machu Picchu here we come

Yesterday was our first major destination on the trip, Machu Picchu.  Before boarding the Hiram Bingham train (Indiana Jones was based on Bingham, a Yale prof with a wealthy wife that he really didn't mind being away from for very long expeditions to Peru), we stopped at a native village to tour the town and get a feel for how the people in the country live.  It's a very agrarian culture with corn and potatoes being two of their major crops.  They still farm on a very small scale basis since the sloping (think of a tall slide at a water park and you have the general slope of the land) isn't very conducive to farming with machinery.  This is the beginning of their growing season so everything was very green and lush.

The village itself was very small and obviously used to some tourist visits as they had the standard mother and daughter that would pose in their native garb for a few cents (or sols) and the children hawking jewelry and woven goods as we stepped off the bus.  We got a glimpse into a standard one room home home complete with chickens, ducks, dogs and cuy (see previous post for a full explanation of cuy.

Continuing on we took the afore mentioned Hiram Bingham train to Macchu Picchu.  More food, more drink.  At our destination we all boarded buses for the twisty ride up the mountain.  The views were spectacular.  At the top we were divided into small groups to take the tour.  And what a tour it was.

Machu Picchu was an Incan village of massive proportions.  I had read books and looked at pictures but it really didn't prepare me for the real thing.  First, let me say, the weather was perfect for our visit - no rain and clouds mixed with blue sky.  The site is filled with stairs, stairs and more stairs.  The Incans were small people with short legs which meant each stair had to be a big challenge.  If you're interested in learning more about it, I'm certain Wikipedia has a great article. 

We did the whole climb, which was a little challenging but nothing we couldn't handle.  We took the postcard/Christmas card photo at the top then started back down for, you guessed it, more food before boarding the bus back down the mountain.  We were on the same train back to Cusco, but this time the bar car hosted a band and dancing and some impromptu singing by fellow passengers.  Liquor flowed freely which made walking in the narrow gauge rail cars quite a challenge.  More food, more drink, then back to one more bus and our hotel.  A fantastic day that did not disappoint.

One person's pet is another person's dinner

Peru has several food specialities, some of which are familiar to us while others might seem a little out of the ordinary.  The potato is actually native to Peru with over 3000 varieties having been catalogued.  I don't think I've had a meal without at least one potato item and sometimes two.  They even serve a sweet potato slice with one of their other specialities, ceviche.

One of their more pleasurable specialities is a drink called a Pisco Sour.  Pisco is a brandy liquor made with first press grape juice.  To this you add lime juice, simple syrup and whipped egg whites.  I have to say it's a very pleasant way to start a meal, end a meal, or just skip the meal altogether.  Our friends on the trip took the opportunity on our train ride today (that's another post) to coax the recipe for the perfect Pisco Sour from the bartender. 

Now for the slightly unusual food specialty - cuy.  First let me say that cuy is so important in the Peruvian culture that there's a painting of The Last Supper hanging in a cathedral in Cusco with a cuy proudly displayed on the table ready for consumption.  And what you might ask is a cuy?  Well, it's one of our furry little childhood pets, the guinea pig.  We actually visited a village today where they were raising them on a dirt floored room.  My understating, although I didn't have a chance to confirm this, is that they bake them with their skin on which becomes crispy.  It's acceptable to eat the cuy with your hands because they are so bony.  Yummy!

The last food item I did try was alpaca.  I actually had it in carpacio form (that's raw and sliced very thin) for an appetizer last night.  That might explain my bathroom visit(s) in the wee hours of the morning where the only thing I could think of was that I had come all this way to visit Machu Picchu and by God I wasn't going to let a  little food poisoning get in my way!  After clearing my system of any remains of dinner (I tried to say that as delicately as I could, but text me and I can give you all the gory details) I was good as new a ready for the climb of my life.

It's only day 2 and I'm exhausted!

Last night we had our "welcome" dinner to meet our fellow passengers and our tour leaders.  There was the usual "so where are you from" along with the general sizing up of who you thought you could possible spend this much time traveling with around the world.  There are all types of people on the trip including a guy who's writing a young adult sci-fi novel set in the Grand Canyon.  A group of kids discover a colony of intelligent amphibians hidden in the canyon.  Well, you know, who thought vampires would be so popular...

We definitely fall on the younger side of the age spectrum although there may be little to no correlation with how well we hold up on the trip.  We seem to have "bonded" with several couples already although dance partners will probably change several times along the road. No one seems to be trying to impress anyone which is good since I discovered my pants have paint stains from a previous trip involving guns and targets.

This morning we were whisked off to the Sanford airport that seems to be reserved for charter operations and a flight school.  Security is a whole lot easier when you're the only flight departing for the next few hours.  Awaiting us on the plane was an array of entertainment/comfort goodies for our perusal.  Each of us has an iPad loaded with guide books, educational shows, lecture notes, and for those not quite so into the educational side of the trip, Angry Birds.  We were also issued Bose headphones, personal transmitters which will be used by local guides at each stop, a personal comfort bag ( tooth brush, ear plugs, etc.), and a bag to store our swag.  Talking about spoiled, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to step onto a Southwest flight again.

Along our route we heard from our traveling experts about Latin American political issues, the earth's climate and the sights of Peru.  We also were served our first of many multi-course meals complete with cheese course and matching wine.  Any delusions I might have had about this being a trip where I could shape up and drop a few pounds where burst with my first bight of caviar.

Upon arrival in Peru, we visited the Larco Herrera Museum, home of one of the largest collections of Pre-Colombian art.  Oh, and did I mention, they also are the home to the largest collection of sexually themed pottery in the world.  I've never seen so many exposed penises in one room, nor realized that if you call it art you really don't feel all that bad taking what amounts to pornographic photos to show Aunt Carol at the end of the trip.

Awaiting us in our hotel room were gifts of silver picture frames.  I think they may be taking care of my Christmas shopping for me if this pattern holds up.  The room is gorgeous, the dinner fabulous and the bed quite welcoming.  Time for bed.  We have an early wake-up call  to catch our flight to Cusco.