I recently visited Vancouver, BC and hiked Garibaldi Lake. It was a 12 mile, 3211 elevation gain well-maintained trail. There was lots of switchbacks, inclines and three stunning lakes. The trail culminates in the magnificent Garibaldi Lake. This was a tiring, at times grueling hike, but well worth the effort!
I just returned from a week in London. As a lover of historical fiction, London has been on my must-travel list for years. I am not sure why it took me so long to get there. London did not disappoint. I think one of my favorite things was all the nook and crannies you can find in London…in other words a great city to just wander.
I loved the mix of old and new, the liveliness of the streets, the friendliness of the people and most surprisingly, the fantastic food! I walked over 20,000 steps a day, visited some fantastic museums and got to see a play on the West End. The weather was very similar to Portland with teasing of spring weather, a few downpours and mostly grey, drizzly weather. Overall, just a fantastic week!
I had such a great time being interviewed by Michael Hingson from Unstoppable Mindset. We spoke about a variety of topics. Driving the conversation and taking a proactive role is the crux of my conversation. Michael has such an interesting story and perspective, himself. Listen on and contact me with questions, comments and feedback!
I recently recorded my first podcast with an interview with Unstoppable Mindset’s Michael Hingson. Not only was it a good challenge for me, Michael is a force to be reckoned with. Look up his story and sign up for his podcasts. He interviews a very diverse, eclectic cast of professionals and I was lucky to be invited to share my perspective. I will say after the recording (done in one take) I, of course, thought of a million other things I could have said…we really are our own worst critics. Anyway, I thought I would write a few posts on my site about the various topics we discussed…and so the title of this post.
Difference forces us to ask questions. For example, if someone does a task differently from you, it is a great opportunity for you to learn another perspective and then ask questions to continue the learning. We often jump to, “that’s the wrong way to do it” when instead we should relish the fresh perspective and lens.
Traveling is another great opportunity to ask, “Why?” To immerse yourself in a new culture and the joy of the unknown alley is where growth happens. Hang out with a toddler for even 30 minutes and you will get asked “Why” a million times. Why to we stop asking, “Why?” We should keep our eyes that wide and that question in our back pocket for our entire lifetimes.
I love trying new foods, not knowing the language and the general discomfort of not knowing what is around the bend. That doesn’t mean I don’t get sweaty palms and perhaps an increased heart rate, but those reactions certainly prove I am ALIVE and fully immersed in the task at hand.
I got to spend a few extra days in Cusco, rather than hiking due to my altitude sickness. Cusco is a vibrant, historical, proud city and I wandered around. I visited the Qorikancha Temple (Temple of the Sun) which was built on top of a Christian church. The earthquake of 1953 uncovered this beauty when the church came down.
I also visited the local street market filled with local vendors. I was told locals shop there every morning. The market had a little bit of everything including the dog, of course. I have been fascinated with the rampant loose dogs that run around the city. Apparently they roam free all day and eventually return home in the evenings. Dogs are literally everywhere…mainly sleeping but also playing and rummaging through garbage. Thank goodness they are not viscous and really are uninterested in pedestrians.
I also continued to have some great meals. Food in Peru appears to be celebrated and not only it is delicious but always presented very artfully. My favorite meal was Canelones Andinos. I am inspired to incorporate some Peruvian-style cooking into my own repertoire!
After the amazing revelation of Machu Picchu, you would think it’s time to go home…what could top that after all??!! In reality probably not much but I actually had another week in Peru! Because I missed my tour earlier in the week due to altitude sickness (which I was still fighting), I hired a guide to take me through the Sacred Valley…and Sacred it is! It is stunningly beautiful with the variations of soil colors, the surrounding mountains and overall lushness.
I first visited Ollantaytambo and wandered the tiny stone streets that existed since pre-Incan days. I got to see a typical original home where dirt floors, no electricity or plumbing and lots of guinea pigs existed as pets until it was time to eat them! Ollantaytambo is another spectacular Incan site. Again it was perched on the side of a mountain, which the Incans made accommodations for as they determined where there crops should be grown.
I then headed to Moray. This was a very interesting agricultural testing ground and the concentric circle design was very cool. Then onto Maras. The town of Maras is similar to being in Italy or Portugal…quaint stone homes on clean streets and it actually had lots of character. I learned that 500 families own the salt flats and they work it like a cooperative. They work the salt flats six months of the year and then farm the remaining six months of the year.
We then trekked to Chinchero for a preplanned lunch. I think being vegetarian is perplexing for the guides and restaurants. I was given a salad and a sweet potato puree and a very sweet chocolate cake. It was fine but my guides licked their meat-laden plates clean!
This day was supposed to include a waterfall hike but my head just couldn’t imagine doing anything strenuous so, instead, I asked the taxi to head back to Cusco, an hour and a half scenic drive. It was a great day overall.
Machu Picchu deserves a post all by itself. The train ride from Ollantaytambo was easy; the train is clean, modern and efficient and an hour and a half later I arrived in Machu Picchu Pueblo (also referred to as Agua Calientes). My entry time to MP was 7-8 a.m. and the 30 minute bus ride up to the entrance was organized and gave me a glimpse of the splendor to come!
Everywhere in Peru, it seems, means stairs and Machu Picchu is no exception. Just getting to the entrance and the initial lookout was challenging, especially with the altitude. We then headed to La Montana to do a hike up the mountain that that looks down on MP cuidad. This is also a timed entry and required an additional fee. Again the steepness coupled with the altitude made this very challenging even with me being an experienced hiker. The stone steps were various sizes and heights. In places the path is quite narrow but there were some fabulous viewpoints.
Once down the mountain, one must go up again to reach MP cuidad. But honestly MP is indescribable. The magnitude of the surrounding mountains and the architectural feat of what they Incas built (and at that altitude and steepness) is just mesmerizing. The Incas were amazingly smart and forward-thinking. The way they captured water, positioned their buildings and storage and determined their crops is like nothing else I have ever seen (and I have seen lots of ruins in multiple countries like Italy, Turkey and Greece).
The people…
The food…
The scenery…
I did not really know what I was going to get when I booked my two week trip to Peru. But what I gained was warm, smiling, seemingly satisfied people. Food that was simple, beautifully presented, cheap and fresh and scenery that was as spectacular as it was varied and inspiring.
Whenever I head out on a solo trip, it always begins with anticipation and anxiousness…Will I be safe? What will I discover? Will it be as I had hoped? What will be the greatest thing I will learn? Will I be the very best guest I can be?
On my flight to Lima I sat next to a recent college graduate. She and some family friends were going to hike the Inca Trail for four days culminating in their visit to Machu Picchu to celebrate her father’s suicide. She had done no homework on what she was getting ready to embark on, but I have to say that now that I have visited Machu Picchu I totally understand why the family would want to honor their father this way.
I landed in Lima at 5:30 a.m. local time and once I arrived at the hotel I dropped my bags and just walked. Diving right in is the best way I have found to overcome jet lag and capitalize on the newness of my destination. I was staying in Miraflores which is a safe, upscale part of Lima. The streets are clean, teaming with walkers and fortified with singing birds and beautiful gardens. I also walked in Barranco, which is considered an artsy neighborhood, right next door to Miraflores. The weather was perfect at 70 degrees and I got to reinvigorate my Spanish!
The next morning at 4 a.m. my taxi arrived to take me to the bus station so that I could head south to Ica, Nazca, Paracas and Huacachina. It was a four hour bus ride south to take me to the desert and coast. When I arrived, I was immediately driven to a tiny airport to view the Nazca lines. 17 mysterious etchings in the ground can be viewed best by plane. It is about 30 minute plane ride with then 30 minutes viewing the various drawings. It was fascinating, although the plane ride was a nail biter in a tiny four-seater!
Cold nights and semi-warm days is Palm Springs in December. This trip was the fifth December trip to Palm Springs and I was able to get out and hike, which was great. Managed four hikes including the Coachella Valley Preserve, which although in the middle of nowhere, was fascinating. It sits on the San Andreas fault line and the water that seeps through the earth creates enough water for these palm trees to grow in the middle of the sandy desert.
I just returned from a fabulous trip in Japan and Vietnam. I am posting the two countries separately for easier reading. The two countries could not be further apart in experiences. Both countries are great and incredibly different. Japan is orderly, polite, clean and very interesting. I visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. The trains are super efficient (and very reasonably priced). They take their toilets pretty seriously (check out the photo of the control panel). And although Japan has a reputation for being very expensive it is pretty easy to eat on a budget and most tourist attractions are no cost. A week in Japan is certainly not enough time but was enough to whet my appetite for a return visit!
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