Peru—Spiritual, Evocative

The ocean floor rises to kiss the sun. Clouds embrace the imposing mountains like a child hugging his mother. She swaddles her sacred earth child and offers all that she is for continued life. 

The sun, the moon, and the constellations provide energy and guidance to help feed, shelter, and keep inhabitants safe. In return, they offer praise and worship, and on occasion, animal sacrifices. 

Inca rulers divide labor among the Quechua people equitably, rotating tasks between moving multi-ton stones, farming, and other jobs to build their temples and communities. Everything is completed with a precision and exactitude never matched before or since. Modern archeologists offer their best theories on the Quechua, but do not know everything; however, the more they learn, the more history changes. The ancient ruins call to seekers from around the world who lose themselves in the profundity.

Golden embers of wild daisies glow across verdant mountain slopes. Earth warmed by the sun radiates burnt crimson. Hints of eucalyptus and herbs sail through the air, and in the morning, the breeze carries the scent of wood burning stoves still smoking from the night. 

Like freeze dried potatoes being rebirthed, visitors soak up knowledge of ancient practices at Cusco, Pisac, Saqsayhuaman, Moray, Chinchero, Q'enqo, the Pichincoto salt mines, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, and other archeological sites. They drive through clouds and the rolling patchwork of edible tapestry covering the hills like a quilted blanket and fall in love with Peru, wishing to never leave. 

Mesmerized by the Quechua

Keen to meet my new travel companions, I waited ernestly in the hotel bar, sipping sinfully delicious cappuccino, triggering  memories of first tasting liquid love in Italy. I savored each sip until at long last, frothy milk dashed with cinnamon mustached my upper lip and the last warm swig traveled downward to my eager belly.

It was time to meet the others. Me and six other well-travelled Americans from cities across the country--Anchorage, Madison, Miami, San Diego, and Seattle--gathered in the hotel lobby. After introductions and a briefing from Danny, our local REI guide, about the ins and outs of our itenerary and signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, we made way to the Convent of Santa Domingo, not more than 100 meters walk from our hotel, Casa Andina Private Collection.

Danny is a Cusco native who studied tourism--the primary industry in Cusco--and history. He speaks English well, and though he denies being a storyteller, from the moment he began talking, he conveyed easily digestible, strategically planned information, building first a foundational knowledge about the Incas (Quechua) that he incrementally expounded upon using visuals to enhance our experience and embed the information in our minds. As we walked, listened, and gazed at the architectural engineering and scientific and mathematical feats of the Quechua people, I was dumbfounded by their ingenuity, brilliance, and unparalleled commitment to honor Mother Earth. 

Equally matched, my disdain for the Spanish conquerors who in 1533, destroyed much of what is now known to be the third oldest civilization in the world, dating back 5,000 years. But all has not been lost. Such a magnificent culture as the Quechua, could never be completely eliminated. A resilient people who conquered many tribes before fate turned against them, became resistors themselves under Spanish rule. 

Art was used as a means to "educate" and proselytize; many artists were forced to create anonymous religious works at the instruction of European artists. But within paintings paying homage to Christianity, evidence of covert resistance can be seen. Snakes, a Quechua symbol of wisdom and knowledge carefully placed; Madonnas depicted with a triangular bodies, paying tribute to the mountains; guinepig, a Quechua staple, front and center during the last supper; and the face of Judas painted as Pizarro, the conquerer himself. 

Significant archeological discoveries were made in the 1900's, but it was Mother Earth who destroyed much of the Spaniard's inferior architecture and unearthed Quechuan built, earthquake-resistant temples during the great earthquake of 1950. Since then, archeologists have learn even more about one of the greatest civilizations on Earth and the Peruvian government has started preservation efforts. 

Casa Refugio Che Guevara

On the outskirts of Cusco, overlooking the city, is Casa Refugio Che Guevara so named as it was the place then-23-year-old medical student Ernesto "Che" Guevara and 29-year-old biochemist Alberto Granado stayed during their motorcycle journey across Latin America.

Motorcycle Diaries, a travel memoir written by Ernesto, documents how the adventure changed his life forever. He would never become the doctor he was planning to be, instead, a Marxist Revolutionary, inspired by the injustices and poverty he bore witness to during this trip.

Ernesto, a heart driven soul, sought to change the world, but believed he had to see the world before doing so. It is in Cusco, at the top of Machu Picchu, where Ernesto first considered revolution as a way to give rights back to the common worker and close the gap between the rich and poor.

The powerful Incan society ruled all of Peru, some of Bolivia--Ernesto's birth place--and parts of other regions for more than 100 years, a stark contrast to the shadow Incan descendants of today who survive on very little and have few rights. 

As I look around at the abject poverty surrounding Cusco, it is simple to empathize with Che's revolutionary ideals. He sought to give voice to the suffering and demand equality for human rights and worker's rights.

People often wonder why I consider Che a hero. In many respects it is because he fought and gave his life for a cause he deeply believed in. He did not pay lip service to a cause, he became the cause. 

When you travel the world and bare witness to the hardship of so many people in so many places, and observe frequent injustices and mass oppression carried out by a few powerful people, it's impossible not to see equality and worker's rights as the nobelest of causes worth dying for.

Traveling Solo in Cusco, Peru

A single, American woman travels alone in a distant foreign country, only to realize her thoughts and fears of being a non-Spanish speaking woman in unsafe, crime-ridden, drug cartel infested South America are stereotypically flawed. Instead, what she discovers is an ancient peoples who have embraced their own version of modernity, maintained the best of their cultural heritage, and have a unique spiritual existence that marries Spanish Catholicism with Incan mysticism.

Cusco, the heartbeat and epicenter of the ancient Incan Empire from the 13th Century - 1532, attracts more than two million visitors a year who wish to see the puma effigy city and explore one of the world's greatest archeological discoveries--Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World since 2007--and hike the Incan trail.

The archilogically preserved city, still recovering from the great 1950 earthquake, has resisted replacing its historic buildings with new ones. The city of more than 400,000, nested at 11,000 feet in the Andes mountains, looks and feels like a time capsule in many respects. Only the bustling traffic and trapped dissel fumes remind you it's the 21st century, along with the numerous people seeking money in exchange for goods or services at every turn.

Streets are lined with ancient souls carrying forward aged traditions and ways of life untouched by mechanization and automation. From the youngest slung across their mother's back to the oldest with a lifetime of hard work and poverty upon their faces, each conveys a certain truth about their reality that is neither helpless nor hopeful. There is only a look of acceptance: what it is, what it has always been, what it will always be, as if each plays a part without question or judgment of another. It is a strange observation, to see so many people devoid of drive toward upward mobility or change. In some ways it is similar to other developing country populations who seem to accept their lives as they are and seek no input from more "developed" nation.

Streets appear crimeless; not even graffiti has tainted the ancient walls. I wonder free and alone yet feel safer than walking certain neighborhoods in my own backyard. While Cusco is a tourist city, I feel ashamed for having been so fearful. I pass by many who survive only by what is kindly and freely given, yet their eyes are filled with neither resentment or longing and in exchange, I feel neither guilt or shame for not giving all I can to each person. Instead, there is a momentary acknowledgment of our lots in life. I move on and they do not. 

Street dogs are everywhere, a common reality in many non-Western countries. When first exposed to this as a Westerner, it's heartbreaking. You want to rescue them, but soon realize something magical would be lost if you did. These dogs are free, masters of their own lives. They navigate the streets with ease, bathe in the sun, find shelter in the shade, and there is no lack of water or food. These siesta-basking four-legged people have assimilated comfortably and survive peacefully. Many roam together all day every day as if life is just one big doggy play date. They are quiet and kind, yet dirty enough that humans keep their paws off. Life as a street dog may not be so bad after all; it's quiet refreshing not to see them bound by collar and leash, which seems rather more a cruel fate than roaming harmoniously and harmlessly free.

The city's spiritual vibe has attracted many healers, spiritualists, artists, meditation gurus, massage therapists, hippies, Rastafarians, and some trustafarians. Not far from the Plaza de Armas, many can have settled and opened small shops, restaurants, yoga studios, and meditation centers. In the plaza close by, ancient spirit music accompanied by the stone water fountain creates the perfect meditation zone. I finished my first day in this high-altitude zone sitting by this fountain, soaking up sun, taking it all in. After a thoroughly non-Peruvian dinner at Paddy's Irish Pub--don't ask why--I passed out for 14-hours, recovering and preparing for today's adventure. 

Adios!

A waterfall of Aveeno body wash slides down my legs. I press, for the final time, my razor against moist skin and cherish the last drops of hot water rinsing my body smooth and clean in the sanctity and privacy of my own shower, freshly scrubbed clean by my own hand. Each moment in these final hours within my own apartment are relished like final bites of chocolate truffle—cautiously and mindfully taken with the full knowledge it will be some time before I enjoy these pleasures again—the safety and security of my cozy shelter traded in for a few weeks adventure in unknown foreign lands by way of the world's greatest airborne germ incubators.

It crosses my mind each time I fly—the great fear of never reaching my planned destination but instead a one-way ticket to the afterlife. Careful to never allow the thought to consume beyond admitting it only a possibility (somehow slightly increased when traveling on airlines I have never before heard of), I instead turn this thought to gratitude for the safety of the earth I walk upon.

The breakfast dishes sit upon the sink, freshly washed from this morning's last bites of food that were left in the now barren and desolate refrigerator filled only with a stick of butter and condiments sure to last the next several months. The last load of laundry churns quietly—towels used only this morning will be folded and tucked away for my return, filled with the familiar scents of detergent and softer recognized as my own.

Every item has been gently stowed in its proper place, each surface dusted or bleached and the carpet vacuumed, leaving behind no trace of yesterday as if to say goodbye to every tangible that turns house into home. The smell of Clorox tints the air and dances with the final burn of incense creating a distinctive pool-side ambiance familiar to summer's return.

One last sip of homemade coffee lingers on my tongue. I savor the morning ritual while considering tomorrow's: coffee in South America. I remember drinking coffee in every country I have visited, most notably Italy for its heavenly flavor and Malawi for the hour-long anticipation, only to be served a less than noteworthy cup.

A final swipe of toothpaste across my favorite orange tooth brush, a fervent washing using tap water for the last time, and I am ready to face the world. I toss on my rucksack, grab my trekking poles eagerly awaiting use, and turn the key for the last time.

Adios!

Gearing Up for International Adventure

If opening your eyes in never-seen-before-by-you places fills you with unrelenting excitement, and your thirst for first-time experiences is never quenched, then you are a nomadic spirit filled with wanderlust and traveling is the only cure.

Unrepentant for restlessness—a state of being confirmed by my DNA—I am gearing up for my next big adventure: Machu Picchu, Peru and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve in Costa Rica. What I am taking with me are several lessons learned from hiking the Camino de Santiago in 2015.

Preparation for international adventure travel is as much mental and emotional as it is physical. In fact, your mental calisthenics may be more rigorous than packing. Keeping things simple, light, and easy is the bedrock of success for the overseas traveler.

Mental Preparation
In today's world, safety is paramount. You must account for new security measures in a fluid political situation and consider what you would do if you get waylaid in a foreign place. While no one wants to think about getting locked up abroad or pulled into secondary, it is worth running the scenarios through your mind. Imagining such things can put people off, but for travel hungry nomads, this is part of the adventurer's admission fee.

After you buy your plane tickets, register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This free Department of State service allows US citizens and nationals to enroll with US Embassies and Consulates in the countries they will be visiting. In the event of a national emergency or disaster, officials will know to look for you. When you register, put relevant US Embassy and Consular phone numbers in the cell phone you will be taking. Additionally, enrolling in STEP will help your family find you if they have an emergency and cannot reach you directly. STEP also provides needed Visa and immunization information.

Banking and credit and debit cards. Before you go, contact your bank and let them know where you will be traveling, how long you will be gone, which countries you will be visiting, and what credit and debit cards you will be taking. This will prevent them for blocking your charges while abroad, landing you in a regrettable situation. Many countries do not accept American Express and most countries, including all of Europe, require credit and debit cards with a chip. While chip cards are finally catching on in the US, I learned about this the hard way in 2009 onboard a train in France when I could not pay for my ticket with my chip-free credit card. Luckily, I was not thrown off the train mid-transit. If you do not have a card with a chip, contact your bank and request a credit card for international travel.

Cash. Carry only enough US dollars to get you through airport incidentals and or tips required in US dollars. Use your debit card to withdrawal a few days worth of cash once you reach your destination. You will incur transaction and exchange rate fees, but this is the simplest, safest way to obtain cash, which is still the best—and possibly only—way to pay for things in many developing foreign countries. Also, many banks reimburse users for some if not all of these transaction fees.

RFID. Credit cards and passports contain scannable personal identifying information technology. To prevent your information from being wirelessly scanned, spend a few dollars to protect your stuff with RFID protected cases. You can purchase as assortment of light-weight RFID protected passport and credit card sleeves perfect for backpacking through REI.

Physical Preparation
Immunizations. Having the proper immunizations is required for safe overseas travel, and is literally part of the admission price to get into some countries. In Peru for example, you must show you have been immunized for Yellow Fever. Travel clinics throughout the US give adventurers the immunizations, medications, and travel tips needed for safe passage through foreign lands. Keep your immunization card close at hand as evidence you have received your shots.

Water. Being fit goes a long way to making traveling anywhere a better experience, but it's not the only thing that is important. Staying hydrated is key. While it is easy to get caught up in "rules" for water intake, the simplest way to know if you are hydrated is to check your pee. It ain't mellow if it's yellow. Urine should be clear. If it's not, drink more. Make sure you are well-hydrated at least three days before you travel, especially if you are traveling to high altitudes, and especially if you are taking altitude medication which can have unpleasant side-effects if you are dehydrated. Also remember caffeine is a diuretic. So if you are a coffee or pop lover, you must do a one-for-one replacement of water to coffee or pop.

Gear
Now comes the fun part, laundry. Haha, just kidding. But once it is done, you can pack with ease. Every adventure comes with its own set of gear requirements and you have to figure out what those will be for the adventure you are taking.

Airport baggage. The most important thing I learned hiking the Camino is: less is more. The lighter my pack, the more free I am to adventure. Ten percent body weight is an excellent rule of thumb to avoid injury when thru-hiking and not camping. Using a backpack that is 40 liters or less will prevent you from having to check your bag at the airport. If you are carrying a laptop and are traveling to/from the Middle East, review the confusing laptop ban recently enacted by the US Government. Stay on top of TSA requirements and have a back-up plan should you be unable to get back into the US for any reason.

Go bag. Take a small, secondary, lightweight, preferably waterproof "go-bag" in case of emergency. Inside, you can carry your ID, passport, immunizations, water, medication, a change of clothes, and any necessary toiletries should you have to be separated from your primary bag for any reason. This comes in handy should you unexpectedly have to check your bag at the airport.

Electronics. Again, less is more. Unless you are a photojournalist or photographer, taking a big, heavy, expensive camera is ill advised. iPhones take amazing pictures as do many pocket sized cameras. On the camino I ditched my camera and iPad and kept only my iPhone. I discovered it was all I needed to blog, take photographs, listen to music, and stay as connected as I wanted to. Be sure to pack a converter as well; you will need it. If you are going to Ireland, you will need to buy a different type of converter; they do not use the two-pronged European converter.

Toiletries. You don't have to pack everything. People all over the world wear clothes, use soap, and brush their teeth. Shocking, I know. To keep your pack light, just pack enough. You can replenish abroad if need be, and who knows, you may find even better products overseas. Consider it part of the adventure. I found some great lotions and muscle creams in Spain I have yet to find in the US. Also, consider taking only a single razor blade and leave the handle behind. Practice once or twice before you go, but every ounce counts. Remove unnecessary packing from products. Wearing glasses instead of contact can make things easier, but if you are going to be a rainy environment, contacts may be the better option. If you are going to share sleep quarters, ear plugs are a must!

First-aid kit. Put one together yourself, it's cheaper and you can tailor it for your needs. Also, it is best to wear shoes that do not hurt your feet. Don't plan to break them in abroad. This sounds like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people get blisters walking the Camino. Thankfully I did not have this experience, but saw them ruin peoples' experiences.

Ladies. True freedom can be found when we can extricate ourselves from jewelry, make-up, and non-essential beauty product, including contacts. My skin never looked better than it did in Spain, devoid of make-up for six weeks. I'm not saying this is a must, just something to consider. It also opens the door for a foreign shopportunity... But don't forget sunscreen and a hat.

Rejuvenate Your Soul
Once all the preparation is done and your packing completed, it is time for the best part. Have fun, keep an open mind, and explore the world abroad without inhibition. Make the best of every day's unique experiences and your trip will be just what it is meant to be. Adventure on!