Awesome. Breathtaking. Spectacular. Those words and others came immediately to mind as I caught my first glimpse of Machu Picchu, right before my very eyes.
All posts by Pink Me Not Mom
Sacred Valley and the Power of Women
Last evening a “paco” (which means priest in the local dialect) performed a tribute to Pachamama, aka Mother Earth, in an old church located on the grounds of the hotel, which was once a convent. Using locally farmed ingredients such as coca leaves, quinoa and rice, as well as cookies and sprinkles – because, according to him, women like sweets and Mother Earth is a woman – he created a colorful sacrificial package for the Andean peoples’ revered goddess, which he then burned while performing a ritual chant. As an atheist, I generally have no use for such spiritual gobbledygook. However, when such a ceremony is performed in a setting as magnificent as this, it’s hard to resist the mystical incantations of a millenias-old civilization.
The Center of the World: Cusco and the Sacred Valley
Like roosters, we were up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight to Cusco. In what was one of the most gorgeous approaches to an airport I’ve ever experienced, we flew into the city with the Andes on either side. It was as if the mountains were hugging the plane and it was beautiful and humbling.
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Religion and Sex in Lima, Peru
Yes, that’s correct. Most people wouldn’t link them together, but those were the two main themes that emerged from our glorious day in Lima.
For My Family on Mother’s Day
When I was in high school, I was convinced that I’d remain single, own a beautiful apartment in Manhattan and save lives as a neurosurgeon. When I started college, I changed my career goal. Realizing that I wasn’t cut out to deal with life and death situations on a daily basis, I was convinced I’d become a diplomat and live a life of adventure in exotic locales.
Perú, Aquí Vengo*
In a few short days, I will be leaving the girls and my husband to their own devices while I go with my mom to Peru.
Verizon FIOS vs. Panera WiFi
We woke up this morning to a house that was technologically cut off from the world. No phone, no TV, no Internet. For no apparent reason, other than our Verizon FIOS service decided it didn’t want to work anymore.
Tourists in Our Own Backyard – the High Line
After discovering the High Line in Manhattan with our French cousins a couple of weeks ago, I was eager to introduce the girls and my husband to this oasis in the city. We woke up to a beautiful morning – the perfect day for a little adventure.
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Spontaneity = Happiness
In a recent post, I mentioned in passing that one of the great gifts of relinquishing my paycheck has been the newly rediscovered ability to be spontaneous, which goes hand in hand with the luxury of having time to breathe.
Standing My Ground with an Irritable Sophie
I attribute the recent uptick in Sophie’s irritability to a variety of factors. Not sure how many of them are legitimate and reasonable, and how many are simply rationalizations I’m pulling out of my head to explain this phenomenon.
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