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.
Category Archives: Wanderlust
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.
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.
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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The Freedom Trail (or to Steal or Not to Steal from the Long Dead)
On our last day in Boston we did something I never did in all the time I spent there during college. We paid to take a tour of Freedom Trail with the Freedom Trail Foundation. What’s cool about the tour is that each guide plays the role of an historical figure, which provides context and an entertaining story.
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Getting the Hell Out of Dodge
We woke up this morning to a city in lockdown mode. Bombers on the loose (actually only one by the time we woke up) and a massive manhunt underway.
Hello, Bean Town!
We planned our trip to Boston months ago and there was no way evil killers were going to keep us away from the city that is replete with college memories for me.
Storm King Art Center
It’s starting to feel like spring. And when it feels like spring, we get the urge to go day tripping. Today’s destination was Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, NY. A beautiful outdoor museum set on 500 acres, I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be when leaves are on the trees and flowers blanket the meadows.