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A Peruvian Honeymoon

By : Kristen Kidder
Trip Begins August 13, 2010
Trip Ends August 27, 2010

Although we’ve been married for nearly three months, the giddiness of our wedding day returns the moment my husband, Cory, and I pass through security at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport. After nearly a year of planning, we are officially on our honeymoon!
See my photos : A Peruvian Honeymoon

Want to go? Manco Multisport, Amazon Lodge Extension

I went to: Peru, Cusco, Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu Ruins, Puno, Amantani Island, Machu Picchu, Manco Multisport Day 4, Manco Multisport Day 5, Uros Islands, Manco Multisport Campsites, Costa del Sol, Taypikala Hotel Cusco, El Sauce, Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo, Q'Elqatani, Sandoval Lake Lodge, Puerto Maldonado
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August 13, 2010
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Away We Go!

Costa del Sol, Lima

Although we’ve been married for nearly three months, the giddiness of our wedding day returns the moment my husband, Cory, and I pass through security at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport. After nearly a year of planning, we are officially on our honeymoon! And not a moment too soon. Before the wedding Cory and I scoffed at the convention of leaving on a trip immediately, but we’ve come to understand why people do it – getting married is tiring! And when you factor in our careers and the day-to-day stresses of living in New York City…let’s say we are ready for a break. The trip we’ve planned is perfect: active and educational and completely removed from our everyday life. I can’t wait.

My internal frame backpack has officially come out of retirement for this trip. I haven’t used it since 1997, when I spent some time traveling around Europe during a semester abroad in England. I’m somewhat self-conscious, and have wondered if it’s appropriate for a 33 year-old-woman to be travelling this way. Thankfully my concerns were put to rest the moment we arrive at the Costa del Sol, across the street from the Lima airport. The lobby is teeming with travelers and their backpacks – some of them a great deal older than us. Cory and I spend some time in the bar area, enjoying our complimentary pisco sours and chatting with other guests. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that many of them are married, and have been for years. And yet these couples are still enjoying each other’s company and taking adventures together. “This is the sort of life I wish for us,” I tell my new husband, before we order a second round.

August 14, 2010
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NYC is Hotter than the Amazon - Who Knew?

Sandoval Lake Lodge, Puerto Maldonado

Booking the “Amazon Extension” was a spur-of-the-moment decision primarily motivated by our shared desire to see monkeys in the wild. (Honestly. And whenever we’d mention our trip, people would ask about the monkeys. I think it’s a universal fascination.) I’d never been to a rainforest before, so about six weeks before we left I booked us an appointment with a passport health representative to prepare for every contingency – malaria pills, yellow fever vaccines, heavy duty sunscreen and bug spray. But when we finally arrive at the Sandoval Lake Lodge, all of these precautions take a back seat to the breathtakingly beautiful scenery and tranquility of the lake and surrounding area. We are assigned a room in Wing A, and when we open the door we find that our towels have been laid out on our bed in the shape of a heart. The honeymoon has officially begun.

But let me back up a minute. Whoever came up with the phrase “getting there is half the fun” must have been talking about the journey to the Sandoval Lake Lodge. The process begins at dawn in Lima, as Cory and I wake to catch an early flight to Cusco, followed an hour or so later by a connecting flight to Puerto Maldonado. At the airport we are picked up by Paulina, our young, enthusiastic tour guide, and driven to the lodge’s offsite office, where we were asked to quickly re-pack our backpacks. (Note to travelers considering this type of trip: pack your stuff so that you can condense it quickly…there were a few times on the trip where we had to re-pack or go down to one backpack. It’s not a big deal, just something to keep in mind.) From the office we drive to the shore, where a motorized boat is waiting to take us (and 20 other tourists from Australia and New Zealand) to the lake. There Cory and I are given our first taste of Sandoval Lake cuisine – a delicious rice and tofu stir fry to-go, carefully wrapped in a banana leaf. The presentation pleases me so much I can’t help taking a picture of it. I’m already in love with this vacation, if only for the fact that everything about it is different from my life in New York.

We hit land about 45 minutes later. After applying a thick layer of bug spray, Cory, Paulina and I begin a nearly hour-long hike where we are required to step off the path at various intervals as boys – pushing carts carrying our luggage, food and other supplies – run furiously by. (The stamina of the Sandoval staff is impressive!) Canoes are waiting for us as we reach the water, and not long after we set off Paulina points to some ripples and speculates that an anaconda must have been nearby. Cory spends the rest of our stay making Indiana Jones references: “Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?”

The weather is the biggest surprise. Although I know winter is winding down in South America, I’m surprised to find the Amazon so temperate. NYC is experiencing its hottest summer on record, and we are thrilled to find that the rainforest offers a surprising reprieve from the humidity.

August 15, 2010
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Monkeys at Last!

Sandoval Lake Lodge, Puerto Maldonado

We’ve been at the Lodge less than 24 hours and already we feel like pros. The routine is easy to master: pre-dawn outing, breakfast, free time, late morning outing, lunch, more free time, evening outing and dinner. It’s a bit like summer camp for grown-ups, and our favorite time of day is right after lunch when we can cozy up on the hammocks to read and watch the lake. Heaven. We periodically turn to each other to say things like “if we were at home right now we’d just be getting on a crowded subway.” But it’s so much more pleasant to sip our drinks and watch the birds fly by.

Our outings have been spectacular and feel incredibly indulgent, since it’s just Cory and I and Paulina. This morning we woke at 5am for our private catamaran tour of the lake. Saul paddled us around the lake, while Paulina pointed out the different species of birds and monkeys (yay!) and caimans. We were back on the lake in the evening to watch the sunset, true honeymoon style. On our way back to shore, we “hunted” caimans with our flashlights – if we caught them in the beam of light their eyes would glow an eerie red that reminded me of the Disney Peter Pan movie. Bats were also flying all around us and instead of finding the experience unsettling, I just marveled at all the different species of wildlife co-existing on the lake.

Nature is really putting on a show for us, and Cory and I are so lucky to be able to see it.

August 16, 2010
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Wherein We Come Face-to-Face with Toucan Sam

Sandoval Lake Lodge, Puerto Maldonado

Today was the earliest morning of them all – a 4am wake-up call for bird watching! We’re all so sleepy that we barely speak as Saul paddles us to land, but once we reach solid ground Paulina leaps into action, leading us in and out of the trees until we find the remote clearings were the birds start their day. It’s an amazing site – our own private parrot playground! We take turns looking into the binoculars and marveling at the beauty in front of us. Cory and I have adopted the macaw as our relationship mascot – Paulina tells us that these beautiful birds mate for life and we rarely see one flying around without a partner. It’s such a lovely image.

Tarantulas have also been on our minds, since we’ve seen several on our hikes and can now identify the difference between the species - chicken and pink toe. As a special treat for our last night, Paulina takes Cory and I on an extra hike through the trails in the back of the lodge. She points out tarantula nests and I stand with my camera ready as she and Cory try to coax them out. I don’t share my husband’s fascination with these huge, hairy spiders but I get a kick out of his brave persona – and although he says he says he’s not afraid, he sure jumps back quickly any time any of the tarantulas start to move toward him!

It’s a perfect last day, but also bittersweet. I’m excited to begin the multi-sport section of our tour, but sad to leave Paulina and Sandoval Lake.

August 17, 2010
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Respect the Altitude

Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Cusco

I’m slightly apprehensive as we land in Cusco. Even though we’ve only been on the ground for a short time, I can already sense the abrupt change in sea level. And although Cory was able to pack prescription pills to help soothe any symptoms of altitude sickness, I’m allergic to the medication and have to rely on alternative remedies. So I start sucking on coca candy as soon as we walk off the plane.

Our new guide’s name is Juan and he takes us on a whirlwind tour of Cusco after we get settled at our hotel. In no time at all we start to learn our way around the city and are introduced to Inca architecture and mythology. We visit an enormous market that seems to be the center of activities for many of residents – there are booths with food for hungry workers and souvenirs for tourists. We take pictures of some of the more unusual items, like hearts and cow noses, to gross out our families back home. But our day starts early tomorrow and Juan doesn’t want to tire us out, so after giving us a strict warning to avoid alcohol and heavy meals – both of which could exacerbate altitude sickness – he drops us off at our hotel.

But the altitude pills have turned Cory into a bit of a risk-taker and he decides that he doesn’t want to waste our first dinner in Cusco (and, since we took all our meals at Sandoval with Paulina, it’s also our first solo dinner in Peru) on soup and sparkling water. We seek out a restaurant that was recommended to us and order avocado and potatoes, alpaca and beef. And wine – a bottle of it. The meal is lovely and it’s wonderful to be just the two of us in this new city, but the altitude eventually gets its revenge. Cory spends a good portion of the night in the bathroom while I – the girl who has done nothing but suck coca candy – remain perfectly fine. I try not to make fun of him. Much.

August 18, 2010
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Down By the River

El Sauce, Sacred Valley

I have been looking forward to this day since we booked the trip – whitewater rafting! Cory seems to have recovered fully, and we both have a good laugh recounting the night’s (mis)adventures to Juan when he picks us up at the hotel. The drive to the Sacred Valley is gorgeous, and I’m thrilled when we arrive at the launch pad for our raft. As Cory and I slip into our wetsuits, Juan assures us we’re only going to be riding “baby” rapids, but our two hour trip down the Urubamba is enough to get me hooked on the sport. More white water rafting, please! Lunch is at a little restaurant along the river – a true local establishment. It’s just us and Juan and some of the other river guides…and once again we’re loving the authenticity of this trip.

That afternoon we travel to Ollantaytambo and are given the chance to explore some more Inca ruins. These are the most elaborate we’ve toured yet, and give us a nice preview of Machu Picchu. There is lots of climbing and Cory and I get out of breath much more quickly than we would normally…the altitude makes everything a little bit more difficult. But Juan is patient and walks slow, and I’ve noticed that whenever we start breathing particularly hard he always stops to talk to us about what we’re seeing so that we can recover without embarrassment. He’s so good. Later on he mentions that Paul Simon, one of my all-time favorites, spent some time studying music in Ollantaytambo, and that makes me fall a bit more in love with this magical town.

That evening Cory buys a simple, beautiful sketch from a local artist that will look great in our apartment back home. We share a bottle of beer and watch the sun set from the balcony of a nearby bar and later venture out for a romantic dinner by candlelight.

Today is the best of the trip so far, and there is a part of me that wishes I could freeze time and just stay here in Ollantaytambo forever.

August 19, 2010
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Roadblocks

Manco Multisport Day 4, Manco Multisport Campsites

One of the reasons Cory and I chose the multi-sport tour was because it includes a little bit of everything. We wanted to relax on our honeymoon, to be sure, but we also wanted to explore, get a little dirty and have some adventures. Well, let’s just say we got all that and more the first day we set off to camp.

Today we begin with a brisk mountain bike, an activity Cory has been looking forward to this since the beginning of the trip. A new team picks us up in Ollyumtambo – complete with a driver (Edgar), a cook (Aurelio) and a bike specialist (Alejandro). So now we are six, and Cory and I feel like royalty when we think that such a group has been assembled just for us. Juan takes us to the top of a nearby mountain, unloads our gear and gets us ready to bike. There are no cars allowed on this stretch at this hour, so the roads are perfectly safe, but shortly after we begin I realize that I did not anticipate how cold this activity would be. Peru is chilly in August anyway, but the temperature really plummets when you’re biking downhill. I find myself speeding up to reach patches of sun and then slowing down a bit to luxuriate in them while daydreaming of all the cold weather gear I have packed away back home. What I wouldn’t give for some gloves! But soon the day begins to warm and I’m able to focus more on my surroundings. The descent is gorgeous and you can literally see the vegetation change as we wind further and further down toward more oxygen-rich air. It was barren and snow-capped when we started, but by the time we stop for lunch we are surrounded by lush trees.

At lunch, we experience the wonder that is the camp cook for the first time. One minute we’re biking, the wind whipping around us, and then suddenly we turn a corner to find a table set for our mid-day meal! Aurelio has prepared three wonderful courses and we all eat heartily in preparation for the afternoon leg of the bike trip. But little did we know that the next few hours would bring…

Cory, Juan, Alejandro and I only bike for about 10 minutes when we encounter a police road block. There is construction on the road, we are told, and biking is no longer allowed. Disappointed but not deterred, Juan says that we can ride in the van for a bit before finding another stretch of road. But alas, that is not to be. The six of us (along with several other cars) sit in a line of traffic for nearly three hours as we wait for the construction crews to finish for the day. At first it’s an exercise in patience, but once we accepted our fate, the wait became fun. Cory, Juan and I pull out our books, pass out some snacks and find that time begins to pass more quickly. We get to our campsite later than anticipated, but the tents are quickly assembled and dinner is on the table in no time.

And so, despite the literal roadblocks we’ve encountered over the last 24 hours, Cory and I sleep under the stars confident in the knowledge that tomorrow is indeed another day.

August 20, 2010
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Onward and Upward

Manco Multisport Day 5, Manco Multisport Campsites

The morning of our second camping day begins with a hike where I learn a very important lesson: even though you are wearing pants, you should still put bug spray on your legs. I’ve been skimping on this step lately because one benefit of the altitude is that you don’t encounter as many mosquitoes, but our hike this morning drives the folly of my decision home. Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely. We’re on one of the less popular Inca trails, and as we wrap along the side of the mountain Juan points out the vistas of Machu Picchu. I can’t imagine walking all the way there….as it is, my calves are screaming by lunch. But we are able to stop every hour or so for water, and Juan takes us to the home of a local woman a bit before lunch and she shares some bananas with us and lets us take a rest in her hammock. One of the things I love about this trip is getting to see the activities that resonate with each of us, and Cory is loving today. He loves hiking, he loves interacting with locals and he loves hammocks. It makes me happy to see my new husband so happy.

We meet our crew for lunch and are able to give Aurelio some fresh avocados that we’ve picked up along the way. He quickly assembles them into our lunch of boiled potatoes and although it’s a simple dish, it’s so delicious after our early morning exertions. We hike some more in the afternoon – passing by some magnificent peaks and valleys– before heading back to the van for our drive to Santa Teresa. We camp near a lovely hostel, and spend the afternoon reading and relaxing in the sun. After a shower I’m able to assess the extent of the damage inflicted by the mosquitoes, which is (I’ll admit) quite extensive and a little bit gross. I must have sensitive skin or something because my bites are so swollen that Cory tells me my legs look like a horror movie.

It’s our last night with Aurelio and even though we’ve only had him and Edgar for 48 hours, they feel like a part of our team. They surprise us with a “Feliz Honeymoon” cake after dinner and I am amazed, once again, by the joy and the wonder of this trip.

August 21, 2010
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A Little Slice of Heaven

Machu Picchu Ruins, Peru

One of the (many) benefits we’ve found in traveling with a private guide is the flexibility of changing plans to better accommodate our interests and schedule. Cory and I were supposed to spend the day hiking and then take an early evening train that would deliver us to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu, around 8pm. However, months and months ago we had asked the Adventure Life staff to recommend one hotel upgrade – and without hesitation they suggested the night before touring Machu Picchu. And so Cory and I have splurged on one night at the Inkaterra (something I’m very much looking forward to after a few days of camping) and we want to spend every possible moment there.

This means that our plans for the hike are scrapped, but Juan suggests a morning activity that works even better – the Cola da Mono zip line! Like white water rafting, zip lining is something that I’ve always wanted to experience but have never had the opportunity to try, and we weren’t disappointed. The experience was made even more memorable once Edgar (our driver) decided that he wanted to join us! So after a brief hike, the three of us were led through a 6-cable, 2-hour guided tour that had us gliding over rivers and zipping down through the Andes. After all his hard work driving us around the mountains, I was glad to see Edgar enjoying himself and sharing in the excitement of our trip. However, all this bonding made it that much harder to say goodbye to him and Aurelio after lunch. But if we want to arrive at Inkaterra by late afternoon, it means that we have to literally walk the train tracks with Juan…a journey that takes a little over two hours. Cory carries our consolidated backpack the entire way and I am so proud of my new husband, even though I know his back must have been killing him by the time we arrived.

It is all worth it, however, when we open the door to our bungalow. I’ve done my fair share of traveling over the years, but Inkaterra is one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed in my life. The warm shower and soft bed is a welcome reprieve from the adventures of the last several days, and our three course dinner – which was included with our reservation – is some of the best food I’ve had in my life, never mind this trip. And so for one evening Cory and I relax, allow ourselves to be pampered and take full advantages of the hotel’s amenities. When we return to our room that night we find a plate of truffles for “the newlyweds” from Juan. It truly is delightful, the connections we are making here.

August 22, 2010
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The City on the Hill

Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Cusco

We rise early to meet Juan, who wants to show us as much of Machu Picchu as possible before the crowds descend. I’m excited, but also somewhat apprehensive. In my experience iconic sites rarely live up to expectations, generally because the media tends to paint a picture of them that’s manufactured and completely tourist-free. So I have purposely come to Peru with few pre-conceived ideas about Machu Picchu. I’m curious to see what sort of reaction this Wonder of the World will provoke in me.

And at first it’s a purely academic one. Juan tours us around and we marvel at the architecture and the ingenuity of the Inca culture. We learn about where people lived and children played, and he points out areas of worship. I admire the mountainous location – which truly is as spectacularly beautiful as it is strategic – and am thankful that we are here and able to take in this once-in-a-lifetime sight. But I do not experience the sort of reverence that other people have described, and after Juan leaves us to tour for a couple of hours on our own I’m content to sit in a quiet corner with Cory and just tend to my mosquito bites.

It’s his idea to hike up toward the top of the ruins, where there are fewer tourists. “Let’s just go up there for an hour or so, and then we’ll take the bus back to town,” he promises. And so we climb, and somewhere in the middle of that trek something changes for me. Viewed from above, Manchu Picchu takes on a quality that you can’t really perceive while you’re walking around amongst the stones. So we sit for a while to take it all in and after a while we watch as a young man sitting nearby proposes to his girlfriend. She starts crying as they embrace and I can’t help smiling at the wonderful memory they’ll have and how they made this gorgeous, iconic landscape their own.

We take an evening train to Cusco and say goodbye to Juan. Like Paulina, it seems like Juan has become a part of our family over the last few days and I'm sad to part ways. We’re more than a little exhausted, but Cory and I rally and go out for a simple, late night supper in Cusco. It’s a beautiful city, and we want to soak in as much of it as we can.

August 23, 2010
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On the Road Again

Q'Elqatani, Puno

The final leg of our journey begins today – a 9-hour bus ride that takes us to Puno and our activities on Lake Titicaca. We’re happy to meet up with a Canadian family who was with us for a night at Sandoval Lake, and the bus trip passes quickly as we swap stories of Peru and our adventures of the last week.

We arrive in the city by early evening, giving us plenty of time to freshen up and take in the sights. Because a fair amount of the trip is structured and involves eating with guides, Cory and I make the most out of every opportunity to dine on our own. We’ve already sampled alpaca meat and he’s dying to try guinea pig, the Peruvian delicacy. Puno will be the place for that, he’s decided, and we ask some locals for a restaurant recommendation. But when we sit down to order, Cory learns that he has to give the cook advance notice of his order (maybe they don’t keep guinea pigs on hand?) and so tonight he will have to be satisfied with alpaca. And indeed, it’s the best we’ve had. Guinea pig will have to wait until we return from the Lake.

August 24, 2010
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A Rumbly in My Tumbly

Uros Islands,

Javier is the name of our new guide, and he picks us up at the hotel early in the morning. He’s our youngest yet, and says “yes, of course” in answer to most questions. He’s funny and fiercely proud of Lake Titicaca and tells us stories about growing up as a boy living on the island. I admire his ambition, his dedication to his tourism studies and desire to learn two more languages in addition to his English and Spanish.

Before we get on our boat, Cory and I carefully select some gifts for our hosts – pasta, sardines and tuna fish – things that are difficult to get on the island. And even though we’ve been on this tour for nearly two weeks, when we board our boat I’m still surprised to see that we have the whole thing to ourselves. Javier tells us that our captain is the oldest in the city, and I love watching the joy in his face as he works with his daughter to prep everything we need for our journey. Shortly after we set out, he climbs to the roof to make an offering of cocoa leaves to the Lake, asking for safe passage and no mechanical troubles.

The floating islands are just as beautiful as I imagined, and walking on them reminds me of jumping on my parents’ water bed when I was young. We spend some time with the locals and tour around on a reed boat before heading off for our main activity of the day: kayaking.

Cory and I have only kayaked once before – on a lake off the coast of Vancouver. Our Canadian instructor was kind of intense, and we hope that Javier takes some pity on us. Turns out that Javier LOVES to kayak, and he makes sure to get out on the lake even on days where he isn’t leading tourists. We find that this is both a good and a bad thing because while we are mostly left unsupervised, Cory and I have to paddle an especially long and fast distance to catch up to him! Our hard works pays off later, when we learn that only about 30% of Javier’s last kayaking class completed the same route the week before. We are exceedingly proud.

The Uros Islands is another part of the trip that Cory has been looking forward to. A home stay veteran, he spent several weeks with host families in Costa Rica a few years ago. I’m a bit more apprehensive and don’t quite know what to expect, but my nerves calm significantly when we arrive. With the exception of a small UCLA documentary film team, we are the only visitors on the island. Our hut looks like it comes directly from the Smurf Village and after a late lunch, Cory and I relax and make ourselves at home.

Like many of the places we’ve visited, our island only has intermittent electricity. (That would go off for good sometime during dinner). But unlike the other areas, it also has no running water - at least not today. I’m glad that we’ve brought plenty of extra for tooth brushing and face washing and after we freshen up, Cory and I join Javier for a hike to watch the sun set. So beautiful.

Not to sound too much like Winnie the Pooh, but shortly after the sun sets I start to feel a rumbly in my tumbly. The sensation spreads quickly, and I resign myself to the fact that I’ve likely contracted some sort of stomach virus. I spend the rest of the night lying in bed, throwing up and unable to sleep. Pooh.

August 25, 2010
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In Sickness and In Health

Q'Elqatani, Puno

Although we were supposed to spend the next 24 hours sailing and touring islands, it becomes obvious early on that I’m not going to be able to continue this leg of the trip. Plans are made to bring us back to Puno that morning, but I make a deal with Javier and Cory: as long as I can lie on the boat and sleep, I don’t mind if they make a couple of quick tourist spots on the way back. I don’t want all our plans to fly out the window just because I’m sick.

They do manage to get a bit of touring in and Cory was apparently served some of the most delicious trout of his life for lunch. I am content to stay on the boat with our captain, who checks in on me from time-to-time to make sure I am covered with a blanket. And no shaky bicycle-powered cab for us on the return trip back to the hotel – the company arraigned for a van where I could continue to lie and sleep. When I see it, I’m so happy I could kiss the driver.

I’m feeling well enough to drink some aqua con gas and eat some crackers, and am happy to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening recovering in bed watching bad American television. Even Cory admits that after the adventures of the last several days, it’s something of a relief to just be able to hang out and do nothing.

August 26, 2010
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Guinea Pig - Finally!

Q'Elqatani, Puno

It’s our last full day of the trip and I wake feeling much better, although not quite 100%. Because we missed much of our planned activities yesterday, the company has generously sent Javier back to our hotel to pick us up for a 3-hour day tour of Inca funeral towers. It’s the perfect activity – short duration, light walking and really interesting topic. We tour the ruins and I learn all about how the Incas honored their dead while Cory takes some truly spectacular shots of the landscape and local people. We are back in our hotel by noon, and after a quick mid-day nap I’m feeling pretty much back to normal.

It’s a good thing, too. Tonight is guinea pig night, and Cory is not leaving this country without ordering one. So we call the restaurant early to place our order and then walk around Puno and pick up some souvenirs until it is time to eat. Considering this will be the first complete meal I’ve eaten in a couple days, I’m not going anywhere near Cory’s dish, but he is so excited that he has me film the plate as it comes out to the table. (As you might have guessed, my new husband is an adventurous eater. If he orders a fish, he prefers the whole thing be sent out so he can sample the cheeks and eyes. Me, not so much.) I detect a twinge of buyer’s remorse when he sees that it actually is a guinea pig, spread out in all its fried glory. But he ended up eating every last bit of it, head and all. He poses with the bones and I take a picture.

The restaurant begins to fill with other tour groups and locals as we finish up. A band starts playing and although I don’t usually like loud music so close while we eat, Cory and I each order another drink so we can sit and savor the moment. It’s someone’s birthday and everyone in the restaurant joins in as the band begins to sing. I can’t help but think that this time tomorrow we’ll be boarding a plane bound for JFK, and we buy on of their CDs so we can bring a piece of this night home with us.

August 27, 2010
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Homeward Bound

Lima, Peru

We have no plans for our day in Lima other than trying to find the Museum of the Spanish Inquisition and sample some chifa in Chinatown. And although Cory is skeptical, I am confident that we can accomplish both missions with ease and without a guide or guidebook. And to his surprise, we do. The city is crowded with students because schools spend every Friday visiting museums, but it’s fun to see all the little ones in their different uniforms. In fact, we’re pretty popular with the kids at the Spanish Inquisition Museum because for a while we’re the only English-speaking visitors. We take lots of pictures with them waving enthusiastically in the background.

Before taking a cab back to the airport, Cory and I find a park and order some coffee. I’ve been thinking a lot about something that someone said to me back at the Sandoval Lake Lodge, on a night that seems like it was a million years ago. “I can’t believe you’re here on your honeymoon,” this woman from Nevada said to me. “I think this would be a terrible trip for something like that.” I disagree, obviously, but now that we’re about to go home my opinion has grown even stronger. I think this is EXACTLY the kind of trip that makes for a good kick-off to marriage. Touring Peru enabled us to see new things together, take care of each other, to problem solve and work as a team. I love Cory and want to spend the rest of our lives doing exactly these things. This trip was literally the perfect start.

But that does not mean that I’m not ready to go back to New York for a little while. Our coffee finished, Cory and I give Peru one last long look before starting the journey home.

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