Cuzco, Peru: It's Like an Onion; It Has Layers

Plaza de Armas, the main square in the city

Cuzco, Peru, at first meeting might seem loud, overwhelming, frustrating and a bit dangerous (in regards to crossing the road or simply walking along the narrow cobblestone streets with 12-inch wide "sidewalks"). However, once you get past the cars beeping, traffic cops blowing their whistles, street vendors constantly trying to sell you their goods, and get used to the cars speeding around corners on cobblestone streets, the city becomes something else. It's charming, energetic and fun, there are tons of hidden restaurants, shops and markets that become found when you take a moment to look, and the people are extremely friendly, down to earth, kind and curious when you open yourself up to conversation while sitting on a park bench in the sun.

Looking out over the city of terracotta rooftops

Drew and I spent a few days in Cuzco before our trek to Machu Picchu, and we immediately liked it. It was beautiful, set in a valley surrounded by mountains, all the rooftops the same clay terracotta color mixing with the green of the hills. The bustling plazas had an energy that was upbeat without being intimidating, with historical churches lining the streets, and hilly cobblestone roads that seemed to have no particular order or organization. It was always buzzing and therefore a bit dizzying at times!

La Iglesia de San Blas in San Blas Plaza near our hostel

However, living in the city for this week after returning from Machu Picchu, I am beginning to see it in a different way. It's still loud, colorful and energetic, however there's more to it. The maze of roads has become familiar and make sense. The street vendors don't seem so obtrusive, and are actually interesting to talk with. Walking on the narrow streets can still be a bit scary, but now I know what to expect and I know how to pass people on the 12-inch wide sidewalks when cars are coming, by squeezing into a doorway to wait for them to pass by or quickly hopping around them into the street and back up on the narrow strip of safety!

It's a very different city than anywhere we've been so far and I like it. It's slower paced than the US, yet hectic. It's loud, yet mysterious. There's no lack of places to eat, whether you want a fancy French dinner served on white linen or a crispy empanada fresh out of the fryer to eat on the street. You can take a photo with a baby llama or try an alpaca burger. There are signs all over for "cuy al horno" or baked guinea pig. Pastelerias (pastry shops) abound, as do markets with expensive American candy, shampoos and lotions, and cheap helados (ice cream).

There are probably a hundred young men who approach tourists with nearly identical portfolios filled with paintings that were painted "by them, their friend, their teacher and their father." Interestingly, there are only about five different styles of paintings...

There are older women in colorful traditional clothing carrying their handmade goods on their back with big scarves. They are sweet and like to talk, and of course, want you to buy their things. But most of them aren't pushy. They're curious to talk with you if you start a conversation and open and eager to answer questions and explain their wares and their culture.

A talkative local showing me how she made
 the woven belt I bought from her.

 The dogs in Cuzco have lives more exciting than some people I know! They meet up with each other in the morning after searching for hidden treasures (food in the trash or on the street) from the night before. They congregate and play and sometimes "argue" with each other. Later in the day, most can be seen taking a siesta, maybe outside on the stoop of their home, or their owner's store, or maybe in one of the plazas. In the evening they come alive again and begin to hunt for dinner, for their friends, and for a mate. It's quite interesting to see how differently they live here, not like our pampered, spoiled pooches in the States who only go outside to go to the bathroom!

One of the many Peruvian pooches taking a siesta on the street

Cuzco is a charming city with a lot of soul. Religion, culture and history is very important to the people as is tourism. It's easy to get annoyed by the never ending noise, people asking you to buy things, and having to constantly climb cobblestone hills. But it's also easy to become enamored with the culture, beautiful setting, and different way of life. Mucho gusto, Cuzco. I'm glad we've had the time to get to know you at a deeper level than simply "the city you fly into to go to Machu PIcchu."

Diving: A Secret World

We plan to start our adventure off of the coast of Ecuador, in the amazing Galapagos Islands which inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. I love animals and learning about them and this incredible archipelago is home to the most unique creatures on the planet. I cannot wait to see them firsthand. Not all of energy is focused on the land animals such as the giant 150-year-old tortoises or even the airborne blue footed boobies. No, my greatest intrigue is what lies beneath the beautiful ocean and trail of islands. Therefore, we are spending several days on a live aboard diving yacht where we will complete up to four dives a day!

The hubby and I are advanced scuba divers and dive whenever we can, which unfortunately, living in Buffalo is not that often. We are vacation divers. But that doesn't make us love it any less.

There's something about diving that makes me feel so special; like I'm being let in on a secret that, unfortunately, many people will never experience. When I first enter the water I tend to feel like I'm intruding on the sea creatures' home and their world and maybe it's not quite right. But then, once I find my buoyancy and get comfortable, kicking my feet ever so slightly to propel myself along, arms at my sides, eyes excitedly scanning the sea around me, I no longer feel like an intruder. I simply feel like part of a secret, amazing world. There's very little sound down there, it's mostly bubbles unless the dive instructor is trying to get someone's attention by tapping on his metal air tank. I'm weightless and floating, propelling myself simply with my feet, or being moved along by the current. The sights are incredible; schools of fish that part when I swim toward them, breaking open the "wall" that they create and letting me pass through, colorful coral that has been around for thousands of years; and if I'm lucky, one of the big, exciting sights such as a turtle, shark or ray! These are the things that I hope to see on every dive!

If you dive...you get it. If you don't, I'd highly recommend you try it. If you're afraid and "stick to snorkeling," I applaud you for at least getting your face in the water, but I'd definitely urge you to try diving at least twice. The first time is guaranteed to be uncomfortable and possibly even difficult, but if you have a decent instructor they will make it a worthwhile and enlightening experience. By the second time you won't be completely overwhelmed by the new sensations and you  should have more time to simply relax and take in more of your surroundings.

Don't you want to be let in on the secret?

Photo taken by Wings Diving Adventures out of Airlie Beach, Australia from our dive trip in August 2011

Traveling as a Couple

Happy Valentine's Day!  In recognition of the holiday, I thought it was timely and appropriate to highlight an important aspect of my upcoming Around the World Adventure with my hubby:  Traveling as a Couple.

Just yesterday I stumbled upon this great article on Bootsnall.com, one of my favorite sites!  The article, How Traveling as a Couple Can Enrich Your Trip (& Your Relationship) addresses a belief held by some that traveling with someone else is a cop out, or makes your experience less authentic.  It goes on to challenge that perception and argue how traveling as a couple can make your experience even broader and MORE authentic.

I don't have a problem traveling alone, as a matter of fact, the few times I've done it, I've really enjoyed it.  However, traveling alone as a woman, and to some of the places I'd like to visit, might not always be the safest idea. 

Also, traveling alone, you're either going to end up staying in a dorm room in a hostel (which can be fun to meet people, but really, you can meet people just as easily in the hostel's common areas) or paying a lot more money for a private room.  With a partner, you can usually get a private room for less than you would each pay separately for a dorm bed, with the added bonus of privacy and additional security for your belongings.  Plus, you can share food and drinks.  But these are just some of the logistic benefits of traveling as a couple.

Traveling as a couple involves compromise - and therefore experiencing more!  My husband and I are pretty similar in terms of our hobbies and the things we like to do on vacation, but sometimes one of us might really want to see something while the other is indifferent.  The inspiration of one person can often lead to both people experiencing things they wouldn't otherwise.  A great example of this was on our most recent adventure abroad, in Australia.  I'm a HUGE animal lover and ever since the last time I was in Australia I knew that on my next visit I wanted to go to Kangaroo Island (sometimes referred to as the Galapagos of Australia).  This island has lots of wildlife, including fairy penguins(!!), the iconic kangaroos, wallabies and koalas, plus seals and sea lions!!!  Not to mention, it was supposed to be gorgeous.  My husband was fine with us going, but it wasn't something he was super excited about, he was really just going for me.  However, this ended up being one of BOTH of our favorite stops along the trip and we both want to go back in the future!  Pretty cool!


Another thing we know too well - not everything is perfect when you travel.  You might get haggled by a local to pay too much for a stupid souvenir you don't really want, you might reach a breaking point one day on a boat in the middle of the ocean and want to jump overboard to get away from everyone, or you might even get extremely sick.  When these things happen and you get frustrated, lose your cool, or can't keep even water in your stomach, it's really awesome to have someone who loves you, cares about you, and truly knows you by your side.

On our honeymoon through Thailand and Cambodia, I got extremely sick.  I was confined to the bathroom, had literally no water or food left in my body, and could barely stand for more than five minutes due to weakness and fatigue.  My husband was by my side through it all.  He would have flew home the first day I was sick if I wanted to (which of course was out of the question, we needed to see all the places we had planned!).  He made multiple trips to find me Gatorade and crackers, and even peeled my bananas and oranges and arranged them on a platter when I was finally able to keep some stuff down.  A couple days later, just as I was beginning  to feel better the illness got to him.  I took my turn taking care of him and making sure he had what he needed.  As much as it sucked to be sick for over a week on our three-week honeymoon, this experience cemented our commitment and trust in each other - even in foreign, difficult situations.  We got through it and still look back on that trip as something amazing, fun, and positive, despite those difficult few days.

Like I mentioned before, illness isn't the only possible complication.  Sometimes when traveling for an extended period of time, a person can get tired, stressed, or easily irritated.  When one of us is overly upset or stressed, the other can usually sense it.  We have a good history of calming each other down, and easing each other's frustrations by dealing with the difficult people or situation that is causing the stress, or making the decisions for the day.  We work well as a team and when we travel together, this tends to become more obvious.

Finally, one of the best things about traveling together - experiences are so much better shared!  Sure, family and friends at home (or reading our blog!) will enjoy hearing stories and seeing pictures, but the actual memories are made on the trip, and let's face it, are often only fully understood in the moment.  It's nice to have someone to experience things with and to talk to and recall those exact instances months or years later.

I'm not saying we're not going to get annoyed with each other and need our space at times.  I'm not saying we won't miss our family and friends at home.  I'm not saying traveling alone isn't great.  But I am saying that I'm glad to be planning and dreaming about this trip with my husband, and I can't wait to embark on this adventure with my best friend.