Peruvian Ruminations

I've been home now for a week and Peru feels like another lifetime ago, as if it never happened or as if it happened to someone else. This blog has been a Godsend, in that it has kept Peru closer to my heart and mind, but I've slid so easily back into the old routine - coffee, bagels, work, TV.

When I described my Inca Trail experience to my friend, she asked if I would ever do something like that again (i.e., backpacking through the mountains at high altitude). I suppose, on the surface, that to the reader/listener, my experience and that of Tami and Larry sounded difficult, frustrating, and daunting, if not off-putting all-together. But I would climb another mountain in a heartbeat. The beauty, the challenge, and the wonder of my experience on the trail were what made it all worth while. It was an adventure in a world so foreign to my daily experience and I loved it all - every moment I knew would be a memory and a story to tell...Touchstones of my past for my future self.

One of the brightest highlights of the trip (other than the views of the Inca Trail) was Chucuito, which was a wonderful a reprieve from the crowds and exhaust of Puno, and from the turistas crawling all over Cusco. I felt liked I caught a glimpse of the everyday Peru and not just the shiny "look at me" turista traps. Above all, though, this trip would have been half as joyful if not for the fantastic crew of friends with whom I traveled and the exuberant batch of new friends I made along the Inca Trail. Everyone's adventurous spirit kept the train moving, so to speak. Of course, we all had our moments where we needed to retreat, but overall, we traveled well together. I hope everyone else felt the same way! ;-)

In the end, of course, I wish I had more time in each of the cities we visited, as well as time to see more of what Peru has to offer, including the Amazon and the beaches. I am definitely sitting here now, though, thinking of all the places in the world I have yet to visit...and how I might fashion a year off to put a dent in my wish list.

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Peruvian stats:

Number of flights: 8
Alpaca meals: 2
Trout meals: 3
Pizzas: 2
Cocoa tea: Gallons
Bruised toes: 2
Healed blisters: 4
Photos: 314
First meal upon return to the States: Taco Bell Nachos BellGrande

Sarah Too