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This is 40

March 2019
What to do when you are about to turn 40... Hike at Macchu Picchu.
40 here I come!! Read more
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  • TravelerThis is 40
    Day 1

    Beer and valium

    March 14, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Hello and welcome back,

    Can you believe your favorite roaming Realtor is tuning 40? I have to say I can't.
    A question I frequently receive about my travels is how do I choose my next trip. The answer is usually based on a picture I have seen from that country. For Peru I believe it was the picture of Guinea pig on a menu and served whole. Oh yeah Macchu Picchu also looked cool.
    For those who have known me for awhile you know this is the second time I have booked this trip. The first time was in 2016, the year the world fell apart for me. I believe we have all had those years and when they happen it is time to make the decision of what will make you happy and what you would like your life to be like. I had been smart in previous years and saved for the just in case. So I restarted my life and career that year. It was the best decision I have ever made. For those who followed my blog that year was very raw for me. I am happy to report that after 3 years I am not back to who I was but now a new and improved version of myself.
    A recap on my past year to catch you up. I made the decision last year to switch the brokerage with which I worked. Wow what a difference that made. I was able to more than double my business year over year and end up in the top 15% of my office. I am so grateful to each of my clients, vendors and KW staff who helped. 2019 is already off to an amazing start and I look to double my production again this year.
    Besides work my life is much the same. Basil continues to get older and his face a little whiter. I helped my Mom sell the lake house in Belleville and move up to Canton to be near Amy and me.
    Now for a few details about my trip. I ended up booking it when I realized I had not been out of the country in over a year and only out of the state to go to OH. Yikes. This one was very last minute and was only booked about 3 weeks ago. I will be gone for just 6 days. The highlights include my 40th birthday on top of Macchu Picchu, quad biking and a flight over the Nazca lines. A few small activities are also planned but that will pretty much be it. Many ask about the flights. I start with 3 hours to Dallas, a five hour layover, 7.5 hours to Lima Peru, then a quick 1 hour flight to Cusco. It will take me about 22 hours total from leaving my house to arriving at my hotel. I know it sounds a bit grueling but a few beers and a few valium the time flies by.
    I am currently sitting at my layover in Dallas.
    For many reasons I thought this again was going to be the trip that did not happen. I have fought through back spasms, entire plane collections being grounded and a few other things to make this trip happen. As your Roaming Realtor I woke up this morning to having to renegotiate a contract to ensure my clients got their dream home.

    Now vacation begins. Bring on the beer time for my 7 hour nap waking up in Peru.

    My 41st country in 40 years!

    Stay tuned, more updates to come.    Read more

  • TravelerThis is 40
    Day 2

    Spread love and kindness

    March 15, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Welcome to Peru,

    I say this because I feel like I take you all with me when I travel.
    After 22 hours of 3 airplanes, 4 airports, and a taxi I arrived. I use to be able to arrive and start exploring the same day. This morning after just 2 hours of sleep I was exhausted. I ended up sleeping until 4, it was glorious!
    Many times after the grueling hours of travel to get to my destination I wonder to myself if it is all worth it. Is it worth the cramped quarters of the airplane. Or 5 hour layovers. Then I go to my first activity of the trip. For this trip it was a night walking tour and pisco sour making lesson. It always starts with the anxiety of if I will find my group, if they will be kind people, and if I can keep up in a walking tour at 11000 ft above sea level. Then I meet my group. Tonight's tour was a nearly private tour with a beautiful person who lives in Miami and is working in Chile for 4 months. As we began to talk about travel and where she has been, I remembered how much I crave it. Hearing about others travels, where they have been and their experiences brings the oxygen back to my blood.
    The tour itself consisted of walking through the bohemian art districts and taking a moment to orient myself to the city.
    Peru is a 75 or more percent catholic country and in addition to that they are very connected with the Earth. They believe in Pacchi Mama (mother earth for those who remember her from Boliva). To me the believe on Pacchi Mama versus traditional religion resonates more in my heart. There is no talk of smiting or cursing someone who does not do what the Gods wish. It is about celebrating and giving thanks to the amazing things the world has provided us. As I travel I am constantly in awe of areas in the world where religions or lack of are respected and able to live in harmony with each other.
    I read earlier very quickly of the shootings in Christchurch NZ. As with anytime these things happen my heart is broken. The families who after going about their daily life will no longer be the same, the fear that is now instilled in peoples hearts, and the unfathomable hate that exists in the world. I cry, scream and try to understand how such hate happens. Is the cause a society that has chosen to focus on our differences versus our similarities.
    Before my tour started I sat on the steps of the Cathedral and spoke to a Peruvian woman, named Elsa. She much better at English than I am with my broken Spanish. She spoke of her family and her 6 year old son. So close in age to the little Twincesses in my life. She asked questions about me and my life. She too has lost her father at a too an age. No time was lost debating politics or religion. It was just a genuine interaction of kindness and connection. I have been so lucky to find these connections all over the world, yet I do not believe you necessarily have to leave your own peace (intentional misspelling) of the world to find this. React when you see hate happening in the world. Maybe if we are able to stop it early then these instants of mass killing will cease to be an everyday event in our lives that we ignore because it is so far away.
    At 25 I lived in London. I remember that Thursday when bombs were exploded on the tube (subway). One affected my line yet I was running early that day. I remember that feeling of the city I lived in and loved being under attack. Just two weeks later they attempted it again and luckily the bombs did not detonate. To live in a city where you felt like you had no clue what was going to happen next was terrifying. I remember thinking that is what people are living with in "those other" counties. Now it is happening weekly to people just like us. Shame on us for not acting years ago but now is the time. I ask all of you a simple favor. Stand up with love to hate when you see it. Support the victim of hate but also find a way to create kindness to the perpetrator. Who knows where your kindness could lead and what it could potentially stop in the future.
    Thank you all who have taken the time to read this. I know it is a bit of a divergence from my normal travel blog. I believe the purpose if travel is to learn. As I mentioned in my travels I take you along with me so I hope you too will have an opportunity to look at the world a little different tomorrow.

    Ps I write my blogs on my phone so forgive any spell check errors that come up. They are written all through out my day and posted at the end. You will see in this blog the moment I peaked out of my vacation bliss to read the news to see what was happening in the world. The tone changes as a result. It may not be the most cohesive way to write but it is the raw cut. I hope you enjoy.

    Today's pictures don't follow the tone of the blog, but it was a good day so I wanted to share.    Read more

  • TravelerThis is 40
    1
    Day 4

    Magical

    March 17, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Waking up before my alarm (which was set for 4am), the perfect seat on the train, perfect weather, and amazing people have all made for a magical birthday.
    The day started at a very early 415 pick up time. As I walked downstairs my guide was already waiting for me. The bus was a very early and dark 1 hour 40 minute ride to the train that would take me to Machu Picchu. I boarded the train I saw that I had seat #2, the perfect seat that had a front seat view for the ride. 1st birthday miracle. My seat partner was a lovely woman from Chile who now lives in Switzerland. She took her 3 children and fled the country in the coo of 1973 (things for me to look up tomorrow). Another member of my trip is my new buddy Jay, the 70 something man who spends half the year in New Hampshire and the other half traveling.
    There was a slight drizzle of rain and we descended to Machu Picchu. Fun trivia for you Machu Picchu is actually at a lower elevation than Cusco where I am staying. This was a welcome break as I struggle with higher elevation. As reference Denver is 5200 ft above sea level, Machu Picchu 9000 ft, Cusco 11500 ft, areas from the trip last year to Bolivia were close to 16000 to 17000. It affects people differently but for me it literally takes my breath away. Pair this will the steep streets make me move pretty slowly as I wander.
    By around 10am we were finally making our 30 minute ascent from the town in the valley where our train dropped us to the majestic Macchu Picchu. The start of the hike was a steep winding road leading us to the top. Our guide, Marco, knew the names of each of the Llamas (or he pretended well as he makes up new names for them every day). Speaking the name Marco, as you my know it is a popular Spanish name. The joke of saying "Polo" each time never gets old to me as the children yell to find their friends.
    As we arrived at the top the fog began to break revealing a beautiful sunny day. The scene looking down onto the "town" was just like the post card but to be there in person was amazing.
    My guide Marco was fantastic. Fun fact for you. The Inca is actually the name for the king (similar to the title president). So calling them the Inca people is not accurate, it would be like calling Americans the President's People. They should instead be referred to as the Quechua people. That would refer to the people coming from area's is Columbia down the west coast of South America into Chile. It is also a misnomer than the Spanish Conquistadors were the cause of the fall of the Empire. At the time the Spanish came there was much infighting in the tribes that made them easy to concur. An interesting note on this is that anytime I have spoken to anyone in South America about the Spanish I have never heard anger about being taken over. I am not sure why. I would be upset if we were taken over. I will have to figure out nice ways to ask about this and report back to you on a special non trip blog post.
    Back to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was build during the time of one of the Inca's (remember this is the king, not the people). It was during the time when they had the largest growth period. The Inca build Machu Picchu as a place where he invited the top scholars of the time in areas such as art, astrology, architecture and more to live in this community of 2000 people focused on working together to grow. (Do you notice my focus this trip of inclusivity and kindness?)
    This is where they came up with brick building techniques that are earth quake resistant, the creation of the Inca calendar and many more discoveries of the time.
    The site of Machu Picchu has temples build that capture the light at the solstices to determine what time of year it is.
    Hiram Bingam rediscovered the lost city in 1911. Although at that time there were still people living in it. The city at that time was completely over grown and taken over by the jungle. So if a helicopter would have flown over they could not have seen anything. (Not sure if there were helicopters in 1911, probably not)
    The weather while at MP was amazing, with the sun shining down, the fog and clouds cleared for a perfect morning. The moment I got on the bus to leave the massive downpour started. Thank you Pachamama (Mother Earth)!
    Once in town I settled at a restaurant called Full House for a nice Alpaca lunch. It reminded me a venison. The restaurant sat on the edge of a roaring river. The sounds was deafening similar to that of Niagara Falls. I believe that people raft through this area. It would have to be stage 5 rapids for the very advanced. At the end of dinner the waiters brought me out a brownie for dessert and sung happy birthday to me in both English and Spanish. Yes of course I had told them it was my birthday, I wanted a free dessert.
    During my dinner the rain picked up until it was a full jungle monsoon. Later as we walked up the stairs to the train station there was a newly created river rushing down the stairs.
    After a little shopping we finally boarded the train for home. I assumed it would be a quiet ride after an exhausting day. Thankfully I was very wrong. It started with a dressed up creature that I believe is one of their gods dancing through the train for a good 5 minutes. Followed up with a fashion show by the attendents with best of baby alpaca clothing fashion. Laughing, dancing, etc!
    From the train the bus to bring us back to Cusco was a very crowded 2 hour ride. On this I talked to my new friend Jay. He has been to an impressive 92 countries. Wow! Oh how I love making new travel friends and swapping stories. One of his that he did not go into much detail about was being kidnapped in China. After that he kept traveling. That is spirit.
    Finally we arrived back into Cusco at around 9pm. Jay was headed to the Irish Pub to watch the sloppy drink British travelers. I headed back to my hotel for well earned sleep.

    People will always ask me what my favorite country is. I never have an answer for this but I have favorite travel days. Today will be one of those days where everything went perfectly and made the best day ever. I do have to say though I think the Peruvian people are among the kindest I have found in the world. Everything they do is done in love and kindness for their visitors. I have found so many who have been generous to share their culture and country with me.    Read more

  • TravelerThis is 40
    Day 7

    Nazca Lines

    March 20, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    When I booked my trip I had just 4 excursions planned. Yesterday was my last excursion and one of the ones I was looking forward to the most. The Nazca lines. Aliens, ways to communicate with aliens, study of astrology, or maybe just the graffati of their time. Imagine some 15 year old punk kid out there in the dessert carving a picture of his family dog. His parents at home complaining to neighbors that he will never make his mark in the world. Mysterious and who knows. I am sure that was not the actual story but after a difficult flight I can not be sure.

    The day before flying from Cuszco to Lima was definitely a bargain flight. The flight attendents smirked a little as they told us to make sure all seats were in the upward position. My seat as well as many others seemed to be fused into the position so the seat behind me could have done dental work. The flight was an hour late so as we were herded on I am not sure as everyone was in their seats as we were leaving the gate. The flight itself was a rough one as it felt as though the pilot hit every pot hole/ speed bump in the sky. Thank goodness it was only an hour flight.

    Upon arriving in Lima I was happy to easily find my taxi driver to the hotel. Driving in Lima seemed to be a contact sport. 4 cars, 2 buses, and 3 motor bikes all sharing 3 lanes. I could have reached out and touched any of these vehicles at any time. While going 30 mph the driver was also dodging pedestrians as they crossed the street frogger style. No need to worry my driver made the most of our commute talking and texting from 2 different cell phones. I can not be sure he was talking about me but I kept hearing the term gringa chika. He was also picking his nose a few times. Impressively enough we arrived at the hotel with no new car bruises and with out safety intact.
    As scary as it sounds it really wasn't. This is the main stay for driving in other countries. They all seem to share the roads kindly with minimal accidents and no road rage. There is some sort of code as to who is able to go and who is in the right in a cut off situation. My driver joked and asked me if I would ever drive here. Ummm no.
    One of my tour guides explained the process of getting your drivers liscense. Apparently it is a 5 year process that typically includes failing the test multiple times. They definitely earn it though.
    Onto the Nazca lines. I was picked up at a very early 7am for my 4.5 hour drive to the city where we would fly out of. I was the only one on the bus. That sounds good but a little lonely. As we arrived at the airport I dutifully took my Dramamine as I had heard the flight was a bit bumpy. A bit!
    In reality the flight was a easy 45 minute flight out to the dessert with the lines followed by 30 minutes of spiraling circles with the g forces that pulled my face to the ground and my stomach to the skies. Add into this the small air vent above my head was not working. The temperature in that plane had to be over 90. I thought about reaching up and opening the pilots window as we were all that close. Just as I was able to steady myself and get my stomach back we would turn the other way so the other side of the plan could see it. I tried for pictures but decided not puking on the plane full of Chinese passengers seemed the best idea. With the turns and drops there is no way to know how many I could have hit. My other dilemma was that if I did throw up in the handy bag they provided then I would have to hold it on my lap for the 45 minute flight back. Queue more puking.
    From where you come from you must go back. After the flight was my 4.5 hour drive back to Lima. We did pick up a few passengers but even back on the ground my stomach was upset with me. So the first half of the ride I spent listening to a book and not throwing up. By the second part I decided I was able to be social and spoke to a Canadian man behind me.

    So now it is time to go home. What a quick trip it has been. Just 7 days with 2 of them spent traveling. Even with how fast it was I am so glad I came. The Peruvian people are among the kindest I have met in the world. This morning as I was leaving my hotel at 4am the front desk guy wanted to have a full conversation. 4am is not my chatty time. Machu Picchu was everything I could have hoped for and made a wonderful birthday. Thank you all for joining me again on this trip!    Read more

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