Tag: Peru

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The End of an Amazing Vacation…

That night, after visiting Machu Picchu, we explored the city for the last time before heading back to Cusco the next morning.

Enjoying every moment spent in the city of Machu Picchu. :D
Enjoying every moment spent in the city of Machu Picchu. 😀

The following morning we took the train back to Cusco and settled into our hotel.

Arriving back into Cusco...
Arriving back into Cusco…

The next two days in Cusco were spent exploring the main square and visiting nearby ruins, such as the Sacsayhuaman Fortress. This was also the perfect time to break away from all of the touristy restaurants and eat like the locals. There is nothing worse than visiting a place and not experiencing the culture. The food was absolutely amazing! It was fresh and cooked to perfection. We even tried Alpaca while we were out there, and to my surprise, it was delicious! (I apologize in advance for any vegans reading this post)

Asked the locals where they liked to eat and got some great recommendations. The food was delicious! :)
Asked the locals where they liked to eat and got some great recommendations. The food was delicious! 🙂

Since we were there for Palm Sunday, we were able to visit the cathedral for their mass. It was beautiful, and the largest I had ever seen. Certainly a great way to end the trip. After leaving Cusco and arriving in Lima, we spent a little time on a guided tour, exploring the city before it was time to board the plane again. We stopped to eat at a place called Tanta Tanta. The food was delicious and although it was dark out, there was a nice view.

On our way back home I spent some time thinking about our entire vacation. I felt as though the trip had changed me somehow. It had opened up a new world of possibilities and fed my desire to travel and learn more. It also made me realize that I needed to stop living my life behind the scenes, or how others thought I should live my life, and I needed to share my experience with others. Not my vacation, but my journey. Everything I had gone through and all that I was to become. I didn’t know how I would do it, but I knew I was going to find a way…

Stay tuned,
Elizabeth 🙂

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Machu Picchu…

The next morning I woke up with so much built up excitement. I had heard so many stories about the different energy levels found on the mountain, and I wanted to experience it all. I wanted to feel that euphoria people claimed they felt while visiting.

As I handed over my ticket and passport, I felt goose bumps traveling up my spine. “This is it! We are on Machu Picchu!” We were traveling as a group, but I remember leaving them behind a few times. It wasn’t intentional. I could just feel the mountain calling out to me, guiding me through its paths. It was almost as if I had been there before.

It almost fits in my hand...lol j/k :)
It almost fits in my hand…lol j/k 🙂

When we reached the top however, my feet were planted right to the ground. I could have spent hours gazing into the distance. I didn’t feel the change in energy everyone had talked about, what I felt, however, was absolute freedom. Maybe that’s what people were trying to explain? Till this day, just thinking about the feeling I had that day, brings happy tears to my eyes.

Enjoying the spectacular view :)
Enjoying the spectacular view 🙂

It made me thankful that I was able to survive my journey and have this experience. Thankful to hear each sound as it was, not as someone heard it, and to see and feel everything with my own eyes and hands, versus seeing it through the lens of someone’s camera and imagining what it would feel like.

Stay tuned,
Elizabeth 🙂

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Let my travels begin…

Less than 2 weeks into my move I was getting ready to board a plane for Peru. “Could I be any luckier?” I felt so blessed to be taking such an amazing trip, and couldn’t wait to explore another country. This was one of those vacations that I put on my bucket list, but never thought I’d have a chance to take. It was so surreal arriving in Lima the first night. “I can’t believe I’m actually here!”

Early the next morning, we were back on a plane, destination Cusco. One of our stops was the Scared Valley. There was something so special about being in those mountains. The weather was beautiful and the sites were breathtaking. That night we stayed in one of my favorite hotels, Casa Andina. The view from our room was something right out of a movie! It was gorgeous and everywhere we went the people were so kind and accommodating.

After waking up to the most incredible view I had ever seen, we had a quick breakfast and boarded a bus that took us to the train station. There, we’d board the train taking us to Machu Picchu. I must say, up to this point, we were very impressed with the booking agency we used. All of our accommodations were beyond my expectations. Many of them first class.

At last, we arrived in the town of Machu Picchu. It was small and so full of great energy. Our hotel was so close to all of the markets, dining and entertainment. It was the perfect place to just go exploring on your own without feeling like you could get lost. Of course, this also meant we did a lot of shopping too. 😉

The hotel provided the entire group with a spectacular dinner that evening. We really enjoyed ourselves, and were excited about going to Machu Picchu the following morning. I couldn’t wait to be on the top of that mountain, and take a moment to reflect on all I had gone through, and the many blessings I had received along the way…

Stay tuned,
Elizabeth 🙂