Trip to Peru

Ready!
Bags packed, taxi on its way, time for the moment I dreaded the most.  Saying goodbye to our children was the most difficult thing about our trip.  I knew they'd be safe and happy with their grandparents.  I was just sad about missing them for 9 days, and I knew it was unlikely, but I was scared there would be a freak accident and I'd never see them again.  So many tears.  I made a little photo album for the trip, and I spent a lot of time staring at their precious faces.

Once the goodbyes were over, we began the long journey to Peru.  Taxi to airport, flight to San Salvador, flight to Lima, flight to Cusco.  TIRED!

Cusco, Peru

View of Cusco

We arrived at our hotel in Cusco early in the morning, with the whole day ahead of us.  We could have explored the city, but instead we passed out in the hotel lobby while the staff prepared our room.  Once in the lovely room, we got a good nap, in a cozy bed.  Then, we were ready to go have fun.
Lunch was at Green's Organic, where I had a delicious, warm vegetarian sandwich.  Then, we traveled by cab to some archaeological sites.  It was a nice "sample platter" of what was to come.

Tombomachay

Tombomachay

Tombomachay

Puca Pucara

Alpaca too close! at Sacsayhuaman

70 ton rock at Sacsayhuaman

Energy rock at Sacsayhuaman

Aguas Calientes
After the Inka trail hike, our bus dropped us off at in Aguas Calientes.  We got to have one last meal with the family.  What a special bond we all shared on our journey.  I'll never forget those 16 family members, plus guides, chefs, and porters.
After lunch, Michael and I went to our hotel for a shower and nap.  That was the best shower ever!  Of course Michael booked another fancy hotel.  We watched the river from our balcony and contacted our families.  That nap never happened.  After a gourmet dinner, we got to meet up with 4 other family members that were also sleeping in Aguas Calientes that evening.  We also got to finally try this "pisco" liquor that is signature in Peru.

On our second day in Aguas Calientes we got massages, did some shopping, and ate some Peruvian food.  In the evening we took a luxurious train ride to our next destination....

Peru Rail

Urabumba
Michael ended our trip with the most luxurious of all of our hotel rooms.  Tambo Del Inka was beautiful!  It was dark when we arrived, but we still hit the heated indoor/outdoor pool followed by a sit in the sauna.  Dinner at the hotel restaurant was elegant and delicious.

After a deep slumber in that cozy bed, we spent the next morning walking around the market.  We didn't stay long because the smells were getting to me.  Streets were lined with women selling meats, fruits and vegetables, and beautiful flowers.  We didn't find any souvenirs.  After the market we took a cab to the salt mines.  Michael's recollection and use of Spanish was impressive.  He got us all over Peru.  I'm lucky to get to travel with him.
The salt mines in Moray were quite fascinating.  We didn't have a tour guide, and I could tell that our cab driver wanted to tell us all about it, but he didn't speak English.  He was very enthusiastic as he gestured to us to look at the flats.  The work that the Inkas did to mine the salt was brilliant.

View of Urabumba from Moray, near Salt Mines

The salt mines in Moray was our last quick adventure before catching our flight home.  Our ride picked us up at our hotel at about 11:30 am.  I really can't sleep in cars, but I slept all the way to the airport.  I didn't realize how exhausted I was.  It was a long and tiring journey home.  I was delighted at last to embrace my sweet babes when we got home.

Camino Inka - Inka Trail to Machu Picchu

Briefing
On Monday, the evening before our hike, we had a meeting at SAS Travel Peru.  (I HIGHLY recommend this travel agency.) We met the 16 members of our "familia" and our two guides, Jimmy and Hernan.  Jimmy gave a quick summary of each day and answered questions.  I had two questions: 1. Will there be bathrooms along the trail? answer: no. 2. Does the weight of my luggage exceed the porter limit? answer: yes.  Then, I cried, "Michael, I don't want to do this. Take me home."  It certainly wasn't the last time he heard that.  You see, we had to take all of our luggage on the trail, because we weren't planning to return to the base camp in Cusco.  Michael decided to carry his hiking backpack on the trail, so it worked out fine.  I wish that he didn't have to do that though.

First Time Meeting Our Family

 Inka Trail - Day 1

The travel company picked us up at our hotel at 6am.  Then, we drove for 2 hours on a bumpy, windy road.  We stopped for breakfast, and suddenly the "car sickness" hit me.  While our team enjoyed their scrambled eggs, I was outside puking.  Again, I moaned, "Michael, I can't do this. Take me home."  (Travelers, this is why I recommend Dramamine or Seabands.)  I didn't really have a choice, so we boarded the bus and drove a little further.  I sat in the front feeling extremely weak.  I whispered to Jimmy, "Do you have Gatorade?" And a second later I passed out.  The bus stopped and people were all around me.  So embarrassing, but I really didn't care at the moment.  I moaned and puked some more.  And that was it... For the rest of the day I felt super.

Pre Hike Pep Rally

Entering the Trail

At the trail head, we got our passports stamped and took a few group photos.  The morning hike was mostly flat and easy.  The weather and scenery were gorgeous.  We arrived at lunch and the food looked fantastic.  However, I didn't eat much because my tummy was still a little weak.  The afternoon hike was pretty easy too.  The team was excited to arrive at our first night of camp.  The porters were already there with tents set up and buckets of warm water for washing.  Again, the chef cooked up a wonderful meal.  I should have avoided the fried cauliflower (or maybe it was the vodka I poured in my hot cocoa :p), because I was up all night running (in the rain) to the restroom.  (Yes, there was a toilet to use.  I don't know why our guide, Jimmy told me there wouldn't be.)

First Night @ Camp

Inka Trail - Day 2

I didn't sleep much the first night, so I began day 2 feeling really sleepy.  Unfortunately, day 2 would require the most energy.  I slept through breakfast, and Jimmy brought some Coca tea to my tent.  That got me moving.  When I finally got dressed and emerged from my tent, the entire camp site was packed up except for me.  Embarrassed again.  I felt like such a wimp.  For the second morning in a row, everyone was worried about me, the little baby.  One team member gave me some Pepto, and by 10am I was feeling like myself again.
One fun thing about that morning that I should recall: Before hitting the trail, we got to circle up with all of the porters and cooks.  We went around the circle and introduced ourselves.  I'm so very grateful for all of their hard work.

Our Family with Porters and Cooks

We continued to ascend all morning.  By lunch time, our family was quite spread out along the trail.  Everyone paced themselves well, and took breaks when needed.  At one point the fog cleared, and we all met up at a gorgeous view of the valley.  It was easy to forget to look up, but every time I did, I was amazed by the view.  Green mountains everywhere.  At this lookout, Michael noticed some cell reception.  We received a message that Karis had been asking for Mommy in the mornings.  I had to find a place to hide and cry.  So tired and missing my children.  Michael and a couple other guys wandered off to an optional peak, so I was alone in my sadness.  Again, I had no choice but to press on.

I tried to distract myself by chatting with the other girls in the hiking group.  It was really fun getting to know this neat group of people.  There were several Texans, some Canadians, New Yorkers, and a couple from London.  All adventurous travelers.
After lunch, our goal was "Dead Woman's Pass" at 4,200 meters (13,800 feet).  As we climbed, we could see the peak.  Yay! We finally arrived... unfortunately there was no view because it was rainy and foggy.  We celebrated for about 30 seconds then began the descent.  Downhill was a nice break at first, but after two hours of stepping on slippery, steep rocks with rain drops blurring my vision, I was sick of it.
We arrived at camp just before sunset.  What a loooong day!  As usual, camp was beautiful with the river rushing alongside.  At last, I slept great that night.

Dead Woman's Pass

 Inka Trail - Day 3
Day 3 was the most fun.  For the first time, I woke up feeling rested and energized, knowing that the most difficult day was behind.  (My only trouble was the annoying tingle in both hands due to some preventative altitude sickness medicine that I regret taking.) The trail was kind of steep in the morning, but we got two lovely breaks to see some archaeological sites.

At the highest point of the day, our family circled up, and our guide, Jimmy did some preachin'.  He reminded us that everyone on earth may be different, but we are from the same maker.  We need to pray for the poor, the hurting, and the people in hospitals that we do not even know.  Then, we held hands and prayed silently.  Pachamama is the Earth/Time Mother of the Andean people, and our guide spoke of her often.  Even though the Inkas were polytheistic, I think our guide is a believer in Jesus Christ.  He invited us to worship whoever we wanted.  It was freeing to stop and reflect and thank God for the beauty that surrounded us.  I also spent that time praying for the wonderful porters and chefs that traveled with us.
The afternoon trail was all downhill.  It rained off and on, so I kept my poncho in hand.  During the last hour, there was an optional hike to an archaeological site.  Of course I went!  I ended the day with an energetic sprint finish into camp.
At dinner we celebrated family member, Kaitee's birthday.  We were all stunned by the beautiful cake that the chef baked and decorated.  It was a really moving moment, and I think all the girls shed at least a tear.

Inka Trail - Day 4 Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu
I woke up about 1:30 am and absolutely could not fall back asleep.  I reviewed my days on the Inka trail over and over in my head.  What a journey it had been, and arriving at Machu Picchu in the morning would be my reward.  I could not wait to hit the trail.  Finally, I got a little more rest, and our guide Hernan woke everyone up at 3:30 am.  In the dark, we rushed to pack everything up and eat some breakfast.  We hiked a little in the rain and arrived at the check point, where I guess there were a few hundred people in line (really I had no clue, it was dark).  Then, we waited for an hour for some guy to unlock the gate.

After a quick 2 hour hike through the mist and fog, we arrived at Machu Picchu.  At the entrance, our family just stood there, staring at the fog.  It didn't take long for the weather to change, and we got some group photos with the archaeological site in the background.

Foggy View of Machu Picchu - I Did It!!

To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed.  The crowd that beat us to Machu Picchu overwhelmed me.  I don't like crowds, and I guess there were at least 1,000 people there that morning.  It was like Disney World.  Eventually, groups spread out with their tour guides, and our family got to tour the site.  It was HUGE!  We barely covered 5% of it.

At the edge of the site, half of our family headed down the mountain by bus for some R & R, while the other half of us continued our journey up to Huayna Picchu.  I wasn't looking forward to it, because neither of our guides joined us.  I was nervous without their guidance and protection.  I was especially anxious when Hernan waved goodbye to us and said, "Good luck!"  The mountain trail was steep, narrow, and damp, but our group was strong.  We climbed with energy and excitement.  I had fun climbing on my hands and knees on the really steep parts.  Since the trail was narrow, it was scary when hikers passed going in the opposite direction.  Luckily, this trail wasn't nearly as crowded as Machu Picchu.

Huayna Picchu Group

When we were so close to the top, the trail got very narrow, and I panicked.  I felt the immediate need to get off of that mountain and home to my children.  I sent the group on, and I found a place to sit and wait.  I did have a really nice view of Machu Picchu from my spot.  I'm such a chicken.  Oh well.  I don't regret my decision.
As soon as I saw that Michael and the rest the family reached the top, I yelled, "Do you care if I head down!?"  Michael waved to me to go ahead. I headed down that mountain as quickly as possible.  I had to use the restroom, and I was concerned that we'd miss the last bus ride out.  The Huayna Picchu portion of our family completed the hike, and we were proud.  We rushed back through Machu Picchu and managed to all meet up on the same bus.  At last, we were finished!

Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu on the Right

Inka Trail Preparation

One Year Ago
About a year ago I was looking over my bucket list and I had the crazy idea of adding "Machu Picchu" to it.  Michael saw the addition, and he started planning our trip immediately.  (He's been wanting to travel to South America.)  I was not ready for a long trip away from our kids, so we did our best to come to a compromise.

Planning
Michael did all the travel preparations: made sure our passports were up to date, purchased trail permits, purchased plane and train tickets, etc.  I was terrified about the physical aspect, so I put myself on a training schedule to build my endurance.  I achieved my fitness goal about 2 weeks prior to the trip, so physically, I was ready.  We also did some breathing exercises to increase lung capacity. (There is a lot less oxygen in Cusco, Peru due to altitude.)

Inka Trail Pack List
I started working on my pack list early, but even while on the trail I thought of things I wished I had packed, so I added some things to help readers that are planning their trip. Also, there are links to examples.

o 4 pairs underwear (cotton is fine)

o 2 dry-fit tank tops

o 2 dry-fit, high impact, sports bras

o 2 dry-fit, long sleeve, warm base layer

o 2 wool pants (base layer)

o Water Resistant Hiking Pants

o Fleece sweater

o Waterproof coat

o Waterproof Hiking Boots

o 4 sock liners

o 2 wool socks

o Warm Earband or Beanie

o Wool gloves

o Buff
o Cap or Sun hat

o Sunscreen

o Insect repellant

o Make up/mirror (optional)

o Sunglasses

o Passport

o Poncho

o Warm sleeping bag

o Thermarest

o Waterproof bags for everything

o Headlamp (Don’t plan to share!)

o Bladder for water

o Daypack

o Sandals
o Hand sanitizer

o Biodegradable wipes
o travel kleenex

o Toothbrush/toothpaste

o Towel

o Comb & ponytail holder
o Snacks (granola, Cliff bars, etc.)
o Candied Ginger or capsules (optional)

o Extra gear, gifts, tips for Porters (added)

o Dramamine/Seabands for bumpy bus ride to trailhead (added)

o Wristwatch (added)

o Pepto (added)

Beach Vacation

We had a wonderful, relaxing week at the beach with Mae Mae and Poppie!  Michael was with us for the weekend.  My sister, Beka was there for the weekend too.  We got to celebrate her birthday.
Michael left Monday evening to go to work, but he surprised us Thursday evening.  What a wonderful husband and daddy!  We even got to go on a date at the Strand in Galveston.

Karis and Poppie Relaxing by the Beach House

Karis, Excited about the Wave that is Coming

Karis and Daddy

Playing in the Sand, Her Favorite Thing to do at the Beach

Family Photo

Karis and Mommy

Playing Inside the Beach House

Away From Baby

Michael and I recently took a 3 day trip to New Orleans, LA.  (Michael had a conference for work.)  We put Karis to bed Thursday evening at his parents house.  Of course, I shed more than I few tears, and I rubbed her tummy much longer than usual.  I knew Karis was in very good hands, but I was going to miss my little buddy.

Friday morning, we woke up before the sun, treated ourselves to some coffee, picked up our friends Lee and Kelli, and began the long drive.  The road trip actually went by very quickly.  Michael and Lee sat up front talking business, while Kelli and I sat in back chatting about parenting, Pinterest, and everything in between.

The first thing we did upon our arrival: EAT!  New Orleans is all about food, and we brought our appetites.  La Bayou Restaurant is located on Bourbon Street, near our hotel.  I had a delicious catfish po' boy. 

After lunch, the business people (Michael, Lee, and Kelli) had a meeting.  Here's where I get my venting out of the way.  While they were in their meeting, I went to milking prison.  Since I was spending the weekend away from my little princess, I had to continue to express milk in order to prevent my supply from drying up.  Every six hours, I sat in my hotel bed pumping.  I think I pumped over 60 ounces while we were gone.  Two of the pumping sessions were done in the car. (The guys said they didn't even notice.  Ooh, I'm good!)  Storing the milk was a little bit of a pain too, but it was too heartbreaking to dump it all.  We were assigned a room with a broken mini bar; that was replaced quickly.  The rooms did not have microwaves.  A hotel worker told me I couldn't microwave steam my bottles due to liablity.  After some begging and explaining, he took my equipment to housekeeping and microwaved it for me.  Hang in there, I'm almost done complaining.  At one point, I was on the verge of tears, "This isn't fair!  We're in New Orleans, and I'm locked in this hotel room, a slave to my pump."  Michael's response: "Would you rather be sitting in a meeting listening to people talk about coils and condensers?"  Good point! "No thank you.  I'll continue pumping and reading my book."

Pat O's Piano Lounge

Friday evening we got dressed up for a night on the town.  Michael and I had a fancy, romantic dinner at Emeril's NOLA Restaurant.  I had the Grilled Seasonal Fish - A-ma-zing, and for dessert, Creme Brulee trio - mouth watering!  After dinner we hung out at Pat Obrien's Piano Lounge and had a blast singing along with the talented musicians.

Boat, Charlie, Michael

Saturday morning, breakfast was provided at 7:45.  Somehow, we threw ourselves together for that.  Luckily, I got to go back to the room for a nap.  For lunch, a college friend living in the area took us out for a local favorite, outside of the French Quarter.  Satsuma Cafe was kind of a hipster joint with interesting sandwich combinations.  My mozzarella, basil, and tomato on ciabatta was scrumptious, and Michael's roasted pear and brie melt literally made my mouth water.  Not only was the food great, so was the conversation.  We really enjoyed catching up with a friend that we hadn't seen in a year.  After lunch, we had to stop by the world famous Cafe Du Monde for some scrumptious beignets covered in a mountain of powdered sugar.

Pretty sure beignets will be served in Heaven 

Saturday's dinner was provided by the hotel.  It was delicious, but I'll spare you the details.  Sunday morning I was ready to roll!  I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:30 am.  I wanted to cram in as much fun as possible before leaving town.  We had omelets at Cafe Beignet. Yum!  Then we walked straight on over to the aquarium.  I was super giddy to see the aquatic life.

Waiting in line at Cafe Beignet

Aquarium

SFA Homecoming

The first thing I said on Saturday morning was, “How much money will we lose if we cancel our hotel?”  We were already an hour late out of bed, and I really didn’t want to make the trip out of town for the weekend.  “We will lose ALL of it.”  I groaned, rolled out of bed, and began loading everything Karis owns into the Accord.  With Michael’s help, we finally made it on the road to Nacogdoches for SFA’s homecoming.  The hardest part, getting out of the house, was over, and I was excited to see my friends. 

We stopped once to feed Karis, no problems.  Then, we went straight to Stacy’s Deli in Nacogdoches to meet my college buddies for lunch.  It was so nice to see Justin, Amber, and their little girl Brynn, Brooke and her sweet boy Titus, Keri, Jacob, Shawn, Callie, Cory, Denise, Sam, and Lerin.  I was happy for Mary and Josh, because they got to go on a cruise, but I was so SAD that I didn’t get to see them at homecoming. L

It was getting close to Karis’s next meal time, but I really wanted to stop at the bookstore to buy her an SFA onesie before the game.  Poor girl.  I pushed the limit, and by the time I got to feed her she was screaming her head off.  Michael drove around, Karis took a little nap, and then I was able to feed her.

Next, we met the gang at the stadium for the football game.  Karis did great in the Moby wrap.  It was very convenient too!  We just ran into a couple of problems: First, Karis spit up all over the front of herself and on my shirt.  Then, I turned her around, thinking if she spits up, it will go on the ground.  How dare I forget about her backside!  Sure enough, Karis had an explosion, and my shirt that was covered in spit-up also got poop on it.  Gross!  I did not want to deal with this!  Praise the Lord for Karis’s daddy!  The two of us found a secluded spot to get Karis all cleaned up.  I didn’t have an extra shirt, so I just had to wipe my shirt with a baby wipe and cover the stain with my sweater.  Ugh, so embarrassing.  After all that commotion, we sat and enjoyed the game a little.  Then, it was time to eat again.  I have never hated nursing more than when I had to do it in a football stadium, surrounded on every side, plus up and down. 

Break time!  At that point, I had enough.  Michael took Karis to sit with the group while I just sat by myself for a few minutes and ate a snack.  SFA even scored a touchdown, but I didn’t care, because I was in my own little world.  SFA did end up winning the game; I can’t even tell you what the score was.

Everyone met for dinner at my old fav: La Carretta.  Karis did wonderful at the restaurant!  We spent the night at La Quinta, and I was up replacing Karis’s pacifier once per hour.  Even though I got plenty of sleep, it was interrupted a lot, and I was quite exhausted in the morning.  We didn’t have plans till 11:30, so we enjoyed hanging out in the hotel room just playing with Karis. 

For lunch, we met up with Mary’s parents, Rita and JB.  They treated us at Cotton Patch.  So nice!  It was wonderful to catch up with them.  As usual, they showed us lots of love and encouragement.  Lots of people stopped at our table to ask if Karis was their granddaughter. J

The drive home went well.  Karis slept most of the way.  She was glad to get out of her carseat when we got home!

Traveling with a Newborn

Our friends Nate and Kaela got married in Corpus Christi this past weekend.  We could have come home after the wedding, but I love any opportunity to get away… especially to the beach!  Getting out of the house took much longer than it did when it was just Michael and me.  Karis requires a lot of stuff!  We stayed in a hotel, so she needed her pack-n-play.  We were also planning to go to the aquarium, so she needed her stroller.  Those two items took up the whole trunk.  I don’t know how Michael did it, but he made everything fit.

The ceremony began at 4pm.  I planned Karis’s entire day out so that we could stop once on the way to eat.  Then, she’d sleep through the ceremony (so that I could enjoy it), and eat at 5pm.  Instead of sleeping through the ceremony, Karis screamed louder and longer than I’d ever heard before (or maybe it just seemed worse since we were in public).  I tried to rock her on the porch and watch the ceremony through the window.  No luck.  I was getting some looks.  With Karis strapped in her Moby wrap, I covered her head and ran through the wind and rain to the car.  After performing “the five S’s,” Karis fell asleep for about 30 minutes.  When she woke up, I fed her.  Bummer!  I missed the entire ceremony.  

Karis and Daddy's first dance

Asleep at the Party - too much to drink

Friends passed Karis around during the reception, and she did great.  Eventually, I strapped her back in the Moby and “danced” with her.  She peacefully fell asleep, and Michael and I enjoyed the rest of the wedding reception. 

April and Karis with Ellen and Charlotte

(April's messy hair - Remember the wind and rain?)

Michael with the Groom, Nate

We got to our hotel right at Karis’s bedtime.  As usual, she ate, and I put her in bed.  Then, she cried for about 15 minutes.  I was just waiting for the phone to ring, “We’ve received complaints from other guests, and we’d kindly like for you to find another hotel for the night.”  Thankfully that never happened.  I gave in and rocked Karis to sleep.  Finally, at about 11:30, she fell asleep.  Karis woke up once to eat, and then slept till 8am.  It felt stressful at the time, but when I look back, I see that Karis did a pretty good job!

The groom’s brother, Jon is Michael’s childhood friend.  We went to his house for breakfast at 9 am.  Jon and his wife Ellen have two small children, Theo and Charlotte.  Since we were enjoying each other’s company so much, we never made it to the aquarium.  Truthfully, I’m glad.  It would have been difficult to go to the aquarium with the kids.  My biggest concern was nursing in public.  I was much more comfortable taking care of Karis at Jon’s house.

Charlotte and Karis

Jon and Michael

Not that I’m ready to leave town this weekend, but all in all, our first family trip was a success.