RTW ’24: With A Little Help From My Friends

Once Sonja and I got a grip on the transportation schedule, the rest of the Peru hop tour was smooth sailing! Thankfully, Monday was a down day with no agenda. The only thing we had to be mindful about was the time, as we had a 5:30 pm overnight bus to catch. I spent the afternoon by myself in Nazca, a friendly town to spend time in. The sun was out and it was a beautiful 80 degree day. There was a nice plaza, ice cream shop, chapel and a shaded area with benches. And, of course, there were taxis everywhere, tooting at every intersection. It’s a unique place with old-town charm– the perfect place to spend an open afternoon. Mom’s cafe near my hotel quickly became my home base. Bathroom? Check. Wifi? Check. Water? Check. Takeaway food? Check. Everything I could possibly need in a stop-over town was at my fingertips! Once the evening rolled around, Sonja and I gathered our belongings and made our way to the overnight bus.

Sleeping on the bus proved to be a challenge. It was packed! Sonja and I sat together, which I was so thankful for given my prior bus experiences. The seats in front of us both reclined fully before the lights went out and we had settled in. It was very much like an economy seat on a plane, with the additional twists and turns on of the winding mountain roads. We persevered nonetheless and got as much sleep as we could. Once I rolled into my new town, I was shuttled to my hotel by a local bus guide. He offered some local history/knowledge, which as you should know by now, is one of my favorite things to learn about when I’m in a new place. THere are many unfinished house in Peru. I had noticed it before– roofs with rebar rods sticking out or unfinished sections scattered about. The driver called this “the Peruvian dream”– everyone wants ALL the family to live with them, so they build with the idea of expanding floors. Also, if a house is left unfinished, there are less taxes due. The reduced fees and taxes on unfinished houses is also the case in Tanzania, according to REgina. I love learning these tidbits on my journey and tying the commonalities from around the world together! Before long, I was at my hotel. I was able to book a massage through the hotel I was staying in, for which my body was very thankful after the rough bus-ride sleep. The masseuse used essential oils and had me breath into them– seems like it’s something they offer people to help get acclimated to the high altitude. Whether or not it actually helps with altitude is beyond me, but I savored every moment of the massage, basking in the natural oils and relaxing space.

My heart was yearning for the water, so that’s exactly where I went on Wednesday. I spent the bulk of the day on a boat on Lake Titicaca, bouncing from island to peninsula to island, taking in the views and allowing the mist of the water to wash my soul. The weather was beautiful, and the boat had an indoor cabin with seats and windows, much like a small ferry boat. There were a few outdoor seats as well, plus a toilet on-board. We boarded the boat and then made our way to the floating island Aymara. Six families live there, with a total population of 25. Next, we ventured to the island of Amantani where we stopped at the town Pueblo, with a total population of 400. There are no cars on the island, but there are about 20 motorcycles. It’s so interesting to see such small scale living! I was also eager to do a little hiking at altitude to see how I’d feel. I got winded going up the steep hill from the dock, but otherwise I felt good, which made me happy. Any day on the water is a good day for me! I met another solo traveler around my age in the group, Urlicht, from Canada. He’s driving his Harley motorcycle from Quebec to Urshia (the southern tip of Argentina). It was so interesting to share travel stories and how we’re enjoying Peru.

In order to combat altitude sickness, I devised a plan, which seemed to be working really well! For three days, I took 125mg of Diamox twice a day. Puno and Lake Titicaca are higher than Cusco, so I stopped taking the Diamox on Thursday morning. I drink so much water to make sure I’m hydrated– 3 liters or so a day– and I took Advil when I felt a slight headache. So far, so good! I was a little nervous since the last time I was at such a high altitude was in Nepal where I ended up being sick with Covid. I never knew if the way I felt at that altitude was because of Covid or altitude, or both. But I certainly didn’t want to feel THAT way again! So, I made a plan that (as of right now, anyway) seemed to work wonders.

On Thursday morning it was time to hit the road again. I got picked up at my hotel in a minivan and drove to where the bigger bus was meeting us. While waiting, I bought some fruit and watched guys unload alpaca skins off of a huge truck– just another day in Peru! It just so happened that Sonja was on the bigger bus (our desired itineraries sent us in different directions a few days prior) so we briefly said hi and bye. We’ll eventually land in Cusco later in the week, so we planned to get coffee then. Once on the bigger bus, it was fun to watch the scenery on the way. We stopped for lunch and had time to visit a small museum. I liked learning about the animals, birds and geographical regions of Peru. Finally, I can tell the difference between a llama and an alpaca! A useful skill, I’m sure. Travel days are usually pretty easy. Peru hop buses are those big coach buses, which is nice until you get to a downtown area with narrow streets. In those times, they transfer passengers to minivans. It’s a hectic scene, especially at night. We finally arrived in Cusco after dark, which is a way bigger city than I expected with half a million people. The bus-to-minivan transfer happens on a side street. It starts with the passengers getting their bags from the storage area, then waiting for your name to be called. Once called, you follow the driver down the block to his vehicle, load your belongings, and hop in. I very much appreciate that the Peru hop company organized all of it because, otherwise, my head would be spinning. It’s a very hectic ten-ish minutes at the end of a long bus ride! My minivan driver didn’t speak any English, which is expected. Traffic on the narrow streets in downtown was insane with honking horns and people in every direction. We stopped on the street where my hostel was, but I didn’t see the sign. Cars were backed up behind us and honking, so he motioned for me to get out. The walk down was very steep. I checked Google maps and it looked to be downhill (altitude over 11,000 feet), so I started walking. There was no space between the narrow sidewalk and the cars. One false step with my two backpacks, and I’d be on some car’s hood! I was still walking down the steep walkway when, to my surprise, my van passed me after traffic had finally moved. It wasn’t a big deal, but it kind of was. I paid for hotel drop off, but there was nothing I could do except be glad that it was downhill to get to my bed for the night! Once I arrived at my hotel, I was very grateful for a nice room for two nights and the opportunity to do some laundry.

After a restful evening, I spent the next day exploring Cusco. It was a bit of a challenge walking around all day on hilly streets– I certainly felt the altitude, feeling more and more fatigued as the day went on. I thought I’d adjusted in Puno, which is higher, but maybe not quite yet. Altitude aside, I loved the feeling in Cusco. It reminds me of Santiago, Spain– the huge plaza with a cathedral, narrow streets with cool cafes, and so many cool shops. There were a lot of hidden treasures yet to be uncovered! My initial inclination is that I’ll want to hang around the area for awhile after the Machu Picchu trek. I spent the day scouting out places to show Gena and Alex, friends of mine who are meeting me here! I could where our Airbnb is located, scoped out some cool restaurants, found the Coco Museo and San Pedro Market (which is huge and has everything from produce, meats and cheese to cafes and souvenirs! Lastly, I could San Blas viewpoint, which was a hike up, but delivers a spectacular view of the city and mountains. I’m so thankful that I had a day to prepare for Gena and Alex’s arrival, and I’m even more thankful that I get to spend time in such a cool place with good friends!

The weekend was a bit of a much-enjoyed whirlwind! Saturday morning began with a nice breakfast with Sonja after she arrived early on her Peru hop bus. It was nice to see her again after a few days apart! It feels like we’ve been friends forever, which is a really wonderful feeling to have on a trip like this. Afterwards, I checked out of my hostel and waited for Gena and Alex to arrive. When they finally arrived around 1 p.m., I was so excited to see them! They really rallied and stayed awake after an overnight flight and two connecting flights. We accomplished a lot! We enjoyed a nice lunch at a local cafe that I’d been frequenting, then walked around the main plaza, and even made time to visit the cathedral where we got a really nice view of the square and immediate area. After our productive day, we walked back to the hostel and settled in for the night after a pre-trek briefing from our hike guide (more to come on that in the next post!). I feel so incredibly grateful to be able to spend time with new and longtime friends.

The following day, Gena, Alex and I explored the area around us. It was so much fun to be with people who love travel and exploration just as much as I do! We had a really unf day finding areas of the city that I hadn’t seen before. All of us felt more winded than usual due to the high altitude, but it felt good to prep for the hike and gain some confidence with the area. For an early dinner, we met Sonja in the main plaza at a very nice Peruvian restaurant. It was bittersweet knowing that I wouldn’t be seeing Sonja again for awhile, as our travels are going in different directions. She has become such a dear friend so quickly! It was so much fun sharing some of our travel adventures with Gena and Alex, and served as a beautiful reminder of how much we shared together in such a short time. Making authentic connections and friendships while traveling is such a treasure, and I will truly miss her, though I know our story didn’t end.

Speaking of stories, I have a good one to share! When my friend Pam was in Peru about 10 years ago, she bought an alpaca sweater that she used and loved for many, many years. The sweater found its way into the wrong laundry situation, and, unfortunately, was no more. So, I offered to find her a replacement while I was in Peru. I had a picture of Pam wearing the sweater and showed it to several shop clerks during my Peru travels. On Saturday, I walked into a shop, showed the clerk the picture, and she had the EXACT same one! I was so happy that I bought one for Pam, one for me, and thought the third one would be fitting for my bonus daughter, Corrine. The next day when I met Sonja for breakfast, she complimented me on the sweater. I told her the backstory of the sweater. In the meantime, I had sent Corrine several pictures of sweaters and she picked out one she really liked with llamas (her favorite animal). Pam’s sweater didn’t have llamas, so I had an extra sweater! That’s when it dawned on me that Sonja, who is from New Zealand, would really like the sweater, so I gifted it to her. In that moment, I remembered that Pam and her husband would be traveling to New Zealand next Spring! So, the story of the Alpaca sweater came to life– maybe Pam will connect with Sonja during her trip and send me a picture of the two of them with the sweater! Somehow, this just made it a little bit easier for me to say goodbye, knowing that we will be connected in one more way. Although I won’t see Sonja for awhile, my alpaca sister Pam might just see her in the Spring!

When one chapter closes, a new one opens. Saying goodbye to Sonja really felt like closing a full chapter of my time in Peru. Together, we really made an impact in so many lives, and our time had a purpose– serving and helping others. Forming a really wonderful friendship is such a welcomed and added bonus! Traveling solo can be really wonderful, and I started RTW knowing full well that I could spend the majority of the time as such. But the universe knew exactly what I needed, when I needed it, and I have embraced each encounter– and full-fledged friendship– with open arms. Welcoming long-time friends, Gena and Alex, into my new adventure has been such a blessing. I can’t wait to see how our adventure unfolds! Until next time, dear friends: stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember to make space for what brings you joy.

One of the great things about travel
is that you find out how many
good, kind people there are.
-Edith Wharton