Om... from the Mexican Caribbean

these days see us hanging out on a gorgeous white sand beach near Tulum, Mexico...

For my part, I am doing yoga, writing, reading and finding bliss between the still-lingering jungle, hidden cenote at the tent camp where we are staying and the ocean surf.

Om.....

Seriously.  A view from a short walk away from the tent where we are staying, lulled to sleep each night by the sound of wind in the trees and the ocean surf.

This is a truly awesome area where we are encountering all sorts of wise and spiritually engaged Canadian 'refugees' who seem for the most part to be hiding out from how corporatized and materialistic they see their country becoming... 

I am not quite so ready to permanently leave beautiful Canada but for now, hanging out here will surely do.

We have a sand engineer with us who is creating architectural delights on the beach every day.



The cenote is a sacred deep well of water long revered by the Mayan people.  Here is a sunset shot taken on the secret cenote beside our tent camp.

Before we got to Tulum, we travelled through Lima, Miami (South Beach) and Cancun to get here.  I enjoyed South Beach the most.  It was fun to immerse ourselves in the Art Deco vibe of the place and the interesting classic Hollywood (and gangster) history dating back to the 1930s.  Although expensive it was just fun, especially after many lengthy bumpy bus rides through Bolivia and Peru.

Here is one of the hotels on Ocean Drive in Miami.  I enjoyed doing some artsy photography of these intriguing buildings all with stories to tell.

There is something called 'travel weariness' which can set in with jumping on so many buses and planes and staying in so many different places, and although we are loving and learning so much from our travels, we are also realizing the beauty of staying put and relaxing in a beautiful place for a while, so for now, here we are.....

Om....

in and around Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru

I am writing from Cusco, Peru where we are staying for several days.  This city is a charming blend of Incan, Quechua and colonial Spanish legacy with a sprinkling of new age healers and incredibly talented artists thrown in for good measure.   Here is one of the streets with the original Incan foundations upon which much of the downtown part of the city was rebuilt by the Spaniards.  It is truly amazing how closely & perfectly these massive stone blocks fit together.



We are hanging out in the funky San Blas part of town which is really very charming with its very (narrow & steep) pedestrian-oriented streets.  Not too many automobiles way up here where we are which makes for a peaceful and restful stay.  We are living in a Peruvian household - they rent out some rooms to tourists here, and I love our room.  Here is a photo taken out the window while sitting on my bed.  A room with a view.  I love it!  For sure I can see why this area attracts so many artistic people.

The bull duo (you can just see them on the roof on the photo above) sits on many roofs throughout Cusco.  Here is a close-up of 2 of these rather endearing characters, purchased at the market for 3 soles ($1).  I am not sure yet exactly what I will do with them back in Canada.... any ideas let me know!  A little good luck would not be a bad thing now, would it?

Of course, a trip to Cusco would not be complete without a (very costly) sidetrip to Machu Picchu.... would it?  Yes, we went!   And here is the proof, our official family photo.

As magical and sacred as ever.

Actually, it was my second trip to Machu Picchu. I was there almost 10 years ago, and interestingly, had a very different experience this time around. 

Whereas last time I was scaling the local mountains as fast as I could - in particular, Huayna Picchu and Putacusi, this time, when we first arrived the whole of Machu Picchu was shrouded in thick rain cloud so much so that we could not see where we were.  So this visit, my focus was on the small and close. . . things like rock, insects, little animals, birds and plants which also make up part of the place. 

I like to think of it this way - that last time I had an experience of the realm of the condor and this time, I perhaps experienced more of the realm of the serpent, the realm of rock and the earth that holds us up.  (Andean cosmology comprises the realm of the condor, puma and serpent).



On our way back to Cusco, we stopped off at Ollantaytambo and visited the ruins there, right on the edge of town. 

Steve was particularly interested by the massive and perfectly cut / positioned slab of stone at the Temple of the Sun at these ruins.  How did it get up there onto the mountain and how was it so perfectly positioned without incurring any damage?  Many such mysteries circle around these interesting Incan and pre-Incan ruins scattered through South American.

Ollantaytambo is interesting because people still live in the Inca buildings and use the Inca streets and waterways.

The campesino culture is still strong in this area.
Let's hope it stays that way.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, y Feliz Año Nuevo

Well we made it to the Salar de Uyuni in southwestern Bolivia, a place Steve really wanted to see & a place I visited 9 years ago and was happy to visit again. 

One thing about the Salar - the largest salt flat in the world - is that it always changes. Not only did we meet a giant boy during this visit, but also the surface of the salt was covered in water as we headed out toward Isla Incahuasi, the trippy island full of giant cacti (also known as Isla de los Pescadores) so we felt like we were travelling through the sky.

We stayed in a salt hotel - a hotel constructed of salt - and listened to the pounding rain pour down outside as we sat and chatted with other tourists.  In the morning we headed out across the desert to see the various shallow lakes (which sadly are noticeably drying up) where flocks of flamingoes feast.

Laguna Colorada with its pink water reflective of the flamingoes and the volcano in the background is certainly a highlight.

 

Our third day saw us getting up at 4 am.  First stop was these geysers at 4270 meters.

 

We dropped some tourists off at the Chilean border, then we headed back to Uyuni with the driver.  On the way back we stopped at Valle de las Rocas where these mystical giants watch the sky and the silence is loaded with mystery.

I think we covered 1000 km in 3 days.  Unfortunately more rain on the way back to town (the rainy season has started and these rains are torrential when they come!).  Here is our driver fixing a broken wheel. . . just a tad muddy! 

Got back to town in time to get the new year´s in Uyuni and got some charms and herbs from a Quechuan woman in the market.  I was told to pour a little alcohol on the ground in honour of Pacha Mama and burn the bundle for good luck in the new year, which I did.

Tomorrow we head back to Peru... where we will spend the rest of our remaining South America time.

Time is flying ...

a kid's guide to Bolivia

1.  Best slide, Uyuni playground

2.  Best ice cream sundaes, Dumbo's Restaurant, La Paz

3.  Best dinosaurs, Cretaceous Park, Sucre

4.  Best chocolate, Para Ti, Sucre

5.  Best bird-watching, Biocentro Guembe Mariposario Resort, Santa Cruz

6.  Best swimming hole, La Cuevas

8.  Best frogs, Sahuiña, Lake Titicaca

                                        (fyi, frog released back into the lake shortly hereafter)

9.  Best place to play with my toys, Salar de Uyuni