PERU was no vacation!

The Explorer (the hubs) and I just back from a trip to Peru. We went with Judd Tours out of SLC. Our tour guide was host to 60 of us. 

Peru is a third world country. I was not prepared to see people living in deplorable conditions, with no plumbing or electricity. Many of their homes were no more than a shack. Barely a roof over their heads. Only in the large cities could you see any kind of modern civilization.

The food was good but took some adjusting to. Rice, fresh fish, vegetables, and fruits. All meals were made with whole foods. It was my first time to see a real banana and coconut tree. You could not drink the water or even brush your teeth with it. We drank bottled water the entire time. Most of our group took turns being "sick". Our immune systems in America are weak.

We were entertained with tribal music and dance. It was great! We had native tour guides who were knowledgeable and passionate about their heritage.

We traveled by plane, by bus, by boat, and hiked and walked and walked. It was a lot of work. We went from sea level to over 16,000 feet in a few days time. We saw three volcanoes placed in close proximity and known as the "ring of fire."

Some of the places we visited - 

Machu Picchu, Inca ruins and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Amazing!

Lake Titicaca, Puno. Floating islands.

Amazon. Here we saw first hand how tribes live in the jungles along the Amazon. We fished for prana with sticks, a line and hook with meat on it. And, by the way, Explorer caught the first one and I caught the second two! No one else on our boat caught any, so we were feeling quite lucky. We saw a rare pink dolphin jump out of the water. Monkeys jumped from the trees onto our shoulders. We saw a poisonous frog, macaws, large anaconda and boa constrictor snake. The jungle was green, wet, and humid and filled with creepy crawly things. 

My favorite place to visit were the floating islands on Lake Titicaca. The small islands are made up of reeds and new ones need to be added every 15 days to keep the island afloat. There are about 100 small islands on the lake. 

The island we visited housed three families. Each owned a reed hut that was about 10x10 feet. We were invited into the president's hut. It had two beds and poles above to hold clothes. Everything else is done outside in the middle of the island. Cooking, crafting, playing, visiting, and entertaining visitors like us.

The natives could speak no English but that did not stop them from friendly chat and telling us the story of life on the islands. They used props to help tell the story. Our tour guide, which accompanied us throughout Peru interpreted for us.

The people on the islands drink the lake water, which is salty, therefore they retain a lot of water. They have to row 5 minutes away for bathroom needs. 

The people in Peru have very little but it is evident they are happy people. You see lots of smiles!

A few pictures from the Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca

A young boy plays with the fish.

The tribal people wear colorful clothing. Lots of layers of colorful skirts, and large pom poms at the bottom of their braids.

The President and his wife.

Ducks were part of island life.

We were invited into the President's hut which had two beds and poles overhead to drape their clothing over. 

Larry and Anna. Anna is stitching a colorful tribal scene on cloth, getting it ready to sell.

The children attend school on its own island. We took the children gifts brought from America. They sang us songs and showed us their school. It was so rewarding seeing the smiles on their faces.

The Explorer and I. The Col. retired his army gear for traveling gear. Let the adventures begin!

If you want to learn more about the Floating Islands, click here and here.

Our next trip, and I call them trips because they are no vacation, is to China in October. To explore another country, to experience a foreign culture, to adjust to extreme elevation and climate conditions, experience diet changes, to hike in rugged and uneven terrain, and being on the go constantly is no picnic. I didn't start my vacation until I got back home!

But... the rewards of trips like these are the people you meet, the friendships forged, and a better understanding of the world we all live in. We really are all alike!

Writing prompt #2: Write a blog post inspired by the word: vacation.

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