Galapagos

Whale Shark
When you cease to point vigorously at every six-foot hammerhead shark in an attempt to get others attention, because you see them so often, you know you are in the Galapagos.  These shy creatures appear briefly, making their presence known by their dark outline on the edge of your vision and then dissapear just as quickly into the blue.  Playful seals, curious sea turtles, magnificent black and white spotted eagle rays, dolphin, and most exciting, two 40-foot whale sharks, we had an amazing week of diving in the Galapagos aboard the Humbolt Explorer. 

Spotted Eagle Ray

After 15 hours of cruising away from the main cluster of the Galapagos Islands, we reached the islands of Wolf and Darwin (another 4 hours from Wolf), which were our main diving destinations.  The islands themselves are protected by the government and were swarming with birds and seals.   Large male frigate birds with their bright red throats puffed out to woo the females would amusingly grab a smaller blue footed booby bird, swing it around by its feet to make the booby throw up its most recent meal which would then be consumed by the frigate.  But it was the vast number of animals that you can see underwater that brought us out to these two spots.  

One of the highlights was being out in the blue, surrounded by an large school of smaller fish, then looking to my left to see an enormous shadow emerge into a 40-foot pregnant whale shark coming directly towards me.  It is very difficult to hear anything from fellow divers underwater, but somehow the dive master heard my screams of excitment, and he was able to bang his "cool animal sighting" clanker to alert the others.  The whale shark, which is a filter feeder and feeds on krill and plankton, slowly cruised by, seemingly unfazed by our presence.  Being in the water with huge animals is exhilarating. 

Our days consisted of four dives throughout the day, starting at 6:30, with eating, reading, conversations, and sleeping intermixed.  It was fabulous.  The week flew by, much like this entire year has flown by.

Mom and I have now returned to the US and thus bringing my year of travels to a close.  It seems surreal to reflect back on the places I have been, the people I have met, and all of the things I have experienced.  I have a feeling it is going to be pretty difficult to get back into the "real world"!  My plan is to move out West come August.  On that note, I am looking for a job!  So if anyone knows of a teaching, photography, coaching, or publications position that might be available, please let me know!!! 

My goal of this year was to explore places in the world that I have never been and to continue to live with intention.  I want to end this blog in the same way I started...

Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Continue to learn.
Appreciate your friends.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

As our guide in the Amazon said, "...and this is just the beginning!"
 

Peru. Is. Stunning.

These last few days, Mom and I have explored the Sacred Valley region and Macchu Picchu with our guides Eddie and Juan Carlos.  Surrounded by the Andean Mountain range, the valley is filled with the physical remnants of the Incan Empire, pre-Incan, and Colonial structures.  Although these structures are what most people talk about after having visited these areas, they are only a small portion of what makes this place so remarkable.  At an elevation of up to 20,000 feet, the mountains shoot straight up and you marvel at the sheer feat of building any sort of structure (let alone one that would last for over 800 years) in this type of terrain.  It is possible to differentiate from the different time periods by how the structures are put together.  During the Incan times, the temples are constructed with the best stones and are put together so perfectly, that it is impossible to slide even a knife blade in between each stone, which are held together not by mortar, but by the pressure and angles of the adjacent stones.  Even more impressive is the fact that most of the stones were not quarried in the site where the temple is currently, but often from another mountain over 20 miles away.  This means that each stone (averaging 2 tons each), had to be carried for miles and up the mountains, not to mention having to then be carved perfectly to fit in its place. 

We did a number of day hikes, specifically to different Incan temples around the Sacred Valley and tried to soak in as much history and information about the people and the areas as we could.  A highlight was a six and a half hour hike up to Huchuyqosqo, which mean "Little Cusco" that is only accessible by foot (or animal) as there is no road leading to the site.  A local Quechuan woman and her five year old daughter were herding their sheep up to their plot of land where they grew potatoes to check the damage from the frost the night before. They walked with us for the first ten minutes chatting with us.  Once we parted ways, we only saw three other people (all local) the rest of the day.  The hike took us over a 14,500 ft pass and down into a valley where the archeological site resided, and then an hour and a half descent off of the mountain down switch backs that were terrifyingly steep.  It was incredible.  Exhausted, Mom and I were both very excited to return to our "hotel", Willka T'ika (meaning Sacred Flower in Quechuan) which is not as much of a hotel than a zen style retreat with expansive gardens and vegetarian food straight from the garden. 

Photo by Mom

Willka T'ika

There was a striking contrast between hiking to Huchuyqosqo and then exploring Macchu Picchu, which was another highlight.  Even though this site was jammed packed with tourists, it still retained its awe factor.  We had an amazing tour of Macchu Picchu (meaning "old mountain") which some believe might have been the summer residence of the Inca, or King.  (interesting fact: The Incans have been incorrectly named, according to both tour guides.  The main ruler was called the Inca, but the language and culture is, in fact, Quechuan.).  After our tour and a late lunch, Mom and I went back into the site and sat on one of the terraces for about an hour overlooking the urban area, which is the postcard picture place.  A lot of times I need that moment to let it sink in where I am, what I'm looking at, and what I'm experiencing.  It was very special. 

We are currently in Ecuador and are flying to the Galapagos tomorrow where we will hop on a boat and be spending the next 8 days exploring the underwater environment.  How quickly a year has gone, some how, and it brings us back full circle to a true love and passion - the ocean.

Cusco

Every time I have heard someone talk about Cusco, it has always seemed as though it was simply a gateway to Macchu Picchu.  My expectations were far surpassed.  Cusco is a really visually and culturally interesting city that I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring these last few days.  Cusco, meaning the "naval" or center of the world is the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America and was the capital of the Incan empire from 1400-1533 AD.  It looks very European with its narrow, steep streets and many balconies, but then you turn the corner and see a woman in traditional Quechuan dress holding a lamb, or a boy in a similar outfit with a llama.  Although driven by the tourism trade where they model for a small propina, or tip, it is a very fascinating sight. 

This week is the start of Semana Santa, or holy week here in Cusco, the week before Easter.  There have been numerous parades, the main one today being the Señor de Los Tembladores. It started at 2pm with a procession following 12 or so men carrying what looked to be an incredibly heavy and large silver alter of Jesus on the cross.  People threw red flowers onto the crucifix as it came by.  It was carried throughout the city and returned to the San Armas plaza where the cathedral is located at 7pm.  The square was absolutely jammed packed with people. If I had to guess, I would say there were at least 7,000 people there, if not more.  It was an amazing sight. The festivities continue until next Sunday, which is Easter. 

Mom and I are headed into the Sacred Valley tomorrow and then on to Macchu