Rage Against The Minivan

The last few days have ben travel days. Machu Picchu is pretty far removed from the city of Lima where we’re staying with friends, and getting back there involved a taxi, a train, another taxi, a plane ride, and yet another taxi. We decided to break it up a bit, so the day after we went to Machu Picchu, we had a mellow morning at the hotel and took the train back to Ollantaytambo where we had stayed on the way out. Our last morning at the hotel near Machu Picchu, we decided to take a hike to . . .

We’ve been having a great trip so far but I’ve just got to talk about one element of travel that I absolutely did not expect: the totally bonkers reaction that the local are having to our family, and specifically to Kembe’s hair. We’ve had our share of nosy adoption questions in the US but usually they are scattered and random – maybe one a month or so. Here, it’s like people cannot NOT ask. Every single person we come in contact with asks if the boys are really our kids. Waitresses, airline . . .

Last night something disturbing happened that has shaken our family adventure a bit. We went out to dinner with our friends the Goodfellows here in Lima, and celebrated Thanksgiving with some amazing Peruvian food. On our  way home, there was a sudden crash at the window near my head exploded into tiny shards of glass. The impact was so jolting that initially I thought we’d been hit by another car, but then someone reached in and grabbed the purse out of my hands, and it dawned on me that . . .

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Finally, our big day arrived . . . the day we were going to visit Machu Picchu! (Or macho pee-chew, as the kids call it). We woke up feeling optimistic for so many reasons. We had all managed to avoid altitude sickness and were acclimating well. We’d had a full night’s sleep at a nice hotel. We’d done a '’practice run” at some other ruins and it had gone well. We did a morning prayer and meditation for good attitudes and calm hearts. We at a protein-rich breakfast. So many high hopes. Well, . . .

I’ve got so many pictures of our day at Machu Picchu to share (as soon as I can get an internet connection that can handle all those photos). But I wanted to share one moment from our day. This happened at the point furthest from the entry gates to the ruins . . . it was a pretty brutal hike to get there, and all of us were feeling exhausted and a bit daunted by the walk back that we still had to make. We took a little break in the shade, and a man and a little boy soon crossed our . . .

Yesterday we had a relaxed morning in Ollantaytambo. We all slept in late and the kids played together quietly. I’m not sure how that happened or how I can replicate it at home. The hostel we are staying at has a homey vibe and a cute courtyard right outside our window. KB Tambo caters to backpackers but it was a great spot for families, and one of the few places in the area able to accommodate a larger family in a single room. After showering and packing up, we headed back to the . . .

Since we are traveling right now, I thought I’d go with a travel-related question: If you could have a free round-trip to any one place in the world, where would it be? I’m gonna go with Bora Bora. I’ve never been, and it just seems like one of those places that is so insanely beautiful that you are profoundly moved just by the scenery. I’m a fan of gorgeous beaches and warm weather, and Bora Bora seems like the perfect tropical spot, where relaxation is inevitable. The white sandy beaches, . . .

We arrived in Lima late at night, and immediately went to the home of our friends Blake and Sarah Goodfellow. Blake and Sarah moved here a little over a year ago to start up the Peru branch of Krochet Kids. It was so nice to see them again. Our kids picked up right where they left of, and were so thrilled to get to hang out. After a good night’s rest, Mark and the kids went with the Goodfellows to watch their daughter compete in a surf competition, which I stayed back to repack our belongings . . .