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Buy cones, bosko, hashish Sibenik

Although…I was almost forced to take up permanent residence in Thailand since they have this weird process of getting in and out of the country. By the time we left Thailand, I was fluent in Thai. As long as conversations consisted of Hello or Thank you. Anything beyond that I was still struggling with. So my first bit of advice-hang onto weird random pieces of paper because you never know when they might come in handy. When my Accuser was researching hotels in Cambodia and saw that one in particular would pick you up from the airport in a vintage Mercedes, he looked no further. This all sounds super movie star-ish but when I fly, I tend to arrive looking like I flew cargo. I purposely layer on the bulkiest items I brought in an effort to have extra space in my luggage. More on that later. I felt a little sorry for this lovely, elegant hotel welcoming the likes of me in their fancy car once owned by the former king , but if they noticed, they were very gracious about it. We were greeted by almost every hotel employee, and immediately made to feel like family though I was probably that obligatory unwanted family member who is reluctantly invited to Thanksgiving dinner because of a history of showing up with poop on her shoes. Although this was the most understated hotel of all that we stayed in, it was by far the favorite. Angkor Whaaaaat???? Ummmm, sweetie… is this a mistake?? Do we really need to spend 3 days with this guy? What if we want to do our own thing?? Imagine following your passion, and your God-given talent to lands beyond, telling stories with your camera and connecting with your fellow human in the process. The photographers I admire most tend to be self-taught; tend to have pursued their passion; tend to have an eye and continuously work towards perfecting it and top it all off by graciously sharing their knowledge with others. His Khmer probably is spoken with a lovely accent too. His humanitarian work brought him to Cambodia, and a pretty girl got him to stay. But our first evening in Cambodia was spent settling in; toasting the newest pushpin on our travel map by listening to live folk music on the rooftop while we sipped a cocktail,. My only regret was not dedicating some time with him for post-processing. Whereas I typically open all my shadows in post, the drama created by the light and the setting begged for a completely different style of processing than I am accustomed to, and I really could have used some guidance. The temple ruins in Siem Reap are the perfect place to explore those contrasts. We started early at Ta Prohm to beat the crowds. This is the temple used as the location for the Tomb Raider movie, so it can get pretty jam packed as the day goes on. I easily kept myself occupied while everyone lined up for their turn to be Lara Croft. I could have spent all day shooting here, with so many nooks and crannies just waiting to be explored. Many temples in Siem Reap were abandoned and neglected after the fall of the empire hundreds of years ago. I much prefer the moss covered, tree covered, overgrown ruins of the stone temples in Cambodia over the ornate temples in Thailand. But then again, this coming from someone who wears sneakers covered in elephant poop. We headed to the countryside to rice fields where we slogged through muddy rice paddies in our ill-equipped though machine washable shoes while hoping there were no snakes there. Aside from my elephant poop sneakers, these were the only other shoes I had left. We visited basket makers, which is a great job for a stay-at-home-mom. In between, we had the opportunity to head back to the hotel, get a rest in, have some lunch and enjoy the pool. After slogging through the mucky rice fields up to my shins, my cute little recycled bottle Rothys found their place outside the door next to my elephant poop shoes. We would come back sweaty it was hot!! Who am I kidding??? Of course some wine. Lo and behold, both pairs of shoes were clean and dry- as if little, magical elves arrived while we were not paying attention. I both hate and love that someone did this for me. This hotel is officially my new favorite. A long, rural drive out to the river brought us to the equivalent of a taxi stand for long tail boats. We stopped along the way at a floating restaurant and switched to a canoe for a boat ride through the flooded forest. And then pulled up to where we could get out and explore the village and meet its inhabitants. I loved this village. It is gradually becoming quite a tourist destination which makes me a bit sad, but how can I say such a thing as a tourist? I was fascinated by the warmth and friendliness of the people who live there. The children were so playful and loved practicing their few English words and climbing all over us strange looking people. They had no shoes; their gender was ambiguous; they had bumps and bruises and were covered in the dirt they play in; they seemed to supervise each other; they played with homemade toys. Despite the language barrier, their hearts spoke volumes and their smiles were priceless. Though a dentist in the US would certainly put a price on it. We were honored to be included. We were welcomed into the home of one of his friends to meet their newest miracle. On our ride back to the hotel, we were lucky enough to see the fisherman at sunset catching their dinner. We wrapped up our last day in Cambodia with a final temple, Banteay Kdei. Banteay Kdei was probably my favorite temple. We only had a short time to check it out but with a new surprise around every corner, and far from the crowds of all the other temples, this temple ranked highest for me. Another reason to return. I could spend a day here. I was almost disappointed to head to Angkor Wat. Although it was a box that needed to be checked, it lived up to my expectations. We ate most of our meals at the hotel, enjoyed the quiet of our room and pool and took a few tuk tuk rides to shop or grab dinner. And before we knew it, the sun set on our brief trip to Angkor Wat. One night at Embassy Restaurant. It often seems in life, that you either have time or you have money. Having a little bit of both right now for us is a blessing for which I am beyond grateful. So imagine my disappointment when the flights to Thailand were bought and paid for before I could craft an indefensible argument as to why we should stick closer to this side of the world. Travel clinics, weird antibiotics, tetanus shots, Dengue, menus consisting of crocodiles and scorpions, compression stockings, and a Brahmic abugida right??? Those kind of life decisions always come with some uncertainty and the expense of taking such an indulgent trip at that time added a bit to the apprehension. Our itinerary which I can take no credit for planning whatsoever consisted of Bangkok. And other places. A quick pitstop in Doha and before you know it, we landed in Bangkok early in the morning two calendar days after our departure from Boston. While many aspects of our travels have evolved over the years, the underlying objective of seeking breathtaking photo opportunities remains a constant. For me, the gear I travel with has evolved a bit, too. I was one of the first to get my hands on the new iPhone 11 Pro when it came out a few months ago and have found that some of my favorite shots were taken with it. You may not even be able to tell the difference. Disappointingly, our hotel reservation was cancelled mere days before arrival due to ongoing, incomplete renovations, but the hotel staff had set us up across the Chao Phraya river at another hotel, then showered us with gifts, credits and freebies for the inconvenience. Our days in Bangkok were fully booked anyway, so we probably never even knew what we might have been missing. This hotel had a lovely pool by the river, which we enjoyed just long enough to take a photo of it. The guides are usually a wealth of both historic and current events information, we come away understanding a bit more of the culture and etiquette and we even learn some of the language. Let me just say that Thailand has a slew of temples. It reminded me a bit of Rome, where your preconceived mental image of these magnificent structures derived from endless Instagram posts conjures up remote edifices in rural, hard to reach settings surrounded by the beauty of nature growing around them. And for a minute you forget which came first, and briefly wonder why they chose to put those ancient ruins right smack in the middle of a downtown. Truthfully, they all seemed to blend after a while though fatigue may have also played a role in that. The ruins were impressive, not only from a standpoint of vastness and beauty, but also from the level of destruction and overgrowth. Attempts to rebuild temples and statues damaged by war, weather and vegetation seem ongoing, and many parts will remain missing though rumor has it they can be found in antique shops in the United States. At least the ones from Cambodia. Damn Americans. I decided that rather than lug my whole backpack full of poorly accessible camera gear around that day, I would make do with two lenses. For this excursion, I only brought my mm and my new fave, my mm macro lens. Many pieces went in as many directions while the collective gasps of the surrounding crowd could be mistaken for the start of an incantation. Well, I just quickly collected the lens detritus, tucked it in my backpack, wiped away a few tears, and consoled myself with the notion that there HAD to be a Canon dealer somewhere in Southeast Asia. And for this reason, the rest of my temple photos that day were taken with my iPhone. It was a weekend, so a lot of the people there were locals worshiping,. The Thais really love Buddha and their old King- the new one, not so much, but the old one… and their respect for their religion in every aspect of their life is so admirable. People even dress in the color of the day. The old King was born on the yellow day, so yellow is his color. It seems like a lot of work to me to have to know all of that, but I like that they take it so seriously. One of the temple ruins we visited was the filming location for a local soap opera, so almost all of the visitors were dressed up in clothing matching the style of the soap opera and conducting their own photo shoots. A genius entrepreneur even set up a costume shop just outside of the temple, in case you forgot to bring your own. As the sun set on the temples, I was feeling the effects of jet lag, and I think we both slept the whole ride back to the city. The following day, I had mustered up the courage to assess the damage to my lens and was so relieved to see that I could fit the pieces back together like a puzzle. Though probably no longer worth much on the resale market, it was worth everything in the world to me as it turned out to be my most used lens the rest of the trip. I developed a whole new passion for it and learned so much about its storytelling capabilities from the photographers we hung out with this trip. A photographer also understands the need to maximize the best light and is not opposed to venturing out early in the morning or later in the afternoon. They typically know the locations less traveled, or know how to gain access to a spot before the crowds show up. On our second day in Bangkok, we hung out with Noah Shahar , who showed us a Bangkok less-traveled by tourists. This is exactly what we love about traveling. Noah is an amazing photographer with an impressive professional resume of commercial, fashion and portrait photography. Though transplanted in Thailand from Israel, he engages easily with the locals, speaks enough Thai to be an effective translator, and understands and respects the culture and way of life so as to foster that same understanding and respect within us. He really taught us how to swiftly tell the story of a moment with our lens, while honoring and respecting the subject. We started the day at the Khlong Toei market. Crowded, chaotic, and pulsing with energy, it was thankfully not overrun with tourists. The locals have the action all under control- they know how to maneuver, buy, sell,. The rest of us would do well to just stay out of the way. This market is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish, and would most likely not be well received by vegans. It might even cause you to turn vegan. Especially when your future meal can carry on a conversation with you beforehand. But when Noah suggested we try the fresh pressed sugar cane juice, well who could say no?? I never did find such a thing the rest of the trip, and never stopped thinking about it. My teeth are probably silently thanking me. From the market, we headed over to the Khlong Toei slums. A city within a city, there are about , people living as squatters in this two square mile area along railroad tracks and under highway overpasses. Narrow alleys and corridors make up the streets that connect all the homes and shops. Slightly wider streets accommodate other kinds of traffic. My favorite thing about Thailand is hands-down the people. They are happy. They are friendly. They are fun. They have so little and give so much. And they are beautiful. I was secretly uncomfortable with the idea of shooting in the slums. Would we be welcomed? Could we put aside our way of life and our ideals to temporarily embrace theirs? The residents put these fears of mine to rest immediately. They enjoyed seeing us as much as we enjoyed seeing them. The way of life in the slums is all they know. Though generations of families live there, they are under constant threat of eviction from the city that wants to tear down the slums and put up high rises for the low income earners. These people are stuck in the same cycle of poverty seen elsewhere. We saw warm, humble, friendly humans, happy to share their homes, eager to practice the little English they knew, and just as intrigued by us as we were by them. What might be seen as unethical or unpleasant in our culture is a way of life for them, and maybe even a way out. Amidst the tin shacks you can find Muy Thai rings awaiting the next champion. Behind the tin and cement walls, you can hear the crows of roosters and cheers and jeers of the men betting on their winner. Gambling on these roosters is big business. Noah was such an inspiration here with his easy way with people. He was instrumental in helping us find the light, and summon the courage to practice photography on strangers. Of course you always have to ask first. From there, we headed to our last stop with Noah before hitting the hay- the Rot Fai Market Ratchada. We got there just as it was opening, and began to weave our way through the long and narrow corridors of market stalls. You would want for nothing here- a feast for the senses, and the wallet as everything is so inexpensive. The shopkeepers will gladly market their wares AND pose for a photo. But I can vouch for the Mango and Sticky Rice. You can never go wrong with Mango and Sticky Rice! From a higher elevation, you can get a better sense of the sea of endless dining and shopping options. We said goodnight and goodbye to our new friend, Noah, and found our way back to our hotel. We navigated the subway like a couple of pros, but at one point, hopped off and took a tuk-tuk the rest of the way to our hotel. We got an early enough start to fight rush hour traffic and try to beat the crowds. We luckily got to the Marble Temple before the tour buses and selfie-stickers showed up. The temples in Thailand are pretty ornate. And you know me…I spent my time capturing the details. At this point in the trip, monks were still quite a novelty for us. I really admire the religious devotion of the Thais, and how religion is incorporated into their daily life. Alongside the Marble Temple is a monastery. It reminded me of upperclassmen apartments on a college campus, only with orange robes in place of hooded sweatshirts emblazoned with mascots. From there, we headed to the Grand Palace. We were sufficiently warned that this place was going to be a complete and utter zoo. Holy Moly how many tourists can you fit in one place? And we supposedly got there before the big rush. The palace has not been occupied by royalty for about 80 years, but they still hold ceremonies and important events there. This palace was beautiful. But it was HOT, and I was getting grumpy. I lost my people, so while I was staying in one spot, trying to find them in the masses and old woman who was part of a tour group was staring at me, nonstop, as her group moved closer and closer. I stared back in an effort to stare her down. Well that was cute. I let some of my grumpy go and smiled. And then bragged to my Spanish speaking husband that someone thought I was precious. Once the tourists got out of the way, this place was a goldmine of photo ops. Well, in really nice light it would have been, but we did the best we could. We took a peek in at the Emerald Buddha but the masses of humans made getting any closer completely unappealing, so we made our way towards the exit and checked the box on the Grand Palace. At Wat Pho, we stood in line to get a look at the reclining Buddha, which represents Buddha in his last illness. The rest of the Temple complex is not crowded at all, and less visited by tours and school groups than some of the others. Apparently people go to see the reclining Buddha, and one other iconic Buddha and then head out, which makes it much nicer than some of the other temples. And equally as beautiful. The main reason we booked our trip to Thailand at this time was to experience the Loi Krathong Lantern Festival, occurring on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. The river area surrounding our hotel was abuzz with celebration for the events taking place that evening, where Thais float wishes down the river in small baskets or containers filled with flowers, food or other offerings. This celebration also involves parties, music, fireworks, traditional dance and costumes, and a beauty pageant. The following morning, we had an early flight to our next stop. A quick flight up there landed us a bit early for check-in but we grabbed some food and planned our day. Van transport, unlimited local food and drink, exhibits, dancers, fireworks, and launching of lanterns. I loved this. So completely up my alley. Let me just reiterate that I was not enthusiastic about this trip. And boy was I wrong. I loved Bangkok. I loved shooting with Noah. And before we even got there, I loved the lantern festival. It did not disappoint. Though it was extremely crowded, they did an expert job of managing the flow of people and the transportation. Tickets were sold at different levels which afforded you different travel arrangements, different seating, maybe different amounts of lanterns to set off but otherwise all of the same festivities. We may have arrived earlier than necessary and had a lot of time to kill before it was dark enough for the show and launch but there was plenty of delicious local food and drink, and local exhibits of music, dance, and culture to keep us entertained. I know many people have such a lantern festival on their bucket lists and I would highly recommend moving it closer to the 1 spot. Prior to the launch, there was a period of mediation led by monks as well as a performance by the native dancers. And then the fireworks-. I did also almost light myself on fire from standing too close to a torch but thankfully my nerve endings hastily alerted my brain to take action over the growing sense of heat I was feeling in my left arm. Thank goodness I was wearing something flame retardant. We managed to get one of our three off successfully. The others were frantically stomped out just in time. The following morning we were up early yet again to spend the day with elephants. More than half of the elephants in Thailand live in captivity. There are a lot of different elephant reserves in Thailand and you really have to do your homework to make sure the one you choose jives with your values. We were picked up at our hotel early and then made a few stops at other hotels to pick up a few others before the almost hour drive to the reserve. Patara Elephant Farm promotes rescue, rehabilitation, reproduction and release. Over the course of our day spent there we learned about their mission and care of the elephants; we were assigned to our own elephant, Kampun, to care for, feed, brush, love and walk with through the jungle to a waterfall for a bath. Or I should say she walked us. These elephants were such gentle giants and I loved being so close but my deep down feeling of sheer terror never totally went away. Even the babies could plow you over and flatten you in a second. But they would do it with a heart full of love. This experience included riding the elephant to the waterfall which honestly was really just a way to spend 45 minutes wondering how many minutes were left of your life. Walking alongside your elephant was a frowned upon option but not sure which was the lesser of two evils. Well, I guess they have. They will typically be paired up with their elephant as a small child, and bond through their lives together. Despite a little elephant whisker burn on my calves, I lived to tell about it, but I think I can check it off my bucket list for good now. Okay, I mostly rode in a van, and walked through Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail, a boardwalk path in a jungle for 20 minutes, but hiking the Himalayas sounds way cooler. Once again, we had a tour guide pick us up early in the morning to get a head start. One of the last kings of Chiang Mai, King Inthawichayanon loved that part of the country so much that he had a second home there and spent all of his King vacation days in that area, so when he died, they made it a national park and placed his ashes there. From there, we went to check out the Two Chedis. These two pagodas were built to honor the 60th bday of one of the kings and his lovely bride. Tourists and local alike visit to pay respects to them. We actually wanted to be here at sunset, but there was a miscommunication between us and the hotel or the tour guide and ended up there midday- with pretty crummy midday light. We did have a little bonus while we were there, though as a big group of monks were touring the pagodas at the same time. The people who live in this area mostly earned their meager income as opium farmers. This has been a hugely successful campaign for all involved. The roadside market we stopped at was a tribute to everything they are growing on the mountain, and we stocked up on some local tea and nuts. We had a tiny bit of time to poke around old town Chiang Mai during our time there and checked out a few temples. The pond surrounded by bamboo is a perfect backdrop to the ceremonies held there by monks. On our next trip to Chiang Mai we will be sure to attend an evening ceremony. All throughout Thailand, I was fascinated by the way people get around. Traffic is wild, so having the ability to weave in and out is pretty important. What we would stuff in a minivan here, they pile up on their scooter. Many businesses are conducted on the side of their motorcycles. We have food trucks…they have food scooters. We wrapped up our time in Thailand down south at the beach in Krabi. It took us pretty much all day to get there from Chiang Mai due to connections and delays, causing us to miss our first sunset at the beach. Disappointing, but maybe a blessing in disguise as we settled into our hotel with a relaxing dinner and an early night. The next morning we were up before sunrise to meet up with our speed boat tour guide for a spin around the islands. This place was crazy ridiculous beautiful. As the sun rose, we found ourselves surrounded by the fisherman who had already begun their day. The hotel packed us a breakfast, which we shared with out boat drivers until we got to the bacon part. We visited Ko Panyi, where over families make up this village built around a mosque. I cannot imagine how they weather storms, but the location of the village within the bay acts as a shelter. When your national pastime is football, and you live on a floating village, it only makes sense to have a floating soccer field. Extra motivation to avoid out of bound kicks. Children who live here can obtain an informal education in the mornings. Some boys leave the island to have access to better schooling. With over a hundred islands off the coast of Krabi, we certainly had plenty to explore. And took a little coconut water break on a private island. Hector dropped some cash on a drone for this trip but still found that some of the flying restrictions we face at home were in effect there as well. He did manage to get some flying time in while we were out on the islands though there were a few scares where we thought we lost it. The boat driver whose English was pretty darn good reminded him to watch out for the Sea Eagles. And with a slip of the tongue, flying beach rodents have now been promoted. Thankfully I had my long lens. We wrapped up the morning with some snorkeling. Well, we would have snorkeled but for some reason the water was not clear, so there was really nothing to see. Made the purchase of the new waterproof go-pro a bit of a dud, too. I was good with not snorkeling since I find treading water while simultaneously self-managing a panic attack related to suffocation rather unpleasant. It was super hot in the south of Thailand in November, so we jumped in to cool off anyway. Though our hotel was right on the water there really wasnt a beach to swim in. We never did use that pool because once we could explore our villa in the daylight, we happily learned that we actually had our own pool. That evening we took a long tail boat from Ao Nang to Railay Beach to see the sunset that we missed the night we arrived. The beach was jam packed with others who had the same idea- families, couples, Instagrammers and selfie stickers. And some monkeys! I brought my camera but really only got anything worthwhile with my iPhone. It was really impressed upon us that we had to leave that beach shortly before sunset, which seemed kind of odd until it got dark and was clear that none of the long tail boats were equipped with any lighting. I think the Coast Guard would have something to say about that. On our last night there, we dined privately on the beach- I felt like I had won a Survivor challenge! The food was amazing,. We had an early morning flight to Siem Reap, wrapping up our time in Thailand. As we settled into our seats on the flight, the flight attendant handed us a business card. When the conversation about where our next vacation might be crops up, my mind always heads to Europe. I just love the cities and the towns and the architecture and the history and the culture and the food and the languages and the music…you get my point. Never do I think about South America. When the government shutdown prevented us from applying for the super special park passes in Utah again, I was sure I had successfully dodged any kind of vacation involving hiking and wild animals. No such luck this time. So I embraced my inner adventurer and packed my bags to fend off llamas while conquering Machu Picchu. An extra suitcase would come in handy to carry all the baby alpaca yarn I wanted to bring home. So we chose the scenic route through Montreal, with a layover just long enough to grab lunch in Old Montreal. The rain we dodged while waiting for a table at Olive and Gourmando was luckily the worst weather we encountered during the entire trip. Shopping for some new French finds in chic, charming little shops along the cobblestoned streets seemed so vacation-y, but with luggage already busting at the seams full of hiking gear yet to get muddied, we gathered our senses and just kicked our vacation off with some great food and a bottle of red. Being a typically latitude kind of traveler, it was weird to travel on such a long flight without landing in a time warp. The traffic to our hotel in Miraflores at 1AM on a Sunday could only be equated to Mexico City traffic during rush hour. I was adamant before this trip that a rental car was out of the question, and the 40 minute Uber ride validated my convictions. Despite the darkness, we did notice, however, that we did not get an ocean facing hotel room. The massive soaking tub and in-room sauna made up for it a bit. After getting a few hours of sleep under our belts, we headed out to breakfast for some of that world famous Peruvian coffee. Puku Puku was highly recommended, and difficult to find, being located upstairs in an open air food court. Our next stop was going to be the Central Market, but on the ride over our Uber driver casually mentioned that we may not enjoy it much since it had burned down a while ago. Ya think? So we rerouted to Plaza San Martin which was hopping with festivals, parades, a road race, tourists, and music and took in the sights and sounds of Lima. It really felt like stepping back into Colonial Spanish times. Nor does Walt Disney arrange crania in such elaborate, creative and concentric patterns. Outside of the cathedral, lines of people hoping for a miracle wrap around and around each other. At the risk of sounding Marie Antoinette-ish, I feel like that time spent in the line could instead be spent actively trying to fix whatever it is you think a patron saint might be able to do for you. Really great atmosphere, excellent service. We had our fair share of Pisco Sours and more ceviche than a person could possibly eat. But I am very much opposed to eating raw or slimy things; cute, fluffy things, insects or household pets. So it was a big stretch for me to eat a lot of things that were put in front of me that day. Stumbled upon the highly instagrammed lighthouse, Faro La Marina. Checked out the lovers at the Gaudi inspired Parque del Amor while reminiscing about our first trip together to Barcelona where I kinda fell in love. And ended up at a shopping mall, where we started the souvenir collection process. We ended up splitting a sandwich for dinner and calling it a day. Our last full day in Lima was entirely scheduled around the two reservations we had- lunch at Central and dinner at Maido. You might think trying to fit in a total of 27 courses with paired wine tastings in one day would be a bit much. You would be correct. We spent the morning exploring the colorful Barranco district. I was really excited to see this lively, colorful village, with a reputation for the freshest fish in Lima and a large pelican population. But instead, it really left a pit in my stomach. The poverty was palpable, with dogs running everywhere, the fish sellers stalk you to offer their wares, inhabitants bathing and doing laundry in tidal pools. We were offered a boat ride in a lancha, not exactly sure where to, but we politely declined. And in spite of my feelings, the people were friendly and happy. Proving that any discomfort I had was my shortcoming, not theirs. We then promptly arrived for our 1pm reservation at Central though the dichotomy between where our fish may have come from, and where I was eating it was not lost on me. The food was delicious, and I once again stepped out of my comfort zone and ate things I would never eat in my life, and without a good enough reason like imminent death from starvation probably will never again. Though the 16 courses were small, they were very filling. Couple that with very generous wine pairings,. Just in time for Virgilio himself to make the rounds to each table. It was pretty cool for him to come out from behind the hot stove and welcome his guests. I guess we should have taken a selfie, but I didnt want to seem too star struck. So we bought his book instead. Or two of them. That lunch pretty much did us in, and there wasn't much time to recover before our 8pm reservations at Maido. And just to back up a bit I made it perfectly clear long before we ever left for vacation that under no circumstances whatsoever would I eat guinea pig or alpaca. No way, no how. Despite fullness, we still went with the 11 course tasting menu- but skipped the alcohol. As it was, I could barely eat anything, but when the guinea pig showed up, it was immediately passed across the table. The waiter was so sweet, offering to bring me something else but guinea pig or pizza- there was really no room for anything. He eventually brought me some tea, and I think it helped a bit, but really, the only thing I wanted was my bed. We got the required hepatitis and typhoid vaccines, pills for altitude sickness and malaria and a prescription for azithromycin. Maybe we feared depleting our supply so early on in the trip. Maybe we thought it could get worse? Was it the ceviche? Or the egg whites in the Pisco Sours? Or the ice in the Pisco Sours? Or Central? The world may never know. But funky food and Pisco Sours never found their way into my diet again that week. I stuck to pasta anytime there was an option. An afternoon flight to Cusco the next day allowed us to sleep in at our hotel-turned-infirmary the following morning. We made it to the airport with time to spare and after a lunch of saltines and ginger ale in the VIP lounge, headed to the gate. Flight on-time…Flight delayed…wait 20 minutes…okay, now you can board…oops, hold on…go back and sit down…. Cusco is an hour flight from Lima, but a 20 hour drive. We were at their mercy. Belmond Miraflores Park. Puku Puku. La Mar. After leaving the airport, the first question I asked in the Uber was- how far is the hotel? I just wanted to go to bed. We did make it to the hotel restaurant for some chicken soup before we crashed for the night. It was probably 6pm. Cusco is at 11, feet above sea level. What the heck does that even mean? So why should I care? Once we left Lima, Cusco became our home base. We came and went from here for the duration of our vacation. We stayed at Hotel Inka Palacio for the first two nights, but after Machu PIcchu we moved to the Belmond Hotel Monasterio, which we called home until we really did go home. On each of our excursions from Cusco, we took a small carryon bag with us. Belmond Hotel Monasterio was kind enough to store our bags for us when we left and had them ready in our new room upon arrival. Each time we returned, they upgraded our room, until our last two nights there when we ended up with our own private courtyard with a secret entrance. We knew it was finally time to go home because there was nowhere left to upgrade to after that! Over the next 10 days, we had a few intermittent days to explore the city of Cusco. These walls have survived many earthquakes, and seem to have been built to do just that. The main square in Cusco is pretty flat, but branching out from there usually involves some hills. Any elevation when battling altitude sickness becomes a challenge. Walking up a hill could sometimes involve a few rest stops. His assessment skills could use some sharpening. Cusco is pretty crowded with a lot of tourists, but even more with locals, who are decked out in their traditional dress reflective of their native village. The colors, patterns, designs and hats can signify which village the locals come from, or even simply their marital status. The women will dress this way on a daily basis. The men will wear a hat or a poncho for special occasions. Tourism being a major industry in Cusco means the markets are full of souvenirs and more things to buy than you ever thought you wanted. It becomes difficult to distinguish the local handmade goods from those mass-produced in China, so we tended to only purchase directly from the artisans. As a result, we made some new friends. Maria invited us to stay with her on our next visit to Cusco. I had really hoped to get some good portraits on this trip as I found the Peruvians so intriguing, with beautiful skin and interesting faces, but I always struggle with asking people permission. It becomes a lot easier when you support them by making a purchase first. Those who had no wares to sell, capitalized on tourists fascination with the culture, and charged for photos. Though as soon as you handed them money, they suddenly didnt know each other, and they all wanted their own money. Then you get home, and that poncho and top hat just look kind of ridiculous. Inca quipu which looks so festive, turns out was a really useful record keeping tool for the Incas to keep track of the census or of taxes. I could easily have filled a suitcase with these, but you know…ponchos and top hats. Cusco is a really important town to stay in prior to visiting Machu Picchu in order to acclimate to the altitude. So off we went…. Palacio Del Inka - we stayed here the first two nights. Belmond Hotel Monasterio - we came and went from here for the rest of our vacation. Inka Grill. A lot of behind the scenes finagling was being done in the trip planning stage for special tripod permits for Machu Picchu. Ever since I left my tripod in Spain a few years ago I gave up on lugging one around, so I didnt pay much attention. Accessing the permit itself prior to leaving Cusco almost caused us to miss the train to Machu Picchu. Well, that and the idea of ever getting out of bed- we were still not back to feeling normal. There are also luggage limits for the train so plans to store luggage and proper packing for the journey itself are key to the whole process and require advanced planning. Bringing one carryon and two big backpacks filled with gear was pushing it a bit, but they kindly accommodated us. We later learned that the train no longer comes into the heart of the city because it was too urban- drunk people and sleepy animals took too many naps on the tracks at very inopportune times. At some point they decided to just end the station in Poroy. Though I prefer to fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to vacation, the benefit to just going on a trip already planned to the minute for you is that oftentimes you are pleasantly surprised. The Hiram Bingham train trip did not disappoint. We arrived at the station and were immediately whisked into a 4 hour long party, complete with live band, delicious food and champagne. The often scenic and sometimes slow-chugging train ride zipped by thanks to the entertainment and endless supply of Pisco Sours. I opted for wine. Upon arrival in Agua Caliente, Machu Picchu town, we boarded the bus waiting there for us and began the hairpin zig-zag up the mountain to Machu Picchu. Our entire two week itinerary hinged almost entirely around the two night hotel reservation we could get at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge , Machu Pichhu, which is located right at the entrance to the site. Any other accommodation in Machu Picchu town would have required taking that hairpin turn bus ride up and down or hiking, but remember who your author is here And that was our driving force. It was kind of like staying on property at Disney World, and I did feel like a princess occasionally I can rise to the accusations of being high maintenance. The site opens at 6 am, and we managed both mornings to be there for sunrise shooting. The first day we had a private guide, and he was great to get us to the best shooting locations. We then used that time to explore and make some llama friends. Sometimes, you think- seen one photo of Machu Picchu, seen them all…but all the nooks and crannies and levels and hiking trails and sense of awe you feel when there really does prevent any photo from doing it justice. Our private guide on our first morning there was great- very patient and allowed me to catch up to them at my own pace. Gotta be honest, climbing was a killer. But there were people wandering the ruins of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities so I had no excuse. There is a flight of steps within the site called the Gringo stairs. Guilty as charged. In all, we made 3 trips into the site. This Gringo will stay down here with the boys. Weather is also rapidly changeable and varies quite a bit from the bottom of the mountain to the top. As luck would have it a baby was born the morning we were there. It was so fun to watch her figuring out her legs, and mom helping out. I really could have spent hours just watching them and they were certainly drawing a crowd. Mom was making a lot of noise. A member of the male species loudly stated that Mom was clearly stressed by everyone being so close to her baby. Spoken like someone who will never push a large creature with 4 hooves out of his body. No buddy, what Mom needed was a heating pad and some Advil. By staying right onsite, we had more time to take advantage of the hotel and its lush grounds where we could enjoy drinks on our patio, walk the orchid path with 40 something varieties of orchids,. We left the hotel with a little time before our train back to Cusco to poke round Machu Picchu town, and scour the market at the train station. It was sunny when we left the hotel, but the skies opened up to torrential downpours like Id never seen before by the time we got to the bottom. At the last minute, we changed our train reservation from the regular train to the Hiram Bingham back to Cusco. It was even more of a party train at night. We got back to our hotel with really just enough time to grab a few hours of sleep before an early morning flight to Arequipa. Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. Indio Feliz. An early flight from Cusco to Arequipa landed us at our hotel prior to check-in. We were initially regretting this side trip as we drove from the airport to our hotel as the city seemed rather gritty and when the cab pulled up in front of the hotel we were a bit disappointed. The hotel lobby was a bit nicer once you passed through the front door as a renovated castle or monastery and the location was central to the sights we had in mind but the rooms were dingy, air flow non-existent and the elevator was not working for most of the time we were there. All that aside, it was still one of the nicer hotels in the city. One of our main interests in this town was the Santa Catalina Convent and Monastery, which was a block away from our hotel. We headed straight there, and ended up going back for sunset the following day. This Monastery was a city within a city-every alley, every room led to a new alley or room. The rich, gorgeous colors transform in the sun, so visiting at different times of the day feels like an entirely new experience. So indulge me for a minute…. They offer tours in every language, but we were eager to explore at our own pace. Leaving the monastery on Sunday afternoon, we stumbled right into a street festival, with beautiful costumes, loud music and dancing in the street. It was hot in Peru. South of the equator, it was the end of their summer but they said they have two seasons, wet and dry. We explored the historic center of Arequipa and were also sure to check out Mercado San Camilo. Mercado San Camilo was a two story market selling everything you could ever possibly need from spices to suit coats. The vibrant colors and bustling activity made this market a photographers mecca. The fruits and vegetables were the biggest I had ever seen, thanks to the absence of the FDA. Sellers hawking their wares made for really great photo ops, but once again- we felt it important to support anyone who was kind enough to let us take their photo. And also thanks to the absence of the FDA, we avoided any fruits or vegetables that didn't have a really thick peel. Sadly, the wheel of cheese we bought went straight to the garbage. This was definitely the place where locals buy their everything. Personally, I was a little grossed out with the way food was sitting out in the open, at room temp, flies everywhere and was further committed to my newfound vegetarianism. Though we were kind of looking forward to trying the fruit we bought, we came across a homeless man who looked like he needed it so much more than we did. He eagerly accepted our offering. Our waiter gave us the whole history, even his personal experience as an 8 year old. Though we luckily never felt any rumblings, an 8. Next day, we had the hotel arrange a private tour to The Sillar Route, the quarry on the outskirts of town. This white volcanic stone is so prevalent in the construction of most buildings in Arequipa. Our driver picked us up at the hotel, and dodged rush hour traffic through the city for the hour or so drive out to the quarry. He was on his phone the entire time, coordinating other drivers for his driving business. Strike One. Once at the quarry, we were introduced to the workers who showed us the block making process. We put our camera gear in the trunk of the car and departed the quarry. As we headed back to the hotel, our driver continued with his constant phone conversations with his employees. Strike Two. I envisioned rural, backroads, vigilante type roads where who-knows-what would happen to us and who-knows-when our bodies would be found. I know, kind of dramatic… but not worth the worry for me. So as we are driving back to our hotel or so I thought since this guy doesnt speak English, and most of his talking is being done on the phone anyway we get pulled over by the police. The driver and the cop are having a conversation. Im getting the side-eye from Hector who is native Spanish speaking. The driver gets out of the car. Heads behind the car. Something about an expired license, not having the right papers, cops looking for a bribe. Before I had to even consider it, the driver got back in and we started driving off. He told us to pay the man. Turns out we were at a scenic overlook where bus loads come to see Misty, the volcano. Strike Three. Truth is, I kind of lost my appetite for scenic overlooks, thank you very much, so can we please just go back to the hotel? I think he tried to show us a few other things, whether in an effort to apologize or get a bigger tip, Im not sure. We consistently declined. When he finally dropped us back at the hotel, he offered to drive us to the airport the following morning. No thanks. We prefer our drivers with licenses. A retail store with a secret hidden fiber museum out back. Llamas and alpacas just hanging out. There were weavers weaving and a demonstration on collecting, sorting, spinning and dying fibers. There are many laws in place protecting them. The traditional gathering of their wool involves the village to come together to herd them, shear them humanely and release them back into the wild. Turns out that was the only place I found actual balls of yarn, and bought as much as I could fit in my suitcase. There were parts of the Arequipa region that we did not take advantage of given the short period of time we spent there- Ive heard Colca Canyon is beautiful though involves hiking. I still feel as though we spent enough time there. There was something about Arequipa that felt dirtier to me than the other cities we visited. Casa Andina Premium. Las Gringas. As photography enthusiasts, it can be really frustrating to travel halfway across the world for that one mental image you have of a location, only to be there with of your closest friends and their selfie sticks. Alex picked us up at 5am from our hotel and we spent the next almost 48 hours with him and our driver, Ramon or was it Roman? First stop was the pre-Incan southern gate to the Cusco Valley- the beginning of the Inca Imperial Road- where we caught sunrise. La Portada de Rumicolca was either built as a large aqueduct to bring water to the city, or as a gate separating the north and south regions of Cusco, and in the name of a good government, the Incas used it as a toll road. After some coffee and breakfast with the locals, we headed out to an Inca Bridge along the route- where WE were charged a toll just to photograph it. Next stop, the alternative Rainbow Mountain, which was supposed to be less crowded than the Rainbow Mountain seen all over Instagram. There was a good bit of hiking involved here, and I probably carried way to much camera gear but I thought I was going to die. Alex was pretty patient with us and our lack of endurance, but I could tell he was already sizing up our abilities for the rest of the adventures. The colors of the mountain are due to the mineral composition of the land. There was a higher elevation to hike to for a better view, but I think Alex realized we were pretty wiped out. I no longer looked so bad compared to him. The drive to the alternate Rainbow Mountain is really, truly breathtaking, with cows and llamas roaming the countryside and local people harvesting all together as a family. Laureano is the curator, the tour guide and the potato educator of his museum. His museum admission is tips only, and he does have a little gift shop where you can purchase handmade items. No one is happier about potatoes than Laureano. We left there and began the long drive to our local accommodations in the small village of Pacchanta where we would trek to the lagoons of Ausingate the following day. Jose and Maria were lovely and happy to share their home. They spoke the local language, Quechua, and only a little bit of Spanish, so we communicated in hugs and smiles. Im sure everyone enjoyed their alpaca dinner, while I enjoyed mine sin carne because I lied and said I was a vegetarian. After dinner we headed out to do some astro-photography. With the absence of light pollution, the Milky Way on a clear night was entirely visible. We strapped on headlamps and started heading over to the river. As soon as we got there, the boys took the best spots, set up and started clicking away. Being in the mountains at an elevation of 14, feet, it was pretty cold. I was really looking forward to a warm bed. But being in the middle of kind of nowhere, we had one light bulb in the room, one outlet plug, and certainly no heat. I slept with two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, a hat, gloves and about 4 shirts. I stole as much body heat as I could possibly curl up next to. Up before the sun, we headed back over to the river where the rising sun would soon light up Ausingate in the background. Though it was chilly, the setting was magical and there was something so peaceful about being up with the roosters and the cows. Soon the local dogs also came over to see what we were up to. It was really cool to watch the weather change before our eyes. I dusted off my riding skills and Anillo de Oro Ring of Gold became my new best friend. I soon got on a first name basis with him and just called him Golden Boy. I honestly believe my cell phone shots were as good if not better than those from my real camera. We were back to the hostel by lunch, and warmed up with some tea. And then began the long ride back to our hotel in Cusco. On our last full day in Cusco, we booked a private tour of the Sacred Valley through the hotel concierge. We hemmed and hawed about finding a guide who knew photography, and could bring us to all the right spots, until we saw the price tag and said no thanks. I was a bit photo-toured-out at this point and by the afternoon had retired my camera anyway. At least for the treks up to and through Inca ruins. Those who say it only takes a few days to acclimate to altitude sickness are making it up. She was a wealth of information, historic, political, agricultural, economic, cultural- you name it. She took good care of us with water, snacks and hand sanitizer- it was like having Mom along! As a knitter, I was really excited about the yarn and weaving process. Chinchero was the town of my dreams. I truly could have spent all day here, maybe even applied for a job, but getting to the salt mines before the tourists took over was a priority, so we only had time to visit one shop. This was truly the highlight of my vacation. I realize it was geared towards tourists, but sign me up. This adorable girl with a sassy sense of broken English humor taught us how they shear wool, clean it…. I was spending too much time there, so after a few purchases, I was rushed off so we could get to our next destination before the crowds. But not before I made a new friend. From there, we headed off to Moray, an archaeological site of terraced, circular Inca ruins. We walked the perimeter as Nancy explained to us that it was believed that the Incas used this as almost a giant science experiment. The depth of the terraces creates protection from the wind, exposure to the sun, and a temperature difference of about 30 degrees between top and bottom. They also built a cool irrigation system for each terrace as they were so skilled in doing. From there, we made it to the salt mines of Maras and successfully beat the masses of tourists descending by the busload. But the coolest thing about this particular communal salt mine is that the salt ponds are individually owned by local families, who are responsible for farming their salt from their own ponds. They come and hang out by their little plot, or work in the blistering sun. The souvenir shops selling all things salt and a lot of other junk also help contribute to the financial sustainability of this farm. Any new plot owner gets relegated to the far away plots. After the salt mines, we made the long slow trek back down to the valley by car of course! It truly is fascinating though how those Incas got those boulders all the way down one mountain and back up the next. I would succumbed to a fall down the stairs long before smallpox was even an option. After lunch we headed to Pisac, to tour the ruins there and then pop into the well-known market in town. The coolest thing about these ruins were the tombs carved out in the mountain face high above the gorge where important people were buried with valuable artifacts. We took a quick run through the markets before heading home. And with that, another trip was in the books. We had another half day in Cusco before beginning the trek back home, which we spent poking around the shops and last minute souvenir shopping. We also managed to check out the duty free at the airport since we had a good amount of time to kill. I suggested we pick up some Coca Tea to bring back home. Boy did I get an earful! I made it home without being arrested. Tea Party at My House!! Now to choose which shots to print from Fracture! For this particular trip, I left it at home again. And for good reason. I was a little busy. My mom was the greatest Nana who ever lived. She loved her grandchildren maybe even more than their own parents loved them. Nanny was forever looking for ways to get rid of mom and dad to have the babies all to herself. Five of her nine grandchildren never had the honor of meeting her. This year, they finally had a minute to take some well-deserved time for themselves and booked a weeklong cruise. I was so honored when they asked if I could babysit while they were gone. I am so blessed to have her in my life. Once mom and dad left, I dusted off the cobwebs from the How to Take Care of Kids manual in my brain and hit the road running. So we did what any sad 8 year old would do. We got out the colored pencils and the construction paper and made a paper chain to count down the days until they came home. Molly even wrote some special messages for mom on the inside. We opened our clay bakery during nap time, and created endless confections. Over the course of the week, we navigated the school drop off and pick up line like a boss, while managing to get Molly to school on time every day. And we caught some spectacular sunsets. It was even more beautiful set to music. And saw rice go from harvest to noodles. Bangkok A quick pitstop in Doha and before you know it, we landed in Bangkok early in the morning two calendar days after our departure from Boston. But back to my goal of traveling lightly… I decided that rather than lug my whole backpack full of poorly accessible camera gear around that day, I would make do with two lenses. They played with us. They gladly shared their moments with us. Until I saw the monks headed in to the temple to pray. Or how much wine there would be. I loved mangoes and sticky rice. View fullsize. We enjoyed seeing Moms and their babies. The villagers every need is met here. Especially soccer. After exploring a few caves while ignoring the bats ,. We did a drive by of Monkey Island-. The sunset was beautiful. Maybe we should rethink Cambodia?? We wandered the streets a bit taking in the city. We walked off lunch through the Miraflores neighborhood. Walked along the ocean overlook. We barely made it back to the hotel. This 12 sided stone drew quite a crowd. Even the babies get all dressed up. We tucked into the markets to stay dry,. So indulge me for a minute… The deep siennas…. The rich blues…. I joined. We headed to over to Plaza de Armas. We caught a magical sunset. The red color comes from crushed up ant eggs. Moray also lends itself to some really cool images. Let me back up a bit, about 25 years worth. In one week, we got Molly to her gymnastics class, took Henry and Finley to story time at the town library,.

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