Posts Tagged ‘South America’

Peru: Cusco
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

[singlepic=13,140,140,,right]In 2006 I took a career break and volunteered in Peru for the summer.  This was the first time I really spent an extended amount of time in one place, and the experience was amazing.  The culture and people of Peru touched me in a way I never expected and this led me to my next job at Cross-Cultural Solutions.

For many years, Peru has called me – whether it was the spirit of the Incas, the mystery of Machu Picchu, or the magic of the Quechuan smile, I needed to answer the call.  In the summer of 2006, I did just that. But unlike other travels, where I tried to see and do as much as possible – never staying in one place for more than a few days – this time I wanted to have some roots.  I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture; experience life as the locals; and maybe pick up a bit of the language.

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Cusco was the perfect place.  Chosen as the capital of the Incan Empire for a reason, Cusco has a spiritual essence that can’t be explained – it can only be felt.  But if I was going to take so much from this beautiful culture, I also wanted to give something back.  And that’s when I found Peru’s Challenge.

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Galapagos Islands & Ecuador
Monday, January 5th, 2009

[singlepic=876,150,,,right]In April of 2004, I traveled with two girlfriends to one of the most unique destinations in the world – the Galapagos Islands.  This small corner of the world is completely unique to anywhere else, and each island is so distinct from the next.

[singlepic=887,150,,,left]Whether we were exploring the area by land or sea with Gap Adventures, every day brought new surprises – the half-ton sting rays catapulting themselves into gravity-defying flips; the multitudes of dolphins leading the way for our boat; the graceful sea turtles peaking up to the surface; the blue-footed boobies cartoonish mating dance; puffed-up frigate birds courting the females; massive bull sea lions charging at each other over territory; fairy penguins darting about us underwater; playful sea lions curiously investigating our snorkel gear; brightly colored sally-lightfoot crabs darting over the rocks; and stone-faced iguanas warming up under the sun were just a few of the surreal experiences we encountered.

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