Bye Bye Travels, Hello Winter Number Three!

Well, I have been back in Seattle now for over a month and a half. I have survived the craziness of the holidays, an early January snow storm, and the beginnings of an elaborate job hunt.

As much as I miss traveling and the adventures that come from living out of a backpack, I have to admit, that it's been incredibly refreshing to be once again close to family and familiarity.

I had such a fun time traveling after Lima and was able to go through Trinidad, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, and even some of the East Coast before finally making it back to rainy Washington in December. I feel so blessed for having been able to do all that nonstop "go go go" travel. Without a doubt I have enjoyed some memories that will last a lifetime.

Just a few highlights from each location since October...

Trinidad: Jungle hikes and unlimited kayaking in warm waters

England: Visiting my beloved Grassington and stopping by the Cavern Pub for a pint while imagining what it must have been like when the Beatles performed there

Scotland: Can I just say everything? I was blessed with sunny days and loved haggis!

Germany: Yummy Nuremburg gingerbread!

Austria: The Christmas markets in Vienna. What a way to start the holiday season

East Coast: Thanksgiving celebrations in Virginia and Ohio, seeing the beautiful blue ridge mountains, and wandering through bits of WA D.C.

You might be asking yourself, without any travels in the near future, "what is she doing now?"
Well, as mentioned before, I'm actively looking for a job. I hope to stay in the Seattle area so I can be near my future little nephew (two months until he arrives!) AND I'm constantly keeping myself busy with new projects and crafts. I have decided to write and take photos of such endeavors at www.withoutanexpert.com.
I hope you check this new project out and let me know what you think!

Thank you to everyone for all of your prayers and support in the last year. It was such a wonderful experience traveling all of the world, from Israel to South America, and beyond. I'm so thankful for being kept safe and healthy throughout it all!

I had to add this...

This has undoubtedly been the "theme" of my time here in Trinidad! Thanks to Grandpa Jud for first introducing this song to me!

Hey Mannn! (say this in a Caribbean accent)

Hey there! or should I say Heyyyy Mannn!

Just a quick note to say hello from Trinidad and Tobago!
I have been here over a week now and LOVING it. I think I might have to come back and sail some more in the near future.

Our next stop is Grenada, but in the meantime we have been busy hiking and kayaking around the Island and jungles. I have been tromping through tropical rivers and swimming in hidden waterfalls, exploring caves, and keeping an eye out for monkeys! This lifestyle is certainly one I could get used to.

Next on my agenda for travel will include a cross Atlantic flight to Europe. I'm looking forward to seeing friends and  trying to prepare myself for some serious weather shock! haha

My last couple of months in Lima were absolutely perfect. I was sad to leave such good friends and a very lively city but I have high hopes to visit again in the near future. Ojala!

Well, I better be off. The plan for the evening is a barbeque on a nearby beach.
Hugs to all!

Kayaking back to the boat

 a "rough" morning lounging around on deck

cooling off in one of a series of beautiful waterfalls

swimming in caves!

Getting coconuts!

Enjoying the juice. My favorite!

More photos!

More photos from Peru!

Click the giant dancing guinea pig for more photos of my time here in Peru!

Long time!

To say that time is flying is an understatement! I can't believe how fast the last few months have just zipped by. I have quite a full schedule with work, taking a quick trip up to San Francisco for my friend's wedding, traveling south with friends again, and taking a fun adventurous vacation along the northern coast of Peru.

Not too much has changed here in Lima. We're still under constant cloud cover during these winter months but as I write this, the sun is surprisingly peaking through. Thank goodness for a rooftop terrace on afternoons like these! Work continues to take up the majority of my time here in town but I'm thankful for a really great group of co-workers. It seems like there is always someone new at the office. It's hard to work with so many travel lovers because hearing about other's crazy trips just makes my own appetite for travel that much stronger.

Thank goodness for some vacation I had in the end of August where I could satiate the need to explore more of Peru and also see some much desired sunshine. I went with my close friend and roommmate Johanna and another girl, Simone, all the way up to the Peru and Ecuador border. From there, we spent ten days slowly making our way down the coast stopping at little sleepy fishing villages and beach towns along the way. The trip was a perfect combination of relaxation and adventure. We made no plans prior to traveling, only knowing the direction we would head the first night. Each day we had the ability to decide if we wanted to move on down the coast or stay another day and explore the area we were in. With this flexible schedule we had a blast. There wasn't a day we went without sunshine (such a nice change compared to cloudy Lima) or a day without making new friends. Here's a quick run-down of the places we visited:

Reed Boats in Haunchaco

Trujillo - north of Lima by about eight hours, this town is actually quite big. There's a gorgeous colorful Plaza de Armas and lots of history here.

Huanchaco - about 20 min outside of Trujillo, this is a quaint little coastal town that's a prime destination for surfers. We enjoyed our stay here and visited some nearby archaeological sites. I was a big fan of sitting on the beach and watching fishermen make their handmade reed boats.

Tumbes - All the way up at the Ecuadorian border, this was another larger city. It's definitely not a tourist destination so we stood out quite a bit. We had fun exploring some of the city before heading to the coast.

Our boat driver in the Mangroves

Zorritos - Loved this place. It's along the Pan-American and basically just a thin strip of lovely beach and crystal clear waters. We stayed in a pretty little hotel right smack on the beach. We also went on a day excursion from here to Puerto Pizzaro where we hired a boat to take us out among the Mangrove trees. Very very fun. With our little wooden motor boat, we stopped and visited crocodiles in a protective sanctuary and ate lunch on our own little private island.




Punta Sal - My favorite place we stayed at. Again, we found a perfect little place right on the beach and spent the whole time soaking up the sun and swimming in warm calm waters. I loved this place and hope to come back for a visit again someday. It was a TINY town (especially in the low travel season right now) and we spent our evenings cooking for ourselves and friends and relaxed on a secluded beach perfect for campfires.


Mancora - This was a fun and much more lively stop on the trip. Mancora is a big surfer destination and tourist hub for Peruvians. It was a fun change up from the northern sleepy neighbors of Zorritos and Punta Sal but I was ready to keep moving after one day.

Cabo Blanco - Just a quick stop here, we wanted to see where Ernest Hemmingway spent months writing "The Old Man and the Sea." It was the SMALLEST little place but just breathtaking. Quite an adventure getting there but definitely worth it. We had seafood on the beach, met a couple from Seattle (talk about a small world) and then, as there was absolutely no accommodation available, we continued on. Of course having to do the adventure of getting there in reverse which involved climbing a dirt road in the back of a pick-up for 30 cents. Not a bad rate! =)

Lobitos - This place was unique and definitely different from our previous stops. Thank goodness we found somewhere to sleep as we had to drive around to three different hostels before finally finding a fourth that had room for us. It's a great little town (again, very very small) that serves primarily as a surfer destination. We spent the day exploring the coast and watching wind and kite surfers.

Pretty waters in Lobitos

From Lobitos, it was one quick night in nearby Talara before flying out to Lima the next morning. Despite going by extremely fast, it was such a fun and memorable vacation.

I can't believe it has been over four months of living here in Lima. So much seems to have happened already, but I'm also looking forward to what's ahead. I'm off to soak up this sunshine now before it vanishes and I don't see it for again for a while! Hope summer is going well north of the equator!

Pictures of the trip!

Adventure in Machu Picchu

Well, I suppose being behind in keeping up with my blog should be a good sign as it points to a very busy schedule and lots of fun being had. =)

Besides staying occupied with a heavy work load, I have enjoyed quite a bit of adventure in the last few weeks. In the end of June my sister and good friend Janell came down to visit Peru. During their week here I took off work and we made the absolute most of every moment they had to spend in this wonderful country. Thank goodness for previous tour guide experience because I was determined to show them a good time in and around the neighborhoods I frequent in Lima. I especially had a blast introducing them to my roommates and close friends down here. Another highlight involved encouraging them to try various Peruvian dishes such as Aji de Gallina, Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, and of course, the infamous Pisco Sour.

After a couple of quick days around Lima we headed off to Cusco and from there, Machu Picchu. Despite an unfortunate day of getting sick in Cusco (the risk of traveling and eating in South America), we made the adventurous journey to the sacred Inca site. For being such a well known place, Machu Picchu is surprisingly hard to get to. First a flight to Cusco, followed by a two hour drive through the Sacred Valley to Ollyantaytambo, then an hour a half by train to Aguas Calientes (hold on, you're not done yet), then by bus or foot up to the ruins. With this all this hassle, you might ask, "is it worth it?" And the answer: YES, definitely. The first glimpse of the historic mountain dwelling is breathtaking. Our cameras certainly got a work out while trekked through the various dwellings and paths of the ancient ruins. We arrived just in time for sunrise and spent the entire day exploring. Easily we could have spent another full day hiking but due to limited time, headed back to Lima the very next day. Although Lima might not compare to the Incan masterpiece, it certainly has its fair share of places to visit. We made sure to see the fishing village of Chorillos, the coastal neighborhoods of Barranco and Miraflores, as well as the areas of La Marina and the historic downtown center of Lima.

It was rough to say goodbye to my visitors but I'm so very thankful for their visit all the way down here. It was by far one of the most memorable trips I have taken. I also have to say that I'm quite impressed with both Kadi and Janell's ability to adapt in different situations. They handled getting sick and being surrounded by a foreign language like pros. My friends (even the ones who don't speak a word of English) were so sad to see them go!

Next on the agenda for me here in Lima is to survive the winter weather we have been having lately. Everyday it has been cloudy and a chilly. Certainly a little different from the gorgeous weather I hear about back home. Today (Saturday) we had a morning of sunshine and my roommates Johanna, Cedric, and I spent the better part of the day on our rooftop terrace. This is definitely best place to be to make the most of the sun. This evening I have plans with some Peruvian friends (several are determined to teach me some South American dance moves - I'm doubtful, but they insist they can teach me. We shall see...). I have a tentative trip planned for next weekend in search of some sunshine on the coast and then before I know it, I'll be spending a week in San Francisco. Counting down the days for this upcoming vacation!

Happy belated Fourth of July! I baked good ol' fashioned chocolate chip cookies in honor of America on the 4th and loved introducing the concept of eating raw cookie dough to my friends. Of course they were won over and I have since gotten several more requests to bake once again. =)

Miss you all! Will write more "soon." =) Pictures up later today I hope!