The past week I've been in Cusco and the surrounding beautiful Sacred Valley. It has been an incredible experience so far, and equally a test of my ability to feel content with solitude and my ability to reach out to others, Peruvians and international travelers alike, to make real connections despite their ephemeral nature.
My fondest memories have been the moments I've challenged myself. I figured out public transportation alone and rode buses to various towns in the Sacred Valley, a dramatic landscape outside of Cusco with dramatic v-shaped valleys, lush with eucalyptus and other trees and sprawling with agricultural land, bounded by steep sides foothills with the snow capped Andes beyond. I hiked through these towns, Chincero, Urubamba, Pisac, and their ruins, reveling in their beauty and my ability to wander at my own pace. I've had conversations with locals about religion, family life, climate change, religion... And have learned a lot about the Peruvian way of life.
Now I'm off to the Cordillera Vilcanota for the next 2 weeks to serve as a research assistant for Kelsey Reider. She is studying frogs and climate change and I'll be camping at 17,000 feet for the next two weeks to assist!
Until I return!
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