Time for a Bed Count and a Review of Peru

When I wasn't paying close attention, we reached a traveling milestone of sorts -- 100th bed slept in since March 19, 2014 when we set off from Chicago on our journey into this new phase. We reached this milestone while traveling in Peru, the topic of this post.
So beyond my eating difficulties (see previous post and the cute, edible Guinea pigs) how was the trip to Peru?

I'm going to answer that question in my usual round-about way because hey, I've got the time.

There were people on our tour who since their elementary school days, after looking at pics of Machu Picchu, had dreamed of visiting Peru and gazing at Machu Picchu. I wasn't one of them. Since I don't remember studying Peru, I was probably busy not paying attention in class or reading Nancy Drew or about Florence Nightingale. Either way, it wasn't my dream.
 Others on the trip considered hiking to Machu Picchu and around the ruins of the Sacred Valley experiences of a life time. I really didn't fall into that category either. As I too soon discovered in Peru, a few ruins, that are basically created from the same look-alike granite, go a long, long way with me no matter how tall, complicated or symmetrically perfect. Not to mention I still itch from those nasty, blood-sucking little flies.

    Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley
    

However, R had long wanted to visit Peru and especially Machu Picchu so in the spirit of marital harmony, I agreed. More than one time over the years, a visit there was on the books and I found a way of wiggling out of the trip.

This time I did not wiggle.

Learning about the Andeans, past and present, was my favorite part of this adventure. I'm amazed that people live in an environment as rugged and in many ways as harsh as the Andes. I loved our peek into Peruvian countryside culture via the "Primitive Market Tour" as our guides dubbed it. I was fascinated watching three adults wrestle a huge pig into a bag for its trip to their village where he would meet his final destiny.  I was captivated in an American-grossed out sort of way by the Andean woman quietly eating her homemade (of course!) cow's head soup with the cow's teeth jutting out of her bowl. While the cloud forest mountains of Machu Picchu are beautiful, the chaotic, dusty, colorful, rural ways were what caught my interest.

   This guy went unhappily and loudly into a bag

    Market, Urubamba, Peru

With that said,

If Peru is on your list of must have life experiences here are a few ideas to consider before heading off --

-- Altitude sickness is a real thing and impacts some more than others. It usually manifests as both middle of the night wakefulness (resulting in fatigue the next day)  and a crushing nighttime and daytime headache. Oxygen, available at most tourist hotels, helps as does Ibuprofen.
-- The trip is strenuous, even if you only hike a mile or so on the Inca Trail. This is the land of stone streets, thousands of uneven, high steps, and soaring elevation. And just so you know, the Sun Gate is about 1 1/2 hours of straight up walking. You'll be visiting ancient ruins not modern structures with ramps and lifts. Wear sensible shoes.
-- During dry season, Machu Picchu is busy since 3,500 people are allowed into the site each day. You will not visit these sites alone, although you may wish you were.
-- Even if your tour guides don't suggest it,  WEAR BUGS-AWAY LONG PANTS (for the uninitiated, these are pants treated with bug repellent). During season, those nasty little flying biting nats BITE! Three and a half weeks post MP my bites, while healing still itch.
-- About half the folks on our trip fell ill at one point or another. Bottled water and a good supply of Imodium and possibly antibiotics, are your best travel friends. Also pack bite stick, hydrocortisone, Calamine lotion, and possibly Benadryl. This arsenal will win you friends and make you more comfortable.
-- Even though the economy and living conditions are much better than they were a few decades ago, Peru is a relatively poor country. Our guides emphasized that Peruvians believe that anyone who travels to their country is wealthy. You may be asked for money to take someone's photo or just because.

One aspect of travel I find wondrous is that different places are magical (or not) to different people. One person's idea of nirvana might be my idea of a ring of hell, or something like that. While Peru wasn't a top trip for me, it was a good one. But it wasn't magical. I still favor cycling trips over walking. However, my analysis of my Peruvian travel left me with a question I'd like to answer but seem unable yet to do so.

How does one balance exploring and trying out new adventures, including some that might disappoint, against sticking with what is known, tried and true, and previously explored?

Thoughts anyone?  Adventure Girl is listening.

Next planned trip -- Asia and the east coast of Australia -- by ship!
But first, someone will have a BIG birthday and we'll celebrate 35 years of ......marriage.
Stay calm and carry on!

   

    Fall in Bend

Food Wars -- Traveling in Peru as a Celiac Fish Eating Vegan

We've safely returned to the states after our Peruvian adventures, back to toilets that readily flush toilet paper, bug repellent that actually prevents bloody bug bites, and drivers who mostly respect car lanes. Before reviewing how the new food identity worked out, I just want to say -- Peruvians just may be the worst drivers I've ever encountered.

Last spring I thought Italians were the all time worst drivers and road time there certainly activated my fear (a.k.a screaming) response. But Peru, especially Lima, is a nightmarish tangle of horns, rusty metal, and screeching tires. Part of the issue is that about 11 million people live in Lima and 10 million of them drive cars. I'm convinced that all 10 million cars are driven at exactly the same time and usually crammed into just one lane. Simply stated there are just too many cars on the road. And then there are the loose interpretations of rules of the road.  One guide pointed out that "the lines on the road are just decorations" which allows drivers to creatively turn three clearly marked lanes into six or more chaotic messes, with drivers pushing and bullying their way through the muddle. Eventually, I stopped counting the number of near misses, almost collisions, potential wheels-off-the-
road-and-down-the-cliff experiences. It seemed implied that no space, alley, mountainous dirt road is too small or too crowded to attempt to wedge one more shuttle bus or car or both on through. The primitive part of my brain surprised even me with its new arrangements of panic cries.

Of course, none of this has to do with food and travel. I'm just providing providing a little 
warm up on Peru.

On to food. Here's my overall assessment of Peru-- a vegan would probably starve in Peru, 
especially in the Andes.

 While Andeans eat lots of vegetables, especially potatoes and tough, chewy corn, they
also love to add cheese to food. And they eat guinea pig and cute, cuddly looking Alpacas which they turn into steak.

We traveled from the states to Lima and on to Cusco for a walking tour of the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and beyond. This trip was my test to see if I could travel and maintain a healthy gluten free, vegan diet that includes fish. 

How'd I do?

I'm happy to report that I did not completely fail, although I did not succeed 100% of the time, either. Prior to setting off, I thought eating in the land of quinoa, potatoes, and seafood would be a breeze. Now I know that I need to stop fantasizing about how I imagine something will go and become a little more realistic and strategic. Traveling in most countries with so many dietary restrictions will just be.....challenging.

For instance, Peruvians cook with butter so it took me a day or two to figure this out and to ask that my food be steamed or prepared in oil. Potatoes, which I ate frequently and are plentiful (4300 varieties of potatoes in Peru) could be roasted in oil rather than butter. This seemed like news to Peruvian chefs. Never did I imagine that innocent, healthy quinoa could turn against me. Sometimes it was prepared with wheat, sometimes with cheese, and at times with both or infrequently when I hit the jackpot, with neither, just vegetables.
While I was determined not to eat saturated fat-laden cheese, I did end up eating some grilled white meat chicken and felt, at those moments, that I was cheating on my pescatarian cardiologist. I had a couple of completely vegan days, mostly forced upon me because vegetables and rice were my only options when others were being served guinea pig, pizza, or jumbo sized burgers with bacon. You'd have thought we were in the states, except for the roasted guinea pig. Peruvian salmon trout and white fish, when prepared with oil were excellent options, when I could find them on the menu.

Guinea pigs. Usually home raised. I told them to make a break for it but they seemed content to chew grass and sniff one another. They are blissfully unaware of their fate.

I found myself frustrated with the tour company guides'  (VBT.com which on previous bike tours had done a stellar job) inattention to my food needs at group meals. At a highly touted picnic on the seventh day catered by Cusco's best restaurant dish after Peruvian dish were presented to the group, most all made with wheat and off limits to me. While group members stuffed themselves with Andean quiche, roasted Alpaca, quinoa patties, quinoa encrusted chicken and other specialties, I ate roasted potatoes, some kind of salad, guacamole, and sliced tomatoes and avocado. Not bad, but not what we paid for. Going forward, we'll think hard before booking a group tour.

Once again, Think Thin gluten free  protein bars saved me a few times. We flew overnight from Dallas Fort Worth to Lima. American Airlines provided meals for everyone on board but me. The customer service person graciously said I was "entitled to a flight but not a meal" and the airline held firm on that policy for they had nothing on the long flight safe to eat. Must say that LAN airlines did a much better job on the return flight.

What did I learn? Traveling with dietary restrictions is challenging and will always be that way. I need to accept that and work with it. But hey, just attending a party or going to someone's house presents eating challenges for me. The up side? I actually lost weight while traveling around the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu and returned home, after eating in Lima, at my usual weight. Not bad.

    Ceviche in Lima. Gluten free and surprisingly good.

   Could have been worse -- this woman is eating cow's head soup. Notice the teeth.

    Machu Picchu -- land of biting little bugs and great beauty.