For our last night in Peru we ditched the hostel and spent the rest of our funds on a nice hotel. We stayed in and ate sushi for dinner at the hotel bar, hit the pool, and enjoyed the luxuries-like being able to brush our teeth with tap water.

The hotel included a gourmet buffet breakfast where we really indulged, even letting Little Monkey enjoy hot chocolate for the first time. We were giving a late check out, which was 3pm. We took an uber to the beach and checked that off our Peru bucket list. Because of our late check out we had plenty of time to clean up. We were able to leave our luggage at the hotel even though we checked out. We used the rest of the afternoon to have a late lunch, cebiche of course. Around 6pm we ubered it back to the hotel, picked up our luggage and arranged for transportation to the dance and dinner show.

Because we were on a redeye flight out of Lima, requiring us to be at the airport at 11pm, we didn’t want to pay for another night in a hotel or hostel. But, we also didn’t want to be on the streets or sitting at the airport for hours upon hours. La Dama Juana , a dance and dinner program in Lima, was a great way for us to spend the time. They checked our luggage for us in the coatroom. A pisco sour is included and it is buffet style dinner. The food was mediocre and the dancing was great. Little Monkey absolutely loooooved the performance. It was so nice that he was so completely entertained. It is difficult, sometimes, to keep a toddler entertained during mealtime. This was a win-win. The dancing was historical Peruvian dances and as a dancer I enjoyed being exposed to the different styles. We had a slip up with the service, but all in all it was a nice experience and satisfied the need of passing time.

We headed straight to the airport from La Dama Juana, and by then we were more than ready to begin the trek back home.

I am so proud of our family. I am proud that we took the time and spent the money to have a true family vacation. Two weeks of the three of us brought us closer together. While we can’t spend life in vacation mode, it is something we can look back on and also look forward to. We now know that vacations like this are so important to our ultimate goal of keeping our family a bonded unit. I’m also proud that we took our toddler to South America. Many think we are crazy for doing this, and we are, but it was worth every struggle. I firmly believe that having him with us made our experience better. I look forward to showing him more of the world; and while he won’t have formed memories from this vacation, I hope that it will help shape his character as a citizen of the world. I believe that when we travel we are constant representatives of our culture and I hope that Little Monkey’s joy and our love as a family made us positive ambassadors for the United States.

We hope to make it back to Peru someday. We feel though that our experience in Lima and Cusco was satisfying and that there is much more to Peru we would like to experience. Our next trip will take us north to the beaches, jungle, and perhaps over to Lake Titicaca. Thank you Peru, for such beautiful memories. Until we meet again.

Ciao,

Kato, JZ and Little Monkey <3

Saturday night was horrible. I was really sick, but so was Little Monkey. He developed a horrible cough and was vomiting. JZ stayed up all night checking on him. By morning he had a cough that sounded like croup (except at the time, we didn’t know it sounded like croup and were just horrified by the sound!). I had never heard a more horrible sound in all my life.

Sunday morning, Jake went and got breakfast for us and brought it back to the room while I stayed with the babe. The plan was for the family to attend mass together but I went alone so that JZ and Little Monkey could rest. I stood in the back of the cathedral during mass. After mass I visited the different stations and prayed, in a very real way, for the health and life of my child. I had never been so scared before. I know for certain that the unfamiliarity of a foreign country had a lot to do with that. We ended up walking to a 24-hour travel clinic, only to discover that they actually do home visits. I’m actually glad we ended up at the clinic though because the doctor was very worried and needed certain equipment he wouldn’t have had on hand. When a doctor that doesn’t speak your language very well, and you don’t speak his, has fear in his eyes after examining your child, shit gets real. He gave our little one a steroid injection to help him breath, and oxygen. Also, letting a foreign doctor give your baby any medications is fucking terrifying. Excuse the profanities, but that is how it felt! We had to make a decision and fast, and ultimately we decided to trust the doctor. The doctor was adamant that we needed a pediatrician immediately or to go to the hospital. He was so kind and was able to find a pediatrician willing to come to the clinic on a Sunday evening and examine our sick baby. Eventually, the conclusion was that Little Monkey had an ear infection that spread and was causing his cough. The good news was that it was not a respiratory issue. We were told to cancel our plans to Puno and stay in Cusco until the doctor cleared him for travel back to Lima.  We were given several medications and scheduled a follow up for Tuesday evening. The pediatrician predicted that if he had in fact diagnosed correctly, the medication should work almost immediately. If anything got worse we were to call the doctor and they would both meet up with us again or meet us at the hospital.

Canceling our plans to Puno wasn’t difficult. We were originally going to take a night bus Monday night into Puno, so no need to cancel any flights or trains going that way. We lost a deposit on our hostel but that was $10 or less. The hassle was changing our flight to Lima. Instead of taking a flight from Puno to Lima, with a layover in Cusco, we needed to just take a flight from Cusco. Sounds easy enough, but it was absolutely horrific. I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty details, but if you can possibly ever avoid flying LAN airlines you should run away in the other direction as fast as possible. Every single detail about their customer service during this stressful incident was nightmarish. Enough…

The good news is that he did improve within 24 hours, as the pediatrician had predicted. We kept him wrapped up warm and nursed him back to health, but still experienced, explored and enjoyed our time in Cusco. Instead of a few nights in Cusco we stayed there a week. By the time we checked out of the hostel Little Monkey had pretty much been adopted into the family!

Mural on Av El Sol.
During the walk “home” from the doctor visit.

Leaving Aguest Calientes, the adventure began to take a turn for the worse. I wasn’t able to get a call through to our hostel and was hoping that they would receive my email regarding our transportation. I had requested pick up from the train station, but with the strike we wouldn’t be getting in until at least midnight. I wasn’t sure if they got it, and what we would do if we didn’t have someone waiting for us. Also, Litlte Monkey had come down with a fever and a stuffy nose.

It was about 2am when we finally arrived at the station, nobody waiting for us. We arranged a taxi for 40 soles, which was actually less than the pre-arranged price of 60. We got to our hostel late, having to knock on the door and wake the night manager. He said “we sent someone for you, they waited until 10:30pm”. Guess they didn’t get the message.

Our room was really nice. It had a little sitting room, mini fridge, a big bed, a crib, a small balcony and a shower with consistent hot water. Orquidea Real Hostal. It is in a prime location, about two blocks from the town square/cathedral, on the edge of the artsy San Blas and walking distance to Av El Sol. A nice, warm breakfast is included every morning until 9am. It is quiet; not a party hostel. We saw a lot of families and were some of the youngest guests there. The family that takes care of the place is very nice and helpful, but they don’t speak English very well. The night manager actually speaks the best English, but you don’t see him much.

Saturday we were lazy. Little Monkey seemed to have come down with a cold and we were all exhausted from traveling. We cuddled in bed and relaxed the day away. Watching cartoons and How I Met Your Mother in Spanish or with Spanish subtitles is a great way to improve your foreign language skills and to entertain a sicky baby. Saturday night we ventured out for fresh air and dinner. We found a comfortable restaurant (Los Tomines) with great service and hot soup.  Our server treated us to house made Cocoa Pisco shots. This gave us a bit of energy to explore. After dinner, we followed the sound of fire works and found our to way to Plaza de Armas, at the cathedral, where towers of fireworks were being set off. It seemed as though Little Monkey wasn’t the only one not feeling well, as I also had felt sick all day and still did; so we decided to call the night short and keeping Little Monkey bundled up tight, we walked back to our room. Inadvertently, we found ourselves at the famous, historical, Inkan wall. We snapped a selfie and enjoyed the scene as we strolled. To our enjoyment and surprise, once settled and cozy back inside, we could still enjoy the fireworks show from our balcony!

I remember later speaking with our friend Mr. Lima and he says to me “Cusco has some magic about it doesn’t it?”. Yes it does, indeed.

The magic of Cusco, from our balcony!

Stepping back in time, cobblestone streets of Ollantaytambo.

Discovering upon arrival in Cusco that our baby carrier had been broken during transit was a stressful way to begin our next chapter in Peru. After a couple hours of frustrating dialogue, we finally got a satisfactory resolution to the problem. The airline (LCPeru) was very helpful and responsive to the problem. They gave us cash money and also transported us directly to our hostel in Ollantaytambo (about two hours away from Cusco). Arriving in Ollantaytambo, we knew immediately that we had just entered a special place.

Wandering cobblestone streets and hiking Incan ruins, we soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed the feeling of stepping back in time. If going to Macchu Picchu I highly recommend staying at least a couple nights here and experiencing the old world.

Our hostel, Casa de Wow, was up the cobblestone streets and away from the hustle and bustle of the Macchu Picchu transits. We scored the matrimony room and were much more comfortable here then in our Lima hostel. This time we actually had hot water and eggs for breakfast. It was a great hostel for families or those looking for some quiet away from the party scene. Ollantaytambo is so small though, the excitement is just a five minute walk away.

We did a lot of shopping here for souvenirs. Beware of the art gallery though; she scammed me. Shame on me for being so gullible. If I had spent time in Cusco first, I would have known that what she claimed to be original pieces were actually just run of the mill prints that many will try to hawk to you in the Cusco town square. Oh well. We had a good time chatting with her (as she lied to us), and we have artwork that reminds us of Peru and a funny story to laugh about when we are old (or anytime we look at the print!).

We did the “Pinkuylluna” trail and I recommend it to anyone on a tight budget looking for some amazing ruins to explore. Unlike most of the Ollantaytambo ruins, these are free. It’s not what I expected as a trailhead, and we nearly missed it because of that. See picture of trailhead sign below.

Pinkuylluna trailhead

The hike is about two hours total, but steep. If you have walking sticks with you, now is the time to use them. My husband found it using this app: Triposo Peru. Recommend that app too. We used it for general guidance here and there as an alternative to my lonely planet book.

View of Ollantaytambo from Pinkuylluna hike.

Eating in Ollantaytambo is awesome. Lonely Planet made it seem like (to us at least) there were limited places to eat here. Not the case. The food is amazing and options plentiful. Our first night we went basic with a pizza special. We were not impressed with the service there; I think they forgot about us. I know things are slower in Peru, but this was reeeeaaaallllly slow. We didn’t go back there. (If I could remember the name of the place I would warn you against it, but I can’t. It’s on the corner of the main square on the left hand side as you look down the hill towards the transit area.) We loved a little café where we ate an alpaca lunch after our hike. Alpaca is delicious. We also loved everything about another cafe run by a very nice Peruvian who spoke wonderful English. Again, I can’t remember the name of the place, but it was in the south corner of the plaza. They had scrumptious sandwiches and served Peruvian beer on tap. TIP: get the beer! We were excited to see beer on tap but were not in the mood for a beer at that moment so we didn’t order it. We assumed we could get some another time. Not the case. They only serve that beer in the sacred valley. That was the only time we ever Peruvian Beer on tap, and we never got to try it. So if you find it, have a round for us! Our favorite place was a lonely planet recommendation: Puka Rumi. We ordered the burrito as recommended and just continued to eat there as often as possible. We also followed Lonely Planet’s advice and ate some ice cream from Tutti Amore while we waited for the train, and ordered box lunches to go for our Machu Picchu trip from Hearts Café. The boxed lunches from Hearts Café were delicious and a great value; tons of food. Not really necessary though because we didn’t realize that when the train company says the ticket includes a snack they actually mean a meal plus a couple snacks. Peruvians do like to feed you! If you’re seeking good coffee though the café con leche at Hearts Café was the best coffee we had in Peru.

Our original itinerary was two nights in Ollantaytambo, but Perurail went on strike and we ended up staying a third night. The third night we grabbed the first hostel with a room available, close to the train station. The sign read “Hostel”, the price was right, and we were thankful that with so many stranded travelers we were able to snag a private room. It didn’t include breakfast or anything, but that didn’t matter since our box lunch was pretty much breakfast too. While the strike situation was annoying and frustrating, another night in Ollantaytambo was a good consolation. If I could go back to any of the places we visited in Peru, I would go back there. I’m in love with this little town.

Ciao,

Kato

“On the road again

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway

We’re the best of friends

Insisting that the world be runnin’ our way…

On the Road again

Just can’t wait to get on the road again”

Holdings hands and listening to our song, we began the last leg of our road trip. From So-Cal to Nor-Cal, circling back towards where we began.

Saturday we have a wedding in San Francisco. After that we are spending some time at my family’s house to prepare for South America. We will visit with my friends and family and stay put in my hometown for a while so we can sort out what is next for us.

People keep asking us “what’s it like, being nomads”. It is difficult. But, life tends to be difficult with a toddler and a zoo crew no matter where we are. Difficult does not mean bad. Will we do another Road Trip like this? I wouldn’t put money on it; though I will never say, “never”. One thing I will say for sure, if I had to go back in time and decide all over again if we were going to do this, I would still say “yes, lets go!” It was one of those experiences in life that we won’t regret reliving in our old age.

Stay tuned for more beautiful adventures of the Zoo Crew. Up next, Peru, South America.

Happy Traveling,

Kato

We’re going back, back, to Cali, Cali…

From New Mexico, to Arizona, onto Long Beach, California, we drove for 12 ½ hours. Driving into Phoenix, Arizona there is this section of cacti that looks like something out of a cartoon. We pulled over here to let everyone stretch their legs and to check out the amazing cacti. There were several different kinds, and some of them were gigantic! JZ and I agreed that taking the little breaks of this nature, the ones where you go “pull over, I want to get a better look!” are what makes the road trip a road trip. Yes, we are excited for each stop, but it is also about the space in between, the journey. Those moments where you say “I’ve seen things I’ve never seen before”, are the moments to hold onto during all the instability of living this nomadic life.

A late night dinner at In N’ Out seemed fitting before we quickly settled into our airbnb for the night.

Sunday was another big day: Disneyland! We took Little Monkey to Disneyland for the first time and we did it up big! We rallied in the morning and took him to the character breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen, which I highly recommend. It is pricey, but it’s a sure way to get up close and personal with the characters. Little Monkey didn’t like them to get too close, but the characters were great about warming up to him. It also made him more excited for the rest of the day. Every time he saw Goofy walking around or in the parade he would squeal and point. And it seems like he’s got a soft spot for Minnie Mouse. Just like the zoo, we went marathon style at Disneyland; but this time we took a nap/dinner break for a few hours in the late afternoon. This was nice because we were able to check on the dogs, rest, and order pizza to our Long Beach house. We considered not going back but we are so glad that we did. Little Monkey really loved the light parade, and the firework show is extra spectacular this year because of the 60^th diamond anniversary celebration.

In addition to Disneyland, there was a lot to do in Southern California for us. You see Long Beach is my old stomping ground. I graduated from CSULB many moons ago. So like JZ in Seattle, I had many friends to see and many of them have little monkeys of their own now too. We got some great visits in with wonderful friends and it was great to introduce Little Monkey to those that hadn’t met him yet. Our activities included a day in Santa Monica, exploring the Santa Monica Pier and hanging with friends. We even ventured up to Pasadena to spend time with friends who treated us to “The Rise of the Jack-o-lanterns”, a sculpture exhibit made up entirely of jack-o-lanterns. JZ made sure to take a lunch break swim in the ocean with us, and of course we had to take the dogs to their favorite dog beach in Huntington Beach.

Visits to Southern California never seem long enough. I always feel like I could easily move back there. Someday, maybe. For now, it’s time to say goodbye and hit the road as our adventure begins to end.

On the Road Again,

Kato

In a little over nine hours we made the drive from Colorado Springs to New Mexico. An impromptu diaper change had us pulling over and for a short while we were on the famous Route 66! This was a highlight for me (last season I choreographed and coached an award winning routine to this song!). JZ’s Dad and Step Mom, lovingly known as Granny & Gramps, live on an 80 plus acre homestead out there. This place is heaven. No other home can be seen from their house. No other light can be seen from their house. I’ve been there three times now, and still, it blows me away. I have never been to any other house where I can’t see another house, or light. or road from it. This is truly our Little House on the Prairie. JZ did have to work every day but we had family meals together every day and got to enjoy beautiful skies every night. The Total Lunar Eclipse happened the night we arrived and so the moon was extra bright during our stay. There is no light pollution out there and so the moon and stars are just breathtaking. The entire visit was relaxing.

Little Monkey managed to keep me busy though. One afternoon we explored the grounds and climbed about a tractor. The next afternoon I hosed down an area for mud pies and that took up the better part of the afternoon. (I kept thinking that my Grandmother M was smiling down on us while we played in the mud. Having grown up on a farm in Kansas, getting down and dirty and having fun seemed like something she would have approved of). One afternoon during lunch break, JZ put Little Monkey on his back and we hiked up the mesa with the Vizslas. Even from atop the mesa, we couldn’t see another house. Incredible. Gramps fed the horses and that provided an entire morning of entertainment for Little Monkey. Every evening JZ and I took Little Monkey out to the see the horses; and sure enough he was saying, “horse” and pointing to them constantly, after just a couple days out there. Lucky little guy even got to get on one!

Again, the time with family was the best part. Seeing my son with relatives and seeing them love him makes my heart swell. And after a short week in New Mexico, we saddled up the Subaru and drove off into the sunset.

On the Road Again,

Kato

JZ had to fly out to San Francisco for work. He flew out Sunday and I packed up the rest of the Zoo into our trusty Subaru and headed south to Colorado Springs. The idea was to stay with my family while he was out of town, for moral support and all that jazz.

It was fantastic! Aunt M and Uncle T showed me the sights and spoiled us rotten. They took us to the Golden Bee for a half-yard of beer, and drove us up to Victor to see the changing of the leaves. I have never seen so many aspens before, and especially not full of so much color. It was truly beautiful. Little Monkey and I also got to see our cousins a lot. I made more super food for V2 and this time made a diet version for V1, which I’ve decided is too chunky for a Vizsla. Dogs aren’t really allowed off leash in many places in Colorado, so finding ways to run them was challenging. I finally found the best dog park that I’ve ever been to- Bear Creek Dog Park. If you have dogs and are in the Colorado Springs area, take them there! This made life a bit easier because once I knew where to go it became part of my daily routine.

When JZ was finished with his San Francisco business, he flew back out to Colorado and met up with us in Colorado Springs. To give us an idea of what if would be like if we moved to Colorado Springs, Uncle T drove us around to some neighborhoods, focusing on where my cousins live out in the country. We are very interested in someday living on a nice piece of property and so it was very nice to get a good idea of what our options would be if we settled in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs was jam packed with activities. Aunt M and Uncle T watched Little Monkey one night and when Jake got off work the two of us biked around Garden of the Gods. JZ went back and hiked there with the dogs on his lunch break the next day. Our family date day at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was our favorite family activity during this road trip so far. The zoo is incredible and Little Monkey had the best day of his life, I think! We did the marathon version of the zoo and saw every animal. Feeding the giraffes and seeing the grizzly bears were our top picks. Interestingly, the zoo held it’s grand opening for the tapir exhibit that day. Tapirs are unique looking creatures from…South America! We were pretty excited. There was tons of family time with all the cousins. Visiting with Aunt M and Uncle T, seeing Little Monkey interact with his cousins, and getting to catch up with mine, has hands down been my favorite experience of this road trip so far.

Although it’s lacking in the water/boating category, we do love Colorado Springs and it stays on our list of possible places to settle down someday.

On the Road Again,

Kato