Travel – John Collings

A Relaxing Long Weekend

Vacation is not always vacation. Sometimes it feels as if it is a little bit of a chore that you go off in order to gain more experiences in this thing called life. Because of this, you can run off to exotic locations around the world to try to see what there is to see there, and enjoy all the things that the place has to offer only to find out that when you return from it, you are more tired than when you left for vacation. It is not a bad thing because those memories are what we hold on to while we work our way through employment. But every once in a while, it is nice to go off to some place with no other plan than to sit by a pool, have a couple of drinks, and let those tight muscles unwind as you let go of the worries of the world you left behind.

Of course, Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to do exactly just this, especially if you live far enough away from the United States where you cannot enjoy the American traditions. I am lucky enough to work for an American company in Peru, so I still got the holiday off, and it makes it even better when the rest of the country does not. This allowed me to run off to a relaxing weekend without the holiday crowds that might be attracted there by those who also have the time off. I took off down south from Lima to a resort that was situated on the grounds of a winery, and enjoyed myself by sitting back and finding out what this out-of-the-way place had to offer.

This was to be a different kind of vacation, one where I did not go hunting for the great touristy thing to do; instead, I just looked at what the place around me had to offer and enjoyed that. There was no reason for me to leave the resort because there were a lot of fun things to do, and it was always accompanied by a glass of wine straight from the vineyard.

What fun and games that the place did not have available were accompanied by a couple boardgames that I brought with me, as well as the other games that the people I went out there with as well. If I am being honest, the weekend turned into me playing board games, and reading books by the pool. I know that does not sound very exciting, but as a teacher approaching the end of the semester, this was the type of vacation that I needed.

And if I ever felt like I was going to be bored, I could always take a stroll out in the fields. The weather was perfect for this, and at dusk, it was fun to wander through the vines, looking at the grapes, and trying to find what creatures were out there waiting for their chance to dine. I did find many birds flying about, but it was better at dusk because this was when the surprises would start to wander around.

We went out into the fields for the main purpose of finding owls that we could take pictures of. We had heard that they were out there, and it did not take us long to find a few of them. Getting a good picture of them was a little more difficult because when I got to close to them, they would screech at me and fly away. Still, I was not to be deterred, and I was able to finally get a picture that I am happy to share with you now.

There were a lot of other surprises that could be found on the grounds of the resort. Not just the views, but the old relics that they collected to add a little character to the place. There were the women placed on the front of ships to guide the sailors through their long ocean voyages, old carts that were used to carry the wine into town, and old clay pots that used to be buried under the ground used to let the wine ferment.

I was also fortunate enough to be able to make this trip with a great group of friends. It made this holiday weekend away from the United States feel like I had found a family that I could celebrate with. There was plenty of downtime, but there was also a person there ready to pick me up when I felt like having something to do. It made this little getaway resort feel like a bigger vacation than it actually was, and will be part of the reason that it will stick with me for years to come.

It is the reason that many people reserve the place for large gatherings. They create a destination event where a lot of friends can gather together to enjoy their time together. The place will organize the food, the wine, and the entertainment with you, and then after the event, all you have to do is stumble your way to your room and crash for the evening. There are also enough places on the ground where various parties can go on at the same time without having to disturb another one some place else.

It was a great way to spend the long weekend, and I look forward to finding other little places like this one in Peru where I can get away from the big city and recharge again. It will make my time out here even more enjoyable.

Intipalka Winery Tour

I had a long weekend, so I took a four-hour drive down the coast from Lima through the small town of Ica, and arrived at the grounds of Intipalka Winery where they have places to stay among their vineyards. They provide you with everything you need to enjoy yourself during your stay, but one of the things that they schedule you for is a tour of the winery where they produce not only fine reds, and whites, but also the drink of Peru, pisco. It is not required for you to go on this tour, but considering that it comes with a wine-tasting, a sunset viewing, and a stroll through the vines, it is worth considering.

Like most things in Peru, the tour was delivered in Spanish, and since I am still in the process of picking up the language, there were a lot of the details that went over my head during the tour. I did get that the pisco is the main drink that they produce on the grounds, and there are three different types of pisco. I also learned that pisco is a strong drink sitting at about 42 percent alcohol, though the sweet taste does not make it seem like you are drinking something that strong.

I also learned that the grounds of the vineyards extended much further than it looks like from inside the compound. All of the vines are regularly maintained and the water is supplied from the runoff from the Andes Mountains that loom over the grounds. The grapes do produce nice red and white wines which you can buy at cost in the restaurants, but I would stay away from the rose that they make. It was really sweet, even more so than the pisco, but the other wines are great, and would rival anything that you could find over the border in Chili. And of course, if you do not wish to have a bottle of wine to share, there are always pisco sours or chilcanos.

They do load up cars at the end of the tour and take everybody up to a lookout that looks over the expanse of land they use to create their wine, piscos, and brute champagne. It is here that they allow you to try the sparkling wine while watching the sun set over the fields. The day I went was a little hazy, but I know that this is not always the case. We had much better sunsets the first night we stayed here, and I am looking forward to seeing what the other nights have to offer. Still, it was a pretty location, and the wine added nicely to the atmosphere.

Out of the many things that the place has to offer, it is the one must do thing that you should do. It really highlights the beauty of the region and gives you the insight of what it means to run a winery. Even if your Spanish is not great, you can still get a lot out of the experience.

A Thanksgiving Weekend Getaway

I have been really grateful about the move we have made to Peru. I really have loved living in Lima, and the drastic change in cultural experiences. I have loved the food that I have been able to enjoy since I have moved here. I have loved the dog-friendly environment that has allowed my dog to transition into this new lifestyle. I have not loved the long schedules in-between breaks that have pushed me and my students to really struggle towards the end of the long stretches. I have not loved the few opportunities to go out and see more of the country. So when I have an opportunity to get out there and see more of it, I have taken that chance.

It has only been my second trip out of Lima out of the five months I have lived here, and this time, it was only for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. No, Peru does not celebrate this very American holiday, but when you work at an American school, they observe this holiday. The nice thing about this is that many of the places out there do not have that many guests staying at it because it is right before the big tourist season, and most of the people who live in the country have to work on Thursday and Friday. This means that we get to have a relatively quiet getaway in what would be an otherwise crowded location of Peru.

We hired a driver to take us south of Lima to the city of Ica where the desert of the country meets the more fertile land of the Andes mountains. It is the perfect climate to grow grapes, so it is here where the wine country of Peru resides, and there is a winery where you can rent a room on their grounds. They do have a big hotel with many things to do to keep me occupied during this long weekend, but the main thing I am going to do is relax and enjoy the holiday.

It will not be like a traditional Thanksgiving that I would find back in the States, but I think it will do. As of right now, there are not many plans of leaving the grounds until I have to head back to Lima on Sunday, but I will still explore all the little nooks and crannies of this location to get you a lowdown on what this place as to offer while I am here. Please join me in the next couple of days while I explain what this little paradise on the foot of the Andes has to offer.

The Hot Springs

The water of the river rushes by,
And I sip off a frosty pisco sour,
Hearing the day telling me to comply
By not paying attention to the hour.
It is easy to do because I sit
In the warming comfort of the hot spring,
Taking away the way my muscles knit
Themselves into a tight stressful feeling.
But here I am safe within this valley,
Isolated from the problems outside,
A place where I am able to just be
And where I wish I could always reside.
I will place that idea behind me,
And just enjoy the moment to be free.

Our Time in the Old City

There is no reason for us to quicken
Up the pace of the day we are living
For there is nothing that can be taken
When the moment is all about giving.
We’ve found ourselves in the heart of old town
With windy paths waiting to be explored.
If the choice is bad, we can go back down
To find one our memories will adore.
There are rest’rants with food to be eaten,
And mementoes chirping from the store fronts.
Though the many streets have been well beaten,
It feels like we’re the only one who hunts.
This day and this city belongs to us,
And where it takes us, I will put my trust.

High in the Andes: My First Outing in Peru

I moved to Lima three months ago, and I have been able to enjoy it quite a bit, but it was time for me to get away from the gloomy skies of the city and see what the mountains just outside of town had to offer. It was Spring Break, so I packed my bags and headed to the second biggest city in Peru, Arequipa. It was not only quite the change in landscape, but also a change in attitude as well. Both places are big tourist destinations, but for different reasons, and it was fun being a tourist in the Andes Mountains rather than living a day to day existence off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It made me excited for all I was going to see as I learned to live and explore this part of the world.

First of all, Peru is the story of the clash of two long-standing cultures, the Spanish colonialists that sailed over the sea in search of new lands and riches, and the Inca culture at the height of its power as it spread its influence over much of the western part of South America, specifically in the mountainous regions of the Andes. Despite the fact that these conflicts happened centuries ago, the influences of both cultures are present all over this part of Peru.

The ruins of the old civilizations can be found in the mountains still well preserved though nobody has lived in them for a long time. It takes a bit of a hike to get to them, but once there they are worth the visit. You can see the old roads that used to take people from one place to another combined by the stone construction of their homes, walls, and aqueducts. Some of the sights even predate the Inca culture, such as this abandoned town near Yanque which was once the Oyu Oyu village before conquistadors from Toledo came and removed the people to move them over to the now present town of Yanque.

If the small towns and ruins of the Andes are not enough, there are always the bigs city lights of Arequipa that is just over the ridge of the Andes Mountains. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru, and has about 1 million citizens living there. Though it is a ways off the Pacific coast, it was one of the first place that the Spanish settled when they first arrive, and there influence is all over the older part of the city. You can see it in the plaza in the middle of the city to the large cathedral that looms over that square. The cobblestone streets do allow traffic to drive through them, but at the same time it feels completely walkable as you look at various alpaca shops, restaurants, and souvenir places selling cheese ice-cream. It is not just the language of Peru that was influenced by the Spanish, but there whole towns as well.

Still, it is a blending of both the original culture and the Spanish colonialism that gives Peru its charm. The dresses and dances might remind you of flamenco dancing in Seville, but upon closer inspection the dresses have intricate designs that take from the fauna and boldness of the mountain setting that inspired them. The dance comes with a determination and confidence that could only be found among a group of people who conquered these vast wilderness, and do not necessarily have the grace associated with the dances from Spain. It is its own unique thing, and it is wonderful to watch wherever it might spring up.

The blending of cultures to make a new and unique thing is the basis of much of Peruvian culture, especially their food. I am surprised about the amount of people that know so little about Peruvian food, and in many places in the world, it is almost impossible to find at all. Despite its absence on the world stage, it is one of the best cuisines I have ever experienced. From ceviche to lomo saltado, all of the dish are a culinary delight, and if you are in the mood to try something from one of your favorites, they will put their own spin on it to create something even better than the original. I went to a Thai-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Arequipa called Kao that was a traditional Peru dish, tacu-tacu, with Thai flavors that blended so well together I will never forget the dish.

Peru is the land of numerous surprises and I have only started to explore it. I have been in the big city on the coast and a small section of its mountains. I still have to explore its jungles and river area, and I am sure there are other surprises I am not even aware of yet. Still, I got to roam the majestic mountains of Peru and have been higher above sea level than I have ever been in my life. I have enjoyed the hot springs brought on by the rising steam of active volcanoes. I have gotten to see the graceful flight of the condor, the second largest bird in the world.

I have enjoyed my small exploration of this country so far, and I cannot wait to see what else it, and the rest of this region of the world has to offer. I hope you join me in my journey, and hopefully, I can inspire you enough to make it down here yourself. You will be fascinated with what it has to offer.

Until next time, keep exploring the world and see how we all come together to create something new.

Colca Lodge – Yanque, Peru

When you live in a valley in the mountains of the Andes, there are going to be times when you come across some volcanic activity. When you come across volcanic activity, there are going to be springs that are naturally warmed by the volcanic activity. When you have these hot springs, hotels are going to pop up that will take advantage of this fact to make hot water pools that allow you to soak in them while enjoying the natural surroundings of the environment. This was the place that I ended up at during my recent travels through Peru, and it was not only an immaculate setting, but a great experience as well.

The Colca Lodge sits a twenty-minute drive outside the small town of Yanque in the Colca Canyon region, and its main attraction are the natural hot springs that are found there. But there is so much more to this lodge than just the nice warm pools that are in the area where you can relax after a long day of exploring the high Andes mountains. There is a spa, a nice big pit for late-night campfires, and of course, what every high Andes complex needs, an alpaca farm.

Don’t worry, they have llamas too. Basically, you are given free reign to walk around the grounds and check out these animals as they run, play, and graze. It is also connected to a small museum that talks about the history of these animals in the region as well as the other major draw out to Colca Canyon, the condor. It is a nice way to spend an hour or two, and the animals are completely friendly, even though I never got close enough to one to pet it.

There is really only one place to eat at the Colca Lodge, but they do have enough variety that you will never get bored with the food. The kitchen staff is also well-versed in bringing together many dishes, mainly from Peru, but you can also find some great dishes from Italy, Mexico, and bar fare. They also have a full bar with a great selection of wine, and beer from the region.

Each room has an outdoor entrance that has a small patio that is perfect for sitting out on most of the time. There was a moment when things got a little too hot in the morning, but then the shade took over and it was nice to sit out there and enjoy the scenery. It was the perfect place to sit back to read a book or play a card game, and made the lodge a very comfortable place to stay at.

There are many exciting things to do and see in the area as well. There are some hikes close by that can take you to waterfalls, up ancient terraces where people still farm today, and even the Oyu Oyu ruins. If that is not your cup of tea, a longer drive will take you out to Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world and the sight where many condors can be spotted hunting for carrion. It makes this spot the perfect location for a break from the day to day monotony. I enjoyed a three night stay there and am already thinking about when I could go back and enjoy it again.

Until next time, try to find those special places in your part of the world that allow for relaxation and little bit of culture at the same time.

The Things We See: Wanderings in Peru

In my move to Peru, I did not expect to see the same kind of things I have seen while traveling around the world. I knew that there would be many new and exciting things that I would get to experience while roaming around the sixth continent I have been to, and it was during this Spring Break that I really got to go out and see them. Of course, the first thing I had to put on the list was an alpaca, either that or a llama. I wouldn’t really be in Peru if I had never come across one of these.

And of course, I came along a lot of them. This is nothing unusual for me because there were many a farm in both Oregon and Colorado where I got to see them running around, but the amount of them is greatly increased in Peru. There are many different kinds of them as well from domesticated ones to ones out in the wild roaming free.

No matter which ones I came across, they were pretty tame, and the domesticated ones will even allow you to come up to them and pet them. There is always the chance that you will anger one of them and they will spit at you, but then again, you can say that about any other domesticated animal.

The biggest difference is the landscape that comes with animals. It is high dessert, and once again, both Oregon and Colorado boast that they are also the same kind of environment. However, there is a lot more sand in the high desert locations of Peru, and it is feels a little more desolate. This might be because the Andes are much higher than anything that can be found in North America. I went on a long road trip from Arequipa to Colca Canyon, and the highest point I reached was well over 16,000 feet and there were still mountains and volcanoes around us that reached even higher. I had to keep an active eye on some of the volcanoes because there were times when smoke would billow out of the top of them because they are still active though none are threatening to explode anytime soon.

All of this comes in a land steeped in history and tradition. In the mountains, I could imagine the people traveling across the vast plains to get from one location to another while carrying all of their good on llamas or alpacas. They would arrive in places in time for the market, and to join in the celebrations that take place annually. These celebrations still take place today. I stumbled upon one of these in my travels as I could to see a whole parade of people preparing to show off the local traditional dance, and it wasn’t just the older generation that did this. There were dancers from the age of five all the way up to the mid-fifties, and each one of them impressed me with their ability to dance.

This is not to say that new traditions are not being formed as well. Peru has built a craft beer scene that could rival any other country. It is seen wherever you travel to as there are a variety of beers and ciders to experience. They are also very proud of the beers that they have crafted as they should because they are great. It is a great way to enjoy an evening after one has wandered around to see all the crazy things that this country has to offer.

It just means that each night I get to crawl into bed to dream about what new and exciting things I will get to see tomorrow. It has been fun moving to this part of the world, and I cannot wait to see what else it has to offer. I have only scratched the surface so far, so I hope you join me over the next couple of years as I explore it further.

Thanks for reading, and until next time, get out there and see what your part of the world has to offer.

Santa Catalina Monastery – Arequipa, Peru

Sitting on a whole city block in the middle of the old part of the city of Arequipa sits the winding streets and bright walls of one of the oldest European claims in South America, the Santa Catalina Monastery. This is a must-see sight if ever visiting Arequipa, and when you do, plan to take a couple hours to explore all that it has to offer. I would also recommend that you make it one of the first things you do in the morning to avoid the heat of the day and the large crowds that eventually make their way to this place. It is nice to be one of the first people of the day to walk through the location because it will make you feel as if you have the place to yourself.

The monastery is a nunnery that is still in use today even though it no longer boasts the number of nuns that it held during colonial times, and it is a rare sight to see the nuns who live in the corner of this historic sight. At its height, there were about 500 people living on the grounds. Some of the women that lived here were given their own rooms if they came from a wealthy enough family to pay for this luxury; whereas, many of the other women found themselves to be a part of the big dormitory that sits in the middle of the monastery. Even with all of these people in this place, it would still feel rather large and it has easily enough space to accommodate all of them.

Not every woman that ended up in the monastery ended up becoming a nun. Many of them arrived when they were as young as twelve years old, and they were brought here to learn from the nuns, and prepare for a life outside of the monastery. They would live beside the nuns, and learn from them. As I was walking around the grounds, I found hints of this lifestyle in many of the corners, and the place itself reminded me of a large campus where I could imagine students, and nuns alike moving from place to place as they completed what needed to be done.

One of the most interesting spots on the grounds is the place where they did laundry. It was based upon an irrigation design that was brought over from Africa. Water would constantly flow down this little groove in a wall, and when someone wanted to divert it into the basin that they were using, they would place a rock in the path of the flow to have it go through the pipe that would lead to their basin. These basins were made out of old wine pots that were used to ferment the beverage. They could no longer be used for wine, but they made the perfect sink for washing clothes.

There are also magnificent gardens on the grounds that they could tend to so there could be some beauty added to the place. This is even more impressive due to the fact that the monastery sits in the middle of a high desert where a patch of green is hard to come by. Still, the nuns were able to create this zen paradise in the middle of this kind of environment.

If that was not the place where they wanted to spend their time, there was also the fountain which could be found in the middle of everything. I was told that it was the place where they would go to get their water, but I did not think that the green water that was found in the fountain while I was there would be worth drinking. Despite that, if you look closely enough into the water, you can find small koi fish swimming around in it. They are not as large as some of the koi ponds I have come across in my travels in Asia, but it was a nice addition to this little spot on the grounds.

Santa Catalina Monastery is a great place to visit, nestled in the heart of the old part of the city. It is easy to spend a morning there after breakfast, and you will have explored it thoroughly enough just in time for a great lunch in the neighborhood. It is worth walking through with a tour guide and they are only ten soles, or two and a-half dollars per person for an hour guided tour. They do have both English, and Spanish guided tours, and I think that I even heard French while I was being guided around. They have the ability to point out the nuances that would be missed if you went by yourself.

Otherwise, until next time, keep getting out there and see what the world has to offer.

A Walk Around Arequipa, Peru

It has been a strange year. I have not done as much traveling as I have in the past, and when I had time off from my work, I would spend that time coming home to be their with my family during some rough times. I have had the opportunity to take short weekend trips but it has almost been a year since I have gone on a vacation that lasted for a week, but life has a way of shifting perspective, and I have been given the opportunity to go explore a different part of the world, Latin America, as I have made the move to Lima, Peru. As my first trip in this part of the world, I took a quick flight into the Andes to the second biggest city of Peru, Arequipa.

Arequipa is a colonial city that has been around since the sixteenth century. The old part of the city has some of the oldest buildings in the Americas, and it has the feeling of walking around the heart of a Spanish city. There are many impressive sights to go and see, but for my first day in the city, I decided it would be best to just wander around the older part of the city and see what it had to offer. It was fun looking at the facade of these buildings, and peeking my head into the various places where I could eventually learn more about what this city had to offer.

Of course, Arequipa being in Peru, one of the things that it boasts is the food that this country is known for. There are so many fusion restaurants to choose from and it is hard to pick just one. I found a udon place called Yama Wok for lunch that was the perfect start to what will be a bounty of great eating. It was a tiny place with only five seats available but the noodles were made fresh and they cooked the meal right in front of you. It wasn’t only a fun experience, but it was also delicious.

It gave me the energy I needed to explore more of the old city. No matter where I went, I kept roaming back to the center of the city where a beautiful plaza is. The garden in the center of this square is an inviting place where you can find a shady spot underneath a tree to enjoy some cheese ice-cream, play a card game, or just relax with a good book. It is where most of the people come to meet up with each other, and I have also witnessed moments where it explodes with life as parades walk through or people who have gotten married or received the first communion get the perfect picture to capture the moment.

And of course there are many a roof top bar where you can look out over the city and watch the sunset. They serve the great drinks that you come to expect from Peru such as good wine, or pisco sours, but they also have a surprising beer culture that they can boast about. We went to our favorite brew-pub, Sierra Andina which has great IPAs, stouts, and a really good porter.

Even though the day was not filled by learning about the culture from this part of the world, it was still a fun day of traveling again. It was the perfect way to ease into a great traveling experience, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of this week has to offer for me.

Until next time, enjoy getting out there and experiencing the world.