When the final scallop has been eaten And I’ve mopped up the spicy sauce with bread; When the volcano top has been beaten, Just so I could disprove what you had said; After the kayak has been put to shore From skimming out to a calving glacier; After we have visited the gift store We are forced to see on a museum tour; When the mementoes are in the cases That we have purchased without much thinking; When we have gotten rid of all traces In hotels where our butts had been sinking; With the memories of this holiday, We can return to our regular fray.
After all the time we spent together Traveling the vast globe from pole to pole, After a month of seeing all weather From the icy winds to the blazing sol, After we have put the parents to bed Reversing the roles we now have to share, After the good nights which we both have said Accompanied by a kiss of our care, After we have unpacked the suitcases Finding spots in our house for new trinkets, After we have bathed and washed out faces And got into bed under thick blankets, We can put away our long vacation Returning to our normal rotation.
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.
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.
Should I regret the last meal I have here Because it marks the end of vacation. I will have to pack away all the cheer, And the enjoyment of relaxation, But I get to have a final moment Where I can raise up my golden chalice, Toasting to this meal in this restaurant Off from Responsibility’s malice. I will push away thoughts of tomorrow For there is nothing I can do about it; Instead, I will uncrease my furrowed brow, And empty the pain from my stomach’s pit. For I still have this short amount of time, And my goal will be to make it sublime.
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.
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.
Life is busy on top of the mountain As we take care of work and family. I can not take in the sights I have seen Because my duties do not make me free. But I will travel down that windy road That will remove me from my place up high, Then I can discard this burdensome load That me to this rocky top, it does tie. I will make my way down below the sea Where the sun peeks out underneath the clouds. There I’ll find a different way to be That releases me from the hectic crowds. It’s a day of restful relaxation When we take the Labor Day vacation.
It is about the sand under your feet As the in coming waves wash it away. It is about the ultimate retreat You wish to find on a vacation stay. It is about time I spent with my love Without having to worry about work. It is about no new rules from above Coming from an administrative jerk. It is about time off that I deserve Because the amount of your workload. It is about the resting of the nerve Due to the fact of the stress that is sowed. It is about a moment within reach Where we can spend the day walking the beach.
As the sun set over the distant hills in Egypt, and I sat on the beach in Aqaba watching it go down, I thought about the close on another vacation. It was not one of my typical vacations where I would go out and try to see as much as I possibly could. Instead, I spent a lot of my time sitting next to a pool, and reading a book. Are there things to do in Aqaba, and could I have gotten out of my seat to do them? Of course there are plenty of things to do. I could have visited the castle that was once built to fight off any invaders that might have shown up to this shore. I could have explored the Roman ruins that are being unearthed here as they are in many other places in the area. I could have booked a snorkeling trip to check out the sunken boat or crashed commercial airplane. They would have made for an adventurous holiday, but it is not what I needed at this time.
I needed a vacation where I sat around a pool and relaxed on the beach.
I will always enjoy those trips where I go out and see and do a lot of things, and there will be many that are coming up where I will do exactly that. But there also comes a time where I need to recoup, and that is what this vacation was all about. Things have been a little crazy at work, and when I get back in a couple of days, they will pick up right where they left off. There are a couple of trips thrown in there as well, one with students of mine, so I needed to make sure that I was up for the challenge of this next run.
So am I going to remember a lot from this trip? Probably not.
It is okay though. I still had the sunset. I still had the beach. I still had the couple of days of complete relaxation. And all of this allowed me to keep my sanity.
Thank you, Aqaba for the wonderful vacation. I am sure I will be back again soon since you are not that far away, and during that time I hope to see more of what you have to offer.
John Collings 