Ralph Carlson Blog

 It’s travel time again.

For my wife and I our travel routine is two one month trips a year and it’s time for trip number two. You would think that by now, these trips would be routine but you would be wrong. Each trip is unique. Since our destination is different each time, there is always something new to discover. This trip will be more complicated because instead of staying in one city for a month, we will be visiting four. This means that we have more reservations to juggle, more transitions to make and more opportunities for something to go wrong. I anticipate that it will but that we will cope and keep going. Traveling is an adventure.

Lima Peru

What I do know is that traveling sure beats staying home and twiddling your thumbs watching reruns of Law and Order. Some people get upset at the cramped airplane seats and terrible food. I just grin and bear it. I finally got my Doctor to give me something to make me sleep and this time we found enough frequent flier miles to book first class tickets. I may never be able to put up with coach again.

 We’ve had out share of disasters.

I’ve been robbed and pick pocketed multiple times. My wife left her passport on the plane. We’ve waited hours for buses that never came and taken the wrong direction from time to time. Somehow it all worked out. Have I learned any lessons? Definitely. Have I learned how to do better? The jury is still out. I seem very proficient at making new mistakes.

Friday, my wife and I set out for Peru on a four city marathon. Our past trips were all one city stays but Peru seemed to demand a more complicated trip. We start with a few days in Lima and then fly to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Then we travel on to high altitude Cuzco and finally to the beach at Huanchaca to wind down. The complexity of the arrangements is daunting- well maybe I exaggerate. We have it all booked. What could possibly go wrong?

I’m off to Peru. Maybe I’ll post some pictures on the trip. Maybe I won’t. Everyplace we are staying claims to have internet. Stay tuned.