Chinchero Market y San Agustin Monasterio

Nico, our expert driver, transported us from Cusco, where we had a brief overnight stay, down into the Sacred Valley. We stopped at the very authentic "non-turistico" market in Chinchero at Nico's recommendation. The town was very quaint. We got to haggle at the market and see a wedding procession. Later we learned that they plan to build an international airport right outside Chinchero so flights from Miami can get direct access to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. No doubt this will completely ruin what makes this little town so special so I'm glad we got a glimpse of it before its transformation.

We finally made it to the San Agustin Monasterio where we were staying in Urubamba. The old Spanish monastery was converted into a hotel and is rich with history and character. The gardens on the property are colorful and dramatic against the Andes. Since light pollution isn't bad in the valley, we got to see the Southern Cross along with thousands of other stars and constellations.

Andean Explorers

We traveled roughly ten hours from Puno north to Cusco via PeruRail's Andean Explorer. The scenery was epic as we climbed our way over La Raya Pass (14,156 feet).

Everything about the journey felt first class from the fine dining to the live music by local performers. La Bamba on the charango and the panpipe was a highlight. My favorite part was waving at the local kids that waved at the train in all of the small towns along the way. It was definitely an unforgettable train ride!

Lago Titicaca

We spent 8 hours on Lake Titicaca today. Our first stop was Islas de los Uros, which are floating islands made of reeds. We got off the tour boat onto one of the floating islands which was a very surreal feeling, sinking an inch or two into the reeds. Out host family was gracious, allowing us to tour their island and homes.

We had lunch on la Isla Taquile, where about 3000 descendants of the Incas live. The men knit, the women weave, divorce is illegal, and everyone speaks Quechua. we had a wonderful lunch that consisted of quinoa soup and trout right from Lake Titicaca! Delicious!!

Thank You Victor Vaughn Morris

For inventing the Pisco Sour, which might be one of the most refreshing drinks in todo el mundo! We only had a night in Lima, but there was enough time for one of these. There is some debate over who owns the drink, Chile or Peru, but I think most historians credit Mr. Morris, a guy from the USA who opened a bar in Lima, with the honors. Pisco-lemon juice-simple syrup-egg white-shake into an old fashioned glass + 1 dash of bitters...heavenly!

North Carolina is Sticky

Champion pre-funking with the finest materials on Durham Chapel Hill Blvd! Tomorrow the Western Washington Vikings will face the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor and I will be there! I still can't believe it!!! I hope I'm able to sleep tonight!

Stubbe's Haring

For my last meal in Amsterdam I decided to go with a local delicacy and hit a famous traditional fish stand for some herring. Apparently the Stubbe family has been selling herring for over 100 years and I think they have been so successful by keeping it simple. Fresh fish, sweet pickle slices, and onions on a fluffy bun. I was a little skeptical but it was perfect! I was expecting a strong fish flavor but that wasn't the case at all. The herring was very light and flavors of the onions and pickles worked with it brilliantly!

The Secret Annex & The Windmill Brewery

The weather in Amsterdam has been rainy. While its nothing I'm not use to, it was a little brutal to be standing in a downpour for 30 minutes while waiting to see Anne Frank's secret annex. It was a surreal experience to be in the space where she spent 2 years cooped up, unable to go outside or talk above a whisper. It made me feel stupid for being bummed about my rain soaked clothes and cold hands. We decided the best thing to lift our spirits was a trip to the Brouwerij't IJ brewery on the outskirts of the city with at the site of an old windmill. The beer was actually quite remarkable and the friendly clientele, all of which could speak a minimum of 3 languages fluently, were lively and highly concerned about upcoming presidential election. Everyone we encountered was team Obama.