Huayna Picchu

Our second day at Machu Picchu we hiked the great mountain of Huayna Picchu, climbing up to around 8000 feet above sea level to reach the summit that overlooks the lost city of the Incas. It was scary at times as I could have easily fallen off the edge to my death at any given moment-- so it took me longer than the estimated 1 hour to ascend. The views from the top and along the way, however, were breathtaking and I could understand how so many people (400 maximum allowed every day) venture up and down the mountain despite fear of bodily injury and death!

Machu Picchu

 So here's the main reason we all came to Peru. To see the beautiful and well-preserved remains of the Inca empire. They created an intricate civilization along the slope of a mountainside! Our guide tried to convey to us just how brilliant the Incas were-- use of natural, raw material, precisely constructed walls and buildings, and brilliant architecture (complete with water distribution systems and built to withstand earthquakes) which supported a highly cultivated urban population and agricultural system. At the end of our walking tour, we climbed up to the House of the Guardians  where we had a gorgeous view of a rainbow. 

Cusco

On the second day of our trip, we flew to Cusco, known to the Incas as the "naval of the world". Millions of tourists flock to this beautiful city, as it is also the gateway to the famous Machu Picchu. The above photo was taken near the Plaza de Armas of a church built after the Spanish conquest. Cusco is over 11,000 feet above sea level and I was definitely feeling the altitude. The walk to lunch was quite difficult for me, even though the restaurant was only a short distance away from where we were staying. Nevertheless, we still toured the Incan ruins of Písac in the afternoon, guided by the nicest person I think I have ever met. Nevermind that he only spoke to us in Spanish! Wilson, who also speaks Quechua,  drove us around the Sacred Valley and guided us through the remains. I can't believe that my sister and I got by on this entire trip on our high school Spanish! 

Above is an herb called muña, which Wilson said among other uses, could also help with altitude sickness. Looking it up afterwards, it is part of the mint family and is most often used for its carminative properties. 

We also stopped by an animal sanctuary on our way to the ruins where we saw llamas, alpacas, condors, pumas, and parrots (which were featherless-- so sad). Many of the animals had suffered a lot of trauma (used for entertainment or for material for jewelry/accessories). Part of how they are able to care for the animals is funded by the arts and crafts of the Andean people in the region, who use the wool of alpacas to make fibers and textiles. They showed us how they use natural material for their dyes.

Anyhow, I was a little worried about choosing Peru as our travel destination after being in Lima. But Cusco and Písac were so beautiful-- pictures can only convey so much-- and despite our fears of walking around wheeling oxygen tanks, it turned out to be a perfect day (how often can one say that??) Now I think I left my heart there and can only hope I will be able to walk through those paths sometime again in my life.

This will probably be my last post of 2012. Best wishes to you all for a very happy new year!

Lima

First day in Peru we toured around the Colonial City of Lima and walked along the coast of the Miraflores district. My first impression of the city is that it reminded me of Manila, Philippines, where I was born. Spanish- influenced, cloudy and gritty, and obvious distinctions between economic classes. We caught a brief glimpse of pre-Incan adobe pyramid Huaca Pucllana and moved on to colonial Lima Centro. We took a walking tour of the Iglesia de San Francisco monastery and catacombs, which hold the skulls and bones of some seventy thousand people. Talk about haunting.

As I was planning out the trip, I had read that if you only have a short time in Peru, one could skip Lima altogether. Although I'm glad I got to see the city, next time (hopefully there will be a next time) I will take that advice and opt to spend more time exploring other areas of the country. Next post will be on Cusco!

Mini Vacation

Took a short trip to DC this past weekend to visit Diana and my family decided to go along with me as well. It was unusually cold and we spent much of the time indoors but it was still fun. We had a low key meal in Chinatown on Saturday night, toured the city in the car, had late night pizza and sleepover with Diana, and enjoyed brunch at Jose Andres' Jaleo on Sunday.

Belated birthday get-together for Dan, I think it's been 6 years since we met. In school at NYU, he would print out notes for me when I was late for class; when we became nurses and worked at the same hospital, he would come down on his lunch break and hang blood with me when I was overwhelmed with my patients; and when I got married he took pictures for me and Neil for our engagement and wedding. I've realized as I get older that there's very few friends that have stuck around through both good and bad. And the ones that have, I'm very grateful for. Below, reminiscing about our trip to Japan in 2010. I rarely post pictures of people (especially ones with me in them)... but what the hell, here you go.

I've been back at my childhood home, an apartment in Don Mills, Toronto, painting and doing some minor renovations. 

It has been almost 20 years since I've stepped inside that place, but at once it seemed so familiar, like I was just there yesterday.

A Week in Conway, MA

I just came back from spending a wonderful week in Western Massachusetts, where I attended a program at Goldthread Farm to learn about medicinal herbs. The main goal of the program was to provide us with a basic knowledge of herbal medicine so that we could start integrating their use into our lives. The instructors were wonderful, incorporating a mixture of lectures, herb walks, and farm work. I also met a lot of very nice people-- 4 of whom were also nurses!

The highlights for me were: learning about tulsi, the "holy basil", while drinking freshly harvested tulsi and ginger tea; picking off and eating goji berries during an herb walk around the farm; taking part in the distillation of lemon verbena into essential oil; tasting herbal honeys; daily delicious lunches prepared by an amazing cook; a group trip to Northampton for dinner; and getting to know the lovely lady whose house I stayed at during the week.

I've learned a lot of new things this year, mostly about farming and growing vegetables, but I also really wanted to know more about herbs in particular. Yes, vegetables are good for us. And eating more of them (and subsequently, less meat) has made me feel a lot better in general. But there are so many plants-- even culinary herbs and spices that are already in our kitchens-- that can help us keep healthy and prevent us from getting sick. Of course there's no substitute for Western medicine when you're very ill, but in general, herbs and plants can help us keep up our immunity and defend against common ailments.

This all brings me to the root of why I stopped working at the hospital this year and started working on a farm. Apart from wanting to know where my food comes from, what goes into the soil and how to keep it healthy in order to produce nutrient-rich food, I also want to do everything I can to keep myself from being on the patient side at the cancer center where I worked. Two people who were present at my wedding were patients on my floor. Both have passed away. I took care of one of them during her last 3 nights, and I have to say-- now that I am no longer working there-- that those were the hardest shifts I ever went through. I had never felt so drained. So much that after that, I realized I couldn't work at a cancer center anymore.

There are so many things out of our control-- our environment, upbringing, genetics, etc. But what we eat, even if we can't know where it all really comes from, is our choice and is one of the ways we can actively take part in maintaining health. Sounds simple, but it's really something I never thought too much about before. But I am paying more attention to how different foods make me feel after a meal. Coming from a family where we primarily cook and eat Chinese food, which is also food that I enjoy indulging in, I just try to find a balance. And now I know I can also do small things each day, even if it's just brewing a cup of mint tea after dinner!

Snapshots from Rhinebeck

My Weekend in California