Where to Begin at The End?

Returning from a whirlwind vacation can be a blessing and a curse simultaneously. Resting up and being comfortable in the familiar back home is the blessing. And yet the sudden end of the intense variety, novelty, fun, and experience overload is jarring in stark contrast, which is the curse. It can leave one feeling bereft of things to do, sensing the uber-ride has ended and all that's left to do is twiddle one's thumbs. And I suppose the more interesting and involving the vacation was, the more this blessing and curse comes into play. 

Case in point. To ease my re-entry back home after a recent vacation, one of the things I've tried to do is sort through and backup the photos I took. This has backfired to a great extent for the photos have only reinforced the cursed aspect of being off the vacation ride. After all, I took nearly 3000 photos while in Peru. That's quite a lot to revisit and ultimately relive. I should have expected that processing the photos might delay my full reentry back home. 

As a result, in many ways, I feel a significant part of me is still navigating the cobblestones of Cuzco feeling the energy of ancestors long gone after being cut down by the invader's swords, still lost in nature in the Sacred Valley, still enthralled by the ancient creations on display in the museums, still riding the train through deep river gorges to Aqua Calientes, still astonished at the history and details of Machu Picchu, still climbing with amazement through a dozen other Incan and pre-Incan ruin sites, still giving an offering of three coca leaves to Pachamama during my solo entry into the Temple of the Moon, still enjoying the wide energetic sweep and sea-side beauty of Lima, and still enjoying being with the people of Peru.

The more I think about it, the distinction of having a blessing and a curse is not only artificial, it is wrong. When we visit people and places that stay with us, no matter how long ago the journey ended and one gets settled back home - that can only be a good thing, and a blessing all around. Such experiences are meant to become a part of us, and we of them. There is no curse involved unless we stop moving forward. Which leaves me to consider my opening question in a new light - where to begin at the end? Thinking through it, I know the answer now. The way one begins is with even newer experiences, more intense variety and novelty and fun. And all of that, all of those new people and places will also become a part of us. Nothing is ever left behind. We simply expand ourselves to encompass a more complete understanding of our world.

On The Beach in Lima, Peru
Many iconic pictures are taken from on top the scenic cliffs at Larcomar, in the Miraflores District of Lima -- but some equally scenic views can be had by going down on the beach to look back up at the cliffs where Larcomar is nestled.

Imagine a place...
where there are regulations and fines 
for unattended car alarms 
and unnecessary horn honking.

Early Evening in the Park
Whether young or old, when evening falls in Lima, Peru, people enjoy the sea breeze, the music, are moved to dance or relax watching those who do. This spot is in Miraflores.

Noontime at Plaza Mayor de Lima
Ceremony at the Palacio de Gobierno del Perú in Plaza Mayor de Lima.

The Band is the Last to Leave
After the changing of the guard at noon at the Palacio de Gobierno del Perú in Plaza Mayor de Lima, the band is the last to leave - but you can be certain they leave in style.

View From The Window
While waiting for your ceviche at Larcomar
in the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru
you might have something glide by your window.

NEAR SALINAS
People don't like reading anymore, so I'll let the photos tell the story...

THE WAY THERE
Wanna find the beach where only the locals go, far away from the tourists? Simple. Grab a taxi and zoom ten minutes out of town, down to a small village. Cruise a side street, just off the one and only main intersection, until you spot three kids with one surfboard in hand, walking by a tienda. Have the taxi driver roll up next to them and ask where's the place they like to go. When they point down the street into the ocean breezes, wave them over to get in the taxi and watch the smiles erupt on their faces. Garrisimo! You've found the beach and they've got an unexpected ride to start their day on the sand!

DANGER IN THE SKIES
South of Salinas, Ecuador, warm breezes and golden sand are soft along wide stretches of la playa. If you are not hypnotized by the gentle waves or by scanning the distance to catch a glimpse of the occasional breach, fluke, or spout from passing whales, remember to look up. You just might find danger passing overhead in the form of Blancos Gigantes, also known as Albatros Ondeado. 

As the sign says at the visitor center at La Chocolatera -- "The waved albatross is the largest flying seabird in Ecuador, measuring 89 centimeters long, with a wingspan that can reach up to 240 centimeters...this species is in danger of extinction." If you do look up, it will be an experience you won't forget. I hope these majestic birds will always be with us on this remarkable place called Earth.