Peru - Being There

Have you ever had one of those trips that seem to truly place you in another person’s body? No goofy out of the body experience thing but just so removed from normal life you feel like you’re having flashes of living an alternate life. Every good Caribbean real estate sales person will tell you their property will place you in another time and put you at ease like nothing else can. But aside from buying your own island we all would like to remove ourselves from our normal lives on occasion. Well, when I went to Peru it happened. Everything about it was novel. You know how tired your 4 year old gets after a day at Disney World. It was like that. It was fascinating in all respects. Observing the culture, being immersed in another land not just as a tourist but also seeing Peru as it normally is, tasting every tasty new dish, throw in a Latin dance or two and see some of the most diverse geography known. Peru does have a lot to be enjoyed. And Peruvians know how to enjoy it.

My first adventure to Peru was with a few friends and we had the chance to meet up with a few of their Peruvian friends. Despite little familiarity with Spanish it was fun learning a little about their culture from their perspective. Traveling across the country both on that first trip and subsequent trips countless stories and experiences were had. In that first trip we had a chance to visit a remote fishing village outside of Paracas with vast barren but beautiful landscapes along the sea where we tested our creative photography skills. One evening I had the largest bowl of lobster soup complete with appendages jutting in every direction. I recall my first taxi ride in Lima. These tiny little yellow boxes have so many dents, scrapes and broken side view mirrors one enters them with an awareness of what is to come. The country is absolutely full of colorful personality and energy. In the end I couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve returned six more times since that first trip in March of 2007.

I’ve visited towns such as Cuzco in the Andean Mountain, Paracas on the coast, the capital of Lima and Ica. While in Lima, the capital of Peru, I had the opportunity to attend a baptism for one of my friend’s cousins and a celebration afterward. Being that the service was in Spanish I caught only occasional familiar words but it did seem rather normal. The country is predominantly Catholic although the heritage of native population is fully celebrated. I thought the plastic water bottles at the steps of the alter were a neat thing. Apparently the priest blesses the water and the parishioners take them home presumably for things that need a little extra holy-water-help through the week. The dog wandering through the church in the middle of the service was a nice touch too. He was friendly and quite happy to attend the special event. We went to a party afterward – it was a blast. Pisco (Peruvian brandy), dancing and plenty of laughs mostly directed at the enthusiastic American. The people are genuinely happy to spend time with new friends from far off lands. They’re inviting and seem to have a special humility that breaks down barriers.

The seafood was incredible especially in Paracas. Paracas is a small fishing town south of Lima. The coast is beautiful dotted with a few small islands. One, Isla Ballesta, is full of a few thousand Sea Lions and Penguins. Really rather entertaining creatures. They seem to love looking at you from every odd angle (nimble necks without a doubt) as you pass by in a boat even though they’ve certainly seen 10 boats earlier in the day. And finally Cuzco – the mountain town most often visited by tourists on their way to Machu Picchu. Cuzco has warm and down-to-earth people that are surprisingly untarnished by the constant flow of tourists inundating their town. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and unique. You’ll see snow-capped mountains to ancient Incan architectural wonders. But back to the food - I had just about every kind of fish and creature with a shell known to man. All were incredible except the squid. The overly chewy curly tentacles just still don’t do it for me. Honestly though, the sauces are pretty fantastic. I’ve had the best lobster bisque over shrimp, rice and potatoes I’ve ever had. This stuff was creamy and clearly packed with a fresh and hearty portion of pureed lobster with just the right amount of tomato base with maybe a hint of some citrus fruit. You can definitely see and taste the influence of the Spaniards.

If you have the chance to visit South America don't hesitate to make Peru your destination. The culture, history, food and people are wonderful. The cost is definitely still attractive despite the weaker dollar. I've worked with a few trip organizers over my 7 trips and have found Pathfinder Peru to be the best. They're staff are very familiar with all the top destinations in Peru from the ancient coastal and sierra towns to the jungle excursions. The same staff handle everything from initial trip organization to hosting you across the country. So unless you're going with somebody that has been there several times you'll definitely make the best use of your time seeing and enjoying rather than searching for the special spots. I still get a quick and genuine smile when I think of Peru and hope to be there again soon. I hope you get to be there too.

A Little Peace & Quite or Maybe a Hearty Conversation & a Beer; An Art Newbie's Perspective

So I'm a newbie in the art world!  If I must, I'll accept that designation.  And with it goes my belief - and hope - that my lack of deeply ingrained experiences in the art world will help break through some of the barriers preventing so many others from enjoying all that art offers.  I'm not out to change the art world but it seems art is enjoyed by a relative few despite it being one of those things that can draw us back to a more enjoyable simple life when media wasn't flying into our eyes and ears at every moment.  The physical qualities of art have an awesome impact.  They project something that even the best HDTV cannot.  To experience artwork in real life is vastly different from a simple reproduced image on the computer.  With some past experience with the online dating world I can say it is something akin to starting a new relationship online with someone who lives in a different town then meeting them in real life.  Nothing is as it seems until you meet in real life!  You can suspect it will be wonderful but you just don't know until you are there face-to-face.  Similarly, there is energy in a created piece of artwork and no matter the level of fine resolution of the image on your computer it will always be far short of seeing it right in front of you.  Just as you either "click" or "have chemistry" with someone or you don't - its also true you might find a piece of artwork striking and captivating or creepy and weird!  And that's the fun of it.  Take it home for a lifetime!  Or run like hell.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of artwork for me are the moments of peaceful contemplation.  Today there is so much static and noise happening.  There are few moments if any to focus on something enjoyable and something that builds up your life rather than pulling energy out of it.  Having just a little time, even just a few times a week, to take in the aesthetic beauty or maybe the emotionally powerful characteristics of a painting or sculpture can give back a peace of mind that simply doesn't happen with an hour of even the best Jay Leno show or a particularly exciting episode of 24.  Those are definitely fun things to do, don't get me wrong I also love that stuff, but they offer more of a passive appreciation.  Works of art often push an observer to think of the concepts embodied by the piece or the emotions that are elicited.  For some it is a simple pleasant thought and for others it can fire up a great conversation or even inspire.

I guess the point is that regardless of the walk in life art can bring what many of us seek almost every day; a little peace, a little fun and some good conversation.

Now, I know I've written an amazing blog post ;-) but just in case you need to fake your interest in art for maybe, I don't know, a first date or some stuffy fund raiser then you'll want to visit this site.  It has some funny takes on how to fake appreciation with those who believe one must always take art seriously.  And its also a great starter guide to art appreciation, basic historical context and sure-fire ways to make your child hate art. Let's avoid that last one!  Enjoy.  I call it, "Art Appreciation for Real People";  http://arthistory.about.com/od/art_appreciation/Art_Appreciation.htm

Going Another Direction --> Singapore Bound!

So, its about time to do something different - I mean really different.  I've just had an itch for way too long to break free from the normal walk of life.  Not that it isn't good, it is.  I've appreciated all that life in the suburbs has provided.  However, it seems there surely must be more to it.  Life seems to have so much more potential than I've seen.  I'm convinced it can be far beyond expectations, anyone's expectations.  So, today I've finalized my decision to pick up and move across the world to Singapore.  Will it be so different?  Probably.  The culture, the people, the region of the world and, my favorite, the food!  They'll all be different and that's exactly what will make it so interesting and enjoyable.  Damn exciting if you ask me.

I'll make the move this coming January.  I plan on taking two suitcases and my two dogs; Escher & Higgins.  That's it, no more, no less....well, ok, I'll take some cash too.  I've kept an eye on the weather there.  Seems its quite consistent, upper 80's and humid every day all year long.  It is 9 miles north of the equator after all.  Plan on living in a little - seriously little - studio or one bedroom. Furnished places seem to go for about the same rent as I'm paying now - they're just 1/3rd the size :-(  Dogs will need long walks daily.  Food is fairly cheap though and trains make getting around easy.  Ideally I'd like to get a job selling cars; Audi is my top choice but VW, Porsche, BMW, Lexus and even Hyundai would be great too.  I'll still be running the art gallery on the side.  I'll begin searching for new artists in the southeast Asia region as soon as I arrive.  Can't wait to try every new Thai dish I can get my hands on.  Visiting near-by countries will be easy and fairly cheap I hear.  In addition to Singapore there's many to see; Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Thailand.  Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines are within reach too at 5 to 6 hour flights.

I'm casting preconceived notions aside and keeping my expectations wide open.  I'll likely say "yes" much more often whether its some scary sounding side dish or a trip to some far off village to take in rarely-seen sights.  I'll blog these adventures along with photos of tasty and fun morsels (alive or otherwise), sights of both grand and daily life (love photography - "shooting" for a photo like that Indian girl with the radiant green eyes on the cover of NatGeo), and of course new friends and the people I encounter along the way.  I'm sure it will be interesting or at least odd enough for some entertaining stories and a life lived well.  In the end, I have little doubt there will be unforgettable times.