Excellence in Leadership & Teambuilding

Jeanna's and Alan's Excellent Peruvian Adventure

12/5/10, Portland

Well, we're off to Peru. Not sure when we'll write, but will do it when we can. Check this space periodically. And, to remind you, this is a closed site; the link is not published, so if you are reading this it is because either Jeanna, Alan, or a friend gave it to you. 

This one is the longest message, because it has the details of the trip. Assume that future blogs will be shorter.

First of course, is the question: why Peru? When we met in the fall of 2004, Jeanna already had a trip to Peru planned for May 2005 with her teacher, Mary. She went into the mountains with the queroes, had ceremony, went to Machu Picchu, learned a lot. Ever since, Peru has been on our lists; we knew that we needed to go together. And then a few months ago my Penn State alumni association (that's the "other" PSU!) advertised a trip to Peru, and the next thing we knew, we were off.

Details: 

This gets us acclimated to Peru, with a day of sightseeing in the sun in Lima. It could be the last sun for a while. Lima is at sea level, on the ocean, and is cooled by ocean breezes.

This begins five days in the Sacred Valley, high up in the mountains. We have two days to get acclimated to the altitude before we start climbing at Machu Picchu. There is a planned ceremony Wednesday night

Machu Picchu in the afternoon of Dec. 10, again at daybreak on the 11th. 

Cuzco is the former Inca capital, the heart of Inca ruins

Lake Titicaca is 12,500 feet, the highest point on our trip

Rain Forest near the headwaters of the Amazon. Spend time with local indigenous people, walk on a canopy above the trees, spend time with a shaman and medicine plants, go birding early in the morning.

These are the details. Who knows what adventures are in store for us. We shall see. Please check in periodically.

We are blessed, and we understand this. Since our first trip together to Greece in March 2005, we have been to North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. When asked which is most memorable, we find it impossible to compare the Nile with the Great Wall with Prague with Bali with ............. Machu Picchu. This will be wonderful as the rest have been.

-----and-----

On a trip like this we remember to give thanks. For us, our trips are about learning, about continuing our search. This involves attempting to answer the questions of one of our teachers: