Return to Alohaland

Greetings one and all! :) After traveling 13 months I have finally returned to Alohaland! :) Maui is my favorite little island in the middle of the Pacific ocean! :) I've had the most amazing homecoming welcome possible. A million calls from my wonderful friends, sunshine, and a MONSTER swell on the North shore! :)

On Maui when the big waves of Jawz graces our island the traffic makes it almost impossible to travel to that part of the island. In preparation for this historic swell a friend and I went out to Haiku Sunday night and slept in our car.

Its like those people who camp out in line for tickets to some music venue or sporting event. Except we were in pursuit of WAVES! The waves of Jawz 2009!

Settling in for the night we tell tales of adventure as we are serenaded by a chorus of confused roosters. Just as we were about to attempted to sleep a security guard informs us that its 1am and the parking lot is closed. Moving on to another spot we snooze until discovered by a couple curious drunks at 3am.

Once again we return to the Haiku parking lot. The roosters were finished disturbing the peace and one Haleakala bike tour company was opened for business. This allowed us to use the parking lot for the second time in this nearly sleepless night. I'd like to give a shout out to Haleakala Bike Co. in Haiku for the amazing Aloha extended to us at 3am! Free coffee and the use of their bathroom!!! :) You guys are No Ka Oi! :) Approaching 4am we were finally able to slip into an uninterrupted slumber.

I woke a little before 7am feeling not so refreshed when a truck pulling a jet ski passed us. Instantly my heart jumped into adrenaline mode truck+jet ski = BIG BIG WAVES!!! I fired up the car and we were on our way!

Arriving at Jawz there was an unbelievable energy in the air. The sonic boom-ish crashing of the waves could be heard from miles off shore. We hitched a ride from a passing truck and in a few moments we were experiencing JAWZ.

I don't think its possible to exaggerate the size and grandeur of the giants passing before our eyes. Wave after wave emerges from the sea. The wonder of this natural phenomenon is enhanced by the fact that there are tow-in surfers charging down the face of these waves. With each one the wide eyed, breathless crowd witnesses feats of superhuman ability.

There was an uncanny unity that swept over all observers. We gasp in terror with each wipe out. We cheer with exhilaration for every surfer's trek down these mountains of water. Our hearts well up with emotion. Do I let the impending tears of elation escape my eyes? Not a chance... I can't miss one second of the wonder before me! :)

Missing home

Hello! :) Found some old photos in my computer and it made miss home today! :) Look at this little guy... he has got the cutest face! :)

Catching up

Went to Mendoza... spent a few days.... then went to Santiago Chile for a couple weeks.... then took a bus 22 hours back to Buenos Aires.... don't feel too bad for me... the seats laid all the way down... they played movies and served us amazing meals. :)

I have been in Buenos Aires since August 1st. I have been taking a Spanish course and enjoying my time here. It feels like I hit the ground running when I stepped off that bus... I don't think I've stopped since then. :)

I have 8 more days here .... then off to Peru... after that back to the USA. Can you believe it? I know... some of you thought maybe it would never happen! :) It doesn't quite feel real yet. :) I am going to miss this life on the road. :)

Well I better be off to sleep.. tumbling on... :)

To Mendoza.... and beyond!

Here is one of my more recent favorite photos!! It is the a place in Northern Argentina called the Hills of Seven Colors. :)

Hello!!!

I am headed to Mendoza Argentina for a few days. I bought my bus ticket about 4 hours before my departure time! :) I will be arriving there tomorrow morning. All together about 17 hours of travel. I am going in style though. I love the buses in Argentina! :)

Please pray for me for direction and wisdom for the near future. The "crisis" is weighing on my mind. I know I am in the hands of the Lord but the whole job search when I return is weighing heavy on my mind.

Thanks guys! Updates are on their way!

Sending love and hugs from Argentina!

I will never see the moon the same again!

Recently I made a stop in San Pedro Atacama Chile. I had the opportunity to take a tour where we got to look at the moon and stars out in the desert. It was amazing!!!! The astronomer giving the tour attached my SLR camera to the telescope and used it as if the telescope was the lens of my camera!!! :)

Wisdom from Mister Pip

In one of my recent hostel stops I was given a book called "Mister Pip". It is the story of a girl that grew up on a remote island off the coast of New Zealand. A white man on the island becomes the teacher of the school in her community. He begins the school year by reading to his students the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations. At one point in the story the main character is comparing people in the story with people in her life. And here is the passage that I found particularly meaningful.

"Now that i had met Miss Havisham, and knew more about her unhappy past, i had changed my mind about my mum being like Pip's sister. She had more in common with Miss Havisham-Miss Havisham who cannot move on from the hour and minute that the bridegroom failed to show. The wedding feast untouched, left for the cobwebs to mark time.

Miss Havisham remains in her wedding gown for an event that has been and gone. I had an idea my mum was stuck in a similar moment. Only it had to do with an argument with my dad. her frown gave her away. A frown that could be traced back to the original moment. I had an idea that whatever my dad had said still rang in her ears."

After reading this I had to stop and look back on my life. Moving on from life's disappointments can be so difficult. It can be so easy to remain in those moments. It can define who we are. Reading this brought up a lot of questions. It made me stop and reflect on events of the last year or so. The Lord and his gentle words are so amazing. He gives me these little nuggets to push me towards the most fullfilling life possible! :)

Something I´ve learned

Greetings!

I was in Patagonia a a while back. I spent half a day walking through Tierra del Fuego National Park. It was a amazingly serien place. The day was beautiful yet mysterious. There was a misty haze that prevailed over the park as if the sky was sending out a warning. We were three people who didn´t heed the threats and meandered along the deserted trails. It did rain but nothing feirce. It reminded me of the showers we have on the Oregon coast. It is a dusting of rain that you almost don´t notice falling on your until you are quite wet. I find it refreshing in the right circumstances!

A silence fell over the group I was hiking with. I think the mysery of the day begged for introspection. I began to think of my many experience over the last seven months. The many experiences at times interweave themselves into a tapistry that will be finished in approximately 5 more months. What a beautiful peice of artistry!

Upon thinking of all the places I´ve been. I couldn´t help but thank the Lord for the many ways this experience has been a blessing. One of the things I´ve learned from traveling is that on your journeys you will either find the place on this planet where you belong or you realize the reason why you call the place you left home.

I know now more than ever where where home is and I am so thankful for that!

On the road again

One of the churches I walk by almost everyday


In one of the malls in Buenos Aires they have toothbrush and toothpaste dispensers in the bathroom! Yeah for good dental hygiene!! :)

Now I am headed out on the road again....

After a relaxing week in Buenos Aires I am on the road again!!! :) I am leaving tonight for Salta. It is a providence in the north of Argentina and should take approximately 20 hours to get there. I don't have a specific plan at this point. Mostly get up there, see what there is to see, make some friends, take as many amazing photos as possible, and round up some adventure. woooo hoooo!!!!! :)

It sounds crazy but I really enjoy the long bus rides. Wide squishy amazingly comfortable seats that lay almost all the way down. They play movies, serve you steak, and all together pamper you for 20 fabulous hours. :) Only thing I need to take care of is my ipod is fully charged and that I have a pen and my journal available.

I understand there is a lot of great natural beauty in the North of Argentina! Right on sign me up! :) I'm not totally sure of the availability of the internet so I will update when possible! :)

If you read this and saying prayers for me. Please pray for my safety on the road and also that all the details of the Spanish course I want to take in August all work out. :) Thanks a million!

Tumbling on....

Cindy Lu

What a wonderful world

Our world is an amazing place! Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Perito Moreno glacier near El Calafete Argentina. It is one of the most awesome and captivating natural wonders I've encountered in my life. I snapped a million photos and found myself not being able to stop. I will have to give more details later about my trip to the South of Argentina. :) For now here is a photo ... :)

Hiking the Pedra Grande

Hellooooo.... Today I hiked the Pedre Grande (the big rock) It was an amazing and wonderful hike that ended with rappelling off a big rock! AMAZING!!! :) I would like to write more but I am soooooooooooo tired! :) I will have to elaborate later.... as for now here's photos... :)

He who promised is faithful

Here is this mornings reading in Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

There was once a young boy whose dad left him on a downtown corner one morning and told him to wait there until he returned in about half an hour. But the father's car broke down and he could not get to a phone. Five hours went by before the father managed to get back, and he was worried that his son would be in a state of panic. But when the father got there, the boy was standing in front of the dime store, looking in the window and rocking back and forth on his heels. When the father saw him, he ran up to him and threw his arms around him and hugged and kissed him. The father apologized and said, "Weren't you worried? Did you think I was never coming back?" The boy looked up and replied, "No, Dad. I knew you were coming. You said you would."

God's answers may seem to be a long time in coming and your waiting may be uncomfortable or even painful. But He will always do just as He has said He will do. The reason we can hold fast to our hope without wavering is that He who promised is faithful.

My first thoughts when I read this passage is ... WOW... that story happened in a time and place when you can leave children on street corners. :)

Second... I believe this story has required me to ask. Do I possess that kind of faith in the Lord? I know I say that I believe He is faithful but has my life demonstrated that I believe that? When I am waiting on Him do I feel anxiety or peace?

He who has promised is faithful..... my new mantra :)

He who has promised is faithful!!!

Sao Paulo.... Nova Odessa Adventure

This week I took a few days to do some exploring and visiting with friends. The first stop was Sao Paulo Brazil. I meet up with a friend I made in Argentina. She was so kind to host me at her house for a few days and show me around the city. We were able to walk around in the city, enjoy a HUGE park, visit a museum that just so happened to be displaying a photography exhibit at the time! I met some of her friends, tried some new foods, and had some fantastic conversations. Sao Paulo is a facinating city and now it holds many great memories for me!






Next stop... I was able to travel to Nova Odessa Brazil. The last time I visited this city was a little over 10 years ago!

I had some beautiful fellowship with some old college friends. I enjoyed meeting thier 5 kids and seeing what the Lord has done in thier lives in the last decade. :) One of the areas my friends have invested in is creating a basketball school for the kids in their community. I had the opportunity to spend a morning with these kids and share the gospel with them.

We had a time where the kids asked me lots and lots of questions... Some of the things they asked were... what is the biggest wave I've ever surfed, do I like High School Musical, who is my favorite Brazilian soccer team.... etc :) It was so much fun!

For those of you supporting me in prayer I would like to ask that you take a moment and pray for these kids.



As for now I have returned to finish up some work on the yearbook project that I started.

HI GARRETT!!!

I love you and miss you sooooo much!!!! :) - Remember this from last Fall???? When I get lonely I love looking at these silly pictures we took because I can remember camping with my amazing cousins and family!!! :) I am so thankful for you!!!! :)

Reading today

Today I read this in the Hebrews commentary I'm studying.... Its a beautiful picture of Jesus!

Someone has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God. He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, and only once crossed the boundary of the land in which He was born- and that in His childhood.

He had no wealth or influence and had neither training nor education in the world's schools. His relatives were inconspicuous and uninfluential. In infancy He startled a king. In boyhood He puzzled the learned doctors. In manhood He ruled the course of nature. He walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed he multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services.

He never wrote a book and yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the books about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all songwriters together. He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has. He never practiced medicine and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors have healed broken bodies.

This Jesus Christ is the star of astronomy, the rock of geology, the lion and lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discords, and the healer of all diseases. Throughout history great men have come and gone, yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him. Satan could not seduce Him. Death could not destroy Him and the grave could not hold Him!

I would like to add... and HE knows your name... and loves you very much!!! :)


Well ... I am wrapping up my time in Brazil. I have approximately 11 more days here and then I am off to another big adventure. Please pray that all the details of my next move will work out soon. That the Lord will guide and direct my steps. That the adjustment period in the next stop will be very fast! :)

Mornings in Brazil

Greetings!

I am having one of my typical beautiful mornings in Brazil. Normally I wake up, grab some breakfast and coffee, and then crack open my Bible or a podcast. I've spent the last week studying Hebrews.

Today was AWESOME because I discovered yesterday that the family I'm staying with has a Dr. John MacArthur commentary on ... yes you guessed it Hebrews! :) I must stop and thank the Lord for placing books I enjoy... that I can read because they are in English... in strategic places for me around the planet. :)

This morning I was reading about the first three verses in Hebrews 12. Lately I have been praying and asking the Lord for direction and discernment for my life. Asking the Lord a lot of questions and feeling burdened about the "right" path to take.

In part of this passage in Hebrews it talks about..."fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith". The commentary expressed that We are to be filled with the Spirit, and when we are, our focus will be on Jesus Christ, because that is where the Spirit's focus is (John 16:14). It is not that we make an effort to NOT to look at this or that or the other things that may distract us. If our focus is truly on Jesus Christ, we will see everything else in its right perspective. When our eyes are on the Lord, the Holy Spirit has the perfect opportunity to use us, to get us running and winning the race.

Somehow that makes the choices I need to make in life sound much easier. I have one purpose for the next few months. Fixing my eyes on Jesus. The great thing is that right now I have time to totally focus all my thoughts, energy, actions... everything towards Jesus. Now I believe that my prayers will be shifting from what next to .... how can keep this mind set when I return to "real" life. :)

Well those are my thoughts this morning. :)

Catch you on the flip flop yo! :)

Its a small world

Hello Everybody....

The last few weeks I have been plagued with a little bit of home sickness. Anyway... tonight I was in the grocery store and ran into an old friend! It is indeed a small world. The experience warmed my heart!!! I have include a photo of my friend below. :)



Can you believe they sell these things in Brazil????? I of course bought one and enjoyed every bit of it! I also forced the others around me try one too. :) I can't help be thank the Lord for a small taste of home! :)

I'm sending love and hugs to all reading this! :)

... time to tumble on! :)

The Haps

Hello Everybody!!!

I thought I would post a quick update. I am currently in Brazil volunteering at a Christian school. I am working on a project developing the school's first year book. It has been a lot of fun working with the kids! Last week I did a special photo shoot just for the Seniors! :)


I am also spending time with the youth at a church in this city. Since I've been here we had a 4 day retreat for High School students. It was an amazing time of Spiritual growth with the kids... not to mention is was super fun! :) At the camp we had celebrity appearances by Fred Flintstone, Minnie Mouse, and Shaggy... unfortunately Scooby Doo couldn't make it... maybe next year! :)

As for now I am planning to be in Brazil until the end of May. After that I am praying about a few other options in South America. :) My prayer request at the moment is that all my plans for the next month or so would be ironed out very soon! :)

My Prayers Today

Dear Lord,

I am looking for my reasons to thank you for today. I believe you have a good plan for our lives. I believe you have your reason for this time that we will spend without Kit with us on this earth.

Lord let me not forget what You have taught me through Kit's life. Let these lessons grip me. Let me use Kit's example to bring you glory and honor. Lord give me the torch and give me the strength to run this leg of the race with the same tenacity, passion, and reckless abandon that Kit did. Let your love drive me. Lord you have given me the faith and confidence that I can do it because I know a man that has!

Thank you Lord

My heart is not here today

My heart is not here today. I am thinking of my Pastor and friend Dr Kit Lauer. An inspirational, driven man that I believe lived his life to the fullest.

My thoughts have been pointed towards heaven. I'm longing for another day and time where this world will be rid of sickness, tragedy, pain, tears of anguish, and from the "why God" questions of life. I am dreaming of a day when we will be greeted again by our brothers and sisters. A day when I get to worship in the presence of the Lord. I long for a time when the thought that tomorrow might not come is gone.

I am praising the Lord that I had the privilege of knowing Kit! I am thankful for his days on this earth and the mark that he left on my life.

Iguazu Falls

Greetings and Salutations!!!!

I got the fantastic opportunity to travel to Iguazu falls recently. I first heard about this part of the world in 1998 and I have dreamed of going there since then. It took me 11 years to actually go there but it was absolutely worth the wait.

You know I was just thinking about how sometimes you wait and wait and wait to see a movie... and when you go to see it.... it was just ok. The expectation kills the experience. Well this is one of those places in the world were my expectations would have never measured up to the actual experience. Nothing in my life could have prepared me for the spectacular wonder that was before my eyes.

There was a plaque posted in the park that quoted Psalm 93:4 - Mightier than the thunder of many waters, Mightier than the waves of the sea, The Lord on high is Mighty! - God is always greater than all of our troubles. What a great sign to post in such an amazing place!!! The evidence of God's power and creativity were everywhere!!! Visiting Iguazu was an unforgettable experience.

Be careful sleeping on park benches in Argentina

I was having some quite time in a park in Buenos Aires and when I looked up there was this HUGE lizard like creature staring at me. I was too surprised to scream... I was going through all the .... am i loosing my mind type questions... when i could finally gather my senses and grab my camera. The creature... maybe we should call him Godzilla... was on his way to the next park bench where a man was sleeping. Godzilla stared at the man until he woke up and then went about his business eating bugs and then finally duck off into the bushes.

I decided that my visit to Argentina is going to be amazing and full of surprises.... just like my first day out on the town!!! :)

Leaving for Argentina tomorrow!!!!

Hello!!! Just to keep everybody in the loop. I am leaving for Buenos Aires Argentina tomorrow afternoon!!! Please pray for me that everything goes smoothly with the travels. Getting to Brazil last time was very challenging!!! Thanks a million and I will check in again soon!

Ahhh.... Sunday has come and gone!!!

Hello FOLKS!

Well Sunday has come and gone. Thank you so much for your prayers! I believe that the Lord spoke through me. :) What an intense responsibility. This week of preparation has been littered with distractions. :) One being the animals here decided to misbehave yesterday!!!! :) Except the puppies... they are complete angels! :)

The house Im staying at has two adult dogs who stay in one part of the yard always.... Somehow yesterday they executed an amazing escape and flaunted thier victory all over the property... Smiling, jumping, running, barking, running and jumping some more. At first it was quite entertaining until we remembered the new rabbits in the back yard! AND even worse... one of the dogs has a strange disorder. When it gets a hold of a ball or any kind of a toy... it will latch on to it and shake his head compulsivly knocking himself in the head... the knocking himself in the head makes him get more aggressive about pulverizing what ever he has in his mouth.... this cycle can continue indefinately...

For those of you reading right now.... no animals were harmed in the making of this story!

Anyway... with all that said... the urgency of returning the dogs to thier natural habit muy rapido was very important!!! :) We were able to coax them with some chicken bones.... Phew... Crisis diverted..... for about 30 minutes...

until they broke out AGAIN!!! :) We did another round of casing down the two German Sheppard criminals! :)

then maybe an hour or so later the rabbits decided it was there turn... not so smart since the dogs had thier inflicted their havoc earlier... but hey what's life without a few risks!

The Rabbits... Houdini 1 and 2

and the angels of the family! :)

Okay... so that was the distractions... here is a small portion of the message I gave today :)

When i took the above photo Lord was speaking to me. I had an overwhelming feeling that the Lord was saying... take notice of this place.. you can learn a lot here!!! So after returning home I looked at this photo many many times. I prayed over it and this is what I feel the Lord is trying to speak to us today...

Neglect reaps destruction.....

The spiritual parallels in this photo are amazing. Really.... The house is our hearts.... We've asked Jesus to enter our hearts and reside there. Over time we are confronted with the sins of this world and sometimes we allow sin to reside in our hearts.

With time.... We neglect the state of our hearts... maybe we do not want to see whats there. And the photo you see is the product. Neglect of sin produces destruction.

Its true in this photo too.... Neglect has made this house uninhabitable. How is the house you have provided for Jesus? Are there things that have gone unacknowledged? Others might not be able to see from the outside but are there things in your life that is making your heart uninhabitable?

PRAY FOR ME

Hi.... I'm asking for prayer.......... I'm speaking in church on Sunday and have no idea what I'm going to talk about....... :)

I can talk for days about ..... adventure....... photography......... arts and crafts......... running .......surfing.........hmm.......

Like I said.... I need prayer! :) I only want to share what the Lord wants me to say. :) Okay better go prepare!

sending lots of love to who ever is reading this!!!

Uruguay was amazing!!!

An amazing lighthouse that worth the adventure to find it!!!



Cindy Lu... first resident of Hawaii to stay at the Positos Hostel!!!

My travel buddy .. Zenaide

Palacio Legislativo in the Capital of Uruguay.... and its library... that was contructed in Italy

Hello Everybody!!!!

Well I am back from an amazing trip to Uruguay. It is a friendly beautiful country! I am so very thankful that I had the opportunity to go there. First of all I found an amazing little hostel..... I was the first resident of Hawaii to stay there so I got to stick of pin in the map hanging in the lobby!!! Its amazing how little things like that really thrill me! ha ha ha!!! :)

The people of Uruguay are so very friendly. Everywhere i went people would say... I overheard you speaking English... if there is anything I can do to help you please let me know!!! :) AMAZING!!!! I want to be friendly and helpful like that when i return home!!!! :)

I traveled to Uruguay with a friend from Brazil. This was the first time she had left her country. It was fun to experience with her the amazement and wonder that comes from taking a trip away from home. We had a great time talking and comparing our cultures. It was an eye opening experience for both of us. It’s so good to encounter people who can shift your deeply engrained paradigm!

We had the opportunity to visit the Palacio Legislativo in the capital city of Montevideo. The building was constructed when Uruguay was the richest country in the Americas. The interior has every variety of marble imaginable and the entire library was constructed in Italy and shipped to Uruguay.

We also visited a beautiful lighthouse that was sort of off the beaten path. If i hadn’t read online that you are allowed to visit it I would think it was off limits. To get to the lighthouse we had to pass.....Intimidating fences... guard booths.... two big Doberman Pinchers.... a foul ... overpowering stench .... (I believe the city sewage department was in the vicinity) ... but it was well worth all the obstacles we encountered!!! :)

Overall the best parts of the trip where making all kinds of new friends at the hostel, exploring the city by foot and bus, hanging out at the beach, and all of my fantastic conversations with my friend Zenaide. I’m already dreaming of the day when I get to return to Uruguay!!! :)

Leaving for a last minute trip to Uruguay!!!

Hello!!!! I have been in Brazil for a couple weeks now. The family that I am staying with have been absolutely amazing. The community has been very receptive and friendly!

The ministry opportunities here are plentiful! I had the opportunity to be an English tutor almost everyday... Ive spoke at two different churches Sunday services, gave a testimony for the church youth group, and gave a Bible message on the city radio station!!!!

A few days ago i got the wild idea that one friend and I should go to Uruguay. :) So we all scrambled around ... made the arrangements and it is official! We will be hoping on a bus tomorrow around noon. I am praying for some ministry opportunites along the way! I heard a rumor that the beaches in Uruguay are pretty nice as well! I will have to let you know what i find out! :)

Okay i better get some sleep... its already 4am and I need to wake up early in the morning to pack! :)

I was in the city of Santiago and this dog jumped in the fountain in front of the Presidential Palace! He had a great swim and jumped out in time before the security guards caught him. :)

Leaving for a 16 hour bus ride today!!!

Greetings from Chile!

Okay so I've determined that I finding time to blog when your on the road is difficult!!!! :) These next coming weeks will the same. I'm leaving this evening on a 16 hour bus ride to the South of Chile. I'm joining a local mission team from a church in Santiago. We will be working with children and doing community outreach kind of stuff. I'm really excited and expect it to be nothing but fun! :)

The last couple weeks I have been in Santiago. I had a chance to get to know their subway system and explore the city. I also had the amazing privilege to photograph a baptism service for a church here. If i remember correctly about 50 people got baptized!!!! :) I also had the amazing opportunity to give my testimony at a church as well as at a kids summer camp. Camp was so much fun! It takes me straight back to my Hume Lake roots! :) There are some things in this world that are absolutely the same everywhere!!!! For example when 13 year old girls are at camp they will stay up most of the night talking and laughing!!!! :) I absolutely love that!!! :)

Thanks everybody for your prayers for me. This trip has been absoluely amazing and has exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable. I still wake up in the mornings and think... "oh my goodness!!! Is this really my life am I dreaming????

This week I especially need prayer about the language barrier. I'm learning Spanish but it is a very slow process. THEN.... February 1st I leave for Brazil.... and they speak Portugese!!! :) ha ha!!!

I'm sending lots of love to all of you!!! :) Blessings!!!

Cristobal hill overlooking the City of Santiago

Long Silence

Hellooooo everybody! 

I was looking at my old travel blog and noticed a typo. I edited the post and it pushed it up to the top if my page! :-)  This trek was wonderful to reminisce anout this evening. Enjoy! 




Aloha Folks!!!!

Sorry for the long silence! :)

The 5 day trek to Machupicchu was AMAZING!!!!! :) We took the Salkantay trail, hiked up and over a 15,000 foot elevation mountain pass while it was SNOWING then on to a rain forest and finished it all with a day at Machupicchu!!!!!! All together we hiked about 75K in 5 days. The first few days we hiked 9 hours per day! The walking wasn't so bad it was the allergic reaction to the mosquitoes and then a lovely infection to follow. :)

A few days after hiking to Machupicchu I went back to Colombia for Christmas and New Years. It was an action packed visit with limited access to the internet. :)

Today I am in Peru and tomorrow I leave for Chile!!!! I'm excited and nervous. Its a whole new set of people, places, and things. So we will see how it goes. :)

I love you all and enjoy the photos!!!!

Ciao!

Cindy