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And away we go...

Aug 5, 2024

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29 July - Monday 16:45 

Ligaya's Journal

Departure from San Francisco via Houston


And away we go…first stop Lima, Peru. We are leaving our community, family, friends and the comfort of home for an adventure with our family of four. What will it be like, how will we change, what will we experience? Who knows but can’t wait to find out. 


We have been in full on “go” mode (reality - emotionally & physically exhausted all the time) since June with Matt having his last rotation in Angola, end of school turning to Summer, putting our belongings into storage, watching renters fill up the space we call home, and enjoying the moments of free time seeing friends plus one week of family time in Houston. Oh and did we mention we had to hug Cali, our dog, goodbye for the year?! We know she’s in great care with friends - but we’ve woken up every morning waiting to hear her scurry across the wood floor or feel her paw at the edge of the bed. Miss you Cali girl!


It’s also a moment for me to reflect on that it’s 20 years almost to the day that I traveled to Peru with my sister. Who remembers when I took a leave of absence from Gap Inc. to travel and spend time with my family? Crazy that’s it’s been that long and only feels like yesterday too. My way of keeping in touch with everyone back then was paying to sit in a smoke filled internet cafe sending emails from a very large computer and the way we knew where to go and what to see was via a heavy travel book you carried everywhere. My how times have changed.


More to come as the days go by and the adventures big and small occur. Will be such a treat to see Peru (and beyond) thru the lens of Piper, Quinn and Matt! 





4 August - Sunday 14:30

Ligaya's journal

Lima, Peru


We’ve been in Lima now for almost a week and it’s been a simple transition since our time zone didn’t change. The settling in was also easy because our Airbnb was in a great location and it had everything we needed to make our stay comfortable. 


So what have we been up to this week? Lots of exploring the must see sites, eating the local food, and also doing the things we like to do back home but with a twist of being here in Lima. We’ve also been trying our best to speak and understand Spanish when we are out and about. We are thankful for Google translate plus the willingness and patience of every Peruvian we’ve tried to communicate with this week. Lots of smiling, pointing, and charade-like movements help too! 


Our two highlights have been a bean to bar chocolate workshop and seeing the artwork of Jade Rivera:


We’ve asked Piper and Quinn to research Lima and find things of interest so it was no surprise that Piper discovered something to do with her love of food and cooking/baking. Learning the history of cacao and chocolate - which included the whole process from the harvest to the chocolate production and transformation was insightful for all of us. We’ve done a similar workshop (really tour) in San Francisco but definitely got to interact more and make our own chocolate. What’s not to love about that? Did you know that the Mayan's made a ceremonial drink called xocoatl ("spicy water") for the elite made from chocolate, water, chili, honey AND human blood from a child.


Our discovery of Jade Rivera and his artwork was in a typical tourist fashion via a small information booth that we walked by on our way to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The booths one goal was to share the locals love of a neighborhood called Barranco - considered the SoHo of Lima. This is where Jade Rivera's work is found. Jade Rivera known for his graffiti and murals understands that the street is a tool of communication and that murals are codes of reflection between the passerby and the wall, having as its main purpose to raise questions in the viewer but not to give answers. Motivated by the language of the mural, he supports and strengthens his graphic with a strong admiration for the animal and visual poetry.



What made this a highlight for us after seeing Rivera’s murals and some of his sculptures was that each of us took away something that we enjoyed about his art. I loved the hummingbirds that he often depicted in his murals and paintings. A hummingbird is often seen as a messenger of love, joy, and good news in some Peruvian cultures. Quinn was intrigued by the sculpture, Ukhu, because you could interact with him based on your own experiences of the day. Piper was interested in all the gold hummingbird ornaments because the intricacy of the design was truly elegant. Matt liked Rivera's diversity in styles, topics, and modalities while maintaining a theme of balance between humans and their surroundings; and his ability to find a 'canvas' anywhere; be it a wall, a tunnel, or a gallery.


As for experiences that were not new but in a new location: Quinn found a climbing gym to top rope climb and boulder. Matt, not surprisingly, got into the ocean for a swim and brought Quinn to a surf session. Piper also jumped into the South Pacific Ocean as one of her promises to herself is to always take a plunge/dip/swim anywhere new. She has now "dipped her toe" in five of the seven oceans (North & South Pacific, North Atlantic, Indian, and Southern). Lastly, I was able to indulge in one of my favorite foods - the empanada and Matt and I even got a date night out to a delectable tasting menu at Aston y Garcon.


We are currently packing up and getting ready to head to Cusco! High altitude here we come!









Aug 5, 2024

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Comments (17)

Five Tickets to Roam
Nov 28, 2024

Thanks for the fun ideas of things to do in Lima! Defo doing the chocolate workshop!

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Guest
Aug 25, 2024

Love reading this! What an experience of a life time!


Gift

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Guest
Aug 08, 2024

Looks like you are having a blast!!! Keep the posts coming!

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Guest
Aug 08, 2024

How exciting!! Have a wonderful time and enjoy the experience. Much love from the Ngs

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Guest
Aug 08, 2024

Just what you always talked about! I’m so impressed y’all made this opportunity come true. What an incredible opportunity for the entire family. Looking forward to following along. XX

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