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Peru – Home of the Inca

August 9, 2018 by Diego Quevedo

The Spanish conquistadors “found” everything. Except for a handful of countries, all of the Americas were at one point under Spanish rule. Beginning with Cristopher Columbus and continuing for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, most of South and Central America and much of North America.

Today, many of the historically indigenous communities show the effects of the Spanish crusades. You can see the effects by the number of Catholic churches in even the most of rural indigenous communities.

In the small Mexican town of San Juan Chamula, you can experience first hand a modern day hybrid of indigenous ritual and Christianity.

The effects of the Spanish Crown on the Western Hemisphere can not be underestimated. They ‘discovered’ everything. Well, almost everything. They never found one place:

Machu Picchu

After a fun week through Uruguay, it was time to get into some serious adventuring. We left Punta del Este and headed back to the Carrasco International Airport in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. We caught our 5-hour flight to Lima, Peru and we were on our way. After a short layover in Lima, we took another plane to Cusco. Cusco serves as the starting point for most tourist looking to venture into Machupicchu. It’s the closes airport and biggest city before embarking. Surprisingly though, although it is the ‘closest’, it is still pretty far. We’ll get to how to get there in a moment.

But first, let’s talk about Cusco for a bit…

Scoping out the local Cusqueñan artisanal work.

Cusco

Cusco was a welcomed change of pace from the large metropolitan cities of Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

In planning for our trip to Machupicchu, we read up on tips for a successful trip. One of the tips that came up over and over again was to arrive at least a couple of days ahead of your Machupicchu visit to get acclimated to the high elevation.

I’m glad we listened.

Cusco is situated at 11,152 feet (3,399 meters) above sea level. Our bodies took notice within a few hours of landing. By the following day, I was nursing a mild headache and our kids were nauseous. Fortunately it wasn’t too bad but the possible effects should not be taken lightly.

We spent the next three days exploring the town, eating absolutely delicious Peruvian cuisine, Lomo Saltado anyone? We even got a chance to watch Peru’s third and final World Cup game at a local restaurant. The pride the country felt for their team was palpable. After 36 years of not qualifying for the World Cup, they did so this year!

Saltado de Pollo
His fave!
You want to be loved the way he loves this desert.
Ceviche is Peru’s specialty.
Local beer!

How to Get to Machu Picchu

One thing that no matter how many different sites and blogs we visited, still left us a bit confused was how exactly do you get to Machu Picchu. The reason it’s so confusing, we found out first hand, is there are quite a number of ways to get there. The easiest, most straight forward way is to buy an ‘All Inclusive’ tour package. However, that can get costly real quick. I write ‘all inclusive’ because it really isn’t. The entrance tickets to Macchu Picchu are sold only by a couple of government offices in Cusco and at the actual entrance.

We decided to break up the cost and purchase everything as we went. Here in detail, is exactly how we did it with a few notable alternatives.

They don’t stir your drinks here, the train rattles everything and does it for you.

Costs, Fees and Waiting

*You should buy your Maccupichu entrance tickets ahead of time. We bought them in Cusco a few days before we visited MP.

We booked a Cusco AirBnB for 7 nights.

On day 4, we took the ‘Machupicchu By Car’ option
- 7am shuttle on a 6hr. drive takes you to ‘Hydroelectric Station’ ($120 roundtrip for the 5 of us, just the minibus)
  - Alternatively, you can purchase PeruRail tickets directly from Cusco to Machupicchu Town (~$150 per person roundtrip but only 3hrs each way)
- At Hydroelectric Station, we purchased train tickets to get to Machupicchu Town ($210 roundtrip for 5 of us, this is a 25 minute train ride)
  - Alternatively, you can hike along the train tracks for about 2.5hrs. You see many backpackers doing it. No cost.
- We stayed the night in a hotel ($90 for two rooms)
  - Arranged at Hotel guide for following morning. $30 for the 5 of us as part of a 15 person group (you MUST enter with a tour guide)
    - Alternatively, you can get a private tour guide for about $25 per person
- This same day, we bought roundtrip bus tickets from Aguascalientes to the entrance of MP (~$100 for all five of us)

The next morning
- Met with tour group at 5:45am
- With bus tickets purchased the night before, we got in line at 6:15a
- Hopped on bus and by 7:30a were at the entrance to MP
  - Alternatively, you can take a 2hrs hike up to the entrance. Many people do this to be the first ones in the park.
- Spent the first hour with the tour guide and then about 2 hrs. exploring the site
- At about 12p, took the bus back down Aguascalientes (about a 30min ride)
- Had lunch and walked about the souvenir shops
- 1:30p took the PeruRail train back to ‘Hydroelectric Station’
- 2:30p left Hydroelectric Station back to Cusco on minibus
- 9pm arrived in Cusco and back to our AirBnB
- *phew!*

Still with energy but you should’ve seen us on the way back!

Would We Do It Again?

All things considered, it took us approximately 40 hours to get to Machupicchu and back – all for just under three hours at the actual site. And you know what? IT WAS MORE THAN WORTH IT.

Their first look
Making dreams come true
Beauty at every turn
Queventure!

When our family first decided to sell everything we owned and go on this wild adventure, these types of experiences are exactly what we had in mind. It was truly a spectacular place. From a ‘making-dreams-come-true’ standpoint, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Uruguay – How’d We Get Here?

July 4, 2018 by Diego Quevedo

Historic Colonia del Sacramento Lighthouse

The thing is, even with the best intentions, life finds a way to intervene.

I recently heard an episode of The Art of Manliness podcast that had Bernie Roth on as a guest. Mr. Roth is the co-founder of the Stanford Design School. He spoke about many things but one that caught my attention was his view that humans ‘can’t really plan long term.’ His philosophy is basically to take care of the day-to-day things and the big picture items will take care of themselves.

What does this have to do with travel? Well, as much as we planned a year-long, country by country itinerary, sometimes the day-to-day took us elsewhere. Sometimes we got lost.

Enter Uruguay

We wrote about our Paraguayan ordeal. While stuck at the smallest ‘international’ airport ever, we were lost. But we found a way. We had to take a different path than what we had originally planned. We ended up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From BA, the ultimate destination was to reach Machupicchu in Peru but in order to get there, we had to figure out how to cross approximately 2,400 miles and at least three countries.

We do watch our budget and so my wife began to do her travel planning wizardry. (On a side note, Irene is actually incredibly good at travel planning. She routinely saves us 25-40% off our flights/buses/AirBnBs, etc. When you’re traveling with a small army of 5, the total savings really add up.)

Irene figured out we could take the scenic route and spread our travel time to Machupicchu over the course of a week, for less than what it would cost to fly directly from Buenos Aires.

Colonia Express

We’ve crossed borders with cars, ‘combis’, buses and planes. What a treat it was to cross between Argentina and Uruguay via a boat! The trip took about an hour, the boat was comfortable and the kids loved the unique experience. Once we arrived at the ferry terminal, we got a local taxi to take us to our AirBnB and then back into the beautiful, quaint town of ‘Colonia.’

By the way, this was the day Mexico beat Germany in the opening round of this year’s World Cup. We actually ended up having lunch next to another American family. They were cheering Mexico on as well!

Colonia del Sacramento

We’ve mentioned, ‘We could live here!’ many times on this blog but really, we could live here! And we really could but with one caveat: once we ‘retire’ or in the later part of our lives. Colonia is a small town. We spent the afternoon walking around its leafless trees and brick roads and without even knowing it, we visited the top 6 Trip Advisor Things-to-Do. What Colonia lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm. It reminds me of a smaller, still rustic Santa Barbara, California.

We rented an electric golf cart and off to the races we were. We explored all along the coast and even got to drive around an old bull ring.

We spent two days there and then it was off to Montevideo…

Montevideo

In Montevideo, we rented a charming loft AirBnB right in the center of the coastal neighborhood of Punta Carretas. As an aside, ‘charming loft’ is not very conducive to mommy/daddy time, if you can pick up what I’m putting down. It was a tough few days in that regard but otherwise, I really enjoyed the place!

We ended our three-stop Uruguayan adventure in the ‘Hamptons of South America’, Punta del Este. And gorgeous it was! The sunsets alone were worth the price of admission. We were there during the offseason and so it was cooold but this same coldness let us explore the area calmly without the crowds. Many Latin American countries have ‘enpanadas’ but we must say the most delicious ones we tasted, and we tasted quite a number of them, were here in Punta del Este.

One last (financial) note on Uruguay

It was surprisingly expensive. We had just come from Buenos Aires which many have heard is an ‘expensive’ city in South America. However Uruguay surpassed, at least to us, Buenos Aires’ cost of living. We had an ok dinner in Montevideo, in a restaurant similar to any beach-side cafe… and we spent over $100 USD. I don’t mind spending that on a dinner that’s worth it but at this restaurant we simply ordered burgers and a meatless pasta. Many restaurants, in both Argentina and here had a ‘cubiertos’ fee. When I asked what a ‘cubiertos’ (‘utensils’ in english) charge was for, I was told it was for the use of the table and time at the restaurant. Huh?!?! Anyways, this charge is on a per person basis so for the five of us, it easily added $20 USD to the meal and this is NOT the tip. We rented a sedan, filled half the tank back up – $50.

In summary, our initial plans never included Uruguay. We only got there through being ‘lost’ and in doing so, we discovered a beautiful country with warm people and gorgeous beaches.

Gracias Uruguay!

Bienvenidos a Buenos Aires, Argentina

July 3, 2018 by Irene Quevedo

South America just keeps getting better.

Full disclosure getting to Argentina was the craziest travel day we’d experienced to date. In order to save a buck our research told us to fly into Argentina via Paraguay… thought we could cross the border cheaply by land.

Happy go lucky we landed well after 9pm from Medellín only to learn Paraguay was charging Americans $160 each for on-the-spot entrance visas. No exceptions! Then they wanted to charge a huge surplus for folks not using cash. All in all, we would have paid $1,000 additional dollars for 3-4 days in Paraguay. Just like that we refused and instead booked a flight out of the airport to our next planned destination: Argentina. After spending a long night in the Paraguayan International airport (sorry, but literally the worst airport ever based on zero dining options, cash-only policies, and horrible wifi) we were back on schedule and headed to beautiful Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires hit us with the biggest jolt. After more than 10 months of perfect summer weather we were now south of the equator in freezing cold weather. On average it was 40 degrees but it often felt colder. We’re Californias true and true so 40 degrees was freezing to us. We quickly bundled up and called this walkable city home for three unbelievable weeks.

Argentina gave us new weather, new accents, new architecture… and a whole new city vibe we all loved. Especially Diego and Isaiah who are huge Messi/Argentina soccer fans. In Argentina the world cup soccer craze began and so we did what many Argentines do… we watched great games while enjoying great wine, amazing steak, and Argentinian deep dish pizza. Pizza in Argentina rivals that of Italy, New York, and Chicago.

Every week in Argentina we stayed in a different home and neighborhood. I highly recommend this for those looking for variance in any one city. First up was the eclectic and bohemian vibes of San Thelmo, full of tango in the streets, great flea market finds, and all the dulce the leche (milky caramel) any sweet tooth could muster. Sunday nights meant wild music in the streets and dancing. Sunday mornings were meant for shopping. Our place was right smack in the middle of all the action. The comfy old-timey apartment was similar to a European apartment from the 1920’s. Finally, we got to use the outlet adaptors we’d carried for months. Felt good to be prepared.

The following town was Retiro right next to upscale Recoleta and close enough to get us to the best hotels, malls, and restaurants in town. We walked everywhere and loved it. Even pulled off a fun date night at one of my favorite international hotel chains: the Four Seasons Hotel, Buenos Aires.

Thereafter, we decided to feel out the suburbs of Buenos Aires and stayed in Colegials. There we ate the best burgers in #BA and got a true feel for the everyday life of regular citizens away from the usual tourist sites. Our apartment was homey and here Diego mastered his fried rice recipe which we proceeded to eat about 5 times the following weeks. I love when we settle into a great place with a family feel and fully equipped kitchen. Argentina will forever be credited with the town where our kiddos learned to appreciate fine meats and cheeses… we ate until our hearts content for many, many Argentine nights abroad. Our children’s expanding palettes makes this momma very, very happy.

The highlight of our time in Argentina was scratching off a major bucket list destination and I don’t just mean Buenos Aires. We finally were close enough to the Brazil and Argentina border to fly over to Puerto Iguazú and visit Iguazú Falls or Paradise Falls as it’s referred to in the movie Up. These falls are so much more than anything I could write about here. They felt majestic, powerful, and huge — this coming from a family that’s seen many, many waterfalls this last year.

Iguazú Falls is a natural wonder that truly takes your breath away, plus, our trip there was the smoothest we’d had for a quick flight. All of us were so excited to be there and the seamless travel made being there feel easy. We also loved the super small town feel in Iguazú and our amazingly sweet airbnb host who drove us around all weekend. We will forever cherish this destination as a top 3 site seen during our beautiful #queventure year abroad. We recommend it to all families especially those hoping to knock out a visit to the three borders: Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil…

But don’t get me started on the fun-loving Brazilian side full of great food (picaña steak), ambiance, and all the romantic Portuguese lingo a girl could swoon over.

We could have lived in Medellin, Colombia…

July 2, 2018 by Irene Quevedo

After a whirlwind two-month stay in Cartagena, Colombia we moved to a totally different region of Colombia. This region known as the “Land of Eternal Spring” was once the crime capitol of the world. Sadly, that stereotype still lingers and though Medellín, Colombia recently received the honor of being coined the “most innovative city in the world” people all too often still ask about its drug-trafficking past.

If this trip taught us one thing above all others that was to look beyond preconceived notions. The number of people who shared fears about our traveling to Colombia is astounding, and I am so glad we didn’t listen to one critic. We would have missed out on so much had we been led by fear.

In fact, at the point that we are now while writing this, we’ve been to almost 15 counties and never once have we felt unsafe or threatened. We haven’t been robbed or cheated. Neighbors weren’t sketchy and tour guides weren’t out to rip us off. This isn’t to say we visited crime-free countries, of course not. Per usual, we exercised caution, researched a lot to determine housing and travel comforts, and most critically, never decided on the path of least resistance: which would have been not venturing outside of the U.S. at all!

Now, back to Medellín…

Its innovation mixed with the Colombian small-Pueblo-vibe made us feel so at home. People in Medellin clearly have high expectations and pride in their town! Their standards for eco-friendly living and healthy lifestyle choices was apparent at every turn. This city is majorly walkable, marathons are a plenty (my hubby ran one) and biking is king! There were so many wonderful healthy dinning options, too. I’ll surely miss my favorite vegan falafel & hummus salad from Vin&Gretta.

That and all of the following reasons made Medellín one of our favorite stops and a town we called home for over a month (we were offered a six-week housing deal we couldn’t resist):

1. Great public transport (we loved the cheap and easy access and the city had one of the cleanest and safest metros we’ve ever used). This including the amazing cable metro which had us “flying” high above the sites! Our kiddos loved using the Medellín MetroCable.

2. Amazing and varied nightlife venues that opened well into the morning hours (+a bonus Mexican stand with authentic “al pastor” pork tacos).

3. Developed restaurant and shopping delivery services similar to Uber eats (+ crazy cheap Uber all over the city).

4. Beautiful greenery, parks, museums and other public spaces for interactive family time (fully equipped with city WiFi and charging stations).

5. Access to truly scenic day trips (Guatepé specifically was gorgeously scenic).

6. Opportunities to volunteer… There’s no shortage of ways to be in service globally and when we found a program dedicated to enriching the lives of women and children in the most impoverished areas of Medellín we jumped at the chance. We will forever cherish the smiles on those children’s face – the children of Bello, Colombia.

In the end, Medellín was the first place that felt like home especially since friends and family visited us there. If we could take our extended tribes with us all over the world that’s exactly where home would be… time and time again.

Thank you, Medellín.

Let’s Get Real for a Layover Minute…

June 5, 2018 by Irene Quevedo

Not seen: 64 other pictures. Including some with tears, cussing, frustation!

Don’t be fooled by the photos. Don’t for a second think long-term travel is easy breezy perfection. I say this to do all of us a favor and debunk any false myth we are living perfect lives. Our Instagram page is a highlight reel. Our blogs are 1% of the whole story. Our smiles are real and sometimes they’re also 100% fake.

A Facebook friend recently talked about her very real battle with postpartum depression in order to be honest and help others – especially those struggling with a similar experience. I found her brutal honestly so profoundly refreshing. I was lumped right in there with others thinking she made motherhood look “easy.”

Her post got me thinking about our journey abroad and I realized I hadn’t talked about what hasn’t been easy along the way, so here goes… Haters delight!

Wait! Before I go there… let me be very clear… I am overwhelmingly grateful for this adventurous, once in a lifetime journey, my travel companions (family), and every opportunity afforded to us: countless airbnbs, taxi rides, airport layovers, my telecommuter’s salary and everything in between.

We’re on a budget!

I have a brother who loves to joke about how we won $1.9 million dollars in the CA. lottery and I still won’t loan him $20 bucks. I wish the lottery part was actually true. It’s not, and therefore, we have to adhere to a pretty tight travel budget and some months feel tighter than others.

One step further, I am the kind of mom that easily stresses about money. I do my darndest to hide the stress but my husband fishes it out… every. single. time. I suck at hiding it. I am a worrier by upbringing and battle that on the daily. This is a truth that may not be apparent in the pretty instagram photos of steak and wine. It’s our reality. We aren’t millionaires traveling the world. We are regular people with incomes and savings that afforded us an experience unlike any other especially when we can responsibly and patiently budget for it! What’s even more real is that anyone can travel the world with a lot of planning, disciplined goal setting, and a whole lot of courage!

Marriage and Electronics

Above all else I thought two things before our journey began. Somehow I thought usual marriage headaches and spats would go away and that our kids would spend a lot less time on electronics being out in the world as tiny cultured travelers.

FALSE!

Travel doesn’t mean my husband’s quirks stop getting on my nerves. No matter what county we’re in, he still talks with his mouth full, is a terrible listener when I begin to vent, and he forgets about date night commitments more often than not. I can live with all of that, of course, especially if I am living all over Latin America and the Caribbean.

He’s one amazing partner that loves me so profoundly, so proudly, and so passionately. He’ll probably never tackle travel logistics without me forcing it on him, but he’ll go on this journey with me and he’ll find a way, at all costs, to make our dreams come true. Even if that means we’ll disagree and bicker along the way as we always have. Truth be told, we will forever get on each other’s nerves. Now, we just have international travel spats to tell our grandkids about.

Back to electronics… My husband and I planned this trip foolishly thinking we’d live without WiFi and iPads. My goodness did we really think we’d be living in remote jungle huts across barren, underdeveloped lands? Truthfully, our kids like many others constantly want to use their gadgets, and more often than not, they’re being allowed to do so. This isn’t something we are necessarily proud of, but it’s the truth. I am writing this mid-flight and as I look around all three of our kids are buried in devices.

Our kids love their iPads, iPods and Smart TVs. They have had plenty of access along the way and our laxness around usage has been chalked up to letting them bask in all this free time travel brings. God help us when they’re back in traditional school and recess doesn’t involve game apps and Netflix!

The bottom line is that travel is life and no path in life is the perfect path. We struggle with little things as we do with the big scary ones even as we visit the most beautiful world wonders on earth. In the end, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Our travel journey began as a wild dream. It turned into a very real goal. And one day it became our lives. And I am truly in love with this life, warts and all!