Sacred Valley, Peru Nov. 2010

We left early this morning by van for a private tour of the Sacred Valley, we travelled with a driver and the best guide ever Norma. The first place we went to was a Llama/ Alpacha Education Centre. I fed the Alpachas and named one Albey the Alpacha and now Bill wont let me bring him home...I think Kai would love him but Indy would never speak to me again! From there we drove through some of the most beautiful land I have ever seen. Lush greens, mixed with flowering cactus and towering mountains, all this brought us up to Pisco. Literially up and then we walked up somemore then down and then back up, then we turned around and went back to the beginning! The site is amazing and Norma passed on so much information about the Inca people and their culture. After that stimulating ( but exhausting) trek we loaded back into the van and headed to a small town called Urubanab where we ate a great buffet lunch and got to try some of the local specailities. I still have not and don't think I will try Guinee Pig! From there we headed for Ollanantaytambo, otherwise known as Tambo. Here we toured another Inca site and somehow became very popular with a school group from Lima here on their version of a Graduation trip, and spent at least twenty minutes posing with them for pictures. Very strange these kids. We're staying here in Tambo for tonight and tomorrow as we take the train first thing tomorrow to Machu Picchu. We have a very nice B and B that Bill, again found on the net...go Bill! and have met the most fabulous couple working there.

First Day In Peru Nov. 2010

We flew into Lima, Peru very early this morning on Lan Airlines ( who I highly recommend) and spent 3 hours hanging out in their airport. It's nice but small and we didn't get to see much as the fog was pretty thick. Then we flew to Cusco, Peru, the fog disipated and the sun came out and I finally managed to sleep. Cusco is extrodinary. There is history and beauty everywhere...and altitude sickness that I'm hopeing will go away soon! We ventured out this afternoon to just kind of get a feel for the city. This is a town you could spend weeks exploring and never get bored of. Tomorrow we plan on some more exploring and maybe alittle shopping and then a guided city tour, followed by dinner at one of these great restaurants they have here. The we'll head out on a private tour to see the Sacred Valley and the the day after that Machu Picchu. EXCITED! Oh yah Bill wanted to book our hotel when we we arrrived in Cusco but at the last minute we booked alittle hotel from Hotels.ca and Oh My Goodness, Oh My Goodness it's a beautiful little hotel just off the main square with amazing rooms and an open court yard in the middle where you can sit and have a meal, or go inside to the bar where there's a fire burning to help keep the chill of the evening away while blogging over a glass of wine. What a way to spend your time....now if i could just get rid of the altitude sickness life would be bliss!

Vegas Nov. 2010

Our trip to Vegas for our Dive Show was uneventful, except for the snow on our layover in Calgary, but since we didn't have to go out in it... no biggy! It was our first time staying at the New York, New York hotel and it was quite nice and I won big at the nickel slots there, came away a big winner of twenty dollars, so I cashed out and spent the cash at the dive show. Our buddy Ed from Nanaimo, Bill and I played hooky from the show one day and drove out to Rachel, Nevada. Rachel is home to "Area 51" didn't see any alien activity but the lady at the only reataurant was crazy in a fun kind of way. We went to see KA by Cirque de Soliel and it was amazing as always! We hit the buffets at Treasure Island and Bellagio, TI was good, Bellagio was insanely fabulous! There was so much food we all ate ourselves into oblivion and then went back for dessert! By the way, we heard about your mishap with the weather on Vancouver Island with the snow, and we're thinking of you and laughing ... with lots of love of course. A big "it was great to see you" to all the people we only get to see at the DEMA show miss you and thinking of you. Now off to South America!

Still in Haiti March 2010

Today was our first full day in Port au Prince at the J/P HRO hospital. It's hot and beautiful here. The colours and vegetation are lovely but the destruction is devistating. The people are incredible such a strong people, the other day it rained and the tent city below the hospital flooded, and when it was over the Haitian people gathered together to sing. I'm learning and doing so many things that I would never have done back home. I washed my laundry in a bucket in the insane heat (not to crazy), I spoked with Sean Penn about where he wanted to send CMAT's X-ray machine (kinda cool!), I'm helping in the pharmacey (guess I should figure out what I'm doing) and I learned how to give Tetanuis Shots to actual PEOPLE! No medical back ground here!!!! Any takers back home....practise makes perfect!?! I've met some great people and have burnt myself again, but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and would come here again in a heart beat.

My first days in Haiti March 2010

It's hard to explain my first reactions to Haiti, especially in the small amount of Internet time I have right now. It's hot with high humidity and the mixture of mountains of rotting garbage and the smell of so many people without water is suffocating, but even with all that people survive. There is laughter and smiles, Leogane has after 2 months has opened a pub and an outdoor movie theatre. The theatre is across the street so we go to sleep at night hearing shoot'em up movies in french. The clinic in Leogane is closing so I went with Bill yesterday to deliver some Medical supplies to a lady named France she's a nurse and has opened a basic clinic in the local tent city. She's running a vaccination clinic right now and trying to get people to donate old eye glasses for people who lost them in the earthquake. She's amazing and doing such good work, and yet she arrived last night with a gift she made to thank us for being here and helping the people of Leogane. I also met the cutest little boy about 1 1/2 - 2yrs old he wanted badly to show off a coin he found and even trusted me to hold it. I then praised him for finding such a beautiful coin and he was so proud and full of smiles. This country is truly beautiful and hopefully I can send photos next time. All my love.