As Two in Peru

One of so many reasons I fell in love with Peru was the solitude in the mountains there. On a bicycle you can find a paradise of desolate dirt roads, pitch your tent and feel as if you are in another world- just you, nature, and all the humbling lessons nature has to teach. Now that I have a baby surrounded with lots of family, adventure finds us in more of a daily sense.

When I left Peru I was working in the Amazon jungle, covered head to toe in mosquito bites…and pregnant. Then Zika appeared all over the news one can imagine my worry.  I went home and now I’m back in Peru- this time with my absolute favorite human being on the planet. In the last month Nina met her father for the first time, had a birthday and I got my first mountain bike. Huge changes with seemingly less growing pains. Now that Nina is a bit older her excitement for the outdoors, people and exploring has exploded. It has been wonderful to get out of Arequipa, beautiful as it is, and ride around some pueblitos like Quequeña, Characato and Sogay where the quiet roads are ideal for cows, donkeys and bikes, of course.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel being in South America with a baby but experiencing a different way of life is what I gained from my bike tour and it’s what made me realize I wanted to be a mom. Sometimes I freak out when there is a cockfight on the playground or a stranger offers Nina a sip of chicha but I am so grateful that Nina is getting to see where she is from and more of the world.

 

 

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