I've started a series on my experiences with ayahuasca, you can check it out if you wish:
I wanted to release one post a week in this series until I feel the story is complete; however, it's been 7 days since my last ayahuasca diaries entry, and I'm still not quite ready to share part 3.
Nonetheless, this has me in a Peru mood, and various projects have me super deep in photography this week as well.
Between corrupted harddrives, magically erased SD cards, and the censorship of fascistbook, I've already lost thousands of the photos I took during the year I lived there.
The point of this post is to migrate some of my Peruvian FB photo album to the immutable blockchain before fascistbook erases them all.
Enjoy!
I started in Lima. It was grey, dirty, and ugly, and I immediately questioned what the hell I was doing in Peru.
I went to the market and took some shitty pictures of fruit,
and some slightly better photos of stalls of grains, beans, and goods,
and walked around the grey, dirty city. Between boring ass plain old modern structures, Lima does have some really sweet architectural gems. This one was for sale!
I happily left Lima after only a few days and went north to an organic farm & Hare Krishna community called Eco Truly. This is the temple; it's made of dirt. The structures are called trulys.
Their gardens and crops were well established.
One day, a monk chased me down to give me a piece of cake. I think it was the first time I laughed in Peru!
It was super cold and damp there. I assume that's why they put blankets on the statues, but I didn't think to ask. I didn't speak Spanish at the time and it was a pain in the ass to try to communicate anything beyond basic questions and sentences.
I took yoga classes there. according to my understanding, the Spanish speaking instructor told us to, "Grab your tomato pants and let's party with double Rodriguez." I laughed hard that day.
They had peacocks! Again, I didn't ask why.
Even though it was on the beach, as I say it was cold AF.
But I played on the cold, grey beach anyway.
I had a GREAT time!
I had planned to stay at the organic farm for many months, but after a very short time there they announced they were hosting some huge festival for their founder's birthday and wouldn't be able to host us volunteers any longer. I silently cursed them and wondered why they hadn't told me that before I made arrangements to be there.
It worked out for the best of course, because I buddied up with some British chicks and we hightailed it northward still, to a much higher elevation in the Andes Mountains called Huaraz.
We hiked in the Cordillera Blanca range, and finally finally finally I felt some peace in my heart.
Nature is magic like that. It was glorious, gorgeous, majestic, and profound.
From Huaraz, we took a bus to visit the Pastoruri Glacier. That's it between the mountains!
We stopped here because there was a Spring of Eternal Youth. The water tasted like iron.
We got to see these epic bromeliads! They only grow in Peru, live to be 100, and bloom a mere 2 months every 5 years. I got to see one in bloom :)
The bus dropped us off in some parking lot, and it was a shortish hike up to the glacier itself. I played around some more, as I like to goof off a lot.
It was an incredible place, and I found my years of bitterness melting away despite the frozen landscape.
I went to Peru to transform, and this was only the beginning.
It's really meaningful for me to be able to look back on that time in my life with my current perspective - amazing how life comes full circle and times and spaces overlap! I am still integrating lessons from that incredible country and significant opportunity.
This post is meant to be a short reminder to myself of where I've come from, but I sincerely hope that it entertains and inspires you too! I certainly entertain myself, but it would be especially great if my experience improved your life in at least some tiny way too.
💛 Sara!
Looks beautiful. Peru is definitely on my bucket list
I hope you get to go @fran.hardwicke! Peru is magic!
Peru looks very beautiful! Wish I could visit!
It's amazing! I recommend everyone go see for themselves. They have just about every kind of ecosystem there, from rainforest to desert.
Amazing photos and great story.
My friend was in this country, and also showed a wonderful photo.
In Your country there are interesting museums. But You are very far away from me.
Thank you! I am in the US now, I don't know how good our museums are...I don't go there. Where are you?
I think it's was an offering and it's count as a blessing.
Nice photos.
@seyiodus.
Oh yes, he totally blessed me with the cake & the laugh!!! Thanks @seyiodus!
@saramiller I love your post!!! Perú seems incredible!!
I would like to go to Perú and enjoy its beauty!
Thank you! I hope you get the opportunity to go one day - it's magic!
where are you from? and are you still traveling?
I'm from Oklahoma in the US. I live at the @gardenofeden ecovillage in Texas now. I am not traveling now, but recently had a long trip in Europe!
Your pictures are amazing, my daughter traveled around europe for 4 months, we live in Belgium, in a few months she will leave again. I think a trip like your pictures, would be of her taste totally! :-) NICE !
Looks like an amazing country to visit someday. Beautiful !
I highly recommend Peru!!
The Krsna place looks cool! Peacocks are a sacred animal to Krsna.
I’m glad your adventure took you off of your scheduled journey. That’s where the magic happens!
Oh I see, thanks for telling me about the peacocks. Yes I totally agree that the real fun of traveling does not lie in making plans!
Hi saramiller .
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Great photos! I spent a month in Peru last year and I loved it, especially Huaraz, I couldn't hike the Cordillera Range because of the weather but I think, after seeing your shots, I may have to go back in a better season and check it out. How long did you spend in Peru?
I was there for a year. I traveled all over, but the bulk of my time was in Cusco. There are so many epic places to check out in that country - I hope you get a chance to go back, @travelstheworld!
Very nice pictures, of course the Lima ones not so much, what struck me most is that you can see very little vegetation in the mountain pictures.
Lima probably has some nicer spots, but I didn't like it very much during this visit. I got to stay with a friend in Lima on my way out of the country too, and I enjoyed those days much better.
Yes the mountains in Peru are epic!! These are closer to the Pacific coast, and they have a totally different feel from the ones in the central part.
Thanks for sharing your memoir. I did catch a wave of "sentiment" or essence from your experience and it does improve my life through the moment. I haven't been able to travel much in recent years. I always gained some kind of new appreciation when I did. Sometimes renewed appreciation of my world and opportunities when I returned.
Thanks for reading & taking the time to comment @dougbudlong! Traveling is one of the most epic, expansive experiences I've ever had. I love it so much!! It's amazing what you can learn about yourself by stepping into unfamiliar situations, and I can definitely relate to the gratitude you describe!
After reading some of your posts I started to really want to go there.
Your writings make me feel the positive energy you got from this place.
Take care!
Flower photography is very nice Thank you for sharing among us
Thank you!
Follback please
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Your photos express an extraordinary coloring, a wonderful work.
I liked
Thanks!
@originalworks
Thanks
Looks so beautiful in Peru , I like it
It's an amazing country!
it looking beautiful and with your traveling photography.
Thanks!
The shots of nature are beautiful.
Thanks!
Beautiful Peru 👌 lovely place 👍
It's magical!
So cool you have my vote.
Thanks!
Wow beautifull, amazing
Amazing.