Hello, and thanks for following along on another trip.

My best friend Lanita and I were looking for a place to go this spring, but we weren’t sure how to pick where to go. We wanted to go for a week or less, and did not want to take any overnight flights or deal with jet lag. We also really wanted to go to a new continent.

We had opted to spend our first couple days in the desert area about 2 hours outside of Lima. Our flight arrived around 11:00 P.M. and we were picked up soon after by our kind Airbnb host. Even though it was dark, we got to see the ocean as we drove along the coast for several miles.

After researching about 12 different countries we wanted to go to, Peru seemed to be winner. We could get cheap flights through the daytime, and the time difference was only one hour. Plus it was below the equator, so we would get to be in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time.

The eco-lodge we are staying at is a little cabin up on the hills surrounding Cieneguilla. We slept with the sliding doors wide open, so the breeze and the night sounds could come in. We can hear the Lurin River in the valley below us, which is a lot better than any white noise.

The cabin is surrounded by eucalyptus trees, geraniums, umbrella trees, snake plants, and other beautiful flora that I cannot identify.

Even after our late night, we were up early enjoying the views. Our Airbnb host, Natalia, offered to take us to get breakfast and groceries (about a 15 minute drive). We decided to be adventurous and take her up on it, which ended up being a great choice. On the way, we stopped to see some ruins from an Incan city that dated to the 15th century.

We had fresh juices, eggs, delicious chunks of pork, bread, and tomalitos. We ate outside under a beautiful porch. The temperature was perfect and the food was delicious.

After breakfast, we stopped at a market to get snacks and fresh fruit. Among our finds were plantain chips, a variety of popsicles, and a granadilla.

Granadillas are similar to passionfruit, but the seeds inside are much larger. They look just like sunflower seeds. We got one to go with our pineapple, banana, and mango, and had quite a tropical fruit bonanza that afternoon.

We spent the rest of the day back at our cabin, enjoying the sunshine, the pool and the views.

This evening we ordered pizza delivery for supper that finally arrived at 8:00 P.M. but was worth the wait.

I can’t wait to wake up to this view tomorrow morning. Buenos noches!