Edd:  Well, it’s February and things are back to normal at the gym. Most of the newbies who made New Year’s resolutions to get in shape seem to have already cleared out.

Cynthia:  There weren’t even that many new faces this year. I wonder if people have given up on the whole idea of resolutions.

E:  I wouldn’t doubt it. I read that 80% of people’s resolutions crash and burn in the first month, so maybe it’s like, “Why bother?”

C:  Wow, that’s a much higher percentage than I would have guessed and a quicker burn rate. I’m sure you have more to say on the subject.

E:  Indeed I do. To begin with, I believe most resolutions fail because we make them for the wrong reasons in the first place.

C:  What do you mean by “wrong reasons?”

E:  They don’t necessarily fail because people are lazy or lack willpower. The problem is they’re made with a wish instead of a why. A wish sounds like: “I should…,”  “I want to…,” “I need to…,” and they fizzle as soon as everyday life gets in the way.

C: ...

You are most likely aware that Lima is Peru’s capital and largest city. What’s number two?

We were clueless as well until en route from the airport in Arequipa (pronounced R-uh-keep-uh) to our hotel when the driver mentioned that the “White City,” as it is known, held that distinction.

All we knew was that the city is beautiful, has a warm climate, and a reputation for delicious food. Which suited us just fine after so many long touring days in brisk weather. This was exactly the break we needed before heading to Colca Canyon, the final stop on our Peru adventure.

When we opened the door to our room at the Hotel Plaza Central, a converted historic mansion, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Our wraparound windows looked right out at Plaza de Armas, the city’s main square. This 3-night stay was turning out great already!

After unpacking it was time for lunch. Edd, who enjoys researching restaurants, had seen rave reviews about artisanal hamburgers at The Red Pig, so off we went. ...

We were thinking maybe we had made a mistake scheduling a tour of the Sacred Valley outside of Cusco after our epic experience at Machu Picchu. Although it’s home to some of the most important architectural complexes of the Inca Empire, we wondered if it would be an anticlimactic disappointment?

Turns out we had nothing to worry about. Over the course of another long day in a van (once again in the last row 😕), we visited numerous sites featuring fascinating innovations by the Incas.

Our first stop was the ruins of Chinchero, a settlement that the Incas took over and expanded for use by the royal family before the Spanish arrived. The development is massive, covering over 100 acres, and highlights those terraces that seem to be everywhere in this part of the world.

Speaking of terraces, what we saw at Moray, the second location on our tour, was a remarkable example of Incan ingenuity. These amphitheater-like circles were actually laboratories to help them determine which...

At the end of Part 1 we had just arrived at 7 a.m. with our guide to explore Circuit 1 of Machu Picchu. This one provides the iconic views like the one above, but doesn’t allow entry into the interior of the ancient complex. That would be happening with our tickets for Circuit 2 at 1 p.m.

Machu Picchu’s altitude is around 8,000 feet above sea level, less than what we are used to in Cuenca. Still, the ascent was somewhat steep and challenging. While climbing we got a preview of what we were about to witness.

And suddenly there it was. The view was everything we could have ever hoped for. Photos cannot properly capture the magnificence of not only the site itself but the surrounding mountains. Breathtaking!

As we were taking it all in, our guide caught us completely off guard by saying, “My next tour isn’t until 11 o’clock. When we’re finished here I’ll talk to someone and see if we can go ahead and do Circuit 3 if you'd like.”

Well, sure!

So o...

Machu Picchu was the crown jewel of our three-week Peru adventure. Because of its status as a top bucket list destination, attendance is strictly controlled and reservations must be made at least two months in advance.

For those brave (or unorganized) enough to try it, a limited number of same-day tickets are sold, but we were told people line up in the middle of the night in hopes of getting one.

There are three different routes to experience the Inca citadel:

• Circuit 1 (Panoramic). Offers iconic views of the site from above.
• Circuit 2 (Classic). Here you enter the city and explore many of its main archaeological features.
• Circuit 3 (Royalty). Concentrates on the lower terraces, including temples and royal residences.

When we booked our 2-day, one-night trip, Wondrous Expeditions (the company we used) informed us only Circuit 1 was available. We were disappointed that we wouldn’t get to actually walk into the interior of Machu Picchu, but said, “Oh well, it is what it is. Le...

Sharing our travel experiences accomplishes two things. We get to take you along on our adventures, and this blog serves as a kind of diary for us to chronicle what happened before the details become confused or forgotten altogether.

Case in point. In our last post we promised to tell you all about our epic journey to Machu Picchu. But afterwards when we looked back at the itinerary, we realized we had skipped a day trip that happened beforehand.

Oops. So let’s first recount our memorable (for not all the right reasons) excursion to the Rainbow Mountains of Palcoyo.

When researching interesting activities for our Peru trip, Edd stumbled upon a Rainbow Mountain originally known as Vinicunca. Discovered just over a decade ago when warmer temperatures melted the snow covering it, the mountain’s brightly colored ribbons of different hues have quickly elevated this site to must-see status for adventure travelers.

The issue for these two septuagenarians was an arduous, two-hour hike at h...

The second stop on our three-week Peru adventure was Cusco, headquarters of the Inca Empire and gateway to Machu Picchu. We set up base camp for the next eight days since numerous other excursions we had scheduled began here.

The city sits at an altitude of over 11,000 feet above sea level. We expected chilly nights and packed accordingly. High altitude also meant thin air, but since we live at 8,400 feet and do cardio several times a week at the gym we thought, “No problem breathing there for us.”

Wrong.

Somehow our research overlooked the fact that while the historic downtown area is relatively flat, the surrounding neighborhoods rise up dramatically.

And in the area where we were staying, the sidewalks and streets are perilously narrow. Walking at night was not a relaxing stroll.

When we returned to our Airbnb the first evening after going down, down, down one of these former donkey paths to dinner, Cynthia became so winded on the way back up we had to stop at a hotel to le...

After months of research and planning, at the beginning of September we set out on a three-week adventure to Peru. We had put off going there for years because of its proximity to Ecuador — adjacent to the east and south. Finally, the time had come to visit the home country of Machu Picchu we had heard so much about.

Our first stop was Lima, Peru’s massive coastal capital with a population of 11 million (roughly equal to Los Angeles).

We knew the country’s coastal areas were dry, but we weren’t prepared for the barren terrain seen from the plane as we approached the city’s brand-new airport.

Since we were only in town for three days, we booked a private room through Airbnb in a beautiful apartment in Lima’s most fashionable neighborhood, Miraflores.

Our choice was rewarded with an incredible view of the lushly landscaped malecón that runs along the cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

We like to join a walking tour in cities we have never visited to get an overview of the ...

When the stars sometimes don’t align, you just have to pivot.

We achieved quite a milestone in May — 15 years as expats here in Cuenca, Ecuador! Wow, has it really been that long?

Ironically, we were in the U.S. visiting family at the time, so we decided to postpone celebrating until we got back to South America.

As it turned out, that visit unfolded differently than we had originally planned.

Our son needed surgery, and early June was the best time for him to schedule it. Cynthia remained behind to help him during the first few weeks of his recovery, while Edd returned home to oversee some repair work in the apartment.

She arrived home at the beginning of July in need of some R&R, and Edd was grateful for the relief from single life.

You see, we’re not used to being apart for long periods, which made another upcoming occasion even more special.

Our 54th wedding anniversary!

We decided to celebrate both occasions with a getaway focused on rest, relaxation, and reconnection (hey...

Although we live in Ecuador, we follow what’s going on in the United States with great interest. We know expats who are so unhappy with the direction of the country that they declare no desire to ever return.

We are not in that camp. We love our home country. Our family lives there and we visit them often. Whoever occupies the office of the presidency, we want nothing but the best for the nation.

Immigration and tariffs have dominated the news in recent months. As U.S. citizens residing in a foreign country, we perhaps have a different perspective on these issues that we would like to share.

Disclaimer ~ These are our thoughts only, for as we indicated above, others have widely different views on the current state of affairs.

Immigration

We find the controversy about this subject to be thought-provoking. When we arrived in Cuenca in 2010 (we celebrated our 15th expat anniversary in May), we needed to obtain Ecuadorian legal residency before our 90-day tourist visa expired.

Otherw...