We arrived by plane in Cusco in the dark so we could not get a look at the mountains but the ride was bumpy. We are close to the central plaza and out hotel ” El Mercado” is an old market place with a center courtyard. Charming rooms and plenty of room for the girls to run around.

I feel like I never left Bhutan or Tibet, I can’t breathe , I  have a headache and I now know how people with COP ,or whatever it is called , feel. The elephant is sitting on my chest going up hill. I have been drinking copious amounts of coca tea but it is not helping much.

I did not know that Peru is known for a huge variety of corn and potatoes and actually serves ver healthy meals..I have been eating lightly as I am sure a full stomach does not add to the altitude problem. Meanwhile the four little girls are racing around like pixies with no hint of feeling the stress.

Cusco is an amazing city with beautiful old buildings, Inca ruins and Catholic churches galore. We got a tour of many of the ruins, but the highlight was the natural slides in the rock that all of the grandkids had to try. Thank God we had the older ones to take the little ones. What a joy to see them all playing together young and old with adults mixed in.

I love the baby llamas and alpacas that are being dressed up and roam the streets with women all dressed in their traditional garb. I don’t care that they want money for a picture because I explained that this is the way they made a living and one should not shun them and say they don’t want to pay them for their picture. We took one with all the little girls, the Peruvian women and baby llamas,, all of them loved it including the women.

I can’t express what a joy it is for me to be on this trip with my family. I look at them all interacting and feel so blessed that I have been able to provide a venue like this and see them all so happy, laughing together and enjoying everything. I know that each of them will take back memories that will sustain them in their lives ahead, but what they will really know is each one of them has the other’s back and they get to truly understand and feel the bond of our family. No one cares that it is a blended family, as far as they are concerned we are all related. And as I have said many times, you don’t have to be blood to be each others brother and sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, parents or grandparents.