Keeping with 2017’s theme of doing shit that brings me joy, I went on a group hike again, this time to Nahal Tse’Elim, in the Negev. I love the outdoors. I love hiking. And I love the sense of self-sufficiency that I’m gaining the more I explore the world around me. This hike was short (7km out and back) and non-technical. No pressure to go faster or get back by...
Hiking in the Negev in Israel is as beautiful as it sounds, and something I’ve wanted to do since we arrived a few years ago. As our time in Jerusalem is growing short, I ditched my spouse and kids, and signed up for a group hike in the HaMakhtesth HaKaton, a small crater in the Nagev. The Makhtesh Katan is one of five craters in Israel, and seven in the...
Machu Picchu is a once-in-a-lifetime hike that everyone should do. The bulk of the ruins are easy walks that can be done with toddlers or parents, and there hikes for the more adventuresome as well. There are a million blgoposts detailing the history of Machu Picchu. Go read them. I’m going to describe our amazing day here . We woke up before dawn to take the train to Agues Calientes,...
So we’d have enough time to explore the Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo (or Ollanta), we spent several nights there, using it as our base to explore the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo was the site of the Inca’s last resistance against the Spanish, and sits at over 9,000 feet above sea level. Yes. That’s high. But not as high as some of the touristing we did on our way in through the Sacred...
After almost a week in Lima, it was a relief to arrive in Cuzco and begin touring the Sacred Valley in Peru. We’d planned three nights in Ollantaytambo and one night in Cuzco. It sounded reasonable, but in retrospect, we should have added another few nights and cut short our return trip through Lima. After landing in Cuzco, we hopped in a car with the guide we’d arranged through our...
One of the joys of becoming an outdoor person myself is dragging my family along on my outdoor adventures. On Independence Day, while visiting my parents on R&R, I woke up feeling like taking a hike. I quickly researched the area options, and inspired by fond childhood memories, settled on Sugarloaf Mountain. By the time everyone else had woken up, had their coffee, and gotten dressed, I’d already settled on...
I am an expat, logistician, traveler, writer, paper crafter, lover of books and coffee, and occasionally doting mother. I am occasionally foul-mouthed, not nearly as diplomatic as my professional would imply, and fiercely feminist.
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