My family and I boarded another Cruz del Sur bus to Paracas, Peru. We were the last bus to arrive at the station that night; workers were all but turning off the lights while we grabbed our luggage. Luckily, our hotel was literally across the street.
Tired and in search of Hotel San Augustin, my Dad and Trey started dragging our heavy baggage across the deserted road. They warned us to tread carefully since the curb was a substantial drop-off. Though the announcement was made, my poor sister, Tatum, twisted her ankle.
Writhing on the ground, Tatum's ankle was already turning purple. She limped off the asphalt and struggled to stand. In typical Loveless family fashion, her accident incited pandemonium. Of course an injury would occur twenty-four hours before we planned on visiting Machu Picchu. Clearly frustrated, my family erupted.
In a stereotypical, American fashion, our heated discussion was rather loud and attracted the attention of a nearby driver. He approached my Dad, trying to calm him down.
"Sir, I am not Peruvian. I am not a taxi driver, but I need to know that you are okay. Ladies, are you okay?" the man repeated slowly.
When my family stopped seeing red, we saw the situation as the man did. From an outside perspective, he could easily assume that my Dad had physically hurt my sister and Trey was stealing our belongings. Once we assured him that our family is naturally impassioned and we were unharmed, he drove away.
Emotionally and physically spent, our family trudged into the San Augustin beach resort. The poor concierge took pity on the tired tourists and had another worker carry our luggage up the three flights of stairs to our rooms.
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When morning dawned, the night before seemed less overwhelming.
My parents wandered into nearby Pisco to find a sturdy ankle brace. Champions at sleeping late, my siblings woke up to the salty sea breeze. My sister, ice on her ankle, was grateful for the day of rest I had pre-planned. As for me, I enjoyed a scrumptious buffet breakfast with a postcard view of the ocean.
Along the coast, boats of varying sizes and vibrant colors were docked. The silence was interrupted only by the anchored boats rocking in the turf or the occasional bird.
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In 'Bachelor in Paradise,' a reality show that I am ashamed to know, various scenes are filmed with couples lounging on beach-side daybeds. Before now, I had never seen a day bed in person.
There I was, atop my first daybed; cuddled up with Jodi Picoult's masterpiece, 'The Tenth Circle;' wearing my bathing suit under my sweatpants; occasionally peering at the shoreline, pinching myself. Hours passed lazily, and I wasted away on my cozy perch- recharging alone.
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When my thoughts spoke louder than Jodi's, I set the novel aside and turned on Elli Holcomb's album 'Red Sea Road.' My heart echoed her words, "You are overwhelming me with peace/ With joy/ I don't have to worry about a single thing/ You're going to carry me through everything/ Overwhelming peace." Here we were, halfway through our first family trip in a foreign country. Aside from Tatum's twisted ankle, our trip was progressing perfectly.
When I planned a day of rest into the middle of our trip, I did not realize how badly I would need it. I relished the time to be still with absolutely nowhere to be.
Truth be told, relaxing has never been my strong suit. Yet, here, I focused on soaking in my surroundings through my senses. Basking in the wintry sunlight, I felt the tension seep out of me. My peaceful morning massaged my mental muscles. Finally, I understand why they called it a resort. San Augustin Paracas was a refuge of recovery for me in ways that I never knew I needed.
To my left was a pool that spanned the length of the hotel. I dipped my toes in before leaving my haven.
We packed our bags and loaded the taxis.
Our taxi driver, Juan, told us of an island only a boat ride away. Tourists can see seals and penguins on the rocky, island clefts. I rolled my window down and let the overly salty, ocean waft into every pore. Yes, I am from Florida and the beach will always be home.
We pulled up to the Piscos Airport, marveling at the empty parking lot. Even inside, only a few people were seen. Apparently, the airport had only opened three weeks earlier. We had made our flight reservation before they were even ready for business!
The lady who checked our bags was also on the security team and boarding gate crew. Some of the bathrooms did not even have light bulbs yet. That being said, this was the cleanest airport I'd ever visited; arguably, due to the fact that it was brand new and therefore, largely unused.
Boarding our flight we greeted some Florida friends that we had met in Paracas. Over the course of this trip, we enjoyed playing the game, Tourist or Native?
Abroad the plane, I grinned because next time we touched down we would be in Cuzco.
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Once landed, we dropped our bags off in another beautiful Hilton.
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Then we ate dinner at ChiCha, a recommended restaurant off the main square. For an appetizer, my Dad and I ate a Peruvian delicacy, strips of guinea pig. Our main courses were too picturesque to eat. Ultimately, our palates were not cultured enough for this particular establishment. Our family jokes it was a once in a lifetime dining experience.
Never a family to deny dessert, we had the chocolate bomb which is exactly as it sounds.
After dinner, we walked the square where last season's Bachelor, Arie, met Lauren B. and Becca. Technically, we were reliving history, albeit more recent.
The next morning, we rose before the sun, much to my siblings' chagrin. Despite the early morning, my excitement kept building as we boarded the tour bus that would take us to the train station. We booked the Vistadome Experience because the train has 360 degree windows. Also, during our trip, we were served cake, coffee and chincha morado (purple corn juice).
Our train pulled into the station at Aguas Calientes. For the final leg of our journey, we boarded another bus that would drop us off right at Machu Picchu's entrance…if it didn't kill us first. The bus hugged the mountain's edge. White-knuckled, we barreled up the mountains. Attempting to focus on the scenery and not on the number of potential casualties, I compared the terrain to the Chinese guo hua paintings.
At Machu Picchu's peak, 8,000 feet, we walked the ruins and snapped what felt like millions of pictures. During our hike, we noticed the elevated altitude for the first time. Yes, we aren't at sea-level anymore!
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We saw alpacas grazing and I had to pinch myself. Finally, I realized we were actually here and this wasn't some Disney jungle cruise.
My family and I were now numbered in the small percentage of the world's population who'd ever seen this ancient wonder!
Tatum and I had brought sea shells from home to hide in the ruins. We inscribed our initials on the inside so a part of us is still inside the ancient city. Sharing that moment with my sister was really special.
Returning from our tour felt like coming off a rollercoaster. I could not wrap my mind around what we just saw and experienced. My five-year journey to Machu Picchu had finally come to an end, but it was well worth the wait!
In Aguas Calientes, I tried an Alpaca filet with creamy noodles. Alpaca tasted like incredibly juicy, thick steak. If you can stomach the fact that the llama you took a photo with earlier is now on your plate, then feel free to feast.
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Back on the train, there was unanticipated entertainment. Our servers hosted a fashion show. Their garments were made of Alpaca fur. What a cosmic joke! I felt God poking fun at my unusual choice in meaty cuisine.
At the show's end, one of the servers dressed up as an Inka demon. His clothing was rainbow colored and adorned with various sparkly gemstones. Up and down the rows he went, dancing to traditional, Peruvian music. Then the demon began selecting women to dance with him. My family predicted that I would be asked to dance with him. When he did ask me to dance, I thought to myself, "Should I be worried? After all, I am dancing with the Devil..."
Three hours later, we left the train and resident demon behind. About an hour or so later, our tour bus had returned us to our hotel.
Sitting in our rooms, my family and I wordlessly wondered, what just happened? (Please read 'what just happened' in the voice of the Spice Girl's Mel B.)
Days later, Julianne Hough and her new husband celebrated her birthday at Machu Picchu. That was the first time that I saw pictures of Machu Picchu and thought, wow, I've been there too.
Machu Picchu, we will not soon forget you.
Yet, our trip was not quite finished. Read on to find out how we ended our family trip to Peru!
