Day 1: Peru: Lima: getting there and getting settled

Fortified by a nice dinner at Lazy Dog outside of the IAD airport, we were ready to begin our adventures. Lazy Dog is a small chain featuring American cooking from scratch. The menu is enormous. Even better, a location is coming soon to King of Prussia, PA.

As our flight was at 1 am, TSA pre-check was closed for the night, along with much of the rest of the airport. I guess that is one way COPA keeps their expenses low.

Our flights from COPA to Lima, Peru (layover in Panama City, their hub) were uneventful though basic. Not even a place to charge our phones, certainly not a screen on the back of the seats, and food was "take it or leave it." For the first leg we had three seats for the two of us. The second leg we were upgraded to economy plus, meaning I could cross my legs without hitting the back of the seat in front of us. The two-hour layover gave us a chance to stretch our legs and explore the Panama airport. 

We arrived in Lima with our carry on bags in hand and were met by Miguel and his sedan. We were his only pickups. That should have been my first clue that the transportation for the trip would be chaotic. Sometimes we were the only ones, sometimes part of the group, sometimes we would add people from other hotels, and very rarely all 13 of us traveled together. We were each handed our own itineraries and had to keep track of how our piece fit into the greater experience.

Miguel spoke excellent English. Something I did not appreciate at the time. He told us everything we should know -- the exchange rate, the weather, what to expect in Lima, how long the ride would be, suggestions for things to do with the rest of the day, as well as answered questions we had about what we were seeing. 

We arrived at the hotel around 1:30 after a 45 minute drive from the airport and immediately checked into our room on the top floor. This would be our room for the next two nights, and the hotel we would return to on the last night. Changing  hotels every two days was as exhausting as I thought it would be. Packing cubes kept us organized. Fortunately we could leave our bags at the hotel during those gaps when we didn't have a room (as we often use VRBO, this felt like a luxury). 

We did a quick change from winter to summer clothes and went in search for food. I love exploring cities. Many in our group prefer nature, to which I say I am glad the planet is large enough we can all find things we enjoy. We don't all have to like the same things. Me, I like cities. I like seeing how grocery stores vary. How there are always places to eat. Always some kind of transportation to get you back to where you started. People to talk to. Street art. All that said, it takes a little bit for me to get my bearings. 

We started to walk towards Parque Kennedy, yes named after our President Kennedy. We made a wrong turn and found a soup restaurant open 24-hours a day. Oddly, though, soup was the smallest part of the menu. They offered a soup of the day and two other items. The rest of the menu was expansive. And in Spanish. We asked for a menu in English (something that has worked in Belgium and France) and were handed a QR code. We still had troubles discerning the menu, so we turned to Google Translate -- a travel game changer. We were too hungry to be adventurous. 

Google Maps, another travel game changer, guided us to Parque Kennedy. Technically the former Parque Central was divided into two parks: Parque 7th de Junio (June 7th Park) and Parque Kennedy in honor of his proposing the the 1961 Alliance for Progress (the more I learned about history on this trip, the more I realized I don't know much about the history of this region and a week was not going to be long enough). Most people simply refer to it as Parque Kennedy. At the one end is a traffic circle under a blue construction tarp (sorry, no picture). The other is the Virgen Milegrosa Church. My interest, though was in the friendly kittens and cats who have taken sanctuary in this park. If I had more time, I would have spent it taking pictures of the cats. We noticed cat houses, or cat castles. While dog's are on leashes in the city, the cats are roaming free.

Very regal

Cat castle

We decided to regroup, so we walked back towards the hotel and aimed for one of my other goals: visiting Pucllano, the pyramid in the center of Lima. I first learned about the pyramid when I saw a content creator Kevin Droniak's post about Peru in a day. Kevin finds cheap non-stop fares and visits places around the world for up to 24-hours. The benefit to short trips is he does not check into a hotel, and ha makes the most of every minute. Often he chooses one must-do thing for his day, and does whatever else he can while he is there, the returns to the airport to sleep on the flight home. His one day in Peru included visiting the pyramid.

Alas, when we arrived they were closed for dinner break. Wanting to make the most of our time, we moved forward to another activity and aimed to go to the pyramid the next day after our guided tour of the city.

We'll pick up the day at our next stop: the Magic Water Circuit.

Peru

One of the reasons Don loves working for REI is that he gets to talk to people about vacations. Customers come in wondering about what equipment they should purchase before setting off on an adventure, and Don shares his expertise with them. Often the trips are to places we have visited, and he can offer practical advice -- "I thought I was going to lose body parts while waiting for the Northern Lights in Iceland, pack extra warm socks and gloves." Or, "book your tickets early to Sagrada Familia when you go to Barcelona." 

Or maybe those are pieces of advice I would offer.

Manchu Picchu keeps coming up as a place to visit. As it is in Peru, therefore in South America, it also ticked two of my 2026 goals: visit a country new to me, and go to one of the three continents I had not yet visited. When I saw a Black Friday deal on TravelZoo, I asked Don if he wanted to jump on it. He said YES!

The deal, through Exoticca, was $899 each for seven days in Peru, including flights, and a visit to Manchu Picchu. I reminded Don this was not the hiking trip his customers were planning to take, but a stroll through one of the seven wonders of the world. He was good with that, mostly because he knew I would not agree to a multi-day hiking experience.

To put the $899 in perspective, the cheapest airfare I was finding was over $1000 each. We did a small upgrade to fly out of Washington, DC's IAD instead of New York's JFK (Philadelphia, Newark, and Baltimore were not options). IAD is about a three and a half hour drive, adding to an already long day.

Itinerary:

Tuesday, February 17: drive to IAD, dinner outside the airport.

Day 1: Wednesday, February 18: 1 am-6 am fly to Panama on COPA, 8:45 am to 12:25 pm, fly to Lima, Peru. Airport pick up. Rest of the day free.

Day 2: Thursday, February 19: 8 am trip orientation meeting in the lobby, 9 am bus/walking tour of Lima with local guide. Rest of the day free.

Day 3: Friday, February 20: 6:25 am pick up for drive to airport, 9:55 am-11:30 am flight to Cusco, stop at Sulca Museum to learn about local textiles, check into hotel. Rest of the day free.

Day 4: Saturday, February 21: Manchu Picchu, shuttle to train, train, bus to Manchu Picchu, tour site, bus back to town, train to shuttle bus, shuttle bus to hotel. Arrive back at hotel at 10 pm. A full day. 

Day 5: Sunday, February 22: 11 am pick up to drive 90 minutes to Cusco. Rest of the day was free.

Day 6: Monday, February 23: Meet at hotel at 2:30, 3 pm tour of Cathedral and Sun Temple. Black Friday special: learn how to make Pisco Sour.

Day 7: Tuesday, February 24: 3 pm pick up, 6:40 pm-8:10 pm flight to Lima, transfer to hotel.

Day 8: Wednesday, February 25: 8:50 am pick up for a 1:20 pm-5 pm flight to Panama, followed by a 6:40 pm to 11:30 pm flight to Washington, DC.

Pros:

They on ground support was excellent. They were where they would say they would be every step of the way.

I loved not having to take care of the logistics for once. I let them worry about timing and making all the pieces fall into place.

There was free time to explore on our own (though I wished we had at least one more day in Lima). 

We chose where we wanted to eat lunch and dinner, and there were lots of good options.

The dollar goes far. Dinners were often $10-$15 each. Our rideshares were under $10 from one side of town to another.

Nice people in our group.

Clean hotels.

Felt safe.

Cons:

Altitude sickness kicked our butts.

Exoticca support was non-existent. We tried to get on an earlier flight to Lima and they said they'd get back to us. Hmph. The moment we landed in Lima we both felt worlds better.

I did not wear sunscreen and got burnt (yes, totally my fault). I bought some, and still forgot to wear it one day.

The flights they booked us on were the equivalent of flying Frontier or Peoples Express internationally. Turned me off from wanting to fly again.

Landing at IAD, having to take a shuttle bus to customs only to learn Global Entry was closed, along with the only bathrooms, and the line for security. The former two because the floors were being deep cleaned for three days (really?), the later due to a shift change. Not the fault of Exoticca, but not the way I wanted to end the trip.

Constantly being harassed by locals in Cusco to buy souvenirs. 

What I wish we did differently:

Studied basic Spanish. Greetings. Numbers. Practiced saying buenos dias, tardes, and noches before leaving home. Neither my English nor my French skills were useful.

Tried more of the local food, even street food.

Visited more museums and did less hiking.

Bought more souvenirs or had my Chacos shined or spent more money helping locals. We tipped well, but could have, should have, done more.

Let the adventures and photo dumps begin!

"Come From Away" at Paper Mill Playhouse

Last summer we traveled to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada to see "Come From Away," the hit Broadway musical. If you have seen the show, you know it has all the feels. One moment you are crying, then something happens that generates a big belly laugh. You remember where you were on that fateful day. Tears streamed from my eyes the moment they chanted Welcome to the Rock until they were taking bows. The emotions were extra high sitting in the auditorium knowing some of the theater goers were in Gander on September 11, 2001 helping strangers who turned into friends and then family over the course of five emotional days.

I thought that was a once in a lifetime experience. After all, how can you top that?

Then I learned "Come From Away" was on Paper Mill Playhouse's 2025-26 schedule. Even better, they announced there would be a talkback with the real life inspirations behind the characters.

The show was fabulous. Unlike other times when I see a different actor in a role, I had no troubles making the shift. I was mesmerized. I kept anticipating lines and wondering how the staging would differ from either Gander or Broadway. The set is a lot busier with suitcases piled all over the place -- some of which are used as airplane seats and in other ways. Here is a link to the original Broadway website with pictures of the set. They used mismatched chairs and a seemingly simple background, though I am sure it was more complicated than it looked to my eyes. (I'm not sharing the image directly because it is copywrite protected.)

This is a picture I took in Gander in last summer:

Simple in a different way. The quilt in the background was lovingly made by locals square by square. Extra squares were throughout the theater. The white boxes were suitcases, chairs, and other props as needed.

The set at Paper Mill Playhouse is much more complicated. Even using binoculars, from the second to last row I could not figure out where to look. There are pictures on the sides too small to appreciate. A staircase that is used periodically, sometimes as a bus, sometimes as a flight of stairs. It showed me how the same basic information can be transformed and reimagined. Something I am learning as my role of theater reviewer for the Perry Awards (no, I did not review this play as it is professional theater). Over the past year I've learned to notice the technical side of theater, not only notice, but appreciate the thought that goes into every decision big and small.

I also had flashbacks to the real places that inspired the show, some of which we saw the next day.

The real magic came after the show. I love theater add-ons, especially talkbacks. For this series, Paper Mill Playhouse is offering talkbacks after two performances: once with the actors and this time with the real "come from aways." 

One the show was over and people left, we moved from the mezzanine to the orchestra section. Not long after we sat, the freshly scrubbed actors entered and sat in the rows behind us. They, too, wanted to hear what they had to say.

Soon Kevin Tuerff and five other plane people entered the stage along with two people from Paper Mill Playhouse. I did not bring my notebook, hence there is a good chance there will be mistakes in my narrative.

Let me backtrack a step. While we were in Gander, I purchased Kevin's book "Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11" from Dolly, the owner of an independent bookstore located in a strip mall near our hotel. (Thank you, Kevin, for having an author page I can link to rather than Amazon.) A couple of days ago I remembered the book and decided to read it before the show. Even better, I remembered to bring the book with me and patiently waited for him to sign it. The book was for sale at the theater, but this gave me a chance to read it and be prepared for the talkback.

Kevin has now seen "Come From Away" 117 times. Years ago we spoke with a security guard outside the "Come From Away" who said the real life Beverly Bass, the pilot representing pilots in the show, has seen it over 100 times. This December 2021 story said she has seen it 164 times. I wonder what it is like to have your life turned into a Broadway musical. Would I want to see it? Would I want to bring friends and family?

I even brought a pen,
which came in handy

Living near New York City, it was relatively easy for the theater to bring locals in to tell the audience about their experiences. Having just read his book, I knew Kevin moved from Texas and was now lives in New York City. His life was transformed by those days in Gander. Read the book to find out how.

Kevin T. is one of the two gay Kevins -- the only who owns an environmental company. In the show he is from Los Angeles; in real life he is from Texas.

Sharing the stage with Kevin Tuerff (sporting his trademark "gay lumberjack" plaid shirt), were Tom McKeon, Kerry Derringer-Cashin, Carol Maslin,  Maureen Murray, and Sue Ricardelli. 

Tom's story is transformed into the character of Bob, a black man from Queens who is afraid he will be shot for stealing barbecues to take to the community center at the request of his host, the mayor. Tom agreed that was true. He and the mayor are still great friends and have been to each other's homes drinking each other's Irish whiskey.

Kerry said it took her a few years to connect that she and Tom are the two people in Bev's cockpit when Bev hears news from the United States. She and the other women are not specific characters, unlike Kevin and Tom. As depicted in Kevin's book, Maureen and Sue are gay women who bonded with the two Kevins. As gay people, the four of the them were unsure how they would be treated in Gander ("hard to know where the Red states are in another country" is a line in the show), only to be welcomed with open arms. Maureen and Sue have been back about a dozen time, often staying with a couple they met in 2001 who lived across the street from the shelter where they were housed with the Kevins. They are planning a return for the 25th anniversary this September.

Sadly the real-life Hannah passed away a few months ago. I picture she would have joined them on stage if she was still alive. 

As a bonus, I got to meet Michael Rubinoff, the originating producer of "Come From Away." When I told Jill (the director of the Gander production of "Come From Away") I was planning to see the show at Paper Mill, she said to keep an eye out for Michael. She had shared my blog post with him. As luck would have it, the orchestra seats we moved to were about six seats away from him during the talkback. As people left, I made my way over to introduce myself. His eyes lit up and he told me he loved my blog. Maybe I'm exaggerating as much as Annette does when she dreams about the French pilot, but that's my story and I'm sticking with it. We posed for a picture. In any case, Jill told him I'd be there and he genuinely seemed glad to meet me.

Between Kevin and Michael, I left star struck. This was my fourth time seeing a show. I can't imagine another production topping this one, but never say never.

"Come From Away" opens runs through March 1. Tickets are available HERE.

Asbury Park Casino

This post is meant to go in tandem with the post Snow on the Beach.

As we walked past the Asbury Park Casino and Carousel, buildings that are iconic and historic, after noticing the area blocked off by a chain-link fence, we saw the following sign:

I had already noticed comments on Facebook that the developers were planning to tear down the iconic breezeway. Comments that the Asbury Park Press has reported that the developers have since walked back. Unfortunately both articles are behind paywalls, but the headlines give the gist.

While walking around the structure, I took pictures of some of their street art. If it does go away, I do want to remember the inspirational messages.

Snow on the Beach

We have been suffering through a mighty cold winter in New Jersey. Over a week ago, we had a snowstorm that ended with a layer of ice. It would have been hard for the snow to melt with the cold temperatures, but the ice has made it stick around even longer. 

Feeling if you can't been them, join them, Don and I drove down to Ocean Grove and Asbury Park to see the beach covered in snow. The boardwalk also had snow on it, with a weaving path cleared in places. It was both beautiful and frustrating. Unlike closer to home, the snow on the beach has mostly been flattened by the tides or even washed away. There were pockets, though, when I innocently took a step and found my foot sinking anywhere from two inches to two feet from the hard crusty layer straight through to the sand protected underneath. Fortunately neither of us got hurt, but it did make for a slower walk than usual.

Adding to time is that the casino which sits on the border between Ocean Grove and Asbury Park has been deemed unsafe. There is a large fence around it forcing people to either walk on the (snow covered) beach or go into town and use the Eastern Footbridge. Both add minutes to a 30-second stroll, especially in the snow. I wonder how much this will impact whether or not we take one of our favorite strolls. 

The temperatures were above freezing for the first time in at least a week, with another arctic blast in the forecast for the following weekend, so we drove the hour to walk the boardwalk and stroll on the beach. Here some pictures from our adventures.

RIP Eddie Bauer Stores

Last week Cousin Laura wrote to me to let me know that the Eddie Bauer Salvage Store in Columbus, OH announced they would be closing this location. I posted my memories of visiting the store during our regular trips to Ohio. 

A few days later the news reported that all Eddie Bauer locations are closing. Or most. Or some. Or some have already. They might switch to all online. They might keep a few locations. On a cold winter day when we were already heading to Ocean Grove and Asbury Park to see snow on the beach and boardwalk, we took a detour to the Eddie Bauer store located in the Jersey Shore outlets in Tinton Falls, NJ.

At the store I asked the clerks when they learned about the closing, they said the same way we did: via the news outlets. Ouch! Makes me like Eddie Bauer a little less.

A man at the register said he was there because he had been eyeing up some pants. His wife told him about the closing and told him it was now or never. He bought two pairs.

Customers called -- yes, the phone rang -- to make sure they were open.

I spent about an hour grabbing items in my size, hugging them close to my chest as I decided which to keep and which to leave for someone else. I grabbed three pairs of jeans, deciding to keep only one -- the Goldilocks one of the three. I bought a pair of denim capris and denim shorts -- items that have been missing from my wardrobe since I wore out my last ones. I also picked up two long-sleeved cotton shirts in colors I did not already own. I wear that style about three-quarters of the year. I also found a grey cotton sweater, which I hope will replace the brown cotton sweater I have worn out over the past decade. Likely, though, my worn out Eddie Bauer clothes will go the way of my worn out college wear--hung onto out of nostalgia because they are not so easy to replace. I left behind a dress I would likely never wear, and a sports bra that was tangled even on the hanger.

The purchases will help me postpone the inevitable: a wardrobe makeover.

I have been making small steps towards reinventing how I dress. In October, I went to a Wool& popup sale in Pennsylvania. I had purchased a couple of dresses from their online store, but this gave me the opportunity to try on items and decide what I wanted. I didn't appreciate just how much of a discount they were providing, and only left with one sleeveless dress. By being the 137th person through the door that day, I scored a $100 gift card to be used online. I waited for their Black Friday sale, but even then everything was over the $100. They were running a sale if you spent $150, you could toss in a bonus item. The dress I wanted was $148. I could not justify spending more for a free item and the sale passed. I did finally buy the blue dress and love it. REI, where Don works, sells a lot of wool base layers. I see more wool items in my future, and less blue jeans. 

Some people need a kick like their favorite national chain closing their doors in order to move on.

On the other hand, I heard their non-North American locations are staying open. I had to ask ... where else are they located? The answer: Japan. Maybe it is time to go back? 

PS: a few days later we went to the Bridgewater Commons location. Not only had that store closed already the name had been taken off the entrance, the carpet had been ripped up, and there was not even a speck of dust left in the store, just a vacant hull.