departure

This morning I have a few last-minute errands, and I have to go out for breakfast because there's no food in the house. Then I'll wake up Allan (he worked til 1:00 a.m. last night), and we'll pack and drive to Buffalo.

As soon as we take out the suitcases, Cody will know we're leaving. She'll be monitoring us closely to see if she's coming or not - then she'll have a small fit when we leave. It's one of the few emotional displays she'll ever make. In NYC, she would run out of our apartment into the hall, and plant herself by the elevator! She'd sit up real straight, staring at us expectantly. If I'm out here, they have to take me, right? It's a killer. But she'll only be alone for a couple of hours, until Ellen arrives, and then all will be well.

We fly from Buffalo to JFK, wait a few hours in the airport, then fly overnight to Lima. Someone from the hotel in Lima is meeting us at the airport, which apparently is pretty common there.

We'll spend Tuesday in Lima, probably just walking around and seeing what the city looks like, and stay at this hotel. (We'll also be in Lima for two days at the end of the trip.) On Wednesday morning we fly to Cuzco.

Because Cuzco and Aguas Calientes (the town outside Machu Picchu) are the most heavily visited spots in Peru - in all of South America - I've already booked rooms in both places. This means we have reservations for the first five nights of the trip, unusual for us. For the rest of the time, we'll just find a room when we get into a town.

I'm really excited. It's our first major vacation since 2002, our first time out of North America since 2001, and our first time to the Southern Hemisphere altogether. This is not to say my life has lacked for excitement. I mean, I'm here, right? But I crave travel. I am never so in my element as when I'm exploring a place I've never been to before. Allan and I are perfect travel partners; we always have a great time.

As I mentioned, I'll post my travel journal whenever I have the opportunity, at least every few days, but sometimes daily. No photos, but maybe it will be fun to read anyway.

I hope you all have a good three weeks. And don't forget to RSVP!

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