wonders of the world – Scribbles and Snapshots

Turkey, that’s my second favorite kind of poultry!

September 5, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Ephesus, Europe, Kusadasi, Mediterranean, Mosaic, Roman Ruins, Romans, travel, travel blog, turkey, wonders of the world, Zeus1 Comment

September 4, 2025

Our third stop was Kusadasi, Turkey, which was a new country for me – but a revisit for Andy (due to his time in the Air Force). We had booked the “Ancient Ephesus” tour with the cruise line, which would take us a little bit inland to the ancient city. It was an earlier wake up for us, but well worth it!

Strolling through Ephesus feels like walking straight into a history book, only way sunnier and with a lot more cats (and a few dogs!). Once a major city of the Roman Empire, it was famous for its great theater, shiny marble streets, and the incredible Library of Celsus. Back in its day, Ephesus was buzzing with trade, politics, and worship at the Temple of Artemis which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

What makes Ephesus even more fascinating is its connection to the Bible. The apostle Paul spent years here, preaching and later writing the Letter to the Ephesians. It’s believed that the Virgin Mary lived out her final years nearby, cared for by the apostle John, who continued his ministry in this region. You can still visit Mary’s home, and the ruins of Temple of Artemis. Unfortunately our tour didn’t include these two as options, but if you are going – I’d recommend looking for these as add ons!

It was eventually abandoned as the river silted up and malaria spread through the area, leaving the once-great city to crumble. Today, archaeologists are still uncovering its secrets. They think only about 10% of the site has been excavated so far, making it a bit like Turkey’s own version of Pompeii, with more treasures waiting to be revealed. It was recognized as a UNCESO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Now for the fun part! We had an early start – and glad that we did because each port has been HOT. It hasn’t mattered if we start at 8 or at 12pm, it’s hot. But we were hoping that it would be less busy if we went early.

We were dropped off at one end of the valley and started working our way downhill. This city was incredibly advanced: wide marble streets, aqueduct system with fresh water, and an advanced sewage system.

A few of the major stunners in the valley though are the theaters (one of them could hold over 25,000!) and the Celsus Library, which is one of the third largest library in the ancient world. (Not to be confused with the second or fourth largest).

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves – and let Andy take over. Because I think the captions might add more value at this point.

This is The Great Theater (almost 24k seating), they are restoring it for modern shows!

After we left Ephesus we went back into Kusadasi. Our tour brought us to a rug factory where they demonstrated how they gather silk from silk worms, and then they showed us how they make rugs. Of course, it’s a sales pitch. The couple next to us asked how much the smallest rug was – $1,300! Our guide had told us that we would get a group discount of 30%, so I tried to help them out and asked, “Is that with the 30%?” And the guy nodded, “Yes – that’s with the discount. Are you interested. Can I help you?!”

We said no and head downstairs to the other part of the store. Not that the rugs weren’t beautiful, just a bit out of our price range. I did buy some jewelry and a few other souvenirs at their shop.

We wandered around Kusadasi a bit more before returning to the cruise ship. It was a lovely town, it definitely had a resort feel. We were even surprised to see pine trees!

Up Next:
Santorini

Lima – Peru Day 5

December 20, 2023December 20, 2023Posted in PeruTagged Aguas Calientes, Cusco, Lima, Machu Picchu, Peru, sacred valley, wonders of the worldLeave a comment

On Sunday morning, we woke up and made our way to the Cusco airport. It was less scary flying out of Cusco than flying in – so that was a relief!

We made it back to Lima around lunchtime. Gate 1 had organized a bus to pick us up to immediately bring us on a tour of Lima. The tour included a tour of the colonial section, the main plaza, and the San Francisco convent and catacombs.

It was primarily a walking tour – it was fun to see the hustle and bustle on a Sunday. Lots of families come in to go shopping and spend time together – and enjoy their Black Friday weekend sales!

The most interesting part of the tour was the convent and catacombs, which we couldn’t take ANY pictures of. But holy smokes – it was incredible to see the catacombs.

The catacombs were started in the 1500’s and still is used for important peoples in the brotherhood’s burials. It was created to withstand seismic movement (Peru is in the ring of fire), which is amazing they had that understanding 800 years ago! There are estimated to be 25,000 bodies buried down there.

The brotherhood opened the catacombs to the public in 1950. In order to open them, they had to move some of the skeletons to create more of a path. They were displayed in interesting ways – usually the skulls or the femurs (the strongest bones in the body).

Here are a few pictures from Google – we all wanted to respect the fact that this was a burial ground.

These “well” type shapes in the catacombs helped prevent damage from earthquakes

This staircase leads back up to the church above

After the convent we made our way to the hotel. We got checked in and then headed to our farewell dinner. Some people had the whole next day to enjoy Lima, but unfortunately for myself and Andy we had a 1:00 AM flight. So we were on our way to the airport around 9:00 PM!

The flight home was smooth – and we absolutely loved Peru. We have a pretty lengthy bucket list, but we can already tell that we need another Peru trip to check more items off of it!

Accommodations:

Jose Antonio – Miraflores Lima

Up Next:
Australia/New Zealand cruise December 2023

Cusco – Peru Day 4

December 9, 2023December 9, 2023Posted in PeruTagged Cusco, Lima, Machu Picchu, Peru, sacred valley, wonders of the worldLeave a comment

We were relieved that we got to sleep in a bit on Saturday as we had been going nonstop since we got to Peru. We laid low that morning, and then started our morning by walking to a restaurant that one of my friends had recommended. Mel had visited Peru back in June, and she had given me a recap and recommendations. So we were doing our best to at least hit a few places she had told me about.

Like most of Peru, we felt quite safe and comfortable walking around their cities and towns by ourselves. Cusco was easy to navigate, shopping and dining was easy as almost everyone we interacted with spoke great English.

We got to Yaku right around the time they opened – and ordered their corn to share. I still can’t get over how big the kernels are!

I’m not an adventurous eater – mainly because in my day-to-day I am a borderline vegetarian (primarily eating chicken, turkey, and a little bit of fish). So I never really try new meats when we travel. However, Andy had wanted to try an Alpaca burger and I ordered their chicken plate.

The food was so delicious – we had a great meal and started making our way back to the hotel. We stopped in a few shops along the way – I had wanted to some baby Alpaca clothing and/or scarves. We found a few stores that actually had their own Black Friday sales – 50% off of everything! Had no idea that carried on outside of the United States – so that was fun.

We got back to the hotel in time for our tour of Cusco. Our first stop was the Saqsaywaman – (sounds like sexy woman ha!) which is a former temple fortress. It’s also one of the largest structures built by the Incas. The Incas were excellent stone masters – they took massive boulders to construct the walls.

Our tour guide had shared that the Incas did most things for their gods – including building temples for them. There are three animals that are prominent in Inca culture – the condor, the puma, and the snake. They each represent the different “world” in their culture: condor = upper, puma = outer, snake = inner.

This is meant to be a fist – the thumb would be on the other side. Personally, I thought it was a foot

What makes our Saqsaywaman area so incredible is that they constructed it for an aerial view… to look like a puma! You can see the jagged walls in our pictures – they are meant to be teeth! Unfortunately, because it wasn’t protected – Cusco had used the area for a quarry and some of it was deconstructed years ago. Regardless, they call it the Peruvian Stonehenge!

The view from the city was incredible – it really was a picture perfect vantage point over the city. From there, we went to another temple. This one was much smaller – Qenqo. This site you walked down into a lower area where you could see an altar. It’s believed that this was used as a ceremonial site – and likely where sacrifices took place.

As we left this quick site – we saw a mini Christ the Redeemer, which was a fun nod to our trip last Christmas!

Just a *little* bit smaller than the one in Rio de Janeiro

Our last stop of the tour was at the Cusco Cathedral. It was beautiful, but unfortunately you couldn’t take any pictures inside. The Spanish built this church in 1559, and there was a lot of gold and finery lining these walls. Our favorite part was the painting of the Last Supper. A Peruvian artist was hired to paint this – he hadn’t seen it – and was going off their description. What was in the center of the table?

A guinea pig. Yep, you read that right! Guinea pigs are the main dish for celebrations in Peru. I’ll share a picture I found online so you can see what the painting looks like.

Andy outdid himself with this photo of the church

We had a few more recommendations from Mel on our list – so we stayed in the main plaza area. We checked out Paddy’s Irish Pub – which is the highest Irish owned pub on the planet at 11,156 feet. (Makes me wonder if there is a non-Irish owned pub that’s higher?!) After dinner, we got a cocktail from The Black Cat. It was certainly the best caipirinha I’ve had since leaving Brazil last year!

Accommodations: Xima Cusco Hotel

Up Next:

Return flight to Lima
Lima walking tour
Farewell dinner

Aguas Calientes – Peru Day 3

November 28, 2023November 28, 2023Posted in PeruTagged Aguas Calientes, Cusco, Lima, Machu Picchu, Peru, sacred valley, wonders of the world2 Comments

The day after Machu Picchu was set out to be a more relaxing one. The day started with an optional walking tour of the town Aguas Calientes. As we started walking, it was raining – eventually coming to a stop entirely.

Aguas Calientes was a small town, but with the tourism industry picking up – it has grown into a more touristy town. (But still fun!) Our tour manager gave us an overview of what it’s like living in Peru and more history about the country itself.

Note the corn cob on the end of his staff – corn was very prominent in the Inca Empire

Once the walking tour wrapped up, we went to a nearby restaurant for a Pisco Sour demonstration. The Pisco Sour is the national drink in Peru – you see these everywhere on the menu! A Pisco Sour is a refreshing cocktail that typically includes Pisco (a white grape brandy), fresh lime juice, simple syrup, ice, and egg white. It’s shaken to perfection, creating a frothy and zesty drink.

The bartender explained how to make the drink – and then asked for a few volunteers to bartend. Andy and I weren’t selected – but we were taking notes so we can make them at home!

Some people stayed at that restaurant for lunch, but I was really craving an empanada – so we started looking for another restaurant. Once we found one – we had a great view of the Main Street, which was fun to watch all the different people walk by.

When I had ordered my empanadas – I had asked how many came with the order. He said two – which was about what I was looking for. They are usually pretty small. Once he brought them out – we realized the mistake. They were huge!

I couldn’t finish – and Andy wasn’t much help. Another group from Gate 1 was in the restaurant so they took the second one off of our hands. But I couldn’t even finish the first one that I had started. I was just explaining that I hadn’t seen any homeless people that I could share the leftovers with, when this small (probably 5 or 6 years old?) boy came up and asked if he could have it.

No, he wasn’t homeless. But he was not throwing away his shot! We said yes, and he scooped that up and walked away ecstatic with his prize. Then the restaurant’s cat jumped up into my lap for some love.

We took the train back to the original train station – it was less lively this way. But we had a better view of the river. It was relaxing after the previous day’s activities. After we made it back – we still had a two hour bus ride to Cusco.

Our tour manager had organized a stop at a pottery shop – everything was super reasonable there. It was a cool experience – and we learned more about the style of pottery there. We all purchased a couple of authentic souvenirs, and we were on our way again.

We made it back to Cusco and just had a late dinner at the hotel and much needed rest.

Accommodations: Xima – Cusco Hotel

Up Next:

Highlights of Cusco Tour

Going to Machu Picchu? Alpaca my bags – Peru Day 1

November 24, 2023November 24, 2023Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cusco, Lima, Machu Picchu, Peru, sacred valley, wonders of the world2 Comments

Hola and welcome back to our thrilling adventure! We’re on a quest to conquer our bucket lists, currently in pursuit of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World – and let me tell you, it’s shaping up to be an incredible journey!

Our original plan to explore Peru got a detour to Rio de Janeiro last December due to political unrest, but fear not – we’ve rescheduled and are now soaking in the sights and sounds of Peru. The 8.5-hour flight from LAX was surprisingly smooth, and I managed to achieve the seemingly impossible: fitting everything into a carry-on (a personal triumph for this self-proclaimed serial over-packer 😜).

Our arrival in Lima was made extra special with a private driver, a delightful touch courtesy of Gate 1. (Although, we were the latest arrivals – so maybe not so special?!)

The following morning, we embarked on our journey to Cusco, and despite a slightly nerve-wracking landing caused by the city’s high altitude, (over 11,000 feet!) we touched down without a hitch.

This tour is far from a leisurely vacation – we were well aware of that from the start. We got to meet the rest of the group on the bus on the way to the airport. The flight to Cusco was quick, and our bus journey to the Sacred Valley (the gateway to Machu Picchu) was a culinary adventure filled with traditional Peruvian dishes, skillfully presented by our Tour Manager and his assistant.

Our tour manager – Washington with Chuta bread

Beyond the typical tourist experience, Gate 1 actively supports local communities, and we witnessed this firsthand at a one-room elementary school. The children were not only endearing but also a testament to the positive impact of Gate 1’s initiatives.

In addition to these cultural delights, we explored a textile museum that showcased the incredible artistry of alpaca fur and various materials. And let’s not forget our fluffy companions – the alpacas! We had the pleasure of meeting these charming creatures, including an adorable baby alpaca that stole my heart.

Our journey through Peru also introduced us to the delightful surprise of corgi-like pups in one village. It seems a corgi must have left its mark here, given the stumpy pups that melted our hearts.

After a day filled with cultural immersion and adorable encounters, we checked into our hotel in the Sacred Valley, refreshed ourselves, and headed to dinner.

Exhausted but content, we all turned in around 8:30 PM, eagerly anticipating the new adventures that awaited us. Stay tuned for more tales from our Peruvian escapade! 🌎✈️

Accommodations: Urubamba City Hotel

Up Next:

Machu Picchu – our sixth Modern Wonder of the World