#there would be days I’d just look at my wall of JW art
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712.
Have you always known what you've wanted to do with your life, career-wise?
>> By the time I really gave careers much thought, I was already old enough to know that it wouldn’t be feasible for me. So I never thought much about having one.
If you found out you couldn't bear children, would you be willing to adopt?
>> Adoption would be the only option for us, if we really wanted to raise a child.
Can you not listen to a band if the singer sounds whiny?
>> I mean, I don’t know. It’s possible a couple of the singers I listen to are considered whiny by someone, and I just don’t hear them that way myself.
Would you stay at a haunted hotel?
>> I’d rather not tempt the fates like that. I’ve seen 1408.
Could you live without the Internet?
>> I could, but I’d really rather not, thanks.
Do you always remember to bring a towel?
>> If this is a reference, then heh, I get it. If it isn’t, then, uh, why am I bringing towels places? (Except the beach, I guess?)
Spiders: Kill them or let 'em go?
>> I always let my children go. They deserve to live as much as I do. If I don’t want them in my home for some reason (or, rather, if Sparrow asks me to remove one), then I’ll just put them outside, no big deal.
How do you feel about Paris Hilton?
>> I don’t have any feelings about Paris Hilton. She was cool in Repo! the Genetic Opera, though.
When drunk, are you: violent, crazy, clingy, talkative, or depressed?
>> Tired, mostly. Which is why I don’t drink so much now. A buzz is quite enough for recreation, anything past that is just... lay-down time.
Do you know who is on the $5000 bill? (yes, it does exist!)
>> I didn’t know it existed and I’m not curious enough about it to look it up.
What is the best HAND-MADE present you've ever recieved?
>> ---
Do you Yahoo?
>> Nah.
Have you ever TP'ed someone?
>> Nope.
Have you ever gotten pizza delivered to your house that you didn't order?
>> Nope.
What's the most disgusting thing you've ever encountered while at a hotel?
>> Roaches, I guess.
What would you do if Hugh Hefner hit on you?
>> I wouldn’t be anywhere near Hugh Hefner, thanks.
Is the price always right?
>> What.
Do you smell what the Rock is cookin'!?!?
>> Sure.
Are you gullible?
>> I can be about some things, I’d imagine. But mostly I’m sceptical enough to survive.
What's the craziest rumor you've heard about Marilyn Manson?
>> You know, the same one everyone’s heard, about the rib removal.
(Insert random song lyric of your choice here):
>> No, thanks.
Does unneccessary punctuation annoy you?
>> The only time it’s annoying for me is when people do it with commas. Like,,,,, like that. It’s because it’s associated in my mind with a certain trend of behaviour on tumblr (and maybe elsewhere, but it really took hold here) a few years ago that I found completely repulsive.
Do you know anyone who was born on leap year?
>> I feel like I do, but I can’t remember who.
Do you follow a 5-second rule after dropping food on the floor?
>> No, I follow a “how clean do I believe this floor is” rule, and it really only applies in my own apartment. Anywhere else, I just consider it a loss.
Do you think that only unclean people get head lice?
>> Not at all.
What are you squeamish about?
>> “Wet” chores (kitchen + bathroom), the bathroom in general, etc.
Are you skilled with balls? (like basketball or baseball, you perv!)
>> No.
Did you take Flintstone vitamins or any others as a child?
>> I don’t remember. Probably.
What types of things do you think the government is hiding from us?
>> I don’t care to speculate.
What would you do if the Kool-Aid man busted through your wall?
>> I can’t even imagine this happening.
Have you ever been to an art museum? Aren't paintings so cool?!
>> Yeah, I’ve been to art museums. Paintings are very cool, I just don’t personally care for a lot of the ones I’ve seen in museums. Art being a subjective experience and all, you understand.
How do you like your soda: bottles, cans, or straight from the fountain?
>> Bottles.
Do you recycle?
>> No.
Can one person really make a difference?
>> Sure. It just might not be the grand-scale one you wanted to make.
Which is worse: elevators or escalators?
>> I’m not bothered by either.
Are you gonna make your momma proud?
>> My mother is not interested in me.
Ring the bell for service or wait patiently for a minute first?
>> Wait patiently for a minute first.
Boomerang or Cartoon Network?
>> ---
Have you learned anything valuable today? Share it & make us all smarter!
>> Everything I’ve learned today is about Silent Hill 4, so...
Do you memorize random facts?
>> No. Sparrow is the good-at-trivia person in this household, I have no head for it.
What's your favorite kind of Doritos?
>> I hate Doritos.
Do your parents have MySpace pages?
>> ---
If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or to the future?
>> I would not use a time machine.
What if Darth Vader was YOUR father?
>> Wouldn’t be too surprising. I already have a history of not-the-best dads.
You're at the zoo. In what direction must you go first?
>> I mean, it really depends on the zoo.
Do you honestly know how to play Monopoly or just make up rules as you go?
>> I know how to play it, I’m just not interested in it.
If you know the answer, do you blurt it out?
>> What is the context for this... school? N/A, if so.
Be honest...ever peed in the pool?
>> Honestly, never.
Do you ever fathom the amount of words in the English language?
>> Yeah, it’s pretty remarkable.
Have you ever pulled a fire alarm?
>> Nope. That’d mainly be a self-punishment, considering my sensory defensiveness, lmao.
Do brain teasers tickle, confuse, or fascinate your brain?
>> Sometimes confuse and sometimes fascinate.
You're hungry. All there is to eat is stale chips. Eat 'em or not?
>> If I’m hungry, of fucking course. You could do a loooot worse than just some stale chips.
Have you had your tonsils removed?
>> No.
If Ashton Kutcher punk'd you, would you feel the need to punch him?
>> I’ve never actually seen that show, so I don’t know how obnoxious the pranks are. But I’m going to guess they’re pretty obnoxious, and I’d probably want to punch someone.
Have you ever fallen off of a treadmill while walking/running?
>> No.
Do ya speak gangsta, son?
>> ... So, I speak AAVE as well as more standard English, yes, and I’d personally prefer it if people treated our dialects with a little more care and respect.
Do you drink milk right from the bottle/carton, or pour yourself a glass?
>> I don’t drink milk.
Isn't Chef Boyardee awesome?
>> Not to me. There’s something vaguely attractive about pasta that tastes like metal, because I’m chronically iron-deficient, but nah, I’d rather just suck on a penny.
Do you like marshmellows in your hot cocoa?
>> I don’t drink cocoa, but if I did, I’d probably like it loaded up with marshmallows.
What reality show has been taken WAY too far?
>> All of them.
If you were going on a trip, would you Mapquest the directions first?
>> Heh, Mapquest.
Do you hide when Jehovah's Witnesses knock on your door?
>> This has actually never happened to me. ...Mostly because having a door of my own for people to knock on hasn’t been a frequent occurrence, but also I just haven’t seen a lot of JWs out and about in recent years.
Did you ever think any of your teachers were HOT?
>> Sure.
Doesn't it suck when you have a wedgie in a public place?
>> Sure.
If you farted in front of your significant other, would he/she care?
>> No.
White Castle: nasty or absolutely yummy?!
>> It hits the spot sometimes.
When you burp at the dinner table, are you expected to excuse yourself?
>> LOL “the dinner table”.
Must you grab a souvenir from almost everywhere you go?
>> Not unless I see one I really like. Souvenir shirts and trinkets in New Orleans are an absolute art form, so I’m always down for one of those, but most souvenir stuff I see places are pretty uninspired IMO.
Have you ever walked out on a movie at the theater? Which one?
>> No, but I’ve definitely wanted to at least once.
Did you enjoy making things out of Play-Doh as a child?
>> I don’t really recall making anything out of it. I recall opening the container just to smell it, lmao. I also recall thoughtlessly leaving it exposed to the open air and finding it bone-dry days later.
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Cusco Peru Travel Guide
A few weeks ago, Jason and I had the amazing opportunity to visit Cusco, Peru – including a trip to Machu Picchu! Of course Machu Picchu was on our bucket list, but honestly I wasn’t sure when we would get there since we have 2 young daughters…getting to Peru is enough work, but then to Cusco and then to Machu Picchu is quite a journey and test of patience for little ones. So, it just didn’t seem like our Machu Picchu aspirations would be realized anytime soon, so….when the opp presented itself for just to two of us to sneak away for a week, we of course said YES! We had an amazing time (definitely also check out our Peru Highlights on Instagram Stories for more videos, etc!).
If a trip that includes adventure, relaxation, history and great food + cocktails, sounds right up your alley, then Cusco, Peru may just be right for you! While we were there, I was surprised by how many DMs I received on Instagram letting me know of your hopes to someday visit and questions of what exactly you should do when you visit. So, to help those of you with aspirations of visiting Peru, I’ve created a closer look at our itinerary to help you plan for your own travels….I hope this helps!!
When to Visit
We traveled the first week of May and the weather was just perfect as it was mid fall for them, but cooler winter weather had yet to arrive (remember they are in the southern hemisphere, so their seasons are opposite from those of us up north). The weather was in the low 60s and sunny during the day and a bit chilly in the evenings (so do pack layers or plan on picking up some warm Peruvian alpaca clothing to keep you warm when the temps dip!). Overall great weather – except for the rain storm we encountered at Machu Picchu but more on that later! :)
Getting There
Getting here can be a bit of a trek depending where you are coming from. Since we are in Los Angeles, for the trip there, we flew from LAX –> MIA –> Lima – > Cusco. On the return trip we were able to fly from Cusco –> Lima –> LAX . No matter how you cut it, plan on a very full day of travel likely in the range of 12 – 16 hours of flights and waiting at airports. We flew American for the first leg and LATAM for the rest of the legs. Cusco is in the same time zone as Central Time so that was definitely nice, not too much adjustment for those of us from the US.
The Air Up There
The elevation of this city is no joke…. Cusco is 11,200 ft above sea level, which causes many visitors to experience varying degrees of symptoms of altitude sickness, or ‘soroche’ as it is known locally! For reference Los Angeles is at 285 and Denver is 5,280 ft. We had heard a lot about adjusting to the elevation and to be honest, I kind of thought people were overreacting, but it is LEGIT! Definitely prepare to spend the first day adjusting to the altitude.
The gracious team hosting us at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco was really helpful in this department…..as soon as we arrived, they had Coco tea for us in the lobby, then chicken noodle soup in our room and encouraged we take a nap to adjust….turned out to be a great plan. They recommend drinking this tea if you start feeling dizzy from the altitude. A nice bonus of staying at the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco, they pump oxygen into their hotel rooms to help those of you feeling the altitude to adjust!
Where to Stay
We were hosted by the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco (seen above in the first photo) and stayed 5 nights – which I think was the perfect stay. Just long enough to see everything we wanted to see in Cusco and Machu Picchu, but no so long that we ran out of things to do. It was also about the perfect amount of time to adjust to the altitude before heading home ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is a delightful blend of historic grandeur and modern comfort. Housed in a restored 16th-century convent in the heart of Cusco, the boutique hotel also features two exhibition halls with ancient Peruvian artifacts that they discovered when building the hotel! If you stay here, be sure to take a tour to learn of the Incan structures unearthed when as they planned to open this hotel.
The hotel is in a great location – just a short 5 minute walk to Cusco’s main square – the Plaza de Armas.
Above is Panchita! She is the cutest alpaca that spends her weekday mornings in the courtyard of the hotel to greet the guests!
Dining at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco
Breakfast was included each morning with our room…..LOVE that! Otherwise we typically end up wandering around for quite a while to find a good breakfast, it’s so much easier when you can have a tasty start to your day where you’re staying. They had a really great breakfast buffet including: fruit, eggs (made to order any way you’d like!), breads, smoothies, coffee and more. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll be happy to find quinoa and chia everywhere!
There are 2 restaurants at the hotel: Qespi Restaurant and Bar, and the Qespi Bar. We ate at both several times. The Bar is more causal and great for lunch or cocktails. We had the BEST (srsly) empanadas here! I’ve had empanadas a few times before but had never been that impressed….totally changed my mind here and now get what the fuss is! SO GOOD and highly recommend them here if you visit Cusco.
Also LOVED the cocktails here! So creative and delicious. Definitely grab a drink at the bar!
Another fun activity we did at the hotel?
Ceviche making! A chef walked us through the process of making ceviche (they use trout in Cusco!) and we got to eat our hard work, SO tasty! They also offer Pisco Sour cocktail classes that I think would be fun! We ran out of time to try this one but we did drink quite a few Pisco Sours and fell in love with the drink of Cusco!!
Cusco
Cusco is such a lovely town! I loved all the colorful textiles, alpacas around the city and stumbling into cute shops.We took a Walking Tour the second day we were in Cusco which was a great way to see the city. The tour was booked through the hotel and we explored the Qoricancha (seen below) as well as the Cusco Cathedral in Plaza de Armas
Best Market to Explore – San Pedro
One day we explored the San Pedro Market in Cusco. It’s just a quick 15 minute walk from the hotel and you can expect to find a bit of everything here! Lots of food vendors, textiles, art, smoothies and more! I just LOVED all the textiles in Cusco. We bought amazing pillow covers for our patio. Lots of amazing rugs as well! If I had brought a bigger suitcase I think I would have left with a rug as well!!
Must Try Cocktail – the Pisco Sour!
This is THE drink to try here. I’d never heard of it before but we tried one the first night there and I was hooked! I think I had one (maybe even more ;) every day – ha! The Peruvian pisco sour uses Peruvian pisco as the base liquor and adds freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters.
We went here the last night we were in Cusco. Such an amazing view of the city! It is a bit hard to find in a small alley, but only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We had a Pisco Sour (of course!) as wall as their Cocaine cocktail (Pisco quebranta, coconut cream, pineapple juice, coca syrup, rocoto, and ginger) which I would highly recommend!! That is the cocktail seen below…
Jason + I stumbled into this restaurant (after our first choice of Greens was closed for a private party) and it was the best happy accident! The decor was totally our style – a bit boho, a bit beachy, lots of colorful textiles…..we even asked them to open one in LA!
While the decor and vibe is pretty important to me, food is what makes the experience complete….and this place has AMAZING (and so pretty!) food!! It was a modern take on Peruvian, which I loved since it was totally unique from anything I’ve had in LA. We actually went back again for our last dinner here since we loved it so much! The restaurant has 2 floors – the first time we sat on the top floor at the bar so we could watch the chefs prepare the food (always love doing that!) and the second time downstairs which had a super rad vibe as well.
What To Order
Cocktails – we had the cocktail of the day which had Pisco and Passionfruit and some other things – yum!
Causas – these were so unique and SO GOOD! Seen below….they are whipped Peruvian yellow potatoes layered with different things. We had the Causa Limena (layered with shredded chicken breast and avocado and then topped with olives, eggs and capsicum) and the Causa Andina (this one was topped with crispy fried local trout and avocado and topped with chilli mayo and pico de gallo).
For lunch the first day we also had:
Pumpkin soup (amazing!!)
Beef Anticuchos (Peruvian skewers). Everything was SO GOOD!
For dinner the second night we had:
the causas again (they were that good and so unique!!)
the Lomo Saltado (this is Peru’s famous stir fry!) Beef with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and pisco served over quinoa. Seriously getting so hungry writing this….
Day Trip to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and declared one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World,” according to Frommers. – and it’s easy for me to see why…this was the main reason we decided to take the trip and honestly I was worried we would be disappointed, but we definitely were not. I mean…just WOW…seriously awe-inspiring, especially when you realized how hard it is to get here! You could definitely spend the night in the town right outside Machu Picchu…but if you are looking to keep things easy (meaning you don’t want to deal with moving hotels) and you don’t plan to hike to the top (the 8 hour hike), then a day trip is totally do-able and I would definitely recommend!
I got lots of DMs on Instagram about how we did it. Again, JW Marriott El Convento Cusco was amazing helping us out…..we literally booked everything through them so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Be aware, travel to/from along with a tour is a looong day, but again – worth it! We woke up at 4am to hop a 5am car from the hotel to the train station. Our train left at 6:30am and we took the Peru Rain Line . It was a 3 1/2 hour train ride – which yes, this is long, but the ride was super pretty!!
One of the many gorgeous views from our train on the way to Machu Picchu….
We arrived in Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) around 10am. Our entrance ticket (which we had bought ahead of time – very important to do this as they have a limited number of tickets for each day as they want to prevent overcrowding there) was for 10:30. You get a 4 hour block from the time on your ticket. From the train station we took a bus up to the Machu Picchu entrance. It’s about a 20 minute ride. (Note for you hard core adventurers, you can opt to hike the Incan trail….but that’s a whole other experience that will add a full da to your Machu Picchu visit) Then you are ready to enter!
When you first enter, you just walk a few minutes and you are greeted with this view…
Seriously awe-inspiring, right?!?!
We had a guide with us who shared more about Machu Picchu as we walked around the mountains. I loved seeing the ruins up close and personal – oh, and there were alpacas just roaming around!! Yep, loved it all :)
Well, then the rain came! A major downpour which was not my favorite, but luckily we had time to walk around and see the majority of Machu Picchu before the rain began and everyone either ran for the exits or huddled in the ancient structures for cover.
The rain was coming down pretty hard – and we had been there already for about 2 hours – so we ran like crazy and made it out just in time for lunch and well deserved pisco sours. We had a late lunch in town there (unfortunately this was our least favorite dining experience of the trip, so I cannot share a recommendation on where to eat after you’re done exploring) but there are lots of options here. Our train ride back was at 5pm and we arrived back at the hotel around 9pm. And…..on the trip back, I’m not really sure how to explain this….but as we were unwinding we were all surprised by Saqra dancers as they danced their way up and down each car and then turned the event into a fashion show of versatile alpaca that was then available for sale. I’ve never experienced something like this before, but if you take the late train from Mach Picchu you might find yourself a unique buy!
Upon returning to the hotel, had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant to reflect on our day and see if we could understand what happened during the Saqra dance and then called it a night!
Another tip: plan a massage at the Spa at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco for the morning after your Machu Picchu excursion! Perfect mellow way to relax. Love travels where there is a good mix of adventure and relaxation and Cusco is SO PERFECT for that!
Day Trip to the Maras Salt Mines and Moray Ruins
The Maras Salt Mines were another spot I was super excited to visit. Comprised of over 3,000 salt ponds, it’s a pretty amazing view to see this unique quilt work of salt ponds spilling into the Sacred Valley. The Salt Ponds can look different colors (shades of tan, cream or white) depending on the time of year…
We again booked a driver with the hotel for 5 hours and he drove us to the Maras Salt Mines, Moray Ruins and then a quick stop in the town of Chinchero. We drove first to Maras – best to get here earlier since this spot was getting pretty crowded as we left.
Hard to tell in this photo below, but that is all 3,000 salt ponds from a distance…pretty crazy to drive up through the mountain and suddenly see these!!
Moray is believed to have been an agricultural microclimate laboratory that the Incans used to test how well crops would grow at various elevations. We really enjoyed walking around here as well…so crazy to see this all in person!
On the drive back to Cusco, we stopped in the town of Chinchero for a short break. Maras is a little over an hour from Cusco, then Moray is about 20 minutes away. I would plan to spend at least 30 minutes in each spot. You could definitely spend more, but that is the minimum you would want to spend in each spot. Chinchero had so many cute alpacas so had to grab some more shots of them!! Can not get enough!!
Weddings at JW Marriott El Convento
You say you’re adventurous and looking to exchange vows in Peru, then JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is where you must do it! We were lucky enough to attend a vow renewal while there! Of course loved that Panchita (the hotel alpaca) was a guest as well :)
The Vow Renewal included the traditional Andean Ceremony which is started by the inaugural cleansing ritual done with incense and floral essences. This cleanse is essential as the couple needs to have open and pure hearts for their union to the Pachamama and to each other to be true and strong to last a lifetime. The Shaman then addresses the couple and explains the importance and significance of the union. Here he will also speak about the commitment of spending life together as a couple and in partnership and blessing of the sacred spirit of the Sacred Mountain (Apu Saqsayhuaman).
An offering to the Pachamama, Mother Earth, is prepared as an act of gratitude for its land, fruits and boundless benefits it grants us. The offering consists of most elements that Mother Earth provides: seeds, sweets, flowers, wool, metal, beans, etc all presented on coca leaves. This ritual allows nature to bless the couple’s union through the customs that our ancestors passed on from generation to generation. The offering is shared with the guests present as witnesses. The Kintu ceremony is culminated with the traditional grouping of 3 perfect coca leaves, done in tribute to all the offering that the Andes convey.
At the end of the ceremony emblematic bracelets woven by hand are given to the couple as a symbol of the ritual and their union. Such a lovely ceremony!!
credits for the wedding photos: photographer: Rebecca Yale Photography // planning + design:MegaWatt Events // linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // paper goods: Fat Cat Paperie — all other photos in this post by Green Wedding Shoes
This was such a fun trip! Thanks again to the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco for hosting us and sharing why Cusco, Peru would be an amazing place to vacation and/or honeymoon!! If you have any questions, please leave in the comments! Have any of you been? Would love to hear your favorite parts of your trip as well!!
Source: https://greenweddingshoes.com/cusco-peru-travel-guide/
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