Peru: The Sacred Valley

August 14, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / 3 Comments

On the first day of our tour, we visited the valleys of the Andes. This fertile land of the Incas stretches between Cusco all the way to Machu Picchu and is filled with many archaeological sites in between.

Our first stop of the day was at the statue of Cristo Blanco (White Christ) standing tall on the hillside, overlooking the city of Cusco. From this vantage point, you can view the entire expanse of the city. The locals believe that the city was built in the shape of a puma, a sacred animal for the Incas. If you squint your eyes (and have an active imagination) you can actually see the shape of the animal forming with the Plaza de Armas being the heart and the hills where we stood being the head. Adjacent to the statue is the archaeological site called Saqsaywaman (pronounced sexay-woman) a name that means satisfied falcon. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Beach Day

August 11, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Koh Khai, Thailand

It’s really hot here in New York, which makes me wish I was at the beach. So today’s picture of the week will hopefully transport me and you to the beautiful Koh Khai island, Thailand. This tiny piece of paradise is where the blue sky meets the soft sand and crystal clear water. In fact, the water was so transparent, you can see the school of fish mingling with people that wade in the water. On the beach, colorful umbrellas and chairs were set up for tourists to visit for the day.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Peru: A Glimpse of Cusco

August 9, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / 5 Comments

Flying over the Andes mountains on the way to Cusco

Cusco is about an hour flight from Lima, but it feels like a completely different world. This historical capital of the Inca Empire is nestled in the valley of the Andes mountains. Flying in, your first glimpse of the city are the red terracotta rooftops. Since this is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, most of its buildings and plazas date back hundreds of years, there are no high-rises here. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Spices

August 4, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Istanbul, Turkey

This picture was taken during our stroll through the spice bazaar in Istanbul. The bustling marketplace was filled with a multitude of stalls selling spices, teas, and a variety of dried goods. As you wander around the ancient corridors, you are taken in by the rich colors of the spices, originating from all over the world. It is easy to see why Istanbul was once the center of the spice trade.

Photo of the Week: Sunset

July 28, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Coco Plum, Belize

This photo was taken a few years ago on a tiny island paradise called Coco Plum in Belize. It is a private island about 20 minutes off of the coast of Dangriga. The place is surrounded by pristine ocean with lots of wild sea life. It is also a short boat ride away from many great diving sites in Belize. This picture captured the setting sun in the crook of the lounge chair where we spent countless hours that week.

TGIF

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Peru: Layover in Lima

July 23, 2014August 29, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 3 Comments

View of the ocean from Larcomar

Over the years we’ve talked about going to South America; even booked a flight, but some how things always came up and the plan was postponed. Of all the places in South America, we dreamed about going to Machu Picchu like many other travelers before us, and after a year and a half of planning, we finally made it to Peru. First stop, Lima.

Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Stepping Stones

July 21, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Giant’s Causeway, United Kingdom

This picture was taken in Northern Ireland at the Giant’s Causeway. After reading many books about this country, I was very excited when we finally made it here. This small island is filled with so many natural wonders. This particular World Heritage Site has a legend that the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Finn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Finn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. Each column has anywhere from 4 to 8 sides.

Photo of the Week: Sunrise

July 14, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Siem Reap, Cambodia

This picture was taken in the early morning at Angkor Wat. We sat, along with hundreds of other photo aficionados, patiently waiting for the sun to peak out from the dark horizon. As the sun rose over the the ancient empire, the rich colors layered on top of each other creating an effect like the sky and the water were on fire. We were rewarded with this beautiful, unforgettable sight.

Eating in San Francisco

July 8, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, we both headed to San Francisco for the Society of Actuaries Annual Health conference. The plan was that Fausto would attend the sessions and I would work from the hotel, then we’d meet up later on and explore the city. Since I was going to work East Coast hours, I thought I was going to have some time in the afternoon to do some touristy stuff. But alas, things did not turn out the way I planned, work got really busy and both of us spent most of our time holed up in the hotel room. The only thing we had time to do was eat. I’ve been known to eat a lot, so this post will not disappoint. We managed to fit in a lot of food in a little amount of time. Here is a look at our food adventure in San Francisco. Continue reading →

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