WAIM Podcast #079: Peruvian Travel Talk With My Mother

If you’ve been paying much attention to this space recently, you’ll know that I spent a couple of weeks traveling in Peru with my Mother. This is the third consecutive winter that we have been lucky enough to travel together internationally. It’s a tradition that we began after my Father died unexpectedly in 2020. My parents' shared love for travel was bequeathed to me and to my sister. It is largely because of my parents’ curiosity and generosity that we have both been able to see such wide swaths of the world. 

Although my Mom had traveled to Peru with my dad twenty years ago, we chose this particular trip because it gave us the chance to visit the Amazon, and it allowed me to see Machu Picchu and the ancient city of Cusco. So much of what we saw had changed rather dramatically in the two decades since my mother’s first visit. Advancements in technology, and the shrinking of the world through mobile phones and social media have altered the country, and the whole region. 

During our chat, my Mom and I covered the ins and outs of our journey including the ups and downs of Peruvian cuisine, fishing for piranha, visiting an Amazonian village, and walking amongst the amazing stones of Cusco. We share our experiences at Machu Picchu, and relate the story of our new British friends who popped thrice during our travels.

My mom on a Sunny afternoon in Cusco.

I feel so very grateful to get to see the world with my mom. There is also a deep sense of gratitude in just having a mother who is full of wonder, curiosity, and empathy. I’ve had a wonderful travel teacher since the moment she first took me on the road as an infant. It’s a genuine treat to still be treading that path with her.

Lastly, I am so grateful that I get to share a bit of my Mom with you through this conversation. 

So, now I present you with a chat between a boy, his mother, and the ghosts of the Incas. 

Cheers,
Matty C

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