Vacation Inspiration
The podcast to take you to new places! Planning your vacation can be time consuming and frustrating. Vacation Inspiration is here to give you insight and information about beautiful destinations around the world and the stories of the people that live and work there to make your next vacation easy, inspired, and practically magical!
Vacation Inspiration
Peru with Edson Chacon of Kindle Journeys
If you're like most Americans, Machu Picchu is on your bucket list! But Peru has so much more to offer and experiences that will enrich your life and bring you closer to the ones you love. Join me for this chat with Edson Chacón-literally one of the nicest people on the planet!
Edson Chacón
Co-Founder & Executive Director – Kindle Journeys
Born in Cusco, Edson has always been passionate about Tourism.
With over 18 years of experience, he has worked for many leading companies including Peru Experiences By Orient Express, Lima Tours, Journeys in Peru by Belmond and Inkaterra Experiences. He started off as a Concierge Supervisor in Peru Experiences by Orient Express and later took a role of an Operations Supervisor where he managed a team but also trained them on providing excellent Customer Experience. In his latest Experience where he was the Executive Director at Kuoda Travel, he lead the company to grow from 50-60 clients a month to a hundred clients a month. All of which has given him first hand experience and the know how to about the diversity and richness that lies hidden in an admirable destination - Peru. He started Kindle Journeys in 2014 bringing all of his knowledge and Experience Under a Brand that ‘Kindles’ a deep emotion of meaning and value in every customer journey through Peru.
He and his team at Kindle Journeys strongly believes that “By providing unique travel experiences and unforgettable moments, one is able to encourage travel and exploration. A transormative and meaningful travel experience comes when everyone involved is able to provide the ‘WOW’ moments while being kind to the environment.
With Kindle Journeys, clients not only discover the place, learn about its history and all which is outlined in the itinerary but they can also choose to make random stops and capture moments that are unique and meaningful to them. Ones which Kindle joy, serenity and leaving our clients with a deep feeling and a special value within them. Kindness begets kindness, even when we share a bread with a child or any person in need along the way, we aren’t ending world hunger, but to help any hungry person is to water the seeds of compassion.
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Welcome to the Vacation Inspiration Podcast. I'm Paula, your host and owner of Black Dog Luxury Travel, where we design custom vacations for the discerning traveler. If your vacation plans are in need of some serious inspiration, you are in the right place and I am so glad you are here. Oh, my goodness. You are in for a huge treat this week. This is a conversation that I had with one of the nicest people on the entire planet. And his name is Edson and he's the owner of Kindle journeys. What Edson and his team do at Kindle journeys as they design. Uh, custom itineraries, custom vacations for people that really incorporate a lot of unique experiences and really are tailored. To the traveler, who you are, what you love, um, and what you love to do, and really to make your trip as unique as you are. They are based in south America, uh, primarily Peru, but I know they do other countries as well. Ecuador, Argentina, Chile. Um, so they're, they have a wide range and a wide reach in south America and are super knowledgeable. So I'm hoping that this conversation will inspire you to go visit Peru someday. Hi Edison. Thank you so much for joining me today.
Edson Chacon:Thank you, Paula, for your time for giving me this space and above all, for giving me this time to share with you, talk to you, which is, it's amazing. I remember when we were having these conversations or when you were here in Peru, it was a blast to have you here. Your smile, your, your. Your sense of humor. It was amazing. So having this conversation with you again, it's amazing for me. Thank you.
Paula Prickett:Oh, you're so sweet. You're so sweet. And I loved my trip to Peru that it was too short. There was not enough time. But I am thrilled to talk about Peru and um, kind of educate some people, so people that are interested in visiting. So if we're gonna fly to Peru from the United States, where would we fly into?
Edson Chacon:you know, there are many connections from us to, to Peru Main. The main connection I think is from Atlanta, but also we have direct flights from New York and Los Angeles. Uh, but the main connection that people use is the Atlanta. Atlanta is the, like the, like the main have from United States to come to.
Paula Prickett:Yep. And we're gonna fly into Lima, is that correct?
Edson Chacon:Yeah, you know, we have, uh, you know, the capital of Perus Lima, so that's why we have the international airport there, even though you will spend like, not maybe two days there. But yeah, you have to, it's mandatory for all the clients arrive there. We don't have another international airport. I mean, we have, in Costco, we have, uh, one flight that comes from LaPaz, but it doesn't count as an international. So you will arrive to Lima. Then you'll decide what to do. As I said, depends on what you wanna do. You have plenty options in Lima, in the surrounding area of Lima as well, at least I think with two days there, you're more than fine, more than enough, and then you have to dive more into your adventure for Costco or another city in the inside the room.
Paula Prickett:Right. Yeah. I, I found Lima to be an interesting city with kind of the architecture and the history, um, and I found people very friendly. It was, it was a lovely, lovely experience in Lima.
Edson Chacon:Yeah, I mean with the, uh, we realize all around Peru that, uh, I mean, most of them, the main activity, one of the main activities we have is tourism. So people learn in the, with the, with the years that they have to be friendly, helpful, right. Yeah, limits are very amazing city. But you, you, you find, as you see on the tour, you have the historical part and then it's mixed with the contemporary art and the, and the modern part of the city. So it's a mix. It's a very high city. It's a beautiful place to stay as well. You have, uh, many options. I mean, if you, you have historical sites or even adventure and, uh, whole another and, uh, special part is the gastronomy here. So you have very good restaurants, mainly of one of the top 10 in South America, top five in the world. So you have plenty options. Plus the gastronomic, experiences here.
Paula Prickett:I love that. I absolutely love that. And I know, I mean, Peru is always famous for. Machu Picchu.
Edson Chacon:Yeah.
Paula Prickett:Yes. It's on the bucket list for a lot of people. And so what's the best way to get to Machu Picchu from Lima? We're gonna fly into Lima. Let's say we're gonna go to Machu Picchu. How do we do this? How we make this
Edson Chacon:know, uh, as you said, yeah, the main, the main attraction here is Machu Pichu. So many of the people trying to design the program around Machu pic, right? So couple of days before and a couple of days after. So the best thing is, uh, of course staying in Lima like a couple of days, maybe at the end of the whole excursion of, maybe at the beginning. That depends on you. Uh, then you flight, you have a, you, you can take a direct flight to Cusco, which is an hour and 25 minutes. And then you, my suggestion, uh, skin journey's work is not staying in Costco because you will be on the sea level in Lima and after an hour and 25 minutes, you will be hit by 11,000 feet high. So you will have problems with the reality, that's for sure. So that's why we used to take our clients in a easy progress of a limitation, right? So you go to the sacred value of the ecosystem. The sacred value is a special place, are, uh, outside Costco's, part of the countryside of Cusco, which is lower and warmer than Cusco. So normally you. If you have clients, you, uh, you will take them to the Sacred Valley first because that will help them with the Acli acclimatization process. And also you have plenty excursions to do there. You have archeological side, you have adventure activities, you have a special places where you can have lunch and, uh, special moment with your client, with the clients, which is a family of a couple. You, you have the special activities to, to decorate that experience. And then you have to, you, you have the options to stay like two or three days, and then you take the train to Machu Beach. you stay in the Sacred Valley for a couple of days enjoying the, the views, the place, the, the people, the, the history there, and then you take the train, which yes, the main is the safest way to get a Machu Picchu picture. Of course, there is another option that you go, almost like the, you, you can take, you can arrive to my picture through the back door, which is, uh, a very aven uh, activity, right? It's for. People that like, like, uh, you know, they don't have problems with the cars stuck on the road, which is too thin. And then, then in the place where there are mighty roads and, you know, it's very adventure, uh, path that they can take. But, you know, that's the back door. But the safest way and also the, the best way to get a much beach is to take the train an hour and 45 minutes. We have, uh, very excellent services, high quality services. And then you arrive to Machu Beach. That will be the best way to, to arrive in the train. Also for the more adventurous people you have, uh, a two day hike. A two day hike. But also you take the train, so the train doesn't go straight to Machu picture. They will stop on the way, like, uh, 20 minutes before arriving to Machu picture. And then you get off and start the hike, which is six hours. And it's, uh, It's an excellent, it's an excellent way to get a much picture. It's a different perspective. You, you arrive to ma beach from the, from the up part, from the upper part, and you have a, a different sensation once you arrive there after a six hours hike. Guess it's different. Right. But yeah, the main, the main, uh, and the safest way to get a much pictures by train. Yeah.
Paula Prickett:Yeah, I, the next time I go back, I'm gonna hike in. I'm gonna hike in through the Sun Gate.
Edson Chacon:Yeah, you have to, you and also you have, it's a beautiful landscape there. You have the, not only once you arrive, you have Machu picture, but before you have another archeological site, you have a beautiful waterfall. It's a, it's an amazing ride. It's an amazing hike that's that's Sure. Height to Machu picture's. Beautiful. So you have to do it for sure.
Paula Prickett:Absolutely. Absolutely. And my, there's just something magical about Machu Picchu and I loved also too, um, the Sacred Valley. I love The Sacred Valley. I thought it was so beautiful, um, stunning. And again, people were just so friendly. But I. Just the scenery and just the experiences that you can have there. Like what all can you do in the Sacred Valley?
Edson Chacon:you have, uh, historical sites and archeological sites. And you also have adventure activity. You have, you can do horseback riding, you have do river rafting. You can have like, you know, those squad, those ATVs vehicles. The, the, the ones with the four wheels, the big four wheels you have, you're able to do that as well. And also you, you can have options like, uh, a shamanic session, you know, surrounded by, by the mountains and everything. You also have the, you know, we have, uh, families, right? We have, you know, We try to, as, uh, as, as I always think this, right, as Coca-Cola sells happiness, right? That's, that's their, they, they're not selling soda. They sell happiness. What we try to do in Kindle journeys is, uh, try to sell meaning, right? So we have, normally we have a special, a special spot close to a lake in the Sacred Valley. When we. You know, it's like taking a divert in the, in the road in a typical day on the Sacred Valley. So you have the family of the capital, of your clients sitting on a different area watching this lake. And we start talking, we start talking about life and, you know, many reasons behind the journey. So we try to connect with the clients and, uh, that's on a very interesting, interesting activity because we realized that before, after Covid, people kind of realized this, uh, You know, this void inside because we were able to go jogging, play with your friends, uh, walk the door, walk the docks already outside, and suddenly you were unable to go to the store. So that's why we believe that people travel industry shifted. Not only, they're not traveling for just to know places and take pictures because they want to connect with themselves and also with con connect with the, with the, with the environment around. So, This activity in the Sacred Valley, this special activity, we, we developed this activity to try to give the option to our clients to connect with themselves. We have, uh, just to give you an example, we have a family like two, one year, one year or two, one year and a half almost when the, when the pandemic was, uh, you know, was, uh, not too strong. So they arrived and they were, uh, a dad, a mom, and two kids. And the dad came because I was waiting for now the airport in Cusco. They came and the, the dad said, okay, my wife is getting the, the luggage. Where's the car? So he went to the car, the kids came to me, both of them with the, with the headphones on and they just wave high. And I just showed them the way to the car and the mom was worried with the luggage. And, you know, when we were in the car and after we were talking with the guy, uh, with the, with the days coming, with the days passing, the guy told me, you know, they don't talk. They're just sitting on the car. They don't say anywhere. Kids are playing that is on the cell phone. It's a business guy, and mom is trying to ask something and also watching the views, but they don't talk. So at the end of the problem, when they came back from Picchu on the day, they arrive on the earlier train. So we were able to catch like a sunset on the Sacred Valley. We went to this, to this special spot that I'm, I'm referring to, And we have like a special setting place, the one that you have in the picnic lounge with the, with the little tent and, uh, soft, soft drinks, right? And we start talking. We start talking. We, we start talking. We have some dynamics when we ask the clients about specific questions, so they realize that. The most important thing we have is time and the people that we love and spend time with these people. So after this dynamic, they were, you know, I, I, I wasn't able to take a picture because I think it was like a very private moment, but the dad, Paula, the dad was hugging the kids, kissing them, kissing the wife. So it was a very special moment. And then, you know, those moments when you realize and you saw your clients and you realize, oh, I did it. You know, I did something different for them. So, You will find in the Sacred Valley many places to try to find these special moments for clients, honeymoons and, and family. So the, besides all the activities that are like sort of a given in a program, you know, historic and adventure, you will find, especially in the, in the Sacred Valley, you will find spots, places where you can. Develop these kind of activities, special ones for every single client, whether a honeymoon or a family or, you know, you have, I have a clients that travel because he was recovering from cancer, so he was a very special travel for, for this couple as well. So we have many, many activities and one of the main ones for us is the one I'm, I'm just telling you, I just told you. Having this special moment for connecting with you, with, with why you travel, who you are, what are your goals, even though you are, uh, an older one, but what were your goals in life if you achieved it? Or how, how do you think about your family? Your, your, your daughter, your sons? Yeah. It's a, it's a special place and the, the Sacred Valley, as you said. And then, then the place, uh, sorry. In around the Sacred Valley, you will, you'll have this, you will have these special places to find this connection. And the, and the, and the nature around helps a lot with that.
Paula Prickett:Yeah. That, you know, and that really just kind of brings it all into, you know, kind of one of just the best experiences about traveling. You can check the box, but you know, that's, that's a memory that that family made and they're gonna take with them forever, and that's impacted their life forever. And that's, that's like why you and I both do what we do. Um, because we just love seeing our people have those experiences and they get to take that forward in life. And yeah, it's super cool to be a part of
Edson Chacon:You know, and that's, that's the best reward. When I see, for instance, your, you have a very, you have, uh, many posts when your clients have a feedback on you and says, you know, Paula is the best, she has the, the best point of view to organize. So, you know, when you read that, you feel like,
Paula Prickett:I know.
Edson Chacon:I did it. Yeah. So it's, it's that feeling is very special.
Paula Prickett:Yeah, that's, that's the
Edson Chacon:it's when you do something for other people, right. Try to help them. So it's, it's, it's amazing.
Paula Prickett:Yeah. And that's, and that's one of the reasons that I love working. Well, obviously I love working with you, but I love working with smaller suppliers and things because they're actually invested in the, in the lives and in the success of, of the trip and the success of the experience for, for the people, for, for these lovely clients of ours. And they're, you know, these people are not just numbers. They're not just, you know, coming in and coming out. Like, we actually do care. So, Yeah,
Edson Chacon:And you know, and. And right now, I think, uh, more before Covid and not too much, or maybe, maybe more after as well, there is a dehumanization of the people of the agencies, corporations, companies, right? They're more like, uh, taking profits and then we're, we're, we're gonna get more money. So, and we forgot about the human size, right? And even more in this business, right? I mean, of course they're paying for this, but. I always believe that you have to under promise and over deliver, right? So, and you have to look for those moments, special details so you can feel around the, the program, you, you have to give them that whole new and, and meaningful experience. So yeah, it's, it's important.
Paula Prickett:I love that. I love that so much. So obviously, You and I both know Peru is much more than just Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley. Um, so what are, like, ta talk to me a little bit about, it's cuz it's so large, but talk to me a little bit about some of your topography. Um, like what, what all do you guys have going on down there? All the things.
Edson Chacon:Uh, well, you have, uh, yes, you said Machu. Besides Machu Picchu, we have many, many other destinations outside Costco, outside Lima. We have many other cities that. Gives you the opportunity to connect with nature, and also for the ones that are not, uh, looking for a great, great big adventure to hike and, and hike mountains up and down, we have soft adventure that they can take, like, uh, uh, for instance, um, not only hikes, they, we also have some programs like home states in the south area of Peru, Puno, for instance. You have special places around the lake, almost like small islands. Well, you can, uh, stay with the locals and share, they will share with you some fishing techniques. You, they will organize for you bonfires. And they will be like a, like a storytelling, uh, moment where they will let you know about the, the legends they have, the history they have also, we have, yeah, we have also, uh, special places on the North barn, which, you know, you have, uh, more, you have, you, you. Sometimes have people that they want, they just want to relax. We would, they don't, they like, like one, two days of historic and then, no, I want a beach, take the sun. Or some activities there. So we also have parts in Peru and the north part of Peru. Beautiful beaches where they can stay relaxed. Have some amazing activities there with horseback riding as well. And uh, also there is another activity, a very luxury one, which is a Amazon cruise ship. You are able to cruise ship along the Amazon River on the north part of Peru, which is on the border with Brazil as well. It's a different program. You have 7, 5, 6 days of activities onboard the ship and also onshore. You get off the ship, you, you share with the locals there. They will. And also the activity helps you, give you the opportunity to help the communities there, because as every place you go, there's, they live, uh, they have the income from the, from the things they do with the land. And also they have income with, you know, the little souvenirs. They're, they produce. So it's a way to, to help them as well. It's an amazing activity. And a beautiful adventure there. On the cruise event, the Amazon, you have the opportunity to swim with, with pink dolphins, the piran fishing activity. And of course, inside the, the same ship you have, uh, high end cuisine. One of the, uh, LIO Martinez, which which is the owner of Central Restaurant in Lima. They, he is the. He is the chef as well of one of these cruise ships, so you have good food. Sure. For the seven day trip you have. So in the north part, you will mainly find these kind of activities that are more for. People that are looking for relax, take it easy, right? Not to take just hike in historical place, but the north part of Peru, you will find more places to relax not to because it's a sea level as well. So even if you hike is not like a hike will be just like a walk and soft, soft activities there. If you go down, if you go down, you have the middle part of the country, which is the where the. Main mountains are located. You will find there, you will find more activities, more, um, activities like, uh, climbing and, and, and people that used to go on the Escalade, the snow pigs that we have there. It's more for adventure people, but also you have beautiful lakes activities and programs that will allow you to enjoy these places in a four or three day program. And, uh, more to the south you have this, as I said, you have the, the Lake Taka Lake, which is located in Puna, and you have these islands and the opportunity to share with the locals there. And most of the coast area you have, uh, you will find Paracas in ica, close to Nasca, you know, the Nasca lines. So Barca and ICA is close to this area and it's, uh, It's a natural reserve. You will find, you will have, uh, activities to enjoy and know more about the, the, the, the sea life that we have in that area, right? You have tours there. You have also, uh, nice activity that, uh, in the dunes of baras where you can use this, uh, this, um, boogie and you start jumping on, on the, on the, on the sand, on the sand dunes. And after that activity, you will just, this activity speaks for you to enjoy the sunset there. So it's spectacular to see the sunset on the dunes. And after this activity, we also organize, uh, a special dinner on the desert. You know, you have torch illuminate in the way, and then you have the small tables and, and blankets thrown in the, in the sand so people can relax, enjoy drinks. So it's a very special activity as well with the whole desert. And, uh, after the sunset, it's special. It's beautiful. So you have many, many things to do besides Machu Picchu. You can, as I said, you can organize the program around Machu Picchu, but you will have many other options next to Lima and next to Cusco as well. So it's, it's more for, you know, uh, it is start for to know, uh, what is the reason behind the trial, right? If the client wants to. You know, I wanna hike all day long, or I wanna just relax and make some, some historical, because I'm friends with kids, so I need some more fun, something more fun. So it always starts with that, knowing what your clients want. And then you can decide, because Peru has, I dare to say that Peru has everything. Peru has everything for, for any type of client.
Paula Prickett:Yep. I absolutely love that. And I think, you know, it's just you guys are so diverse. You have, like you said, so many opportunities to do so many different things. Um, and it's just, it's almost endless. Like it's almost endless the amount of things you can do.
Edson Chacon:and when you, when you travel, you feel like you didn't have enough time. Because you always, uh, find something else, something different, and you said, man, I would, I wish you, I would've stay here one more day. So I was able to do this tour or this activity, or travel to this other area
Paula Prickett:Yeah. Yeah. I love that. I love that. When's the best time to go visit Peru?
Edson Chacon:because most of the, of the journeys, uh, are around Machu picture. The best time will be from April to November. Which is the dry season and the whole south area of Peru. So you won't have, I mean, of course the rain is beautiful, but when you're traveling to places for like Machu Picchu for instance, which is the part of the cloud forest, if you are traveling in the rainy season, you will have more rain than usual. So if you go today to Machu Picchu, it'll be a little cloudy and everybody, if you go on the rainy season, you will have rain all day long. So the best time is from April to November, the last week of October, because it's dry season. And also it's not all, uh, you, you will catch a very nice season on Lima, right? Lima's, uh, you have, uh, humidity there. So if you travel in winter, With the humidity, you will, you will feel more cold. So it's also matches a, a very nice frame of time between April and October for many of the main areas in Peru.
Paula Prickett:Love it. Love that. So what's your favorite activity to do in Peru?
Edson Chacon:Besides hiking with my son,
Paula Prickett:Yeah, I love that.
Edson Chacon:my favorite activity will be, Uh, the top one will be a Machu Picchu, right? A two day hike, which is amazing.
Paula Prickett:Yeah.
Edson Chacon:Then the second activity will be the one I already told you, the, the one which is next to Nasca, right? Doing the Estas Island tour PERAs, and then you can you, I went to the sand dunes activity with the boogie, with the cars. It was amazing. Then you got on the place, which is almost on top of the dunes, and then you start sandboarding. after this activity, as I told you, you were able to see the sunset and then you have a special meal prepare, just spec, especially for you in the, in the middle of the desert, almost in the middle of nowhere. But you know, you have, you know, you have people like behind you, but it's almost in the middle of nowhere. And that will be my second one. It's amazing. It's beautiful. You have, uh, I have clients that have, they're over, they were over 60, 65 and they did the onboarding team. Right. Even the Boogie, they went, they didn't go through a way, which is too bumpy, right? They went just, uh, for another way. So the clients were able to enjoy, even though they were so, uh, they, they have like 65 and, and, and more. They were able to enjoy it. They did it. The Sandboarding, not the steep one, but they did it. And then they enjoy the, the beautiful, the beautiful dinner. So yeah, I mean, That will be my second place. And the third place will be, uh, WAAS. Waas is, is in the north, sorry, it's in the middle part of the country. The one where I told you where you can go for adventure hiking. You have beautiful snow peaks there. We have, uh, natural parks, and I did a four day, three day hike for, to, uh, Lake, which is, uh, called 69 Laguna Lake 69. You can Google it if you want. It's a beautiful place. The the, the water is like, if you travel to Malva, as you see the water, the through coast water is the same because that water is formed by the, you know, the glacier there is melting down. So yeah, that will be my, my three spots and the ones I did it, and for sure I have to do it again.
Paula Prickett:those are awesome. Those are magical
Edson Chacon:Yes. Yes.
Paula Prickett:those are magical. Awesome. Uh, is there anything else about Peru that you'd like to let people know about or share?
Edson Chacon:Uh,
Paula Prickett:Did we cover everything? Um,
Edson Chacon:yeah. I think we, I think we talk for about everything, but yeah, I mean a special thing. I mean, when you travel to everywhere in the world, I think you have to look for trying to help. For me, for instance, it's trying to help people uh, can be, you know, can be touch with your visit. Right? So in Peru you have not, uh, uh, we have many other, we have many projects that accept the volunteers, right? But, uh, I won't say that you have to travel to do volunteering like 1, 1, 1 week, but at least you have to. Ask for one day to try to do something different for the community, at least. Okay? I wanna have a seven day program, but at least gimme one day to share with the kids, to share with the locals, help them in some way. I know I wanna share with them fruit, or I wanna take a breath or some clothes with the kids, so at least one day. For every single place that you wanna go, try to look for one of those special place that we have spread all over the country. So you will find in the north, in the center, and more in the south. So, yeah, I mean, I will, if even though we cover everything talking right now, I will say that you have to look for one of those projects for every single place you go, because that's the way we have to make a positive impact, not only for the world. But for the people that we surround with, right? I mean, we are wired to generosity and we have to, even when we share our breath with one people on the street or on the countries on the countryside, you are not in the problem of hunger in the war. But you are, you are seating, you are sharing the seat of the seat of compassion, right? Sharing with the people trying to feed them. And that's, uh, that's, uh, And told reward for you, right? This is something that will make you feel better and also because you're making feel better other people. So yeah, I think I will say that we'll talk about Peru, but at least you have to add one day to do something different for a community. Even though you're trying to leave more the north of the South, that will be a good option as well.
Paula Prickett:It's a, and it's a beautiful way to, to give back, and I know you guys work with a variety of different projects too that help. All sorts of communities and all sorts of kids and um, just all, um, many, many things, many projects, and it's really a beautiful experience to be a part of, honestly. And it's one of those things you'll like take with you for
Edson Chacon:yeah, that's correct. That's correct because, uh, and also we, we try to, to work with the original projects. As I told you when you were here, if you go to the Sacred Valley, you will find, you will find many projects. But they're like, okay, people are coming. You have to dress, you have to sing, you have to stay here, you have to say hi. You have to wait over there. So everything is prepared. I'm, I'm not saying that it's bad, but also it's not real, right? So I like to show the real essence of the, for instance, the Sacred Valley by taking you to a special place where you won't see kids like a soon. This is a 88 year old, this is a 10 year old. They have these problems. They have that problem. So I want to take you to a special place where you'll see kids yet Yes. But doing something what? Doing what they wanna do. Maybe they're playing, maybe they are doing some, um, homework after school. And then, then they will show you how, how they live, why they do So that's special. That's real, right? Because if I. It's beautiful when you see kids singing and and dressing, but it's not real. It's not like they dress every single day, right?
Paula Prickett:Yeah. Yeah. Uh, what was the name of the place that we went to in the Sacred Valley? The,
Edson Chacon:It was, uh, casita, Huaran,
Paula Prickett:yes. That
Edson Chacon:It's almost like Little House Casita, Huaran
Paula Prickett:That was really cool how they had just to even learn about their agriculture and how they were gardening and all of the projects they had going on there. And then the, the football field and all of the fun things that they had for the kids and it's, it was just super awesome.
Edson Chacon:yeah. And then the, the, the, the most amazing thing is they didn't, they don't work with o o genes. They don't have like a big support coming from outside. So they, they produce everything to support themselves, right? The, the, the food that they have from the earth, the way they, uh, they think about using the Guinea pig meat. To prepare some special dishes and special meat and, and try to sell it. So that will be an income as well for the project. Uh, yeah, that's, uh, that's a special project. That's a very special project. And Tanya, you, you knew her, how she is involved, the passion she has that, that's, that's something that she, she share with all the, all these people. Right? They, they encourage them to, to be more, to, to achieve more. So it's a special project. It's a special place. Yeah.
Paula Prickett:There's a lot of love there.
Edson Chacon:Yeah. Yeah. And you know, that's the word love, love. That's, that's, that's the word love.
Paula Prickett:mm-hmm.
Edson Chacon:Because if you're not, if you're not passionate about something, it's better for you not doing it right. Like you, you are passionate about traveling and you do it amazingly well because you have love for what you do. You have passion, right? So that's, that's what fuels us, right? The love, love of passion.
Paula Prickett:Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Edson. I really appreciate all of this. I can't wait for you to, uh, welcome a bunch of people to Peru. You should come and visit and say hi.
Edson Chacon:Of course, and thank you again. Thank you again, Paula, for above all, for your, for your time, for your friendship because you are so original. You are so humble that you're giving me this time to talk to you. Thank you so much for that. As I always said, Maybe I, I think I shared this with you when we were having dinner here, but time is the most important, important asset we have right now. And, uh, because when you go to a place and you buy something, you're not buying that with money. You're buying with time. The time that you spend doing whatever you do to earn money, you'll always have opportunity to, opportunities to get more money, but you will never go to a store and, and say, give me one more week of life. So, That's why time is very important. Who, what we do with our time, who do we spend our time with? So thank you so much for sharing this time with me, Paula. Thank you so much.
Paula Prickett:So, as you can tell, I had an amazing time in Peru with Edson and his team. Um, of Kindle journeys. And I will honestly say obviously Machu Picchu was, is a bucket list destination for a lot of people, myself included. So it was great to check that box, but some of my. Favorite. Personal experiences that we had while on that trip. Um, we're actually this picnic lunch that we did. Um, and picnic lunch doesn't even really sum it up. We pulled into this. Clearing. And there were these amazing tent set up with these pillows and, um, the food was so fresh and gourmet and. We were in kind of the middle of nowhere, but we had these amazing views of the Andes. And the air was just clean and fresh and. It was, it was just delightful. I didn't want to leave. No one wanted to leave that area. So that was one of my favorite experiences. And the other one was actually, when we got to visit. The, uh, Casa Huaran on that. Edson had talked about. As we know, I don't have the gift of language, so I probably butchered that, but that's okay. Um, And it's a, it's a home, um, that someone has started. And to help with. Uh, raising children and, and providing for the community kids that didn't have access to. To schooling or school supplies because they maybe live further out. Um, and they're getting an education that, you know, their parents never got. So a real treat and a real gift to. To see these kids, um, where they live, just how they worked, how they lived and they're so just happy and loving life. And, uh, It was, it was an honor to, to be able to be a part of that and, and experience, you know, Someone doing something so good in the world, just always, it makes you feel good too. So those were two of my own personal favorite experiences that I had with Edson. And I'm super thankful to him and his team and the experiences that they provide for people that are coming to visit Peru. Like I said, they do other countries as well. Argentina. I know they do. Chile um, So, if you are thinking of going, and this is moved up on your bucket list, you know, feel free to, to reach out. And I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have or give you any guidance at all. But I know if you go and visit Peru, you will not regret it. Thank you so much for joining me this week. If you've enjoyed this episode of Vacation Inspiration, it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review and subscribe. It only takes a few seconds and it makes a very big difference. That's all for this episode. I can't wait to see you again soon.