Oh what I would give, to sail across the seas...

Lago Cuicocha...it is possible to hike around the tippy-top of the surrounding mountains, a venture that takes around 4 or 5 hours to complete, if you are up for the steep challenge.

My group made it only a fraction of the way, up to a high lookout point that gave a good view of not only the lake, but the valley behind it. While hanging out, taking pictures up there, I sat down next to an elderly couple snacking on avacados and rice. Somehow, a discussion was sparked where I was translating what our guide (that cool youngin whos picture is in the most recent album) was describing about the hike around the lake. The woman apparantly knew some spanish, the man obviously none. After the facts were out, we set into a conversation in English about our respective reasons for being on the top of this hill looking out over this lake. Mine, you all already know, theirs on the other hand is possibly a bit more interesting anyway.

It seems they are an older married couple, with grown children who some years ago decided to take up sailing. First a hobby, it is now there life as they seem to be on some around-the-world adventure. They began in Washington, sailed down to Panama, and are now docked off the Ecuadorian coast somewhere in the north. They seemed to have no rigid plan, telling me that "oh we might go up to Costa Rica for a while, but we can only stay there three months..."

A few of my friends heard the conversation, and after a short while we had to trudge on to our next stop, and said goodbye to our new friends, with me of course saying "Happy sailing," in my usual cliché manner...Beginning our descent all my friends commented on how the life of the sailing couple was one desired most. We all seemed to have this desire to 1, have the freedom to travel wherever and however we pleased, and 2, have someone to do it with. I suppose the fact that we met them on the top of this peak, overlooking a lake named after the gods, in the middle of the world, made our short exchange more memorable and fascinating. Meeting people who are actually "living the dream" makes life a bit more richer, a bit more unpredictable...you think to yourself.."ok anything is possible." As for me I once had a dream of sailing around the world, and I guess as with most responsible people, you get busy working, studying and the like and sort of forget...As for myself and my friends, we have quite a bit of time to plan, save, and get ready for whatever journey our lives takes us on, and that in itself is a comforting thought. Or hell, just have fun with what you are doing now, and make that an adventure!