After more than a year writing about other people having Covid in Cusco, I now have the opportunity to write about the pandemic from a much more personal point of view.

The Covid Relief Project goes to Hatun Q’ero and I take the calculated risk of two Christmas parties.

This week I took the Covid Relief Project to two villages. We visited Japu, of the Q’ero Nation, on Sunday and Marampaqui, near Ocongate, on Saturday.

I recover from the travel to our first chocolatada and get ready for another five more!

I took the Covid Relief Project’s first chocolatada to families who live high in the mountains, about two hours north of the town of Calca. It was a beautiful and very impactful day.

Escaping both the pandemic and politics, I do the four day trek around Mt. Ausangate with a group of friends, hiking up to 17,000 feet on our third day!

Peru goes through three presidents this week amid political chaos and continuous protests in every city in the country.

Peru’s congress impeaches the president, I hike through a massive burn zone from the fire five weeks ago and have a full three days of birthday celebrations. It’s a big week!

Machu Picchu reopened this week after being closed for over seven months! I got to hike the Inca Trail and visit Machu Picchu with a group of friends - and the tickets were free!

My vote is officially counted for next week’s presidential election and Cusco celebrates a subdued Halloween and All Saints’ Day.

I keep working on my new business ventures and take a day to visit the Piquillaqta archeological site, south of Cusco.

I try to help my friends get to Machu Picchu and spend the weekend in the Sacred Valley, climbing trees and relaxing.

Wildfires burn the hills above Cusco, filling the sky with smoke and destroying some of the best forests of endangered queuña trees. I hike up Mount Mama Simona where I have a full view of the Sacred Valley and the Cusco valley, with newly blackened hills.

A package I’ve been waiting for since May arrives and I spend the weekend in the Sacred Valley.

I learn about the Peruvian Supreme Court and take a little weekend getaway to Urubamba.

I learn more about Peruvian superfoods and buy traditional fabrics to make my new apartment more like home.

An exciting week with a new apartment, a new job and my first time eating blood.

The Covid Relief Project starts a transition and the Covid pandemic situation in Cusco gets significantly worse.

The Covid Relief Project takes donations to Mayubamba and I escape Cusco for a day of bird watching at the marshes of Wacarpay.