Peru, which had one of the worst Covid mortality rates in the world, is understandably cautious when it comes to the virus, meaning mask-wearing was still compulsory indoors and recommended outside. This meant remembering a mask was on our pre-outing list, along with sunscreen, refilling the water bottle and – an entirely related query – finding out how many toilets we were likely to find while we were out.
More concerns followed. Our first hike was gloriously scenic, but the path was unsealed and unguarded. If mum clipped a stone, would her walking pole be enough to save her? Would it be better for me to walk in front, in the hope she could follow my footsteps, or behind so I could grab her if she fell? What about the edge? How close was she? Would the cactus below break her fall or just maim her more hideously on her way down the ravine? Why didn’t I check her insurance before we left? How would I tell my brother? How would I tell hers? Does she know I love her? And so on.
Thankfully, travelling with my mum is also a great adventure. When the chance of this trip came up, there was no way she was going to refuse. She backpacked from England to Morocco as a teenager in 1969, making friends from Germany and Turkey along the way. They are still friends now, wonderful people who opened their doors to us for holidays when I was a child and our family had no money.
She has always been capable of surprise and cares not that my work trips are often shambolic affairs with accommodation not settled before we’ve boarded a plane. This flexibility is no surprise to me – once, when taking my brother and I to school she decided on a whim to turn left and drive all the way to Newcastle for my granddad’s birthday instead. That remains one of the most exciting days of my life.
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/south-america/peru/what-learnt-travelling-perus-sacred-valley-70-year-old-mum/
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Publish date : 2022-11-19 03:00:00
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