Perfect Moments

Perfect Moment #1

I´m starting a new category of posts: Perfect Moments. Here´s #1 (in consecutive order, not order of perfection).

*********************************

The Cathedral in Cuzco

I get there a little after 9 am and the sign says no tourism before 10 (at least that´s what I think it says), but no one stops me when I walk in. It´s super quiet. There are a few people praying at a huge altar right inside the entrance. I can just glimpse into the main part of the cathedral where there seems to be a service going on and I assume that this is what I am not supposed to interrupt. So, I hang tight just wandering quietly around the entrance looking at the various altars along either side of the inside of the building, being careful not to get too close to where the service seems to be going on. Nothing else is open yet either, so I decide to take a seat at the step of one of the altars on the side. Just sitting, keeping to myself, lost in my own thoughts, occasionally watching people as they straggle out. So, I´m sitting on this step with my head down on my knees, just sitting and listening. The main light coming into the space is from the enormous front doors, at least 2 stories high. Then as I´m sitting there with my head down, further and further into my own thoughts, there´s this darkness closing in on the whole place. It takes me a minute to realize that they´re closing the front doors, but nobody is asking me to leave. (For one thrilling second I think maybe they´re going to close me in without realizing, but then I think that might not actually be so thrilling in the end.)

And that´s it, for probably 5 glorious, perfect minutes, I´m just sitting there in this amazing, ornate cathedral without anyone seeming to notice me, with just a single shaft of light coming in through a small door on the opposite side of the entrance from me.

Perfect Moment #1.

(Eventually I got curious and got up and someone told me that the cathedral was closing.)

October 04, 2003 in Perfect Moments

Perfect Moment #2

The Inca Drawbridge

After spending a day pushing my way through Machu Picchu, melting under the heat, the next morning I take the opportunity to wander off to the Inca Drawbridge. Just a very short walk away from the park itself, the way is covered in trees and greenery and butterflies, with a beautiful view of the valley below. I was dressed just right and could feel the wind blowing on my arms and the sun on my shoulders. 10 minutes later there I am, all alone, at the point from which you can´t go futher. There´s a perfect sitting rock for those who don´t mind heights, and I don´t mind heights. It was perfect. I could watch the river below with my feet dangling (perilously?) over the rich, grean side of the mountain, watching the butterflies (which are all too shy to pose for any pictures), listening to the birds…and then, I think to look up. Straight above me is this tree growing straight out of the side of the mountain with the sun shining squarely through the middle of it. Perfect.

Perfect moment #2.

October 04, 2003 in Perfect Moments

Perfect Moment #3

The Huaccachina Crane

My first afternoon in Huaccachina and I´m just getting my bearings. It takes all of about 10 minutes to get all the bearings there are to be gotten and I start to head back to my hotel, taking the long way around the oasis. The long way around the oasis takes you by a patch of rushes in the water, just a small area of tall grasses in one corner. Walking through the sand, I see there´s a beautiful white crane (oh shoot, or heron, whichever one has the bent neck, I should know this) just sitting there. So, I just sit there, too, and see if it´s bothered by me, and it´s not. So, I have yet another pause in life to just sit and watch and listen, but this time with the company of a beautiful bird whose gentle feathers keep blowing in the wind.

Perfect momen #3.

October 04, 2003 in Perfect Moments

Perfect Moment #4

Well, as long as you and I are both indulging my flight of fancy thus far this evening, maybe we´ll indulge me a little further to include a perfect moment from home — which I am reminded of by the Huaccachina crane. (It is only from August though, so it can technically be considered a part of my pre-trip.)
*******************

The New Glarus Cranes

Driving to New Glarus from Madison, easily one of the most beautiful drives in Wisconsin, in the Cabrio in August at dusk with the top down with Ryan. There´s a moment when I realize that the sun has just barely set, that the temperature is absolutely perfect, and I look up. Just off to the right are these two cranes (well, whichever one has the bent neck) flying pretty low and coming right in our direction. Just in awe, I keep watching them and right as they are over the car both of them simultaneously stretch out their necks — they were huge and so graceful. Just a little bit later they folded back up again and continued on their way — unbelieveable and perfect.

Perfect moment #4.

October 04, 2003 in Perfect Moments

Perfect Moment #5

Lightning Bugs in Paradise

So, as you know, Justin, Dave and I were all in this paradise, this Eden, and we were bedding down for the night, watching the life change around us as night fell. Once it really was dark, we all already had our headlamps on and were officially getting ready for bed. Dave went down to where his tent was and it had gotten pretty quiet apart from the bugs. Then, just for a moment both Justin and I turned of our headlamps and the first thing I noticed was, of course, that complete darkness which is so pure and so deep. But, then I looked down and the water looked magical. I couldn’t tell what it was at first, it just looked like the water or the rocks around the water were glowing. I finally realized that there were pods of lightning bugs gathered around the edges of the water; it looked almost like they were lighting up a pathway.

In the quiet and the dark to see these pods of glowing lights along the water was perfectly magical and stirring. That’s my 5th perfect moment so far!

January 17, 2004 in Perfect Moments