Maple Syrup

What on earth does maple syrup have to do with Peru?

Let’s talk about maple syrup. It’s yummy. It’s so utterly Canadian. And it’s in my suitcase – hopefully ensconced within the confines of its’ post-production container.

I’m at 39,000 feet – thinking about Maple Syrup. I capitalized those words because they deserve to be. The sticky sweetness that the mere whiff of takes us back to childhood in eastern Ontario with memories of tapping trees, removing bugs and tree bark from sap buckets, camp fires and burning sap. Burning mittens. How many of you just had a flashback to the smell of ice-encrusted woolen mittens thawing/burning on the wood stove?? I’m right, aren’t I? :) Take a moment and relish in the sweet, burning memories of childhood.

So, back to my suitcase.

Just what is the tensile strength of the one litre tin holding my maple syrup? How much pressure is exerted on a tin of maple syrup in the belly of the plane at 39,000 ft (why does the aviation industry still use imperil units of measurement? Don’t they know how it worked out for the Mars Rover with those pesky metric/imperial conversions??)- will the doubled Zip-lock bags contain the liquid should the container be compromised. Do I worry about TOO much? (ok, don’t answer that question! But, you will notice that my worries have shifted from "work" to mundane things like “will my hiking shoes be stuck to my underwear when I open my luggage?”)

My mom.

My mom is the sweetest, most sincere person in the world. I love her to death.

She is also the provider of the syrup that may well cause my hiking shoes to be stuck to my underwear when I open my suitcase in a few hours. She lives in the heart of “Maple Syrup country” in beautiful Perth, Ontario and I am blessed to have been born at the end of maple syrup production season and to have a mother who “feeds my need” on my birthday every year. Didn’t I say she is the sweetest person in the world?? ;)

It all started with the impromptu plans to go to Peru. Ok, it’s turned into a bit of a mess – but I ask you … what in my life, doesn’t??

Mike, my brother of intervention fame mentioned previously, proffered up his good friend Howard as a contact for me in Cusco. Howard has graciously offered to show me Cusco; the history, the ruins and to commune with nature in a spiritual and fulfilling way. Being the polite Canadian that I am, I queried; “Howard, is there anything I can bring you from Canada?”. Predictably, Howard replied “if you can throw in a bottle or 2 of maple syrup I would really appreciate it”. Howard, you see, is a misplaced Canuck longing for the one thing that inextricably ties us to the mothership … errr, I mean the ‘homeland’ – the sweet euphoria that is the boiled down sap of the noble and mighty maple tree. (thank god he wasn’t missing the other distinctly Canadian icon – the beaver! ) My mom happily obliged; we met in Toronto to exchange hugs and maple syrup.

So Howard, after figuring out how to pack in a litre of maple syrup when I’ve already solved for packing for the jungle, the ocean, the Inca trail and a few meetings in Toronto --I sit here at 39,000 feet knowing that I can bring a little bit of Canada to Peru for you … but I’m still wondering if my hiking shoes will be stuck to my underwear when I get there.

I just noticed a red flashing light … I think it’s my blackberry calling me. No! It’s the glint of the sunshine through the airplane window off my plastic airline wine glass. Ahhhhh … life is good!