Stokes in Peru

Hello again, Happy Easter everyone. To my loyal readers back in Minnesota and throughout the U.S.-our sincerest empathy is extended to you after the winter you have just suffered through and hopefully are finally emerging from (at times I wonder if we'll be seeing snow on the ground when we arrive home in mid-June).  While we certainly have nothing comparable to what you endured in these recent months, nonetheless we were quite ready for a break from school, and lo and behold, a beauty of a spring break stretched before us on the calendar.  Eleven consecutive days off from work, a particularly long break due to its convergence with the Bengali New Year.  When Marianella and I returned from Peru at the start of the new year, we shifted our attention to maximizing this gift of a break-we were seeking a bit of culture, a bit of adventure, and a healthy dose of pure relaxation. Among the contenders, Sri Lanka emerged. As we began piecing together our vacation to the island resemb