Hello all of my blog followers....
I have finaly returned to the United States. Thinking back over the last month it is so hard to even imagine that I was out of the country let alone in South America. I am glad to be back, but at the sme time already miss it. Like simple things like the fact that we walked every where while we were in Peru. Here at home I would never think about walking anywhere, but instead drivemy cr. We walked to and from school everyday and also to our activities. In all we probably walked about 2-3 miles a day.
So the last week in Peru was jam packed full of adventures...
We wanted to do something big for the last weekend in Peru so a group of us decided to take a crazy long bus ride to the Amazon Rainforest. We took a bus for 11 hours winding in and out of the mountains. It was a rough 11 hours because as you were tryin to sleep you constantly felt like you were going fly out of your seat. It was also extremely hot in the bus, but we weren't allowed to keep the windows open because the bus driver said that bad air would get in like spirits and make us sick.
Anyway, so we finally got to the Puerto Mordanado we took a bus to a boat which took s down the Madre de Dio river. We took all of our stuff with us and walked through the jungle for 5 K. I couldn't believe that we were actually walking in the Amazon. It was like something out of a movie. There were all kinds of low hanging trees surrounding us making a canopy. We could hear birds flying from one tree to another caling out to each other.
The only miserable part about the Amazon was that it was so hot! There is pretty much 100% humidity and by the time we made it to the lodge we were all dripping with sweat! We all stayed in these primitive cabins without electricity. Each one came complete with a fly net that we slept under to keps the bugs away. Early the next morning even before the sun was awake we were paddling in a conoe. We went for adventure and found Macaw bids in the trees. It was a beatiful sight. During the ret of our time we went on seveal more adventures in the canoes looking for wildlife. We found so many different types of birds and Caman, a type of alligator. That night we went on a night hike through the forest. Before we left the island the next day we went to a place called Monkey Island. It is an island where they are reintroducing monkeys that have been abused and used places like in the circus back into the wild. I got pretty close and got some great picutures. TheAmazon was so amazing! I can now say that I have been in the Jungle.
For the last week we had classes and did fun things the afternoon. A few days we went shopping at the Artisan Market for gifts. By the end I got pretty good at bardering for good prices. If you ever get the chance to go to Peru be sure and try th churros. They are so amazing and so worth 50 centimos.
On our last night we the school invited us all to a dinner. We had Pollo brazada which is a famous dish in Peru! I thought it was so sweet of the school to talk us out to dinner. It was cute the last day of classes because all of the teachers were asking for our email address and wanting to take pictures with us. One of my teachers has already added me on facebook.
For our last night in Peru we went out to a Discoteca called Inkateam. It was fun to go out and have a good time, but after a few hours I was done.
The next morning we had to say good bye to our families and board the plane. It was bitter sweet getting excited to return home but at the same time knowing that I was leaving very special peopl behind. People that I had fallen in love with like my 2 year old host sister Mia knowing that I probably wouldn´t ever be able to see her again. Or the amazing cooking of my host mom. All of that laughter that we had shared during meals in the evening and comfusing sentences when I couldn´t figure out exactly how to express my thought. I would miss it all.
My trip to Peru was a once in a life time expeince. It is something that I will cherirsh for the rest of my life and will never forget!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
More Adventures
Holas mis amigos..I know this isn’t correct Spanish but when ever my housemate Anna and I return home from school our little two year old host sister greets us by saying “Holas Chicas” I think it is very cute.
I’m sorry so much time has passed since I wrote you last. I have been meaning to write for quite awhile, but it is kind of hard to find internet access because the only place that I have it is when I am at school and we only have a 30 minute break in the middle of classes and there isn’t enough time to write then.
Anyway, since the last time that I wrote we have been quite busy with life here. We have classes everyday from 8:30am till 1 pm. During that time I take two classes~one is a grammar class and the other is a Peruvian History class. The history class is pretty interesting because we are learning about the Pre Inca cultures. We have gotten to take field trips to the museum and down to the plaza to see the dancing competitions that have been taking place. After class Anna and I make our way back to the house for lunch. It is about a 35-40 walk to our house so we are always ready for lunch when we return. I am always excited to eat what my host mom has prepared because she is an excellent cook. Anna and I joke that the food looks so good that Mara our mom could be on the Food Channel It really is that good! The way she prepares the food looks like art. When she brings it to the table it has an olive on top. The way she places it on the plate looks like something that you would order in a fancy restaurant! For example, today for lunch we had one of my favorite meals.. It was an avocado cut in half filled with a tuna salad stuffing. It was so good. Que rica! Our lunch meal is the biggest of the day. We usually have a two course meal and sometimes dessert. For dinner it is usually a light meal with pan and sopa. Tonight for dinner Mara made Flan, which was really good and also panqueques (pancakes) They were really good. We put jam and condensed milk on them. One night for dinner we had two desserts. Earlier in the day Mara made an apple pie and a fruit cake. We thought for dinner that we would be having one of them. After we finished the pie she asked us if we were ready for the cake. They were both so good! I am really going to miss her cooking.
In the afternoons we fill out time with a variety of activities. Sometimes we have planned activities by the school and other times we make up our own fun. During the week with the school they plan Salsa Lessons, ceramics, futbol (really soccer). The Salsa lessons are my favorite. So far we have only learned the basic steps, but I am getting the hang of it. I can come back and teach you all how to salsa. It will be fun. 1,2,3…5.6.7 That is the way our instructor counts.
Last week we had out first lesson of ceramics. We each were given a hunk of clay and had to start working with it to get all of the bubbles out. After we had to flatten it and then cut the shape for our glasses. It was an interesting experience because none of us were very good at it and they all came out looking different. It was a fun experience!
Last weekend we went on an excursion to the Sacred Valley which is an area close to Cusco that has a lot of ruins from the time of the Incas. I won’t bore you with all of the names, but we spend the day touring different places like El Templo del Sol and various other ruinas. It was a fun day. Our last stop of the day was Chinchero which is a small weaving pueblo that has managed to still maintain their traditional dress. They run a project there in the pueblo that we visited and had the cutest girl who told us about what they do. She told us about the process of preparing the llama hair so that it can be made into sweaters and blankets. First, they have to wash the fur then they use plants to dye it and then spin it into a thread. She was so cute and so spunky. She was only 15 or 16 years old and spoke really good English. During her presentation she kept making these jokes like (holding up the hair of the llama) “Here is the hair of Fidel Castro” and then she would say “Just kidding” in case we thought she was serious. She was a hoot and had all of us laughing.
We picked a great month to come to Cusco because there are so many festivals going on all month. Last week they had dancing competitions between the entire primary, secondary and university students about 500 schools in all. Each year the students prepare a dance that they perform in the Plaza de Armas. They are graded on their style of dance their unison and the creativeness of the dance. They are also graded on their costumes. The entire week last week the Plaza was crowded with people watching the dances. It was quite a sight to see. In the street even after dark there would be schools lined up in the street making their way to the Plaza to compete practicing the whole way.
On top of the dancing it is also the celebration of Cusco this month so they have had all kinds of festivities. Also, the people from the campos, the country had a protest last Thursday about the gas prices. They were protesting because their gas prices are extremely high like over $5 a gallon. The country is also exporting the gas to other countries for cheaper prices. We walked to school last Thursday because none of the taxies were running It was the weirdest sight walking down the side walk and there were no cars on the street. We walked across all of the streets with ease which was very unusual because we are usually running for our life across the street before the cars speed by. It gets to be kind of dangerous. I have learned how to be a defensive pedestrian. The whole plaza was filled with people holding signs and burning things. My host mom told me that there are protests quite frequently about once a month on different issues because they are pretty affective in getting the governments attention.
Another festival that is coming up is called Inti Rayimi it is their biggest celebration of the year. It is the 24th of June and is the Inca celebration of the Sun god. The people have been preparing dances for the celebration that they will perform in the plaza. They will also all be wearing traditional costumes. I am really excited to see it!
This weekend I am going on the adventure to the Amazon! That’s right the real Amazon like the jungle. We are leaving on Thursday after the festival and are riding a bus for 11 hours. It should be fun! I hope I can sleep. I am excited to see monkeys and butterflies and all of the animals that the jungle has. It should be an unforgettable experience and a good last big excursion of my adventures in Peru!
I think I have updated you with all of my happenings here in Peru. In a short week and a half I will be back in the U.S. It is so strange to think about.
I miss you all! See you soon!
I’m sorry so much time has passed since I wrote you last. I have been meaning to write for quite awhile, but it is kind of hard to find internet access because the only place that I have it is when I am at school and we only have a 30 minute break in the middle of classes and there isn’t enough time to write then.
Anyway, since the last time that I wrote we have been quite busy with life here. We have classes everyday from 8:30am till 1 pm. During that time I take two classes~one is a grammar class and the other is a Peruvian History class. The history class is pretty interesting because we are learning about the Pre Inca cultures. We have gotten to take field trips to the museum and down to the plaza to see the dancing competitions that have been taking place. After class Anna and I make our way back to the house for lunch. It is about a 35-40 walk to our house so we are always ready for lunch when we return. I am always excited to eat what my host mom has prepared because she is an excellent cook. Anna and I joke that the food looks so good that Mara our mom could be on the Food Channel It really is that good! The way she prepares the food looks like art. When she brings it to the table it has an olive on top. The way she places it on the plate looks like something that you would order in a fancy restaurant! For example, today for lunch we had one of my favorite meals.. It was an avocado cut in half filled with a tuna salad stuffing. It was so good. Que rica! Our lunch meal is the biggest of the day. We usually have a two course meal and sometimes dessert. For dinner it is usually a light meal with pan and sopa. Tonight for dinner Mara made Flan, which was really good and also panqueques (pancakes) They were really good. We put jam and condensed milk on them. One night for dinner we had two desserts. Earlier in the day Mara made an apple pie and a fruit cake. We thought for dinner that we would be having one of them. After we finished the pie she asked us if we were ready for the cake. They were both so good! I am really going to miss her cooking.
In the afternoons we fill out time with a variety of activities. Sometimes we have planned activities by the school and other times we make up our own fun. During the week with the school they plan Salsa Lessons, ceramics, futbol (really soccer). The Salsa lessons are my favorite. So far we have only learned the basic steps, but I am getting the hang of it. I can come back and teach you all how to salsa. It will be fun. 1,2,3…5.6.7 That is the way our instructor counts.
Last week we had out first lesson of ceramics. We each were given a hunk of clay and had to start working with it to get all of the bubbles out. After we had to flatten it and then cut the shape for our glasses. It was an interesting experience because none of us were very good at it and they all came out looking different. It was a fun experience!
Last weekend we went on an excursion to the Sacred Valley which is an area close to Cusco that has a lot of ruins from the time of the Incas. I won’t bore you with all of the names, but we spend the day touring different places like El Templo del Sol and various other ruinas. It was a fun day. Our last stop of the day was Chinchero which is a small weaving pueblo that has managed to still maintain their traditional dress. They run a project there in the pueblo that we visited and had the cutest girl who told us about what they do. She told us about the process of preparing the llama hair so that it can be made into sweaters and blankets. First, they have to wash the fur then they use plants to dye it and then spin it into a thread. She was so cute and so spunky. She was only 15 or 16 years old and spoke really good English. During her presentation she kept making these jokes like (holding up the hair of the llama) “Here is the hair of Fidel Castro” and then she would say “Just kidding” in case we thought she was serious. She was a hoot and had all of us laughing.
We picked a great month to come to Cusco because there are so many festivals going on all month. Last week they had dancing competitions between the entire primary, secondary and university students about 500 schools in all. Each year the students prepare a dance that they perform in the Plaza de Armas. They are graded on their style of dance their unison and the creativeness of the dance. They are also graded on their costumes. The entire week last week the Plaza was crowded with people watching the dances. It was quite a sight to see. In the street even after dark there would be schools lined up in the street making their way to the Plaza to compete practicing the whole way.
On top of the dancing it is also the celebration of Cusco this month so they have had all kinds of festivities. Also, the people from the campos, the country had a protest last Thursday about the gas prices. They were protesting because their gas prices are extremely high like over $5 a gallon. The country is also exporting the gas to other countries for cheaper prices. We walked to school last Thursday because none of the taxies were running It was the weirdest sight walking down the side walk and there were no cars on the street. We walked across all of the streets with ease which was very unusual because we are usually running for our life across the street before the cars speed by. It gets to be kind of dangerous. I have learned how to be a defensive pedestrian. The whole plaza was filled with people holding signs and burning things. My host mom told me that there are protests quite frequently about once a month on different issues because they are pretty affective in getting the governments attention.
Another festival that is coming up is called Inti Rayimi it is their biggest celebration of the year. It is the 24th of June and is the Inca celebration of the Sun god. The people have been preparing dances for the celebration that they will perform in the plaza. They will also all be wearing traditional costumes. I am really excited to see it!
This weekend I am going on the adventure to the Amazon! That’s right the real Amazon like the jungle. We are leaving on Thursday after the festival and are riding a bus for 11 hours. It should be fun! I hope I can sleep. I am excited to see monkeys and butterflies and all of the animals that the jungle has. It should be an unforgettable experience and a good last big excursion of my adventures in Peru!
I think I have updated you with all of my happenings here in Peru. In a short week and a half I will be back in the U.S. It is so strange to think about.
I miss you all! See you soon!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Hola mis amigos!!
Since the last time I wrote we have had lots of adventures!!! All of last weekend we were enjoying the sites of Manchupiccu. It was such an increible experience!! I can´t even really describe it!!
We woke up at a ridiculous hour at like 3 am to ride a bus to the place where they were going to pick us up at the tain station. Then buses took us to the train station. WE rode right on top of the railroad tracks which was really crazy. What if a train had come. The whole time I kept falling asleep and waking up so it made for a really strange experience.
WE finally made it around 8 am to the hotel and then a lot of people crashed from exaushtion. The whole way was relaxed and we went to Aguas Calientes which is a natural hot spring. It felt so good.
The next day we woke up at the same ridiculous hour and went to Manchipiccu. We rode another crazy bus which i slept through. The sites there were so incrible so hard to describe. It was so cool thinking about how the Incas used to live. We had been up for so long and it was before 10 am. We ate lunch at that time and then a group of us went over to Wanapiccu which is an area that is only for 400 people to go on a day. We hiked all day and made it up to that top. The altitude was about 11000 It was the best and most beautiful site ever. I loved it so much!!
During the weekend two of the girls got sick and had to go to the hospital. It was so crazy and sureal. We got back to Cusco around 4 am and I skipped school and slept most of the day.
sorry this so jumpled. I am almost out of time on my internet.
Since the last time I wrote we have had lots of adventures!!! All of last weekend we were enjoying the sites of Manchupiccu. It was such an increible experience!! I can´t even really describe it!!
We woke up at a ridiculous hour at like 3 am to ride a bus to the place where they were going to pick us up at the tain station. Then buses took us to the train station. WE rode right on top of the railroad tracks which was really crazy. What if a train had come. The whole time I kept falling asleep and waking up so it made for a really strange experience.
WE finally made it around 8 am to the hotel and then a lot of people crashed from exaushtion. The whole way was relaxed and we went to Aguas Calientes which is a natural hot spring. It felt so good.
The next day we woke up at the same ridiculous hour and went to Manchipiccu. We rode another crazy bus which i slept through. The sites there were so incrible so hard to describe. It was so cool thinking about how the Incas used to live. We had been up for so long and it was before 10 am. We ate lunch at that time and then a group of us went over to Wanapiccu which is an area that is only for 400 people to go on a day. We hiked all day and made it up to that top. The altitude was about 11000 It was the best and most beautiful site ever. I loved it so much!!
During the weekend two of the girls got sick and had to go to the hospital. It was so crazy and sureal. We got back to Cusco around 4 am and I skipped school and slept most of the day.
sorry this so jumpled. I am almost out of time on my internet.
Friday, June 11, 2010
More adventures in Peru
Hello all!!
I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to write this blog. Since we have been in Cusco we haven´t had much access to email. About all I get done is looking at my email and then my time is up. We have two computers at the school and we have to share them with over 30 people.
I arrived here in Cusco at the beginning of this week. Since then so much has been happening here. All of us are living with host families around the city. I love my host family to death! They are so wonderful. There is a sister and brother that live together and the sister has a two year old daughter that is sooo cute. Not only is she cute but she is sooo smart. The first day I was there she was correcting my Spanish. I said something about her socks which I learned was calcatines but she looked at me with this look like I had no clue what I was talking about and said that they were medias. When ever Anna and I come home after class in the afternoon she runs through the house and says Holas Chicas. She loves playing with her toys and I have so much fun playing and talking with her. She is the cutest thing ever.
We started classes on Monday and just finished our first week. I am taking a Peru hitory class and a grammer class. The classes are so small which is so great because we get one on one attention. Each class is 2 hours long and then we have a break in the middle.
After class Anna and I return to our house for lunch. It is a 30 min walk from our house to school so I am so ready for lunch when I get home. Our host mom is an amazing cook. Her food blows the Food Network out of the water. All the food here is so fresh and so rich. With the combination of the fresh food and all the walking we do I will be in great shape when I return.
The Spanish has been going pretty well. I think it is safe to say that I understand more than I can say at the moment. When I am at home I can understand all that my host mom is staying it is another story for me to reply in full detail of what I have been up to all day. I am sure that by the end I will be talking so much Spanish that you won´t be able to make me be quite. I am looking forward to that.
There are so many places to explore here in Cusco. The markets, the churches. There isn´t enough time. This place is not like anything you can imagine you have to just experience it.
I could keep going on and on about all of my adventures but I am hungry and am still at the school so I have a 30 walk before I get home.
I am so excited because this weekend we are going to Manchu Piccu. We are leaving tomorrow at 3 am and will be traveling on a train. WE will get back at 2 am on Monday. Yay for no sleep!!
If you have any questions I would love to answer them.
Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers!!
I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to write this blog. Since we have been in Cusco we haven´t had much access to email. About all I get done is looking at my email and then my time is up. We have two computers at the school and we have to share them with over 30 people.
I arrived here in Cusco at the beginning of this week. Since then so much has been happening here. All of us are living with host families around the city. I love my host family to death! They are so wonderful. There is a sister and brother that live together and the sister has a two year old daughter that is sooo cute. Not only is she cute but she is sooo smart. The first day I was there she was correcting my Spanish. I said something about her socks which I learned was calcatines but she looked at me with this look like I had no clue what I was talking about and said that they were medias. When ever Anna and I come home after class in the afternoon she runs through the house and says Holas Chicas. She loves playing with her toys and I have so much fun playing and talking with her. She is the cutest thing ever.
We started classes on Monday and just finished our first week. I am taking a Peru hitory class and a grammer class. The classes are so small which is so great because we get one on one attention. Each class is 2 hours long and then we have a break in the middle.
After class Anna and I return to our house for lunch. It is a 30 min walk from our house to school so I am so ready for lunch when I get home. Our host mom is an amazing cook. Her food blows the Food Network out of the water. All the food here is so fresh and so rich. With the combination of the fresh food and all the walking we do I will be in great shape when I return.
The Spanish has been going pretty well. I think it is safe to say that I understand more than I can say at the moment. When I am at home I can understand all that my host mom is staying it is another story for me to reply in full detail of what I have been up to all day. I am sure that by the end I will be talking so much Spanish that you won´t be able to make me be quite. I am looking forward to that.
There are so many places to explore here in Cusco. The markets, the churches. There isn´t enough time. This place is not like anything you can imagine you have to just experience it.
I could keep going on and on about all of my adventures but I am hungry and am still at the school so I have a 30 walk before I get home.
I am so excited because this weekend we are going to Manchu Piccu. We are leaving tomorrow at 3 am and will be traveling on a train. WE will get back at 2 am on Monday. Yay for no sleep!!
If you have any questions I would love to answer them.
Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers!!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
June 3rd Day 3...More Awesomeness!!!
Hey Lovely People!!
Here I am again to share with you my adventures in Peru!! This trip keeps getting better and better!! I catch myself thinking "Am I really in Peru?" even though I am walking down the street in Peru and talking in Spanish.
So last time I left off we were still in Lima, Peru. Surprise!! We are no longer in Lima Since my last post we have traveled to Puno, Lima. We left the Hotel La Hacienda and had to leave our new friend Ernesto and the bus driver Manuel. It was sad and happy at the sametime because we were off to new adventures, but we already had to leave someone we had just met. The good news is that we will see him again in a month when we return to Lima before we fly out.
We left in the morning and loaded on the huge bus again to ride to the airport. Once we got to the airport we waited for our flight and then got on to fly to Puno. We arrived safe and sound at the airport in Puno and were greeted at the baggage claim by locals who serenaded us as we waited for our luggage. After we got our luggage we headed out to the parking lot where a gigantic bus pulled up. This one was even bigger than the one that we rode in Lima. I thought we were done with these big buses and looking like tourists. So we loaded and road the 2 hour trip to the town of Puno where the hotel was located.
We were all so tired when we arrived because it was so dark. We looked at our watches and realized it was only 5:00pm. It has been so weird getting used to how quick it gets dark here. It makes me so tired so early.
This morning I woke up at 5:45 am with a wake up call that sounded like a fire alarm. I was a little confused. In my sleepiness I picked up the phone and hung it up again, but found out later that there was someone at the other end of the phone that I had hung up on ;) OPPS We had an excellent breakfast before we headed out to the harbor. Today our adventure was going to Lake Titacaca. We road on a boat in the middle of the lake for nearly an hour and then we arrived at the Reed Island. This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life!! This island was floating in the middle of Lake Titicaca!! They explained to us that about 3,000 people live on the islands surrounding the island with about 12 people on each one. To build the actual floating island itself it takes about 1 year. They went through a whole demonstration explaining to us how the construction takes place. The people have to go out cut the dirt in blocks below the surface in the water that the reeds grow on and then transport them to the place where they are going to construct their island. With all of the squares added together the dirt pods become around 6 feet deep. Next, they cover the dirt with about 3 feet of reeds on top. The entire floor with the dirt ends up being around 8-9 feet deep. Then the people construct reed houses to live in and clay stoves. This whole new way of life blew my mind. (My hair was standing straight up...Jovee you will get this) We had the chance to buy from them and I bought a reed whistle and a necklace. After we had the awesome opportunity to ride around the lake and look at the villages in a reed boat. It was so awesome!!! We saw all of the little villages lining the shore with men and women dressed in colorful native clothing. There was a boat of children rowing next to us heading off to school. I was amazed that they were going faster than we were and we had two men rowing us.
After we got back on our boat and continued our journey to Taquile another island. This journey was another 3 hour boat ride. We had a lot of fun sitting on the top of the boat playing games like charades to pass the time. It was also great bonding time with all of the people. I stayed up on the top of the boat for the entire trip even thought it was cold because the view was so beaufitful. I can't even do it justice by telling you about the beauty of the mountains or the lake because it is so hard to describe. As we were traveling we saw off in the distance mountains covered in snow. We were told that they were mountains in Bolivia!! We all decided that we just needed to keep going on the boat and make a day trip to visit Bolivia! NO such luck. We did arrive on the island of Titacaca and were warmly welcomed by all of the locals all in their native clothing. They did a welcoming dance and song for us as we walked up on the sand and then they led us to the dining room for lunch. Lunch was so good we had their local fish, potatoes, apples, tortillas, and their speciality coca tea. The coca tea is so simple yet tastes so amazing!! Just a tid bit in the US Coca leaves are illegal because it is used to make cocaine!
After lunch we learned about their native dress and now the type of hat they wear and the bag they carry tells if they are married or not. They have a hat that the young men wear when they are single. It is called the "single man's hat"
After we got to go on this amazing hike around the mountain. It was a little steep because we are still trying to get used to the altitude, but it was so worth it. As we hiked I had to stop every few feet to take a picture of the mountains and the lake below. Although I took a lot of pictures none of them can capture the beauty that I saw today. It is almost indescribible.
We all got back in the boat and took the 3 hour ride. Some of us sad on the top of the boat and braved the cold while other sat in the warmth of the inside. It was so worth it sitting out in the cold being able to see the sun high in the sky and then setting over the mountains.
It is such a weird thing being in Peru during winter. We were all bundled up in our warm coats, hats and gloves, but before we left we had to put on sunscreen so that we wouldn't get a sunburn. Even though I did put sunscreen on I got a little bit of a sunburn.
We finally arrived back at the Hotel after a long day of traveling out on the lake. We all got into the van at the shore and loaded into a van. There was some kind of festival going on in the street which made it very difficult for the van to get through the narrow streets. Finally, we made it through and then had to go up a hill to turn onto the street for the hotel. I found this next part extremely funny and laughted so hard I was cying. You all might not find it as comical, but here it goes. So we were going up this hill and the car died because it is a standard. The driver started it up again and as we were continuing we all heard a loud scrape on the bottom of the car from the road. We wondered what had happened, but we kept driving. After we made a turn onto the next street the driver got out of the car. Our tour guide told us "He has to go check the car to see if anything happend." His next statement got me he said "Sometimes things just fall off of the car." That was all he said nothing more, no words of concern if something had fallen off. He said it just like that so matter of factly. Just like he was saying sometimes when we are driving we make a turn to the right. I was dying laughting.
So the rest of the night was pretty low key we went to dinner at a restaurant. I had some amazing chocolate caliente to warm me up and pizza and sopa de pollo. I am just so amazed all of the food here is so great! I am not going to want to come back to eat American food!
I am in need of sleep because we have a busy day tomorrow. In a few days I will get to meet my host family!! I am so excited!!!
Here I am again to share with you my adventures in Peru!! This trip keeps getting better and better!! I catch myself thinking "Am I really in Peru?" even though I am walking down the street in Peru and talking in Spanish.
So last time I left off we were still in Lima, Peru. Surprise!! We are no longer in Lima Since my last post we have traveled to Puno, Lima. We left the Hotel La Hacienda and had to leave our new friend Ernesto and the bus driver Manuel. It was sad and happy at the sametime because we were off to new adventures, but we already had to leave someone we had just met. The good news is that we will see him again in a month when we return to Lima before we fly out.
We left in the morning and loaded on the huge bus again to ride to the airport. Once we got to the airport we waited for our flight and then got on to fly to Puno. We arrived safe and sound at the airport in Puno and were greeted at the baggage claim by locals who serenaded us as we waited for our luggage. After we got our luggage we headed out to the parking lot where a gigantic bus pulled up. This one was even bigger than the one that we rode in Lima. I thought we were done with these big buses and looking like tourists. So we loaded and road the 2 hour trip to the town of Puno where the hotel was located.
We were all so tired when we arrived because it was so dark. We looked at our watches and realized it was only 5:00pm. It has been so weird getting used to how quick it gets dark here. It makes me so tired so early.
This morning I woke up at 5:45 am with a wake up call that sounded like a fire alarm. I was a little confused. In my sleepiness I picked up the phone and hung it up again, but found out later that there was someone at the other end of the phone that I had hung up on ;) OPPS We had an excellent breakfast before we headed out to the harbor. Today our adventure was going to Lake Titacaca. We road on a boat in the middle of the lake for nearly an hour and then we arrived at the Reed Island. This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life!! This island was floating in the middle of Lake Titicaca!! They explained to us that about 3,000 people live on the islands surrounding the island with about 12 people on each one. To build the actual floating island itself it takes about 1 year. They went through a whole demonstration explaining to us how the construction takes place. The people have to go out cut the dirt in blocks below the surface in the water that the reeds grow on and then transport them to the place where they are going to construct their island. With all of the squares added together the dirt pods become around 6 feet deep. Next, they cover the dirt with about 3 feet of reeds on top. The entire floor with the dirt ends up being around 8-9 feet deep. Then the people construct reed houses to live in and clay stoves. This whole new way of life blew my mind. (My hair was standing straight up...Jovee you will get this) We had the chance to buy from them and I bought a reed whistle and a necklace. After we had the awesome opportunity to ride around the lake and look at the villages in a reed boat. It was so awesome!!! We saw all of the little villages lining the shore with men and women dressed in colorful native clothing. There was a boat of children rowing next to us heading off to school. I was amazed that they were going faster than we were and we had two men rowing us.
After we got back on our boat and continued our journey to Taquile another island. This journey was another 3 hour boat ride. We had a lot of fun sitting on the top of the boat playing games like charades to pass the time. It was also great bonding time with all of the people. I stayed up on the top of the boat for the entire trip even thought it was cold because the view was so beaufitful. I can't even do it justice by telling you about the beauty of the mountains or the lake because it is so hard to describe. As we were traveling we saw off in the distance mountains covered in snow. We were told that they were mountains in Bolivia!! We all decided that we just needed to keep going on the boat and make a day trip to visit Bolivia! NO such luck. We did arrive on the island of Titacaca and were warmly welcomed by all of the locals all in their native clothing. They did a welcoming dance and song for us as we walked up on the sand and then they led us to the dining room for lunch. Lunch was so good we had their local fish, potatoes, apples, tortillas, and their speciality coca tea. The coca tea is so simple yet tastes so amazing!! Just a tid bit in the US Coca leaves are illegal because it is used to make cocaine!
After lunch we learned about their native dress and now the type of hat they wear and the bag they carry tells if they are married or not. They have a hat that the young men wear when they are single. It is called the "single man's hat"
After we got to go on this amazing hike around the mountain. It was a little steep because we are still trying to get used to the altitude, but it was so worth it. As we hiked I had to stop every few feet to take a picture of the mountains and the lake below. Although I took a lot of pictures none of them can capture the beauty that I saw today. It is almost indescribible.
We all got back in the boat and took the 3 hour ride. Some of us sad on the top of the boat and braved the cold while other sat in the warmth of the inside. It was so worth it sitting out in the cold being able to see the sun high in the sky and then setting over the mountains.
It is such a weird thing being in Peru during winter. We were all bundled up in our warm coats, hats and gloves, but before we left we had to put on sunscreen so that we wouldn't get a sunburn. Even though I did put sunscreen on I got a little bit of a sunburn.
We finally arrived back at the Hotel after a long day of traveling out on the lake. We all got into the van at the shore and loaded into a van. There was some kind of festival going on in the street which made it very difficult for the van to get through the narrow streets. Finally, we made it through and then had to go up a hill to turn onto the street for the hotel. I found this next part extremely funny and laughted so hard I was cying. You all might not find it as comical, but here it goes. So we were going up this hill and the car died because it is a standard. The driver started it up again and as we were continuing we all heard a loud scrape on the bottom of the car from the road. We wondered what had happened, but we kept driving. After we made a turn onto the next street the driver got out of the car. Our tour guide told us "He has to go check the car to see if anything happend." His next statement got me he said "Sometimes things just fall off of the car." That was all he said nothing more, no words of concern if something had fallen off. He said it just like that so matter of factly. Just like he was saying sometimes when we are driving we make a turn to the right. I was dying laughting.
So the rest of the night was pretty low key we went to dinner at a restaurant. I had some amazing chocolate caliente to warm me up and pizza and sopa de pollo. I am just so amazed all of the food here is so great! I am not going to want to come back to eat American food!
I am in need of sleep because we have a busy day tomorrow. In a few days I will get to meet my host family!! I am so excited!!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 1st. The Second Day...
Hi All! My adventures continue and get more interesting by the minute!!
We left again on our huge tour bus. Imagine a HUGE King of the Road bus going down the streets in town. That is what we looked like. It was kind of a comical sight watching people look at us as we barrel down the street! One thing about Peru traffic is that they are very agressive. You almost have to watch out for your life. The cars just dont stop for people. They dont have the right away. Speed is the name of the game. Even if the light is red it doesnt mean that you are safe to go. Sometimes even people are in the left lane and they cross 3 lanes of traffic to turn right. Here in Peru you have to speeds crossing the street fast and faster!
We all had an awesome breakfast provided by the Hotel and then we were off in the bus again for another adventure with Ernesto in the big bus. We went to Barraco and old historic part of town which contains a lot of history. Ernesto took us to a bridge where there is a tradition that people walk across while holding their breath and make a wish. I made a wish as I crossed but cant tell you or it wont come true. Next we were off to visit a city called Chicullio a short distance from Lima. Lima is the largest city bustling with people and activity all the time. Lima has all kinds of restaurants and shops and has a pretty high standard of living as it appears.One of the different jobs that is here in Lima that I have seen so far is men and women that clean the street. They are dressed in uniforms and have a dust pan and broom and walk the streets sweeping up trash.In contrast the other city Chuicllio was significantly lower class. There was not that emphasis on cleaning the streets as it had been in Lima. In the distance on the sides of the mountains it was filled with an array of color of small houses. Eneresto explained that most of these people have come from high up in the Andes mountains and have come in search of a better life. They are very poor and most of them build a basic structure for their houses but cant afford to finish them. While we drove the streets we saw these littel taxis called Tuc Tucs that are about the size of a go cart. I got really excited because we saw these in Guatemala while I was there. They are so cute!
We finally arrived in Pantacama which is an sight that is about 1800 years old which has a temple to the Sun and Moon gods.
On our way out from the museo we had been talking about how we hoped that we could see some lamas. It was our lucky day because as we walked out there were lamas being led on leashes to the grass to be fed. We hurried over to the men and they allowed us to pet and touch the lamas. They were so soft.
After this we headed back to Miraflora the district of Lima that we are staying. We had lunch and had a scary experience while at lunch of one of the people in our group having their passport stolen from the table. We were all a little shook up. It turned out good because they ended up finding it.
The rest of the day was kind of comical. So we had free time for the afternoon to explore around the city a little. We were given directions that the Pacific Ocean. They said if we just headed staright down the street directly in front of our hotlel for 5 minutes that we would run straight into the ocean. We began to travel and again had to watch out for cars and buses. I think today I almsot got ran over by a few taxis and a bus. They are such crazy drivers. After about 20 we were starting to wonder if this was the right direction to the playa. We decided to keep going because it was probably just a little farther. We continued walking and eventually ended up at busy road that it appeared was an entrance for a highway. At this point we decided that it was probably not the right director so we turned around. It was funny because we saw all of the same people working on cars on the sidewalk who looked at us as if to say Why are you back so soon? We were jokingly saying that We just had to stop really quick and now we are heading back.
It didnt help that the map that we had was not a very accurate one because it skipped almost every 3 streets. Looking at the map it said that we were in one corner and that Pacific Ocean was on the opposite side of the map. We had gone the completely wrong director without knowing it. When we turned around and headed in the other director we still didnt know if we were heading in the right director. We were all in good spirits and had fun even though we still hadnt found the ocean and it had been over an hour. At least we knew where we were because we had stayed on the same street as the hotel.
We finally came to a street with a Strip Mall that had a Starbucks. We decided to cross the street and go there when all of a sudden we saw a hand waving from a van stopped at the stop light. We were confused at who this was but then realized that it was our trusty tour guide Eneresto. He was waving us over so we all hurried over to the middle of the street to say hi. Eneresto told us that he had good news and that the passport had been found. He asked us what we were trying to find and we told him the beach. He smiled and responded that we were never going to find it that way. He asked us if we wanted to get in and we happily agreed. All of the taxi drivers were probably wondering how this guy at enticed us to come over because the whole time we had been out they had been honking and waving us down to in so they could give us a ride. He began driving down a ramp that we never found and shortly we were at the beach.
WHAT WERE THE CHANCES???? We were in the huge city of Lima with over 8 million citizens and who do we see as we are crossing the street, but Eneresto there as our hero to rescue us. He was our guardian angel. There were the perfect amount of seats for us in the van. God was really watching out for us. Eneresto stayed with us at the beach telling us about the area and the surfurs and the crabs. He also was our photographer and made sure we had cool picutures. I cant get over what a God thing this was the we just happened to stumble upon Eneresto at the exact moment we needed him. He is amazing!!
When we got back we had a little bit of freetime and then headed to the outdoor mall for dinner. We went to this very nice restaurant for dinner. Rocio our professor said that we could spend 50 soles which is about $10. You can really buy a lot for that. Our waiter told us that we spoke good Spanish from what he could tell when we ordered. The two of us that he said it to my friend said the word Club Sandwich in English. It was funny. I ordered a yummy crepe. For dessert I had also ordered a crepe filled with ice cream and topped with whipped cream and peaches. It was so delicious!! As we were paying for our meal our waiter came over and asked us what country we were from. He then asked us ¿Todas las mujere en EU que bonitas que ustedes? Are all of the women in the US as beautiful as you? He didnt do it in a rude way. It was cute! After dinner we walked around the mall and looked at all of the expensive things to buy, but didnt buy anything.
So far my experiences have been so wonderful. I am falling in love with Peru!
Tomorrow is a busy day with flying to Puno where the altitude is 13,500 feet, the highest I have ever been! We will stay in Puno for a few days and then finally go to Cusco where we will start classes on June 7th.
Starting tomorrow until the end of the trip we have all decided that we are no longer going to speak in English. We are only speaking in Spanish. I am so excited!! I am also really excited to meet my host Mom and Dad!
All for now!
Buenas noches
I need sleep!
Know I love you all!!
We left again on our huge tour bus. Imagine a HUGE King of the Road bus going down the streets in town. That is what we looked like. It was kind of a comical sight watching people look at us as we barrel down the street! One thing about Peru traffic is that they are very agressive. You almost have to watch out for your life. The cars just dont stop for people. They dont have the right away. Speed is the name of the game. Even if the light is red it doesnt mean that you are safe to go. Sometimes even people are in the left lane and they cross 3 lanes of traffic to turn right. Here in Peru you have to speeds crossing the street fast and faster!
We all had an awesome breakfast provided by the Hotel and then we were off in the bus again for another adventure with Ernesto in the big bus. We went to Barraco and old historic part of town which contains a lot of history. Ernesto took us to a bridge where there is a tradition that people walk across while holding their breath and make a wish. I made a wish as I crossed but cant tell you or it wont come true. Next we were off to visit a city called Chicullio a short distance from Lima. Lima is the largest city bustling with people and activity all the time. Lima has all kinds of restaurants and shops and has a pretty high standard of living as it appears.One of the different jobs that is here in Lima that I have seen so far is men and women that clean the street. They are dressed in uniforms and have a dust pan and broom and walk the streets sweeping up trash.In contrast the other city Chuicllio was significantly lower class. There was not that emphasis on cleaning the streets as it had been in Lima. In the distance on the sides of the mountains it was filled with an array of color of small houses. Eneresto explained that most of these people have come from high up in the Andes mountains and have come in search of a better life. They are very poor and most of them build a basic structure for their houses but cant afford to finish them. While we drove the streets we saw these littel taxis called Tuc Tucs that are about the size of a go cart. I got really excited because we saw these in Guatemala while I was there. They are so cute!
We finally arrived in Pantacama which is an sight that is about 1800 years old which has a temple to the Sun and Moon gods.
On our way out from the museo we had been talking about how we hoped that we could see some lamas. It was our lucky day because as we walked out there were lamas being led on leashes to the grass to be fed. We hurried over to the men and they allowed us to pet and touch the lamas. They were so soft.
After this we headed back to Miraflora the district of Lima that we are staying. We had lunch and had a scary experience while at lunch of one of the people in our group having their passport stolen from the table. We were all a little shook up. It turned out good because they ended up finding it.
The rest of the day was kind of comical. So we had free time for the afternoon to explore around the city a little. We were given directions that the Pacific Ocean. They said if we just headed staright down the street directly in front of our hotlel for 5 minutes that we would run straight into the ocean. We began to travel and again had to watch out for cars and buses. I think today I almsot got ran over by a few taxis and a bus. They are such crazy drivers. After about 20 we were starting to wonder if this was the right direction to the playa. We decided to keep going because it was probably just a little farther. We continued walking and eventually ended up at busy road that it appeared was an entrance for a highway. At this point we decided that it was probably not the right director so we turned around. It was funny because we saw all of the same people working on cars on the sidewalk who looked at us as if to say Why are you back so soon? We were jokingly saying that We just had to stop really quick and now we are heading back.
It didnt help that the map that we had was not a very accurate one because it skipped almost every 3 streets. Looking at the map it said that we were in one corner and that Pacific Ocean was on the opposite side of the map. We had gone the completely wrong director without knowing it. When we turned around and headed in the other director we still didnt know if we were heading in the right director. We were all in good spirits and had fun even though we still hadnt found the ocean and it had been over an hour. At least we knew where we were because we had stayed on the same street as the hotel.
We finally came to a street with a Strip Mall that had a Starbucks. We decided to cross the street and go there when all of a sudden we saw a hand waving from a van stopped at the stop light. We were confused at who this was but then realized that it was our trusty tour guide Eneresto. He was waving us over so we all hurried over to the middle of the street to say hi. Eneresto told us that he had good news and that the passport had been found. He asked us what we were trying to find and we told him the beach. He smiled and responded that we were never going to find it that way. He asked us if we wanted to get in and we happily agreed. All of the taxi drivers were probably wondering how this guy at enticed us to come over because the whole time we had been out they had been honking and waving us down to in so they could give us a ride. He began driving down a ramp that we never found and shortly we were at the beach.
WHAT WERE THE CHANCES???? We were in the huge city of Lima with over 8 million citizens and who do we see as we are crossing the street, but Eneresto there as our hero to rescue us. He was our guardian angel. There were the perfect amount of seats for us in the van. God was really watching out for us. Eneresto stayed with us at the beach telling us about the area and the surfurs and the crabs. He also was our photographer and made sure we had cool picutures. I cant get over what a God thing this was the we just happened to stumble upon Eneresto at the exact moment we needed him. He is amazing!!
When we got back we had a little bit of freetime and then headed to the outdoor mall for dinner. We went to this very nice restaurant for dinner. Rocio our professor said that we could spend 50 soles which is about $10. You can really buy a lot for that. Our waiter told us that we spoke good Spanish from what he could tell when we ordered. The two of us that he said it to my friend said the word Club Sandwich in English. It was funny. I ordered a yummy crepe. For dessert I had also ordered a crepe filled with ice cream and topped with whipped cream and peaches. It was so delicious!! As we were paying for our meal our waiter came over and asked us what country we were from. He then asked us ¿Todas las mujere en EU que bonitas que ustedes? Are all of the women in the US as beautiful as you? He didnt do it in a rude way. It was cute! After dinner we walked around the mall and looked at all of the expensive things to buy, but didnt buy anything.
So far my experiences have been so wonderful. I am falling in love with Peru!
Tomorrow is a busy day with flying to Puno where the altitude is 13,500 feet, the highest I have ever been! We will stay in Puno for a few days and then finally go to Cusco where we will start classes on June 7th.
Starting tomorrow until the end of the trip we have all decided that we are no longer going to speak in English. We are only speaking in Spanish. I am so excited!! I am also really excited to meet my host Mom and Dad!
All for now!
Buenas noches
I need sleep!
Know I love you all!!
May 30th and May 31st Al Principio...
Hola Mis Amigos and Mi Familia!
I know that you have been patiently waiting to hear about my adventures in Peru!! Here are the start of them finally!!
So I have been here for 3 full days so far and have been loving all of it!!
We left the KCI airport around 9:30 to catch our plane and finally arrived in Lima, Peru at around 11pm. It was a full and exhausting day! We were greeted by our amazing tour guide Ernesto who we would grow to love. We had so much luggage that there were 6 airport staff that had to wheel it out on the carts. We were a sight to see as we left the airport! I think they were happy to see us leave. It didn`t stop there with standing out. We got onto a huge tour bus and started down the street. We were also a sight there!
The last few days we have been exploring the city with our trusty tour guide Ernesto. Ernesto is a one of a kind guy! He is the sweetest guy the fatherly type that you know will take care of you and he has had to several times. (I will explain more later) We visited all different places like the San Francisco church and monestary. There were catacombs in the basement where all of the priests were buried. It was a creepy experience seeing all of the bones. They had all of the bones divided up in different areas. Like all of the skulls together and all of the hip bones. It was so weird!
We visited this beautiful Cathedral San Martin. It was sooo beautiful with high ceilings and ornate statues and decour. We also visited several different famous places around the city and then stopped for lunch. I have to get used to this schedule of eating 8 am 3 pm and 8pm. I was beyond ready for lunch by the time we sat down.We picked a patio restaurant. Even though it is winter in Peru right now we have been wearing shorts and light jackets. If this winter weather was the same in the US I would take it any day:) There is no rain and the weather never gets below 45 degrees.
While we ate we had a show! There was this striped yellow and white kitten which had climbed up this small tree. It decided that it wanted to climb up higher so it kept trying to climb. It attracked a crowd of a few people. Finally, it fell out of the tree and all 26 of us let out a sympathetic cry for the cat from our table across the way. The people also watching turned and looked at us.
After lunch we had free time for the rest of the afternoon so a few of us Rocio my professor,Kate, Kathleen all went in search of a place to get maicures. It was a fun experience going to the Beauty Salon in Peru to get our nails done. It took us 2 hours for all of us to get done. It is such a different experience here with everything being so much more laid back. The woman doing our nails at one point stopped in the middle and went to wash and cute someones hair and then came back to finish.
After the manicure we rushed back to the Hotel Hacienda (which is by the way so fancy) to get ready so we could go to a dinner and a show. We went to this very expensive buffet (It was like $41 a person in America Dollars) We were amazed by the food so fancy and so good. After dinner there was a show with men and women dressed in authentic clothing of Peru. They all did these dances that were so captivating. There was a pair of young boys that did what is called the Sissor Dance. They played the sissors while they danced. It looked like it took so much concentration and athletic ability. I was so impressed.
After the amazing show we decided to go the the Discoteca para bailar!It was quite an experience trying to decide which one to go to. Just imagine the group of 28 of us going in and out of discotecas with our profesora checking them out seeing which one was the best. When we would leave we had the employees following us trying to make a deal with us to come back into their bar It was a great time! The funniest thing was that the sign said that it was a Discoteca and Video Bar but the video was playing Franklin! For those of you who dont know that is a young childrens show. It didnt seem to phase the locals in the least. After a few hours I had enough of dancing and we headed back to the Hotel to get come rest.
Thus ends my first day in Peru!
Stay tuned for more adverntures!
I know that you have been patiently waiting to hear about my adventures in Peru!! Here are the start of them finally!!
So I have been here for 3 full days so far and have been loving all of it!!
We left the KCI airport around 9:30 to catch our plane and finally arrived in Lima, Peru at around 11pm. It was a full and exhausting day! We were greeted by our amazing tour guide Ernesto who we would grow to love. We had so much luggage that there were 6 airport staff that had to wheel it out on the carts. We were a sight to see as we left the airport! I think they were happy to see us leave. It didn`t stop there with standing out. We got onto a huge tour bus and started down the street. We were also a sight there!
The last few days we have been exploring the city with our trusty tour guide Ernesto. Ernesto is a one of a kind guy! He is the sweetest guy the fatherly type that you know will take care of you and he has had to several times. (I will explain more later) We visited all different places like the San Francisco church and monestary. There were catacombs in the basement where all of the priests were buried. It was a creepy experience seeing all of the bones. They had all of the bones divided up in different areas. Like all of the skulls together and all of the hip bones. It was so weird!
We visited this beautiful Cathedral San Martin. It was sooo beautiful with high ceilings and ornate statues and decour. We also visited several different famous places around the city and then stopped for lunch. I have to get used to this schedule of eating 8 am 3 pm and 8pm. I was beyond ready for lunch by the time we sat down.We picked a patio restaurant. Even though it is winter in Peru right now we have been wearing shorts and light jackets. If this winter weather was the same in the US I would take it any day:) There is no rain and the weather never gets below 45 degrees.
While we ate we had a show! There was this striped yellow and white kitten which had climbed up this small tree. It decided that it wanted to climb up higher so it kept trying to climb. It attracked a crowd of a few people. Finally, it fell out of the tree and all 26 of us let out a sympathetic cry for the cat from our table across the way. The people also watching turned and looked at us.
After lunch we had free time for the rest of the afternoon so a few of us Rocio my professor,Kate, Kathleen all went in search of a place to get maicures. It was a fun experience going to the Beauty Salon in Peru to get our nails done. It took us 2 hours for all of us to get done. It is such a different experience here with everything being so much more laid back. The woman doing our nails at one point stopped in the middle and went to wash and cute someones hair and then came back to finish.
After the manicure we rushed back to the Hotel Hacienda (which is by the way so fancy) to get ready so we could go to a dinner and a show. We went to this very expensive buffet (It was like $41 a person in America Dollars) We were amazed by the food so fancy and so good. After dinner there was a show with men and women dressed in authentic clothing of Peru. They all did these dances that were so captivating. There was a pair of young boys that did what is called the Sissor Dance. They played the sissors while they danced. It looked like it took so much concentration and athletic ability. I was so impressed.
After the amazing show we decided to go the the Discoteca para bailar!It was quite an experience trying to decide which one to go to. Just imagine the group of 28 of us going in and out of discotecas with our profesora checking them out seeing which one was the best. When we would leave we had the employees following us trying to make a deal with us to come back into their bar It was a great time! The funniest thing was that the sign said that it was a Discoteca and Video Bar but the video was playing Franklin! For those of you who dont know that is a young childrens show. It didnt seem to phase the locals in the least. After a few hours I had enough of dancing and we headed back to the Hotel to get come rest.
Thus ends my first day in Peru!
Stay tuned for more adverntures!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
