I just sat here staring at the keyboard for a good 10 minutes, trying to think of how to start this entry (I figured once I got going it would snowball. That may not be the case.)
It's my last full night in Peru (I leave tomorrow at 11:10pm) and I'm attempting to put some kind of order to what I feel, or what I feel like I should be feeling, or something like that. I can tell already this is all going to be incredibly articulate ;)
I guess, firstly, I can say that I feel so, so, SO lucky. This has been such an amazing experience, and not only do I feel lucky that I was able to do something like this, but I also feel lucky that I am returning to so many people who love and support me and it kind of feels like have been with me all the way. There's one thing I can say about traveling: you meet lots of people, but it's really hard to get to KNOW them. It's a lot of instant friendships, and while that can be invigorating and exciting, it's also kind of sad-- you're always saying goodbye. It's going to be nice to say HELLO to everyone, and know that you all at home (or wherever in the world you are when you read this!) will be in my life for a while.
I feel as though this may be in danger of succumbing to corniness. So before we let ourselves go that route, let's do a list!
TOP FIVE BEST EXPERIENCES OF THE PAST THREE MONTHS (in no particular order):
- My host family. Never could I have asked for a better introduction to Peruvian culture or for a more generous, kind, and open group of people to take me into their home so gracefully.
- Making it to the top of that 15,000 foot pass: left me physically feeling like death but mentally like a super hero.
- Macchu Picchu. It may be an obvious choice, but I have never been so moved by a large pile of expertly cut rocks... ha. But really, what a spectacular and spiritual place.
- Annie Hughes having the perseverance (and of course, thanks to all of our supporters!) to make it to Buenos Aires. And of course, as a footnote to that, the gorgeous city itself.
- Being able to say that I have now eaten two frogs, a piraha, and a live worm.
(ok, after writing these I realize they kind of are in chronological order... so sue me).
Granted, these are all physical events. There were a lot of other things that went on that I'm not sure I can articulate. All of that good stuff like 'learning things about yourself' and 'the world' and 'other people' (Ew, I know. Who knew I would LEARN things?! What is this, school?!)
I really, really am excited to come home. But I have to be completely honest and say that I'm also sad. I think it might be a little hard to go back to 'real life' after having three months to travel, play, and, yes, learn. I'm even feeling a little sentimental towards Lima right now, a city which most people can't wait to get out of. At least there are pisco sours! One of which I am going to go have, right now.
Thanks to everyone for accompanying me on this grand adventure. See you soon.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Welcome to the Jungle
I returned last night from my 4 day foray into the wilds of the Amazon Jungle. At last count, I had 57 mosquito bites, but I keep discovering new ones... I like to think of them as temporary souvenirs, ones which really constantly remind me of my adventures because they are SO ITCHY. Aghhhh.
However, other than that, the experience was fantastic. I stayed at Myuna Lodge, which is about a 3 hr speedboat trip down the river from the city of Iquitos. It's in the primary Amazon jungle, which means that there are no other lodges or people around, except for a small community called San Juan of about 25 inhabitants. The lodge itself was pretty luxorious (by my standards!)-- I got my own room (which was really a little hut on stilts, made of a wood frame, thatched roof, and screens on all sides) with a porch and a hammock, as well as a private bathroom! There was a large communal eating area where we all met for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and everything was set on the banks of a tributary of the Amazon, backed by jungle as far as the eye could see.
The lodge was peaceful in the loudest way; no human noise, but an orchestra of animals, insects, birds, frogs, and other things of nature, especially at night. I lay there in the dark and it sounded like an orchestra, with just a small screen separating me from the musicians. I never knew wildlife could even make so many sounds...
In terms of jungle animals, we got to see quite a few. We went on hikes or boat trips every morning and afternoon (and a couple of evenings) and the last night I went camping with our guide, which was terrible (so hot, so many mosquitos) but definitely an unforgettable experience!
Here's a list:
- Pink and grey dolphins! We also got to swim in the river with them, but none of them came close enough to touch.
- Pirahnas. Not only did I see them, I fished for them, caught them, and ate them. They didn't eat me, thank goodness!
- Millions of tree frogs, from the size of my fingernail to the size of my hand.
- Monkeys! A pygmy marmoset family, that climbed down the tree to have their photo taken from about a foot away, as well as spider monkeys and howler monkeys, which are the largest monkeys in the Americas and make the most bizarre sound.
- A sloth, which was very very far away in the top of a tree, but still awesome.
- Birds, birds, birds... parrots, macaws, cranes, and a million other kinds that I forget the names of. Birds were everywhere, all the time.
- Bugs! Fireflys, gigantic spiders (including tarantulas), fire ants, leaf cutter ants, and butterflies of every color and size, huge blue ones, little red and yellow ones, green ones, white ones. They were so beautiful.
- An emerald tree boa, which apparently is extremely rare and was GORGEOUS.
- Aaaaaaaaand, to add to my list of interesting culinary forays on this trip, I ATE AN ENTIRE LIVE BEETLE LARVAE. Ew. Ewwww. I don't know why I agree to these things, but I simply can't resist a challenge or a dare. Plus, our guide ate two, first. It was about an inch long and white, and slightly pulsating in a very larvae like way. Hahahahha.... So disgusting. But it actually tasted kind of like coconut, and had the texture of a gummy worm. So overall, not a terrible experience. Plus, how often can you say you've eaten a live worm in the Amazon Jungle?
Here's the weirdest part: I'm back in Iquitos (home of a million motorbikes, as there's no way to get here except for by boat and air. Sidenote: one of the other guys at the lodge said he had described it to someone as 10,000 neigbors mowing their lawns all at once from 7am to 2am every day. Pretty accurate.) today and tomorrow, I fly to Lima tomorrow night, and then I have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Lima, before I catch a flight home on Wednesday night. I honestly can't really put anything into words about that... maybe in the next few days I'll have some time for relfection and can come up with something pithy and all encompassing about this trip, but who knows... This is my last 'event filled' entry, though, so if/when I write again it will have to be something thought provoking and intellectual ;) For now, though, see you all in about six days!
However, other than that, the experience was fantastic. I stayed at Myuna Lodge, which is about a 3 hr speedboat trip down the river from the city of Iquitos. It's in the primary Amazon jungle, which means that there are no other lodges or people around, except for a small community called San Juan of about 25 inhabitants. The lodge itself was pretty luxorious (by my standards!)-- I got my own room (which was really a little hut on stilts, made of a wood frame, thatched roof, and screens on all sides) with a porch and a hammock, as well as a private bathroom! There was a large communal eating area where we all met for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and everything was set on the banks of a tributary of the Amazon, backed by jungle as far as the eye could see.
The lodge was peaceful in the loudest way; no human noise, but an orchestra of animals, insects, birds, frogs, and other things of nature, especially at night. I lay there in the dark and it sounded like an orchestra, with just a small screen separating me from the musicians. I never knew wildlife could even make so many sounds...
In terms of jungle animals, we got to see quite a few. We went on hikes or boat trips every morning and afternoon (and a couple of evenings) and the last night I went camping with our guide, which was terrible (so hot, so many mosquitos) but definitely an unforgettable experience!
Here's a list:
- Pink and grey dolphins! We also got to swim in the river with them, but none of them came close enough to touch.
- Pirahnas. Not only did I see them, I fished for them, caught them, and ate them. They didn't eat me, thank goodness!
- Millions of tree frogs, from the size of my fingernail to the size of my hand.
- Monkeys! A pygmy marmoset family, that climbed down the tree to have their photo taken from about a foot away, as well as spider monkeys and howler monkeys, which are the largest monkeys in the Americas and make the most bizarre sound.
- A sloth, which was very very far away in the top of a tree, but still awesome.
- Birds, birds, birds... parrots, macaws, cranes, and a million other kinds that I forget the names of. Birds were everywhere, all the time.
- Bugs! Fireflys, gigantic spiders (including tarantulas), fire ants, leaf cutter ants, and butterflies of every color and size, huge blue ones, little red and yellow ones, green ones, white ones. They were so beautiful.
- An emerald tree boa, which apparently is extremely rare and was GORGEOUS.
- Aaaaaaaaand, to add to my list of interesting culinary forays on this trip, I ATE AN ENTIRE LIVE BEETLE LARVAE. Ew. Ewwww. I don't know why I agree to these things, but I simply can't resist a challenge or a dare. Plus, our guide ate two, first. It was about an inch long and white, and slightly pulsating in a very larvae like way. Hahahahha.... So disgusting. But it actually tasted kind of like coconut, and had the texture of a gummy worm. So overall, not a terrible experience. Plus, how often can you say you've eaten a live worm in the Amazon Jungle?
Here's the weirdest part: I'm back in Iquitos (home of a million motorbikes, as there's no way to get here except for by boat and air. Sidenote: one of the other guys at the lodge said he had described it to someone as 10,000 neigbors mowing their lawns all at once from 7am to 2am every day. Pretty accurate.) today and tomorrow, I fly to Lima tomorrow night, and then I have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Lima, before I catch a flight home on Wednesday night. I honestly can't really put anything into words about that... maybe in the next few days I'll have some time for relfection and can come up with something pithy and all encompassing about this trip, but who knows... This is my last 'event filled' entry, though, so if/when I write again it will have to be something thought provoking and intellectual ;) For now, though, see you all in about six days!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
the top 5 in BA
Well, here I am at the end of my stay in another wonderful place, and feeling both sad to be moving on and excited for new adventures. It's a little harder being here for these last two days, though, as Annie left last night and I miss her already... However, before she headed back to the USA we made our list of the top 5 best things in Buenos Aires. So here, in no particular order, they are:
1. Steak at La Cabrera
2. The San Telmo Sunday market (streets upon streets jam packed with handicrafts, independant design, and leather goods. We spent way too much money and I walked away with a FANTASTIC new pair of funky leather shoes...)
3. Train ride to Tigre, a little town on the river delta that was quiet and full of big old trees and mansions.
4. Pastries at La Mariposa, the phenomenal panaderia and dulceria down the block from our hostel. I drooled and looked in the window every time we went by-- layers of handmade chocolates, cream filled flaky dough, fruit tarts of every variety and color, and gorgeous fluffy cakes. Not to mention, the empanadas... which we ate at least once a day.
5. And of course, the graffiti! The virtues of which I have already extolled (and taken hundreds of photos of...)
Other things of note: riding the subway (or Subte!), our favorite cafe La Poesia, where we ate 3 times and I'm going back to tonight with two friends from Vancouver BC who I met in Cusco, the dogs (and PUPPIES!) everywhere, live tango shows in the main squares, and the creepy, creepy Recoleta cemetary. Oh, and the daily dose of ice cream, of course.
So, onward I go, for what is (basically, excepting a few days at the end back in Lima) THE LAST STOP. Saturday I fly to Iquitos, in the heart of the Amazon basin, to spend a few days with the monkeys and parrots. And pirhanas. And then... home. In two weeks. Exactly. Woah.
1. Steak at La Cabrera
2. The San Telmo Sunday market (streets upon streets jam packed with handicrafts, independant design, and leather goods. We spent way too much money and I walked away with a FANTASTIC new pair of funky leather shoes...)
3. Train ride to Tigre, a little town on the river delta that was quiet and full of big old trees and mansions.
4. Pastries at La Mariposa, the phenomenal panaderia and dulceria down the block from our hostel. I drooled and looked in the window every time we went by-- layers of handmade chocolates, cream filled flaky dough, fruit tarts of every variety and color, and gorgeous fluffy cakes. Not to mention, the empanadas... which we ate at least once a day.
5. And of course, the graffiti! The virtues of which I have already extolled (and taken hundreds of photos of...)
Other things of note: riding the subway (or Subte!), our favorite cafe La Poesia, where we ate 3 times and I'm going back to tonight with two friends from Vancouver BC who I met in Cusco, the dogs (and PUPPIES!) everywhere, live tango shows in the main squares, and the creepy, creepy Recoleta cemetary. Oh, and the daily dose of ice cream, of course.
So, onward I go, for what is (basically, excepting a few days at the end back in Lima) THE LAST STOP. Saturday I fly to Iquitos, in the heart of the Amazon basin, to spend a few days with the monkeys and parrots. And pirhanas. And then... home. In two weeks. Exactly. Woah.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Buenos Aires: The Food Edition
Yes, I'm still completely enamored of this city. And it's gotten even better since Annie joined me last Wednesday morning. It is so much fun and so, so relaxing to have someone to travel with, after being on my own for so long (special thanks to everyone who helped to get her here. I could not be more grateful). We have been absorbed in exploring every facet of BA, including the food. Which deserves its own entry. Because it is... AMAZING.
Firstly, the coffee. So, going out to coffee in Seattle is a pretty mundane affiar. You sit at a table and order something and they bring you that something. On occasion you get a little pot of looseleaf tea instead of a packet, and you might get a small pitcher of cream, or some cool latte art. In BA, however, going to coffee is quite possibly the most civilized thing I have ever experienced. The first time we went, I assumed it would be a kind of quick affair, like it is in the states. I ordered tea with milk, and Annie ordered a plain small coffee. The total price was probably equivalent to about USD $3. First, they brought out a TINY cup of coffee (espresso style) for Annie, with a perfect little silver dish of sugar cubes, and then they brought out my tea, an empty teacup with a selection of teabags on the side, and two small silver pitchers, one of hot water and one of hot milk. Then they put a little platter of cake in the middle of our table, and teeny tiny (so cute!) glasses of sparkling water on either side. There's something about the care with which they set the table, and the thoughfulness of all the additional things-- the cake, the water-- that just makes my heart fill with glee.
Secondly, the steak. Thanks to the friend of Miss Claire Mauksch (thanks!) I was recommeded what is, according to most, the best steak place in BA. So on Friday night we ventured out to La Cabrera, a restaruant in the Palermo neighborhood that doesn't take reservations, opens at 8:30, and usually has a one to two hour wait. We were smart and got there about half an hour early, so we were high up on the waiting list, but there was STILL a huge line when we left at about 11pm at night. However, waiting isn't so awful, as there is bottomless free champagne for those in line! Woo!!! It was probably the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to in my life, and compared to Peru was exorbitantly expensive. Which meant that in USD we paid approx $60 for our whole meal (including a bottle of some of the best wine I've ever had, called Marianne-- hi mom!) We each ordered different steaks, and we were kind of just expecting to get slabs of meat thrown on our plates. However, in addition to the (best) meat (I have ever eaten) each steak came with about 15 different side dishes in tiny silver bowls. Spinach with walnut cream sauce, pumpkin puree with nutmeg, whipped potatoes with dijon mustard, roasted garlic and carrots, tiny onions pickled in amaaaaazing balsamic vinager, sundried tomato compote, quail eggs with green beans, and delicious, buttery, fluffy salads. I was glad I had barely eaten all day, because it was a huge amount of food (we could have probably shared one meal, but we wouldn't have gotten such an assortment of side dishes!) and I wanted to eat it all. I have never been in such food heaven in my life, and it will be hard to recreate those incredible flavors ever again... heavenly.
We've been doing a lot of exploring, trying to tackle one neighborhood a day. The city is so gigantic that there's really no way to see it all, but we've been trying our best. Some highlights so far: the Recoleta cemetary, which is where Eva Peron is buried, among many other famous people. It's a creepy, creepy place with row after row of mausoleums filled with coffins (you can look through the glass doors and see them all!) and stray cats, as well as cobwebs and dust. Also, the Saturday craft market, where we almost bought out the mate gourd stand, and I got some awesome earrings made of Argentinian coins. The empanadas here are also GREAT, and there are incredible pastry stands on every corner rivaling those in Paris (I guess that should go in the food section). Annie is here for 4 more days, heading back to Seattle Wednesay night, and I'm here until Saturday morning, when I fly to THE RAINFOREST!!! and spend a week floating down the Amazon river.
Endnote: I am coming home in approx two weeks and 4 days. This is totally bizarre to me. I feel like I've been gone forever and also like I just got here. I am not looking forward to the cold weather. I am looking forward to being tanner than everyone. Bwahahahha.
Firstly, the coffee. So, going out to coffee in Seattle is a pretty mundane affiar. You sit at a table and order something and they bring you that something. On occasion you get a little pot of looseleaf tea instead of a packet, and you might get a small pitcher of cream, or some cool latte art. In BA, however, going to coffee is quite possibly the most civilized thing I have ever experienced. The first time we went, I assumed it would be a kind of quick affair, like it is in the states. I ordered tea with milk, and Annie ordered a plain small coffee. The total price was probably equivalent to about USD $3. First, they brought out a TINY cup of coffee (espresso style) for Annie, with a perfect little silver dish of sugar cubes, and then they brought out my tea, an empty teacup with a selection of teabags on the side, and two small silver pitchers, one of hot water and one of hot milk. Then they put a little platter of cake in the middle of our table, and teeny tiny (so cute!) glasses of sparkling water on either side. There's something about the care with which they set the table, and the thoughfulness of all the additional things-- the cake, the water-- that just makes my heart fill with glee.
Secondly, the steak. Thanks to the friend of Miss Claire Mauksch (thanks!) I was recommeded what is, according to most, the best steak place in BA. So on Friday night we ventured out to La Cabrera, a restaruant in the Palermo neighborhood that doesn't take reservations, opens at 8:30, and usually has a one to two hour wait. We were smart and got there about half an hour early, so we were high up on the waiting list, but there was STILL a huge line when we left at about 11pm at night. However, waiting isn't so awful, as there is bottomless free champagne for those in line! Woo!!! It was probably the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to in my life, and compared to Peru was exorbitantly expensive. Which meant that in USD we paid approx $60 for our whole meal (including a bottle of some of the best wine I've ever had, called Marianne-- hi mom!) We each ordered different steaks, and we were kind of just expecting to get slabs of meat thrown on our plates. However, in addition to the (best) meat (I have ever eaten) each steak came with about 15 different side dishes in tiny silver bowls. Spinach with walnut cream sauce, pumpkin puree with nutmeg, whipped potatoes with dijon mustard, roasted garlic and carrots, tiny onions pickled in amaaaaazing balsamic vinager, sundried tomato compote, quail eggs with green beans, and delicious, buttery, fluffy salads. I was glad I had barely eaten all day, because it was a huge amount of food (we could have probably shared one meal, but we wouldn't have gotten such an assortment of side dishes!) and I wanted to eat it all. I have never been in such food heaven in my life, and it will be hard to recreate those incredible flavors ever again... heavenly.
We've been doing a lot of exploring, trying to tackle one neighborhood a day. The city is so gigantic that there's really no way to see it all, but we've been trying our best. Some highlights so far: the Recoleta cemetary, which is where Eva Peron is buried, among many other famous people. It's a creepy, creepy place with row after row of mausoleums filled with coffins (you can look through the glass doors and see them all!) and stray cats, as well as cobwebs and dust. Also, the Saturday craft market, where we almost bought out the mate gourd stand, and I got some awesome earrings made of Argentinian coins. The empanadas here are also GREAT, and there are incredible pastry stands on every corner rivaling those in Paris (I guess that should go in the food section). Annie is here for 4 more days, heading back to Seattle Wednesay night, and I'm here until Saturday morning, when I fly to THE RAINFOREST!!! and spend a week floating down the Amazon river.
Endnote: I am coming home in approx two weeks and 4 days. This is totally bizarre to me. I feel like I've been gone forever and also like I just got here. I am not looking forward to the cold weather. I am looking forward to being tanner than everyone. Bwahahahha.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
I AM IN LOVE...
with this city. Buenos Aires is BEAUTIFUL. And I suppose not in the most conventional way, but I am already enamored and I have only really been here for one day.
A little culture shock has befallen me, I must admit, as it is much more westernized than Peru. Or, should I say, europeanized. Sidewalk cafes, Italian, French, and Spanish influenced architecture, tree lined boulevards, plazas. I've really only explored my neighborhood, San Telmo, and there are SO MANY MORE! And I'm SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM! Eeeee! Especially because tomorrow morning I will be joined by my partner in crime, Annie Rose Hughes (everyone say hi to her! She will be with me when I next post on here! So many exclamation points!)
So, I just have to comment on my favorite thing so far. It's not the garbage strike, if that's what you were thinking (anyone remember Senegal? Stacy? This is reminiscent...) It's actually... the graffiti. I LOVE THE GRAFFITTI. IT IS SPECTACULAR. It is everywhere, even on the most austere buildings (I've heard it's on the government buildings), and it is the most incredible art. I can't stop ogling it. I can't stop taking photos of it. It is beautiful art. There is so much variety and creativity, and, as I said, it is EVERYWHERE. The locals just walk by like it's nothing, while I am standing there ogling like a dumb tourist. But good god... I suppose I have always been somewhat of an ardent graffiti appreciator, so this is heaven for me. I will try to post pictures but actually I have a feeling the next two weeks are kind of going to be a whirlwind, and if internet speed is anything like it was in Peru, I don't really want to spend 3 hours in an internet cafe trying to upload photos.
So yes, I also saw my first tango show (free in the park!) and had a gigantic salad and a great flan at a little sidewalk cafe. I think I might stay here forever, ok? See you all in a few years. You can come visit. That's a joke... this city is also HUGE and a little overwhelming, and there is lots of dog poop. Those are the only downsides, though. Haha...
A little culture shock has befallen me, I must admit, as it is much more westernized than Peru. Or, should I say, europeanized. Sidewalk cafes, Italian, French, and Spanish influenced architecture, tree lined boulevards, plazas. I've really only explored my neighborhood, San Telmo, and there are SO MANY MORE! And I'm SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM! Eeeee! Especially because tomorrow morning I will be joined by my partner in crime, Annie Rose Hughes (everyone say hi to her! She will be with me when I next post on here! So many exclamation points!)
So, I just have to comment on my favorite thing so far. It's not the garbage strike, if that's what you were thinking (anyone remember Senegal? Stacy? This is reminiscent...) It's actually... the graffiti. I LOVE THE GRAFFITTI. IT IS SPECTACULAR. It is everywhere, even on the most austere buildings (I've heard it's on the government buildings), and it is the most incredible art. I can't stop ogling it. I can't stop taking photos of it. It is beautiful art. There is so much variety and creativity, and, as I said, it is EVERYWHERE. The locals just walk by like it's nothing, while I am standing there ogling like a dumb tourist. But good god... I suppose I have always been somewhat of an ardent graffiti appreciator, so this is heaven for me. I will try to post pictures but actually I have a feeling the next two weeks are kind of going to be a whirlwind, and if internet speed is anything like it was in Peru, I don't really want to spend 3 hours in an internet cafe trying to upload photos.
So yes, I also saw my first tango show (free in the park!) and had a gigantic salad and a great flan at a little sidewalk cafe. I think I might stay here forever, ok? See you all in a few years. You can come visit. That's a joke... this city is also HUGE and a little overwhelming, and there is lots of dog poop. Those are the only downsides, though. Haha...
Friday, November 26, 2010
In which I become a Peruvian Bartender
I just had a surreal experience. I'm back in Lima, staying at the same hostel that I stayed at on the very first day of my trip (that is surreal enough)... and I spent a couple of hours this afternoon sitting in a Starbucks, drinking a chai latte, listening to classic (North) American Christmas tunes, gazing at a decorated tree indoors (fake) and the non-decorated palm trees outdoors (very real) as well as the blazing sun, Peruvians chattering in Espanol, and reading a magazine in Spanish. What a juxtaposition. It's hard to imagine that back home in Seattle people have been playing in the snow all week.
Especially because MY week started in 100 degree heat, in Nasca, home of the famous Nasca lines. For those of you who are not my dad: the Nasca lines are these GIGANTIC drawings made on the floor of the desert by the people of the Nasca culture for god knows what reason, in god knows what way. There are many speculations: special calendars, used for religious purposes, star charts, maps of underground water, etc. but no one really knows why they are there. Some of the lines are perfectly straight, stretching on into infinity. Others are huge geometric shapes; perfect squares hundreds of feet long by hundreds of feet wide, trapezoids, rectangles. The most striking are actual drawings. A monkey, a hummingbird, some weird alien looking forms, a spider. The trick is (and this is also why no one knows how they were made) they are impossible to see except from in the air. SO, I took a plane. Which was slightly terrifying. It was a tiny aircraft, only 5 people including the pilot, and we all got to wear those little headphone thingys so we could listen to him talk. The experience was similar to being on a half hour rollercoaster, which I have to admit I loved a little bit. Others were not so happy-- there were several people running to the bathroom once we landed. Seeing the lines from high up was really incredible, though. I still think there is probably no way they could have been made except by aliens.
From Nasca I headed to Huacachina, which is the epitome of a 'cartoon' oasis. Just outside the city of Ica, it is surrounded by towering sand dunes, and is a perfect blue oval fringed in palm trees, as well as restaurants and hostels with balconies and hammocks overlooking the water. As I was checking into my hostel, one of the guys working there hurried to the front desk and looked at me, then said 'Do you know how to make a mojito?' Um... yes? I hesitantly replied in the affirmative, not really knowing what was going on, and the dragged me through the kitchen into the bar area. Apparently someone had ordered a mojito, and instead of telling them that they didn't know how to make it, they hoped a solution would come quickly. I suppose I was that solution (though I do have to wonder what they would have done if I hadn't shown up...) So I made a sorry excuse for a mojito, using lime, sparkling water, crappy rum, sugar, and creme de menthe. I kept telling them that you couldn't make a mojito without fresh mint, but they were determined. After I finished they all tasted it, and proclaimed it good, then offered me a job. Apparently they were short on staff and needed another bartender. I was slightly tempted to say yes, and stay in Huacachina for a few months laying in hammocks and mixing drinks, but it is just a testament to how much I love you all that I declined.
On my way back to Lima yesterday I stopped to do a boat tour of the Paracas islands, which are known for their wildlife. There I saw REAL PENGUINS!!! as well as a million sea lions (so cute), pelicans, and other seabirds. Then I was informed that the only 'tourist' bus going back to Lima wasn't leaving until 4:30. Which wasn't ideal, since it was only about 10am, and I didn't really want to spend the day in Paracas (and get to Lima late, late at night). So I used my resources (aka, really bad Spanish and lots of courage) and asked around, finally finding a friendly cab driver who drove me to the pan-American highway, waited for 15 minutes, and stood in the middle of the road to flag down the passing local bus. It was a bit cramped for a 6 hour ride, but at least I had a seat (to share with my pack) and ladies coming on at every stop (read: approx every 20 minutes, as we stopped in EVERY SINGLE LITTLE TOWN) selling ice cream. So my Thanksgiving consisted of lots of ice cream, and a few peanuts. Could be worse.
So, I'm stuck in Lima for the next two days, until I fly out on Monday to Buenos Aires (yayyyyy!!!) Today I went for my first run in two months (as it is not considered freakish to run in Lima, and there is a really nice path along the beach) and it did not go as badly as I had feared. Which is probably the highlight of my trip thus far (kidding. But I was pretty thrilled to find that I hadn't completely gotten out of shape). And I got my laundry done. All of those little things that get pushed aside until completely necessary. It's nice to have some time to stretch out, relax, and have a slightly normal life. Of course, it's good that it's not for too long, otherwise I might not be able to stand it :)
Especially because MY week started in 100 degree heat, in Nasca, home of the famous Nasca lines. For those of you who are not my dad: the Nasca lines are these GIGANTIC drawings made on the floor of the desert by the people of the Nasca culture for god knows what reason, in god knows what way. There are many speculations: special calendars, used for religious purposes, star charts, maps of underground water, etc. but no one really knows why they are there. Some of the lines are perfectly straight, stretching on into infinity. Others are huge geometric shapes; perfect squares hundreds of feet long by hundreds of feet wide, trapezoids, rectangles. The most striking are actual drawings. A monkey, a hummingbird, some weird alien looking forms, a spider. The trick is (and this is also why no one knows how they were made) they are impossible to see except from in the air. SO, I took a plane. Which was slightly terrifying. It was a tiny aircraft, only 5 people including the pilot, and we all got to wear those little headphone thingys so we could listen to him talk. The experience was similar to being on a half hour rollercoaster, which I have to admit I loved a little bit. Others were not so happy-- there were several people running to the bathroom once we landed. Seeing the lines from high up was really incredible, though. I still think there is probably no way they could have been made except by aliens.
From Nasca I headed to Huacachina, which is the epitome of a 'cartoon' oasis. Just outside the city of Ica, it is surrounded by towering sand dunes, and is a perfect blue oval fringed in palm trees, as well as restaurants and hostels with balconies and hammocks overlooking the water. As I was checking into my hostel, one of the guys working there hurried to the front desk and looked at me, then said 'Do you know how to make a mojito?' Um... yes? I hesitantly replied in the affirmative, not really knowing what was going on, and the dragged me through the kitchen into the bar area. Apparently someone had ordered a mojito, and instead of telling them that they didn't know how to make it, they hoped a solution would come quickly. I suppose I was that solution (though I do have to wonder what they would have done if I hadn't shown up...) So I made a sorry excuse for a mojito, using lime, sparkling water, crappy rum, sugar, and creme de menthe. I kept telling them that you couldn't make a mojito without fresh mint, but they were determined. After I finished they all tasted it, and proclaimed it good, then offered me a job. Apparently they were short on staff and needed another bartender. I was slightly tempted to say yes, and stay in Huacachina for a few months laying in hammocks and mixing drinks, but it is just a testament to how much I love you all that I declined.
On my way back to Lima yesterday I stopped to do a boat tour of the Paracas islands, which are known for their wildlife. There I saw REAL PENGUINS!!! as well as a million sea lions (so cute), pelicans, and other seabirds. Then I was informed that the only 'tourist' bus going back to Lima wasn't leaving until 4:30. Which wasn't ideal, since it was only about 10am, and I didn't really want to spend the day in Paracas (and get to Lima late, late at night). So I used my resources (aka, really bad Spanish and lots of courage) and asked around, finally finding a friendly cab driver who drove me to the pan-American highway, waited for 15 minutes, and stood in the middle of the road to flag down the passing local bus. It was a bit cramped for a 6 hour ride, but at least I had a seat (to share with my pack) and ladies coming on at every stop (read: approx every 20 minutes, as we stopped in EVERY SINGLE LITTLE TOWN) selling ice cream. So my Thanksgiving consisted of lots of ice cream, and a few peanuts. Could be worse.
So, I'm stuck in Lima for the next two days, until I fly out on Monday to Buenos Aires (yayyyyy!!!) Today I went for my first run in two months (as it is not considered freakish to run in Lima, and there is a really nice path along the beach) and it did not go as badly as I had feared. Which is probably the highlight of my trip thus far (kidding. But I was pretty thrilled to find that I hadn't completely gotten out of shape). And I got my laundry done. All of those little things that get pushed aside until completely necessary. It's nice to have some time to stretch out, relax, and have a slightly normal life. Of course, it's good that it's not for too long, otherwise I might not be able to stand it :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Yes, I'm still alive... Notes on my impending Peruvain celebrity and why I will vote for the purple potato
It's just kind of been one of those weeks... when I haven't really done a whole lot. Which has been both lovely and not so lovely all at the same time. So, I returned from my trek on Monday night and spent most of Tuesday recovering, sleeping, writing emails, etc. Then I spent the rest of the week looking at lots and lots of rocks (ruin after ruin after ruin. They are so seductive). (Yes, Dad, I just wrote that).
Cusco is a trap. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it is just REALLY, really hard to escape from. It's comfortable, there's tons of good food (Peruvian and otherwise-- mostly, after living with a host family, I was pretty into the 'otherwise.' Especially the vegetables.) and there's plenty to do and see, even if that just means wandering around, getting a fresh juice, and people watching in one of the gorgeous plazas. So I finally found my way out last night, and am now in Nasca. Arrived early this morning, bewildered and bleary was shaken awake by the attendant on the bus, and shooed off into the hot sunlight of the desert. It's now 9am and I can't check into my room until 12:30, but all I really want is a shower and a nap (overnight bus rides are not all they're cracked up to be. Oh wait, I think they might not have had such high reputations to begin with...) so I'm sitting in the common area of the hostel writing in my blog. I think I might have to venture forth into the streets shortly, though, to find some food.
A couple of interesting cultural notes, since I don't have a whole lot of activity to report on. Firstly, the novelty of 'photos with la gringa' (which I think is going to be the title of my new telenovela). Here's what happens: I walk into a main plaza (this happens mostly in Cusco, which is weird as there are SO MANY TOURISTS there you would think it wouldn't be so exciting) and there is a group of school age children, usually probably in their early teens. I try to look at the ground, walk quickly, avoid eye contact, but inevitably I am tackled by one or a group and they say 'Por favor, una phota senorita?' The first time this happened, I thought that they wanted me to take a photo of them. But no, the idea is that they stand next to ME and have their photo taken. And then their friend does the same thing, and then this other guy, and then a couple more, until my face hurts and I know my smile looks so fake, and I've had about 25 photos taken of me with random Peruvian schoolchildren. I still don't exactly know why this happens, but I think it has something to do with being tall, blonde, and very pale. In the two-ish weeks I was in Cusco, it happened approximately 4 or 5 times, each occasion spawning probably around 20-30 different photos. I wonder what they are going to do with all of those images of me standing about a foot higher than my little Peruvian friends and smiling so awkwardly? Keep an eye out...
Second cultural note of interest: in the smaller towns around Peru, both ones that I have stayed in and ones that I have passed en route to various cities, the buildings are plastered with campain advertisments. There is a big election coming up (a new president will soon be coming into office, but there are other positions up for renewal as well) and it is obvious that the politicians are very much trying to engage voters in more rural areas. These advertisements take the form of graffiti, more or less, with the name of the cantidate in huge letters, and then next to it a box with an image in it. These images range from simple drawings of mountain ranges, to depictions of the traditional andean alpaca wool hat, to a yellow and purple potato (I know it was a potato because it said 'papas' over it). On some of the buildings, there is the image in the box and it has a large, black X through it. At first I thought that this was an attack against that particular politician-- their adversaires crossing out the campain image. However, I've become convinced that it is actually a genius plan for getting people who are illiterate involved in voting. I think that when the people go to vote, there will be, in addition to the names of the cantidates, a little picture in a box that corrosponds with that name. So that even if the people can't read, they can still vote. I've decided that I would vote for the yellow and purple potato, simply because I like the picture best... Hopefully, that's not how the rest of the voters will choose, but I suppose you always run that risk (even in the US we have the photos of the cantidates accompanying their names... and I bet a lot of people just pick the guy with the best hair...)
Anyways, I'm going to try to get a flight over the Nasca lines today or tomorrow. There is also supposedly a great museum here of the woman who discovered the lines, and a lecture on her this evening. But not much else to do in Nasca, so I'll be moving on up the coast on Wednesday morning. Love to all.
Cusco is a trap. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it is just REALLY, really hard to escape from. It's comfortable, there's tons of good food (Peruvian and otherwise-- mostly, after living with a host family, I was pretty into the 'otherwise.' Especially the vegetables.) and there's plenty to do and see, even if that just means wandering around, getting a fresh juice, and people watching in one of the gorgeous plazas. So I finally found my way out last night, and am now in Nasca. Arrived early this morning, bewildered and bleary was shaken awake by the attendant on the bus, and shooed off into the hot sunlight of the desert. It's now 9am and I can't check into my room until 12:30, but all I really want is a shower and a nap (overnight bus rides are not all they're cracked up to be. Oh wait, I think they might not have had such high reputations to begin with...) so I'm sitting in the common area of the hostel writing in my blog. I think I might have to venture forth into the streets shortly, though, to find some food.
A couple of interesting cultural notes, since I don't have a whole lot of activity to report on. Firstly, the novelty of 'photos with la gringa' (which I think is going to be the title of my new telenovela). Here's what happens: I walk into a main plaza (this happens mostly in Cusco, which is weird as there are SO MANY TOURISTS there you would think it wouldn't be so exciting) and there is a group of school age children, usually probably in their early teens. I try to look at the ground, walk quickly, avoid eye contact, but inevitably I am tackled by one or a group and they say 'Por favor, una phota senorita?' The first time this happened, I thought that they wanted me to take a photo of them. But no, the idea is that they stand next to ME and have their photo taken. And then their friend does the same thing, and then this other guy, and then a couple more, until my face hurts and I know my smile looks so fake, and I've had about 25 photos taken of me with random Peruvian schoolchildren. I still don't exactly know why this happens, but I think it has something to do with being tall, blonde, and very pale. In the two-ish weeks I was in Cusco, it happened approximately 4 or 5 times, each occasion spawning probably around 20-30 different photos. I wonder what they are going to do with all of those images of me standing about a foot higher than my little Peruvian friends and smiling so awkwardly? Keep an eye out...
Second cultural note of interest: in the smaller towns around Peru, both ones that I have stayed in and ones that I have passed en route to various cities, the buildings are plastered with campain advertisments. There is a big election coming up (a new president will soon be coming into office, but there are other positions up for renewal as well) and it is obvious that the politicians are very much trying to engage voters in more rural areas. These advertisements take the form of graffiti, more or less, with the name of the cantidate in huge letters, and then next to it a box with an image in it. These images range from simple drawings of mountain ranges, to depictions of the traditional andean alpaca wool hat, to a yellow and purple potato (I know it was a potato because it said 'papas' over it). On some of the buildings, there is the image in the box and it has a large, black X through it. At first I thought that this was an attack against that particular politician-- their adversaires crossing out the campain image. However, I've become convinced that it is actually a genius plan for getting people who are illiterate involved in voting. I think that when the people go to vote, there will be, in addition to the names of the cantidates, a little picture in a box that corrosponds with that name. So that even if the people can't read, they can still vote. I've decided that I would vote for the yellow and purple potato, simply because I like the picture best... Hopefully, that's not how the rest of the voters will choose, but I suppose you always run that risk (even in the US we have the photos of the cantidates accompanying their names... and I bet a lot of people just pick the guy with the best hair...)
Anyways, I'm going to try to get a flight over the Nasca lines today or tomorrow. There is also supposedly a great museum here of the woman who discovered the lines, and a lecture on her this evening. But not much else to do in Nasca, so I'll be moving on up the coast on Wednesday morning. Love to all.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
LAS PHOTAS (so you believe I actually was there...)
  |
| guess where I am? |
 |
| At the PASS |
 |
| on top of the world, aka Waynapicchu |
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Macchu Picchu
I'm not even really sure where to start this entry... there's so much to write, and yet so much of it is totally indescribable.
I got back from my trek late last night, after spending all of yesterday at Macchu Picchu. I ended up settling on the Lares Trek, which takes a perpendicular valley to the Sacred Valley and meets up with the Sacred Valley at Ullantaytambo, where I was last week. I went with my Dutch friend from the Colca Canyon, Ilsa, and because it's low season and the Lares Trek isn't super popular, we were the ONLY PEOPLE ON THE TREK! Just us, our guide Alfredo, a porter/horseman (plus 3 horses) and a cook. Pretty phenomenal, to be basically all alone in the wilds of the Peruvian Andes.
The trek itself was really, really lovely. And really hard. The second day, which was the longest, was 8 straight hours of hiking, including climbing over a 4500 m pass, which is about 15,000 ft. That's a lot, in case you were wondering. But I have to admit, standing on the top of the pass, after walking up in the pouring freezing rain, and having the sun break through just as we reached the peak... I felt completely like a superhero. Not to mention the view was spectacular. And there were LOTS of llamas and alpacas.
We camped for two nights, the first one in a small village in someone's backyard, and the second night in the most idyllic location-- on a grassy knoll in the forest, right by a windy river filled with big boulders, great for laying on and looking at the stars while listening to the crackling campfire in the background. The third night we spent in Aguas Calientes, the town below Macchu Picchu, reachable only by train and foot.
So, Macchu Picchu itself. This is the part that I really can't put into words... I expected that after all of the hype, after seeing so many photos of it, after everyone telling me how great it was, that it wouldn't live up to it's high acclaim. And for the first bit, I did feel kind of let down. We arrived at the main entrance at 5:30am, and there were floods of tourists waiting to be let in. It felt a little bit like Disneyland, especially as we entered and people pushed and shoved to be the first to see a glimpse of the forgotten city. However, because it was the low season and because we were there so early, the crowds soon spread out over the huge expanse of ruins, and we found ourselves almost completely alone. Alfredo, our guide, knew a pretty much deserted spot on the mountainside to look down on the sunrise, so we climbed up there and that was when it kicked in-- how absolutely lucky I was to be there, how incredible it was, how beautiful and spectacular and immense these ruins were, surrounded by cloud forest, on a mountain peak.
I don't know how to write about the feeling, but I was filled up with something so completely that it was overwhelming. I sat on a rock on the terraced hillside and looked at the sun coming up over the ancient stones, and I just cried for about 15 minutes. I was so completely happy, but tears were the only way I could cope with the hugeness of it all.
After that, we went down into the ruins themselves, and Alfredo told us all about Incan history. They were some pretty crazy dudes... for example, once a year, on the 'summer' solstice (that's January 21 down here south of the equator) they had a huge sacrifice of virgins, and they would keep killing the girls until the shaman found one whose heart beat exactly 3 times after her chest was cut open. Then they would cut a hand or foot off of a small child and bury it alive (second part of the sacrifice) and then they would climb to a high peak next to Macchu Picchu and sacrifice a black llama. Alfredo is currently writing a book about these practices, so he was pretty knowledgeable about it all, which was great.
THEN, because we were amongst the first 500 people to enter in the morning, we got to climb up the smaller mountain of Waynapicchu. By smaller mountain I mean about 300 meters straight up in the air, on slippery and tiny carved stone steps, over an incredibly deep valley plunging down, down, down into the forest and riverbed below. It was terrifying. But once we got to the top, it was, once again, so worth it. I have never been on the TOP of a mountain. There was nothing above me except sky, nothing around me except plunging sheer cliffs and more Incan ruins. It was just me (well, and a few other tourists) on these granite chunks, on the very tippy top of the world. Around us zoomed blue and green and red and orange butterflies, and a flock of green parrots almost knocked me off the rock at one point.
I would really like to post some photos, and will try to do so later this week. However, I am once again taking advantage of the free hostel internet, and as this computer seems to be infected by some kind of virus I'm loathe to hook my camera up to it, in case it decides to attack the memory card and eat all my pictures. So check back for some visual aids to this story, and more adventures to come... I'm planning on spending the rest of the week in Cusco, and then I'm off to who knows where. However, I have to make it back to Lima by November 29, as I'm flying to Buenos Aires on that day!
I got back from my trek late last night, after spending all of yesterday at Macchu Picchu. I ended up settling on the Lares Trek, which takes a perpendicular valley to the Sacred Valley and meets up with the Sacred Valley at Ullantaytambo, where I was last week. I went with my Dutch friend from the Colca Canyon, Ilsa, and because it's low season and the Lares Trek isn't super popular, we were the ONLY PEOPLE ON THE TREK! Just us, our guide Alfredo, a porter/horseman (plus 3 horses) and a cook. Pretty phenomenal, to be basically all alone in the wilds of the Peruvian Andes.
The trek itself was really, really lovely. And really hard. The second day, which was the longest, was 8 straight hours of hiking, including climbing over a 4500 m pass, which is about 15,000 ft. That's a lot, in case you were wondering. But I have to admit, standing on the top of the pass, after walking up in the pouring freezing rain, and having the sun break through just as we reached the peak... I felt completely like a superhero. Not to mention the view was spectacular. And there were LOTS of llamas and alpacas.
We camped for two nights, the first one in a small village in someone's backyard, and the second night in the most idyllic location-- on a grassy knoll in the forest, right by a windy river filled with big boulders, great for laying on and looking at the stars while listening to the crackling campfire in the background. The third night we spent in Aguas Calientes, the town below Macchu Picchu, reachable only by train and foot.
So, Macchu Picchu itself. This is the part that I really can't put into words... I expected that after all of the hype, after seeing so many photos of it, after everyone telling me how great it was, that it wouldn't live up to it's high acclaim. And for the first bit, I did feel kind of let down. We arrived at the main entrance at 5:30am, and there were floods of tourists waiting to be let in. It felt a little bit like Disneyland, especially as we entered and people pushed and shoved to be the first to see a glimpse of the forgotten city. However, because it was the low season and because we were there so early, the crowds soon spread out over the huge expanse of ruins, and we found ourselves almost completely alone. Alfredo, our guide, knew a pretty much deserted spot on the mountainside to look down on the sunrise, so we climbed up there and that was when it kicked in-- how absolutely lucky I was to be there, how incredible it was, how beautiful and spectacular and immense these ruins were, surrounded by cloud forest, on a mountain peak.
I don't know how to write about the feeling, but I was filled up with something so completely that it was overwhelming. I sat on a rock on the terraced hillside and looked at the sun coming up over the ancient stones, and I just cried for about 15 minutes. I was so completely happy, but tears were the only way I could cope with the hugeness of it all.
After that, we went down into the ruins themselves, and Alfredo told us all about Incan history. They were some pretty crazy dudes... for example, once a year, on the 'summer' solstice (that's January 21 down here south of the equator) they had a huge sacrifice of virgins, and they would keep killing the girls until the shaman found one whose heart beat exactly 3 times after her chest was cut open. Then they would cut a hand or foot off of a small child and bury it alive (second part of the sacrifice) and then they would climb to a high peak next to Macchu Picchu and sacrifice a black llama. Alfredo is currently writing a book about these practices, so he was pretty knowledgeable about it all, which was great.
THEN, because we were amongst the first 500 people to enter in the morning, we got to climb up the smaller mountain of Waynapicchu. By smaller mountain I mean about 300 meters straight up in the air, on slippery and tiny carved stone steps, over an incredibly deep valley plunging down, down, down into the forest and riverbed below. It was terrifying. But once we got to the top, it was, once again, so worth it. I have never been on the TOP of a mountain. There was nothing above me except sky, nothing around me except plunging sheer cliffs and more Incan ruins. It was just me (well, and a few other tourists) on these granite chunks, on the very tippy top of the world. Around us zoomed blue and green and red and orange butterflies, and a flock of green parrots almost knocked me off the rock at one point.
I would really like to post some photos, and will try to do so later this week. However, I am once again taking advantage of the free hostel internet, and as this computer seems to be infected by some kind of virus I'm loathe to hook my camera up to it, in case it decides to attack the memory card and eat all my pictures. So check back for some visual aids to this story, and more adventures to come... I'm planning on spending the rest of the week in Cusco, and then I'm off to who knows where. However, I have to make it back to Lima by November 29, as I'm flying to Buenos Aires on that day!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sacred Valley
It seems like it's been a while since I've written in here... sorry about that!
I left Puno on Saturday and wound up at a TERRIBLE hostel, so switched the next day (Sunday) to the same hostel as my friend from the Colca Canyon, Ilsa. It's a great little place, with lots of friendly people and at the very top of a VERY steep hill. However, I am pretty sure there are bedbugs. Well, you can't have everything. Other than being itchy, there's not much I can do about it unless I decide to try to convince them to burn the mattresses, and I don't know how to say that in Spanish... As one of the other travelers said, since they will probably come with us in our clothes, it's like a constant companion-- you never have to be lonely! Ha, ha.
Cusco is lovely, winding hilly cobblestoned streets, with high peaked terra cotta tiled roofs, and LOTS of great food. Also, lots of tourists. However, Ilsa and I escaped for the past two days away from the bustle of the city and into the Sacred Valley, which has the highest concentration of Incan ruins anywhere in Peru (it was the main hub of Incan activity, and leads up to Macchu Picchu). The valley itself is gorgeous, high craggy peaks that seem like they will cut open the sky, plunging into green valleys and eucalyptus groves. We took a local bus from Cusco, stuffed in next to schoolchildren and old women in traditional outfits (heavy embroidered skirts, vests, aprons, legwarmers, loooong black braids, and these funny top-hat like tiny hats that are pinned to their hair). It takes about 2 hours to get to the large-ish town of Urubamba, which was our hub. Urubamba itself isn't gorgeous, but the surrounding scenery makes up for it. We also stayed in the MOST LOVELY hospedaje, run by a sweet, shy old man and his tiny but spirited dog, Tom. It was far away from the center of town on a windy dirt road, and we had a private room (yay!) with GREAT beds, in an incredible garden. The whole garden was overflowing with bouganvilla and other flowers, and we had our breakfast at a table amongst the flowers and vines with little black chickens pecking around our feet. So lovely. We arrived in the early afternoon yesterday, and after dropping off our stuff we turned right around to get a collectiveo (kind of like a large minivan) to Ollantaytambo, which is an even smaller town, and hasn't changed much since the Incas lived there, 700 years ago. There is a huge ruin built into the hillsides in Ollantaytambo, so we explored that, which was pretty amazing. For me, the most mindblowing thing is that these ancient people were moving stones that are roughly the size of a modern living room couch, and not only carrying them from place to place, but up totally sheer sides of mountains. How is that even possible?! I think I need to brush up on my Incan history when I get home. There's not really any way to describe the immense scale of these ruins, and unfortunately uploading pictures is a no-go because I think this computer has a virus and I don't want to infect my camera...
So, after a GREAT night's sleep, we headed this morning up into the hills around the valley to see the ruins at Moray. These ruins are a HUGE stadium sized group of concentric circles, that apparently were used for testing how different varieties of corn would grow in different climates. They were built in such a way that each circle was it's own separate micro-climate. How on earth they ever figured out how to do this, I do not know, but it's a pretty amazing idea. We climbed all the way down into the bottommost circle, and then back out (which was not easy!) Then headed to a nearby site that was built by the Incans, but is still used today-- Las Salineras, or salt pools. These are a series of salt harvesting pools built down into a valley. There must have been hundreds of them, each about 5 feet across, and terraced into the hillside in a series of descending pools. They were so weird looking, all in different stages of saltiness-- some were brownish and watery, while others were pure white, and solid, obviously the finalized stage. I guess the water in the hillside has a very high salinity, and so the Incans channeled it into these still pools so that it would evaporate, leaving the salt. Very weird, very cool.
So, we returned to Cusco this evening, and have a day before leaving on our TREK! Yes, we finally booked one. And, weirdly enough, because it is the low season and there are so few tourists compared to high season, Ilsa and I are going on a private trek. It will be just us and the guides, as well as a mule to carry our belongings (sweet). We decided on the Lares trek, which is more of a cultural trek. This means we will be visiting villages along the way and doing some volunteering as well. I'm slightly terrified-- three 8 hr days of hiking in this altitude seems like a big feat. But I know it will be worth it. So, leaving on Friday at 3am. I'll report back when I return!
I left Puno on Saturday and wound up at a TERRIBLE hostel, so switched the next day (Sunday) to the same hostel as my friend from the Colca Canyon, Ilsa. It's a great little place, with lots of friendly people and at the very top of a VERY steep hill. However, I am pretty sure there are bedbugs. Well, you can't have everything. Other than being itchy, there's not much I can do about it unless I decide to try to convince them to burn the mattresses, and I don't know how to say that in Spanish... As one of the other travelers said, since they will probably come with us in our clothes, it's like a constant companion-- you never have to be lonely! Ha, ha.
Cusco is lovely, winding hilly cobblestoned streets, with high peaked terra cotta tiled roofs, and LOTS of great food. Also, lots of tourists. However, Ilsa and I escaped for the past two days away from the bustle of the city and into the Sacred Valley, which has the highest concentration of Incan ruins anywhere in Peru (it was the main hub of Incan activity, and leads up to Macchu Picchu). The valley itself is gorgeous, high craggy peaks that seem like they will cut open the sky, plunging into green valleys and eucalyptus groves. We took a local bus from Cusco, stuffed in next to schoolchildren and old women in traditional outfits (heavy embroidered skirts, vests, aprons, legwarmers, loooong black braids, and these funny top-hat like tiny hats that are pinned to their hair). It takes about 2 hours to get to the large-ish town of Urubamba, which was our hub. Urubamba itself isn't gorgeous, but the surrounding scenery makes up for it. We also stayed in the MOST LOVELY hospedaje, run by a sweet, shy old man and his tiny but spirited dog, Tom. It was far away from the center of town on a windy dirt road, and we had a private room (yay!) with GREAT beds, in an incredible garden. The whole garden was overflowing with bouganvilla and other flowers, and we had our breakfast at a table amongst the flowers and vines with little black chickens pecking around our feet. So lovely. We arrived in the early afternoon yesterday, and after dropping off our stuff we turned right around to get a collectiveo (kind of like a large minivan) to Ollantaytambo, which is an even smaller town, and hasn't changed much since the Incas lived there, 700 years ago. There is a huge ruin built into the hillsides in Ollantaytambo, so we explored that, which was pretty amazing. For me, the most mindblowing thing is that these ancient people were moving stones that are roughly the size of a modern living room couch, and not only carrying them from place to place, but up totally sheer sides of mountains. How is that even possible?! I think I need to brush up on my Incan history when I get home. There's not really any way to describe the immense scale of these ruins, and unfortunately uploading pictures is a no-go because I think this computer has a virus and I don't want to infect my camera...
So, after a GREAT night's sleep, we headed this morning up into the hills around the valley to see the ruins at Moray. These ruins are a HUGE stadium sized group of concentric circles, that apparently were used for testing how different varieties of corn would grow in different climates. They were built in such a way that each circle was it's own separate micro-climate. How on earth they ever figured out how to do this, I do not know, but it's a pretty amazing idea. We climbed all the way down into the bottommost circle, and then back out (which was not easy!) Then headed to a nearby site that was built by the Incans, but is still used today-- Las Salineras, or salt pools. These are a series of salt harvesting pools built down into a valley. There must have been hundreds of them, each about 5 feet across, and terraced into the hillside in a series of descending pools. They were so weird looking, all in different stages of saltiness-- some were brownish and watery, while others were pure white, and solid, obviously the finalized stage. I guess the water in the hillside has a very high salinity, and so the Incans channeled it into these still pools so that it would evaporate, leaving the salt. Very weird, very cool.
So, we returned to Cusco this evening, and have a day before leaving on our TREK! Yes, we finally booked one. And, weirdly enough, because it is the low season and there are so few tourists compared to high season, Ilsa and I are going on a private trek. It will be just us and the guides, as well as a mule to carry our belongings (sweet). We decided on the Lares trek, which is more of a cultural trek. This means we will be visiting villages along the way and doing some volunteering as well. I'm slightly terrified-- three 8 hr days of hiking in this altitude seems like a big feat. But I know it will be worth it. So, leaving on Friday at 3am. I'll report back when I return!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Floating Islands
Dear ones,
I am now in Puno (and have been for the past 2 days) on the shores of the magical Lake Titicaca. Puno itself is NOT magical. It is very much a working city, and has little to no allure in terms of things to do and attractiveness. However, there is a great crafts market with tons of Alpaca goods, so I spent yesterday wandering around and looking at furry colorful knitted objects. Great fun. I also had dinner in an incredible vegetarian restaurant and had the MOST BEAUTIFUL FRUIT SALAD ever, with yogurt and 'granola' which was kind of this weird powdery grainy stuff... but still, fresh mango, papaya, apple, pineapple, and lucuma. Yum tastic.
TODAY I took a day tour of two of the islands on the lake. I felt like a huge tourist, but then again, I am a tourist... so what can you do. Sometimes it just happens that you are crammed on a boat with a bunch of other white people carrying expensive cameras and wearing expensive outdoor gear. I was by far the youngest, which was kind of weird, but everyone was very friendly. I do feel like in the past couple of days I have been more highly aware of my 'priviledge' than I have been so far on this trip. I don't know wether it is because Puno has less tourists, is poorer, or what. But there have been several moments when I have had that feeling of 'oh my god... I am so lucky' and have felt a little bit disgusted with myself. I know that even just by travelling and seeing other parts of the world I am creating awareness, and making myself a more conscientious person. But when you see people who are trying to survive solely off of selling one tapestry for S./10 a day (about $3) it makes you think a lot about everything that you have, and what of that stuff you really actually need.
I don't know if that makes any sense... but anyways.
THE ISLANDS were magnificient. We were serenaded on the boat by a traditionally dressed man playing Beatles songs on ukelele and Incan pipes. Our first stop was Los Uros, which is a collection of 67 manmade islands about 30 min away from Puno by boat. Our guide was great, and I learned a ton. These islands are insane. Each one houses about 4 families, and also has a small elementary school. Then there is a bigger central island with the high school and church. AND EVERYTHING IS MADE OUT OF LAKE REEDS. Not kidding. Everything. The islands themselves. The houses. The boats. It is totally mind blowing. The islands are made by taking the roots of the reeds during dry season and tying them together, then packing more reeds on top, to reach a thickness of about 3 m (9ish feet). It feels like walking on a cross between water bed, sponge, and trampoline. The islands also have anchors and can be moved around, and the reeds on top have to be replaced every month otherwise the rot from the water reaches all the way through and the island falls apart. The reeds are called Tortura reeds, and are also edible and have medicinal properties. It was so amazing.
Then we headed to Taquile, about 3 hrs away, which is a natural island and covered in Incan terracing for farming. It was very mediterranean in feel, with twisty trees and stone paths and the blue, blue waters of the lake stretching on forever on all sides. We had a lunch of Trucha (trout) in a restaurant there, which was very good. The people of the island are Quechua, and are famous for their textiles. The men knit and the women weave. The island is also a UNESCO world heritage site because of the weavings-- and they were very beautiful, intricate and colorful. Still, not anywhere near as mindblowing as Los Uros...
TOMORROW I head to Cusco on a bus in the early morning... And sometime next week will be leaving on my trek to Macchu Picchu!
I'll try and post some more pictures soon...
I am now in Puno (and have been for the past 2 days) on the shores of the magical Lake Titicaca. Puno itself is NOT magical. It is very much a working city, and has little to no allure in terms of things to do and attractiveness. However, there is a great crafts market with tons of Alpaca goods, so I spent yesterday wandering around and looking at furry colorful knitted objects. Great fun. I also had dinner in an incredible vegetarian restaurant and had the MOST BEAUTIFUL FRUIT SALAD ever, with yogurt and 'granola' which was kind of this weird powdery grainy stuff... but still, fresh mango, papaya, apple, pineapple, and lucuma. Yum tastic.
TODAY I took a day tour of two of the islands on the lake. I felt like a huge tourist, but then again, I am a tourist... so what can you do. Sometimes it just happens that you are crammed on a boat with a bunch of other white people carrying expensive cameras and wearing expensive outdoor gear. I was by far the youngest, which was kind of weird, but everyone was very friendly. I do feel like in the past couple of days I have been more highly aware of my 'priviledge' than I have been so far on this trip. I don't know wether it is because Puno has less tourists, is poorer, or what. But there have been several moments when I have had that feeling of 'oh my god... I am so lucky' and have felt a little bit disgusted with myself. I know that even just by travelling and seeing other parts of the world I am creating awareness, and making myself a more conscientious person. But when you see people who are trying to survive solely off of selling one tapestry for S./10 a day (about $3) it makes you think a lot about everything that you have, and what of that stuff you really actually need.
I don't know if that makes any sense... but anyways.
THE ISLANDS were magnificient. We were serenaded on the boat by a traditionally dressed man playing Beatles songs on ukelele and Incan pipes. Our first stop was Los Uros, which is a collection of 67 manmade islands about 30 min away from Puno by boat. Our guide was great, and I learned a ton. These islands are insane. Each one houses about 4 families, and also has a small elementary school. Then there is a bigger central island with the high school and church. AND EVERYTHING IS MADE OUT OF LAKE REEDS. Not kidding. Everything. The islands themselves. The houses. The boats. It is totally mind blowing. The islands are made by taking the roots of the reeds during dry season and tying them together, then packing more reeds on top, to reach a thickness of about 3 m (9ish feet). It feels like walking on a cross between water bed, sponge, and trampoline. The islands also have anchors and can be moved around, and the reeds on top have to be replaced every month otherwise the rot from the water reaches all the way through and the island falls apart. The reeds are called Tortura reeds, and are also edible and have medicinal properties. It was so amazing.
Then we headed to Taquile, about 3 hrs away, which is a natural island and covered in Incan terracing for farming. It was very mediterranean in feel, with twisty trees and stone paths and the blue, blue waters of the lake stretching on forever on all sides. We had a lunch of Trucha (trout) in a restaurant there, which was very good. The people of the island are Quechua, and are famous for their textiles. The men knit and the women weave. The island is also a UNESCO world heritage site because of the weavings-- and they were very beautiful, intricate and colorful. Still, not anywhere near as mindblowing as Los Uros...
TOMORROW I head to Cusco on a bus in the early morning... And sometime next week will be leaving on my trek to Macchu Picchu!
I'll try and post some more pictures soon...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Colca Canyon, aka Heaven, aka The Longest Post Ever (sorry)
 |
| In the afternoons, we worked REALLY HARD at lying in the grass. It was so exhausting. This is me and my Dutch friend Ilsa, who is SO AWESOME. |
 |
| The canyon again. You can see the swimming pools in the oasis. PARADISE. |
 |
| Yep. That's Halloween. I'm a pirate and Ilsa is a ghost. Pretty good for only bringing a tiny daypack, huh? |
 |
| Paradise. The 'town' that we stayed in for the first night. |
 | |
| The Canyon. Impossible to do justice to it in a photo. |
I'm going to have to do a lot of this in list form, simply because there is so much to share... so here goes.
-Things I ate: Quinoa, which apparently is native to Peru (who knew!) and is eaten as a breakfast food mixed with milk and honey. Quite delicious. Also, LOTS of Alpaca meat. And it is very, very tasty. You just have to try not to think about how cute the animals are. In general, I just ate a lot. Our guide was an amazing cook, and it's shocking how much you can pack away after you've been walking up and down the walls of a canyon for half the day.
-Our guide, Marcos, was phenomenal. He was a young Peruvian man with a lazy eye that he kept covered by long hair (took me 2 days to figure out why he wouldn't make eye contact) and a hat that made him look like a fraggle. He knew so much, and taught us all about the indigenous plants of the area and their various uses. He was also quite a flirt, but in a totally approachable joking manner, which meant that Ilsa and I (the two girls in our group) got treated like princesses and called 'bon bon one' and 'bon bon two' for the whole weekend.
- Our group was also AMAZING. There were only 4 of us doing the three day trek, so we got to know each other quite well. It was me, two Swiss men in their 30s who are travelling together for a year (one also named Marcos, the other Alex) and another woman travelling alone (also in her 30s) from Holland, named Ilsa. Fortunately, Ilsa and I got along perfectly. She is goofy and fun, and we seemed to be on the exact same wavelength. She is also going to be in Cusco when I am (next week) so we're planning to meet up there.
- I have never spent so much time doing absolutely NOTHING and felt so great about it. We trekked in the mornings, starting between 4am and 7am, so that we could avoid the hot sun. Which meant that we would arrive at our lodgings between noon and 2, and have the afternoon to relax. I didn't bring a book or a journal, as my backpack was very small and I wanted to carry as little as possible. So I spent my afternoons laying in the grass, looking at the sky, looking at the light on the canyon walls, looking at the flowers, looking at the birds and the bats which started to come out in the evenings, and the iridescent butterflies in yellow and orange and blue. It was probably the closest I have ever gotten to thinking about nothing for such an extended period in my life... It helped that I worked so hard physically in the morning, but the whole things was so relaxing.
-Our lodgings were also totally mind blowing. The first night we stayed in a 'town' of about 60 people, in a guesthouse of a family. It was a clay hut with a thatched roof, an outdoor shower (HOT!!! Finally!) and a patch of grass and flowers outside. The second night we stayed in the Oasis, at the lowest point in the canyon, which was a paradise of swimming pools and reed huts and HAMMOCKS and tropical plants fed by a gorgeous, huge waterfall cascading down the side of the canyon. And, oh god, the STARS. The stars were amazing. There was no electricity, and on Sunday night after dinner I went and lay on one of the pool chairs and just stared at the huge expanse of sky for about half an hour. It was so, so beautiful.
-And Sunday was... Halloween. Bet you thought I would miss it, huh? But no, thanks to the creativity of my group, and the fact that Marcos (guide) spend the whole day singing 'Happy birthday dear Halloween!' We decided to dress up and surprise him, since he was missing clubbling in Arequipa to cook for us... So we pooled our resources (aka 4 tiny daypacks) and became... a pirate, a ghost, and two mummies. We used toilet paper for the mummies and for blood these bugs that feed on cactus that Marcos had showed us earlier, that became a bright red dye when squished. The ghost was a sleep sack, and the pirate was my bandana, one of those things they give you on the airplane to cover your eyes when sleeping, and my hiking stick as a sword. We were a big hit with all of the guides, as well as the other tourists. Hilarious :)
-Animals I saw in their natural habitats: Alpaca, llama, FLAMINGOS (who knew. They live up high in the mountains), lots of bats, mosquitoes, donkeys, and mules. Also, on Sunday night I had an animal steal my cookies (wrapped and sealed) from my hut. I heard it come in and rustle around, but couldn't get to my flashlight quickly enough. No one knew what it might have been, but conjectures led to skunk or iguana. Ha... more likely a large rat. But it kept me awake for a good while. AND condors, because the Colca is famous as being home to these huge birds. So majestic, especially considering they are carrion eaters.
-Other things of note: Had the best outdoor pee of my life, overlooking the canyon. Met someone from Eugene, OR and another person from San Diego. The first west coasters I've met on this trip! Went to the aguas calientes, which were necessary for my sore muscles after trekking for 3 days. Got officially tan. Hope I don't lose it, as I'm going to Puno next which is supposedly freezing...
SO. Today is my last day in Arequipa, which I feel bittersweet about. I truely love this city, and I feel fairly at home here. However, I'm ready to move on to more adventuring. If I ever decide to move to Peru, however, I would be happy calling this my home. I bought a BIG box of famous Arequipan chocolates for my host family, who have been more generous and welcoming than I ever could have asked for. My host mom told me last night that I am now one of her children, and if I or any of my family or friends ever wants to come back to Arequipa, they can stay with her, free of charge, for as long as they like.
Tomorrow, off to Puno and Lake Titicaca, and then onwards to Cuzco on the weekend. Hopefully my legs will have recovered by that time so that I can do some more trekking :)
Miss and love you all. If you read this whole post, I'm going to be heartily impressed!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
GUESS WHAT I DID TODAY?!
I ate a whole frog. No joke. It wasn't intact. Rather, pureed, with a melee of other things that had supposed 'health benefits'. So, here's how that happened. I had told my Spanish convo teacher yesterday that I wanted to visit the central market, Mercado Camilo. She told me that it was really unsafe and she'd rather I didn't go by myself, so would it be ok if we went together in class? Which of course was preferable, to have a native guide, so I said yes. Today, we went... and it was quite the experience. The market itself is HUGE, basically just a giant open building with a huge arched corrugated metal roof, vaulted above everything. There are kind of 'sections,' the fruit section, the meat section, the flower section, the herb section, but everything is really just mushed all together and the AMOUNT OF STUFF is mindblowing.
Some choice favorites:
- An entire aisle of 'witchcraft products' used for sacrifices and cleansing the house and spirit. There were many fresh herbs, depictions of idols and saints, and also an entire booth of LLAMA FETUSES (dried). Oh, wow.
- The entrails section, in which the floors were smeared with blood, there were men ripping intestines and stomachs into pieces with their bare hands, and some choice pieces of animal including testes and penises, which apparently post menopausal (native-- my teacher was careful to stress it was ONLY the natives who did this) women make into soup. Yum, yum.
- The 'live animal' section, which is where you buy your meat if you want it really, really fresh. Cages of rabbits, turkeys, geese, ducklings, hens, and, a Peruvian specialty, guinea pigs (Cuy) which I got to witness having their throats slit. Oh, joy!!!
- And the other live animal section, with puppies and kittens sleeping piled in buckets for S./3 a piece, about one dollar, with little red bows tied around their necks. Needless to say, these were not for eating.
- An entire row of fruit piled sky high, and another of women offering fresh squeezed juice of any kind you could imagine.
And then I ate a frog. My teacher told me, ok, now you're going to try Extracto de Rana, and seeing as how it takes me about 5 minutes to catch on to everything (I seem to always be in a state of delay) I said 'OK!' It was not until we reached the Extracto de Rana booth, and I witnessed the woman behind the counter pulling a live frog out of a barrel, snapping it's head against the counter, and peeling off it's skin that I started to feel a little sick. Still, what can you do? So here's what happened... The frog was boiled, put in a blender with a bunch of different grains, some milky stuff, honey, and Peru's version of maple syrup, pureed to a nice thinness, strained (thank god... no bones) and given to me in a lovely glass, the kind in which you would have a particularly lovely ice cream parfait.
Oh, god. So I drank it... what else was I supposed to do? And it actually tasted pretty darn good... kind of like whole wheat toast with honey in liquid form. I tried not to think about what it actually was, and finished it up.
So, why the frog? My teacher said that it is good for the entire respiratory system, but when I told my host mom about it she said 'Oh no! Peruvian women who drink that are pregnant within the next year!' and chuckled at me. Apparently it's a powerful aphrodesiac, as well as helpful to the lungs... ha, ha.
So, that was fun.
In other news, tomorrow is my last day of classes and I must admit I'm pretty happy about that... I feel like I've made a lot of progress, but I'm also getting a little tired of going to school every day. Let the real vacation start (joke. It's all a vacation). This weekend I'm going trekking in the Colca Canyon, which is 2x as deep as the Grand Canyon, and home to the famous Peruvian Condors. I'm pretty excited to get some exercise... feel like I've been sitting on my butt and eating for 3 weeks straight!
Love & frogs to all.
Some choice favorites:
- An entire aisle of 'witchcraft products' used for sacrifices and cleansing the house and spirit. There were many fresh herbs, depictions of idols and saints, and also an entire booth of LLAMA FETUSES (dried). Oh, wow.
- The entrails section, in which the floors were smeared with blood, there were men ripping intestines and stomachs into pieces with their bare hands, and some choice pieces of animal including testes and penises, which apparently post menopausal (native-- my teacher was careful to stress it was ONLY the natives who did this) women make into soup. Yum, yum.
- The 'live animal' section, which is where you buy your meat if you want it really, really fresh. Cages of rabbits, turkeys, geese, ducklings, hens, and, a Peruvian specialty, guinea pigs (Cuy) which I got to witness having their throats slit. Oh, joy!!!
- And the other live animal section, with puppies and kittens sleeping piled in buckets for S./3 a piece, about one dollar, with little red bows tied around their necks. Needless to say, these were not for eating.
- An entire row of fruit piled sky high, and another of women offering fresh squeezed juice of any kind you could imagine.
And then I ate a frog. My teacher told me, ok, now you're going to try Extracto de Rana, and seeing as how it takes me about 5 minutes to catch on to everything (I seem to always be in a state of delay) I said 'OK!' It was not until we reached the Extracto de Rana booth, and I witnessed the woman behind the counter pulling a live frog out of a barrel, snapping it's head against the counter, and peeling off it's skin that I started to feel a little sick. Still, what can you do? So here's what happened... The frog was boiled, put in a blender with a bunch of different grains, some milky stuff, honey, and Peru's version of maple syrup, pureed to a nice thinness, strained (thank god... no bones) and given to me in a lovely glass, the kind in which you would have a particularly lovely ice cream parfait.
Oh, god. So I drank it... what else was I supposed to do? And it actually tasted pretty darn good... kind of like whole wheat toast with honey in liquid form. I tried not to think about what it actually was, and finished it up.
So, why the frog? My teacher said that it is good for the entire respiratory system, but when I told my host mom about it she said 'Oh no! Peruvian women who drink that are pregnant within the next year!' and chuckled at me. Apparently it's a powerful aphrodesiac, as well as helpful to the lungs... ha, ha.
So, that was fun.
In other news, tomorrow is my last day of classes and I must admit I'm pretty happy about that... I feel like I've made a lot of progress, but I'm also getting a little tired of going to school every day. Let the real vacation start (joke. It's all a vacation). This weekend I'm going trekking in the Colca Canyon, which is 2x as deep as the Grand Canyon, and home to the famous Peruvian Condors. I'm pretty excited to get some exercise... feel like I've been sitting on my butt and eating for 3 weeks straight!
Love & frogs to all.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Las Photas
 |
| El Toreo |
  |
| About 100 Tios and Tias, plus a very white Anna after mass... |
 |
| Host bro Guillermo, me, Toreodor, host sis Olga, other toreodor, Tia Mari Cruz, and Tio Pepe (they were the ones who got married last weekend!) |
Monday, October 25, 2010
Viraco
There were no other tourists there. We spent 6 hours driving on the most uncomfortably bumpy dirt roads straight up a mountain (or rather, at hairpin turns) and the terrain turned from sheer sides of rock and plummeting canyons with no vegetation whatsoever to these terraced farms and tiny villages clinging to the hillsides. National Geographic photos all over the place.
Viraco itself is a pueblo on the top of a peak, harrowing drops on all sides, and mountain ranges in view every where you look. I would guess there are less than 1,000 people living there full time, and the entire weekend all of them were in the same places at once. In church for mass. In the cockfighting ring making bets on which gallo would win. In the arena cheering on the toreodors and yelling for blood. Dancing in the central plaza at ALL HOURS of the night and day, right outside of the window of my room.
I stayed in the house of my host father´s mom and dad, Mama Olga and Papa Guillermo. They live in a huge concrete structure, with windows and doors but no heat and no insulation, and I slept in one of three 'bunk rooms' for lack of a better word, with 6 of the tias in single beds. It was freezing cold at night. Every single woman brought an entire rolling closet. The lack of hot water did not deter them from showering every morning, putting in their curlers at night, and changing outfits at least 3 times a day. I myself brought more (borrowed) clothes on this four day sojourn than I did for my entire four month stay in S.A. There is a code of dress, even in the middle of nowhere mountains.
The fiesta was to honor both the Pueblo of Viraco and the patron Saint, Santa Urusula... I have yet to learn more about her than that she is the 'Saint of sombreros' according to my host mother, which makes little sense except that everyone in the pueblo wore a sombrero (straw, cowboy style) for the entire weekend, and at one point during mass someone did climb up on the platform of the lifesize-doll version of St. Ursula and change her hat... no one seemed to be able to explain to me what this signified, or maybe they did and I just didn't understand (par for the course...)
There is no way I can cram the whole weekend into any one blog post, but I will give you some highlights, in convenient bullet point form!
- 3 times a day, meat and potatoes. Breakfast at 8am, a big hunk of meat and a whole potato. Felt like I was playing Russian roulette the entire time with food... street food, questionable meat, stuff that had been sitting out with flies on it for hours. So far so good, but the incubation period for really bad stuff is about 3 days... so if I'm not dead by Wednesday night, I'll be totally in the clear... ha, ha.
- cockfights. Yes, I bet on them (with one of the uncles) and I lost EVERY TIME!!! Mala suerte! They are terribly interesting and terribly cruel... I saw more animals die this weekend than I ever have in my life. Which leads me to....
- bullfights. Yes, once on Saturday and once on Sunday. There is really no way to describe it. I was fascinated by the toreodors. Their costumes are incredible, pale pinks and tirquoises and violets, with glitter and baubles all over them and the tightest pants I have EVER seen. They prance about the arena, taunting the bull, sticking colorfully decorated knives in them, and then this horse covered in armor comes out and the bull charges it, and then the horse goes away and the toreodors taunt the bull some more, and finally, with much flourishing, one of them sticks a huge sword right between it´s sholderblades, and it dies. It is both so graceful and so horrible... and people LOVE IT. I taught the entire bevy of ladies how to say 'I like your ass' in English, because they asked, and they then commenced to yell it every time one of the toreodors approached us. Hilarity ensued, for me at least... since I understood them. Also, one of the toreodors gave me the ears of the bull that he killed... apparently a huge honor. I was teased about it for the rest of the night, ESPECIALLY when the toreodors came by our house after the show (the Abuelo and Abuela are one of the most important families of the pueblo).
- I garnered triple and double takes and blatant stares every time I left the house. The only pale blonde girl ever to venture to the fiesta. It is both bizarre and slightly flattering to be such a freak. This especially happened when I went with my host brother and little cousin to the back alleyway which functioned as a hangout for the kids, and played a few rounds of foosball (called tacca tacca here, which I love the sound of) and WON! Go me. We gathered quite a crowd.
- I got to ride a horse all through the town. Major highlight. It was so increible to be riding a horse through this tiny town with sheer sides of mountains all around me,. the clear clean air and the big band playing in the plaza (did I mention that they played 24 hours a day? Right outside my window?)
Got back to Arequipa late last night (actually, 2am) and am feeling pretty good about this being my last week here. I love my family, but there are times when I feel a bit like a doll-- I can't fully communicate and can't fully understand, and so we spend a lot of time playing 'Do this Ani! Say this Ani!' or I'll say something particularly of note and Maria (mami) will turn to everyone else laughing and say 'Guess what Ani just said!!!' It kind of has the whole 'How Precious!' feeling, which I am completely capable of putting up with good naturedly, but has started to get a little bit old... My Spanish is still terrible, but at least there is Spanish there! I have made leaps and bounds, and can actually hold a conversation now. That feels like an achievment. 4 more days of class to become fluent! Ha :)
Viraco itself is a pueblo on the top of a peak, harrowing drops on all sides, and mountain ranges in view every where you look. I would guess there are less than 1,000 people living there full time, and the entire weekend all of them were in the same places at once. In church for mass. In the cockfighting ring making bets on which gallo would win. In the arena cheering on the toreodors and yelling for blood. Dancing in the central plaza at ALL HOURS of the night and day, right outside of the window of my room.
I stayed in the house of my host father´s mom and dad, Mama Olga and Papa Guillermo. They live in a huge concrete structure, with windows and doors but no heat and no insulation, and I slept in one of three 'bunk rooms' for lack of a better word, with 6 of the tias in single beds. It was freezing cold at night. Every single woman brought an entire rolling closet. The lack of hot water did not deter them from showering every morning, putting in their curlers at night, and changing outfits at least 3 times a day. I myself brought more (borrowed) clothes on this four day sojourn than I did for my entire four month stay in S.A. There is a code of dress, even in the middle of nowhere mountains.
The fiesta was to honor both the Pueblo of Viraco and the patron Saint, Santa Urusula... I have yet to learn more about her than that she is the 'Saint of sombreros' according to my host mother, which makes little sense except that everyone in the pueblo wore a sombrero (straw, cowboy style) for the entire weekend, and at one point during mass someone did climb up on the platform of the lifesize-doll version of St. Ursula and change her hat... no one seemed to be able to explain to me what this signified, or maybe they did and I just didn't understand (par for the course...)
There is no way I can cram the whole weekend into any one blog post, but I will give you some highlights, in convenient bullet point form!
- 3 times a day, meat and potatoes. Breakfast at 8am, a big hunk of meat and a whole potato. Felt like I was playing Russian roulette the entire time with food... street food, questionable meat, stuff that had been sitting out with flies on it for hours. So far so good, but the incubation period for really bad stuff is about 3 days... so if I'm not dead by Wednesday night, I'll be totally in the clear... ha, ha.
- cockfights. Yes, I bet on them (with one of the uncles) and I lost EVERY TIME!!! Mala suerte! They are terribly interesting and terribly cruel... I saw more animals die this weekend than I ever have in my life. Which leads me to....
- bullfights. Yes, once on Saturday and once on Sunday. There is really no way to describe it. I was fascinated by the toreodors. Their costumes are incredible, pale pinks and tirquoises and violets, with glitter and baubles all over them and the tightest pants I have EVER seen. They prance about the arena, taunting the bull, sticking colorfully decorated knives in them, and then this horse covered in armor comes out and the bull charges it, and then the horse goes away and the toreodors taunt the bull some more, and finally, with much flourishing, one of them sticks a huge sword right between it´s sholderblades, and it dies. It is both so graceful and so horrible... and people LOVE IT. I taught the entire bevy of ladies how to say 'I like your ass' in English, because they asked, and they then commenced to yell it every time one of the toreodors approached us. Hilarity ensued, for me at least... since I understood them. Also, one of the toreodors gave me the ears of the bull that he killed... apparently a huge honor. I was teased about it for the rest of the night, ESPECIALLY when the toreodors came by our house after the show (the Abuelo and Abuela are one of the most important families of the pueblo).
- I garnered triple and double takes and blatant stares every time I left the house. The only pale blonde girl ever to venture to the fiesta. It is both bizarre and slightly flattering to be such a freak. This especially happened when I went with my host brother and little cousin to the back alleyway which functioned as a hangout for the kids, and played a few rounds of foosball (called tacca tacca here, which I love the sound of) and WON! Go me. We gathered quite a crowd.
- I got to ride a horse all through the town. Major highlight. It was so increible to be riding a horse through this tiny town with sheer sides of mountains all around me,. the clear clean air and the big band playing in the plaza (did I mention that they played 24 hours a day? Right outside my window?)
Got back to Arequipa late last night (actually, 2am) and am feeling pretty good about this being my last week here. I love my family, but there are times when I feel a bit like a doll-- I can't fully communicate and can't fully understand, and so we spend a lot of time playing 'Do this Ani! Say this Ani!' or I'll say something particularly of note and Maria (mami) will turn to everyone else laughing and say 'Guess what Ani just said!!!' It kind of has the whole 'How Precious!' feeling, which I am completely capable of putting up with good naturedly, but has started to get a little bit old... My Spanish is still terrible, but at least there is Spanish there! I have made leaps and bounds, and can actually hold a conversation now. That feels like an achievment. 4 more days of class to become fluent! Ha :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Milagros y EL MERCADO NEGRO
My dear United States,
Hello! It's my 3rd week here already. So hard to wrap my mind around... Although I guess a good part of the first week was taken up with travel... This week has been farily low key so far. Classes are more aggravating, as I know enough to say some things but not enough to ever really fully explain myself, and the learning curve seems to have plateaued. I am also the only student at my school this week, which is slightly bizarre and a little lonely. However, I am still enjoying them, and also enjoying the fact that I can actually begin to understand what is going on around my house most of the time.
Several events of note...
In October, the saint Milagros is worshipped quite fervently throughout Peru. This is noticable in women wearing sporting these very fashionable purple dresses with white rope belts. On Monday after school I went downtown, intending to go to the historical museum, but the traffic was TERRIBLE, and when I got to El Centro I saw that many streets were blocked off due to huge processions of women and men in purple, carrying banners with the image of Milagros, and burning scented purple candles. There were also some marching band instruments-- a huge trombone, drums. Many of the shops along the streets had turned their doorways into huge altars covered in purple satin, with images of the saint and candles burning. It was totally fantastic just to happen upon such an event, with no foreknowledge of it... that is what I love about travelling!
I also had an experience yesterday afternoon that not many tourists get. My host mom had asked me a few days ago if I had a nice blouse with me, because I would need one for the fiesta. Of course, I don't have one, considering I brought basically nothing with me... So she told me, saying many times 'Don't tell anyone, it's a secret!!!' that she would take me to the black market to buy one very cheaply. So yesterday we got in the car and headed through town to the seedy area... It's funny, because for the most part I have been shocked by how nice everything in Peru is-- clean, organized, etc. The mercado negro reminded me a bit more of Senegal, in the sense that it was this immense gutted maze of concrete buildings jammed with people selling piles and piles of everything, clothes, housewares, electronics, etc. We pored over piles of shirts, and it was slightly awkward because I think she had something specific in mind for me but I didn't quite know what, so I just kept saying 'Is this ok? Is this ok?' And trying to gauge her facial expressions... We finally found one that we were both ok with, and it cost me a whole S./3, about $1. The whole experience was kind of like the biggest Goodwill in the entire world, and I actually think that a lot of the items were probably castoffs from the Goodwills of the USA... how weird.
Tomorrow I am leaving in the afternoon with mi familia to head out to the countryside for the GIANT FIESTA. I´ll report back on Monday. I am half terrified, half excited... I'm sure it will be an experience, nonetheless.
Much love to all. A
Hello! It's my 3rd week here already. So hard to wrap my mind around... Although I guess a good part of the first week was taken up with travel... This week has been farily low key so far. Classes are more aggravating, as I know enough to say some things but not enough to ever really fully explain myself, and the learning curve seems to have plateaued. I am also the only student at my school this week, which is slightly bizarre and a little lonely. However, I am still enjoying them, and also enjoying the fact that I can actually begin to understand what is going on around my house most of the time.
Several events of note...
In October, the saint Milagros is worshipped quite fervently throughout Peru. This is noticable in women wearing sporting these very fashionable purple dresses with white rope belts. On Monday after school I went downtown, intending to go to the historical museum, but the traffic was TERRIBLE, and when I got to El Centro I saw that many streets were blocked off due to huge processions of women and men in purple, carrying banners with the image of Milagros, and burning scented purple candles. There were also some marching band instruments-- a huge trombone, drums. Many of the shops along the streets had turned their doorways into huge altars covered in purple satin, with images of the saint and candles burning. It was totally fantastic just to happen upon such an event, with no foreknowledge of it... that is what I love about travelling!
I also had an experience yesterday afternoon that not many tourists get. My host mom had asked me a few days ago if I had a nice blouse with me, because I would need one for the fiesta. Of course, I don't have one, considering I brought basically nothing with me... So she told me, saying many times 'Don't tell anyone, it's a secret!!!' that she would take me to the black market to buy one very cheaply. So yesterday we got in the car and headed through town to the seedy area... It's funny, because for the most part I have been shocked by how nice everything in Peru is-- clean, organized, etc. The mercado negro reminded me a bit more of Senegal, in the sense that it was this immense gutted maze of concrete buildings jammed with people selling piles and piles of everything, clothes, housewares, electronics, etc. We pored over piles of shirts, and it was slightly awkward because I think she had something specific in mind for me but I didn't quite know what, so I just kept saying 'Is this ok? Is this ok?' And trying to gauge her facial expressions... We finally found one that we were both ok with, and it cost me a whole S./3, about $1. The whole experience was kind of like the biggest Goodwill in the entire world, and I actually think that a lot of the items were probably castoffs from the Goodwills of the USA... how weird.
Tomorrow I am leaving in the afternoon with mi familia to head out to the countryside for the GIANT FIESTA. I´ll report back on Monday. I am half terrified, half excited... I'm sure it will be an experience, nonetheless.
Much love to all. A
Sunday, October 17, 2010
AND A WEDDING
So, that happened... wow.
Yesterday was THE WEDDING. And yes, it was a wedding, not just a random bridal party. Here is how the day went: I spent the morning feeling like a doll. Which was entertaining if slightly awkward (that sentiment actually kind of describes the whole day). I tried on dresses and shoes and jewellery and my host mom and sister would say ¨Que linda!!!¨ (how cute!) or something like ¨no, the other one is better¨ and so I finally was shod in much finery and felt exceptionally ridiculous. To add to that, we got our HAIR DONE (this is like all of the high school dances I missed the chance to go to) though I declined the pedicure... By ¨got our hair done¨I mostly mean the people in the salon had probably never seen hair like mine, so they kind of straightened it and then curled it, and it ended up looking slightly like a middle aged woman from the 70s, so I actually pinned most of it up when we got back to the house. But you know, for a price of about $3 and the chance to sit in a Peruvian beauty salon, it was worth it.
We arrived approx 1 hour and 15 minutes late to the wedding ceremony, which seemed not to be an issue, as it was either starting that late or else you could kind of drop by whenever you wanted. People just seemed to kind of be milling around the church talking to each other, even as the bride and groom were saying their vows, and there was a lovely string quartet playing such classical hits as ¨Yellow¨ by Coldplay. The church itself was gorgeous, though.
After the ceremony we piled back into the car, and headed to the reception, which seemed like it was at a kind of country club. Very swanky, and MORE ALCOHOL THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. EVER. In the hour before the bride and groom arrived, I was offered 4 different very sugary mixed drinks (I had one, a Macchu Picchu, which tasted like cough syrup) and then with the meal (sidenote: I find it endlessly entertaing how in the two foreign countries I have lived in for extended periods of time, vegetables are not a food group. We never eat them in my family, and we had them at the wedding but I was the only one to eat all of mine, much less touch them for more reason than to move them around the plate a bit. It baffles me.) we recieved jug after jug of cervesa, not to mention a bottle of wine for the table, and NO WATER. What? I can´t even begin to wrap my mind around how that was possible, but it was! And then, with dessert, each 8 person table got an entire bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label whisky. I have to admit, while I´d pretty much imbibed nothing until that point, the free good quality whisky was hard to resist. And that was probably a good thing, as the thing that came next was DANCING and I don´t know if it is just something that Latin women are born with, but they can move. I consider myself an ok dancer, but I was not even in the same country as them as far as moving was concerned. I felt kind of like a slightly crippled baby elephant. And of course, saying no was not an option. So I danced, and danced, and danced, and it was actually kind of fun after a while. What was NOT fun was attempting to ward off the affections of a family friend who my host mom was trying to set me up with. But I managed, slightly gracefully, to make it known that I wasn´t interested...
So, the party continued until about 10pm, and my family was literally the last one to leave. The staff was taking down the lanterns and throwing the tableclothes into bins by the time we finally exited, and I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that the party was, at last, over, and I could maybe get some sleep... but NO, the party continued, in our living room! About 10 of the adults came back to our place, as well as my host sister´s boyfriend and the guy who I was being set up with (whose name I still don´t remember. Whoops). They continued to drink, and finished off at least another 5th of rum, all the while turning the music up higher and higher and singing louder and louder. After sitting super awkwardly for about an hour and a half watching my host sister cuddle, and trying to make stilted conversation with The Boy, I politely said that I was tired and had to get up early (Lies! All Lies!) and headed to my room to listen to the singing of great Mexican hits through the walls (why Mexican? No idea).
So I´m slightly dreading the 4 day fiesta that begins on Thursday, but at the same time I very much want to go, as it is seriously a once in a lifetime experience, and I feel like it will be worth it in some way or another.
PHOTOS: The 1st and 3rd are from El Monestario
2nd is at my school, they make cakes on people´s last days. It was the blonde girl´s final day of class. The other gringa is Leanne, a brit who just finished this past week, and behind us are Pepe (my grammar teacher), his wife, and another teacher. The cake was great!
The last 2 are from the wedding. My host mom, host sister´s boyfriend, and Olga (sister) who is 15 and REALLY didn´t want to have her photo taken, and then one of me with Olga and boyfriend looking SUPER AWKWARD. I hope everyone enjoyed my fanny pack... huge fashion statement.
Yesterday was THE WEDDING. And yes, it was a wedding, not just a random bridal party. Here is how the day went: I spent the morning feeling like a doll. Which was entertaining if slightly awkward (that sentiment actually kind of describes the whole day). I tried on dresses and shoes and jewellery and my host mom and sister would say ¨Que linda!!!¨ (how cute!) or something like ¨no, the other one is better¨ and so I finally was shod in much finery and felt exceptionally ridiculous. To add to that, we got our HAIR DONE (this is like all of the high school dances I missed the chance to go to) though I declined the pedicure... By ¨got our hair done¨I mostly mean the people in the salon had probably never seen hair like mine, so they kind of straightened it and then curled it, and it ended up looking slightly like a middle aged woman from the 70s, so I actually pinned most of it up when we got back to the house. But you know, for a price of about $3 and the chance to sit in a Peruvian beauty salon, it was worth it.
We arrived approx 1 hour and 15 minutes late to the wedding ceremony, which seemed not to be an issue, as it was either starting that late or else you could kind of drop by whenever you wanted. People just seemed to kind of be milling around the church talking to each other, even as the bride and groom were saying their vows, and there was a lovely string quartet playing such classical hits as ¨Yellow¨ by Coldplay. The church itself was gorgeous, though.
After the ceremony we piled back into the car, and headed to the reception, which seemed like it was at a kind of country club. Very swanky, and MORE ALCOHOL THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. EVER. In the hour before the bride and groom arrived, I was offered 4 different very sugary mixed drinks (I had one, a Macchu Picchu, which tasted like cough syrup) and then with the meal (sidenote: I find it endlessly entertaing how in the two foreign countries I have lived in for extended periods of time, vegetables are not a food group. We never eat them in my family, and we had them at the wedding but I was the only one to eat all of mine, much less touch them for more reason than to move them around the plate a bit. It baffles me.) we recieved jug after jug of cervesa, not to mention a bottle of wine for the table, and NO WATER. What? I can´t even begin to wrap my mind around how that was possible, but it was! And then, with dessert, each 8 person table got an entire bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label whisky. I have to admit, while I´d pretty much imbibed nothing until that point, the free good quality whisky was hard to resist. And that was probably a good thing, as the thing that came next was DANCING and I don´t know if it is just something that Latin women are born with, but they can move. I consider myself an ok dancer, but I was not even in the same country as them as far as moving was concerned. I felt kind of like a slightly crippled baby elephant. And of course, saying no was not an option. So I danced, and danced, and danced, and it was actually kind of fun after a while. What was NOT fun was attempting to ward off the affections of a family friend who my host mom was trying to set me up with. But I managed, slightly gracefully, to make it known that I wasn´t interested...
So, the party continued until about 10pm, and my family was literally the last one to leave. The staff was taking down the lanterns and throwing the tableclothes into bins by the time we finally exited, and I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that the party was, at last, over, and I could maybe get some sleep... but NO, the party continued, in our living room! About 10 of the adults came back to our place, as well as my host sister´s boyfriend and the guy who I was being set up with (whose name I still don´t remember. Whoops). They continued to drink, and finished off at least another 5th of rum, all the while turning the music up higher and higher and singing louder and louder. After sitting super awkwardly for about an hour and a half watching my host sister cuddle, and trying to make stilted conversation with The Boy, I politely said that I was tired and had to get up early (Lies! All Lies!) and headed to my room to listen to the singing of great Mexican hits through the walls (why Mexican? No idea).
So I´m slightly dreading the 4 day fiesta that begins on Thursday, but at the same time I very much want to go, as it is seriously a once in a lifetime experience, and I feel like it will be worth it in some way or another.
PHOTOS: The 1st and 3rd are from El Monestario
2nd is at my school, they make cakes on people´s last days. It was the blonde girl´s final day of class. The other gringa is Leanne, a brit who just finished this past week, and behind us are Pepe (my grammar teacher), his wife, and another teacher. The cake was great!
The last 2 are from the wedding. My host mom, host sister´s boyfriend, and Olga (sister) who is 15 and REALLY didn´t want to have her photo taken, and then one of me with Olga and boyfriend looking SUPER AWKWARD. I hope everyone enjoyed my fanny pack... huge fashion statement.
Friday, October 15, 2010
El Monestario de Santa Catalina
Arequipa is home to El Monestario de Santa Catalina, an ancient nunnery that is basically a city within a city. It is 400 plus years old, and built entirely of the white stone that the city is famous for, called silica. Wednesday, after school, I sprung for the $12 entry fee (so expensive!) and headed through the gates into one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been. It´s hard to describe it, but the colors were phenomenal. Blues, reds, yellows, all layered on top of each other by looking through doorways and windows and arches (I will try to post photos at some point-- I just attempted it, though, and the computer is waaaayyy too slow to upload them). The monestary is incredibly well preserved, and I spent about 3 hours wandering the cobbled streets, peeking into the rooms and kitchens, the halls and cathedrals. One of the most incredible things was that it felt like I was almost entirely alone. I ran into only 5 or 6 other tourists the entire time I was inside, which seems totally bizzare to me. Granted, it was in the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday... but what an incredible experience to be able to walk through the place almost entirely undisturbed.
One of my favorite daily experiences in Arequipa is the walk from my house to downtown. The city feels so European. I walk down a windy cobbled road, past the glowing white buildings made of silica. I cross a bridge with a wrought iron railing, and perfect views of the clear blue sky and the towering mountains. Downtown itself is equally gorgeous, the central plaza is huge, with a fountain in the middle and towering palm trees. It is flanked on all sides by arcaded buildings made of silica, with restaurants and bars on their upper floors and shops on the lower, and one one side is the giant cathedral, taking up an entire city block, it´s towers visible from almost everywhere in the city. It is reminiscent of an ancient Italian town, but the colors and sounds and smells are distinctly Latin American.
Yesterday at breakfast, I had a real conversation with my family, in which they asked me if I wanted to come to a grande fiesta this weekend, for a niece that has recently been married. Of course I said yes, and was then asked if I had with me a nice dress. Yeah right! I said no, worried that this would be a major problem... but no, Olga and Maria disappeared into Olga´s bedroom and returned a few moments later with a short, slinky, low cut black dress and a pair of the pointiest and tallest high heels I have ever seen. 'Es bonita, no?' 'Si, si!' I replied, while inside thinking how I doubted that I would be able to walk in those shoes, much less dance for several hours. So tomorrow should prove to be an interesting experience! I´ll be sure to take photos...
I also figured out (finally) that the fiesta in the countryside is next week, Thurs-Sun, and that should also prove to be quite the experience. These are the things that I love about living with a host family... the kinds of true cultural experiences that it would be hard to find anywhere else.
Last night was the final night of one of the other students who is taking classes at my school, a girl named Leanne from York, England. She invited me to go out for drinks with her, so we headed to Calle San Francisco, the notorious party street. It was actually pretty quiet, it seems that Arequipans tend to stay in on weeknights. However, we found a busy bar with a GREAT Peruvian cover band, playing great American rock n roll hits. It pretty much made my night to hear such classics as 'I Love Rock n Roll' and 'California Girls' sung by 4 tiny Peruvian men with extremely serious expressions in VERY distinct Spanish accents. I also had my first Pisco Sour in Peru! Dad, yours were pretty darn close to the real thing-- all that research paid off :)
I was planning on going to another museum this afternoon, but I'm feeling a little under the weather... my stomach is not exactly normal. Nothing to be too worried about, but a little rest is probably a good idea. More to come!
One of my favorite daily experiences in Arequipa is the walk from my house to downtown. The city feels so European. I walk down a windy cobbled road, past the glowing white buildings made of silica. I cross a bridge with a wrought iron railing, and perfect views of the clear blue sky and the towering mountains. Downtown itself is equally gorgeous, the central plaza is huge, with a fountain in the middle and towering palm trees. It is flanked on all sides by arcaded buildings made of silica, with restaurants and bars on their upper floors and shops on the lower, and one one side is the giant cathedral, taking up an entire city block, it´s towers visible from almost everywhere in the city. It is reminiscent of an ancient Italian town, but the colors and sounds and smells are distinctly Latin American.
Yesterday at breakfast, I had a real conversation with my family, in which they asked me if I wanted to come to a grande fiesta this weekend, for a niece that has recently been married. Of course I said yes, and was then asked if I had with me a nice dress. Yeah right! I said no, worried that this would be a major problem... but no, Olga and Maria disappeared into Olga´s bedroom and returned a few moments later with a short, slinky, low cut black dress and a pair of the pointiest and tallest high heels I have ever seen. 'Es bonita, no?' 'Si, si!' I replied, while inside thinking how I doubted that I would be able to walk in those shoes, much less dance for several hours. So tomorrow should prove to be an interesting experience! I´ll be sure to take photos...
I also figured out (finally) that the fiesta in the countryside is next week, Thurs-Sun, and that should also prove to be quite the experience. These are the things that I love about living with a host family... the kinds of true cultural experiences that it would be hard to find anywhere else.
Last night was the final night of one of the other students who is taking classes at my school, a girl named Leanne from York, England. She invited me to go out for drinks with her, so we headed to Calle San Francisco, the notorious party street. It was actually pretty quiet, it seems that Arequipans tend to stay in on weeknights. However, we found a busy bar with a GREAT Peruvian cover band, playing great American rock n roll hits. It pretty much made my night to hear such classics as 'I Love Rock n Roll' and 'California Girls' sung by 4 tiny Peruvian men with extremely serious expressions in VERY distinct Spanish accents. I also had my first Pisco Sour in Peru! Dad, yours were pretty darn close to the real thing-- all that research paid off :)
I was planning on going to another museum this afternoon, but I'm feeling a little under the weather... my stomach is not exactly normal. Nothing to be too worried about, but a little rest is probably a good idea. More to come!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Arequipa, again...
OKAY. I am going to try to some kind of a more cohesive post this time, as I was too busy yesterday trying to catch up with people to really write very much about anything important... So here´s what I´ve got!
There are so many things whirling through my head that it is difficult to put them down in any kind of semblance of order. But I´ll do my best...
Arequipa continues to be hospitable, and my family continues to be lovely. I feel as at home as someone can feel in another family´s house... it is often awkward, but for the most part I am included and they are so kind to me, which I couldn´t be more grateful for. Even with my terrible Spanglish, Maria attempts to make conversation with me at least a few times a day, and other times just talks at me, which I appreciate more than she knows! This leads me to one of the more amusing things about travel... which is that it is so much like improv. In that you are CONSTANTLY doing a HUGE 'yes, and...' For example... I think that I got invited to go with the family on a 4 day fiesta in the countryside, at an abuela´s home. I understood that there would be cockfighting, bullfighting, lots of drinking (mas cervesas!) and I would share a bed with Olga, my host sister. However, I have no idea when this is happening, and I also have no idea why it is happening. But really, there is no other options on voyages like this than to say 'yes!' and just go with it. So, if I disappear for a few days, you can imagine me drinking cervesas and pisco sours, while people throw money at fighting roosters and dance to crazy Peruvian music. I also find myself making up the details of stories that I hear. Maria talks to me as though I understand, and I will catch a few words here and there, but then I have to fill in the blanks. Last night we went to a basketball game at Olga´s school (more sports) and I could have sworn that Maria told me that she had a pet pelican when she was young that she raised until she was 15. It was only today, during my Spanish lesson, that I finally figured out that 'pelicula' is actually the word for movie... Oops! I also think that I ate something last night that was 'meat of the heart,' but I will never know if that was really what she said. Still, it makes life exciting!
School is exhausting. It is slightly like being in a chair of interrogation for 4 hours straight every morning. My brain is stretching in ways that it hasn´t in a loooong time. It feels good, but I can´t believe how exhausting it is. Today I swear I could actually feel the cogs attempting to turn while I was having my grammar lesson with Pepe, and they felt VERY rusty. My mind feels like a sieve, I retain information for the moment, but the next day it is gone. I just have to trust that it is in there somewhere and will eventually come out. Private tutoring is certainly the way to go, though. I can never let down my guard, because I´m always in the spotlight. It´s hard, but I think I will learn more that way, as well.
Arequipa itself is so beautiful. I walked around the city a bit yesterday later in the afternoon, and saw the mercado-- totally stunning. It is a HUGE warehouse like building stuffed to the gills with everything imaginable. Row after row of vibrant fruits piled sky high, meat of every variety hanging from hooks. I want to go back and explore furthur, but it is kind of a sensory overload. I have three weeks here, so I´ll try to do it little by little.
OK. As requested, I´m posting some photos. The first two are from El Parque de l'Amor in Lima, the third is me sitting on my bed in Arequipa (you can basically see the whole room in that photo... ha) and the last is a photo from the bridge by my house in Arequipa, with El Misti the volcano watching over the city.
There are so many things whirling through my head that it is difficult to put them down in any kind of semblance of order. But I´ll do my best...
Arequipa continues to be hospitable, and my family continues to be lovely. I feel as at home as someone can feel in another family´s house... it is often awkward, but for the most part I am included and they are so kind to me, which I couldn´t be more grateful for. Even with my terrible Spanglish, Maria attempts to make conversation with me at least a few times a day, and other times just talks at me, which I appreciate more than she knows! This leads me to one of the more amusing things about travel... which is that it is so much like improv. In that you are CONSTANTLY doing a HUGE 'yes, and...' For example... I think that I got invited to go with the family on a 4 day fiesta in the countryside, at an abuela´s home. I understood that there would be cockfighting, bullfighting, lots of drinking (mas cervesas!) and I would share a bed with Olga, my host sister. However, I have no idea when this is happening, and I also have no idea why it is happening. But really, there is no other options on voyages like this than to say 'yes!' and just go with it. So, if I disappear for a few days, you can imagine me drinking cervesas and pisco sours, while people throw money at fighting roosters and dance to crazy Peruvian music. I also find myself making up the details of stories that I hear. Maria talks to me as though I understand, and I will catch a few words here and there, but then I have to fill in the blanks. Last night we went to a basketball game at Olga´s school (more sports) and I could have sworn that Maria told me that she had a pet pelican when she was young that she raised until she was 15. It was only today, during my Spanish lesson, that I finally figured out that 'pelicula' is actually the word for movie... Oops! I also think that I ate something last night that was 'meat of the heart,' but I will never know if that was really what she said. Still, it makes life exciting!
School is exhausting. It is slightly like being in a chair of interrogation for 4 hours straight every morning. My brain is stretching in ways that it hasn´t in a loooong time. It feels good, but I can´t believe how exhausting it is. Today I swear I could actually feel the cogs attempting to turn while I was having my grammar lesson with Pepe, and they felt VERY rusty. My mind feels like a sieve, I retain information for the moment, but the next day it is gone. I just have to trust that it is in there somewhere and will eventually come out. Private tutoring is certainly the way to go, though. I can never let down my guard, because I´m always in the spotlight. It´s hard, but I think I will learn more that way, as well.
Arequipa itself is so beautiful. I walked around the city a bit yesterday later in the afternoon, and saw the mercado-- totally stunning. It is a HUGE warehouse like building stuffed to the gills with everything imaginable. Row after row of vibrant fruits piled sky high, meat of every variety hanging from hooks. I want to go back and explore furthur, but it is kind of a sensory overload. I have three weeks here, so I´ll try to do it little by little.
OK. As requested, I´m posting some photos. The first two are from El Parque de l'Amor in Lima, the third is me sitting on my bed in Arequipa (you can basically see the whole room in that photo... ha) and the last is a photo from the bridge by my house in Arequipa, with El Misti the volcano watching over the city.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Arequipa
After a 19 hour bus ride, I made it!
I haven´t been on the internet for about 5 days, so it´s a weird feeling trying to catch up on emails and correspondance... plus I am still just kind of overwhelmed and exhausted by everything in general.
My host mother picked me up from the bus station yesterday, and took me home. She is fantastic. Her name is Maria, and she is the most warm, welcoming and kind person (at least so far!)-- she told me multiple times how welcome I was, to make myself at home, and that I should treat her as my mother. I also have two siblings, Olga, who is 15, and Guillermo, or Gilles, who is 22. They are also both extremely welcoming, smart, and kind. None of them really speak English, which is good for me! Yesterday afternoon was a whirlwind... Maria took Olga and I out to lunch (fried chicken... and rice... for some reason no matter where I go I can´t escape the oil!) and then we went home for just enough time for me to shower, before I went off with them to Guillermo´s soccer game, then to a volleyball game. It was kind of a whirlwind, and I really had no idea what was happening most of the time. I got kissed on the cheek by about 10,000 people who I assume were relatives...
First day of classes was this morning. It was good, if A LOT of information. I have two teachers, one for conversation, and one for grammar. I totally forget the name of the conversation teacher (oops!) but she is lovely, soft spoken and very kind. My grammar teacher is one of the owners of the school, Pepe. He is an interesting man... I think he may have been high for our entire lesson, but he seems competant enough. Also funny. I still speak in French every time I try to say anything in Spanish, so hopefully that will get better!
More later... my internet time is running out!
I haven´t been on the internet for about 5 days, so it´s a weird feeling trying to catch up on emails and correspondance... plus I am still just kind of overwhelmed and exhausted by everything in general.
My host mother picked me up from the bus station yesterday, and took me home. She is fantastic. Her name is Maria, and she is the most warm, welcoming and kind person (at least so far!)-- she told me multiple times how welcome I was, to make myself at home, and that I should treat her as my mother. I also have two siblings, Olga, who is 15, and Guillermo, or Gilles, who is 22. They are also both extremely welcoming, smart, and kind. None of them really speak English, which is good for me! Yesterday afternoon was a whirlwind... Maria took Olga and I out to lunch (fried chicken... and rice... for some reason no matter where I go I can´t escape the oil!) and then we went home for just enough time for me to shower, before I went off with them to Guillermo´s soccer game, then to a volleyball game. It was kind of a whirlwind, and I really had no idea what was happening most of the time. I got kissed on the cheek by about 10,000 people who I assume were relatives...
First day of classes was this morning. It was good, if A LOT of information. I have two teachers, one for conversation, and one for grammar. I totally forget the name of the conversation teacher (oops!) but she is lovely, soft spoken and very kind. My grammar teacher is one of the owners of the school, Pepe. He is an interesting man... I think he may have been high for our entire lesson, but he seems competant enough. Also funny. I still speak in French every time I try to say anything in Spanish, so hopefully that will get better!
More later... my internet time is running out!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
From Miami to Lima
Buenos dias, mis amigos.
I am here. I am alive. I have not been robbed (yet) and I´ve not even made that big of a fool of myself (although dropping all my change in the grocery store yesterday evening was thrilling. Oy vey.)
What a bizarre experience it is, arriving in such a new and different place all alone. The heart and mind are so vulnerable, and all you want to do is curl up into your skin like a shell. But every single facade, every protection that you are used to invoking under these circumstances, is useless. Language is nonexistant, intonation may mean something else, wit and intelligence go by the wayside, and you have to smile and laugh and gesture like an idiot until someone understands. Relying on strangers, reaching out, is the last thing you want to do and yet it is necessary. I think for me, this is both the most terrifying and most exhilirating facet of travel. As someone who sometimes even has trouble even in my own language reaching out to strangers for help, it is utterly jarring to have to do it when I am completely and totally at their mercy. But so empowering when it pays off....
Okay, so, Miami. I spent one day wandering around, and went to the airport early on the second day because I had formed my opinion which was that: I had seen enough fake blondes, tans, and bottom halves of ass cheeks to last me for a while. Ok, the Art Deco architecture was kind of cool, but I can only handle so much pastel teal and coral in such a condensed amount of time.
Then the plane, and then a slightly harried few minutes before my taxi driver showed up, and then a ride into the night of Lima...
On that taxi ride, I saw a good bit of the city, which is (as people told me) huge, dirty, and not so attractive. However, my hostel is located in a lovely part of the city called Miraflores. And by lovely, I mean rich. Which is kind of weird... there´s even a Starbucks.
Things I have done, and seen in no particular order:
Took a taxi to the bus depot to buy my ticket for tonight. Bargained in Español. Huge achievement!
Walked to the coast, which is only a few blocks away. There is a gorgeous park there called Parque de l'Amour, which is presided over by a HUGE statue of a man and woman entertwined, and surrounded by gorgeous and colorful mosaic walls. I had a looooong conversation with a Peruvian necklace sellar about women (ha!) but managed to escape without getting hit on too much.
Went to the outdoor crafts market. Want to buy EVERYTHING.
Watched some live theater in the park across the street. Understood about 2 words, but there was a man in drag and a puppet that danced to Eye of the Tiger, so I was sold.
Made friends with my Danish roommate, and went to the movies. It was great... they are just like the American movies (with Spanish subtitles) but about 10 times cheaper.
Today I'm heading downtown to the Art Museum, then this evening I catch the bus to Arequipa. I'll be getting there around noon tomorrow, and my host family is picking me up from the bus station. Slight terror...
Muchos besos y abrazos. I miss you all.
I am here. I am alive. I have not been robbed (yet) and I´ve not even made that big of a fool of myself (although dropping all my change in the grocery store yesterday evening was thrilling. Oy vey.)
What a bizarre experience it is, arriving in such a new and different place all alone. The heart and mind are so vulnerable, and all you want to do is curl up into your skin like a shell. But every single facade, every protection that you are used to invoking under these circumstances, is useless. Language is nonexistant, intonation may mean something else, wit and intelligence go by the wayside, and you have to smile and laugh and gesture like an idiot until someone understands. Relying on strangers, reaching out, is the last thing you want to do and yet it is necessary. I think for me, this is both the most terrifying and most exhilirating facet of travel. As someone who sometimes even has trouble even in my own language reaching out to strangers for help, it is utterly jarring to have to do it when I am completely and totally at their mercy. But so empowering when it pays off....
Okay, so, Miami. I spent one day wandering around, and went to the airport early on the second day because I had formed my opinion which was that: I had seen enough fake blondes, tans, and bottom halves of ass cheeks to last me for a while. Ok, the Art Deco architecture was kind of cool, but I can only handle so much pastel teal and coral in such a condensed amount of time.
Then the plane, and then a slightly harried few minutes before my taxi driver showed up, and then a ride into the night of Lima...
On that taxi ride, I saw a good bit of the city, which is (as people told me) huge, dirty, and not so attractive. However, my hostel is located in a lovely part of the city called Miraflores. And by lovely, I mean rich. Which is kind of weird... there´s even a Starbucks.
Things I have done, and seen in no particular order:
Took a taxi to the bus depot to buy my ticket for tonight. Bargained in Español. Huge achievement!
Walked to the coast, which is only a few blocks away. There is a gorgeous park there called Parque de l'Amour, which is presided over by a HUGE statue of a man and woman entertwined, and surrounded by gorgeous and colorful mosaic walls. I had a looooong conversation with a Peruvian necklace sellar about women (ha!) but managed to escape without getting hit on too much.
Went to the outdoor crafts market. Want to buy EVERYTHING.
Watched some live theater in the park across the street. Understood about 2 words, but there was a man in drag and a puppet that danced to Eye of the Tiger, so I was sold.
Made friends with my Danish roommate, and went to the movies. It was great... they are just like the American movies (with Spanish subtitles) but about 10 times cheaper.
Today I'm heading downtown to the Art Museum, then this evening I catch the bus to Arequipa. I'll be getting there around noon tomorrow, and my host family is picking me up from the bus station. Slight terror...
Muchos besos y abrazos. I miss you all.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Pre Departure
It's 2 days (ish) until takeoff, and I still haven't really registered that I'm leaving. I wish I had something deep and introspective to say, but my mind mostly fluctuates between blank and things like "universal sink plug, I need to get one of those" or "hmmm... what should I have for lunch today?" Perhaps when I get on the plane, the panic and excitement will flood in. Or maybe not. I am excited, and I am scared, but it's all sort of in a detached, floaty way.
For those of you who haven't heard the update, here's what I have planned so far:
Fly out of Seattle Tuesday night.
One day layover in Miami (staying in a hostel on South Beach... woo!)
Fly into Lima, Peru Thursday evening.
Spend 2 nights in Lima (in Miraflores, a residential neighborhood which I've heard is the only reasonably attractive and/or safe part of Lima. We'll see...)
Take the overnight bus Saturday evening to Arequipa, where I will be picked up by my host family on Sunday morning and transported to their lovely abode.
Spend 3 weeks in Arequipa going to Juanjo Spanish School and living with my host family. Hopefully becoming competent or at least passable in the Spanish language.
Machu Picchu. I'm hoping to do one of the week-ish long treks up to the site, but we'll see what I can find that is a) not exorbitantly expensive and b) available when I get to Cusco.
After that, it's all kind of up in the air, with the exception of the first week in December when I will be joined by the lovely Miss Annie Hughes in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I'll try and keep you all updated here regularly, but please don't hesitate to email me! I will miss each and every one of you, and it's always nice to hear what's happening at home.
Hasta luego y muchos abrazos.
For those of you who haven't heard the update, here's what I have planned so far:
Fly out of Seattle Tuesday night.
One day layover in Miami (staying in a hostel on South Beach... woo!)
Fly into Lima, Peru Thursday evening.
Spend 2 nights in Lima (in Miraflores, a residential neighborhood which I've heard is the only reasonably attractive and/or safe part of Lima. We'll see...)
Take the overnight bus Saturday evening to Arequipa, where I will be picked up by my host family on Sunday morning and transported to their lovely abode.
Spend 3 weeks in Arequipa going to Juanjo Spanish School and living with my host family. Hopefully becoming competent or at least passable in the Spanish language.
Machu Picchu. I'm hoping to do one of the week-ish long treks up to the site, but we'll see what I can find that is a) not exorbitantly expensive and b) available when I get to Cusco.
After that, it's all kind of up in the air, with the exception of the first week in December when I will be joined by the lovely Miss Annie Hughes in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I'll try and keep you all updated here regularly, but please don't hesitate to email me! I will miss each and every one of you, and it's always nice to hear what's happening at home.
Hasta luego y muchos abrazos.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)