I'm finally HOME!! I had an amazing time but after 48 hours of traveling and stressing I was so excited to touch down in Portland. So to end my trip to Peru I will tell of the crazy time I had trying to make my way to the northeast.
I a fight out of Cusco at 3:50 so I got the airport around 2:30, since I had already checked in online all I had to do was check my bags. On the way here I checked 1 bag but it was over 50lbs so they charged me $100 but this time I did my research and found that from S. America I was allowed 2 50lbs bags so I checked 2 bags and didn't have to pay a dime. This doesn't make any sense. I got to Lima around 5, picked up my bags then went to the check in counters to check in for my international flight, which you apparently can't do until 2 1/2 hrs before your flight. So I waited around for 2 friends who were coming in on the next flight from Cusco. All of us then waited until Mary and I could check in for our flight to Miami. Then the 3 of us walked upstairs to get something to eat, Lauren couldn't check in for a while and the food court is outside security so it wasn't a problem. As it got closer to our flight we packed up and went through immigration and security, then went and sat at the gate. There we were told that the plane was delayed for 2 hours, it was supposed to leave at 11:30 so now it would be 1:30. Well needless to say we didn't leave until 4am. During this time I had re-booked my connection from Miami to NY to 12:30 then taking the evening flight to Portland and arriving at 6:30pm. Well when we got to Miami we had go through customs, pick up our bags then stand in line and get new luggage tags since we all missed our original connection. Well, because of this we all missed our re-booked connection. So now I was put on the 3:30pm flight to Miami and the 9:30pm to Portland. I left Miami and got to NY where I had to witch terminals. At the US Airways ticket counter I found out my Portland flight had been cancelled and the next one wouldn't be until 7:30am the next morning. Great...... So, after calling my mom, I called a hotel, booked a room and waited for the shuttle. After a long time it finally came and took other people and me to the Holiday Inn. I checked in and found out the shuttle starts at 4am and runs every 20 minutes. I went up, took a shower, set my alarm and went to bed. The next time I woke up, I rolled over and saw that it was 7:00!!! My alarm never went off and now I would miss this flight. After a slight panic attack I took the shuttle over to the airport where I was first told that I would have to be wait listed for the 11:50am flight but if I didn't get on that one I would be able to get on the 2:30pm one. Then some how the airport people worked their magic and got me a seat, thank god!!! Now all I had to do was pray that this flight wouldn't be cancelled because of poor weather in the Northeast. As it got closer, they kept saying that it was on time so I was hopeful. Then they came on and said that it was overbooked and that they were looking for 2 volunteers to give up their ticket, if that plane was going out I was going to be on it. They finally started boarding, I got on and took my seat, I was now getting to Portland if I had to fly the plane myself. We took off a little late but landed right on time, where we had to wait 30 minutes while we waited for our gate to open up. Eventually we were able to get off the plane and as I walked down over the stairs, I finally saw what I had been missing for 5 weeks, MOMMA!! There were hugs, kisses and tears:) We walked over to the baggage area and I was told my bags had come on the flight I had missed and thankfully they had. They were sitting by the office, all I had to do was so my tickets and we were off!
It feels so good to be back home, with all the things I missed, my mom, DD, flushing toilet paper, free tap water, my bed and a warm shower. After 48 hours of traveling it's so nice to be stress free here on Songo Pone:) I loved Peru and don't regret a thing but it's always nice to come home.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
After 6 years of obsession, I finally made it!!
Machu Picchu has been the number 1 thing on my bucket list for close to 6 years. I first fell in love during high school Spanish class and have never looked back. I new one day I would step foot at this wonder of the world but I never imagined it would happen so soon. It was a weekend I will never forget.....
Our tour was 2 days and 1 night, which in my opinion is the minimum amount of time, I would much rather have stayed an extra night. The closest town to Machu Picchu is Aguas Calientes, which is most easily reached by train and where all the tourists stay before and/or after their trip to Machu Picchu. We took Peru Rail but there are two other companies that run the same route. We left from the station in Ollantaytambo which is about 1 hour and half from Cusco. Our train left at 1pm but we had to be there at 12:30 so we left the Casa around 9, stopped at a pottery studio then continued on. We were early so we picked up some snacks, I got a Choclo (huge kernel corn and cheese) then boarded. On the way there we took the cheapest train which was still nice, we got a snack and a drink even though it's only maybe a 2 hour trip. Someone from the hotel we were staying at, Killa Inn, was at the train station to pick us up. He took us just a short walk to the Inn, we checked in and went to our rooms. The beds were extremely nice and the bathrooms, modern and plenty of hot water (I mean the town is called Aguas Calientes). Some of us went to do a little shopping, I picked up a couple of souvenirs (but really it was all the same stuff sold in Cusco) then we met up to go to a Mexican place, it was really bad and expensive. We had over an hour before we had to meet our tour guide for Machu Picchu so we went back to the hotel and played cards. Our tour guide was right on time (surprising) and he told us to be ready at 5:30am the next morning, this is when the first set of buses leaves from the town and although they come every 5 minutes we wanted to be up there early to watch the sun come up. After that we decided to go to a French place, called Indio Feliz because some people hadn't eaten. It was much, much, much better than the food we had earlier. I had the tomato soup, which was fantastic and Lauren got a pasta plate that came with "add your own" muchrooms, pesto, red sauce and cheese. Everyone loved the food and it was very fast. All of us went to bed early since we had to get up so early for the big day:)
I woke up at 4:30, took a shower, got dressed and lugged my belongs downstairs to the lobby. I put one bag in storage and kept my backpack with water, snacks and camera. I had breakfast at the hotel then we all met our tour guide and walked to the "bus stop" its just a road where like 10 or so buses line up to bring the thousands of tourists that visit Machu Picchu up the winding, mountain road. Once we got there, there was already a line, so we took advantage of the only bathrooms in the whole complex. The line went quickly because there were 4 people checking tickets. When all of us were in, we started the tour. At this point you still can't really see Machu Picchu, the view that is always shown on postcards and souvenirs anyway. After a short walk, up stairs, I finally saw what I had come all the way to Peru to see, MACHU PICCHU!! We took pictures, which was difficult with all the people, and watched as the sun came up over the mountains. Our tour was about 3 hours long and included many of the important places within the city, such as the sun temple, sun dial, temple of the three windows and the main gate. The mountain seen in the famous view of Machu Picchu is called Huayna Picchu, which one must now pay to climb. The mountain behind the photographer and is rarely seen in photos is called Machu Picchu mountain, this is free but takes 2 hours, we were told to hike. We had to leave at noon in order to catch our train so our 2 choices, with the amount of time we had, were either the Inca bridge or the Sun Gate (the gate to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail). We decided to go to the Inca bridge, this was a drawbridge made by removing a part of the path on a sheer rock face and placing logs that could be removed if necessary. Afterwards we still had an hour and a half till we had to leave but only Ethan and I stayed, the rest make the trek down to have lunch. I wanted to take advantage of every moment I had. So we relaxed on one of the grassy terraces, got very close to multiple llamas and because of a lack of sun screen got a little crispy. Eventuality we had to leave or risk missing the train so we sadly packed up and headed back down. We stamped our passports at the entrance on the way out, took the bus down and met up with the others at the hotel to pick up the things we had stored there. Then off to the train station and onto the train, this time we were taking the Vistidome back, which had nicer seats, more leg room, better food and drink and entertainment. There was a dancer from the Paucartambo festival on our car as well the attendants preformed a fashion show, they do things weirdly here in Peru.
We met up with our driver to go back to Cusco at the train station. And just like that my trip to Machu Picchu was over, I still can't believe that I was there. I came, I saw, I conquered!
Our tour was 2 days and 1 night, which in my opinion is the minimum amount of time, I would much rather have stayed an extra night. The closest town to Machu Picchu is Aguas Calientes, which is most easily reached by train and where all the tourists stay before and/or after their trip to Machu Picchu. We took Peru Rail but there are two other companies that run the same route. We left from the station in Ollantaytambo which is about 1 hour and half from Cusco. Our train left at 1pm but we had to be there at 12:30 so we left the Casa around 9, stopped at a pottery studio then continued on. We were early so we picked up some snacks, I got a Choclo (huge kernel corn and cheese) then boarded. On the way there we took the cheapest train which was still nice, we got a snack and a drink even though it's only maybe a 2 hour trip. Someone from the hotel we were staying at, Killa Inn, was at the train station to pick us up. He took us just a short walk to the Inn, we checked in and went to our rooms. The beds were extremely nice and the bathrooms, modern and plenty of hot water (I mean the town is called Aguas Calientes). Some of us went to do a little shopping, I picked up a couple of souvenirs (but really it was all the same stuff sold in Cusco) then we met up to go to a Mexican place, it was really bad and expensive. We had over an hour before we had to meet our tour guide for Machu Picchu so we went back to the hotel and played cards. Our tour guide was right on time (surprising) and he told us to be ready at 5:30am the next morning, this is when the first set of buses leaves from the town and although they come every 5 minutes we wanted to be up there early to watch the sun come up. After that we decided to go to a French place, called Indio Feliz because some people hadn't eaten. It was much, much, much better than the food we had earlier. I had the tomato soup, which was fantastic and Lauren got a pasta plate that came with "add your own" muchrooms, pesto, red sauce and cheese. Everyone loved the food and it was very fast. All of us went to bed early since we had to get up so early for the big day:)
I woke up at 4:30, took a shower, got dressed and lugged my belongs downstairs to the lobby. I put one bag in storage and kept my backpack with water, snacks and camera. I had breakfast at the hotel then we all met our tour guide and walked to the "bus stop" its just a road where like 10 or so buses line up to bring the thousands of tourists that visit Machu Picchu up the winding, mountain road. Once we got there, there was already a line, so we took advantage of the only bathrooms in the whole complex. The line went quickly because there were 4 people checking tickets. When all of us were in, we started the tour. At this point you still can't really see Machu Picchu, the view that is always shown on postcards and souvenirs anyway. After a short walk, up stairs, I finally saw what I had come all the way to Peru to see, MACHU PICCHU!! We took pictures, which was difficult with all the people, and watched as the sun came up over the mountains. Our tour was about 3 hours long and included many of the important places within the city, such as the sun temple, sun dial, temple of the three windows and the main gate. The mountain seen in the famous view of Machu Picchu is called Huayna Picchu, which one must now pay to climb. The mountain behind the photographer and is rarely seen in photos is called Machu Picchu mountain, this is free but takes 2 hours, we were told to hike. We had to leave at noon in order to catch our train so our 2 choices, with the amount of time we had, were either the Inca bridge or the Sun Gate (the gate to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail). We decided to go to the Inca bridge, this was a drawbridge made by removing a part of the path on a sheer rock face and placing logs that could be removed if necessary. Afterwards we still had an hour and a half till we had to leave but only Ethan and I stayed, the rest make the trek down to have lunch. I wanted to take advantage of every moment I had. So we relaxed on one of the grassy terraces, got very close to multiple llamas and because of a lack of sun screen got a little crispy. Eventuality we had to leave or risk missing the train so we sadly packed up and headed back down. We stamped our passports at the entrance on the way out, took the bus down and met up with the others at the hotel to pick up the things we had stored there. Then off to the train station and onto the train, this time we were taking the Vistidome back, which had nicer seats, more leg room, better food and drink and entertainment. There was a dancer from the Paucartambo festival on our car as well the attendants preformed a fashion show, they do things weirdly here in Peru.
We met up with our driver to go back to Cusco at the train station. And just like that my trip to Machu Picchu was over, I still can't believe that I was there. I came, I saw, I conquered!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Chicha morada, empanadas and the Zoo
Another week is almost over and even though the days were filled with classes and homework, I've been very busy eating :)
Monday was my roommate Poala's last day here so we all decided to go out and have a nice dinner at Incanto, an upscale restuarant in the Plaza. I had a wonderful salad with pears marinated in Pisco (a famous Peruvian liquor, that's quite strong) and goat cheese, for a main course I had a small pizza with shrimp and arugula = delicious! This restuarant also has very good chicha morada (a sweet, purple corn juice), which I'm slightly addicted to since I just about drank a pitcher of it.
The next day, I had art class in the morning and we went to the ceramic studio again and worked on our pots. Then for Spanish class we went to the San Pedro market. I had been here before but I'm not a huge fan of the markets here in Perú just because their dirty and smelly. It's a good experience but I didn't buy anything, except for freshly made popcorn that was like a kettle corn with a sweet, pink coating. For homework we had to write 180 words talking about our experience at the market.
Yesterday, I had a normal day of classes up until Spanish. The girls from NY were going to the Zoo with a woman named Tatiana (who works at the University) and our teacher said we could all go. So we piled into a USIL van and took off towards the Sacred Valley, where the "zoo" is located. I wouldn't really call it a zoo since they didn't have many animals but it was more like a sanctuary because all the animals had been rescued. We saw domesticated animals like llamas, ducks, macaws and dogs as well as the largest bird in the world, the condor and because they're only scavengers (a larger version of the turkey vulture) we were able to go inside their enclosure. But by far the coolest thing there were the pumas or mountain lions, these were worshiped by the Incas but because of that many tourists want to see them and in Lima there's a huge problem of people drugging them and bringing them to nightclubs. They de-claw them and drug them so that tourists can pet and take pictures. The two that I saw were saved from that life but because they are de-clawed and have been drugged for much of their lives it would be impossible to return them to the wild. In another cage was a 9 month old Peruvian bobcat that was so adorable, even though he/she could rip my face off. It was really cool and I'm very glad I went, even though we had to write another 180 words on that for homework.
Today classes were boring but for lunch Ethan and I stopped at this cafe on Av. Sol, close to the house, where we both got empanadas. They were delicious! I had one with spicy pepper, rocoto and meat and the crust was perfectly flaky and tasty and the stuffing was super yummy. Tomorrow Cristian is leaving so some of us are going out and having a goodbye dinner for him.
But TGI almost F because this weekend we are all going to Machu Picchu. Number 1 thing on my bucket list will be crossed off!! We are leaving Saturday, taking the train to Aguas Calientes, spending the night and then having a private tour Sunday. So excited!!
Monday was my roommate Poala's last day here so we all decided to go out and have a nice dinner at Incanto, an upscale restuarant in the Plaza. I had a wonderful salad with pears marinated in Pisco (a famous Peruvian liquor, that's quite strong) and goat cheese, for a main course I had a small pizza with shrimp and arugula = delicious! This restuarant also has very good chicha morada (a sweet, purple corn juice), which I'm slightly addicted to since I just about drank a pitcher of it.
The next day, I had art class in the morning and we went to the ceramic studio again and worked on our pots. Then for Spanish class we went to the San Pedro market. I had been here before but I'm not a huge fan of the markets here in Perú just because their dirty and smelly. It's a good experience but I didn't buy anything, except for freshly made popcorn that was like a kettle corn with a sweet, pink coating. For homework we had to write 180 words talking about our experience at the market.
Yesterday, I had a normal day of classes up until Spanish. The girls from NY were going to the Zoo with a woman named Tatiana (who works at the University) and our teacher said we could all go. So we piled into a USIL van and took off towards the Sacred Valley, where the "zoo" is located. I wouldn't really call it a zoo since they didn't have many animals but it was more like a sanctuary because all the animals had been rescued. We saw domesticated animals like llamas, ducks, macaws and dogs as well as the largest bird in the world, the condor and because they're only scavengers (a larger version of the turkey vulture) we were able to go inside their enclosure. But by far the coolest thing there were the pumas or mountain lions, these were worshiped by the Incas but because of that many tourists want to see them and in Lima there's a huge problem of people drugging them and bringing them to nightclubs. They de-claw them and drug them so that tourists can pet and take pictures. The two that I saw were saved from that life but because they are de-clawed and have been drugged for much of their lives it would be impossible to return them to the wild. In another cage was a 9 month old Peruvian bobcat that was so adorable, even though he/she could rip my face off. It was really cool and I'm very glad I went, even though we had to write another 180 words on that for homework.
Today classes were boring but for lunch Ethan and I stopped at this cafe on Av. Sol, close to the house, where we both got empanadas. They were delicious! I had one with spicy pepper, rocoto and meat and the crust was perfectly flaky and tasty and the stuffing was super yummy. Tomorrow Cristian is leaving so some of us are going out and having a goodbye dinner for him.
But TGI almost F because this weekend we are all going to Machu Picchu. Number 1 thing on my bucket list will be crossed off!! We are leaving Saturday, taking the train to Aguas Calientes, spending the night and then having a private tour Sunday. So excited!!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Hoiday Weekend!
Last Thursday was Peru's Independence Day but because their country likes to have a reason to celebrate both Thursday and Friday were holidays, which meant I didn't have school either of those days. We had planned to go to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon but we hadn't booked anything, one friend ended up having to work and then 2 others wanted to stay in Cusco to explore the ruins and museums close by. So we all decided to stay in Cusco which meant we had 4 days to do anything.
All of us wanted to go to Moray (more ruins), which is located in the Sacred Valley but not included on a tour of the Valley so we decided to book a trip there and to the Salineras (salt mines) on Friday. We were supposed to get picked up at La Casa between 8:30 and 8:45am, well around 8:45 they called and said to meet at the agency because it would be quicker. We took a taxi to the square and met at the agency, it took forever but we finally got on the bus and then proceeded to drive around the square for a while, waiting for more people. We left Cusco, probably around 10, this is not unusual for Peru, the people here are always late. Never get somewhere early because it's pointless. On our way to Moray we stopped in Chincero for forever it felt like, to use the bathroom and watch a demonstration of weaving. The whole time to Chincero the tour guide talked on the microphone on the bus, I can't imagine what he could've been talking about and it was hard to hear him anyway because he had the microphone shoved into his mouth. I just put my iPod on and enjoyed the beautiful views. We finally got to Moray, which is amazing, it looks like something out of LOST. Its a huge circle with terraces built as inner circles going deeper and deeper into the ground. This was used as a laboratory for the Incas so they could make things grow at higher altitudes. Soil was brought in from different parts of Peru for each terrace and they say that each one varies 5 degrees in temperature. We were able to walk around and explore then it was off to the salt mines.
The Salineras are pools of water and salt on the side of a mountain. Where the salt comes from, I don't know, how it works I'm not quite sure. But 80% of the pools were original to the Incas and then the other 20% were more recently built. This naturall phenomenon is suppose to produce wonderful salt and is regarded as the best by the people of Cusco. I bought a small pouch of it (if it's actually from the salt mines, who knows) as well as corn kernels and these popped kernals, like popcorn but not fluffy just the hard, crunchy kernel (these are my favorite).
When we got back to town, around 3pm, we were starving and thirsty because there had been no time for lunch. So we decided to go to Patty's Pub, an Irish place by the square. It's definitely not Peruvian food but it provides a menu in an American's comfort zone and is delicious. I had the Shepard's Pie, which I'm not a huge fan of back home but I wanted something homey and comforting and I had heard it was good. And it was, this was down right the best Shepard's Pie I have ever had. I had ground beef and other veggies then two scoops of mashed potatoes then a white, cream sauce. It was amazing, Cristian had the chicken Caesar salad wrap (which is only the second place I've seen serving Caesar salad) which looked delicious as well. We came back to the house and I watched Harry Potter part 1, even in Peru I'm addicted to Harry.
Friday some of us got up and agreed to go horse back riding (keep in mind I've never really ridden a horse before). We tried one place but it cost 70 soles so we went up to Sacsayhuaman where we paid 25 soles. It took me three tries to get on the horse, which probably wasn't a good indication of what was to come. There were a lot of us in the group and so we all started down this road. While most of us were clumped together, Lauren's horse decided he wanted to be the leader and took off, not running but going much faster than us. She later named it el diablo (the devil). We got the temple of the moon but all I could think about was that I would have to get back on that horse. Lauren told the kid that she was walking back and I guess he could sense my nerves because he took the reins and walked my horse and me back. I was extremely grateful to get back to the ranch and get off the horse for good. We had lunch and then took a taxi back to the house.
Later that evening Paola and I went to a handicraft market to buy souvenirs then met people to go to the Molino (black market). This was my first time there and it was must nicer than I expected. Even though what their doing is illegal it's tolerated by the police and in fact there was one standing at the entrance when I walked in. We went there mainly to buy pirated movies and TV seasons. You can find pretty much anything and it's all very cheap 6 soles for 2 Harry Potter movies, that's a little more than $2. Yes you take the chance that there bad quality, don't work or not in English but they're so cheap, you can take that chance. We walked around and saw everything from clothes, to shoes, to electronics, home goods to North Face jackets.
Sunday we had booked a tour of the South Valley (Tipon, Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas). Tipon was great it had all these waterfalls and canals for irrigation. Then we went to Pikillaqta which is the first place I've seen not built by the Incas but by the Wari (or Huari) culture during pre-Inca times. Although it's accepted that the Incas emerged and then took over these cultures such as the Wari, my Art teacher believes that instead the Wari are the Incas and that their culture grew into the great Andean Empire. Then came the church, in Andahuaylillas, which is supposedly a "replica" of the Sistine Chapel. I still have no idea why they think this is a replica of the Sistine Chapel, it looks nothing like it. Yes it has beautiful paintings on the ceiling but of a pattern not figures and images like in the Vatican. Really it's nothing special and doesn't look anything like the Sistine Chapel.
When we got back I made lunch with some of my homemade bread I had bought when we stopped at a bakery. Then proceeded to watch Harry Potter 6 and 7 part 1 (again), made soup for dinner and went out to get cake with Paola and Cristian then came back and watched part of Harry Potter 5 on TV. It was a great weekend and I'm glad I stayed in Cusco and was able to relax and go on some day trips. I only have 2 weeks left here and next weekend we're going to Machu Picchu. It's going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back in Bethel, ME with my momma:)
All of us wanted to go to Moray (more ruins), which is located in the Sacred Valley but not included on a tour of the Valley so we decided to book a trip there and to the Salineras (salt mines) on Friday. We were supposed to get picked up at La Casa between 8:30 and 8:45am, well around 8:45 they called and said to meet at the agency because it would be quicker. We took a taxi to the square and met at the agency, it took forever but we finally got on the bus and then proceeded to drive around the square for a while, waiting for more people. We left Cusco, probably around 10, this is not unusual for Peru, the people here are always late. Never get somewhere early because it's pointless. On our way to Moray we stopped in Chincero for forever it felt like, to use the bathroom and watch a demonstration of weaving. The whole time to Chincero the tour guide talked on the microphone on the bus, I can't imagine what he could've been talking about and it was hard to hear him anyway because he had the microphone shoved into his mouth. I just put my iPod on and enjoyed the beautiful views. We finally got to Moray, which is amazing, it looks like something out of LOST. Its a huge circle with terraces built as inner circles going deeper and deeper into the ground. This was used as a laboratory for the Incas so they could make things grow at higher altitudes. Soil was brought in from different parts of Peru for each terrace and they say that each one varies 5 degrees in temperature. We were able to walk around and explore then it was off to the salt mines.
The Salineras are pools of water and salt on the side of a mountain. Where the salt comes from, I don't know, how it works I'm not quite sure. But 80% of the pools were original to the Incas and then the other 20% were more recently built. This naturall phenomenon is suppose to produce wonderful salt and is regarded as the best by the people of Cusco. I bought a small pouch of it (if it's actually from the salt mines, who knows) as well as corn kernels and these popped kernals, like popcorn but not fluffy just the hard, crunchy kernel (these are my favorite).
When we got back to town, around 3pm, we were starving and thirsty because there had been no time for lunch. So we decided to go to Patty's Pub, an Irish place by the square. It's definitely not Peruvian food but it provides a menu in an American's comfort zone and is delicious. I had the Shepard's Pie, which I'm not a huge fan of back home but I wanted something homey and comforting and I had heard it was good. And it was, this was down right the best Shepard's Pie I have ever had. I had ground beef and other veggies then two scoops of mashed potatoes then a white, cream sauce. It was amazing, Cristian had the chicken Caesar salad wrap (which is only the second place I've seen serving Caesar salad) which looked delicious as well. We came back to the house and I watched Harry Potter part 1, even in Peru I'm addicted to Harry.
Friday some of us got up and agreed to go horse back riding (keep in mind I've never really ridden a horse before). We tried one place but it cost 70 soles so we went up to Sacsayhuaman where we paid 25 soles. It took me three tries to get on the horse, which probably wasn't a good indication of what was to come. There were a lot of us in the group and so we all started down this road. While most of us were clumped together, Lauren's horse decided he wanted to be the leader and took off, not running but going much faster than us. She later named it el diablo (the devil). We got the temple of the moon but all I could think about was that I would have to get back on that horse. Lauren told the kid that she was walking back and I guess he could sense my nerves because he took the reins and walked my horse and me back. I was extremely grateful to get back to the ranch and get off the horse for good. We had lunch and then took a taxi back to the house.
Later that evening Paola and I went to a handicraft market to buy souvenirs then met people to go to the Molino (black market). This was my first time there and it was must nicer than I expected. Even though what their doing is illegal it's tolerated by the police and in fact there was one standing at the entrance when I walked in. We went there mainly to buy pirated movies and TV seasons. You can find pretty much anything and it's all very cheap 6 soles for 2 Harry Potter movies, that's a little more than $2. Yes you take the chance that there bad quality, don't work or not in English but they're so cheap, you can take that chance. We walked around and saw everything from clothes, to shoes, to electronics, home goods to North Face jackets.
Sunday we had booked a tour of the South Valley (Tipon, Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas). Tipon was great it had all these waterfalls and canals for irrigation. Then we went to Pikillaqta which is the first place I've seen not built by the Incas but by the Wari (or Huari) culture during pre-Inca times. Although it's accepted that the Incas emerged and then took over these cultures such as the Wari, my Art teacher believes that instead the Wari are the Incas and that their culture grew into the great Andean Empire. Then came the church, in Andahuaylillas, which is supposedly a "replica" of the Sistine Chapel. I still have no idea why they think this is a replica of the Sistine Chapel, it looks nothing like it. Yes it has beautiful paintings on the ceiling but of a pattern not figures and images like in the Vatican. Really it's nothing special and doesn't look anything like the Sistine Chapel.
When we got back I made lunch with some of my homemade bread I had bought when we stopped at a bakery. Then proceeded to watch Harry Potter 6 and 7 part 1 (again), made soup for dinner and went out to get cake with Paola and Cristian then came back and watched part of Harry Potter 5 on TV. It was a great weekend and I'm glad I stayed in Cusco and was able to relax and go on some day trips. I only have 2 weeks left here and next weekend we're going to Machu Picchu. It's going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back in Bethel, ME with my momma:)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Welcome to the Jungle!
Another busy weekend, full of adventure has come to an end yet again. This time a group of us decided to go to the Peruvian jungle, called Manu. This is part of the Amazon jungle that spreads across a few countries in central South America. There are 3 different zones within Manu, the cultural zone, the reserved zone and the intangible zone. Because we were only going for 3 days we were only able to see the cultural zone but on longer trips people are able to go deeper.
We booked with a company call Manu Adventures (which had been recommended to us by some other girls) and they picked us up by at the casa at 5:30am Saturday morning. There were 6 of us plus 2 other ladies, a cook, our guide and the driver all packed into a van. We drove for 9 hours up and over mountains and on the side of cliffs. I thought the ride to Paucartambo was bad, but that was nothing! This was much, much worse. We had lunch and bathroom breaks along the way as well as walks to see birds, plants and the pretty views. Finally we made it to our first lodge which was quite nice, it had a kitchen and dinning room, 2 different bunk houses with double rooms as well as bathrooms and showers. There's no electricity in the jungle but lights were needed to prepare and eat dinner, so I believe there was a generator that ran for 3 or 4 hours until 9pm. We had a 3 course dinner including soup, main meal and desert plus delicious bread, after this feast I was ready for bed. Sleeping was so nice because of the sound of running water (from a near by river), all the little animal sounds and the pitch blackness.
The second day was extremely busy. We woke up, had breakfast and headed back down to the vans where we were able to see monkeys in the trees overlooking the road. We then drove another 2 hours to a small village where we would start our white water rafting adventure. It was only class I and II rapids, so nothing compared to the Kennebec but still a lot of fun. We beached at a small river community where the van was waiting for us with all of our belongings. We boarded a typical, jungle looking boat and motored down the river to our second lodge, which was right on the water. We ate lunch and then headed out for our canopy tour (aka zip line). It was quite a hot, sweaty hike up to the beginning platform while carrying all our gear for the zip line. At the top we had a break and an info session and then it was time to go! One of the guides was the first to go, then it was my turn. I was literally hugging the tree for dear life as they were strapping me in and my tour guide was giving me a pep talk. But then I had to sit down with my legs cross and away I went. It was so scary and I screamed like a baby at first but then I got really into it. There were 4 lines that we all went on through different parts of the canopy, it was gorgeous and so much fun. But then when we got to the last platform I was looking around and saw no ladder, no steps but just a bungee with a a j hook. I then learned that we had to repel down this tree using a rope and a figure 8, I almost shit my pants once again. I ended up doing and it though and it was fine, not that bad at all.
It was almost dark when we got back so we relaxed and waited for dinner. At this point I hadn't showered in almost 2 days and was extremely stinky, but we were going on a night walk so I planned to shower when we got back. After another delicious 3 course dinner I had to go to the bathroom so I head to the back of our bunk house opened and closed the door, wiped some ants off the toilet seat and went to sit down. This is when I noticed a MASSIVE, HUGE spider on the wall, I am not exaggerating here. I ran out with my pants down and went to tell the others. Our guide came and looked at it and told us it's called the Scorpion Spider, the largest in the Amazon. Great, just great the bathroom I choose to go into and there's a spider the size of Texas on the wall. Needless to say I did not take a shower or use the bathroom again that night. I did go on the night walk and saw some more nasty spiders, huge ants and frogs.
The third morning we got up at 5:30am to take the boat and view the blue-headed macaws (I think) eat the clay off the side of a cliff. This is good for their digestive system. After that we came back, had breakfast and the 6 of us packed up because the rest of the people were staying for an extra day. On our way back on the boat we stopped at an island and went to a pond to view more birds and butterflies. We arrived at the town we had stopped at with the rafts and boarded the hot van. It was then time to make the long journey back to Cusco. We arrived around 8ish Monday night, which wasn't too bad. Even though I spent most of the time scared out of my mind, I'm still glad I did it.
On the tour we met 2 ladies, 1 from Greece who spoke Spanish, some English and I'm assuming Greek, 1 from Ganada who only spoke French and Spanish as well as a very nice Norwegian man. It was interesting to talk to him especially because he was a junior high school teacher, who taught PE, religion and Social Studies. Everyone in Norway has to take religion as well as English beginning at grade 2 then Spanish, French or German in high school. The last thin he said to us was try not to start a war in Cusco, I'm so glad that's what the US is known for.
We booked with a company call Manu Adventures (which had been recommended to us by some other girls) and they picked us up by at the casa at 5:30am Saturday morning. There were 6 of us plus 2 other ladies, a cook, our guide and the driver all packed into a van. We drove for 9 hours up and over mountains and on the side of cliffs. I thought the ride to Paucartambo was bad, but that was nothing! This was much, much worse. We had lunch and bathroom breaks along the way as well as walks to see birds, plants and the pretty views. Finally we made it to our first lodge which was quite nice, it had a kitchen and dinning room, 2 different bunk houses with double rooms as well as bathrooms and showers. There's no electricity in the jungle but lights were needed to prepare and eat dinner, so I believe there was a generator that ran for 3 or 4 hours until 9pm. We had a 3 course dinner including soup, main meal and desert plus delicious bread, after this feast I was ready for bed. Sleeping was so nice because of the sound of running water (from a near by river), all the little animal sounds and the pitch blackness.
The second day was extremely busy. We woke up, had breakfast and headed back down to the vans where we were able to see monkeys in the trees overlooking the road. We then drove another 2 hours to a small village where we would start our white water rafting adventure. It was only class I and II rapids, so nothing compared to the Kennebec but still a lot of fun. We beached at a small river community where the van was waiting for us with all of our belongings. We boarded a typical, jungle looking boat and motored down the river to our second lodge, which was right on the water. We ate lunch and then headed out for our canopy tour (aka zip line). It was quite a hot, sweaty hike up to the beginning platform while carrying all our gear for the zip line. At the top we had a break and an info session and then it was time to go! One of the guides was the first to go, then it was my turn. I was literally hugging the tree for dear life as they were strapping me in and my tour guide was giving me a pep talk. But then I had to sit down with my legs cross and away I went. It was so scary and I screamed like a baby at first but then I got really into it. There were 4 lines that we all went on through different parts of the canopy, it was gorgeous and so much fun. But then when we got to the last platform I was looking around and saw no ladder, no steps but just a bungee with a a j hook. I then learned that we had to repel down this tree using a rope and a figure 8, I almost shit my pants once again. I ended up doing and it though and it was fine, not that bad at all.
It was almost dark when we got back so we relaxed and waited for dinner. At this point I hadn't showered in almost 2 days and was extremely stinky, but we were going on a night walk so I planned to shower when we got back. After another delicious 3 course dinner I had to go to the bathroom so I head to the back of our bunk house opened and closed the door, wiped some ants off the toilet seat and went to sit down. This is when I noticed a MASSIVE, HUGE spider on the wall, I am not exaggerating here. I ran out with my pants down and went to tell the others. Our guide came and looked at it and told us it's called the Scorpion Spider, the largest in the Amazon. Great, just great the bathroom I choose to go into and there's a spider the size of Texas on the wall. Needless to say I did not take a shower or use the bathroom again that night. I did go on the night walk and saw some more nasty spiders, huge ants and frogs.
The third morning we got up at 5:30am to take the boat and view the blue-headed macaws (I think) eat the clay off the side of a cliff. This is good for their digestive system. After that we came back, had breakfast and the 6 of us packed up because the rest of the people were staying for an extra day. On our way back on the boat we stopped at an island and went to a pond to view more birds and butterflies. We arrived at the town we had stopped at with the rafts and boarded the hot van. It was then time to make the long journey back to Cusco. We arrived around 8ish Monday night, which wasn't too bad. Even though I spent most of the time scared out of my mind, I'm still glad I did it.
On the tour we met 2 ladies, 1 from Greece who spoke Spanish, some English and I'm assuming Greek, 1 from Ganada who only spoke French and Spanish as well as a very nice Norwegian man. It was interesting to talk to him especially because he was a junior high school teacher, who taught PE, religion and Social Studies. Everyone in Norway has to take religion as well as English beginning at grade 2 then Spanish, French or German in high school. The last thin he said to us was try not to start a war in Cusco, I'm so glad that's what the US is known for.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Peruvian Donuts
The past couple of days have been pretty normal, classes, meals and homework. Yesterday during my art class we went to a pottery studio where Mary (the other girl in my class) and I had a chance to spin a pot. Yes I did take pottery in high school, but even then I couldn't center it and now they expect me to do it with instructions from a man who only speaks Spanish! So although he did most of the work, I'm still going to take credit for it:) We're planning on going back next Tuesday to maybe do some painting. Then today our professor took us to the Inca Museum close to the University. Here we were able to see pre-Hispanic artwork, that we had been studying as well as some Inca and Spanish artifacts. It was interesting and much better then just him lecturing to us, especially because his English is choppy. Spanish is super easy, I mean yes my speaking skills are still not where I want then to be but in class we are going over numbers, verbs in the present tense and some common vocab. Although it's easy, its nice to be refreshing my memory on stuff I haven't learned since my freshman or sophomore year in high school. Tomorrow we have midterms which I'm not that worried about, right now I have a 19/20 in Spanish and in art I should be able to come up with something to write since we've talked a lot about what's going to be on the test.
Absolutely, the highlight of my week has been finding this little bakery close to La Casa that serves what are called donnas. They looked very much like a piece of fried dough and since I've never been known to give up the chance for fried dough, I got one. When ordering I asked if it was dulce (sweet) and I was told yes and that they are highly addictive. So I took my little package of powered sugared, fried dough to the street where I sunk my teeth into the pastry. To my surprise it had a filling! I believe it was apple, but whatever it was it was delicious!! When I left the man told me that he'd see me again, and he was definitely right.
This weekend we are going to Manu, part of the Amazon here in Peru. 5 of us are going on the trip which starts Saturday morning and ends Monday night (I'm skipping classes Monday). During our time in the Jungle we will be whitewater rafting and going on a zip line. I'm really excited to go and experience all this, what I'm not excited about it the ride yet again on the side of a mountain.
Absolutely, the highlight of my week has been finding this little bakery close to La Casa that serves what are called donnas. They looked very much like a piece of fried dough and since I've never been known to give up the chance for fried dough, I got one. When ordering I asked if it was dulce (sweet) and I was told yes and that they are highly addictive. So I took my little package of powered sugared, fried dough to the street where I sunk my teeth into the pastry. To my surprise it had a filling! I believe it was apple, but whatever it was it was delicious!! When I left the man told me that he'd see me again, and he was definitely right.
This weekend we are going to Manu, part of the Amazon here in Peru. 5 of us are going on the trip which starts Saturday morning and ends Monday night (I'm skipping classes Monday). During our time in the Jungle we will be whitewater rafting and going on a zip line. I'm really excited to go and experience all this, what I'm not excited about it the ride yet again on the side of a mountain.
Monday, July 18, 2011
One, Very Busy Weekend
Again, I know it's been a while since I've blogged but I think after reading this post you'll understand why.
Although I wasn't in Bethel to attend Mollyockett Day (my first time ever) last Saturday I still was able to go to a festival. Some of us went to Paucartambo, a well known city in Peru for it's festival for the Virgin Carmen. So last Friday Lauren, Lindsy and I, as well as the photography professor at the University climbed into a taxi. The city is about 3 hrs away from Cusco and the next time anyone complains about the roads in Maine please be thankful that you have pavement, guard rails and aren't on the side of a mountain. We road in a taxi, on a very small, two lane, dirt road, meeting buses along the way. I guess Peruvians have something against creating tunnels or bridges because we literally wove our way up and around mountains. After having this experience we arrived in Paucartambo and ended up sleeping on the floor of a primary school classroom. Although we didn't sleep much because we arrived at 11:30ish and then had to wake up around 3am to climb yet another mountain to go see the sun rise. This is part of the festival, the town pilgrimages (by car today) their way up the mountain to a place called Tres Cruces. There were hundreds of people just staring towards the sky, waiting for the sun. Here we were at the edge of the Andes and while we were all looking east waiting, we could see the jungle, Manu (which I happen to be heading to next weekend). It was amazingly beautiful to be at the top of an Andean mountain, watching the sun rise. This place is famous because just as the sun is coming up, if you look directly at it bounces up and down. It is extremely hard to describe, it's like the sun is dancing in front of you. This optical illusion has something to do with the altitude and the sun reflecting off the atmosphere, how it works I'm not quite sure.
When we got back into town around 10am, we went to the church and saw the Virgin Carmen. There was a procession in the morning along with the dancers which represent the different people of Peru. There were the nurses/doctors, the rich, the jungle people, the black slaves (who were brought over by the Spanish but weren't able to cope with the altitude) as well as many other groups. The large procession was to begin at 3pm, so in between we had soup for lunch and walked around the town. At quarter to we found places to watch as the Virgin was brought out of the church and accompanied by the band and the dancers. As she made her way through the streets she was threatened by dancers dressed as the devil who were on the rooftops. This festival was much different than small town Bethel's Mollyockett Day where children can't even ride on the top of the fire trucks nor can there be any sirens. Here there were crowds of people, a huge band and people dancing on the roofs of houses.
After a long ride back to Cusco we got dropped off at the Plaza and were able to drop off the sleeping bags we rented. We got back to La Casa and I took a shower and went to bed. Because the next day we had to be ready to go 8:15am for our tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The tour bus picked us up at and we again found ourselves winding up mountains but fortunately these were paved and much wider. The ride itself was worth the experience but we also went to the Inca ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo and the church at Chincero. The tour was amazing, the mountains and views were incredible, but I wish we had had more time to explore the ruins. It was only a one day thing and I understand that, so we were back in Cusco around 6:30pm. We decided to go and have pizza, this was my first experience with avocado on pizza and it was delicious!
It's like I've stepped back in time here. As we were traveling through the valley we saw the Andean people herding sheep and cows as well as using them to plow their fields. The 21st century has yet to hit these people and I'm sure nothing much has changed in the way they do things in a hundred years. In Chincero we watched a traditional weaving demonstration. And here the women showed us how they used a root which they added to water to create a natural shampoo. As she shook her hand in the water it immediately turned bubbly like foam soap. It's incredible and fascinating to me that these people are still following the ways of the Incas.
And after a long tiring weekend, I have classes all week and midterms Friday.
Although I wasn't in Bethel to attend Mollyockett Day (my first time ever) last Saturday I still was able to go to a festival. Some of us went to Paucartambo, a well known city in Peru for it's festival for the Virgin Carmen. So last Friday Lauren, Lindsy and I, as well as the photography professor at the University climbed into a taxi. The city is about 3 hrs away from Cusco and the next time anyone complains about the roads in Maine please be thankful that you have pavement, guard rails and aren't on the side of a mountain. We road in a taxi, on a very small, two lane, dirt road, meeting buses along the way. I guess Peruvians have something against creating tunnels or bridges because we literally wove our way up and around mountains. After having this experience we arrived in Paucartambo and ended up sleeping on the floor of a primary school classroom. Although we didn't sleep much because we arrived at 11:30ish and then had to wake up around 3am to climb yet another mountain to go see the sun rise. This is part of the festival, the town pilgrimages (by car today) their way up the mountain to a place called Tres Cruces. There were hundreds of people just staring towards the sky, waiting for the sun. Here we were at the edge of the Andes and while we were all looking east waiting, we could see the jungle, Manu (which I happen to be heading to next weekend). It was amazingly beautiful to be at the top of an Andean mountain, watching the sun rise. This place is famous because just as the sun is coming up, if you look directly at it bounces up and down. It is extremely hard to describe, it's like the sun is dancing in front of you. This optical illusion has something to do with the altitude and the sun reflecting off the atmosphere, how it works I'm not quite sure.
When we got back into town around 10am, we went to the church and saw the Virgin Carmen. There was a procession in the morning along with the dancers which represent the different people of Peru. There were the nurses/doctors, the rich, the jungle people, the black slaves (who were brought over by the Spanish but weren't able to cope with the altitude) as well as many other groups. The large procession was to begin at 3pm, so in between we had soup for lunch and walked around the town. At quarter to we found places to watch as the Virgin was brought out of the church and accompanied by the band and the dancers. As she made her way through the streets she was threatened by dancers dressed as the devil who were on the rooftops. This festival was much different than small town Bethel's Mollyockett Day where children can't even ride on the top of the fire trucks nor can there be any sirens. Here there were crowds of people, a huge band and people dancing on the roofs of houses.
After a long ride back to Cusco we got dropped off at the Plaza and were able to drop off the sleeping bags we rented. We got back to La Casa and I took a shower and went to bed. Because the next day we had to be ready to go 8:15am for our tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The tour bus picked us up at and we again found ourselves winding up mountains but fortunately these were paved and much wider. The ride itself was worth the experience but we also went to the Inca ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo and the church at Chincero. The tour was amazing, the mountains and views were incredible, but I wish we had had more time to explore the ruins. It was only a one day thing and I understand that, so we were back in Cusco around 6:30pm. We decided to go and have pizza, this was my first experience with avocado on pizza and it was delicious!
It's like I've stepped back in time here. As we were traveling through the valley we saw the Andean people herding sheep and cows as well as using them to plow their fields. The 21st century has yet to hit these people and I'm sure nothing much has changed in the way they do things in a hundred years. In Chincero we watched a traditional weaving demonstration. And here the women showed us how they used a root which they added to water to create a natural shampoo. As she shook her hand in the water it immediately turned bubbly like foam soap. It's incredible and fascinating to me that these people are still following the ways of the Incas.
And after a long tiring weekend, I have classes all week and midterms Friday.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Peru a Wedgie-less Country
I know I haven't blogged in a couple of days, partially due to the fact that the internet is loco and also because I'm lazy:)
The past couple of days have been pretty quiet. I go to art class in the morning, which isn't hard but extremely boring. Then I head back to La Casa or to the supermarket or do other errands, but I usually have a couple of hours at least to hang out and each lunch. Then I go back to the University for Spanish at 3. I look forward to this class everyday because we all get along so well and the teacher is really funny. He thinks his girlfriend is Shakira and he says Jesus Christ and fuck. Today somehow we got on the topic of wedgies and he had no idea what a wedgie was even though his English is really good we thought maybe he just doesn't know the English word. So he looked it up on the internet and still really didn't understand, he's never seen anyone give another person a wedgie. People here don't do that, which I thought was really interesting. Also today we talked about gestures in America as well as here in Peru. It got quite dirty, really fast. He keeps telling us that after this course he's going to loose his job. After class we were going back to La Casa for dinner and someone asked him if he wanted to join and he said sure. So he came back with us, had dinner and got to listen to some pure American rap music (I don't think he liked it).
Breaking News!! I have my luggage, finally!! Yesterday I called Cusco and Portland through skype and found out that my luggage was in Lima (but I was told that last Friday). Then Mom called NY and Lima and LaGuardia told her that my luggage was due to arrive in Cusco on the 3pm flight. I had class a 3 so I had to wait till 6 when I got out of class to see if my bag was at the hotel. I didn't want to get my hopes up since I had been told many times that my bag would be here today or tomorrow. But when I got back to La Casa the guy at the front desk, Julio, I believe told me that my bag was in my room. YAH!! I was so happy, I hugged and kissed him (which isn't uncommon here) and almost burst into tears. This was such a relief after after almost a week of stressing. Last night I unpacked and put my stuff into the wardrobe I share with my roommate, Paola and then took a shower and shaved my underarms which were probably an inch long. I got on clean clothes and went to bed. It was so nice and then I woke up this morning and was able to have choices as to what I wanted to wear.
The staff here does your laundry for you, which is nice and all but it makes me nervous because I don't want them to steal anything. I'd rather just do it myself but unfortunately all the places in town are just like that. There's no laundromats like in the US. So I'm going to do as little as possible and maybe get some laundry detergent so I can wash some of my nicer things in the sink in my room.
I'm just so happy that my bag arrived and hopefully I've used up all my bad luck so that the rest of my time here in Peru goes smoothly!
The past couple of days have been pretty quiet. I go to art class in the morning, which isn't hard but extremely boring. Then I head back to La Casa or to the supermarket or do other errands, but I usually have a couple of hours at least to hang out and each lunch. Then I go back to the University for Spanish at 3. I look forward to this class everyday because we all get along so well and the teacher is really funny. He thinks his girlfriend is Shakira and he says Jesus Christ and fuck. Today somehow we got on the topic of wedgies and he had no idea what a wedgie was even though his English is really good we thought maybe he just doesn't know the English word. So he looked it up on the internet and still really didn't understand, he's never seen anyone give another person a wedgie. People here don't do that, which I thought was really interesting. Also today we talked about gestures in America as well as here in Peru. It got quite dirty, really fast. He keeps telling us that after this course he's going to loose his job. After class we were going back to La Casa for dinner and someone asked him if he wanted to join and he said sure. So he came back with us, had dinner and got to listen to some pure American rap music (I don't think he liked it).
Breaking News!! I have my luggage, finally!! Yesterday I called Cusco and Portland through skype and found out that my luggage was in Lima (but I was told that last Friday). Then Mom called NY and Lima and LaGuardia told her that my luggage was due to arrive in Cusco on the 3pm flight. I had class a 3 so I had to wait till 6 when I got out of class to see if my bag was at the hotel. I didn't want to get my hopes up since I had been told many times that my bag would be here today or tomorrow. But when I got back to La Casa the guy at the front desk, Julio, I believe told me that my bag was in my room. YAH!! I was so happy, I hugged and kissed him (which isn't uncommon here) and almost burst into tears. This was such a relief after after almost a week of stressing. Last night I unpacked and put my stuff into the wardrobe I share with my roommate, Paola and then took a shower and shaved my underarms which were probably an inch long. I got on clean clothes and went to bed. It was so nice and then I woke up this morning and was able to have choices as to what I wanted to wear.
The staff here does your laundry for you, which is nice and all but it makes me nervous because I don't want them to steal anything. I'd rather just do it myself but unfortunately all the places in town are just like that. There's no laundromats like in the US. So I'm going to do as little as possible and maybe get some laundry detergent so I can wash some of my nicer things in the sink in my room.
I'm just so happy that my bag arrived and hopefully I've used up all my bad luck so that the rest of my time here in Peru goes smoothly!
Monday, July 11, 2011
The start of a new week....
Today being Monday, I had my art and design class at 8am. This sucks because without my suitcase (which I still don't have) I have no alarm clock so I have to make sure and watch my clock. Fortunately there's quite a few others who also have 8am class. During my 2 hr art and design class we talked about Inca and Spanish culture and how the two butted heads when the Spanish arrived. We then went out into town to look at a imitation, baroque artwork on a store front then we went across the street to the textile museum. A woman started this because she believed original weaving and the use of natural dyes were becoming sparse with the increase of tourism. So in the museum there were 2 women dressed in traditional clothing weaving as well as shelves of handmade goods.
During the middle part of the day I went to lunch and also got a passport type photo done in order to get both a library and international student card. Back at la casa I had some time to kill so I turned on the tv and found a channel in English with Spanish subtitles. I watched Ghost Whisper but also saw a number of American shows advertised like Desperate Housewives, Greys Anatomy and America's Got Talent.
I then went back to the university for my Spanish class at 3pm. This is my favorite class out of the 2 because the professor is really funny (almost as cute as senora) and I feel like a smarty pants. Like I said in an earlier post there's 2 other girls and me who are more advanced and so we did an activity as a group today and during class the teacher talks to use in Spanish.
After the 3 hrs of class some girls from my class and I headed over to the Mega (the supermarket) in order to get dinner. We made pasta with veggies and had bread and cheese. It was quite yummy and much less expensive then eating out!
During the middle part of the day I went to lunch and also got a passport type photo done in order to get both a library and international student card. Back at la casa I had some time to kill so I turned on the tv and found a channel in English with Spanish subtitles. I watched Ghost Whisper but also saw a number of American shows advertised like Desperate Housewives, Greys Anatomy and America's Got Talent.
I then went back to the university for my Spanish class at 3pm. This is my favorite class out of the 2 because the professor is really funny (almost as cute as senora) and I feel like a smarty pants. Like I said in an earlier post there's 2 other girls and me who are more advanced and so we did an activity as a group today and during class the teacher talks to use in Spanish.
After the 3 hrs of class some girls from my class and I headed over to the Mega (the supermarket) in order to get dinner. We made pasta with veggies and had bread and cheese. It was quite yummy and much less expensive then eating out!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sexy Woman
Today being Sunday and many of the other students being in Puno, Mary and me only had 1 thing on the docket, see Sacsayhuaman (pronounced Sexy Woman). I got up around 8am and took a shower then headed down to breakfast, I knew Mary had gone to mass early this morning so I decided not to bother her. When I got back I knocked on her door and she said she was tired but ready to go see Sacsayhuaman. So we packed up and hailed a taxi outside our hotel to take us, the walk is around a half an hour but all up hill so we decided to take taxi up and walk back down. The taxi rides here are always a little crazy since there aren't many lines in the roads and there's no real yielding, its just go for it. Also when getting a cab there's no real limit on the number of people it's however many you can fit, sitting on peoples laps is perfectly acceptable here. When we got up to the entrance we had to get out and buy our tickets and then ride a bit further to the parking lot. We paid the driver and headed into Sacsayhuaman, some sort of ancient Inca structure. Historians don't really know what it was used for but when the Spanish came they removed some of the stones to use in their own buildings. What remains are the largest stones that the Spanish were unable to move. The walls are in great condition and have survived hundreds of years of weather and earthquakes. The stones are perfectly fit together even though the Incas didn't have fillers, you can't even fit a piece of paper between them. It was really beautiful to walk around the ruins and take in the views of the city and mountains, because Sacsayhuaman was built over looking the city. This is also the site for Cristo Blanco which resembles Christ the Redeemer in Rio and overlooks Cusco.
Our ticket included 4 different sites within walking distance of Sacsayhuaman so we decided to take a stroll to a site called Q'engo. Mary and I had read that these ruins included zig-zag trenches carved into the stones which once flowed with llama blood during rituals. We walked around the site and through caves and tunnels but unfortunately weren't able to see any of the trenches.
In order to get back down to Cusco we had to walk back through Sacsayhuaman to the other side and exit that way. After about 20 mins we were back in Cusco and on our way there we picked up a friend. This dog who had just had puppies walked all the way down into town with us. While we were trying to find a restaurant we lost her. We finally found Jack's Cafe but there was a line out the door so we got in line and sat down on a conveniently located step. All of a sudden Mary turns around and there's the dog! She was precious:)
After a satisfying lunch we took a taxi back to the hotel. Since then I've been reading, downloading pictures and trying to figure out my luggage situation.
Our ticket included 4 different sites within walking distance of Sacsayhuaman so we decided to take a stroll to a site called Q'engo. Mary and I had read that these ruins included zig-zag trenches carved into the stones which once flowed with llama blood during rituals. We walked around the site and through caves and tunnels but unfortunately weren't able to see any of the trenches.
In order to get back down to Cusco we had to walk back through Sacsayhuaman to the other side and exit that way. After about 20 mins we were back in Cusco and on our way there we picked up a friend. This dog who had just had puppies walked all the way down into town with us. While we were trying to find a restaurant we lost her. We finally found Jack's Cafe but there was a line out the door so we got in line and sat down on a conveniently located step. All of a sudden Mary turns around and there's the dog! She was precious:)
After a satisfying lunch we took a taxi back to the hotel. Since then I've been reading, downloading pictures and trying to figure out my luggage situation.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Day 2 & 3 of wearing the same clothes.....
So last night I wrote this whole post about what happened and what I did but unfortunately when I went to post it it disappeared:( So tonight's blog includes yesterday and today.
Yesterday was the first day of classes for international students. I am taking an art and design class as well as a Spanish class. Art and design which only has 2 people in it, including me, was from 9 to 10am and although the teacher's English is sometimes hard to understand the class seems like it's going to be a lot of fun. Spanish was from 3 to 6pm and that one has 6 people in it. Although I didn't place into the Spanish class that I had wanted to and yesterday was really easy, it's nice to get back in the swing of things and increase my confidence. There's 2 other girls who have had Spanish experience and during our breaks the professor made it a point to talk to us and ask us questions because we're more experienced.
Between classes, Christian (our leader or babysitter, as he calls himself) took another student, Ethan and me to the airport to look into our luggage. Supposedly both of ours were in Lima yesterday and they said it was possible that it could come in on the last flight at 4pm or this morning. Needless to say I still haven't seen my luggage. I would literally pay money to get my suitcase and be able to change out of the clothes I've been wearing for 3 days.
Last night there was a big soccer game between Peru and Mexico and some friends and I went to a bar to watch the game. We had some really gross shrimp empanaditas but some of my other friends got desert which was really good. We had to leave during half time because 3 of the people with me were getting on a bus to Puno and Lake Titicaca at 9:30pm. I wish I could've gone but Puno is actually higher in elevation than Cusco and it gets much colder there and because I have not luggage I have no pants, so I'm staying in Cusco for the weekend.
This morning my friend Mary and I went to the Mega which is the supermarket here because we needed some food and drinks. You can't drink the water here so I stocked up as well as getting some Sprite and juice, that tastes much like Sunny Delight. Many of the juices here are thick and are called nectar instead of juice. I also bought some snacks and ramen, which I'm not proud of but the cooking facilities in my apartment are limited. Mary bought this really tasty roll that had just come out of the oven it was called pan de yema, I think.
After we came back from the market we met Gustavo, who is the director for the international students here and 3 other people and I went on a city tour. We first went to a statue of Pachacuteq, a great Inca Emperor who built the main cities as well as Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman, where I plan to go tomorrow. We then walked north toward the Plaza de Armas where we stopped at a open air market. They're all over the city and sell everything. The fruit selection is awesome, they have pineapple, grapes, bananas, mangos and other fruit we have in the US. But also they have fruit special to South America or Peru, one is the Cherimoya which has a shell and then white flesh that is quite delicious. It also has many health benefits supposedly being 10x more powerful than radiation when treating cancer but unfortunately hospitals are discouraging and fighting against the use of it. At the market there is also a meat section which is repulsive, I have no idea why have the population of Peru isn't dead. There is no refrigeration, all the meat is just laying out or hanging up. The smell is horrible!!
We ate at this really cheap place for lunch, there's a set menu but for 10 soles you get 3 courses. We had potato salad which had ham, cheese and I think yuca then a traditional Peruvian soup with meat and veggies and for the main meal rice and lamb in a yummy sauce. After our bellies were full, we all got pretty tired so we walked back to La Casa where I took a short siesta.
In my guidebook I had read about a cafe that had really good hot chocolate in the San Blas area near La Plaza de Armas. So me and Mary decided to take a stroll to the Plaza and then on to get some hot chocolate. While we were trying to find the cafe we stumbled upon the famous 12 angle stone, why the Incas felt it necessary to fit a 12 angle stone into one of their perfectly built walls no one knows. Mary and I then found the cafe and ordered 2 hot cocoas. This was the best hot chocolate on the planet, it was frothy and dusted with cocoa on top, delicious!!
Yesterday was the first day of classes for international students. I am taking an art and design class as well as a Spanish class. Art and design which only has 2 people in it, including me, was from 9 to 10am and although the teacher's English is sometimes hard to understand the class seems like it's going to be a lot of fun. Spanish was from 3 to 6pm and that one has 6 people in it. Although I didn't place into the Spanish class that I had wanted to and yesterday was really easy, it's nice to get back in the swing of things and increase my confidence. There's 2 other girls who have had Spanish experience and during our breaks the professor made it a point to talk to us and ask us questions because we're more experienced.
Between classes, Christian (our leader or babysitter, as he calls himself) took another student, Ethan and me to the airport to look into our luggage. Supposedly both of ours were in Lima yesterday and they said it was possible that it could come in on the last flight at 4pm or this morning. Needless to say I still haven't seen my luggage. I would literally pay money to get my suitcase and be able to change out of the clothes I've been wearing for 3 days.
Last night there was a big soccer game between Peru and Mexico and some friends and I went to a bar to watch the game. We had some really gross shrimp empanaditas but some of my other friends got desert which was really good. We had to leave during half time because 3 of the people with me were getting on a bus to Puno and Lake Titicaca at 9:30pm. I wish I could've gone but Puno is actually higher in elevation than Cusco and it gets much colder there and because I have not luggage I have no pants, so I'm staying in Cusco for the weekend.
This morning my friend Mary and I went to the Mega which is the supermarket here because we needed some food and drinks. You can't drink the water here so I stocked up as well as getting some Sprite and juice, that tastes much like Sunny Delight. Many of the juices here are thick and are called nectar instead of juice. I also bought some snacks and ramen, which I'm not proud of but the cooking facilities in my apartment are limited. Mary bought this really tasty roll that had just come out of the oven it was called pan de yema, I think.
After we came back from the market we met Gustavo, who is the director for the international students here and 3 other people and I went on a city tour. We first went to a statue of Pachacuteq, a great Inca Emperor who built the main cities as well as Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman, where I plan to go tomorrow. We then walked north toward the Plaza de Armas where we stopped at a open air market. They're all over the city and sell everything. The fruit selection is awesome, they have pineapple, grapes, bananas, mangos and other fruit we have in the US. But also they have fruit special to South America or Peru, one is the Cherimoya which has a shell and then white flesh that is quite delicious. It also has many health benefits supposedly being 10x more powerful than radiation when treating cancer but unfortunately hospitals are discouraging and fighting against the use of it. At the market there is also a meat section which is repulsive, I have no idea why have the population of Peru isn't dead. There is no refrigeration, all the meat is just laying out or hanging up. The smell is horrible!!
We ate at this really cheap place for lunch, there's a set menu but for 10 soles you get 3 courses. We had potato salad which had ham, cheese and I think yuca then a traditional Peruvian soup with meat and veggies and for the main meal rice and lamb in a yummy sauce. After our bellies were full, we all got pretty tired so we walked back to La Casa where I took a short siesta.
In my guidebook I had read about a cafe that had really good hot chocolate in the San Blas area near La Plaza de Armas. So me and Mary decided to take a stroll to the Plaza and then on to get some hot chocolate. While we were trying to find the cafe we stumbled upon the famous 12 angle stone, why the Incas felt it necessary to fit a 12 angle stone into one of their perfectly built walls no one knows. Mary and I then found the cafe and ordered 2 hot cocoas. This was the best hot chocolate on the planet, it was frothy and dusted with cocoa on top, delicious!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
After 17 hrs and many miles I'm finally here!!
I arrived in Cusco around 9am this morning and I couldn't be more relieved to finally be here. I started my journey the day before, leaving the Portland Jetport in Maine at 4:15pm. I landed in LaGuardia and after switching terminals to find American I was told the flight from LGA to Miami was cancelled, WHAT??? So I was re-booked on a flight leaving from JFK (in NY) directly to Lima at 11:15pm. I then had to find the shuttle service to JFK (which American conveniently doesn't cover the cost of). The shuttle dropped me at my terminal and I then had to check in. I found my gate and waited, this is where I swear I saw a contestant on Top Chef or another cooking show but I can't remember his name. He wasn't on the same plane as me so I boarded the plane and prepared for the 7 hr journey to Lima. Mind you I left JFK at 11:15pm so I was planning on sleeping for most of the flight, hopefully, but for some reason the flight attendants served us dinner at like 1am and then breakfast around 5am. Fortunately the flight went by quick and I was able to get some hours of shut eye. In Lima I had to go through immigration and customs which wasn't bad at all, then check in for the flight to Cusco. I went through security for the third time and went straight to my gate because it was almost time to board. This flight was amazing, it was only an hour long but I was lucky enough to have a window seat where I could stare at the amazing mountains all I wanted. When we landed and got off the plane I was scared I would fall ill to altitude sickness because I had heard horror stories but I seemed to be doing alright. Of course all the baggage was unloaded and mine was not there so I had to go to the check in area for LANPeru and file a claim. The man said that I should have my baggage tomorrow, which I'm praying for. The leader of my program was supposed to be at the airport but I couldn't find him so I ended up taking a taxi to my hotel.
After this long and stressful night of traveling I was hoping to have some relaxation but when I got to La Casa de Don Ignacio I was told I had around 40mins to get settled in my room before I had to head out for an orientation. My room which I share with a girl named Paula, who is from Peru, has 2 twin beds, a bedside table, a wardrobe and it's private bath. There's a common room with couches, a tv, dinning table, microwave, fridge and sink. This area I share with 2 other girls who have a room next to mine. It's not the Ritz but it's clean and comfy.
Included in my tour are 2 weekends trip, one to the Sacred Valley and the other to Machu Picchu. The other people in my tour and those living in the house are super friendly and we all want to do more weekend trips maybe to the jungle and/or Puno and Lake Titicaca. I'm excited and nervous but I start classes tomorrow so we'll see how it goes:)
After this long and stressful night of traveling I was hoping to have some relaxation but when I got to La Casa de Don Ignacio I was told I had around 40mins to get settled in my room before I had to head out for an orientation. My room which I share with a girl named Paula, who is from Peru, has 2 twin beds, a bedside table, a wardrobe and it's private bath. There's a common room with couches, a tv, dinning table, microwave, fridge and sink. This area I share with 2 other girls who have a room next to mine. It's not the Ritz but it's clean and comfy.
Included in my tour are 2 weekends trip, one to the Sacred Valley and the other to Machu Picchu. The other people in my tour and those living in the house are super friendly and we all want to do more weekend trips maybe to the jungle and/or Puno and Lake Titicaca. I'm excited and nervous but I start classes tomorrow so we'll see how it goes:)
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