Chau pescau Peru

Well as I said goodbye to my students and teachers last week it was a tear jerking day. I had learned from the teachers as well as the students and they will have a place in my heart forever. We finished off our last weekend at home just hanging out and having a chillaxing weekend. We went out for a drink and then to La Lucha for the best chicharrón sandwich ever!! We all said our goodbyes and on Sunday I headed out to Cusco. 

I got to Cusco after a 21 hour bus ride and met up with a mutual friend in the bus station. She showed me to the house, her aunts, where I'd be staying the night before I headed out to trek for 5 days and 4 nights to Macchu Picchu. Gabi was very friendly and I felt so comfortable in her aunts house and even got to sleep in a big comfy bed before I headed out into the wilderness. 

I woke up at 3 am and got ready to head to meeting point by 340. We drove for 4 hours to our starting point in Mollepata. After breakfast and getting divided into our groups we headed out for the first part of our hike. I would soon realize that I should have trained a lot more. The first two days were hard because it was new and we were going all uphill. Our second day was hiking to our highest point, 4,650m, Salkantay. It took me 3.25 long hours to hike up but by the time I was up there, it was so worth it. Cold but worth it. 

The rest of our trek was downhill, which proved to be harder on my knees than originally thought. Day 3 was probably the hardest after all of us were sore and tired, but told it was our holiday day. We were entering the jungle area and it was mainly flat or downhill and only had 5 hours to hike until lunch and then drive to camp, relief from 10-11 hour hike day before. We arrived at our campsite in Santa Teresa and I loved this night. 

Santa Teresa was warmer and my sleeping bag+blanket combo didn't have to work so hard. Plus as soon as we got to camp we all got our suits and headed to the thermal baths to relax!! After our dinner, bonfire and dance party night it was time for bed and last day of walking. 

Day 4 started out with ziplining and ended with a 3 hour walk to aguas calientes, base of Macchu Picchu. We were happy to have a bed, shower and get to see the icing on the cake in the an, lost city of the incas. 

After 4 days and 4 nights we finally arrived to our destination. I only got 6 blisters and shot heels in my boots, not so bad for beating my feet up. ;)  Early wake up to be first in line at 4am and get up to the mountain to open gates at 6 am. Through the morning fog one could still see the wonder of the city built by an ancient civilization that simply disappeared. 

I spent 6 hours at this site exploring all and taking my time to soak it all in. After this amazing experience we took the train back to the next city and bus to Cusco. I left Sunday and arrived today in Lima. This is my last night and I have just had a lot of time to reflect on my trip. I have learned a lot about myself and about what I want in the future and sad to see this time end, but glad to get back and put what I have learned to good use. 

Thanks to all those reading this and chau chau for now. 

4th of July in Lima

Well besides being late everything is going well here in Lima. We had our 4th of July party at our house and had an American menu: burgers, potato salad, buffalo dip, guac, salad, alfajores, Jell-O shots with pisco (NOT recommended) and an American flag of fruit. 

Alfajores below

We played some card games and helped share our Independence Day with those here. I sang the star spangled at my school and shared a bit of how we celebrate it and what we eat, etc. They do have their Independence Day also in July (28) and they celebrate all month. They wear pins representing their country and fly flags in businesses and houses. Very patriotic. With all the people over at our house we got to spend some time with new friends, my host mom and bf never had blueberries!, and we played a few drinking games. We took fiesta upstairs at 2:30am and I went to bed and they continued until 4:30-5 am. Long nightlife here!

For the last few years I have not been home to celebrate a 4th and have been out of country now 2 in last 3 years so I've have fun getting to celebrate and share with others!!

It is our last week of our program and I'll be heading out to cusco on Sunday. I'll write again to recap this week before I head out!!

By the way thanks for reading everyone. So good to know these posts are being read and shared!!

Chau chau 

Nasca lines

This last weekend the girls and I travelled to see the famous Nasca lines in Nasca Peru. We left after a long week of work and school and all of us passed out on the bus. I had a double seat to myself up until Ica (4 hours in) and then as I was in the back talking I noticed a lady trying to see if my seat was hers. I told her the number and she asked if I could move to let her husband sit with her and I didn't mind so I did. This also happened on the way home from Paracas except the guy wanted to sit with his girlfriend and his ticket was for the VIP downstairs so of course I was comfortable and had my own tv with selection of movies. :) 

Besides this bus trip our adventure got started as soon as we got to Nasca. My name was being shouted by a Peruvian man, our hostel guy, and we took two vehicles the 4 or so blocks to our lodging. We got there booked our tour for the next day and headed to bed. We reserved a triple and a double for ourselves and I was in the triple with Alice and Julia. Our room smelled like pea and chlorine bleach mixted together and we found ants on the floor. This wasn't all bad. We shut the bathroom door and laughed about the bugs, smell and the damn annoying roosters crowing all night. Seriously all night (must have been  be blind)! We woke up in the morning I took the one towel that was supposed to be provided for all and got in the Hot shower!! As I got out we got a knock on our door and it was Dani who stayed with Colby in the double room. She came in not happy and we would shortly find out why. Besides no sleep and girl problems she goes, "Guess who the f*** got bed bugs last night?!" Huge gasp from us all. 

This was the one she got a picture of and as soon as she felt the bite she went to turn the lights on, after telling her roommate, and they both saw about 20 or more under the sheets. They checked Colby's bed and only found 1. They both took scalding hot showers put their clothes in plastic bags and slept in the fetal position on top of the blanket on Colby's bed. When we found that out we were surprised that they didn't come to our room. By the am the smell was gone and the ants were harmless, compared to their experience. 

Dani went to the reception twice in the night and no one was there and in the morning we got ready as fast as we could and headed down to talk to them. As we met the lady on the stairs we mentioned it to her and immediately she said it was a bug that lived in the plants and didn't bite. After Dani tried to show her bugs that live in the dark during daylight she continued to not believe us. The hostel price was cheap enough that we weren't worried about being able to afford it or not. After about an hour, multiple phone calls, arrival of another worker, angry Spanish conversations between us all the girls did not pay for their bed and we headed out for breakfast. I did later write a review for the hostel and I think we would have felt better if they would have started it off with, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience lets work this out," or something similar. When we got to Paracas the picture shows what Dani now has on her body. Anti-itch cream to the rescue. 

Despite the adventure in the hostel we did get to see the Nasca lines, Palpa lines and the museum of Marie Reiche. 

The desert was awesome, warm and had fresh air that was a relief from being in the city. Overall the trip was good and I'm glad we went. 

Today in class I taught the verb to have and reviewed with my kids and it went very well. I also sang the Peel bananas song (peel bananas peel peel bananas, etc). I almost forgot but did share a bit of our history with the kids and sang the Star-Spangled Banner for them and they sang their national hymn for me too, so cute!! Too bad I forgot to record it or anything! :(

Time's winding down and I booked my trek and now tomorrow I'll book my bus ticket to Cusco!! Happy 4th to everyone, will write Saturday for sure to recap our 4th of July party!

Chau chau

P.s we didn't!! Didn't bring any bugs back with us!