Well I Can't Forget All the Little People

If I had to write a thank you speech for an award (that I probably deserve), it would be really long and obnoxious and go something like this...

Grandma-Thank you for sharing your love of travel with me and for giving me the money to actually participate in this trip. I love you so much!

Mom and Dad-Thank you guys for saying yes when I asked if I could go to Peru and for basically packing my bags and pushing me out the door before I even thought about having second thoughts.

Monica-Thank you so much for sharing your culture with us and being the best dialogue leader anyone could ask for.

Michaela-Thanks for being one of my best friends on the trip, for late night (or anytime of day actually) food binges, and for helping assemble THE BEST megabed Peru has ever seen.

Brandon-Thanks for sitting next to me slash being my partner in class at El Sol and for secretly being one of the sassiest people I've ever met.

Sam-Thanks for being the unofficial trip photographer, always having a smile on your face and for some awesome early morning runs.

Kelly- Thanks for always being ready for a good time and for always laughing at my (somewhat terrible) jokes.

Erika-Thanks for being so sweet and happy and nice and brightening my day pretty much everyday. Oh and for that corn, potato thing you let me have for lunch on the last day of UNIFE.

Luke-Thanks for having more energy with no sleep than should be humanly possible and for providing hydration for all of us.

Nate-Thanks for being one of the biggest nuts I've ever met, for the non-stop laughs and for having an awesome attitude about the entire experience.

Elan-Thanks for making me feel really cool when you gave me the nod and for completely being yourself this entire trip. (P.S. Twist in January?)

Sabrina-Thanks for all the horse stories.

Caitlin-Thanks for all the positive energy and for some awesome runs along el Malecón.

Jonah-Thanks for sharing your frisbee and having the SECOND BEST megabed in Peru.

Grant-Thanks for sitting next to me on that first Mirabus ride and for spending a nice long afternoon in the Lima airport.

Donal-Thanks for all the fun facts about North Carolina, a state you clearly love.

Daniel-Thanks for taking one for the team and volunteering to be our designated group speaker.

Dan Von Staats-Thanks for sitting next to me on the bus ride home from Machu Picchu and for some great chats during Andres's and Romeo's classes.

Megan-Thanks for being a fellow chica in Spanish class and sharing the duty of reading the girl parts in Andres's dialogues.

Christina-Thanks for having some awesome one-liners and just in general being on the same page with me with a lot of the jokes.

Maddy-Thanks for sharing a room with me for 9(ish) days and being one of the top two roommates I ever had in Peru.

Jessie-Thanks for sharing some hilarious slash entertaining meals with Maddy, our family and me and, of course, for being one of the top two roommates I ever had in Peru.

Madison-Thanks for being so free spirited and fun and for taking charge when someone needed to.

Darek-Thanks for being the group's resident salsa expert and teaching me some moves.

Katie Langford-Thanks for complimenting my outfits in the morning even though it was really you who looked gorgeous everyday. 

Katie Masterson-Thanks for sharing two awesome train rides to and from Machu Picchu with me.

Kiki-Thanks for sharing your killer hooping skills especially on the roof of our first Cusco hotel.

Claire-Thanks for being a fellow veg-head and helping me order a vegetarian friendly meal in the restaurant on the way home from Ica.

Erin-Thanks for the awesome dinner stories the last night in Miraflores and for getting super hyped up about Machu Picchu with me on that very curvy bus ride.

Marcos-Thanks for never ceasing to make me laugh and the terrible jokes. Also, thanks for hanging out with me in December in Maryland. (That's a future thank you, but it WILL happen)

Emma-Thanks for sitting next to me on both flights on the way to Peru and having some serious ginger bonding.

Steph-Thanks for sitting with me at Norky's for that first lunch and for giving Maddy some smack slash hating on that long one lane road that goes to Chariho High School.

Henry-Thanks for being from Maryland and truly representing B4LT1M0RE the right way.

Ross-Thanks for being full of energy and rocking Darek's poncho all day on Machu Picchu.

The Moment of Glory

Words can not even begin to describe the awe that is Machu Picchu. Honestly, my pictures can't even do it justice. It was the most beautiful site I have ever seen. It was absolutely incredible. I realize that it's a place many people dream of going and not a lot of people get there. I'm so lucky to have had this experience and I don't think I could've imagined it any other way.

The day started bright and early, 4 am to be exact. We were up at 4 and out the hotel doors by 4:30. It was a two hour bus ride to the Peru rail train station. There we boarded a pretty nice train for a two hour ride. The train dropped us off in a small town where we took another 40 minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. It's crazy because the actual site of Machu Picchu is pretty untouched. There aren't any stores or shops or touristy places right outside and that's why it takes so long to actually get there. But anyway, the five hours of travel were definitely worth it. I have never seen anything so massive, so untouched, so beautiful and so absolutely raw. It was insane. The fact that the site has been preserved and kept for hundreds of years astonishes me and I'm so lucky to have been there. (I'm going to say that a lot)

Anyway, we started with a site tour which was about an hour and half. Then, we had three hours to explore the site. So we decided to take a hike up to the Sun Gate which is located in a pass between two mountains. It was a 30ish minute hike and then we sat up there for a while to eat and enjoy the spectacular scenery. And take pictures of course.

We had the same five hour journey back to our hotel, although this one was a lot quieter than the ride to Machu Picchu. All in all it was an incredible day. One I will remember for the rest of my life.

Holy Valley

Today's itinerary had us spending the day in the Sacred Valley. It's in the Andes between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The Incans called it the Sacred Valley because it had the perfect climate and natural resources. The river running through allowed them to farm and set up an irrigation system. The mountains protected them from enemies. They were able to produce a lot of corn that was then used as a means of trade with other Incan tribes.

We stopped at several spots along the valley, which spreads over 100 kilometers. One of the sites that I found the most interesting was a spot in the mountains where the dead were buried. The village was on one side of the river and carved into the mountain on the other side were over 400 tombs. They looked like little holes hidden in the side of the mountain, and they are pretty inconspicuous at first. But as you looked closely, you could definitely see them. What was most surprising to me was that all levels of social class were buried in these tombs. Royalty and servants alike. The differences were with what they were buried.

Another cool part of society were the intricate irrigation systems to bring water from the river and mountains to the towns. The systems were so well constructed that they are still used today. 500 years later. Crazy.

After the final site, we went to watch an alpaca-wool-dying demonstration. Alpaca wool is huge here, so we went to see how it was colored. But at the point the US-Ghana soccer game was well underway. So a group of us found a TV to watch the second half. The alpaca demonstration was at a house, so we ended up sitting inside with the husband watching the game. It was really fun especially when the United States won.

Differences between Lima and Cusco

• Drivers in Cusco are calmer, never honk their horn and actually let you cross the street.
• Cusco roads are very thin and curvy. Obviously since the city is built into a mountain, they can't be straight up or cars would not make it.
• Every where you look in Cusco there is some resemblance of the Incan culture. In Lima, there are historical sites, but in Cusco a lot of stores and buildings just reused the Incan architecture.
• The altitude here really hits you. I can definitely tell this city is much higher than Lima.
• Some typical Cuscan dishes that aren't available on the coast-Guinea Pig and Alpaca Filet Mignon.

 

Cusco-A Brand New Adventure

Saturday we woke up bright and early to hop on a flight to Cusco. I slept for most of the flight, but woke up in time to see the plane descending into a beautiful mountainous landscape and I got super excited. The first day we were told to rest, relax and not eat or drunk too much. We tried to take naps when we got there, but I know I was really excited and only slept for 10ish minutes. We went to lunch as a group, and then I went to watch the England-Italy game with a few friends. My friend asked for a suggestion as to where to watch the game. He told us a bar called the Secret Garden. We found it, it looked like just a silver door, but when we walked in, we were completely blown away. It was a garden-oasis type thing with a huge screen projecting the game and rows of chairs set up for spectators. After the game, we went back to the hotel, discovered the roof (which had a spectacular view) and watched a movie. It was definitely good to have had the day to relax because the change in altitude definitely wears on you.

Sunday morning we went to a national park slash Incan site called Saqsaywaman. It’s Quechan and when pronounced, it sounds like sexy woman. The views here were spectacular. It’s an Incan society that expanded over 300 hectares. The structure of the buildings is so cool too because they didn’t use cement or anything to keep the rocks together, but it worked. The stones were fit perfectly that some people don’t believe it was really done by the Incans. We saw the llama and animal sacrificing area, a fort where the soldiers stood guard and washed our faces in the fountain of youth. The water was a little chilly, but it was worth it for that young forever kind of look.

We had lunch and then went to a fortress to look at more rocks. What’s cool about Cusco is that a lot of the modern buildings are built into old Incan ruins. There’s a strip with a bunch of stores but the walls are assembled the way the Incans did it. The stores are in a temple that was called “House of the Sun Virgins” back in the day.

The fortress was followed by a trek up to our new hotel (we switched), a nap and some dinner. We have a lot to do in these next few days, so mom and dad just warning you I’m going to be exhausted when y’all come pick me up at the airport.

It's Not Goodbye, It's See You When I See You

Friday was exciting and sad at the same time. It was our last day in Miraflores and we had a lot of things to do before we headed to Cusco. It was our final day of classes at El Sol, so we had to get some last minute grammar in before our teachers felt safe enough to set us free. Then, of course, we had to take pictures with the teachers, other students and the entire group.

After school and a quick lunch, we headed to UNIFE for a closing ceremony and our last day with the girls. We were lucky enough to watch a music performance and then had another round of dance lessons. We finished the day off with some soccer. I scored two goals and had an assist, so I’m pretty proud of myself for that.

Friday night was our final dinner in Miraflores. We went to a beautiful restaurant on the water. Literally. It was built on a pier out in the Pacific. So not only did we enjoy a phenomenal meal with good company, we also got to smell the ocean and watch the waves crash as we ate.

We (my roommates and I) bought my host mom flowers and a card to thank her and say goodbye. She was completely overjoyed. She kissed us all at least six times and assured us that her home is always open to us no matter what. Diego, my host father, also said the same thing and added if we did ever come back, we had to bring him Sara Lee poundcake.

I was really sad to say goodbye to Miraflores. It’s crazy how in just four weeks, the district became my home. I'm going to miss my host family, the friendliness of the locals, the runs on the cliffs, the Pacific Ocean in my backyard, my doormen, the central park and the adventures we had. I am really looking forward to exploring Cusco and I’m interested to see the differences. I’m also very excited to see the Incan sites and architecture. Plus I’m excited to be going with all the people in my program. It’s going to be an awesome last week.

Copa Mundial. El Primero Dia

Big day down here in the south. Opening game of the World Cup and everyone here was pretty amped.  We talked about it in both of my classes today and my teachers were really excited about it too. One thinks Brazil will win and the other is rooting for the Netherlands. Don't ask me why. My host father also thinks Brazil is going to win, and I think most people here are cheering for Brazil since Peru isn't participating.

So after school, we got lunch and then headed to a bar to watch the game. We were a little late, but I got there just in time to see Brazil give up an own goal and go down 1-0. Fortunately for all the people I was surrounded by, Brazil did end up winning the game. It's pretty exciting watching in a country so passionate about soccer. Four years ago, I remember watching with my friends and they could care less about the outcome of the games. They just wanted an excuse to get together and get drunk. Here it's so cultural and so exciting.

After the game, I went shopping with some friends and then home to pack. We leave Saturday morning early for Cuzco, but tonight we actually have free time to pack everything. I know it's not super exciting, but I'll throw that in here anyway. It's also my last dinner with my host family because tomorrow we have a group dinner, so that's really sad too. And too add on to my list of "lasts" tonight is our last night to go out. We really can't be tired going to Cuzco because the change in altitude is going to be tough. I guess we've got to all live it up!

Huayno y Chicha

School today wasn't bad. My friend Brandon, who is from Buffalo, gave us a brief history on buffalo wings in Spanish, which is quite impressive. My professor also drew a terrible map of the Americas, so all in all a solid morning.

The map.

At UNIFE today we had a lecture by an architect named Juan Eduardo De Orellana Rojas. He's really important, so he has so many names. Actually it's because everyone here has two last names, but that's less cool to say.

After the lecture, the rest of the Northeasterners had to present. We have presentations about the book we had to read for the trip. Everyone has to do one little section. My friend Michaela and I had a section about Huayno and Chicha. Our presentation went pretty well, although I had planned to play this song and it didn't work at all. Anyway, both Huayno and Chicha are music types that began by the Andean people who migrated from the mountains into the cities. Music was a way for the people to stay in touch with their roots. Chicha evolved from Huayno and is still common today. It's more mainstream, but my host mom still doesn't like it, and she likes all music.

Dinner with Diego was fascinating as always. He told me how there are actually nine Santa Clauses and they all live in Finland. I guess everything I've ever known about Santa has been a lie. Thanks mom and dad. He only sat with us for a little because Wednesday nights he has a meeting with his motorcycle gang. He's the president, so he's kind of obligated to go. Otherwise I think he could sit and talk to us all night. The other dinner highlight were the bananas. My host mom gave us special Peruvian bananas. They were called Apple Bananas and they were literally a cross between the two fruits. They were sweeter than regular bananas and I could taste the apple flavor. But they had this weird almost powder-y after taste, and I couldn't tell if I liked it or not.

Otros Hechos Peruanos

• Lucuma. It's a fruit from the Andean Valleys here and it's really popular. I've had it several times in different forms. Lucuma ice cream is good. It was also the frosting to a cake my host mom made. It has an almost maple syrup like taste. It's really hard to describe, but it's really good with chocolate and carmel.

  

  Chocolate Lucuma Cake

• I've mentioned that the drivers here honk for everything. But I learned that it's illegal to honk your horn unless it's an emergency situation. Clearly the police have bigger concerns, but I think it's pretty funny that it's actually a law.
• The altitude of Cuzco is 3400 meters. That's pretty high. When I climbed Mount Olympus, I was at 3000 meters, so this is only a little higher. Some people are nervous about altitude sickness, but I'm prepared to take it like a champ. Bring it on Cuzco!
• I've always learned that Maiz is the word for corn. Here it's choclo. Same with aqui, here it's aca and alli here is aya. Novio/a doesn't mean boyfriend or girlfriend, but the person to whom you're engaged. And to think, I thought that Northeastern education was gonna help me.