South America

Breathtaking... both literally and figuratively I mean! I think its safe to say that the 4 day adventure I just completed is one of the most amazing, rewarding, and intense adventures I have ever set out on. I know for a fact that words and pictures do not do it justice, but I will do my best to describe to you the incredible four day journey I have been so lucky to experience. This ones gonna be long, sorry!

It all began at 6 AM on Sunday with hopping on a bus that drove around Cusco to pick up the rest of the crew- which ended up being 15 people. Typically its less than that, but because we had small groups they grouped us all together. I ended up traveling with a bunch of Americans, which has been unusual on this trip being that everyone is from Australia, Ireland, or England. But this time around it was Illinois and Minnesota; and one couple from Argentina who were on their honeymoon!!!. We spent a couple hours on the bus getting out to the starting point, but as soon as we arrived.... we were off and the trek began.

We were so lucky to have amazing weather the entire time (well almost). Everyone that I met through the hostel returning from the trek had said it rained EVERY day they were there.... we got rain ONE time and it was only for a couple of hours. We lucked out big time and it made the trip that much better. Basically the trip worked like this: each person had to carry their own personal pack (which included your clothing, sleeping bag, mattress, and whatever else you wanted to bring). You could hire a personal porter if you wished, which some people did, but I decided I could tough it out and carry my own. There were then about 15 porters that traveled with us on top of that. They carried the food, the tents, the gas to cook, etc. etc. We had three guides that traveled with us as well. Each day we would start about 6 AM and hike the designated distance to the next camp site. The porters would pretty much run ahead of us, while we huffed and puffed along the trail, and set up camp before we got there. The amazing part of it was that they had about 25 kilos on their back and still they beat us! We probably ate better on this hike than any of us had been eating in all of our travels. Breakfast, lunch, dinner- each three courses of amazing food that you would never expect camping, AND we even had a tea time. It was all such a well put together program....

The total hike was about 26 miles with each day being a little different on difficulty and activity. The first day was the easiest with a pretty steady hike. We hiked about 6 or 7 hours with nothing too difficult and everyone feeling pretty good by the end of the day! Day two however..... the most trying physical activity I have put myself through in a long time. It was one of the shortest hikes but one of the most difficult. We hiked from 3,000 meters up to 4,300 meters in a matter of 4 hours; and that was just the first part. It was pretty much up hill and up steps the entire first part of the hike. Which for any of you that have hiked out of the Grand Canyon can understand is quite a lot of work.... well try adding altitude to it. Talk about being out of breath. But hitting that summit was one of the most rewarding feelings. You almost didn't want to continue the hike, because you had to undo the work you had just done by hiking DOWN to camp... but the hike down was incredible as we entered the cloud forest. Looking out at what WAS huge, beautiful, green mountains surrounding you on the hike up.... all you could see at this point was white. At times nothing was visible except for the path you were hiking as the clouds moved in and surrounded you on every side. But I think the most incredible moment in the cloud forest came at dawn when the porters woke us up, brought us tea and we opened our tents and eyes to see clouds surrounding the mountains at eye level and the rest of the peak high in the pink colored sky, an absolutely stunning view. I could camp every night if I knew I'd wake up to that. The third day was a long hike. We hiked for a good 8 or 9 hours and spent a lot of time seeing different Inca ruins along the way. It was too a tough hike, but not straight up.... it was more like an hour up and an hour down. Tough terrain the entire time, but it was nice that it was broken up a bit. It rained a little on this day, but mostly during our lunch break and a few hours after. It was actually a little refreshing as it wasn't pouring while we were walking, just enough to keep us cool. Most of the campsites were very basic with nothing but our tents and a hole in the ground for the bathroom (with spiders included) but the camp for the third night was like a 4 star hotel compared to the previous nights. It had bathroom facilities, concession stands, a dining facility and BEER! I think that was the first thing everyone did was grab a beer. But of course, only one because we had to be up at 4 AM the next day to leave. And 4 AM came so early, but again, gorgeous hike. This day was the day we arrived at Machu Picchu. We left so early to try to catch the sunrise, but there were too many clouds to see it.

Machu Picchu- we arrived at the Sun Gate- the entrance to the highest view of Machu Picchu that is only seen by those taking the Inca Trail; and to our disappointment you couldn't see a thing. We almost started the hike down without getting the satisfaction we had all waited the past four days to see.... but we held out. You really couldn't see a thing. It was completely white, and two minutes later ALL of MP (from here on out MachuPicchu = MP) was visible. What an incredible sight to see from above. The postcards dipict everything you see in person, but it is just not the same. Its one of the most incredible things I have ever laid eyes on. We then started the 45 minute hike down and it just kept getting better. As we approached you were just more and more amazed by the structures that stood before you... One girl unfortunately dropped her camera and broke it the minute we arrived to MP and NO it wasn't me! (although it is something everyone would probably expect). But we spent the next two hours doing a tour of MP inside and out. Learning the history behind the Incas and the process/story behind the building, the living, the abandoning, the rediscovery, etc. of MP. It's an amazing story and an amazing site. We went through all of the different temples, learning about what they worshiped, who lived where and who was buried where (the teachers were actually near the kings because in their time they were praised as they should be!) There are many parts that are still the original works of the Incas, but much has been reconstructed as well... and you can see in some of the pics the difference in the appearance. The original parts are much more intriquite and look much more professional... its pretty crazy. Then there was Waynapicchu... the "young mountain" that you can climb to view a closer birds eye view of MP. This was day #2 packed into an hour! It was the steepest climb I have ever hiked. There were parts that had a bar you had to hold on to otherwise you would be rock climbing. It was WELL worth the hard hike though. If I said the view at the Sun Gate was incredible, this was even better. The best way to describe it was feeling like you were on top of the world. It was the first time in the 4 days where you could see everything on every side of you. Every where you turned- you had view of the entire section below you. It was a little frightening as there were no railings or anything that prevented you from falling as you climbed all over the jagged rocks and took pictures that would give your parents a heart attack (sorry mom/dad but I'm OK!). It was surreal being up there; looking down at such an amazing sight, feeling the wind in your hair, sun on your face, and the pride of accomplishing such a long, hard and difficult hike- and now knowing all the blood/sweat/tears that went into all of it. I can't explain it well enough, but to say that it is more than worth every penny.

There was a bus ride, a train ride, and another bus ride to return home as we all contemplated what we had just experienced. After four days a hot shower has NEVER felt so good (yes, four days... I smelled and I was dirty!!). The following day I slept more than I knew was possible for one human being in one day, but it was needed! There isn't one thing on this entire trip that I wouldn't recommend to any one of you... but if I can strongly encourage one thing it is to do the Inca trail. The REAL thing... there are several alternative treks that people embark on in place of the trail for various reasons.. but if you ever get the chance to come to Peru: take the time, schedule the trail in advance, and DO the 4 day Inca Trail. It is one of my best memories and biggest accomplishments on this journey; and I only wish that I could do it better justice with my words and pictures.

Ok everyone, you can stop the hate mail... I have not eaten any more household pets since the last email and I don't plan on it either. I'm sorry for offending so many of you! But really, its normal here!

So I have about a week and a half until I head out on the Inca Trail and in the mean time I am finishing up my commitments to the hostel, the kids, and now teaching English. Yes I am teaching English to teenagers and young adults in a nearby school that needed a little extra help while I'm still here. I had two classes last week, and already all the boys in the class are asking me out on dates in broken English! It's quite entertaining!

Let's see, what's new here..... I did get my stitches out. I took a picture of what my cut looked like after the stitches (quite an improvement from the initial cut) so that's online in the Motorcycles file. Other than that nothing TOO exciting is going on; Life has taken on somewhat of a normal aspect since staying in one place for a long time, but we have managed to pack a little bit of excitement in every now and then.. The other weekend three boys from the hostel and I rented motorcycles for the day and headed out of town. We had the bikes for 6 hours and it was like no other bike ride I have ever experienced. We were surrounded by enormous green mountains that were covered in specs of Inca Ruins. The curved roads reminded me of the ride up to Sedona. We stopped in each little town to do a little exploring, but mainly just spent the day enjoying the amazing scenery with the wind in our hair. The ride home was a little uncomfortable in a couple ways.... it was night time by the time we headed home, so 1. it was absolutely freezing. I think I was warmer while swimming in the glacier water!!! and 2. Peruvians don't understand the concept of turning off the brights while passing other vehicles... so taking the curves while blinded by the light of the oncoming traffic was a bit frightening.... but we made it home safely; and have amazing memories (and pics) from the day!

A couple of days ago was a big day in Cuzco in the world of soccer, or futbol. Cuzco's team, Cienciana, played the all time famous Argentine team- Boca Juniors. So our hostel got 45 tickets and everyone staying with us and all the workers headed to the game decked out in red in support of Cuzco. Once again I am amazed by the passion that soccer brings out in people in Latin America. It is unreal to watch an entire stadium jumping up and down chanting for the entire game! Not to mention that they arrive at the game 2 hours in advance just to get seats. There is no alcohol allowed in the stadiums here... I can't even imagine what kind of riot would break out if these people had one ounce of liquor in them! The fields were lined with police, especially when Boca came out on the field. Boca was favored big time in the game, as they are one of the top teams in South America, and much to our surprise and excitement.... Ciencianna was able to take the game 3-0. I thought the fans were crazy to begin with.... I hadn't seen anything until I saw our team score, then score two more times. Absolute insanity spread through the stadium and continued on through the night.

Aside from that its work, volunteer, watch LOST (dvd's are CHEAP here, so I have now gotten myself addicted to the first two seasons of LOST!), and exercise with my new workout partner- Nacho. Yes, his name is Nacho.... they don't really understand why that is funny to us though! Not too much is going on within the next week, so I suppose the next mass email will be after the Inca Trail has whooped my butt. Until then... I hope all is well with everyone. Have a great weekend. I miss you all.... and can't wait to see everyone!

Before I tell you the reasoning for the subject line, please understand that guinea pigs are not pets here in Peru. They are not seen as cuddly little rodents that children grow up having... no, they are food... and yes, I ate one. I did feel a little bad remembering the poor little guy I grew up with (I think his name was Theo), but I had to. When in Rome right? So not my favorite meat, and I probably won't eat it again, but its not as bad as you are thinking. I think the only thing that really grossed me out was the fact that the paws were still attached.... cooked and everything, you just had to pull them off (along with the rather thick skin) to get to the meat. eeew. But if you could get past that.... not a bad taste at all.

Living, working, and volunteering in Cuzco-

Let's start with working. Like I said... I am "working" at a hostel in Cuzco called The Point- which happens to be one of the most popular hostels known to Peru- so we are ALWAYS packed with tourists from all over the world! The deal is if you work 5 shifts a week you get free accommodation and free food. It's a great opportunity to prolong my stay, but since everyone is a tourist its not the best opportunity to speak Spanish! So anyway, I have been added on as a bartender. Nope, no previous bar experience what so ever... however its come easy and I'm learning.I have met so many amazing people with this job, it kind of feels like I am on a set of "Cheers" ! Everyone kind of gets stuck here in Cuzco and its like a little family. But there are downfalls as well. For instance, not much sleep. You work late, go out, its always loud, and not to mention you live in a room with at least 6 other people! And then there are the hospital visits complete with a set of stitches! Ha, don't worry its nothing bad. I was working and doing the dishes... well I didn't see the broken beer mug in the sink and when I reached down to clean it the broken part sliced the part of my hand right between the pinkie and ring finger. I was told by some Irish "expert" that I didn't need stitches, so I just bandaged it up and kept on going. But after I didn't stop bleeding for quite some time, decided it was time for the hospital and ended up with a few stitches. It's all good though, I get them out tomorrow and it is fine!

Volunteering: I can't even begin to express how amazing this is. I am working with a group called Aldea Yanapay; which is sort of an after school program for underprivileged children. They are not orphans, but they don't live the greatest lives and get no love at home. A man named Yuri (one of the most impressive, caring, selfless individuals I have ever met) has started this program for them. We basically help them with their homework, teach them English, play games with them, and just show them what its like to be loved. The kids are my little angels. I have the hardest time walking away from them each day... and although I am there from 3-7 every day, I feel like I am not doing enough. But I know it is making a difference in their lives and that's what matters. Every time you come/go each one of the kids (about 20+) gives you the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek as if you were the most important person in their life! It brings tears to my eyes to see the love they give when they have learned nothing of the sort at home. They call me "profe" short for profesora, and beg me every day to stay longer. I wish I could bring them all home with me!

Living- I love Cuzco, but if it weren't for the children, I would be ready to leave by now; there is just only so much you can do here. I have seen all the tourist sights in town (and even managed to mess up an art exhibit that I didn't see covering the floor- good job Ang!) and have done my fair share of exploring... I have even gone bungee jumping at the 3rd highest jump in the world (highest in the Americas). Oh my lord it was frightening! However its a great town and I do like it...Its a very large town, but feels very small and friendly. At this point it is covered with tourists that come for Machu Picchu. Which I am going to do in April. I am so excited, but also nervous as to whether I'm going to make it! ha ha. It's a four day hike, up stairs pretty much the whole way! At this elevation I get winded just walking up a flight of stairs let alone 3,000 in one day! So I'll let you know how that goes.

I am happy to report that Carnival was a huge success. Anything would have been a success after those 6 days- 145 hours of bus adventures (that I can thankfully now laugh at); but our time in Rio de Janeiro was nothing but fun. It started with checking into our 3 bedroom apartment, located two blocks from the beaches of Copacabana. The apartment comfortably fit 8, but we did it Real World on Steroids style and managed to house 11. The funniest part about having 11 people in that apartment was that only one room had air conditioning…so any given night there would be at least 7-8 people in one bedroom! But we made it work and we had a great time staying there.

The beaches: we frequented the two famous beaches of Rio: Copacabana and Ipanema (yes from the song- The Girl From Ipanema). Both amazing beaches, but I can't even begin to explain how many people covered the sandy paradise. You could barely find one spot (even the furthest back from the water) that was big enough to accommodate 5 people, let alone 11 (luckily most of our crew slept until 4 or 5) J . The beaches were covered with browned bodies (men in speedos and women in thongs) towel to towel across the entire stretch of beach; all sipping coconut juice straight from the coconut. It was absolutely incredible. And I am not even kidding about the men in speedos. Every Latin man there was in a speedo; and let me just tell you, no matter how good looking the man- the speedo is just not attractive.

The food: all you can eat steak everywhere you turned. Every restaurant was buffet style with every kind of steak and side dish you could imagine. But the most interesting restaurant we visited had a different style of serving steak. The only items you could get from the buffet line were the side dishes… but where was the steak? Well once you sit down, you notice a "magical door" that has beautiful Brazilian men passing through it like their pants are on fire. In their hands they are carrying a large stick with a huge chunk of meat on it. Each man carrying a different kind of meat: pork, beef, chicken heart, chicken- everything. They were filing out that door like it was some kind of race to get to your plate first, but each one would stop at your table, and start slicing off meat onto your plate. One after another; the waiters in continuous rotation in and out that door, never stopping. Unlimited amounts the entire night. I think I ate an entire cow. It was delicious, and yes I did try the chicken heart and enjoyed it very much.

Carnival: Unbelievable. I have never seen so many people gathered to celebrate an occasion in my life. First of all there is a Sambadrome, a specific arena/hall built especially for the Carnival Parade. To give you an idea of how many people were there – just in the parade for one night there were 3 schools performing. It started at 9 and didn't end until 5 in the morning. 8 hours of only 3 schools marching. People packed the stands shoulder to shoulder filling 7 sections on both sides; standing, dancing and cheering the entire time. I was in awe at the costumes, the dances, and the extravagance of the floats that flowed so smoothly down the middle of the arena. Thousands of people brilliantly marched down the runway in a continuous flowing manner; dancing and singing, while proudly wearing the enormous and intricately designed sparkly costumes. I have attached a 4 min. video to give you and idea and you'll have to see the pictures to understand better, but it was obvious how important this event is by the amount of effort that goes in to every part of Carnival.

But Carnival was an all around amazing trip. I couldn't imagine spending it with more amazing people. I am truly blessed to have had the people with me that I did. The trip ended with hangliding over the beaches south of Rio (what a RUSH. Thanks Alan!!!) and saying goodbye to the other familiar faces that ventured out from the US (a breath of fresh air to get a little taste of home- thank you guys!!). People trickled out one by one; and D and I had to part ways - yes it was extremely sad. Aside from a few days in Argentina (maybe 2?!?) we spent every day together for the last 4 months; and we still love one another- that is a best friend! J I am now on my own and leaving this beautiful country. Destination: stay tuned for the next email!

Picture this: a young, American girl standing on the side of the highway, one large red bag bigger than her entire body on her back, another backpack on the front that due to its expandable capabilities has grown quite large; trying to flag down a greyhound. Yep, that's right. I stuck my thumb out for a freakin greyhound on the highway! J Trust me – it was the only way!

Anyway, since I last left you I have made my way to Lima, Peru. I honestly just wanted the cheapest flight out of Rio and at the moment of my inquiry that happened to be to Lima. (There was no way I was getting back on a bus that headed anywhere near Bolivia or Paraguay). So made it to Lima and stayed in a hostel for the next few days where I met a few friends and began exploring the city. We went to the San Francisco church where we were able to explore the catacombs beneath the church that housed 25,000 bodies. Well not technically bodies, because at some point – when too many people were requesting to be buried beneath this church- they had to excavate the tombs to make more room. And what was the solution? Clearly it was to take the remains and separate the bones into piles. A pile for the femur, a pile for the skulls, and so on. Not only did they take the liberty of creating nice and neat piles of bones, but they added a little humor to the activity and created not one, but two rooms that had circular designs of bones. The outer ring with skulls, then another ring of another type of bone, then a ring of skulls, followed by another ring of bones, and so on until it reached the center skull. It was actually quite morbid to tell you the truth.

I got to spend the weekend at the beach with this Peruvian girl, Mara, and her friends. Not just any beach either… a private one. You had to be on the list just to drive up to the beach! And don't even get me started with the houses (which they rented one of)- I felt like I walked on to the set of OC or Laguna Beach! They were incredible. But besides that I had a great time, Mara is incredibly generous and has taken me under her wing- with strong intentions of keeping me here in Lima! J From here I wanted to continue on to Ica- where the sand boarding is located. Thus being why I was flagging down the bus. There is no bus stop at the beach, but the buses DO stop on the side of the freeway if you are lucky. I got lucky. But felt the anxiety rising as I stepped on the bus and saw not one tourist- took me back to a very unhappy moment on a previous bus ride! J But all was well and I made it to Ica.

Upon arrival I was invited to a dune buggy bodega crawl. Similar to the pub crawls, but you ride from place to place in a dune buggy; and the places aren't bars they are wineries. And I finally got to do something I've always dreamed of doing since this episode on "I love Lucy"- I got to stomp on the grapes to create the wine. They had a huge concrete tub of grapes and about 20 tourists jumped in and stomped the grapes while drinking the wine/pisco mixture that had probably come from the previous nights tour! Kinda gross to think about when you thought about how dirty your own feet probably were! L The following day I spent 2 ½ hours riding around on a dune buggy and sand boarding through the sand dunes of Peru. WHAT A THRILL. Oh my gosh, I loved it. First of all the dune buggy felt like a roller coaster monster truck style. It was incredible. There were actually times when I screamed out loud because we were going so fast or straight down hill. And the sand boarding was crazy. I did a few runs on my stomach on the board (which I actually collided my face with the board at the bottom of the run, banged up my nose a bit- slight hairline fracture! oops! J) and then a few runs standing up like snowboarding. This however is much harder than in snow. I definitely took a few spills and had sand everywhere, including in my teeth (yes, my dear dentist family, I flossed afterwards!)… but had a wonderful time.

I am now in Cuzco, Peru where I will be staying for the next month. Yes, you heard right... I'm staying in one place for an entire month. I found a volunteer opportunity working with young kids- teaching them English, playing sports with them, doing workshops together and so on. I am so excited! Not only that but I will be working at a hostel as well in exchange for free rent and free food. It will be a great way to meet more people and continue the excitement! Anyway, I'll keep you updated. But traveling alone- different. It's still enjoyable, but I definitely prefer having a friend around. Its just not the same experience with strangers as it is a best friend. But I am so thankful to have been able to travel as much as I did with Diana (as you all probably know she is in San Fran now and loving it). The memories and experiences are priceless and ones that I will cherish forever. I miss her already- I woke up the other day and got a little panicked not knowing where she was... thinking "oh my gosh, I need to find her"... then I remembered she had left. Love you and miss havin you around D!