Cusco, the Sacred Vally and Machu Picchu!

I updated to early on Friday because for dinner our family had Antequecho, also known as cow heart. It was actually pretty good. And our family gave us Mate de Cocoa, which is supposed to help with altitude sickness in preparation of our trip.

Saturday
We had to be at the ISA office at 3:30 to fly to Cusco by 5:45. It was pretty cold in Cusco when we got there because of the altitude but we left immediately for the Sacred Valley. We took an hour bus ride through Cusco to get to the Sacred Valley and made a couple of stops along the way. We went to a place called Nelly’s House in Chinchero, where they show how they hand weave alpaca and wool items. I definitely bought myself an alpaca wool blanket!!! I was excited.

We arrived in Urubamba, which is apart of the Sacred Valley and hiked through an old Incan village. We climbed Ollantaytambo ruins, which they said was preparing us for hiking around Machu Picchu the next day. My lungs could tell we were at a different altitude for sure. We had an amazing lunch buffet and went to a local bar to try Chicheria, which is beer made from different corns, and played sapo (kind of like Peru’s version of washers only way more difficult)

Our hotel in Urubamba (the Sonesta Posada Yucay) was amazing! I actually took a bubble bath for the first time in 5 weeks!

Sunday – Machu Picchu!!
We had to leave our hotel by 4:30 so we had an awesome breakfast at the hotel. We didn’t leave at 4:30 and had to get to Ollantaytambo to catch our train to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. So Michelle was telling us to prepare to sprint through the town because our big bus couldn’t make it into the town but luckily a bus for the train came and met us part of the way. From the station we had to take another 30-minute van ride to where the actual trains are and then we had an hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. It was really amazing to ride a train through that area; it was beautiful. From there we took a 20-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu!! It is so beautiful there and pictures can’t do it justice. It was a great and surreal experience to be there, it didn’t seem like it happened.

We ate lunch there and Hunter, Jacob, Sarah, Sierra, Kate and I wanted to climb the top of Machu Picchu. I almost didn’t make it up because the top of Machu Picchu is 10,000 feet above see level and my lungs felt like they were being crushed by a giant rock! So we climbed about 3,000 feet up from the ruins to the top, I think. Thank God for Sierra she really pushed me and didn’t let me turn around because she knew I would regret it. She stayed behind with me and it took us about 2 hours (probably a little more) to get up but it was SO worth it! I’m really amazed that I can say that I climbed to the top of Machu Picchu!

Me at the top of Machu Picchu with the Inca ruins and Huaynapicchu in the background (I know my hair is in my face but it doesn't matter!)

It is amazing the people you meet around the world. I had a TX State shirt on and got stopped by a group of people that went to UT while we were walking to get dinner in Aguas Calientes (by the way our food was great!). Our second hotel was pretty nice too, Inti Inn). We all crashed that night after hiking around all day.

Monday – back to Cusco
We literally traveled all day to get to Cusco and took almost every kind of transportation that day except airplane. On the train we had really good conversations with Michelle about ISA and other things (I think I might apply for an internship with ISA since their office is in Austin). And we also all talked about the different Inca facts we had learned; for example, you only see about 40% of Machu Picchu, majority of the walls are below ground and you cant see them. I know some other stuff but I need to sit down and think about them first.

Once we got to Cusco close to 4 o’clock we got to relax at our hotel for a little while then went on a walking tour of Cusco. It’s a very touristy city because people stop there on their way to or from the Sacred Valley but it’s also very pretty. Michelle was our guide and it was interesting to hear about how the Spanish destroyed all the Incan temples and built Catholic churches over the sites and that’s why there are so many churches in Cusco. After the tour we had our goodbye dinner with the entire program at a local pizza place, it was really good but I don’t think I ever imagined eating this much pizza while in Peru.

Tuesday – Free Day in Cusco
We went to the Inca ruins at the top of Cusco that was an Incan fortress. It’s also where they have their big sun festival every June and we missed it by 3 days! They were still cleaning up. You can tell the fortress was huge! We walked to a part where the rocks are like a slide and of course we had to participate in that. I think we were pretty entertaining to the locals there, we had to epic fails there (Brandon and Alex’s falls were extremely entertaining!)

That afternoon Emmi, Christa, and I went to some museums and to walk around Cusco a little more. The street vendors in Cusco are everywhere! If you go be prepared for them. We went to Qorikancha, which is a site of the Incan Sun Temple in Cusco. The Spanish had majority of the temple destroyed and a church built on top of it of course. It was also made into a convent called the Convento de Santo Del Cusco. Later we went to a local Mercado and I got some gifts buts still need to get a few more.

That night majority of the program went out to eat. It was great to sit and talk with everyone one last time since we are all leaving Saturday. And it’s always interesting to talk to Michelle and hear her experiences and advice on things.

Wednesday – Back to Lima
We traveled all morning again back to Lima. It’s kind of depressing to go from these amazing and beautiful areas of Peru and then go back to Lima. Not that Lima isn’t nice and has it’s pretty parts and days but the lack of sun and green can get depressing and bring you down. Don’t get me wrong I loved my experience in Lima but I probably wouldn’t spend more than a few days here before going somewhere else.

My thoughts ---
So the program is winding down. I have 2 full days in Lima before I fly back home. I am so excited to get back to Texas and have the sun and heat, even though I know it’s really, really hot there I still miss it. It’s going to be really weird and sad not seeing the ISA students anymore. We are going to try and get everyone together one last time on Friday since majority of us leave Saturday. Tears have already started flowing and I have a feeling Friday is not going to be any different. I’m really going to miss everyone, my host family, Emmi (my roommate) and yes I will miss Lima. This has been the best experience I could have ever had. I love that I picked Peru, even though I have moments where I don’t like Lima. And really loved my excursions to the jungle and Machu Picchu, it was definitely worth it. I appreciate this trip, the people I’ve met, the things I’ve been able to do and the 5 weeks I’ve been gone. I know I’ve changed from this trip but I guess I wont know how much until I get back home and have the reality of life and school (and graduation, ahh!) hit me.

Hopefully I can post one more time Friday before I leave, if not I will try and post Saturday when I get back home!

P.S. my new picture at the top is my PERSONAL picture of Machu Picchu :)

Update Before Cuzco!

Emmi and I managed our way to an mercado indio (indian market) earlier this week to buy some duffel bags for this weekend. There was no way our backpacks would be enough for 5 days in Cuzco and bringing back souvenirs. They are pretty cool looking, mine is a dark blue with little llamas and Inca drawings on it.

Tuesday was Courtney's 21st birthday so it was a day of cakes. Tres Leches is probably one of my favorite cakes now. Then Wednesday and today were final days. We had our pronunciation and writing final Wednesday and today was grammar and conversation finals. I think I did pretty good on all my finals so we'll see in August what my grade transfers as.

Last night our host mom showed us one way chebiche is made. Our host mom is so cute, she loves to model for our pictures when we ask :). She is definitely showing her personality more, she started to dance last night while she was teaching us, it was funny. It's really strange we wont be at their house much longer.

Tonight we are going out for Courtney and Winnie's birthdays (Winnie is another ISA student) since we were told not to go out Friday night because we have to be at the ISA office at 3:30 am Saturday to fly to Cuzco! I think Michelle said Cuzco is at 12,000 feet so pray I can handle the altitude change!

Today was pretty crazy after I got home. I was trying to take a nap and some how I received phone call from my new apartment complex (no one else has been able to get through to my phone this entire trip). They were calling to inform me that our new apartment wont be ready until August 9th instead of July 30th, not something you want to hear when you are in another country. They told me that they would put us in a hotel for the week (while we are still in summer school) and put our things in a storage unit, also not something you want to hear. And during that week Ashton (one of my roommates) has to go to California. We are definitely not thrilled about this. HOPEFULLY they are just saying the 9th for their benefit and we will get to move in earlier than that because moving on a Monday, in the heat, in between classes and work is no fun.

So my panic mode kicked in since you know I'm in another country and all I can't do anything about it so hopefully everything works out and they start building quicker (or even at night would be good too).

Other than that I am SO excited about Cuzco this weekend! We will get to spend all day Sunday at Machu Picchu! And then all day Monday and Tuesday in Cuzco. It's going to be a lot of fun with the entire ISA group and to just get out of Lima for 4 days will be nice!

Everyone have a great weekend! I'll be home in a week :)

A Week Update!

Sorry I haven’t updated since Monday, nothing was really going on until the end of the week. This post might be kind of long but I’m going to try and keep it somewhat short. By the way my forehead definitely peeled two days after getting back from Iquitos and now my shoulders are peeling…yay!

Monday –
So the family took Emmi and me to Bembos. It’s supposed to be like McDonalds but it was way better than any McDonalds I’ve been to. The burgers actually look like the pictures. We got two different ice creams, strawberry and Lucama…I like Lucama ice cream a lot more than the drink. I think Monday night was the first time I really tried speaking to my family in Spanish, granted it was very broken Spanish but I tried.

I talked to my mom Monday night; she definitely makes me feel better about being here. It is an experience most people don’t get to do or would do. Even if I don’t pursue more Spanish classes after this (even though I want to try to) I can still take a lot away from this trip.

Tuesday –
I LOVE my conversation and culture class! Even if majority of it is in Spanish we still talk in English sometimes when it’s easier to explain something. Our professor from that class lived in the U.S. for four year almost 20 years ago and he wants to go back some day. After class all the ISA students met up for the meeting, I love seeing all of ISA students together they are so much fun. We had a Lucama and chocolate cake…talk about delicious!

I finally got to talk to Ashton and Deanna (my roommates in San Marcos, minus Rachel) Tuesday night. I miss my roomies!

Emmi and I were going to go out for John’s birthday (a ISA student). But I decided I needed to be studios for once and I actually studied for a long time that night! I was proud.

Wednesday -
Emmi, Christa, Tiffany and I decided to go to Plaza San Miguel Wednesday night to go shopping for some much needed necessities. I had to go up to the UP to meet them after their 6:30 class so I had to tell my host dad what I was doing in Spanish! I was so proud of myself even if it was in the most basic way I actually did it without Emmi’s help. While I was waiting for the girls I got really bored, I memorized part of the poem I have to recite for my final and figured out I have about 180 days until I graduate from college!! (yes I was very bored).

We were definitely true Peruvians trying to get to Plaza San Miguel. We had to catch a micro (looks kind of like a school bus) and it started moving before Christa and I were fully on but we made it like pros!

Thursday –
Class has not been my favorite lately. It would have been really useful to have a textbook for class. They just give us worksheets from a book, if I had known that I would have brought my books from home to help with the tenses.

We had a salsa lesson this night with some Peruvian students. Talk about entertainment! Our teacher was really funny and extremely good! After the lesson about 13 of us decided to go see Toy Story 3 in 3D…it was in Spanglish – they spoke in English but it had Spanish subtitles and the writing in the movie was in Spanish. I definitely recommend Toy Story 3 it was really good but really dark. Before the movie we went to eat and Emmi and I ended up with Neri, Nate, and Skylar at a Chili’s in Peru, I found this very ironic but I think it was actually better than in the States. Oh and 3 of us had margaritas and 2 of the boys had a beer then a bottle of wine showed up at our table because Neri wanted to try it! I was a little tipsy before Toy Story…oops.

Friday –
Class was really rough today because I did not want to be there. Emmi and some of the other advance students went to Plaza de Armas to watch the U.S. soccer game and I wanted to go not because I like soccer just to experience it! :) oh well

We had a Cajon drum lesson and Afro dance lesson; we were not expecting the Afro dance lesson at all. It was really cool though! Our instructor was really good at the drum and I got part of him drumming on video.

Friday was going out night and I think 20 out of the 28 ISA students ended up at the same restaurant before going to different discotecas. It was a lot of fun! Some of the Peru students met up with us.

Saturday –
Emmi, Kate and I decided to go to the Museo del Nacion (Museum of the Nation). It was really big and we couldn’t see everything but we did see the floor that has all the artifacts of some of the different indigenous people like Incas and Quechuas. The other floor we went to was an exhibit called Yuyanapaq; which means To Remember in Quechua. It contains photos taken during the terrorist movement during 1980 to 2000. It was very overwhelming and sad. Emmi and I briefly talked about how our host siblings, who are around our age, who grew up during the end of this time while we were sheltered in the States. I had no clue what the Shining Path was until I got here, I knew Peru had been through really bad times but I had no idea it was for 20 years. I really want to learn more about that part of Peru’s history, as sad as it was. It makes a lot of sense now why the country is the way it is now, always a little on the defense. I understand now why my mom was a little apprehensive about me coming down here since it has only been 10 years since this ended. My professor always refers to Peru as a 3^rd world country and I didn’t really see it that way until this weekend because while it might have it’s bad parts (like any other country) it still has some really nice areas and people.

TODAY –
The family (minus Alejandra) took Emmi and me to club de abogados (lawyers club). Partly to get us out of the city and into some sun and for father’s day. It took an hour to get out of the city and it was a completely different atmosphere. The sun was out; people didn’t have on a ton of winter clothing and the SUN WAS OUT!

Emmi and me with Maciel and Vicki our host parents.

The rest of today was dedicated to studying and updating this blog.

So only 1 more week of classes, Cusco next weekend and then I’ll be heading home. It’s crazy how fast this trip has gone by!

An Amazon Adventure

Sunrise in the Amazon - this is how this picture turned out I didn't edit it at all I swear

The past three days have been so surreal! For those of you who haven't seen my past post some of the ISA students and I went on an excursion to Iquitos and the Amazon jungle. This post will be extremely long! I guess I'll break this post up into each day starting with Friday.

Friday:
We had to be at the ISA office at 4am...keep in mind our host family's house is 5 minutes by car to the office. They wanted us to leave by 3:30am to go pick the two other ISA students from down the street. Our host mom turned into a drill sergeant at 3:25, she's tiny but she is very persistent. We were definitely the first to arrive, even before our director showed up. So our flight was suppose to leave at 6:30ish and we didn't leave until close to 8 because of weather. It was awesome flying out of Lima and clearing the thick clouds that cover the city and seeing the sun for pretty much the first time in 2 weeks!! The plane ride was only an hour but we flew over the Andes! (I have some amazing pictures from this trip, 200+ to be exact) Once we got to Iquitos our tour guides Ray and Rudy met us at the airport. The weather is hot and humid but I LOVED it! One of the ISA students has been really sick so our director went with him to the hospital to get a shot to make him feel better. While they were doing that Rudy took the rest of us in the bus to tour the city of Iquitos. It's crazy the dramatic difference between Lima and the northern city of Iquitos. Hardly any cars are in Iquitos, it's all motorbikes and motorbike taxis. And some of the people in Iquitos are very pushy when it comes to selling novelty items to tourists, they are very persistent. And the buildings have two extremes in Iquitos, they were either built during the time when the economy was good because of the rubber factories or they are shacks. In the central part of the city the buildings are very nice, this is where the Casa de Fierro (Iron House) is located..it was built by the same man you designed the Eiffel Tour. Right next to this building was a restaurant we walked through and I noticed random longhorns and burnt orange colors and I finally realized it was completely decked out in UT and state of Texas things, it's called The Yellow Rose of Texas! I was beyond excited to see that, they told me a man from Texas (and I guess a UT alum) married a Peruvian and moved to Iquitos and opened the restaurant, it's won a lot of awards too. I might not go to UT but it sure made me feel like I was at home seeing that!

After we picked up our director and the other student we took our two hour bus ride to Nauta where we would get on a boat for 45 minutes to the Pacaya Samiria Lodge. We stayed in 2 story bungalows! The entire trip was beautiful, it definitely looks like all the pictures from National Geographic! Our lodge was very pretty and they were so nice. We ate lunch then immediately went on a hike in the jungle, we had to wait for 3o minutes though so the downpour of rain would stop some. It was a definitely a workout walking in the humidity and up and down muddy hills but it was very interesting.

*Just a side note if you ever go to the Amazon bring old jeans..I didn't bring my jeans for fear of having none when I got back to Lima because I didn't know when our laundry would be done. I just had some like sweatpants and I definitely got hot.

After that we had a small break and at night we took a boat into the reserve to see what kind of creatures we could find. We saw 2 baby caiman alligators and Ray actually caught them both and lets us hold them. And we also saw a couple of birds. Then we went back to the lodge for dinner and everyone was worn out and went to bed by 10 or 10:30.

*Side note 2: the lodge only turns on the power from 6pm until 10pm and for like an hour in the morning. And there is no such thing as hot water there, not that you would want a hot shower after sweating all day but extreme cold isn't fun either.

Saturday:We heard some crazy noises all night! We think at one point a monkey ran across our roof! We were spoiled throughout this trip with amazing food. We left by 9am by boat to go back in the the reserve. The sun was gorgeous and I definitely got a sunburn on my shoulders and forehead..oops! Let me say if you ever go to the Amazon I'll give you Ray's contact information because he was awesome. We would be going 20+ mph in the boat and he would spot a sloth or iguana in a tree on the bank of the rive so easily! We saw two sloths, some iguanas and a lot of birds that morning. We stopped at the checkpoint entering the reserve and it's where two rivers meet, Ray told us the river dolphins like to stay in river joints so we saw a lot of dolphins! I couldn't get a picture of a pink dolphin though, they were to fast for me. They are very big and not that cute. We eventually stopped at a small village and we rented some canoes; those long, hollowed out trees that sit extreme close to the water. It was so much fun and a couple of the students got stuck on the water when it started to rain! We left there and went to a lagoon where dolphins normally are but they weren't there. We ended up going to where a little sandbar was and there were tons of dolphins there so we got to swim with the dolphins and the sun was out and it felt so good to be in the water! It was so cool. Then we had lunch that the lodge boated out to us, we had to be at least 30+ minutes by boat away -- I said we were spoiled this weekend right?

After lunch we went piranha fishing! We used cane poles and everything, you definitely have to be patient because piranhas don't actually bite the hooks. I caught one though! We went back to the lodge and played cards until dinner. After dinner some local children came and did a performance for us of local dances that tell a story, then it turned into a dance party. That was cool but I was so tired and my sunburn was killing me by then!

The piranha I caught, it's a big one but it's fin is curled up!

Sunday:

Woke up at 5:30 to go look for birds and go to a village where they have giant lily pads. The boat ride at dawn was so pretty! The hike through the village was a little rough because it was so early. We had a really good view of the river.(*Note: If you go to the Amazon make sure where ever you are staying has high knee rainboots, they will save your life!)They told us that part of the village had been washed away last time the water was really high. The water has stopped getting as high during the rainy season as it use to, I have pictures of the water marks from this past year and 2 years ago when the water would always be high. We went back to the lodge and had breakfast which felt like lunch because we had already been up for 4 hours.Afterward we went to a village close by to buy some crafts from them (I got my little cousin an authentic blowgun! minus the real darts though--family reading this no one tell him!) The village also brought out a baby sloth! A lot of us couldn't hold her though because we had just sprayed bug spray and the chemicals in the spray can kill the sloths. Some of the ISA students and our guides played soccer with the kids, it was a close game! We went back to the lodge and had lunch then immediately left. We took a 40 minute boat ride where the two rivers meet to make the Amazon, I believe they are called Maranon and the Ucayali but I might be wrong I don't have my map with me. From there we went to a village with an observation tower and saw the entire river...it's huge and pictures don't do it justice! We went back to Nauta and took the 2 hour bus ride back to the airport. We got back to Lima around 10pm and Emmi and I crashed by 11pm because we had class the next day :(

Me, Ray (our tour guide) and the sloth I couldn't hold :(

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I'm so glad I decided to go on this excursion, it was definitely worth the extra money. Not only was it a once in a lifetime experience but the ISA group that went was awesome, I love the ISA students and our director, I wish we all lived close in the States! Well Sarah Stone goes to A&M so I think we might plan to get together one weekend once we get back home. It's sad to know that because of global warming the Amazon is changing so much and the villages along the river banks are having to rebuild constantly. The area really does remind me of Texas in some ways, not the cities in Texas but the part of Texas that I grew up in. Going to Cow Creek, not have AC or other electronics for a weekend or a week, the simple life for sure. The people are very friendly there. I love the simplicity of their living and how they survive with such basic amenities and we freak out if we can't check our email or send a text after a few hours. I really want to try and think of a way of turning this trip, and my Lima trip in general, into a topic for a thesis. I'm not sure how yet and I haven't really had time to sit and think about everything that happened in the 3 days in Iquitos and 2 weeks in Lima. We are constantly going and if we aren't we are sleeping to rest before whatever is happening next. I would love to go back to Iquitos one day, especially now that I now what to expect.

Well I better go do my Spanish homework since that is what I'm here for. We only have 9 more days of classes left. I feel like I haven't put much effort into speaking the language, I can understand well enough but I can't converse back. I'm telling myself that this will be a good base to go back home with and take classes back home to continue to learn. (Some of the ISA students here have been taking Spanish classes for 7+ years). Our family is taking us to Bembos for dinner, it's suppose to be a really good hamburger place everyone tells the ISA students to try it out.

1 day until the AMAZON!

Ok so not much has been going on the past two days but I figured I would update with things I've forgot since Friday we are leaving for Iquitos!!! and I probably wont update until Monday. We leave Friday morning at 4am and are getting back to Lima on Sunday around 9pm! I am beyond excited to be in hot weather and see the sun 3 days in a row! I will have plenty of pictures to post next week :)

I forgot to mention this on my post Monday but Sunday was my host mom's, Vicki, birthday Sunday. So since Emmi got sick I braved the family extravaganza solo. It was just Vicki's mom, sister and niece but it was crazy! Luckily the niece is fluent in English (and Portuguese as well as Spanish being her native language...wish I could learn at least one language fluently, it's so hard). It was so funny to hear them talking, I understood most of what was being said, but they way they talk reminds me of my mom's family when we were kids. Everyone would talk over everyone else and just continue to get louder. I miss my family back home and their craziness! Luckily Skype is very useful-Emmi and I have realized that Skype is definitely something very new to Peruvians. Speaking of Skype Emmi told my host mom last night that I was talking to my mom online and she said Vicki sprinted to the office and met my mom...not that their was much communication because Vicki can't speak any English but I think she got what my mom wanted to say (I tried to translate later). Emmi said she thought about coming in and translating (since Vicki talks so fast sometimes) but decided she would just let it play out!

On Monday we found out in class that part of our final is writing...in Spanish, yikes! And today we found out another portion of our writing and pronunciation class is to memorize 8 lines of a poem in Spanish and recite it properly. AND we found out that all of our classes will be done before we go to Cusco on the 26! So that means I will have almost 2 full free days before I leave! Today in my grammar class she let us finish the last of the Richard Gere movie (Hachiko: A Dog's Story) it's so sad and makes me want a puppy of my own!

Yesterday we had a meeting with Michelle who is the ISA Lima on-site director, she's great! She's very animated and funny..she'll be one of the 2 ISA staff members taking us on our excursions! After the meeting a bunch of us wanted to go to a local mercado (market), so Jose Louise (an ISA staffer) brought us to an area about 10 minutes from the school that had four different mercados! It is amazing the amount of stuff they have! I found a few things I'll probably be going back to get, I found a stuffed animal for my little cousin they call alpaca loco (crazy alpaca) it's fur is alpaca fur it's so soft and he has buck teeth and a rainbow colored beanie on --I LOVE IT! Emmi and I decided it would be good to wait a little while before we buy all our souvenirs and gifts because it's way cooler to say you got something in the Amazon than from one of the random mercados in Lima! I think we'll be going back during our free weekend or the last 2 days we have free.

A bunch of ISA students ended up going to see Prince of Persia last night in Spanish in one of the districts in Lima (San Isidro). Emmi and I wanted to go but our family eats so late and afterwards we get so tired! So we made a plan for next week to go into Larcomar again for dinner and to walk around out there at night, no worries it's a very touristy area, we'll be plenty safe.

Look for an update next week about my trip to the Amazon! Hopefully I can get the nerve to hold a sloth! :) --FYI sloths really creep me out, I think it's their face

Small Update

Yesterday I went to church with Emmi, Tiffany, Courtney, and Brandon. It was definitely different from any church I've been to (especially since it was all in Spanish, I caught most of the words). It is called Buen Pastor and the service lasted 2 1/2 hours, way different than a Catholic church. It was a very modern church like in the U.S., they sang songs and then the message was given. It was cool to experience that with the other ISA students. I really want to try and attend a Catholic service the weekend we have free, I don't necessarily have to speak the language to know what is going on in a Catholic mass - plus I really want to see a service in a big, dramatic Cathedral.

Yesterday we were going to go to Plaza San Miguel so we could get some stuff but Emmi got sick after church so we decided to skip it and she slept all day without eating which seems to be a big deal in Peru. Now our family has only given Emmi and me soup for lunch and dinner as a precaution. They told us that the food in Iquitos is really thick so I think they are letting our stomachs rest before this weekend. So today Alejandra took me to a small market close to my house and I final got some sweatpants!! I think they are a knockoff brand of Hollister, they have the seagull on them but a different name.

Class was okay..nothing big to report. We are watching parts of a Richard Gere movie in my grammar class that is called Hachiko: A Dog's Story in Spanish. The dog in the movie is a Shiba Inu!!! (just FYI this is the dog that I plan on getting when I finally graduate but my new apartment doesn't allow pets so maybe in a year!)

Tomorrow we are having a meeting with the ISA staff about some stuff (not sure what) and our excursion to Iquitos this weekend! Maybe I can post again before I leave for Iquitos on Friday morning at 4am!

First Weekend in Peru

So yesterday was pretty low key. We had class, it went okay but i got really frustrated because I was so tired I couldn't focus on Spanish. I think this weather in Lima is getting to me, it's constantly overcast. I was really hoping for some sun this weekend, hopefully when we go to Iquitos next weekend it will be sun and warm!

After class I had lunch with Emmi and our host dad and once Emmi got out of class the family took us to go get prepaid phones so we could communicate with other ISA students and in case of an emergency. Sorry guys no one can call me on that phone, since it's international and prepaid I can receive calls unless they are a Claro carrier. Afterward Emmi and I met up with the ISA students from down the road and caught a combi (the craziest type of taxi ever!) to Larcomar and ate dinner with some other ISA students. We all had our first Pisco Sours, which is the drink of choice here. Talk about strong, it tasted like a very strong top shelf margarita, really tangy (yeah I'm being that specific :]). Let's just say one was enough for each of us. After dinner our Peruvian friend Pedro took us to Barranco to go to some discotecas. It was free to get into any of the ones we were at you just needed to drink to stay, it was crazy how they try and heard you into their small clubs.
Today was really long. We had an activity with ISA and Peru students where they took us by combi to La Plaza San Martin, it was gorgeous! Then we went to Plaza de Armas, which is where Lima's large cathedral and government palace are located. We watched the changing of the guards at the palace, it was very theatrical. For lunch ISA brought us to China town in Lima (yes there are China towns everywhere). The rest of the afternoon we went to visit the catacombs of Lima and the del Convento de San Francisco. Lima is a very interesting place for sure!

Me at Plaza de Armas!

Well the rest of the night is up in the air, I think we are planning to get a group together to go get gelato at Parque Kennedy :). Not a lot of us are up for another night out after walking around all day. Tomorrow Emmi, Courtney, Tiffany and I are going to a church close by that Emmi's cousin recommended (I know me going to church is weird especially in a foreign country but hey I'm up for it) then we are going to head somewhere to go shopping, probably Plaza San Miguel, because I need some clothes.

Day 4/5

Okay guys don't freak out if you don't hear from me for a day or two, it's really hard to find time to get on and update and the internet doesn't work on my phone. Also, next week we start our excursions so I wont update on the weekends when I'm out of Lima. I'll be getting an Peru phone tomorrow with an international calling card so I can call more people and not charge my Verizon account.

For everyone who reads this I know about the Dutch guy who is being sought for murdering a Peruvian girl. He fled the country and they have caught him in Chile. Don't worry our host parents don't let us go anywhere by ourselves especially at night and I'm not trying to drawn attention to myself.

Ok so now that I've said that onto the past two days. Yesterday was an intense day, we had class all day and as soon as my class was done at 2 we walked to the ISA office, which is about 10 minutes away for two tour. My 2nd class yesterday was crazy, we have two professors for that class and they switch off days and the Monday and Wednesday professor is really fast. I'm not looking forward to class Monday with her, hopefully it gets better. After ISA and local Peruvian students took the ISA students on the bus that runs to the coast. It was crazy! The Peruvians might be the best defensive drives ever. The Peruvian students are suppose to speak to us in Spanish and after class I was really over trying to speak Spanish. The coastal district is called Miraflores, it's very pretty and is the tourist area so everything is really expensive but it's so pretty. From the coast my group of 4 ISA students and 3 Peruvian students walked into the city where the next part of our activity was. We went on a night tour bus through the city. It started in Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park) and went all the way to the historical part of Lima. I'll try and post all my pictures to facebook but it will take a while, I might do it as a weekly thing on Sundays.
This is the coast of Lima! We were at the Larcomar shopping center, which is built on the cliffs.

Today was a great day! The sun actually came out! If you know anything about Lima it has a bunch of pollution because of the mountains surrounding the city, it was nice to see the sun! Class went really well, I think I'm slowly getting the language back; it will still be hard to respond quickly though. My professors today are awesome, they are really cool. My grammar professor, Carmen, is so cute! She's really funny and likes to bring us out of the school where the language program is and show us stuff, today we went to the top of the building because it was so pretty. My second professor is Aldofo (I think that's how he spells it) he's really nice and understanding that we can't speak the language quickly. He told us he's taught this class a lot and there's always a diverse skill range from the students. At the end of class we talked about how different levels like intermediate and advance don't necessarily transfer from country to country well. Most students who are considered intermediate in the States should probably be considered beginner outside the States but since most students have taken beginner classes in the States they need higher level classes so the credit can to transfer to school.

Tomorrow I will have a phone and if you want me to call you send me an email (my email is on the sidebar). If you want to call me you're going to have to get an international calling card. Saturday we have another tour, it's a walking tour of historical Lima and Saturday afternoon or Sunday a few ISA students are going shopping maybe at Plaza de San Miguel.

Day 3 - First Day of Class!

Thanks for all the comments everyone! they make me feel better and I know people are reading this blog :)

Classes started today and I was super nervous about it but since there are only 4 other students in my class it was great! It was like we had a personal tutor, not sure what how much homework we'll have but right now it's not a lot just practice reading Spanish out loud and holding a conversation. It seems really easy in class, I just hope I can actually apply it and think quick on my feet when giving a response. There are two other ISA students that live a few blocks from mine and Emmi's (my roommate) host family and we lucked out that 2 of us can always walk with each other to campus. So this morning Courtney and I walked to our building which is a satellite campus a few blocks from the university and Emmi and Tiffany (Courtney's roommate) had class later.

After class we went to the university to have lunch and a few other ISA students were there. We did the thing that you're not suppose to do which is sit in a big group of gringos and speak English..oops :). After lunch we were going to go on another tour of the opposite side of town than the one from yesterday but Courtney and I decided to head home because the tour didn't start on time and we both wanted to go practice our Spanish. We quizzed each other on the walk back making up sentences and saying them in Spanish.

It's taking a long time to post pictures today, not sure what is going on. So tomorrows post might just be pictures. I might get a flickr account

Class again tomorrow but then we are going to Miraflores to go shopping and then we have a night tour on a double decker bus! Should be fun and I'll take lots of pictures then!