In Lima

Right now I am in Lima, the biggest city here in Peru and it is not my favorite city. Everything is damn expensive and everyone is business. haha. I was supposed to be on a bus right now coming to this city but last night, after finishing this amazingly beautiful hike that went all the way up to 4800 meters which was high for me. I could feel the altitude and me and the 2 people from canada I was hiking with all had to take it easy some of the way up.  Anyway, after finishing the hike, we got back and one of the people went to book another trek and he found out that his bus for the trek was leaving like 3 hours early because there were/are protests going on in Huaraz. Him and the gal he was with said they got stuck on a bus for like 14 extra hours because of protests in a different part of the country. This scared the shit out of me because I was going to make it to Lima pretty close to the time I need to be at the airport to catch my flight so I just went and changed my bus to last night, so I got here to lima at 5 oclock this morning and i planned on waiting in the bus station until it got light out. I saw another white girl and I asked if I could sit with her and we started chatting. im so glad Im talkative and friendly with people. Most of the people ive met, weve become friends because i go up to them and say hey where are you from? Anyway, this gal is from Israel and we decided to leave the bus station together because she wanted to get a bus ticket to cusco and we both wanted to get out of the bus station so we took a taxi together and had an adventure with that and then finally got to the bus station and asked directions and walked further downtown and ate breakfast and the breakfast was absolutely delicious and the best coffee ive had in all of peru. its funny, i was expecting there to be amazing coffee everywhere in peru but most of it is instant, powder kind. anyway, i ended up having to pay extra because i misunderstood that a juice was more expensive. haha. its funny how the customer service is different down here. theres things i prefer about the customer service down here and other things i prefer about the customer service in the u.s. anyway, then we kept on venturing and we took a combi (like a small bus) down to the more popular district and now were both using the internet. im going to try to take a combi to the airport because it will be so much more cheaper. i think about my friend stefanie telling me that money is just money and its better to spend money on things like travelling than be too uptight about saving it because sometimes i catch myself in a frenzy about money. i think everyone experiences that though, but i know everything will work out how it needs to. I am still waiting to hear back from a woman at the cna 2 grant program who i emailed a week ago. i applied to pcc and got in and i emailed my boss at the nursing home and she told me i can come back and work. so im starting to get some stuff in order. i know i will find a great place to live in portland. im sad to leave peru, but the only thing i didnt do was take a boat up the amazon and maybe thats a good thing because i didnt get all the jungle shots that they recommend like malaria and yellow fever. the jungle was my favorite place i went in all of peru! haha!!!! and i wasnt even originally planning on going. thats the way it works i guess. anyway, im excited to get my baby moto and see my friends and big b and cocoa!!!!!!!!!!! Now im just trying to book a craigslist rideshare down to portland or eugene from seattle. i get into seattle tomorrow morning. i started drinking a little booze and smoking a few cigarettes since ive been in peru. oh no!!! ive met so many damn cool people who love to travel and have great, hilarious stories to tell and who are super laid back and adventurous and spontaneous and silly. I love it!!!!! but i think it will be good to come home and be back in a different element and come back to myself in a different way and reflect and save money so i can travel again!!!!!! Ha!
Also!!!! Something I keep forgetting to mention. The song El condor pasa by simon and garfunkle, which is such a beautiful song. When i first arrived in peru, ive heard the melody on the radio, from bands in the streets, marching bands, all over the place, over different speakers, everywhere. Its totally from Peru. I think its some sort of native song. And the condor is a giant bird that lives in peru. I saw some and I have some pictures that I will put up when i am in eugene or portland. Something super cool.

Thank you to my parents who have said the nicest things to me whilst this blog was being written. Nothing has made me feel happier and prouder of the things I do besides my own self nurturing.
I love you so much.
Love
Josie

In Huaraz

So, right now I am in a city called Huaraz and it is really beautiful. There are white capped mountains surrounding the city. I had the most wonderful time in the town Tingo Maria. It was so absolutely beautiful. I met a man from France and we went on a hike together and walked into the selva, which is what they call the jungle and we spent almost all day walking around and exploring. Then we stopped to have a drink at this really cool little bar right next to the river and we had a beer and then the owner of the bar offered us some liquor that he makes out of coca leaves. It was great. We talked to him for a while and it was so magical. He was talking about friends that he has from all over t he world and friends that he has from France. Then we talked about what we do and the man from France whos name is Julian told him that he is a cardiologist and then the man who worked at the bar told us about his son who has problems with circulation and he brought out doctors paperwork to have Julian look at it. And the funny thing is, Julian doesnt speak and spanish, so I was doing some interpreting, for him, but he understand everything, just not talk. So, then he looked at this paperwork about the mans son and understood right away what the problem is. It was so crazy, the whole conversation and encounter. The conversation got kind of serious for a little bit. Julian told him he would need an operation. It was all so crazy and random and magical and beautiful. So I had a great day that day. The next day Julian left to go up north and hopefully ride a boat on the Amazon river which I originally wanted to do but didnt have enough time hahaha. I went and visited a waterfall. I took a rickshaw out to the path and walked up there and it was so beautiful. Then I walked down this long road back to the main road and it was so wonderful. Just me, walking down this gravel road, seeing people in their houses and outside. I walked by a house and saw a macaw parrot and walked up and asked them if i could look at their bird and there was a family just hanging out outside with their bird and dog and chickens and babies. They were very friendly. I wandered off onto a trail and it was so beautiful. Green trees, plants, flowers, butterflies. And when I came back, crossing the stream, a dog ran up and barked at me realy loudly and I stood still so as not to invoke anything and a girl ran up and chased the dog off so I could cross. I experienced nothing but goodness. Except in the bathrooms at the hostel I stayed at which smelled like bile. haha. I took a collectivo back to the city Huanuco so I could make my way to Huaraz. I stayed overnight in Huanuco and went out and got pollo a la brasa and it was delicious. Then the next day I went out to look for a bus to a city called La Union which is in transit to Huaraz. I got the bus station and the bus was going to leave in 10 minutes, so I ran back to my hostal and grabbed my things and ran back to the bus station and while I was running, my doll, Paz fell out of my backpack and someone told me and it was a miracle. I made it to the bus on time and laughed with the bus driver. Its amazing how I can communicate with people and laugh with them and understand when I feel like I cant speak that much spanish. Then I got to La Union and I took a shower and washed my clothes in the sink. While I was taking a shower, i reached up to wash my hair and got shocked from the shower head because it is attached the water heater. It was pretty funny and ridiculous. it scared me a little, but it was ok. Then I went to buy my bus ticket and the only one I could find left at 3 in the morning, so I bought it and then went back to the hostel and called big b and found out that frieda had got stuck in the neighbors garage and big b worked so hard and went around everywhere to try to find her and it warmed my heart. Then I went out to eat with a man I had chatted with on the bus and we had Chifa, which is like chinese food. Then I went back to the hostel and was just about to go to bed when the owner of the hostel offered me some drink for my gripe (cough). It was anis liquor. So I had a cup and he was teaching me some names of things in spanish and we were chatting and laughing and I drank a little bit too much, because the next thing I remember is stumbling to the bus stop and getting on the bus. haha, the situation was fine and I know that there is a magical protective force with me because I got black out drunk and caught a bus at 3 in the morninig, thanks to the owner of the hostel. The only sad thing is that I left my doll Paz at the hostel and that I peed in the bed, so I felt a little bad about who had to clean that up. I hadnt gotten so drunk in probably like almost 2 years haha. but I had a good time. The next day was really rough because i felt so worried because I dont remember the whole night. thats such a hard feeling, not knowing what happened. I comforted myself and realized that whatever happened, I wasnt raped or robbed so that was a miracle. But I remember how terrible I have felt in the past when I have blacked out. But im ok now. Also, I left a pair my pants at the hostal and had a different pair with me haha. It was a good reminder to be very cautious about drinking. im glad and blessed  that I have more power to handle my alcohol now than I used to when I was younger. But its amazing that I still caught my bus. And I didnt lose any of my necessary documents. I am still sad about Paz but I remember seeing young kids in the hostel, the grandkids of t he owners so Im sure Paz will have a good time with them. Anyhoo, now I am staying in a really nice hotel for only 15 soles per night which is like 6 dollars. Anyhow, yesterday I walked around and had diarheea I think from drinking so much. I met a man from Ireland and chatted with him and got a good hike recommendation and then met a guy from London and walked around with him and chatted and then I ate some Chifa after trying to find a ceviche restaurant and realizing that they are only open during lunchtime. Then I went back to my hostal and sat up on top of the hostal and took so many pictures of the city because it is so beautiful, in a different way than Tingo Maria jungle town. Then I put on my pajamas and organized and cleaned all my stuff and my bags and read my book called the mermaid chair. its pretty cool but I liked the other books I read more. Then I heard fireworks and I ran upstairs to the top of the hostal and saw a couple beautiful fireworks!!!!!!!! Then I ended up chatting with the coolest couple of people, one guy from Belgium and a lady from Argentina and they were travelling together and I got to hear some great stories and tell some of my stories. this trip has been so wonderful for me and reminding me that I am awesome and I dont need to worry or change things about myself and I can be so happy and laid back and have all sorts of adventures the way I want to and I dont need to feel bad about myself for any reason. Today, I am going to mail a postcard and buy some gifts and relax and book a wonderful hike for tomorrow. Oh and buy my bus ticket for wednesday!!!!! Im excited for my next trip. i want to go to turkey, europe or india. My friend from france told me I have to go to India. anyway, thanks to everyone for reading myblog. This blog was a great idea and I have enjoyed writing it and Its a new way of journaling and I love writing. Anyone can travel. I am still afraid to sleep without a nightlight. I brought a nightlight with me and ive slept with it everywhere. Im still afraid of swimming with fish. I went swimming in Tingo Maria and  wouldnt get in until I saw other people get in and even then it was hard. I want everyone whos read this and women especially to know that travelling is not as scary as people tell you. I heard some of the most ridiculous and uninformed things about travelling before I went on this trip and only the things from the 2 ladies who have actually been to south america turned out to be true and they both said it was wonderful.

also, money is just money. Im so excited to read my sark book that I ordered here so it would be waiting for me! She reminds me not to worry and to listen to yourself all the time and not get down on yourself and that dreams are ppossible in whatever shape they take.

love
Josie

Hello!  Right now I am listening to Britney Spears! I haven´t listened to pop music in such a long time and it is such a big part of summer for me. I am in a smaller city of about 50,000 people called Tingo Maria and it is very green!!! This morning I woke up in the city of Huanuco and I ate my leftover Chifa food, which is like Peruvian mixed with Chinese. They have a lot of restaurantes all over the cities I´ve visited that serve Chifa food and I was excited to try it! I took an auto here. I asked a few different people how to get here, a french couple that was staying in the hostal I stayed at, and a lady who started talking to me while I was walking around the main square of Huanuco and she asked me if I was from Alemania, which is Germany. I´m always flattered when people ask me if I´m from Europe, haha. But once they hear me talk they know I´m American. It was great, the ride here. A small toyota with 4 other people. They don´t have buses that come here, solamente small autos. I´ve met so many people that tell me about where things are. I took an overnight bus to get to Huanuco and we arrived at 5 in the morning and it was still dark. I was planning on waiting at the bus station until it got light and then going to look for a hostal, but the man I sat next to on the bus, who is a doctor told me that it is safer to go straight to my hostal and he helped me take a rickshaw to the taxi I wanted to go to. Magic!! The magic of life! Anyway, the ride here was great, it was so cool seeing the climate and landscape slowly change from dry and brown to humid and green. Today, I found a hostal from my lonely planet book and got a room. That book has been so helpful. Its helped me to find inexpensive hostals, restaurants and it usually has a map of every city. It´s great! So, this afternoon, I took a mototaxi out to this place called Cueva de las lesuchas, I think it´s called. It´s a beautiful cave!!! Oh my god it was so cool. A giant cave with stalagmites and tites and all these birds that you can´t really see but you can hear them so loudly. It was so beautiful. I walked around there for a while and it was all so beautiful. I took so many pictures. Sometimes I forget to take pictures and then I worry about remembering everything and I have to breath deeply and remember that I can enjoy everything and it will be fine. Oh my gosh it is so beautiful. I can´t believe that I didn´t think I would want to visit the forests here. if I had more time, I would take a boat down or up the Amazon river. I met a guy from France who is staying at the hostal I´m staying at and tomorrow we are going to go to some other great places around here. I came back on the autotaxi as the sun was going down  and it was so beautiful, the hills covered in jungle plants and the city in the valley with wisps of fog above it. Yeah!!!  I read some really cool travel quotes on my way here in the car; I had printed them out before I began my trip but I hadn´t read them yet. yesterday  when I was at my hostal in Huanuco, I went out into the backyard because I wanted to sit and read my book and I noticed there was a bigger cage and that there was a toucan inside. I looked at him for a while and looked into his eyes and went to ask the man at the front if he gets to come out or fly and he told me that he doesn´t have wings and he´s from the jungle and I walked back down the hall and couldn´t help but start sobbing and I thought about cutting open the cage surrepticiously so that maybe they wouldn´t notice at first but then i decided I probably shouldn´t do that but I sobbed for a long time and it makes me so sad to think about it. Later, when I came back out of my room to the front of the hostal, the owner told me the name of the bird and I didn´t know what to say. I was very nice to him. The whole time i was thinking about how I don´t know how animals feel just by looking at them, but god. I don´t know. I know that I want to work with animals in my life. Anyway, now I´´m listening to Madonna and it has really good base and it reminds me of riding my motorcycle which I´m so damn excited for! The bird will be ok. Haha, I remember this past Christmas, before I left to go visit Big B and his family, I was getting really sad about not being able to bring Cocoa and I called Robin to talk to her and to get some comfort and after I told her what I was feeling and the kookiness I was experiencing, she laughed and said "Oh honey, you shouldn´t be allowed around dogs when you´re stoned." It was so funny and cute and sweet. She just meant because I get so emotional with dogs. It makes me laugh so much now. Anyway, its so good to be in green land with lots of green plants! It reminds me of how great it is that I lived and will live in western Oregon!!!!!! Yeah! Thanks for reading!
Love
Josie

Este fin de Semana!

so, this weekend I went to a little place called La Merced, which is on the edge of the rainforest with a girl that I met here in Huancayo. Her name is Kylie and she is from Nueve Zealandia! (Spanish version of the country) We had a great time and it was lovely to have some girl time and do a trip with a friend, also because I was kind of weary about going to the jungle. It ended up not really being the jungle, but moreso the rainforest. It was still so beautiful. We took a bus and got there around 430 in the afternoon. We ended up meeting some other gringos, one of the them was a mexican and they had been in the city for a couple weeks and they took us on a hike along a small river. It was so awesome!!!! The scenery was beautiful and I was reminded of how much I love rainforest and greenness and rain and lushness. Im so grateful I live on the west coast!!! I love the landscape of western oregon!!! Anyhoo, we had a great time and met 2 young people, one from Mexico and one from Boise, ID. They had met in Lima. Its so cool how you can meet people to travel with when youre traveling alone and so open to meeting people. I have met 4 different ladies whom I would love to see again at another time in life and they are all from different countries- New Zealand, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland!! Pretty cool. Now I am sitting at the volunteer house typing a blog and waiting to eat supper before I take a bus to a city up north called Huanuco. I am glad that I got to be a part of this volunteer program because I got to teach kids in a rural school in Peru! But I am also glad to keep on traveling por que yo tengo solamente una semana entonces I will fly back to the United States!

Now I am reading a book called the Mermaid Chair.

Love
Josie

In Huancayo!

So, right now I am sitting downstairs in the house I am staying at here in the city of Huancayo. This house houses the husband and wife and their little girl who run the volunteer project called Carisma Peru. It also houses a few other girls who are part of the project as well. I arrived here to Huancayo by bus Saturday night and the family picked me up at the bus station. I wasnt sure whether I was going to get picked up or have to try to take a taxi to a hostal at night, but they were there and they brought me back to their house in a taxi. Their house was full of young American people when I got back and more kept showing up. Everyone was so friendly and greeted me and I was kind of taken aback. I had not been expecting that and I was kind of groggy from the bus ride. All the young people were drinking vodka and beer and talking about going out dancing. At first I wasnt into the idea, but then I was like, I probably wont go out dancing any other time, so Ill go. I chatted with one girl in particular for a while, who is from New Zealand. We hit it off and seemed to have some things in common which was nice. After drinking the tiniest amount of vodka and beer, everyone finally headed out in groups of taxis. The taxi was piled full of drunk girls and on the way to wherever we were going, some of the girls got pissed because they thought that the driver wasnt going to take us to where we were. It was a funny experience, it felt like being in high school or a sorority for a little while. Then we got to this super packed club where we waited outside for a while trying to stick together. Finally we got in and it was packed and there were people smoking inside and club music. We danced for a while and it was fun. It was fun to dance with a bunch of other people. But then it got late and I really wanted to go home. I told some girls, whenever they want to leave, let me know. But we stayed for probably like 3 hours until finally some of the girls were so drunk and 2 of them had stepped on broken glass from beer bottles that they were ready to go home. Thankfully, I had a good attitude the whole time which almost suprised me because I was so tired. We got home and I made myself a sandwich with avocado, onion, tomato and cheese and some tea and I read my book The five people you meet in Heaven and went to sleep and that was good. Haha, it was a night I never would have expected. I later learned all these girls are Pre-med students who found this volunteer program through their college in Arizona. Anyway, now I am glad because I am sharing a room with my friend who I met who is from New Zealand. On Sunday, I walked around Huancayo. I started off walking with the group of kids who was going on, but I went off on my own. I didnt like walking with such a large group and with a large group of young, loud Americans. Some of them were really nice, but I still didnt enjoy it. Once I branched off, I tried to find the market and met some people and greeted lots of people with Buenas Dias until I realized it was no longer morning. When I was with the group, I also felt like everyone was looking at us like we were obnoxious Americans haha. Thats ok, but sometimes then it puts up a wall for connecting with native people. Anyway, that day, I walked all over the downtown through their craft market and I tried to find the food market and that was fun, getting lots of directions and I bought a little pot of flowers and some mandarin oranges. I met a really cool guy from Peru who I had walked past a couple times and then he introduced himself to me. We chatted for a while. Its so cool when I realize that I can communicate with people with my spanish and that you can communicate with someone even you are not fluent in that language. A lot of it is me connecting words or ideas with other ones that I do know the words or names for. We talked about travel and school and music and he showed me where the supermarket was and which milk is the best to make hot chocolate with. When we were in the supermarket, Hey Jude came on and it almost made me cry. Also, because the whole time I was talking to this person, I was trying not to cry because I had seen a starving dog trying to get food out of the garbage can and I had gone to the butcher right there and bought a sausage and then tried to find the dog. When I did find him, I took off running holding the sausage, the pot of flowers and my oranges. I didnt even know if the person I had been talking with would find me again, but I so wanted to find that poor dog. I gave him the sausage and he ate it and then I wished that I had bought more meat. The dog started off walking again and I thought that it would take a while and I might not even find him if I went all the way back to the butcher. I dont know what I was thinking. But it was really hard for me that day and night because I couldnt stop thinking about that dog. Something about dogs. I feel more emotional than with people even sometimes. But most of the dogs I have seen here look absolutely fine. And that dog is ok wherever he is. Anyway, yesterday was my first day of volunteering at the school. It was kind of crazy. Thankfully, I got to go with a girl who has been here for a month. She leaves tonight for Cusco. We walked a ways down to a street to catch a collectivo, which is like a taxi that picks up as many people as it can going a certain way. We finally saw one going to the place where the school is and we ran across the street to get in. We got to the school and went into the 6th grade classroom. Her and I led the lesson by ourselves, which she says she did starting on her second day. She said usually the teacher sits in the back of the classroom, but today the teacher left because her mother was very sick. So, we started by writing verbs we knew in spanish and english on the board and going through with the kids to help them pronounce them. Then we went on to play a game with matching words in spanish to the words in english. Then we had a recess, which I very much enjoyed haha. I petted some of the dogs that hang out around the school and in some of the classrooms. It was stressful working with the kids haha. They are loud and talk all the time and get up and punch each other haha. But it was a great learning experience and Im sure it will continue to be. It was also really fun, helping the kids. Then we caught a collectivo back and walked home and all the volunteers were over at this house. There are a couple different houses that they stay at. We ate the most delicious lunch, prepared by the family. During the week, they prepare all your meals. And you pay $100 per week for 5 days of all meals and 7 days of lodging. Its a pretty good deal. Yesterday, my friend from New Zealand, Kylie, and I made hot chocolate out of real chocoalte and milk and sugar and it was sooooo good. We also started planning our trip to the jungle!!!!!!!! We are going to do that this weekend. I really really want to go to the jungle. An intuitive, psychic lady told me not to go to the jungle alone, before I came on this trip, but god how I want to go. And I wont be alone. So, I have had a plethora of experiences on this trip so far! Oh yes, and my trip to Lake Titikaka. I went there kind of on a whim. I asked someone in the hostal I was at in Arequipa if they had gone and they told me how to do it. So, I caught a taxi to the bus station in Arequipa and bought a bus ticket and went on to have a rough experience on the bus. I drank a bunch of water because I was so hot and then I couldnt pee on the bus for the life of me. I tried everything to help myself pee, but I couldnt do it. Finally, after 2 hours of sitting in the stairwell, reading my book, I peed and it was like the glory of god. Haha, on my bus back from Lake Titikaka, there was no toilet on the bus so the driver let everyone off so we could pee on the side of the road. It was great for me because I have some sort of complex with peeing in some of the bathrooms on buses of trains. I dont know why, but it was great haha. The bus from Lima to Huancayo was the fanciest bus ever. I had no idea. There were movies and they brought us food and we even played bingo and I won a free bus ticket! Anyway, now Im going to eat some bread for breakfast and then go back to work at the school. I love bread.
Love
Josie

quick post more later!

So, right now I am eating some bread and drinking some tea. In a few minutes I am going to get picked up to go volunteer at a school with young kids! I am staying at this wonderful communal house run by a husband, and wife and their little girl. The program is called Carisma Peru and it seems really cool so far. There are quite a few other people here right now also doing the volunteer program. A lot of young American people. Haha yesterday it kind of felt like I was in a sorority. I am in the city of Huancayo. I have a lot to tell you. I went to Lake Titikaka and that was wonderful. Thanks Dad for your wonderful email. I finished both my books I brought with me a few days ago and thankfully there was a book exchange at the hostal I stayed at in Arequipa. So I exchanged it for a book called The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which I really like so far. A lot. After reading the book The Art of Racing in the Rain which ended with the dog dying, I am liking to read more books about death because that book tore me to pieces. Haha, I had to put it away when I was on the bus back to Arequipa because I was crying so much. And Big B, I wanted to tell you that when I called you, I seemed more emotional about Cocoa because I had just read that book that day and I had so many thoughts. I dont miss Cocoa any more than I miss you. Anyways, haha, Ive got a lot more to talk about later.

In the internet Cafe

Right now I am using an internet cafe, I think it would be called. It is not really a cafe, but line of computers inside a nice alleyway. I was looking up volunteering here in Arequipa. I woke up feeling really kooky this morning. I do get kooky when I´m not working or doing any planned activities for an extended period of time. It´s cool because this traveling is a real experience. Before I left, I remember thinking and feeling like when I got here I would be happy all the time and change the things that I don´t like about myself because it´s such a new experience and everyone is cooler when they travel to a foreign country. Haha. And while that may be true, hahaha, I´m still completely me. I don´t think I can ever completely get away from feeling kooky, and that´s probably a good thing. I stayed in a cool, little hostal last night and I felt so much more comfortable there than I did at the hotel. The hostal is right downtown, right next to the plaza, but it´s very quiet. I wasn´t scared even though it was quieter and I felt like there weren´t as many people around. This city is a really cool city, with lots going on and the plaza is so beautiful. I´m going to go check out a volunteer opportunity, because I think I would enjoy that. Last night, I wrote some postcards and today I´m going to mail them. I have to get more stamps. The stamps for postcards here are 6 soles, which is about 2 dollars. That is one of the only things that is a lot more expensive than in the U.S. Last night, I sat in the plaza for a while and wrote in my journal and fed the doves. There are so many people and birds in the plaza. People of all ages and children and people walking around with boxes of treats tied around their bodies, offering to sell them to you. There is a giant fountain in the middle of all of it and surrounding the plaza, there are long, stone-column 2 story buildings and on one side, a giant cathedral. There are so many cathedrals and churches and monasteries in this city. Entire blocks are made of giant stone. It is really beautiful and it makes me think of what some parts of Europe look like. Its also a little bit sad, because it all came from Spain when they colonized this country. One of the native languages of Peru is Quechua. I think it was like a language of the Inkas, the native people of Peru. From what I know, their religion was in my opinion, more beautiful than catholicism. They believed in worshipping the Pacha Mama, which is Quechua means Mother Earth. The only reason why everyone speaks spanish is because the Spaniards came. Anyway, the cathedrals are still really beautiful and I have a special appreciation for Christianity. Last night I went and got some hot chocolate and by god was it good. Today I´m going to go look for a hostal where I can use a kitchen, so I can prepare meals and maybe then I can make my own hot chocolate for much, much less. I have been writing a lot and that has been really nice. I started reading a book called "The Art of Racing in the Rain," last night and it´s told from the perspective of a dog. I might try to go to Lake Titicaca, which is not too far from here. Back, like 3 or 4 months ago, when I first started planning this trip, I had a dream that someone told me that the people of Lake Titicaca are some of the most magical people in the world. I don´t have many dreams like that, so I feel like it was very special. I´ll see! I wish I had brought Emmanuel or Sark books haha. Anyhoos, off to check out the opportunities.

Love
Josie

Beginning my adventure solo!

Today is my first day not being with the group and having our days planned. I am very excited. The first day we arrived at this fancy hotel called La Gruta, I was walking around and I started chatting with a man who was with 2 women and I told him about my travels and what my plans were, to volunteer in a school, etc. We kept talking and his sister in law invited me to visit the school that she works at. This morning, this man, who is a spanish teacher in Alaska, a native of Arequipa, took me in a taxi to this school. The kids had made a sign for me that said "welcome Josie," in spanish and then we all sang a song and I helped them prepare a delicious traditional Peruvian food for all the kids. It was absolutely wonderful. I had no idea they were going to welcome me like that. The kids were 3-4 years old and all had so much energy. I said that I want to go back on monday, so I think I´m going to do that. Then, one of the teachers invited me to her house tomorrow for lunch and to learn how to prepare another delicious traditional Peruvian dish called Papas reullena. I think that´s how you spell it. Anyway, Wow! I´ve only been here a couple days and I´ve already made friends! And, I would´ve never known about the place that I want to volunteer at if I had not started chattting with a young lady who was on the computer at the same time as me when I was in the hostel in Cusco. I asked her how long she´d been in Peru and what her travels had been like and she told me about a place that she volunteered at in a city called Huancayo and as we kept talking, she asked me where I was from and I said originally Minnesota, then Oregon, and now Washingto. She asked me where in Minnesota and I said Mankato and she said that she was from Montevideo, Minnesota and it was crazy. Here we are in Peru! She asked me if I knew someone and it was a girl I went to high school with! Ha!! Magical, serendipitous encounters! Yesterday, as a group, we had our last day together. It was called a gastronomic tour! We learned how to prepare some delicious traditional dishes and we got to taste them. We also walked around a huge market in central Arequipa. We all tried a special drink they have here that has herbs and honey and boiled frog in it. We watched this woman kill a frog, boil it and blend it up with all this other stuff. Wow! I almost didn´t try it, but if I hadn´t seen it happen, I never would have known that there was a frog in it. I have also tasted llama meat, alpaca meat and guinea pig meat. Haha I am glad that I have tried all of these foods, but I am also glad to be able to eat lots of fruits and other foods. The markets here are wonderful and the food I have eaten the most here is avocado. Haha, I bought some as soon as a I could at the markets to eat with bread so I can save money and some of the other members in the group started buying avocadoes as well because they remembered how delicious they are. Also, since I´ve been here, I have had the most delicious hot chocolate that I´ve ever had. I want to bring some chocolate back with me. Now I´m going to go take a shower and then go walk around the town and the plaza! I am excited!

In Arequipa!

Holy Moly! So, the last few nights we have stayed with families in their homes in small villages east of Cusco, in the drier, colder part of Peru. It was a wonderful experience. Everyone in the group stayed with a family with their roommate, so it was 2 people per household. These ladies spoke no english and so it made for an interesting and wonderful experience. It got so cold at night but our beds had 4 blankets, some of which were very thick so only our faces got cold. I would like to put some pictures up on here. I loved practicing spanish at these houses. When I am not around my spanish teacher and our guide who is a native, I realize that I really do know a decent amount of spanish. I was able to communicate with the ladies enough to learn some of their history and communicate about daily activities and food and a few other things. I was also translating or I guess interpreting for the lady I stayed with which made me feel super smart. We got to try a lot of local foods from the highlands and some I really liked. We tried dehydrated potatoes which I do not like haha. Today, we went to a buffet for our lunch and I tried a piece of fried Cuy (which is guinea pig!) It was really good but I don´t think I would eat it again. We just arrived at our hotel in Arequipa and I got a little nervous thinking about being alone in a big city like this. Coming in from the outskirts it was really poor and ghetto, but inside the city, it looks different and in a few minutes, we are all going to walk around, so I will find out! I have been eating lots of avocadoes and bread to save on money, but it has been delicious! I have not spent that much money being here. I prefer to go to the market and buy fruits and veggies and bread and cheese than to go out to eat. Gotta go, my free time almost begins and then I will probably put some pictures up!

Love,
Josie

Back in Cusco after going to Machu Picchu!

Last night we got back to our Hostel in Cusco late at night. We left for the Inca  trail 2 days ago. We got a ride from the hostel to the train station. It is such an adventure riding in vehicles here. The traffic is very free and sometimes you get butterflies in your stomach because it feels like you´re going to run into another car. Last night we were driving through very narrow alleys and going pretty fast and some of the people that are in the group were talking about how we were going to die but I think the people here are better drivers in some ways.  I have not seen anything get hit or anyone crash. And the dogs are so smart. They walk in the streets and do their own thing and never get hit. They walk around the markets and eat scraps. In the town of Aguas Calientes, which is the town near Machu Picchu, I petted a dog for a long time and I picked a few ticks off of her and smashed them. She seemed very happy and I saw her get fed 2 times by different people. Walking the Inca trail was so beautiful. The landscape felt kind of like being in the rainforest, but also kind of like hiking in western Oregon. The mountains  covered in trees are what was so breathtaking. I tried to stay behind the group some of the time because I wanted to experience it by myself and not feel hurried or pressured. I think that some people in the group thought that was weird. Haha, no matter who you are with, when you are traveling with the same people for more than a couple days, there will be a little drama. But actually, last night on the train, our group was laughing more than anyone else on the train. Ha!

The second night I was in Cusco, my roommate Karla and I went down the market right near here again, which was my favorite part of the whole day, once again. It is so fun to walk through the streets and hear all sorts of noises and walking through the street market, it is filled with all sorts of wonderful smells. I bought 2 more avocadoes and some tangerines and bottled water in a giant bottle. Then we ate food from a street vendor and it was sooo good! We sat on these little plastic stools around this small card table with other locals and ate rice, a fried egg, fried potatoes and really spicy pico de gallo. It was such a wonderful experience. I am glad that i have not gotten sick, but I am so glad that I´m not too worried. When we told the other members of our group some of them looked a little worried. haha! But I can understand their caution. It was so fun practicing spanish. It´s hard too. But I never feel like people are judging me for messing up, they have a happy, light hearted attitude and i laughed a lot with the locals and that felt so wonderful. Well, off to buy some more bottled water before we head for the Colca Canyon.
Love, Josie

Here in Cusco!!

Oh my gosh! So, yesterday, we flew into Cusco, which is probably the most popular tourist pueblo (city) in Peru porque (because) it is close to the most popular tourist attractions like Machu Picchu and other cool ancient ruins made by the Incas. This city is wonderful! Yesterday we went to a site of ancient ruins called Saqsayhuaman which when pronounced sounds a lot like sexywoman! haha! That was really neat. We visited multiple ancient ruins sites and got a great look at the city from on top of a hill. Then we ate at a little cafe. I had roasted vegetables with rice. The vegetables were delicious. Yo no se (I don´t know) what spices were all on them. Last night, my roommate traveling buddy, Karla, and I went and walked around Cusco and honestly I had way more fun doing that than I´d had all day! We walked through their market which is filled with people selling all sorts of fruits and vegetables and hot food and bamboo, dates, avocadoes, oranges, melon, roasted guinea pig (cuy), which is whole. It is a sight to see. It only has had its skin removed, the rest of the body including face, teeth, legs and paws are completely in tact. Yesterday, I bought a giant mango which I have yet to eat, an avocado and a bunch of small bananas. We also went into the grocery store which was very exciting. There is so much going on here. Dogs run the streets and all over in the markets. Today I bought a piece of beef jerky to give to a dog who was limping and he didn´t even want it! Ha! The dogs here all look healthy and so happy. The streets in this city are cobblestone and quite narrow. There are not really specific lanes, people drive how they want to. It is a beautiful amazing chaotic sight to see. Yesterday when we were crossing the streets which are always busy and people crossing and cars turning and looking like they are about to hit each other and dogs walking in the streets, we stood next to the locals to learn how they go about crossing and tonight I was totally into it and loved walking around the streets. Also, yesterday, we walked down to the main plaza where they is a beautiful park with benches and a water fountain and flags and across the street there is a gigantic beautiful old stone cathedral and up on the platform next to the cathedral, there were probably 50 or more young people all dancing and swinging pieces of fabric and singing all in sync with each other. It was sooo cool. This city is so beautiful. There is so much old architecture, old stone cathedrals, stone streets, stone arches all over and so many people everywhere. So much noise. It is soo cool. No one gets run over, the dogs don´t get run over, it is beautiful human chaos! I will try to upload some pictures. Actually I just spent the last twenty minutes talking to a young man who works here at the hostel. I love practicing spanish here!!!!!!

Here I am in Lima! I arrived this evening and now I am sitting in the dining room of a hostal near the airport which is in what looks to be a very ghetto part of the town. Our whole group is here and we have 4 hours to sleep before we go back to the airport to fly out to Cuzco. I am finally here! Yay! My flight was cancelled and I was so upset to miss my first day by myself, but because of that I was able to meet a really cool person on the plane who is from Oregon! I stayed in a hotel in Seattle after everyone had to evacuate the plan headed for Houston due to technical problems. Then that evening when I was just about to fall asleep at about 7 o´clock (I didn´t sleep at all the night before in the Seattle airport), my phone rang and it was the airline telling me my flight was cancelled again. After talking to my dad, Í felt a lot better. I called them back and while I was talking, I was trying so hard not to get so upset and start crying and I did what I have been reading about and hearing about from one of my favorite teachers/mentors and I said "miracle find me now!" And the next day I made it to Lima. Although I did start crying on my flight to Houston after asking people if I could switch with them to have a window seat like I was originally supposed to have.  haha, yeah. But the miracle found me in the form of meeting 2 very friendly and nice people at the airport in Houston and one new friend whom I met on the plane! And I got my beloved window seat! I was just emotionally fragile and yet excited and hopeful as I should have been. So, now to go up to bed and share a bed with my roommate, a lovely lady who is a friend of Ricardo´s. More fun and magical adventures to write about soon!

Hasta Luego!

Itinerary

This is the itinerary for the first part of the trip, made up by the travel agency in Peru. My spanish teacher who organized the trip is named Chama.  I will fly in to Lima by myself and then get picked up at the airport by the pickup service for the hostel I will stay at that night. The pick-up person will have a sign with my name on it so I can find them! I'll be like a celebrity! Then the next day, I will have to catch a bus back to the airport to meet the rest of the group for our flight to Cusco!
Sorry, it wouldn't let me upload the pictures.

PROGRAMA  GRUPO  CHAMA

PERU: COUNTRY OF THE INCAS

FIRST DAY:

LIMA-CUSCO

Departure to the city of Cusco,  located at an altitude of 3400 m.

Flight Star Peru Scheduled 08:30 am. Flight Duration 1 hour 15 minutes.

Transfer. Overnight at the hotel  Mama Simona or similar.

In the afternoon, we start our city tour accompanied by a professional guide. 

1. We  start the tour visiting the impressive Cusco Cathedral  which has paintings of the Cusco School of painting, altars,etc.

2.  We visit the Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), main religious center of the Incas dedicated to the worship of the sun 

3. We visit the four archaelogical sites which are 8 km from the city of Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Tambomachay and Pucapukara

4. We end the tour and back to the hotel. Dinner. 

Includes, B.

SECOND DAY:

SACRED VALLEY

Breakfast at the hotel.

 We visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

1. We visit the Urubamba for a panoramic view of the Inca citadel of Pisac.

2. We  visit an important and typical popular market in the town of Pisac, where we have the opportunity to learn about the customs of its inhabitants and to acquire their lavish products to a very affordable price. 

3. We go through Calca and Urubamba, the Inca Fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo,built to guard the entrance to this part of the valley and protect it from enemies. 

4.Return to hotel.

Includes, B.

THIRD DAY:
INCA TRAIL: Elevation: 2050 - 2650 m/6726 - 9350 feet

The Inca Trail is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful trails throughout the Americas and therefore, an unforgettable experience not to be missed. The trail leads through protected wilderness in the Peruvian jungle and the forest ecosystem, passing several Inca archaeological sites and offers breathtaking views.

1. We leave the hotel early.

2. We are transferred to the train station. 

3. The starting point of the walk  starts at Km 104, where we will go to Chacchabamba sector (2250 m). 

4. Turning next to the archaeological sites of Wiñaywayna, Intipunku (Sun Gate)

5. A bus take us to Aguas Calientes where we skpend the night.

 Includes; B.L.D.

FOURTH DAY:
  Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu – Cusco

1. In the morning we take a bus to the citadel of Machu Picchu.

2. Tour this great monument of human history. The tour lasts approximately 2 hours, then the visitor has free time to explore the archeological site. Lunch at your own. 

3. After the visit we return to Aguas Calientes where we take the train back to Cusco. The estimated arrival time: 21:30. Hotel accommodation.

Includes: B.

FIFTH DAY

CUSCO-COLCA CANYON

1. 8:00 am Transfer to the bus.

2. Bus Ride from Cusco to Chivay. (12 hour-ride. Take lunch box No restaurants available)

3. We pass by Sichuan (comercial town)

4. We ascend to Langu where we can see the lake of the same name.

5. We continued to Canas (rest) People are engaged in farming and trade.

6. We reach the villaje of Yauri. It’s a mining town near Tintaya mine. We visit the the copper mines and view the geological formations such as mountains, canyons, volcanoes. We also see families of cattle herders, very peculiar to this area.

6. We continue on a difficult road to Imata old train station which has been converted into a comercial livestock.

7. We take a paved road to Patahuasi to see the volcanoes of Arequipa: Pichu Pichu, Misti and Chachani.

8. We continue through the villages of Vizcachani, Tocrapampa, the volcano Chucura and then to the highest point in the journey (4910m):Patapampa.

9. Arrival in Chivay. (altitude 3630 meters.

Overnight in Chivay

Includes, B.

SIXTH DAY

LIVING PROGRAM IN COLCA CANYON

1. We  start our trip to the cattle town of Sibayo with stops en route and Callalli 

2. Lunch,then visit the craft center of the same name.
3. In the evening reception at Sibayo in family homes, and visit the village. 

4.Tour the craft center where families show the whole process of work in local crafts such as textiles, weaving and spinning alpaca wool.
Overnight.
Includes; B.L.D.

SEVENTH DAY

SIBAYO - CHIVAY

1. Early in the morning we bid farewell to the families.

2. We start a 07-08 hours hike with  freighters llamas heavily used by these families to sell their products.
The walk starts at the village of Chivay Sibayo up-on the left bank of the Colca River, along a pre-Inca trail used by the inhabitants of the area.
3. Family lunch in the village of Canocota.
4. In the afternoon we continue our journey through the Canyon of the same name which is formed by vertical walls, eroded by the Colca River.
5. At the end of the hike we will arrive at the thermal baths "La Calera" to enjoy the medicinal waters.
6. Transfer to Yanque.
Accommodation.

Includes; B.L.D.

EIGHTH DAY

TRIP TO LA CRUZ DEL CONDOR - Arequipa.

El Mirador de la Cruz del Condor is located at an approximate height of 3730 meters. It is a great place to observe the depth of the canyon, the vegetation and above all, the flight of the condor, the bird most representative of the región. A bird revered by ancient cultures in Peru for over 2000 years, considered by the Incas as the bird symbol Hananpacha (World of the Gods), also used for some magical religious festivities by some communities in the Andesas Yawarfiesta (feast of the blood).

1. We start our trip through the traditional villages of Yanque Achoma, Maca, Pinchollo.  We can observe the ancient terraces with more than 500 years old and we can also look at how people are moving their animals to their fields.

 2. Arrive at the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor.

3.  During the return, we stop at some viewpoints to observe how people work on the terraces.

Lunch at Chivay.
Return to Arequipa
Includes, B.

NINTH DAY:

GOURMET TOUR
 
1. In the morning we start our trip visiting the traditional village of Yumina to see the fields  which produce some of the ingredients to be used in local cuisine such as red onion, garlic, corn, and many other ingredients used before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors like the potato, etc.

2. Then we visit the market place Avelino Cáceres for the majority of wholesalers and retailers who in turn make their sales to the general public. In this market you can see a wide variety of products from all over the country as vegetables , fruits, meats, dairy, etc.. It is important to note that people from different social classes and different sectors of the city come to buy their products because of its low cost and variety.

3After this impressive visit, we see how people prepare lunch maybe  in a family home or in a local restaurant and then taste it.
Free afternoon.
accommodation
Includes; B.L.

TENTH DAY:

MISTI TOUR

MISTI VOLCANO CLIMB VIA AGUADA WHITE FOR DAM ROAD NORTH

Pick up from hotel at 9:00 am, we went in the direction of the volcano Chacani passing by Cabrerias to reach a height of 4150 m. From here we began the ascent to the volcanoMisti up to the 4800 m (Camp maquis). This day walk: 4 hours.

As we walk,  we can see the South American camelids (vicuñas) in full freedom, within the national reserve of Aguada Blanca and Salinas. Inside this reserve, we can also see some rapacious birds like the hawk and the eagle, and rarely vulturs as the Andean Condor. In this area there is also a bird that is half scavenger (vultur) and half rapas, this bird has the local name of Cara Cara.If we are lucky we can see some wild guanaco, kind of wild South American camelid.
In this national park we can be also a kind of rabbit called the Andes vizcacha  and if we're lucky some Andean foxes.


Includes: B.L.D.

 ELEVENTH DAY:
DESCENT OF THE MISTI - AREQUIPA
Very early hours 4:00 a.m. had our breakfast to begin the ascent to the summit of the Misti volcano (5825 m). During the climb, we observe the dawn being the best part of the tour.Importantly, this dawn is impossible to see if we climb the Misti on the south side.
This day we climb for 5/6 hours.
Once we reach the summit we observe an iron cross where we will stay about 20 minutes in order to appreciate the incredible Andes mountains and especially the Pacific Ring of Fire.

(Set of aligned volcanoes in southern Peru).
The Pacific Ring of Fire consists of a set of aligned volcanoes: Misti volcano, Chachani,Ubinas (erupted in 2007), Sabancaya (erupted 1991), Ampato volcano and the extinct volcano and glacier Coropuna, volcano and snow Hualcahualca.
For the descent will cross some dunes and volcanic ash, this makes our descent easier and at the same time fun. The descent will take us up to one hour and a half to reach the 4100meters high to find our vehicle at 12:30 pm approx. 2:30 pm arriving in Arequipa. Transfer to hotel.

Includes: B.L.

TWELVETH DAY

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to airport to board the flight to Lima.
Approximate flight time. 11:00 Star via Peru.

Includes: B.

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