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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