Hola chicos!
I´m going to attempt to catch everyone up on what I´ve been up to lately. I have all my journal entries written out by hand, so now it´s just about snatching the time at the computer to get them up. I´m currently in Santiago at the Luz Azul hostal, which has one computer for about 20 guests. It gets a little competitive at times. So, here is the first installment of journal entries, from Nov. 5th....
November 5, 2008
We´re on our Machu Picchu hike. Using the Inka Jungle Trail company, they´ve been good so far. We stayed in a hotel right next door tio their office, so we have a pretty easy commute. It´s not a great hotel, but it was relatively cheap. Our room is freezing though! We arrived at the Cusco airport at around 7 am, found the hotel (Well, ¨found¨is probably not the right word. We forget the name of the travel agency, so we had to use a computer in the airport to find the name and adress, get a taxi to got there, then luckily there was a hotel nextdoor.) and just crashed for a few hours. Spent yesterday wandering through Cusco. Got some gifts, including some Pisco for dad. Hope it´s good, cause I´m gonna have it on my back for the next 2 weeks. Cusco is beautiful, very cool buildings, clean, feels safe. Kind of looks like Quito actually, with the old buildings and the mountains all around. There are people everywhere advertising massages and restaurants. It´s a tad annoying actually. We had good lomo (beef) sandwhiches today for lunch, with free pisco sours. Nothing wrong with that.
Today started with a 4 hour bus ride. It was beautiful, but pretty misty. Hard to see all the mountains, though what you could see was amazing. The bus played a very disturbing movie about child soldiers in Mexico. Why do they play these things on public buses? I just don´t understand. But they also gave us breakfast and coffee, so not too bad I guess. At one point we were stopped for about 30 minutes by a landslide on the road. Very reassuring. We passed several more later in the day. After the bus was a 20 some mile bike ride. It was really fun, but took a lot of concentration! It was kind of a dangerous road, with lots of holes and rocks. And cars coming very quickly. Apparently another tourist was hit by a car, but luckily he was okay. Hard to really appreciate the beauty of the scenery when you´re concentrating on not falling off a cliff or getting creamed. And it was really bumpy, my butt was seriously sore for days. I had a flat tire, but there was a truck from the agency following us and they changed it for me really quickly. We were the only tour group to make it the whole way by bike, most gave up and took a bus part of the way. Amateurs....:) We made it the whole way, muddy and sore. Our guide, a 17 year old named Johan, gave us all tshirts with teh company logo to celebrate.
Tomorrow is 14 miles of hiking up a mountain in the jungle. We´ll see how that goes. We were supposed to do a cable car, but Johan said it was too dangerous cause a friend of his died on it last year. I´m glad we´re not taking that. Our travelling companions are really nice, there´s a couple from the UK and a couple from the southern US. Good people, really fun. We´re staying in a total dive tonight, but it´s all part of the experience. There are puppies here.
P.S. I am covered in tiny little bites from somewhere. More insect repellent needed.
New Word of the Day: repellente (bug repellent)
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Yummy!
Here´s the larva I ate. These were the steamed version, which wasn´t my favorite. The bear is just there for style.
My piranha.
This is the flesh eating fish I caught and ate. It´s a vicious circle all right.
I just really like this picture.
There was just this one random red lead in this plant, and it looked so cool!
El Pene del Diablo
Here it is (I know you were all curious), the Devil´s Penis root. Enough said.
My Jungle Pants.
This is my super awesome jungle hiking outfit. Rubber boots, striped blue hippy pants, and yellow floral tshirt. I felt kind of at home trudging around in those boots.
The Cocodilo!
This is one of the crocodiles/alligators (we´re not quite sure which one it is, there is some confusion...) we saw from our canoe.
Our Cabin.
Here´s our cabana in the jungle. It was all divided up into little rooms, kind of cute. In a bug infested way.
The jungle.
Here´s the view from our canoe on the ride across the lake to our camp. It was so gorgeous!!
I have an arrow on my head.
This is me being painted by the shaman before our jungle hike. The ¨paint¨ was from the little green fruits in his hand.
Interviewing!
Here´s me doing my thing at Cochapamba. It´s pretty exciting, I know...
Me and my sweet helmet.
I felt so sexy in this bike helmet. Seriously.
In Baños
This is the view from my bikeride in Baños this weekend. Isn´t it just gorgeous? Best bike ride ever.
Hip Dysplasia Check
This is Olguita doing a hip dysplasia check on a little boy.
Cutey Pie!
This is my little amigo at CEMOPLAF. We played with blocks. It was a good time. In this pic he´s being weighed.
Chivas!
Here is some of the girl on the Chivas Bus. The drink Melissa is holding in the front is an alcoholic beverage that tastes like cinnamon. Yummy.
Rickety ladder of death.
This in mi amiga Anu climbing the rickety ladder of death to the top of the Basilica.
Oh. My. Gosh.
These are the deserts we had at Crepes and Waffles. SOOOOOO delicious. Mine was the carmally one right in the front. That´s right, I know you´re jealous.
On the Ecuator
Here I am on the ecuator, the mitad del mundo. Woohoo!
Ahoy maties!
These are the whales we saw from the boat to Isla de la Plata! I have no idea what kind they are! I must do more research and get back to you! But they were so cool!
Yes, I know I have crazy hair...
This is me on the island. It was windy, okay? Geesh, some people. By the way, there´s a legend that the island has buried treasure somewhere. I didn´t find it. Sad day.
Boobies!
These are the famous blue footed boobies. They were pretty funny to watch, they really waddle! So many boobies in such a short time...
More boobies!
This is a different species of boobie. No blue feet. I think it´s called that Nazka Boobie in English, which so isn´t as fun as blue footed boobie. Maybe orange pointed boobie? Just a suggestion.
The Shaman
Here is the shaman doing her thing with the cuy. Sorry I´m in my bra for you all to see, couldn´t be helped. And its a nice bra.
Shaman Take 2
Same idea, just from the back. She was really shaking the cuy all over! And doesn´t she have a really cool bracelet?
The Diagnosis
This is the shaman cutting open the dead cuy to read its body. I was kind of amazed that she just squatted down on the floor, didn´t even use a table. She´s got mad skills. Oh, and since it was a health center, she put everything into little red biohazard bags.
Pouring the Antiseptic
Oh yeah, me in my prime. This was for one of those ladies with a leg ulcer. She was very cute. I know you can´t tell from that part of her foot in the picture, but you´ll have to take my word for it.
Meeting the Minister
This is me and my fellow student Carrie with the Minister of Health at a public health center. How cool is that? We´re practically celebrities.
The Hat!
This is my sweet new indigenous style hat, bought it in the Otavalo market. Also bought the scarf and filled up that bag...it was a good shopping day!
The Market
This doesn't do the market justice, there are so many people and colors!
El Grupo
All the students at a hill overlooking the city
My Artistic Endeavor
Took this from the window while the taxi driver was stuck but still trying. Oh taxi drivers....
View of the City
This place is huge! Seriously. And very long. With pretty mountains.
La Virgen
She´s supposed to protect Quito from the apocalypse. Quite the lady.
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