La Undécima Semana: Exploring Lima with My Best Friend + 11 Things I Miss About Nebraska

Happy springtime in Nebraska!  Family and friends, I trust that you all had a very happy Easter weekend!  Although I spent the weekend in the company of my host family, I really missed not being with my own family for Easter this year and I think that Alex coming to visit only added to my feeling of missing my loved ones that much more.  Yesterday morning, I couldn’t help but laugh and cry after opening the Easter card from my parents.  More than anything, I am ready for a big, genuine squeeze from my other best friends, Madre & Papa.  That’s OK, though; I feel so blessed to have been able to explore the city of Lima with my best friend by my side this past week!  Alex’s time here was short, but eventful, and I’d like to share with you some of the fun moments/highlights we shared in his stay.  He came on my lucky number week - 11!

 Alex and I’s “home base” for the first few days was Miraflores, because it is my favorite district in Lima and I have been there countless times.  Miraflores is right by the ocean and there is always something to do there!  After breakfast on Sunday (the 20th), we caught a bus to get to another stop and had no idea where we were going.  At Puente Benavides, we asked for information on when the next bus would come to take us out of town to our next stop.  The lady we talked to was unsure of when the next bus would come, so she set us up with a driver for the day.  Our driver’s name was Agli, he didn’t speak any English (but that’s where I came in), but he was incredibly accommodating and kind.  Agli wasn’t sure where our destination was exactly either, but he asked many people and thankfully we got there much safer and faster than the public transportation route.  Our destination, you ask?

Lomas de Lúcumo, a nature reserve (and much more) just outside of Lima!  We made our own path, climbing rocks and finding shells along the way, and if you want me to be honest… I was really scared to be off of the beaten path.  BUT we made it to the top and the panoramic view of the city, from the mountains to the ocean, was incredible and worth every mini heart attack I may have had! ;) There wasn’t a ton of wildlife, but we did manage to see a pair of large hawks, their giant nest, and a Viscacha - which is a large rodent, kind of like a cross between a bunny and a squirrel.  At the bottom, Agli had waited for us, and we made a stop for lunch in the nearest pueblo of Pachacamac.  Alex and I ate nearby the plaza at a small restaurant (in a family's living room), had chicken with rice (a staple here), and sampled pisco infusions within the square.  We really lucked out with Agli!  He took a selfie with us before we left him, so I think that he enjoyed our presence, too.  Ha!  That night, we ate tacu tacu (yum!) on the coastline and brought a gorgeous bouquet of flowers back to Surco for my host mom’s birthday.  I even gave her a plate of Girl Scout cookies (yes, Alex brought me two boxes!) and I’m really proud of myself for sharing…

On Monday morning/afternoon (the 21st), I took Alex to see the art in the streets of Barranco and hang out on the beach.  Lucky for us, it was the first day of school so we didn’t have to compete with anyone for a spot on the sand.  We played in the waves (my first time truly getting into the ocean), found some more shells, and discovered a (live!) conch rolling around in the water – a first for both of us!  For lunch, we found a hole-in-the wall vegetarian restaurant in Miraflores and enjoyed a really nice and super cheap meal… a tasty, veggie surprise.

Come Tuesday, it was time for me to show Alex central Lima - I really wanted Alex to see the Church of San Francisco and the catacombs for himself!  From there, we visited Plaza de Armas and Plaza de San Martín, where we stopped at Gran Hotel Bolivar for Alex’s first (and best) pisco sour in Peru.  Time passed so quickly and before we knew it, it was time to catch our sunset dinner reservation at Mango’s!  Alex and I caught a gorgeous sunset that night (although every night’s sunset was beautiful on the coast) and had a great meal to go with the view.  After dinner, we grabbed a cab to Parque de Aguas, the light and water show in central Lima.  This was another first for the both of us and we had a lot of fun, ice cream included! :)

My favorite (above) & Alex's favorite (below)

Wednesday was by far our busiest day together.  Following breakfast at Manolo’s, Alex and I went back to Surco.  Norma made us lunch before school and I was happy to get Alex through the doors of my university without a problem!  Right after class, we met up with some of Alex’s friends and went to the Arabian restaurant that we had been wanting to try.  We loved it, but his friends were less than impressed and ate a plate of fries instead (ew, I know!).  Nonetheless, it was really great to meet them!  A few hours later we met up with a mutual friend of ours and met the others at Help!, where a paint party was in store for us in celebration of Semana Santa (Holy Week).  I danced without my favorite shoes (I didn’t want paint all over them!) and smiled all night long at my favorite club with my best friend and his (our) Peruvian friends.

Gorgeous flowers on my campus!

By Thursday, Alex was on his way back home and it was easier to say goodbye to him than I thought it would be… it was more of a “see you later” – I will be home in less than five weeks now and I can hardly wrap my mind around that.  I’m not ready for this experience to be over, but I am ready to see my family and friends again!  I miss you all so very much and I am missing a lot of things about Nebraska this week, too.  Quickly (without going into too much detail), I’d like to share 11 things that I miss about home/Nebraska.

1.  Family – I can’t wait to see my parents again and my eyes get teary every time it crosses my mind!  I’m ready to share my time and stories with my awesome grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and, of course, Charlie.  I seriously can hardly wait to play with my dog that doesn’t have fleas/mites/rabies/etc.  AND I get to meet my hedgehog, Luna!

2.  Friends – I’m ready to get back to seeing my friends again and sending letters to the ones that I don’t see nearly enough.  You know who you are!

3.  Spring migration – I miss the Sandhill cranes & all of the other amazing birds that stop in Nebraska on their journeys… a whole, whole lot.

4.  Fresh air – A life free of gas fumes… I’ve forgotten what it’s like!

5.  Clean water – Grabbing a glass and filling it with cold water - without having to boil it first, that is - is going to be a shock and a half, I’m sure.

6.  Safety – Not having to check my bag and my backside while I’m walking around when I’m back in Nebraska will be nice… I have to be aware 24/7 in Lima.

7.  Sunsets – They’re just better at home, better than any sunset I’ve seen on the coastline.

8.  Big sky & stars – I’ve seen maybe two stars here in the city.  Cusco has some!  Home has more!

9.  Peace & quiet – Being able to drive for 5 minutes and end up in a spot free of noise and people entirely… Boy, do I miss that.  (There are way too many people here…)

10.  Thunderstorms – I’m going to dance in the rain when I get home, because there is no such thing as rain in Lima.

11.  Mexican food (& others…) – I miss pickles, pizza, peanut butter, Mexican food, and more; these are all foods that don’t exist or are simply not the same in Peru.

I’m sure that there will be 11 or more things that I miss about Peru once I am gone, though... & although I’m excited to be back to enjoy these things again very soon, there is still much to enjoy here.  In two weeks, I will be heading to the Amazon and I’m so so so excited to experience that!  I finished my Neotropics book yesterday, too, and I feel pretty prepared for my journey to Iquitos.  This is one of my dreams… to finally see the rain forest. :) Counting down the days to the Amazon!

For now, my wish for you (and me) is another awesome week!  Enjoy that Easter candy for me… apparently I’m getting a late basket when I get home (thanks, Madre).  Score!  Love & light from Lima!  Chow chow! - A

La Décima Semana: Juntos x100pre – The Week with a Full Heart

Well, friends and family, I finally moved last week after a month of living out of a suitcase.  Phew!  I can barely believe that this happened in my stay in Peru!  Monday and Tuesday were a major whirlwind; I was caught up in a tornado of moving many people and their (what seemed like thousands) of things.  As I write this blog, I am having a rather interesting conversation with my host mom about all of the things she has in this apartment.  Despite all that she has, she remembers living with her parents in the mountains and what it is really like to live without any money at all.  To live without money… now that is something that I believe is rather hard for most of us to comprehend.  In my opinion, that would be a beautiful life to live.  Both my host mom and I believe that neither material objects nor money are the key to happiness in life.  My heart is full whenever we have meaningful conversations like this; I love that we can understand each other without getting lost in translation.  I laugh because she thinks that it’s very ugly right now in the apartment.  There are boxes in every corner (except in my room) that need to be sorted and given a new place to sit.  Regardless of the “ugly” (it’s anything but ugly) - I really love the new apartment and my new room. 

My favorite part?  I now have all of the space in the world to do yoga in the morning and evening, more comfortably and peacefully.  Before, I was half inside of my “Harry Potter closet” and the laundry room, where my host family frequently peeped in to say hello.  I always made it work, but I am thankful for this new flow.  I am happy - not for the bigger space and privacy – but that I stuck through this difficult and rather interesting time with them.  My patience definitely paid off and I think that we (my host family and I) have a stronger bond because of it.  I am, however, much farther from school and I am unable to walk to campus because of this.  I really miss walking to school every day!  On my final walk to school last week, I came across a baby Long-tailed Mockingbird… coming across nature is what I am missing the most.  Due to the fact that summer is over here (now its “fall”), traffic is even crazier and I have been late to school a couple of times now in taking a taxi to school.  Traffic in Lima is enough to drive a person insane…  My host mom has no desire to drive here and I’m right there with her.

 

Wednesday (the 16^th) was a very, very busy day for me!  In waking up super early from the noisy neighbors (there are more people sounds than traffic sounds with the move, but I can definitely deal with that), I grabbed a taxi and fought heavy traffic on my way to school.  Soon after, I was on my way to the outskirts of Lima with the group to visit a primary school with second generation indigenous children.  Initially, I was very nervous.  With an open mind & heart, I got down to their “level” (to my knees, at a very short and tiny table).  With my group, I read a story with four young boys and then we played Simon Says.  We were actually disrupting their recess, though, so we took the game outside.  The boys played freeze tag with us, but to them we were either “agua” or “cemento”; thus, if you’re water = run and if you’re cement = wait for someone to tag you back in.  During one of my cemento moments, I was surrounded by little girls who wanted to dance and others who wanted me to hold them and/or carry them on my back.  I gave in… it was so hard not to!  I chased the boys around with the sweet little girls on my back.  All of the children were very loving and sweet to me.  Before I left, the boys gave me a small gift: a rubber bracelet that reads “Juntos x100pre” – which translates to together forever - juntos means together and x100pre (cien)pre or "siempre" is for always/forever.  I left a little piece of my heart at the school that day… I fell in love with those Shipibo kids; they surely did fill my heart up with love.  But, all good things must come to an end, right?  Recess was over and it was time for us to leave.  I’m sure that the teachers were thankful for that – we caused plenty of chaos in that tiny green building.  The school was very small, with few children in each classroom.  Access to the school was blocked by a large, black metal gate.  Inside, at recess, the children had access to a small play-set fit for one house, with a place for two swings… but, there were no swings.  Going to this school was a humbling experience.  My heart was very full on Wednesday.

 

Thursday – St. Patty’s Day – was rather eventful, too.  After meeting the girls in central Lima to watch the changing of the guard, we walked around to Lima’s little “Chinatown” and then to Gran Hotel Bolivar for the “best pisco sour in town.”  Then we were off to Houlihan’s: an Irish bar in Miraflores to celebrate the holiday in style, face paint and all!  Much fun was had this day and I have pictures to prove it (note the Irish flag themed scarf…).

On Friday (the 18^th) Alex was finally in route to come visit me in Lima!  I spent most of this day preparing for the next week of school and his arrival.  Bright and early on Saturday morning, I found him waiting for me in the airport.  Yay!  That was unreal… let me tell you, it’s really a combination of wonderful and strange to finally see someone in person after months of talking through a computer/iPad screen.  After packing a bag of my own, we were off to Miraflores to explore the city and watch the sun come down on the rocky coast.  Again, my heart was & is so full.  I am glad that he came to see me, but the trip was short… he leaves late tonight.  His stay here really flew by!  Before I know it, I, too, will be flying north again.  I can hardly believe it.  Today marks five more weeks in Peru!  What?!  I will write more about my adventures with Alex in next week’s blog post… from climbing mountains in Pachacamac to the beach in Barranco. 

No school today for this lady!  My host family is free from work in celebration of Holy Week!  My wish to you is a safe, yet fun weekend and a very HAPPY EASTER this Sunday!  I could go for a Reese’s egg right about now… (someone please save me one) ;)  Disfruta!  Chow chow! – A

(from Gran Hotel Bolivar)

La Novena Semana: Why I love Peru - Nine Reasons

In returning to Lima from on Monday afternoon (the 7^th), I was greeted with heavy traffic with gas fumes galore and gray skies rather than the big, bright blue sky and fresh air that I got so used to (and loved so much) in Cusco for a few days.  Nonetheless, I really love a lot about my experience here in Peru.  Some days, when I am sitting down to journal or write in my blog, I start feeling a little like a travel agent (even though I have no idea what that feels like)… trying to coax you into coming to Peru by sharing all of the positive that I have indulged in.  Let me be honest with you; family and friends, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows down here in South America, but I have most definitely experienced more good than bad.  Today I would love nothing more than to share with you the happy that I have experienced over the past two and a half months (has it really been that long?).  Below I have come up with nine reasons as to why I love Peru and why you might consider coming to see the country for yourself (as if through my eyes weren’t good enough? (sarcasm)) in the future, near or far.  Enjoy.

1.  Loving Host Family – I adore the host family I was given, in particular, I love my host mom.  My host sisters and older brothers are great, too.  Let’s ignore the brother that is my age for the time being (I normally do anyway).  My host family has been going through a hard time this past month.  I had to put myself in their shoes and be patient with them.  My choice has paid off and we have a stronger relationship for it.  Norma (my host mom) is a beautiful person with a vibrant soul.  She reminds me of my Grandma Luella, in looks, thoughts, and some mannerisms.  Whenever I have been down or stressed out, talking with Norma seems to smooth things over.  She is very accommodating and cares a lot for me.  She considers me to be one of her children and she has since the second week.  (But I love you more, Madre…)

 

2.  Omnivore’s Paradise – Peruvian food is amazing; I love damn near most all of it.  From the main courses to the desserts, it’s all (98% of the time) fantastic.  My host mom is an awesome cook and I am beyond spoiled by that!  She cooks fast and simply, and it’s always good.  We have had nearly every traditional Peruvian meal and then some so far.  There is a lot of variety in my meals at “home”, and I have yet to turn my nose up at one of their dishes.  Flan (a dessert) sucks, though.  Flan is almost like pudding and Jell-O had an oily baby; I’m not a fan of flan.  Minus the flan, my host family says that I eat like a true Peruvian.  This basically means that I love ají (picante sauce) and I put it on everything when we have it.  My host mom makes fresh ají, of course!  My favorite dish, still, is ají de gallina.  I also love the fresh fruit in Peru; it’s some of the freshest fruit I have ever had in my life (except from the garden at home, of course).  I never liked mangoes in the States.  Then, my host mom made me fresh mango juice one morning (she makes me fresh juice, from pineapple to strawberry every day); I was really nervous to try it because I “hated” mangoes.  Well, it’s safe to say that mango juice is my favorite juice here and strawberry is a close second.  I sure do eat well in Peru!  (I know Madre is smiling right now…)

3.  Vida (flora y fauna) – The life that surrounds Peru makes me smile and fills my heart with love, from the plants to the animals.  Everything is a luscious green and in full bloom, and has been since I arrived.  Flowers adorn every street, some that I know the names to and others that are unknown to me.  I am happy to be able to at least decipher the family names of most trees in Lima and other places I have been to, but not all trees get a name.  Always stopping to smell and check out the flowers… to me, this is all in fun and gives me a little more homework.  I love encountering new creatures and this has been a frequent occurrence, too.  New insects, birds, and mammals have been added to my biological brain bank and I love it!  But where are the amphibians and reptiles!?  The Amazon!  In April, I will be there, and I can hardly wait!  Finally, if you ever need a (another) dog, just come to Peru!  There are dogs almost everywhere and anywhere.  Although it is rather sad at times to see so many strays, I do take advantage of the puppy love in the streets… they need my love and a good wrestle, right?  Sorry in advance if I come home with fleas!

4.  Environment – OK so maybe this one was a given and connects a little to the point I made above… Being as to how I have a huge love for the environment no matter where life takes me, I love Peru’s environment. As I mentioned earlier, Peru holds a piece of the Amazon, a Neotropical slice of heaven and a must-see for me. To me, this is the “gold” of Peru and I haven’t even been there yet!  The greatest diversity of bird species lives here in Peru, with about 4,000 species.  That translates to 1/3 of all bird species on this planet!  If you’re not so into birds, Peru is home to monkeys of all kinds, large and small rodents, sloths (ew, I know), jaguars, and so much more.  You name it, Peru probably has it.  Pink river dolphins and giant otters swim the rivers, alongside anacondas and piranhas. What’s not to love?  In my own “backyard” of Lima, I really love the climate.  The weather rarely changes in Lima, so I never bother with looking at the weather.  Sunny and 75-80 degrees every day since I arrived here!  If you like it a bit cooler, venture to Cusco or any mountain town for that matter; the peaks have snow and rain.  I could go for a nice thunderstorm right about now, though…

5.  Language – I love the Spanish (Castellano as they say here) language.  I’m happy to say that my Spanish has improved a lot in my stay here so far, and I wonder where I will sit on my last day.  Needless to say, I have always loved the language (in 8^th grade I caught the bug), but coming to Peru has only made it that much “worse” or stronger.  I would have never guessed in 8^th grade that I was going to major in Spanish, but I am glad that I made the choice to upgrade from a minor to a major.  I would not have had the opportunity to be abroad if I had not made that choice, but that’s not the reason why I did it.  Spanish is better than English; even my teachers say so.  I’m sorry… Spanish is easier on the ears.  Peru has the “Midwestern” accent of South America, too.  Another reason to be happy to be here!

6.  Overwhelming Color – If you know me even a little bit, you know I love bright colors!  My wardrobe fits right in…  Here in Lima, I see a rainbow every day.  Not literally, of course, but the many colors all over Peru are quite the funhouse for the eyes.  I love that the nearly all of the buildings – homes, businesses, schools, and more - here are a vast array of colors, some drab and faded, others brilliant shades of the rainbow and/or neon.  Murals and art painted on the walls are even more colorful and beautiful.  Bright colors are a part of the culture here, and I love that!  Indigenous people of the rainforest brought their appreciation of color to the cities; I like to think that their inspiration was and still is the tropical plants and animals.

7.  Variety – Topographically speaking, there is a ton of variety in this country.  I love the spice of life in Peru!  From the snow-capped mountains to the wispy sand dunes and beaches along the Pacific, there is a million activities one (or many!) can do.  I know that I have experienced so much already in my stay, but I feel like I need a lifetime to accomplish even a fraction of all that there is to see and do here.  Every day is a new adventure and I’m loving it!  You don’t even need to plan, you can just go, and I promise that you’ll see much new and have your own unique story to tell at the end of the day.

8.  Easy-going Culture – Welcome to the land of laid back, no worries, and heavy procrastination, or as one of my girlfriends said, “Perucrastination”… There’s more than 24 hours in a day here (so they think), and if it doesn’t get done today, there is always tomorrow.  Ten minutes is never ten minutes.  Lateness is ay-OK.  Peruvians are an incredibly patient breed of people (when not on the road) and this has actually been really good for me in learning how to be more patient myself.  Peruvians simply don’t get caught up in time, and I have to admit that that aspect of this culture was pretty difficult for me to grasp at the beginning.  Now, though, I love it.  I’m doing my best to live in the moment, not worry about tomorrow, accomplish what needs to be done, and just enjoy the time that I have.  “Peru time” is better experienced than explained, I swear.

9.  Self-love – Lastly, I love me in Peru.  I love that I’m growing as a person, becoming more loving, positive, and patient each day.  I feel so blessed to be studying abroad and having these wonderful experiences.  I love feeling this lucky.  I love all of the time that I have had to myself - to do more yoga, to journal, to take pictures, to learn more about who I am and who I want to be.  I love the appreciation that I have for my loved ones at this time, because I miss you all so very much at this point in my journey.  I love myself more for many reasons, and I can’t really thank Peru for that one, but being here has surely allowed me to accomplish that.

I would like to share one more thing - what I did last Saturday (12^th)!  With the group, I went to a lunch show at Brisas del Titicaca.  With a live band and many dancers, they demonstrated different dances and songs from all over Peru, from Cusco to the jungle, and from other countries in South America, as well.  Very “cultural,” as Mom would say.  I actually had a lot of fun watching the band and the dancers; they seemed to love what they do!  There were many breaks in between, where the guests had the opportunity to utilize the stage.  Honestly, it felt like one big wedding reception.  I was coaxed into dancing a couple of times, but I really need to work on my salsa skills!  Now that I have a bigger room, I have all the space for a dance lesson. 

As of Friday, I was on the move to a new location with my host family (finally)… I’d love to tell you about all of the wonderful things that have happened to me so far in week 10, but I have to save it for the next blog! 

Pictures of Brisas below & a video for fun!

Have an awesome weekend!  Catch up soon… Chow! – A 

La Octava Semana: Maravilla del Mundo

Happy International Women's Day!  Today I celebrate the strong, kind, loving women that have raised me and continue to empower me to always be brave and LOVE with my whole heart.  To the amazing women in my life - all of my female friends & family - WE are paving the way to a brighter, better world now, tomorrow, and forever together!  How awesome it is to be a woman!  Cheers!

Well, I am currently experiencing the ninth week - loving every minute of the moment I am currently in - but (I became aware of this today) I can barely come to terms with the fact that I only have 6 weeks of class left here.  Seven more weekends and I will be in Nebraska... now that just doesn't seem real, does it?!  Right now, I am flipping through about 300 photos from the past weekend - the eighth week - & I am most eager to share with you the breathtaking beauty that filled my eyes and heart!  CUSCO & MACHU PICCHU!

As I packed my bags on Wednesday night after another week of assessments & exams (they never seem to end...), I took a break to celebrate one of my host brother's (I have four) birthdays!  I sat down for a very late dinner (11pm) with my host mom & her six children, sharing some good conversation and a couple of pisco sour shots.  We sang Happy Birthday to him, both English and Spanish versions, and indulged in some decadent coffee cake!  I loved this night; I felt really included in their celebration and conversations, too.  And, this week, we have yet another birthday to celebrate!

How could I forget Tuesday?!  The first day of March was one of my happiest days here in Lima.   I surely had an extra pep in my step on that day; I truly could not stop smiling, either.  Because... I FINALLY received my packages from my parents and boyfriend!!  What a pleasant surprise!  I was renewed with positive energy and love from a few of my favorite people!  Like my mom said, if it would have been April 1st, I would have never believed that paper slip telling me to go pick up my packages.  I wish I could trust the mail system here, but... there are more important things to discuss than that. :)

Come Friday, I was up before the crack of dawn to grab a taxi ride to the Lima airport at 5:00am.  One of the longest mornings of my life, let me tell you... I only get up that early to duck hunt with my Papa!  Our group did not arrive in Cusco until about 11am, and then we were off to explore the city of Cusco or Cuzco, however you feel like spelling it is the right way I've come to find out.  

Inca ruins galore for the entirety of this trip!  I walked through a cave (to the underworld...) and cheated by using my flashlight to see - Oops!  To curb my altitude sickness and headaches, I tried some coco leaf tea.  I can best describe the flavor as warm, watered down green beans; now you can decide for yourself whether you would like it or not from that description.  Our guide, Milo, was very in tune to the area and the nature.  I definitely appreciated that!  Even bugs have souls to this man; I can't say I disagree, but I also can't say I will ever stop swatting mosquitoes ninja-style.

The guide: Milo!

Steps of the Inca to the underworld... (yes, upside down stairs)

 The light at the end of the cave... A sigh of relief :)

City of Cusco

Duality fountain (the man & the woman)... 

Gorgeous Catedral Basílica

On Saturday I added a new stamp to my passport AND visited one of the Seven Wonders of the World or Maravilla del Mundo - THE Machu Picchu!  Wow... I am still recovering from how breathtakingly beautiful and knowledgeable of a day it was in Machu Picchu!  I garnered some awe-inspiring photographs and a few good ones of myself, too.  I brought a hat with me, but I didn't want to block my perspective whatsoever, and failed to put it on...  I definitely paid for that decision.  Sunny skies & minimal cloud coverage was excellent for pictures, but not for my face.  Again... WOW!  Being in the cloud forest was beyond amazing for me and I look forward to the day that I can return!  The train ride up and back to Machu Picchu was fantastic.  I didn't see a lot of wildlife, but I did spot a black cormorant braving the thrashing, rapid white caps of the river.  I found myself day-dreaming... Oh, what I would do to be that cormorant and sit upon one of the giant rocks jetting out of the wild water (these are the thoughts of a biology nerd)...  Clearly, I loved Machu Picchu.

Want/need some earrings like these...

Fresh snow melt mixing with the sediment-filled river; a natural beauty!

 Real residents of Machu Picchu: llamas!

 One of many altars (below)

Rock formation that mimics the mountains from two perspectives (below)

 Stray dogs read "sucker for ear scratches" on my forehead... I love it!  Now, if only I could take them home!

Almost unheard of with the lovely combination of the regular rainy season teamed up with El Niño, myself and my camera were rather lucky to miss out on the rain for three days of adventuring in the Andes!  Sunday held more gorgeous views of the Inca civilization in the Sacred Valley and surrounding towns.  I did, however, wake up with a deep-fat fried nose (water bubbles galore) from Saturday's big adventure regardless of the sunscreen I slabbed on my schnoz.  Apparently, I need zinc oxide.  I'm still treating the burn, but it was worth it not to wear a hat I think (don't take my advice here)... :)  A little shopping therapy in the markets split up the time between the ruin sites on Sunday afternoon, and I am still super pleased with my purchases and bartering skills.  Staying true to buying natural, homemade products, I spoke with the mountain men and women that I bought from... For example, I watched a woman make a belt - an entire day of work, she said - for only 15 soles a day.  That is less than $5 a day.  Can you imagine?

 The Sacred Valley (Inca ruins)

 At the market...

That same day, we stopped for lunch at a pretty little serene spot along the raging river.  I enjoyed fresh veggies, smelled flowers aplenty, and jammed to live music; I was in heaven!  Blue and Gold Macaws screamed at me as I entered and exited the restaurant, too.  I took a moment to sit and reflect my trip alone along the water.  Although I am with a group of awesome people, this is still my own unique, incredible experience that is molding me with each passing day, whether I am in the magnificence of Machu Picchu or the hustle and bustle of Lima.  I am happy here.  I feel rather lucky.

Plaza of Cusco at night

I so loved Cusco.  This rainbow city was outrageously full of color and beauty.  A cool climate, surrounded by mountains and bright green scenery, full of fresh air and a grand view of the sky... that is Cusco in a nutshell.  With the weather and the wide-open sky, I found myself really missing Nebraska, because it felt like spring in NE while I was there.  Of course, I will never forget the natural beauty that is Cusco and Machu Picchu, and I hope that you can add your own Maravilla del Mundo stamp to your passport one day!  I promise that it will be well worth the trip.  I hope that you enjoyed joining me as I relived mine... Until next time; Chow! - A