A typical day goes something like this...
6:30 alarm clock rings. I decide I'm not ready to get out of bed, so I hit snooze, but can't really even doze because I don't want it to actually ring again because my roommate is still sleeping. Then I stumble out of bed, find a ponytail holder, my keys, glasses and running clothes. Then I head out of my room, down the hallway and out the door with high hopes that it will not be raining. But either way, I'm already outside, so I begin my run. "Where to?" That is the question. If it has rained a substantial amount, I decide I will run around Göttingen. If not, I head off towards the forest...all uphill. When running in the forest, I like to explore different paths (which sometimes leads to a longer run than previously planned).
One such instance would be last Sunday evening, when I went running with a guy from my floor. We planned to run for about a half and hour. It took us probably about 20-25 minutes to get to the Biergarten in the forest and we decided we could go a little further, since the whole way back would be down hill. As it turned out of course, we did not choose all the correct paths and ended up at an opening in the forest where we had a gorgeous view of all the surrounding areas and a small town far below in the valley. We ran on a little further and saw someone cycling on another forest path. Ram, my friend, sprinted up a hill and caught up the the biker and asked for directions. What we had found was another lost person also searching for Göttingen. We were finally able to find our way back and arrived back in Göttingen after 1 hour and fifteen minutes, then walked the rest of the way back the the Goethe Institut.
I then return, get ready for class, read a little, make breakfast and always end up grabbing my things at 8:29 and hurrying out the door to make it to class in the Pavilion by 8:30. The good thing is when I arrive then, I arrive on punctually but not early enough to listen to our abnoxious class song, which is supposed to get us ready for the day. None of us quite understand the purpose of listening to it. It's a tecno song, so fine for a disco, but not the thing I'd like to listen to at 8:30 in the morning.
Then I have class until 1 o'clock with 2 twenty minute breaks. We (my classmates and I) usually play table tennis or stand around and talk and then make tea in the last 2 minutes before class resumes.
After class, I make dinner and then usually go for a walk with my roommate, take a walk in the forest, or wander around town. Then I read until it is time to make supper and other people finally exit their rooms and become sociable. We then usually eat together and have interesting conversations covering a wide range of topics. Then I return to my room and try to convince myself to get my homework done so I can either have free time, make some tea,and go to sleep with the sounds of tecno music playing from somewhere in the building.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Erfurt
This week on Thursday we had our Projekttag...Project Day, which means we took a field trip. We traveled to Erfurt, a city in Thüringen, one of the former East German states. There we were able to see several historical sites and museums, including the Kaisersaal- a meeting place for famous people such as Goethe, Schiller, Napleon, and Czar Alexander I. In 1808, Erfurt was the important city in Europe.
The Rathaus (city hall) is filled with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from German epics and also many paintings of Luther. Luther began his studies in Erfurt in 1501 and later became a monk in the Augustiner-Eremiten Monestery there. We visited both enormous churches in the city, a catholic church (Marienkirche) and the Lutheran church (Sewerinkirche) which are side by side, with a Biergarten just off of their steps, which I found a bit humerous.
The Zidelle Petersberg was interesting in that we were able to learn about the different changes of who was incontrol of the region at different points inhistory including the meeting of the French and Russians there. We walked through 2 km of underground zigzagging tunnels that were built for combatting the enemy and hiding.
It was a nice day to spend with the class, especially to be outside of the classroom.
My roommate and me in Erfurt
The Rathaus (city hall) is filled with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from German epics and also many paintings of Luther. Luther began his studies in Erfurt in 1501 and later became a monk in the Augustiner-Eremiten Monestery there. We visited both enormous churches in the city, a catholic church (Marienkirche) and the Lutheran church (Sewerinkirche) which are side by side, with a Biergarten just off of their steps, which I found a bit humerous.
The Zidelle Petersberg was interesting in that we were able to learn about the different changes of who was incontrol of the region at different points inhistory including the meeting of the French and Russians there. We walked through 2 km of underground zigzagging tunnels that were built for combatting the enemy and hiding.
It was a nice day to spend with the class, especially to be outside of the classroom.
My roommate and me in Erfurt
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Göttingen
Nestled in a valley in southern Lower Saxony and surrounded by forest lies the small city of Göttingen. It is in Göttingen that I am spending my first 8 weeks of studies. I've been here on the Goethe Institute for nearly 3 weeks now. We've been having German classes every day in the afternoons until 6 pm. That was a bit difficult because all of the other classes here met during the mornings, so were were not really able to meet anyone else or do much with our days. I'm excited that our schedule is changing (beginning on Monday) to have classes from mornings until early afternoons. Our class is composed of 16 people from many different countries- one who is a month younger than me and the rest are older, with the oldest having celebrated his 75th birthday 2weeks ago. The others come from Russia, Uzbekestan, Kyrgestan, Iraq, Egypt, Poland, Venezuela, Colombia, Equador, Switzerland, Georgia, Kazakstan, Turkey, Kenya, and one other from the USA. It is quite interesting learning about different people's cultures and customs.
While living at the Goethe Institut I have met several other people who live on my floor. Occasionally we cook and eat together. The most interesting of these experiences has been partaking in the Ramadan meal with my roommate (from Minnesota), and Israeli, and several men from Libya and Morocco. It is really nice to be able to have a diplomatic cultural exchange of beliefs, foods and customs especially between citizens of countries whose governments do not see eye-to-eye.
Sevral times, classmates and I have gone for walks in the forest or in parks together, had picnics or grilled, and we went to a lake last weekend to go swimming. However, I have also spent quite a bit of time indoors as the weather has not been the most convenient for outdoor activities, as it has rained much of the time. Just in the last week the bright green colors of the trees have begun to change colors. Autumn will soon be here.
Goethe Institut
While living at the Goethe Institut I have met several other people who live on my floor. Occasionally we cook and eat together. The most interesting of these experiences has been partaking in the Ramadan meal with my roommate (from Minnesota), and Israeli, and several men from Libya and Morocco. It is really nice to be able to have a diplomatic cultural exchange of beliefs, foods and customs especially between citizens of countries whose governments do not see eye-to-eye.
Sevral times, classmates and I have gone for walks in the forest or in parks together, had picnics or grilled, and we went to a lake last weekend to go swimming. However, I have also spent quite a bit of time indoors as the weather has not been the most convenient for outdoor activities, as it has rained much of the time. Just in the last week the bright green colors of the trees have begun to change colors. Autumn will soon be here.
Goethe Institut
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Arrival and culture shock...
I arrived at midnight in Dusseldorf, Germany after a few long days of travel. On Sunday morning, July 25, I flew from Arequipa back to Lima where I spent the day collecting my belongings, reorganizing them, sewing up my bag which had a giant whole in it from the morning's flight, and resting a wee bit. That evening at 2 am a taxi picked me up and took me to the airport.
In the airport I checked my luggage and then before I went through security I really wanted an icecream and decided that I was willing to pay the airport price for a McDonalds ice cream but then they had none, so I was simply out of luck. I continued towards my gate going through security and then through emigration and paid my fine- which was a little frustrating because they did not want to accept soles (their own money) but rather wanted American Dollars. Finally after discussing payment with two somewhat crabby emigration officers, I was able to pay in soles and proceed to my gate.
The first flight to Colombia went smoothly, but upon arrival in the airport in Bogotá, Colombia, I saw that my flight to Barcelona, Spain had ben delayed... a lot! I would have had to spend more than 12 hours in the airport and after about 15 minutes I decided that I was going crazy enough that I needed to leave. There was no exit to be seen, and I was becoming frustrated, so after asking a few people how to get out, I was escorted out of the gate-area by a police officer to immigration where I was thoroughly questioned and beginning to wonder if leaving the airport was worth it. Finally I was granted permission to leav, but not given a paper that I apparently needed, because then I had to explain to and plead permission from the next 3 officers that I encountered to finally exit. I changed a few of my soles into Colombian Pesos and left the airport with less than $10 worth of money. I decided that I would try to go to the cities center near the Plaza de Bolivar or the musium district.
Colombia used public transportation somewhat similar to that of Peru, so I kind of understood how it worked. I fligged down a vehicle full of people that said city center on it and headed that way. I got off when I thought that I was maybe there or near there because I had been riding for a while, the buildings looked like they could possibly be museums and most of the other passengers were getting off. As it turned out, I was not at the center rather in an area where there were colleges, hospitals, and oher institutions. I may (or may not) have been near a US embassy or consolate because on the other side of a viaduct was an enormous flag of the USA. I didn't head over there because I didn't feel like attempting to cross the busy viaduct. I ended up spending much of the day just exploring the area around where I had gotten off. I walked quite a bit, sat in a park and read a book, admired the greenery and the beautiful mountains that surround the city, and ate some delicious and cheap fruit salads and icecream and also purchased some affordable water on the street before deciding to find transportation back to the airport. With the help of a friendly lady, from whom I asked advice on getting back, I made it without any problems. It was nice to have been out of the airport, but the drizzle was not all that pleasant so I was pleased to be under a roof again. Bogotá seemed a bit more organized and also multicultural to me than Lima (at least that is my impression from the few hours that I got to see of it).
Back in the airport, security was the most unpleasant that I have ever experienced. It wasn't too difficult to get back into the area with the gates... similar to US security, I would say. Then, it took us over 3 hours to board the plane, because we (the passengers) had to remove any baggy clothing and accessories, were patted down by the 5 police officers standing there, many were even asked to remove their pants. They then took out and felt most of the items in our carry-ons and we were questioned about why we were leaving while they examined our passports. They were particularly befuddled by my case, having come from Lima and heading for Barcelona, but having neither Spanish or Peruvian citizenship and not having a return ticket to the USA. What an experience!
After an 11 hour flight, I made it to Barcelona where I checked in my bags at the airport and then went to find a hostal for the night. I took a bus to Placa Catalunya and spent the evening wandering the area, watching the street performers, tasting tapas, icecream, and lasagne. It was so wonderful to shower in the hostal, even though the water was cold.
The next morning I went for a walk, visited the cathedral and got myself some breakfast/lunch from the grocery store. I then took the metro to the Temple of the Sacred Family. The line to get in was quite long, but the church was gorgeous and the museum below it was super interesting. I would have loved to have seen more of Gaudí's works in Barcelona had I had more time. I was excited to get to take the elevator and a few steps to the top of the building to see the city from up above. I experienced a clean and pleasant Barcelona with sunshine.
In Dusseldorf, Germany, I was met by 2 friends with whom I stayed a few days and now I am visiting my host family from 2 years ago. At first, I had no problem understanding Germany, struggled to use the proper grammitacal structures and also to use only German vocabulary and not insert Spanish words into my sentences. After only 2 days, that was much better. It is really nice to see familiar faces and places again, but at the same time some things seem strange. I realize this is a part of culture shock and something that I will soon get over if I continue to look at these things from the perspective that they are what they are rather than critically and wishing things to be different, because it simply doesn't work that way. Some of the things that I have specifically noticed as differences are (yes, these are stereotypes, but in general it is what I am percieving):
*In Germany, doors in homes are shut all the time... in Peru, all the doors and windows are open.
*In Germany there are no bars on the windows, nor high bars and walls around schools, yards, or other complexes... in Lima there were many bars.
*In Germany people have large personal bubbles, do not touch often, and greet with a hand shake... in Peru personal space is much smaller and greetings and salutations are very important and always include kisses and usually hugs.
*Germans plan a LOT and are concerned about punctuality... Peruvians tend to be more spontaneous, run late, and are not concerned about the time- having a mentality that what doesn't get done today can be taken care of tomorrow or at some other time in the future.
*Germans are environmentally conscious... Peruvians- not so much.
*Germans don't eat rice every day... Limeños do.
*Germans abide by rules such as not walking across a street when the pedestrian light is red, even if there is no traffic coming... Peruvians cross on red lights even when there is heavy traffic.
*Things in Germany seem so much larger, more spacious and cleaner than they did in Lima.
...I'm beginning to think that everyone who has grown up in a rich nation should go and experience life in a third world country in order to cease to be so finicky and learn to take the little things for granted. Those of us who live in rich countries such as the USA and Germany have so much to be thankful for. My time in Peru made me realize how many things I had taken for granted... warm water, wash machines, food, soap, clean air, medicine, the oportunity to get an education, uncontaminated water, writing utensils, and toilet paper.
I'll be visiting our exchange student Ole over the next few days and then begin taking classes on Monday, August 9.
In the airport I checked my luggage and then before I went through security I really wanted an icecream and decided that I was willing to pay the airport price for a McDonalds ice cream but then they had none, so I was simply out of luck. I continued towards my gate going through security and then through emigration and paid my fine- which was a little frustrating because they did not want to accept soles (their own money) but rather wanted American Dollars. Finally after discussing payment with two somewhat crabby emigration officers, I was able to pay in soles and proceed to my gate.
The first flight to Colombia went smoothly, but upon arrival in the airport in Bogotá, Colombia, I saw that my flight to Barcelona, Spain had ben delayed... a lot! I would have had to spend more than 12 hours in the airport and after about 15 minutes I decided that I was going crazy enough that I needed to leave. There was no exit to be seen, and I was becoming frustrated, so after asking a few people how to get out, I was escorted out of the gate-area by a police officer to immigration where I was thoroughly questioned and beginning to wonder if leaving the airport was worth it. Finally I was granted permission to leav, but not given a paper that I apparently needed, because then I had to explain to and plead permission from the next 3 officers that I encountered to finally exit. I changed a few of my soles into Colombian Pesos and left the airport with less than $10 worth of money. I decided that I would try to go to the cities center near the Plaza de Bolivar or the musium district.
Colombia used public transportation somewhat similar to that of Peru, so I kind of understood how it worked. I fligged down a vehicle full of people that said city center on it and headed that way. I got off when I thought that I was maybe there or near there because I had been riding for a while, the buildings looked like they could possibly be museums and most of the other passengers were getting off. As it turned out, I was not at the center rather in an area where there were colleges, hospitals, and oher institutions. I may (or may not) have been near a US embassy or consolate because on the other side of a viaduct was an enormous flag of the USA. I didn't head over there because I didn't feel like attempting to cross the busy viaduct. I ended up spending much of the day just exploring the area around where I had gotten off. I walked quite a bit, sat in a park and read a book, admired the greenery and the beautiful mountains that surround the city, and ate some delicious and cheap fruit salads and icecream and also purchased some affordable water on the street before deciding to find transportation back to the airport. With the help of a friendly lady, from whom I asked advice on getting back, I made it without any problems. It was nice to have been out of the airport, but the drizzle was not all that pleasant so I was pleased to be under a roof again. Bogotá seemed a bit more organized and also multicultural to me than Lima (at least that is my impression from the few hours that I got to see of it).
Back in the airport, security was the most unpleasant that I have ever experienced. It wasn't too difficult to get back into the area with the gates... similar to US security, I would say. Then, it took us over 3 hours to board the plane, because we (the passengers) had to remove any baggy clothing and accessories, were patted down by the 5 police officers standing there, many were even asked to remove their pants. They then took out and felt most of the items in our carry-ons and we were questioned about why we were leaving while they examined our passports. They were particularly befuddled by my case, having come from Lima and heading for Barcelona, but having neither Spanish or Peruvian citizenship and not having a return ticket to the USA. What an experience!
After an 11 hour flight, I made it to Barcelona where I checked in my bags at the airport and then went to find a hostal for the night. I took a bus to Placa Catalunya and spent the evening wandering the area, watching the street performers, tasting tapas, icecream, and lasagne. It was so wonderful to shower in the hostal, even though the water was cold.
The next morning I went for a walk, visited the cathedral and got myself some breakfast/lunch from the grocery store. I then took the metro to the Temple of the Sacred Family. The line to get in was quite long, but the church was gorgeous and the museum below it was super interesting. I would have loved to have seen more of Gaudí's works in Barcelona had I had more time. I was excited to get to take the elevator and a few steps to the top of the building to see the city from up above. I experienced a clean and pleasant Barcelona with sunshine.
In Dusseldorf, Germany, I was met by 2 friends with whom I stayed a few days and now I am visiting my host family from 2 years ago. At first, I had no problem understanding Germany, struggled to use the proper grammitacal structures and also to use only German vocabulary and not insert Spanish words into my sentences. After only 2 days, that was much better. It is really nice to see familiar faces and places again, but at the same time some things seem strange. I realize this is a part of culture shock and something that I will soon get over if I continue to look at these things from the perspective that they are what they are rather than critically and wishing things to be different, because it simply doesn't work that way. Some of the things that I have specifically noticed as differences are (yes, these are stereotypes, but in general it is what I am percieving):
*In Germany, doors in homes are shut all the time... in Peru, all the doors and windows are open.
*In Germany there are no bars on the windows, nor high bars and walls around schools, yards, or other complexes... in Lima there were many bars.
*In Germany people have large personal bubbles, do not touch often, and greet with a hand shake... in Peru personal space is much smaller and greetings and salutations are very important and always include kisses and usually hugs.
*Germans plan a LOT and are concerned about punctuality... Peruvians tend to be more spontaneous, run late, and are not concerned about the time- having a mentality that what doesn't get done today can be taken care of tomorrow or at some other time in the future.
*Germans are environmentally conscious... Peruvians- not so much.
*Germans don't eat rice every day... Limeños do.
*Germans abide by rules such as not walking across a street when the pedestrian light is red, even if there is no traffic coming... Peruvians cross on red lights even when there is heavy traffic.
*Things in Germany seem so much larger, more spacious and cleaner than they did in Lima.
...I'm beginning to think that everyone who has grown up in a rich nation should go and experience life in a third world country in order to cease to be so finicky and learn to take the little things for granted. Those of us who live in rich countries such as the USA and Germany have so much to be thankful for. My time in Peru made me realize how many things I had taken for granted... warm water, wash machines, food, soap, clean air, medicine, the oportunity to get an education, uncontaminated water, writing utensils, and toilet paper.
I'll be visiting our exchange student Ole over the next few days and then begin taking classes on Monday, August 9.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Two Weeks and a Backpack
After spending 75 hours in transit by motorized vehicles including taxis, mototaxis, buses, shuttle vans, boats and an airplane over the course of two weeks, while traveling with my friend, Annie, and each with a backpack, I have many things to share…the good, the bad, and the simply befuddling.
To begin with something that reminded me that I was still in Peru, I will tell you of my first attempt at purchasing a pair of hiking boots. It was Friday, the day before we were to embark on our adventure, when I decided that perhaps hiking boots would be a good thing to have for our upcoming adventure. Since planning is not an important thing in Peruvian culture, I didn’t even think that I was doing last minute shopping. I figured I could find a pair of hiking boots in a market without any problem. Because I was pressed for time that day with many other things to do before leaving, I decided to go to a smaller market, which I didn’t know that well. As it turns out while wandering the streets there, I could have saved myself time by going to the larger market a little further away, because I had a hard time finding hiking boots my size. (They don’t seem to sell many for women, so typically, the men’s shoes were a little too big. Just as I was giving up and thinking I’d try to get to the market in Magdalena the next day, I saw a pair of shoes that I decided would work. They weren’t spectacular, but would have been better than my every-day shoes. I the right shoe on and it fit. I asked about the price and decided $12 for a pair of hiking boots wasn’t too bad, so told the señora that I would take them. Then she told me, “How wonderful, señorita! Come back tomorrow between 9 and 11 am. I’ll be waiting for you. The other shoe is at my house. I’ll bring it tomorrow.” I decided then that I didn’t want that pair of boots.
PART 1: HUARAZ
We began our adventure on Saturday July 10 by taking a taxi to the bus station where we were supposed to take our highly recommended and reliable bus, from the company Ormeño. As the night went on we were to become more and more disappointed by them. The bus station was not their usual station, as they told us to go to Lima, Lima since the buses to Huaraz left from a different place. Our first tip-off was the shady station. We entered and a man from behind bars, who looked like he was in a prison, looked at our ticket and told us to wait in the lounge- comprised of dirty plastic lawn chairs on a concrete floor by door number four. We watched the other buses come and go from the station and from the outside they looked respectable. As it turned out, when our bus arrived we boarded with only 4 other people and our bags were placed underneath the bus without tickets. The bus was dark, without so much as security lights and the seats were thread bare. We were a bit confused, but decided we had no other choice but to depart, especially since we were in a sketchy part of the city. Annie was hopefully that we would change buses but that did not occur. Our supposedly comfortable 8 hour ride turned out to be an awful 9 hour ride in our fleece jackets. We stopped numerous times letting other people onto the bus and saw chickens loaded underneath with our backpacks. When the other passengers boarded we thought to ourselves, “They know something that we do not!” as they zipped up their winter coats, put on their gloves and hats and pulled blankets up over themselves. As it turned out we were accompanied by brisk Andean breeze as we climbed higher into the mountains, because of some opening towards the front of the bus. Even more unpleasant but also in a way humorous was the “bathroom.” After probably about 5 hours of driving, the bus driver pulled over at the side of the road, walked partway down the aisle and announced “el baño.” Wonderful! All the passengers began to exit the bus so Annie, who was seated next to the aisle got up as well, barely got off and returned to tell me that the bathroom was not indeed a room, but rather the open side of the road next to the bus and all the passengers were squatted there. We decided to wait until we arrived in Huaraz. Since it was going to be dark when we arrived, we decided that the best thing to do would be wait at the bus station until it got light and then go look for a hostel. This idea was also crushed when we pulled into a dark lot of dirt and not only that were harassed by 2 men who jumped onto the bus before we could even exit. They were trying to get us to do one of their tours and we were the only “gringas” who had arrived on the bus. It was frightening and maddening that they would not leave us in peace, move out of our way, or allow us to get our bags from underneath of the bus. “Me or him?” they shouted at us. Finally we just picked one, because we felt as though we had no other choice and at least then we could get out of the dark lot surrounded by a brick wall. The man we chose took us to a hostel where we ended up accepting his 4 day tour offer, paid him, and then crawled into the only bed available- a twin bed to sleep until we could each have our own bed. We later realized that he had conned us out of about $10 each because we had been to tired and cold from our miserable night to properly think about the conversion rate- since he made the offer In dollars and we paid in soles. That made us upset. To top things off with that man, then next morning he called us out of a café to give us an obviously fake 100 soles bill (we are well acquainted with examining money to see whether or not it is counterfeit) and claimed that we gave it to him the day before. We did not fall for his scheme refusing the money, knowing that it was fake and that #1) we had given him all real bills and #2) even if we hadn’t it would have been his fault for accepting a false bill, and to return the next day, is unacceptable.
Our tour turned out to be amazing. At first we were leery, after dealing with this shady fellow, leaving 1.5 hours after the scheduled time, and then when I got a meat sandwich after I had requested vegetarian meals for the tour, and the guide told me, “Oh, sorry. Tomorrow. You can eat tomorrow.”! She did however get me a jelly sandwich about 5 minutes later, bless her heart. Both of our guides were really helpful throughout the entire 4 days and were very helpful. They made great food for breakfasts and suppers and were willing to answer any and all questions. The people on our tour were also wonderful. I believe everyone was between the ages of 19 and 30 with the majority being in their later 20s. Surprisingly to us, we were the only US Americans. The majority of the others were from Austrailia and the UK.
Some of the highlights of the Santa Cruz trek were seeing the turquoise colored lagoons, hiking all the way up and over a mountain range, seeing the exact mountain that is pictured at the beginning of every Paramount video production, witnessing an avalanche, and just getting to spend so much time outside each day (since we hiked between 5-9 hours a day and camped in tents) and seeing the sunrises and sunsets. It really is not possible to describe the beauty of la Cordillera Blanca and how wonderful of a time we had, so although photographs do not do it justice, they will have to take the place of words.
PART 2: AREEQUIPA
We spent some time in Arequipa, a lovely and well-organized city in southern Peru. Its organization was already apparent when we arrived in the bus terminal which seemed almost like an airport, with its various gates and shops inside. We stopped at iPeru, a helpful tourist booth, who actually asked us what we were looking for in a hostal, and then called ahead and got us a room. This was nice on their part, and the hostal, Bolognesi Haus, seemed nice at first, but turned out to not be quite so nice that night when were cold and could not shut the window but also did not wish to sleep under the dirty covers. Fortunately we left for a hike of the Colca Canyon around 3 am so did not have to sleep there the whole night.
Also during the day we visited the Santa Catalina convent which was almost like a city inside its tall red-painted walls. We spent nearly 3 hours walking around inside the monastery which had been made from volcanic rock. There were many bedrooms which each contained some sort of closet, arch, and alter. The kitchens with their old utensils and giant stone ovens were a sight to see!
PART 3: CAÑON DEL COLCA (THE COLCA CANYON)
The Colca Canyon is the 2nd deepest canyon in the world and barely shallower than the deepest which is very nearby. We spent 3 days hiking this canyon. Annie and I took one backpack along and took turns carrying it. Fortunately it got lighter and lighter, as we used up our water. We had 6.5 liters of water in the bag to begin our hike. The trail was extremely dusty, rocky and rugged, and as can be imagined, fairly steep. We descended to the bottom of the canyon and partway up on the first day. On the second day, we hiked around in the canyon visiting some villages there and getting the chance to see a little museum and learn about some of the plants and returned to the very bottom of the canyon where we stayed in an oasis. Also, our guide painted our faces with the juices of crushed insects. On the final day, we had the choice to rent a donkey or hike up on our own two feet. I decided to hike up and completed the climb just under 2 hours. We began our ascent just before six which was wonderful because those of us who were quick enough we able to hike most of the way in the shade but got to see the light of dawn as it painted the canyon walls. The colors of parts of the canyon and the agricultural terraces in its fingers were gorgeous with a large variety of colors.
PART 4: AREQUIPA (again)
When we arrived back from our canyon hike, we immediately began our search for a new hostel. We asked a police officer for advice specifying that we wanted a somewhat cheap hostel but that it must be clean and have heating. She pointed us off to one side of the plaza. With that, we walked along and every time we came to a hostel, we stopped inside and inquired about it. Finally we happened upon Hostal Regis (which was located only 2.5 blocks off of the Plaza de Armas). As we were climbing the marble staircase, with ornately carved wooden walls, I suggested to Annie that we not even continue going up them because it was surely out of our price range and with a little hesitation, we decided to proceed, because we were already there. As it turned out, their prices were quite reasonable, it was warm and clean . We were so excited to shower for the first time in several days and to get to sleep in clean and warm beds!
We decided to eat breakfast in the hostel and were sucked into the Peruvian Time Warp. Once again, as has happened many times throughout this semester, it did not seem as though much time had passed, when I checked the time and we realized we should have already been at the bus station. We grabbed our things, and hurredly paid the the woman working at the hostel and checked in our large bags. The we rushed down the stairs to catch a cab. Fortunately one drove by nearly immediately and offered us a fair price to the station. As we arrived and were getting out of the cab, we heard them announce that our bus was leaving. We raced to the counter, and panicked inside when the man, to whom we tried to give our tickets, told us that we would have to get our paper converted into proper tickets in order to get on the bus. Fortunately everyone was really helpful and kind and they helped us right away, while that man detained the bus so that we could make it. Close call! We love you, Cruz del Sur.
PART 5: LAGO TITICACA (LAKE TITICACA)
We also were able to travel to Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navegable lake which forms a small part of the border between Peru and Bolivia. We were actually able to see snow-capped mountains belonging to Bolivia. The lake is supposedly the shape of a puma chasing a rabbit, which one can see with some imagination, but I don’t think it strongly resembles this shape.
Our tour of the lake and 3 islands took two days. First we went to the Floating Islands of the Uros, which have a neat history and it is pretty incredible that people live on islands made of reeds by adding a layer of reeds to the island every 3 weeks during the dry season and every 10 days during the wet season to ensure that the islands do not disappear. There are more than 50 floating islands which are anchored down by stones but can decide to cut their ties and relocate whenever they choose. I am impressed at how the islands were made, the amount of work to maintain them, and their history, but I didn’t enjoy them that much because they were so touristy and truth be told, if it weren’t for tourism they wouldn’t be around anymore and the people wouldn’t be there. Boats go to the city of Puno which is 0.5 hours away daily to bring supplies.
Isla Amantaní was the next island that we visited. It was formed many years ago by a volcano and its 5000 inhabitants continue to live a very traditional lifestyle. There is no computer on the island, nor are there any vehicles. The only way to go anywhere is to walk on the island, which is home to 10 communities and several dirt/rocky paths. We were able to stay with a host family on the island overnight. Our hostess, Ana, cooked for us. We had quinua soup and also a grain soup as well as different types of potatoes. During the afternoon we climbed to the center of the island where we were able to peak at the temple ruins and also were able to watch the sun go down on the lake. That evening we were surprised by a fiesta prepared by the local community for our group of tourists. They loaned us traditional outfits and some high school students played traditional instruments including the zampoña. It was incredible, absolutely beautiful. As we danced the room because a swirl of brilliant colors and the music gave it a mystic atmosphere, we even went outside and continued dancing around a bonfire, before returning to the warmth of the hall that we had previously been in.
The final island that we visited was Taquile. All the people on the island are known for their textile skills- the men for knitting and the women for weaving. The neat things about visiting this island is that we happened to get to see the children preparing for the independence day parade (July 28) and also we started ascending the island on one side and then got to descend the 530 steps to the port on the other side.
We then took another not so pleasant, excruciatingly hot and stuffy 6-hour bus ride back to Arequipa.
PART 6: AREQUIPA (once again)
We were able to spend our last 2 nights in Hostal Regis. It was lovely. The first night we paid for a room with a private bathroom, which also happened to have 4 beds (but they were just for us), wooden shutters for the windows and doors, and a balcony!
During our last day, we went to a museum about 4 mummies that were found in the Andes in Peru, the most famous of which is called “Juanita the Ice Princess.” It was really cool.
It was a great two-week trip and I can’t believe it’s over all ready.
To begin with something that reminded me that I was still in Peru, I will tell you of my first attempt at purchasing a pair of hiking boots. It was Friday, the day before we were to embark on our adventure, when I decided that perhaps hiking boots would be a good thing to have for our upcoming adventure. Since planning is not an important thing in Peruvian culture, I didn’t even think that I was doing last minute shopping. I figured I could find a pair of hiking boots in a market without any problem. Because I was pressed for time that day with many other things to do before leaving, I decided to go to a smaller market, which I didn’t know that well. As it turns out while wandering the streets there, I could have saved myself time by going to the larger market a little further away, because I had a hard time finding hiking boots my size. (They don’t seem to sell many for women, so typically, the men’s shoes were a little too big. Just as I was giving up and thinking I’d try to get to the market in Magdalena the next day, I saw a pair of shoes that I decided would work. They weren’t spectacular, but would have been better than my every-day shoes. I the right shoe on and it fit. I asked about the price and decided $12 for a pair of hiking boots wasn’t too bad, so told the señora that I would take them. Then she told me, “How wonderful, señorita! Come back tomorrow between 9 and 11 am. I’ll be waiting for you. The other shoe is at my house. I’ll bring it tomorrow.” I decided then that I didn’t want that pair of boots.
PART 1: HUARAZ
We began our adventure on Saturday July 10 by taking a taxi to the bus station where we were supposed to take our highly recommended and reliable bus, from the company Ormeño. As the night went on we were to become more and more disappointed by them. The bus station was not their usual station, as they told us to go to Lima, Lima since the buses to Huaraz left from a different place. Our first tip-off was the shady station. We entered and a man from behind bars, who looked like he was in a prison, looked at our ticket and told us to wait in the lounge- comprised of dirty plastic lawn chairs on a concrete floor by door number four. We watched the other buses come and go from the station and from the outside they looked respectable. As it turned out, when our bus arrived we boarded with only 4 other people and our bags were placed underneath the bus without tickets. The bus was dark, without so much as security lights and the seats were thread bare. We were a bit confused, but decided we had no other choice but to depart, especially since we were in a sketchy part of the city. Annie was hopefully that we would change buses but that did not occur. Our supposedly comfortable 8 hour ride turned out to be an awful 9 hour ride in our fleece jackets. We stopped numerous times letting other people onto the bus and saw chickens loaded underneath with our backpacks. When the other passengers boarded we thought to ourselves, “They know something that we do not!” as they zipped up their winter coats, put on their gloves and hats and pulled blankets up over themselves. As it turned out we were accompanied by brisk Andean breeze as we climbed higher into the mountains, because of some opening towards the front of the bus. Even more unpleasant but also in a way humorous was the “bathroom.” After probably about 5 hours of driving, the bus driver pulled over at the side of the road, walked partway down the aisle and announced “el baño.” Wonderful! All the passengers began to exit the bus so Annie, who was seated next to the aisle got up as well, barely got off and returned to tell me that the bathroom was not indeed a room, but rather the open side of the road next to the bus and all the passengers were squatted there. We decided to wait until we arrived in Huaraz. Since it was going to be dark when we arrived, we decided that the best thing to do would be wait at the bus station until it got light and then go look for a hostel. This idea was also crushed when we pulled into a dark lot of dirt and not only that were harassed by 2 men who jumped onto the bus before we could even exit. They were trying to get us to do one of their tours and we were the only “gringas” who had arrived on the bus. It was frightening and maddening that they would not leave us in peace, move out of our way, or allow us to get our bags from underneath of the bus. “Me or him?” they shouted at us. Finally we just picked one, because we felt as though we had no other choice and at least then we could get out of the dark lot surrounded by a brick wall. The man we chose took us to a hostel where we ended up accepting his 4 day tour offer, paid him, and then crawled into the only bed available- a twin bed to sleep until we could each have our own bed. We later realized that he had conned us out of about $10 each because we had been to tired and cold from our miserable night to properly think about the conversion rate- since he made the offer In dollars and we paid in soles. That made us upset. To top things off with that man, then next morning he called us out of a café to give us an obviously fake 100 soles bill (we are well acquainted with examining money to see whether or not it is counterfeit) and claimed that we gave it to him the day before. We did not fall for his scheme refusing the money, knowing that it was fake and that #1) we had given him all real bills and #2) even if we hadn’t it would have been his fault for accepting a false bill, and to return the next day, is unacceptable.
Our tour turned out to be amazing. At first we were leery, after dealing with this shady fellow, leaving 1.5 hours after the scheduled time, and then when I got a meat sandwich after I had requested vegetarian meals for the tour, and the guide told me, “Oh, sorry. Tomorrow. You can eat tomorrow.”! She did however get me a jelly sandwich about 5 minutes later, bless her heart. Both of our guides were really helpful throughout the entire 4 days and were very helpful. They made great food for breakfasts and suppers and were willing to answer any and all questions. The people on our tour were also wonderful. I believe everyone was between the ages of 19 and 30 with the majority being in their later 20s. Surprisingly to us, we were the only US Americans. The majority of the others were from Austrailia and the UK.
Some of the highlights of the Santa Cruz trek were seeing the turquoise colored lagoons, hiking all the way up and over a mountain range, seeing the exact mountain that is pictured at the beginning of every Paramount video production, witnessing an avalanche, and just getting to spend so much time outside each day (since we hiked between 5-9 hours a day and camped in tents) and seeing the sunrises and sunsets. It really is not possible to describe the beauty of la Cordillera Blanca and how wonderful of a time we had, so although photographs do not do it justice, they will have to take the place of words.
PART 2: AREEQUIPA
We spent some time in Arequipa, a lovely and well-organized city in southern Peru. Its organization was already apparent when we arrived in the bus terminal which seemed almost like an airport, with its various gates and shops inside. We stopped at iPeru, a helpful tourist booth, who actually asked us what we were looking for in a hostal, and then called ahead and got us a room. This was nice on their part, and the hostal, Bolognesi Haus, seemed nice at first, but turned out to not be quite so nice that night when were cold and could not shut the window but also did not wish to sleep under the dirty covers. Fortunately we left for a hike of the Colca Canyon around 3 am so did not have to sleep there the whole night.
Also during the day we visited the Santa Catalina convent which was almost like a city inside its tall red-painted walls. We spent nearly 3 hours walking around inside the monastery which had been made from volcanic rock. There were many bedrooms which each contained some sort of closet, arch, and alter. The kitchens with their old utensils and giant stone ovens were a sight to see!
PART 3: CAÑON DEL COLCA (THE COLCA CANYON)
The Colca Canyon is the 2nd deepest canyon in the world and barely shallower than the deepest which is very nearby. We spent 3 days hiking this canyon. Annie and I took one backpack along and took turns carrying it. Fortunately it got lighter and lighter, as we used up our water. We had 6.5 liters of water in the bag to begin our hike. The trail was extremely dusty, rocky and rugged, and as can be imagined, fairly steep. We descended to the bottom of the canyon and partway up on the first day. On the second day, we hiked around in the canyon visiting some villages there and getting the chance to see a little museum and learn about some of the plants and returned to the very bottom of the canyon where we stayed in an oasis. Also, our guide painted our faces with the juices of crushed insects. On the final day, we had the choice to rent a donkey or hike up on our own two feet. I decided to hike up and completed the climb just under 2 hours. We began our ascent just before six which was wonderful because those of us who were quick enough we able to hike most of the way in the shade but got to see the light of dawn as it painted the canyon walls. The colors of parts of the canyon and the agricultural terraces in its fingers were gorgeous with a large variety of colors.
PART 4: AREQUIPA (again)
When we arrived back from our canyon hike, we immediately began our search for a new hostel. We asked a police officer for advice specifying that we wanted a somewhat cheap hostel but that it must be clean and have heating. She pointed us off to one side of the plaza. With that, we walked along and every time we came to a hostel, we stopped inside and inquired about it. Finally we happened upon Hostal Regis (which was located only 2.5 blocks off of the Plaza de Armas). As we were climbing the marble staircase, with ornately carved wooden walls, I suggested to Annie that we not even continue going up them because it was surely out of our price range and with a little hesitation, we decided to proceed, because we were already there. As it turned out, their prices were quite reasonable, it was warm and clean . We were so excited to shower for the first time in several days and to get to sleep in clean and warm beds!
We decided to eat breakfast in the hostel and were sucked into the Peruvian Time Warp. Once again, as has happened many times throughout this semester, it did not seem as though much time had passed, when I checked the time and we realized we should have already been at the bus station. We grabbed our things, and hurredly paid the the woman working at the hostel and checked in our large bags. The we rushed down the stairs to catch a cab. Fortunately one drove by nearly immediately and offered us a fair price to the station. As we arrived and were getting out of the cab, we heard them announce that our bus was leaving. We raced to the counter, and panicked inside when the man, to whom we tried to give our tickets, told us that we would have to get our paper converted into proper tickets in order to get on the bus. Fortunately everyone was really helpful and kind and they helped us right away, while that man detained the bus so that we could make it. Close call! We love you, Cruz del Sur.
PART 5: LAGO TITICACA (LAKE TITICACA)
We also were able to travel to Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navegable lake which forms a small part of the border between Peru and Bolivia. We were actually able to see snow-capped mountains belonging to Bolivia. The lake is supposedly the shape of a puma chasing a rabbit, which one can see with some imagination, but I don’t think it strongly resembles this shape.
Our tour of the lake and 3 islands took two days. First we went to the Floating Islands of the Uros, which have a neat history and it is pretty incredible that people live on islands made of reeds by adding a layer of reeds to the island every 3 weeks during the dry season and every 10 days during the wet season to ensure that the islands do not disappear. There are more than 50 floating islands which are anchored down by stones but can decide to cut their ties and relocate whenever they choose. I am impressed at how the islands were made, the amount of work to maintain them, and their history, but I didn’t enjoy them that much because they were so touristy and truth be told, if it weren’t for tourism they wouldn’t be around anymore and the people wouldn’t be there. Boats go to the city of Puno which is 0.5 hours away daily to bring supplies.
Isla Amantaní was the next island that we visited. It was formed many years ago by a volcano and its 5000 inhabitants continue to live a very traditional lifestyle. There is no computer on the island, nor are there any vehicles. The only way to go anywhere is to walk on the island, which is home to 10 communities and several dirt/rocky paths. We were able to stay with a host family on the island overnight. Our hostess, Ana, cooked for us. We had quinua soup and also a grain soup as well as different types of potatoes. During the afternoon we climbed to the center of the island where we were able to peak at the temple ruins and also were able to watch the sun go down on the lake. That evening we were surprised by a fiesta prepared by the local community for our group of tourists. They loaned us traditional outfits and some high school students played traditional instruments including the zampoña. It was incredible, absolutely beautiful. As we danced the room because a swirl of brilliant colors and the music gave it a mystic atmosphere, we even went outside and continued dancing around a bonfire, before returning to the warmth of the hall that we had previously been in.
The final island that we visited was Taquile. All the people on the island are known for their textile skills- the men for knitting and the women for weaving. The neat things about visiting this island is that we happened to get to see the children preparing for the independence day parade (July 28) and also we started ascending the island on one side and then got to descend the 530 steps to the port on the other side.
We then took another not so pleasant, excruciatingly hot and stuffy 6-hour bus ride back to Arequipa.
PART 6: AREQUIPA (once again)
We were able to spend our last 2 nights in Hostal Regis. It was lovely. The first night we paid for a room with a private bathroom, which also happened to have 4 beds (but they were just for us), wooden shutters for the windows and doors, and a balcony!
During our last day, we went to a museum about 4 mummies that were found in the Andes in Peru, the most famous of which is called “Juanita the Ice Princess.” It was really cool.
It was a great two-week trip and I can’t believe it’s over all ready.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Last of Lima
I've spent my final weeks in Lima staying very busy between final exams, writing our anthropology paper, volunteering at Deporte y Vida (in Villa El Salvador), and spending time with friends.
Finals went pretty well, and I was elated when 4:30 in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 7th came around and I was officially done with my 4th semester.
I really enjoyed volunteering at Deporte y Vida, I and learned a lot from the experience. The other girls, who also volunteered, and I helped the students (mostly elementary or junior-high-aged) with their homework in a variety of subjects, encouraged them to try and to learn not just copy answers, and gave them the attention that we could. Some of them had beaming smiles all the time, which is incredible supportive evidence to the statement that money doesn’t buy happiness. It was very enjoyable getting to know both the kids and the teachers, who have the patience of saints and do all that they can to improve the children’s situations. We also completed to murals for them- one a nature scene and the other a picture of Misti (a volcano in southern Peru). Additionally we asked for donations at our university for the people of Oasis, Villa El Salvador, especially targeting international students who may not wish to take everything home with them. We had great results!
With my time coming to a close, I realize that there will be some things I will miss about Lima and my time there, but I am also looking forward to my future travels.
Finals went pretty well, and I was elated when 4:30 in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 7th came around and I was officially done with my 4th semester.
I really enjoyed volunteering at Deporte y Vida, I and learned a lot from the experience. The other girls, who also volunteered, and I helped the students (mostly elementary or junior-high-aged) with their homework in a variety of subjects, encouraged them to try and to learn not just copy answers, and gave them the attention that we could. Some of them had beaming smiles all the time, which is incredible supportive evidence to the statement that money doesn’t buy happiness. It was very enjoyable getting to know both the kids and the teachers, who have the patience of saints and do all that they can to improve the children’s situations. We also completed to murals for them- one a nature scene and the other a picture of Misti (a volcano in southern Peru). Additionally we asked for donations at our university for the people of Oasis, Villa El Salvador, especially targeting international students who may not wish to take everything home with them. We had great results!
With my time coming to a close, I realize that there will be some things I will miss about Lima and my time there, but I am also looking forward to my future travels.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Random Thoughts...
With less than a week left in Lima, I'm having a wide range of thoughts...
♦I'm going to miss going to Deporte y Vida in Villa El Salvador and all the friendly loving faces there.
♦I'm excited to soon be living in an environment in which I can cook for myself and serve myself my own portions of food.
♦I love feeling comfortable and confident in a place that was scary and unnerving a few months ago... a place written about by a famous author (back when the population was only 1 million instead of 9 million) as the beast with 1 million heads.
♦It's 60 degrees and I'm freezing all the time. Why? Because there's a lot of humidity and there is no such thing as heaters or anything of that sort here. My laptop heats me more than anything.
♦I should be working on my paper for anthropology, but I'm lacking in motivation.
♦I'm excited to go hiking in a week!
♦I'm so sick of listening to people making a huge deal out of vegetarianism.
♦God has truly blessed me this semester.
♦I don't want to have to pack up my things again in 4 days.
♦I so excited. I'm almost done with classes.
♦I love walking or running along the malecón.
♦The polution in this city is atrocious. It does to the lungs what smoking 3 cigarettes a day does.
♦Switching from using soles to the euro is not going to be fun.
♦I love it when micro-rides cost less than I expect.
♦I see so many amazing people that I wish I could pluck out of their poor situations and give them the opportunity to thrive and flourish.
♦I'm going to miss the combi and micro rides in a strange sort of way... they are a big part of every day.
♦I wish it were sunny.
♦I'm going to miss all the people I've come to know and love.
♦I wish I could see my family and friends from the States.
♦I love how warm and friendly Peruvian culture is.
♦I'm going to miss not being able to show up late for everything.
♦No wonder the USA doesn't have a very popular image when we have an embassy that looks like a fort and takes up a huge chunk of space in a part of Lima away from the other embassies.
♦I love all the kisses that I get and give daily, especially from all the children at Deporte y Vida. It still makes me smile when someone joins a group discussing and gives about 15 people kisses and leaves 2 minutes later and gives each person in the group kisses once more before leaving.
♦I'm excited to breathe in air outside of this city that doesn't do the same thing to my lungs as smoking 3 cigarettes a day.
♦I find the policemen on segues amusing and it's impossible not to smirk.
♦I'm going to miss going to Deporte y Vida in Villa El Salvador and all the friendly loving faces there.
♦I'm excited to soon be living in an environment in which I can cook for myself and serve myself my own portions of food.
♦I love feeling comfortable and confident in a place that was scary and unnerving a few months ago... a place written about by a famous author (back when the population was only 1 million instead of 9 million) as the beast with 1 million heads.
♦It's 60 degrees and I'm freezing all the time. Why? Because there's a lot of humidity and there is no such thing as heaters or anything of that sort here. My laptop heats me more than anything.
♦I should be working on my paper for anthropology, but I'm lacking in motivation.
♦I'm excited to go hiking in a week!
♦I'm so sick of listening to people making a huge deal out of vegetarianism.
♦God has truly blessed me this semester.
♦I don't want to have to pack up my things again in 4 days.
♦I so excited. I'm almost done with classes.
♦I love walking or running along the malecón.
♦The polution in this city is atrocious. It does to the lungs what smoking 3 cigarettes a day does.
♦Switching from using soles to the euro is not going to be fun.
♦I love it when micro-rides cost less than I expect.
♦I see so many amazing people that I wish I could pluck out of their poor situations and give them the opportunity to thrive and flourish.
♦I'm going to miss the combi and micro rides in a strange sort of way... they are a big part of every day.
♦I wish it were sunny.
♦I'm going to miss all the people I've come to know and love.
♦I wish I could see my family and friends from the States.
♦I love how warm and friendly Peruvian culture is.
♦I'm going to miss not being able to show up late for everything.
♦No wonder the USA doesn't have a very popular image when we have an embassy that looks like a fort and takes up a huge chunk of space in a part of Lima away from the other embassies.
♦I love all the kisses that I get and give daily, especially from all the children at Deporte y Vida. It still makes me smile when someone joins a group discussing and gives about 15 people kisses and leaves 2 minutes later and gives each person in the group kisses once more before leaving.
♦I'm excited to breathe in air outside of this city that doesn't do the same thing to my lungs as smoking 3 cigarettes a day.
♦I find the policemen on segues amusing and it's impossible not to smirk.
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