Viva Peru

So many exciting things have happened since my last blog here in Peru. I have woken up in the wee hours of the morning to explore Macchu Picchu, bid goodbye to the beauty of Cuzco, and have stayed the night with a family on Isla Amantaní on Lago Titicaca. And now I'm in Arequipa, about to start a 3 day, 2 night trek into Colca Canyon. Some highlights of my past week are...

The Friendly Nature of Cuzqueños
After we got back from Machu Pichu, we took desperately needed showers and did desperately needed laundry. As a result, I was left with my one nice outfit, and a clean appearance. Little did I know that this was a recipe for attention. It was a sunny and beautiful day in Cuzco, so I told my friends that I was going to the Plaza de Armas to read. I don't think I got a page into my book after an hour or more of sitting. Immediately an older, indigenous woman came to talk to me, calling me "linda" and "bonita." As we were talking, two police officers walked over to tell me that I was "linda" and "bonita" and began talking with us. They left after a few minutes, but my amiga Sabina stayed for half an hour. She asked for us to take a picture and gave me advice on life. She was very sweet. Then once she left an older man began talking to me. All the same questions about where I'm from, what I'm doing in Peru, if I have a novio (boyfriend), family... It was a most entertaining time!

Las Cuentas de las Fantasmas
The night that we spent on the island in Lago Titicaca was very memorable. After our family cooked us a delightful meal of pasta and vegetable soup, we spent the night telling each other ghost stories. I told "One Red Eye," or en español, "Uno Ojo Rojo." Peruvians have so many ghost stories and superstitions! We learned of bad shamans who take the place of black animals, cursing people, rolling around as devil heads on people's roofs, of devil mermaids, and of illusions. Telling stories allowed us to get much closer, and learn a lot about Peru. The night was filled with laughing and terror, it was beautiful.

La Virgen del Candelería
So in Puno there is a huge celebration of some sort where groups of people from different districts in Peru come and have a parade, dances, etc. It is a huge deal, and I'm afraid that I don't know enough to give it justice, but the point is that many people were dressed up and practicing the parade while we were in Puno! It was such a treat to see so much culture and national pride, spontaneously! Zoe and I awkwardly walked through the parade trying to find an ATM though, we stood out as obvious gringas.

I could write more, but I'll leave it there for now. The more I am here the more excited I am to see more and more of South America. Peru has been wonderful.

Exhuastion.

Sí, I pushed myself too hard and am now exhuasted. I think that it's lack of sleep, but unfortunately I have spent the past 36 hours being absolutely tired. I'm now spending my time playing my gameboy (I always bring it when I travel, it provides hours of entertainment and is compact! Zoe makes fun of me, but she's just jealous that she's not a Pokémon Master like myself. She claims to be a Mario spy).

But on a more fortunate note, the Andes are stunning. This could possibly be the most beautiful place I have ever been, although I keep on comparing the beauty of the San Juan Islands... Regardless, I am constantly having my breath taken away from me, which is not conducive to breathing in the high altitude!

Another aspect of Peru that strikes me is my privilege. I'm aware of how privileged I am, but seeing poverty makes it that much more obvious. I have thought more about how to be more conscious socially, here and in the US, and am slowly contemplating how I impact the people and their economy here. Tourism is huge here, and since we're travelling independently we have more choices as to how to use our money. Do we eat at the restaurant with English menus or street food? Do I hire a guide to the nearby ruins or wing it? Should I haggle in the market or accept the already inexpensive prices? Money fuels into the economy all ways, but how much am I willing to spend and is it all good?

This adventure is great, and I can't wait to be in top health so that I can truly put myself out there!

Bellingham.Seattle.1 Night in LA. 1 Night in Lima. CUZCO!

Yes, my travel itinerary went from a long day of travel to 3 days and 2 nights worth of long travel! Although this was initially upsetting, I knew that everything was out of my power so I just laughed, made the most of it, and met plenty of interesting people! There was the Jewish graduate from law school who bonded with me over travels, the pre-school teacher from Boston who I had dinner with, two young (and dashing) Australian surfers, an older couple from Spokane, a London couple on their honeymoon in South America, a flamboyant Peruvian man living in LA, and the Orange County couple who I actually ran into in Cuzco! I find that travelling on my own makes it far easier to meet people, I rarely found myself lonely.

And when it comes to flying, I completely lucked out Alaska Airline miles and flew first class! This was my first time experiencing the luxury of full reclining seats, three-course meals, and puffy blankets on a flight. I felt like royalty, thanks Mom!

And now that I am in Cuzco, I am so happy! Seeing my friends (Zoe, Kelly and Kristen) was fantastic. Even though I have hardly been here a day (most of yesterday was dedicated to resting to avoid altitude sickness...) I can tell that I am already captivated by the city. The Andes are gorgeous, along with many of its inhabitants. The paralells to Spain are more obvious than I had imagned, sometimes I think that I am there. The food is cheap and delicious (my lunch from the market consisted of an avocado, bananas and a loaf of bread for 33 cents American). And the stray dogs are happy and roam around in groups.

Well, Zoe just came to retrieve me! I had a late start to the morning thanks to being exhausted last night (taking sleeping pills, using an eye mask and ear plugs helps too), so now I am about to Explore Cuzco!

Tchua!

Goodbye US, Hola Peru, Chile, Argentina y Brazil!

Tomorrow I embark on my journey. My bags are packed, passport is filled with the proper documents, and my stomach is full of my last dinner at home: vegan burritos.

At this point, I can barely believe that I am actually on going on the trip of a lifetime! I have been dreaming of this for such a long time, and now it is happening. One aspect that makes me exceptionally excited is that I am travelling with people that I love and adore, even though I am leaving so many loved ones for 6 months.

Mark Twain wrote "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." These are the wise words that I hope to live by while exploring.

So here I go! Please keep in touch,

Tessa