Hola, hola!
Things are still going very well in Lima, and I’m enjoying the long weekend for Semana Santa (Holy Week).
This last Thursday, I was invited to a party across town at Jessica’s place, one of the teachers that I work with. It was her sister’s birthday, and one of the other teachers here, Tito, was also going. So they picked me up Thursday afternoon, and we went to the party. I was expecting a smaller family gathering, but when we arrived there was quite the crowd! Probably about 25 people, and lots of good food. Though I was the only English speaker, and it was a little overwhelming at first, it was a lot of fun.
They started by giving me a heaping plate of food, and I talked to Jessica’s sister and cousins while enjoying the dish. Then her crazy aunts came over and I chatted with them for a while. They were asking me a million questions about the states, how long I was staying…. Then they started talking about their daughters and asked if I had a girlfriend, haha.
As it got a little later spirits began flowing and the dancing began. It was a good time, and there were a lot of laughs. I was happy to be a part of a Peruvian family gathering!
Then yesterday, I got to see some new parts of the city. I went with Javier, the director of the school, to “La Punta” (The Point), which is a peninsula at the extreme north side of Lima. The district was very cool, filled with renovated buildings from the ‘30’s that at times gave the feeling of an old western town. The district was scattered with Arabian and traditional Spanish architecture as well. The view of the city was fantastic and the smell of the ocean refreshing :)
Anyway, things are going well, and now I’m getting prepped for the weeks ahead!
------------------------------- *¡Flashback!* -----------------------------
Machu Picchu
February 25
Doug and I got up early, around 6am, for breakfast. Unfortunately Doug had been up most of the night and wasn’t feeling so well… After breakfast and chatting with an amiable French couple, he was feeling better though, and we were determined to see Machu Picchu and the fabled Huayna Picchu (a much higher peak with additional ruins that gives a picturesque view of the entire Machu Picchu site!).
We departed from Aguas Calientes, and boarded our bus at 7am on the dot. After a 20 minute ride up a serpentine path we disembarked at Machu Picchu’s entrance with a modest crowd of people. There were people of all ages and backgrounds, and we could recognize a plethora of different languages being spoken around us. We walked up a short series of switchbacks and stairs, and finally walked out onto the massive ruins. Our view was blocked by a misty cloud hovering over the site, but it gave a majestic and magical ambiance to the place that I won’t soon forget. This was Machu Picchu.
As the morning progressed we explored ruin after ruin, from the houses, to fountains, royal baths, terraces, and a variety of different temples (of the sun, condor rock..). The mist gradually lifted and by late morning our view of the place was practically unobstructed; breathtaking. We read about the history of different parts of the site as we walked and our guide books came to life in front of us. As explored the massive site we nabbed different facts and stories from the many tour guides scattered about with their groups. Our cameras drank their fill of the scenery, and soon the gates to Huayna Picchu would be opening.
We made it to the far side of the site and had a bit of time to hydrate while taking in the vistas of the surrounding valleys. When the gates opened Doug found that he had misplaced his entry ticket! But after a few minutes he found it and we were on our way up the steep rocky path to Huayna Picchu. Forty-five sweaty minutes later we emerged at the top of the peak, and the view was spectacular. We enjoyed our perch, took some more pictures and after an hour or so were on our way back down. The extra soles and the steep hike were definitely worth it!
Back down at the Machu Picchu site we spent another few hours exploring. Towards the end, while we were traversing the extensive terraces we came across some llamas peacefully grazing in the lush grass. We thought that this would be a great photo op, and after seeing a couple walk right by one of the llamas decided that they were docile enough to approach. Well, we snapped a few shots and it seemed to be going well, but then I apparently decided to get a little too close. The llama looked at me, bared its gritty teeth, made a grunting noise and started coming at me. I decided my best option was to run. So, I booked it back to the rocky stairs while the thing chased behind me (ignoring Doug and the other couple on the terrace). I was attacked by a demon llama in Machu Picchu.
The day was now into the mid-afternoon, and after soaking in the last of the spectacular views we took the bus back down the winding road to Aguas.
In town, we had a few hours before our train departed so we decided to get a bite to eat at a pizza place and to write out some post cards. We then got some more Soles from the ATM and tried our hand at negotiating in the marketplace! I think we did pretty well. After chatting for a bit at a stand we would usually get some sort of discount :)
As it began to get dark, we went back to Gringo Bill’s to grab our luggage, and boarded the train back to Ollantaytambo. It was an interesting ride with a rowdy bunch of college students behind us drinking and having a lively debate with the folks across the walkway.
When we disembarked in Ollantaytambo it was dark and raining. We donned our rain coats and walked a mile or so to our hostel with a happy-go-lucky canine friend from the street. At the hostel we were welcomed by a young boy who seemed to be running the place that night. He checked us in and got us squared away. We chatted for a bit about the day and after eating a little something from our packs went to sleep in preparation for the early rise the next day…
