Año Nuevo

I am writing from Chile, where we´ve been for a few days. Holly and I got to the little beach town of Arica, Chile on Tuesday and have been chillin on the beach. Not a bad way to spend some vacation time. Yesterday we rented bikes and rode along the shore to the end of the road. There´s a bike trail that goes further along the coast and passes a bunch of caves and tide pools. Farther on, there´s a colony of sea lions just hanging out on the rocks. It reminded me of the coastline of northern California, except it´s totally desert here-no vegetation. We ate fish at a restaurant that the guy was cleaning when we got there-fresh outta the ocean. This morning, we hopped on a bus to a mountain village called Putre at the foot of a national park with volcanoes and lakes. Very beautiful. But when we got here, we discovered the town was empty because everyone goes into Arica to party for nuevo año! We are still working on getting a ride up to the park to do some hiking and sightseeing with a dutch couple and an crazy italian named Guiseppi. I need to get back to Arequipa and Cusco by Sunday to start working in the clinic, so I imagine there´ll be alot of bus riding this weekend. Holly is going to continue down through Chile, making stops at the salt flats in Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, the beach town La Serena in Chile, and others as she makes her way to Santiago. We´re separating again...Qué triste! We´ll be celebrating the new year and thinking of all the great people who have been supporting us and have been excited to follow along our journeys. All the best in ´09!!!

Feliz Navidad

To be honest, I think I'd rather be saying "Merry Christmas"... Being away from home for Christmas is harder than I had thought! However, Christmas Eve festivities couldn't have been more fun and I wish I could have shared them with you all! I am staying with a family in Arequipa, Peru and they have generously taken me (and my brother) in for their Christmas traditions. It is actually much like it is at home.... People running around crazy trying to finish last minute shopping and cooking. Rob and I decided to venture into the masses of people yesterday. I got a kick out of it, while he got pissed off and walked home with his tail between his legs. After I had had my fair share of the craziness, I returned home, 6-pack of beer in hand with the hope of cheering my brother up. Success.

Christmas Eve dinner here doesn't begin until 10pm. I was worried I wouldn't be able to stay up that late since my sleeping schedule here is much like that of an 85-year-old man. But once I saw the display of food before me, my sleepiness vanished and I began to dig in. Day after day, the family continues to try to fatten me up with food. Much like it is for us, they try to show their love with food. Christmas is no exception and I was forced to have seconds....

After dinner, the waiting til midnight begins. Here in Peru, the kids do not believe in Santa Claus, although his name here is "Papa Noel." In that case, the celebration begins at the stroke of midnight when it becomes Christmas. I've never heard so many fireworks in my entire life! I'm reluctant to say that it made our Fourth of July celebration look extremely weak. I'm not talking big fireworks, I'm simply talking the little ones with the big noises. Tio Jose (Uncle Joe who I would say is in his 70s) was lighting them off in his hands. I was laughing so hard I thought my Christmas dinner was going to come back up. Fireworks could be heard for miles... We proceeded to light sparklers inside the house as we toasted to "la navidad" with champagne. The opening of the gifts comes next (every last one) and needless to say, we didn't make it to our beds until around 2:30am.

I know this is getting long-winded but I wanted to share one last thing about the "paneton" which to us is FRUIT CAKE and somewhat of a laughing matter. But here in Peru, paneton is one of the biggest traditions of Christmas. They are everywhere. In all the mercados and in all the little shops around the city. I bought one for each of my Spanish teachers in Cusco. I can't help but laugh. In fact, my belly is full of the stuff plus hot chocolate as I sit here and write this...

Merry Christmas,
Holly

La Comida, Parte 1: Las Frutas

Wow. I can't believe it's taken me this long to talk about the food in Peru. Maybe it's because it's pretty damn good, and I've been too busy eating it. I will probably write more about food in later blog entries because there is so much to talk about. In the first installment of my food chronicles, I want to talk about fruit. I went to the market last weekend with Henry and Juana (the parents of my host family), and discovered more about the many fruits that, as an Uh-mur-ken, I have neither seen nor even heard of before my adventure to Peru. For example...

As you may know, there are many different varieties of bananas throughout the world. The banana that we eat in the States is the Cavendish, and I think I remember hearing that the species is being threatened by some predator. The bananas here are not too exotic, and I'm actually bit disappointed by them.

There are a lot of melons. The Pepino is a little melon that, so I'm told, is a close relative to the cucumber. The Pepino, however, is round, about the size of a baseball, and is a pale yellow with purple stripes. It tastes similar to a melon you'd find in the states, but with less of that gross melon flavor.

Membrillos, Tunas, Pepios, and Manzanas

Juana bought me some membrillos to try out. Membrillos the look and texture of apples. But when you bite into one, you discover that it's dry and sour, like a lemon was genetically intertwined with the apple. A little difficult to eat raw, it is a great fruit for tarts and mermeladas.

One of my favorite new fruits is the Maracuya, a little, round, yellow, slightly withered peice of fruit. I had first seen it as a flavor of ice cream. Jauna also bought me a Maracuya to try, and I was anxious to give it a taste. She cut it open, and inside were seeds surrounded by a gel-like goo. I scooped out a spoonful, popped it in my mouth, and quickly realized what a bad idea that was. I have never tasted bitter of that quality. My mouth contorted, my eyes released tears, and I jumped up and down. Whew!! I was glad to get that down. I had a few more bites, but saved the rest to be mixed with sugar (lots of sugar) and water for some juice.

Maracuya A similar fruit is the Granadilla (aka Passion Fruit). It contains seeds without the extremely bitterness of the Maracuya.

Granadilla

On the streets, many Quechua women sell Tuna (not the fish). Tuna is the bud of a cactus plant that is cut to remove the cactus shell and reveal a fleshy green inside witha bunch of hard seeds. It tastes a little melony, and has seeds that ou're not supposed to chew outright, but gum and swallow. Not bad.

That's it for the fruits for now. I'll be back with more about food later.

More pictures HERE.

Apprendiendo

I am learning a lot of new information here in Arequipa. I´m learning that I like to sleep with earplugs. It´s not that the rooster that "cock-a-doodle-doo´s" from 3am to 10pm bothers me. He´s pretty far away. Nor does that cat that woke me up thinking that a little girl had fallen in a well and had been calling for help for 17 hours. No, it´s not those. It´s also not the garbage trucks here in Arequipa that play a melody like an ice-cream truck. I think it´s the song Holly practiced and practiced and practiced on the piano when we were kids (Holly informs me it's Beethoven's "Fur Elise"). I´m very familiar with it. Nope. Nor is it the guys who ride up and down the streets in the mornings on their tricycles (really they´re bikes, with big platforms to carry merchandise to sell), announcing what they are selling. At least that´s what I think they´re saying. Their voices are so garbled by the megaphone that, despite my progress in my Spanish classes, I have no damn idea what the hell they´re saying. Nope. I´m used to it. Almost comforting by now. I sleep like a baby, despite these sounds. Just as long as I got my earplugs.

Oh, and my Spanish is coming along just fine.

Holly

Holly arrived in Arequipa last night. I haven´t seen her in a few weeks. We both went to Cusco, and she had found a school and arranged lessons before she arrived in Perú. I waited until I arrived to find a shool that I liked, and ended up not wanting to stay in Cusco as it´s the hub of gringo tourism. I landed in Arequipa, which I must say is a pretty sweet town.

Holls had been taking Spanish lessons in Cusco for a few weeks and living with a family. Here in Perú, family includes not only Mamá, Papá, hermanos y hermanas, but also aunts, uncles, cousing, grandmas, grandpas, and whomever else is around. Holly´s "mom" was a woman named Manchi, and everytime I called to talk to Holly, I ended up talking to Manchi for a good ten minutes. Not that I understood everything she said to me every time. But I think the last time we chatted, she told me she was gonna call us on Navidad, and that I should call and stay at their house when I come back to Cusco. And despite the jokes around their house that I am Manchi´s new boyfriend, I think I´ll take her up on the offer.

Holly got in late last night, so I met up with her today and walked around the city. We walked back to my apartment and she was shocked at how big it was. I guess I´m living in style here in Arequipa. I know my meals are delicious and plentiful, but I didn´t realize how much comfort I live in as well. We cruised back into town where we ate Nutella-filled crepes with ice cream. Don´t worry, I´m headed home now for a big dinner. More soon. Ciao!

Escalando

I received an invitation to go climbing last weekend from Iván the guide with whom we climbed Chachani. I gladly accepted as it was not only a chance to go climbing, but a chance to get out of the city and see something new. I met him at the shop, along with a couple of his friends, and we proceeded to pull out gear-harnesses, ropes, biners, cams, quickdraws, belay devices, grigris. Iván even had a pair of shoes I could borrow. But there are very few people here in Perú with feet like mine. The biggest size Iván had were 46: I wear 50. But they worked, and ultimately I was able to climb.

We hopped on a combi and rode up to a neighborhood that doesn´t see many gringos. We exited the combi on a corner where families had set up tables and sell food to the drivers as they make their rounds. The chicos looked on in awe as I stood there, all 2 meters of me. They giggled in amusement at the circus show that I brought to their barrio.

We walked up a gravel road to the end of the barrio. At the end of the barrio, there are plots of land that people just claim as their own. There isn´t much electricity and no plumbing, but people build stone fences and then stone houses on which they put a tin roof. It´s a very poor section of Arequipa, and impacting not only the health of the people there but also the health of the desert upon which it boarders.

Further up, we came to a cut through the ground in which a huge canyon just appears below. We climbed down a bit into a smaller section, and found a spot that Iván and co. had installed a few bolts in the rock. Iván got on, and made his way up the route, putting up quickdraws so we could toprope. I hop on next, and suddenly am reintroduced to climbing. After a quick move at the beginning that took me a couple of tries, I found myself face-to-face with lateral move with teeny fingerholds, and a jump to put my right foot where my left was already standing. I looked at the rock, concentrating. All I wanted was for a hold to appear, to emerge out of the rock, and somehow I thought that the more I looked, the more I concentrated, it would form itself for me. Nope. I made the move, and missed. After a few more tries, I threw in the towel. I wanted to climb more and didn´t want to wear myself out.

We hiked down to the mouth of the canyon and looked up to see 50 meter walls on either side. Iván had a few climbs bolted and ready to go. He took us to one called "Chocho Loco", Crazy Ass. He cruised up easily, and I followed. Huge holds, but with a slight inclining angle off to the left. Having not climbed in over 3 years, it was perfect for me. Working through a few tight spots, I could feel adrenaline hitting me. I met Iván at the top, and we set up the rappel. I also forgot how much control the mind has over your body and how easily and quickly it can act, as the height got to me a bit. But no hay una problema. On the ground, I helped Carlitos and Luz work their ways up the rock and relaxed.

Darkness was approaching as we made our way out of the canyon. We passed a buho-owl-sitting on a cactus. We came across a bouldering problem which we all gave a shot. My hands and arms were shot, so I resigned to take some pics. We continued on after the bouldering, and exited the canyon to see the lights of Arequipa shining as the oranges and purples and reds shone beyond. We walked down to catch the combi, said hello to the chicos again (who laughed some more), and rode back into town. I got home and after another great meal with the fam, enjoyed a restful nightful of sleep.

More pictures HERE.

El temblor

Today, while in my Spanish class, I heard a strange rumbling noise that started off in the distance. Before I knew what was going on, the noise was close, and I could feel the ground start to shake. I was upstairs in the 3-sided building, in an open classroom. The floor of the building was shaking, but somehow I was denying the truth. But, it was in fact a tremor. It lasted for about 10 to 15 seconds. In my disbelief, I sat in awe and amazement. Suddenly, though, the realization that it was a tremor hit me, and a a smal wave of adrenaline pulsed through me. It was pretty cool. It was the biggest (well, first) I had ever felt. Apparently, it´s no big deal down here. Most people, when I ask them about it tell me it happens all the time. My professor was pretty worried, though... about her television. Apparently, ít´s her favorite posession, and it cost her a lot of money. So she called her sister to make sure it was ok. Just another tembrol en los Andes.

Cars

Although I haven´t driven a car in close to 3 weeks, I can´t help to think so much about the culture of automobiles here in Perú. From an American´s perspective, it´s freakin´ crazy. There are few intercetions with stoplights or stop signs. A few intersections have square box-type posts in which a traffic cop sits and determines which direction gets to go. Many streets are one way. But that´s about it for regulation. In between, it´s a game of weave. If you want to make a left turn, you pull out in front of someone, or you don´t get through. About 85% of vehicles on the road are little taxis, many of which are tricked out by their owners. The taxis have traditional horns as well as driver-controlled car alarms. When the traffic stops for more than, say, 5 seconds, an onslaught of horns, beeps, blips, whistles, whines, and any other electrical sounds barrage your eardrums.

Another mode of transportation is combis, which are mini-busses that employ someone to hang out the door and yell the destination to people on the street hoping to drum up some business. These are pretty cheap and, if you can figure out where they're going, a pretty good source of transportation. Oh, there are hybrids, too. The Dodge Coronet, a relative of the Charger (remember the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard?), is alive and well here in Arequipa. It picks up people like a combi, but holds fewer people (maybe 10?), It has a huge V8, and often has huge, custom hood ornaments. They are the pride of their owners, who are more than willing to pose for pictures with them.

Of course, busses roam the highways (really just 2-lane roads). The drivers aren´t afraid to pass large construction semi-trailers or other other busses, drive in the oncoming traffic lane, or even fish-tail out of a gravel parking lot. Seat belts are used infrequently.

There are private cars lurking about the streets of Arequipa. Most are pre-1990. I've seen a lot of VW bugs and buses that would make many-a hippie drool over. Datsun is alive and well in Peru, as well. And occasionally, you can find some AMC's around. Somehow, they keep on chuggin.

Overall, the roads in Arequipa are dicey. They keep you on your toes, literally. However, I´ve yet to see one of the many dogs roaming the streets get hit by a moving vehicle.

Photos

I have posted some photos from our travels to the Sacred Valley HERE,
along with more from Chachani,
and more from Arequipa and our trip to Cañon del Colca.
Enjoy!

The Next Adventure

Sunday was my first day on my own here in Peru as my traveling partners left me the night before. I was excited, though, as I prepared to move into my new apartment with a host family. I met Henry the day before, and he seemed like a really nice guy. Alejandro from the Spanish school picked me up and drove me to the new apartment. I hastily unpacked, and soon was walking back into the town center, the Plaza de Armas, with Henry. We chatted on the way as he pointed out landmarks so I could find my way back. We laughed at tourists as he showed me some secret spots. Soon he bid farewell, and we went our separate ways.

I cruised around town for the rest of the afternoon. The weather in Arequipa is always nice: warm, dry, and sunny in the day and cool at night. I got lost on my way home, but only by a block. Upon return, Henry brought dinner upstairs for me, and we hung out and chatted. I spoke more continuous Spanish today than in the previous two weeks. And, despite my brain hurting from the effort, I feel like I am starting to make progress. I am excited for the homestay and to get to know the family.

Thanksgiving

I spent Thanksgiving in the small town of Cabanaconde in the heart of Cañon del Colca country. It started out rough (see previous post), but turned out to be very relaxing and nice. Niki, Amanda, Christine, and I rented horses for the afternoon, and took a leisurely stroll around the rim of the canyon. It was beautiful.
We even saw a turkey in someone´s backyard. That evening, we ate a tasty dinner in the hostel in which we were staying. The main area was cavernous, with large wooden tables and only candles to light the room. Stone walls and dirt floors added to the ambiance, along with some of the best soup we´ve had so far. We gave thanks. And, sharing that thanks... I´m thankful for the amount of people who care for me and spend their time reading this blog: following along on my journey with me. It would have been wonderful to have spent Thanksgiving with you all, and you were in my heart. In the meantime, I hope everyone ate enough turkey to compensate for my "small" dinner!