Choose to Live in Joy

We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy! ~ Joseph Campbell 

A bit over a week ago, Saturday the 5th, Andy arrived in Peru! I was so excited to see him and planned to surprise him at the airport in Lima. Unfortunately, my romantic gesture completely failed as Andy somehow managed to slip out of the airport without me seeing him! Luckily, I made it back to Parque Kennedy and, right as I was about to have a breakdown-- having lost my non-Spanish speaking boyfriend in a foreign country with no reliable way of contacting him-- I heard him call my name! Such a relief!

Andy and I in front of Parque Kennedy where we met that night (this was taken on Andy's last day in Peru though!) 

The rest of the week went a bit more smoothly. Sunday we made our way down to the center of Lima, visiting the Plaza de San Martín, the Plaza de Armas, and the Church and Monastery of San Francisco. At the main cathedral of the Plaza de Armas, there was a huge celebration for the canonization of a new saint so we got to enjoy carpets made of flowers, crowds of nuns and priests, and religious floats for a bit! After that, we walked over to the church where we got a tour of the building, the monastery, and the catacombs! In the evening, we met up with a few of my study abroad friends for dinner and browsed a small market in Parque Kennedy.

Lima Cathedral where a parade/celebration was taking place.

Flower carpets in front of the presidential palace. 

Iglesia de San Francisco where we toured the church, monastery, and catacombs. 

On Monday, I brought Andy to Villa El Salvador with me to spend the morning volunteering with Building Dignity. The ride in the moto taxi might have been Andy's favorite part! They are certainly not like anything in the U.S.-- riding in the back of a teensy taxi built on top of some kind of dirt bike over an unpaved road on a sand dune is a unique Peruvian experience! We helped out at Building Dignity and grabbed lunch in Villa El Salvador before heading back to Miraflores for Andy and class at La Católica for me!

Walking through Villa El Salvador.

One of the motos that you can ride up the dirt roads to get to the volunteer site. 

Fresh juice at lunch! 

Tuesday meant a trip to Pachacamac-- Incan ruins located about an hour south of Lima. The ruins certainly couldn't compare to Machu Picchu, but they were pretty impressive, especially thanks to their location on cliffs overlooking the ocean! Later in the day, we tried to take advantage of the Magical Fountains that I visited earlier in the semester only to discover that the park wasn't open on Tuesdays. Instead, we headed to the movie theater since Tuesdays are half-price movie nights and laughed at the very non-Peruvian "American Pie" movie!

Andy and I in front of a temple at Pachacamac. 

Some of the ruins in front of the urban sprawl of Lima. 

Andy and I at Parque de Amor. 

The Miraflores lighthouse. 

Andy decided that he wanted to see the university so on Wednesday he came along for my classes at PUCP. I felt a bit bad that he had to sit through a class all in Spanish but he survived and got to meet the rest of my IFSA-Butler friends! In the evening, we visited my host family so that they could officially meet Andy. We sat, chatted, and snacked for a couple of hours before my Aunt Frida was kind enough to give us a lift to the bus station where we boarded a late bus to Huaraz!

Huaraz was just stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful! 

We got into Huaraz at 6 a.m. the next morning and found our hostel, Alpes Huaraz. After hanging out on their couch for a couple of hours, we ate breakfast and headed out on a tour to Chavin de Huantar. We stopped by a beautiful mountain lake and the view during the whole three hour drive was simply breath-taking! The Cordillera Blanca to one side, the Cordillera Negra to the other-- I couldn't get over how spectacular it was! Chavin de Huantar  consists of ruins built by the Chavin culture beginning nearly 5,000 years ago-- it's just a bit younger than Caral! We toured the ruins and went to the local museum displaying Chavin artifacts before heading back to Huaraz to eat dinner and arrange the next day's adventures.

SO BEAUTIFUL! 

Laguna Querococha on the way to Chavin de Huantar. 

Andy and I at the lake. 

Our tour group for Chavin de Huantar from Chile, Peru, the U.S.,  France, and Spain! 

Stone heads at Chavin de Huantar. 

Friday morning we woke up early and met our bus at 6 a.m. We were able to sleep for the first hour or so of the bus ride, but soon hit a dirt road leading up into the mountains and were bounced around far too much to think about getting any more rest! We stopped at the beautiful Llaganuco lake and, 2 hours after beginning the journey up the dirt road, arrived at the start of the Laguna 69 trail. The hike was about 3 hours long uphill and, unfortunately, I was feeling a bit sick from the altitude. I wasn't even sure I was feeling up to finishing the hike-- especially after I was pretty sure the lake was right over the next hill, but, when we climbed over it, it was only a little cow pond and we could see that the lake was still a long uphill hike away! The beautiful view helped spur me on though and eventually we arrived at Laguna 69! It was incredibly beautiful-- turquoise water surrounded by snowy mountain peaks-- and, after resting there a bit, snacking, and chatting with some other hikers, I was feeling a lot better!

Llaganuco.

Andy and I at Llaganuco pre-hike. 

The hike to Laguna 69 was b-e-a-utiful with waterfalls, flowers, and stunning mountain views! 

Snowy mountain tops up close and personal.  

Laguna 69. 

We were about ready to head back down the mountain when Andy asked one of the other hikers if she would take a last picture of us by the laguna. I handed my camera to the girl and, when I turned around, there was Andy down on one knee, holding a ring, and asking me to marry him! I was so surprised and happy! He couldn't have picked a more beautiful place to propose. After more than four years together-- across countries and continents-- I couldn't imagine finding anybody I'd rather spend the rest of my life with.

After a lot of hugging, laughing, and enjoying the clapping and congratulations of our fellow hikers, we made the two hour trek back to our bus and returned to Huaraz where we got a well-deserved dinner and were asleep by 8 p.m.! The next day, we slept in, wandered through the local markets, and then went horseback riding in the mountains near Yungar. The view was, of course, amazing and Andy had never ridden a horse before (or been out of the country or been to the mountains as it turns out!) That night we ate dinner and then took the 10 o'clock bus back to Lima.

A last view of the beautiful Laguna 69.

Climbing into the mountains on horseback. 

A view of Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru. 

Andy and I. 

Sunday, our last day together, we spent being homeless... at least for a few hours that is. Our bus arrived much earlier than I had expected-- around 4:45 a.m.-- and I hadn't thought to make any hostel reservations and knew it was too early to return to my host family's home and wake all of them! Instead, Andy and I hung out in Parque Kennedy waiting and waiting for McDonald's to open so we could get some breakfast (Lima doesn't like to get out of bed too early!) When Mickey D's finally did open its doors half an hour late we discovered that they were only serving hamburgers-- such a disappointment! Luckily, after a trip to Starbucks and a nap in a park, our day improved and we ended up wandering in the local markets and down to the beach, spending some time with my host family, and enjoying some delicious waffles before we had to say goodbye! As soon as I sent Andy off, I had to head to a coffee shop and start studying for my Monday midterm! Definitely a bit of a reality check! 

I'm so happy that Andy was able to visit and I was able to show him some of the things I have learned to love in my time in Peru (including the Inca Kola I made him try!) And I am so, so blessed to have such a romantic and caring guy to spend the rest of my life with, as well as the most supportive family and friends in the whole world! So, despite the pile of homework sitting before me, I can't be too upset! I am just way too overwhelmingly full of joy right now! 

A Whole Lot of Nothing

This week I have a couple of midterms, a paper due, and Andy arriving on Saturday. I knew that last weekend I should spend studying and preparing for the busy week ahead. Unfortunately, while volunteering at Building Dignity last Thursday, our program coordinator showed us some pictures from a trip to San Mateo, a small mountain town a couple hours outside of Lima. Ava and I exchanged a look that said, "Let's go!" 

So go we did. It was an adventure in winging it as John, Ava, and I really had no plans except to make our way to this town and from there do some hiking. We figured out the colectivos (shared taxis) in Lima and made it to Chosica, then found a bus headed to San Mateo. Once in San Mateo we wandered for a bit, found a hostel, and ate an incredibly inexpensive dinner. Then we (attempted) to get some sleep so we could wake up early and go hiking. I say attempted because we ended up with the noisiest neighbors ever. I couldn't be too mad at them, because anyone who can laugh for 8 hours straight must be a pretty happy person! 

Sunday morning, our hostel owner took us to a little street kiosk where he showed us what we should eat for breakfast to handle the altitude: some quinoa soup or tea. He then helped us find a cab driver willing to take us an hour and a half outside of San Mateo, up a dirt road in the mountains, and leave us at a lake called Laguna Yuracmayo. We piled in the taxi and set off on our adventure.

Laguna Yuracmayo was b-e-a-utiful! I can't believe that this place isn't in the guidebooks or on any kind of tourist agenda. While hiking around the lake we literally saw three people: one shepherd with his llamas and sheep and two people on horseback who clearly lived in the area. 

We spent a little over two hours walking around the perimeter of the lake (we didn't make it the whole way, but got some good views!) then decided to start our trek back, thinking it would take about 3 hours. We seriously underestimated and ended up spending 5+ hours hiking down that windy, dirt road! Luckily, the view was just incredible so it made the sore feet and legs a little easier to handle! 

When I got back to Lima 0n Sunday night, my host aunt asked me, "Why did you go to San Mateo? There's nothing there!" All I have to say is that if this is Peru's "nothing," then I want some more of it! 

Left My Heart in Cusco

Where to even begin describing my trip to Cusco... All of the words I have sound cliche and don't begin to capture the magic of the experiences and places! 

We arrived in Cusco on Wednesday after a short flight from Lima. We checked into our (4-star!) hotel and rested for just a few minutes before setting out on a tour. We went to several ruins: Sacsayhuaman, Tambomochay, and Q'enqo. Each one was beautiful under the big blue sky and surrounded by the mountains. The stones used to build the walls at Sacsayhuaman were huge and so perfectly cut that they have held up through multiple earthquakes and hundreds of years! We were also able to slide down rocks smoothed by glaciers, which was a lot of fun! After our tour, we grabbed dinner in Cusco and then went to bed early! 

Thursday was an early morning. We got up before 6 a.m. and I fully intended to sleep for the three hour drive into the countryside. However, the scenery was so spectacular that I couldn't bring myself to close my eyes! After our three hour drive, we toured several small, sustainable and organic farms run through the Sierra Productiva program, which helps families improve their homes and farms. After touring the farms, we ate lunch, sampling lots of traditional local dishes including cuy-- guinea pig! Yikes! 

When we were done with lunch, we moved on to my favorite part of the day: our visit to a home for abused and abandoned girls. The girls were so excited to see us and performed several traditional dances for us! Then we (attempted) to sing a couple of Disney songs for them! Afterwards we played games with the little girls, blew bubbles, and danced! For some reason, the girls latched on to me more than anyone else so, even as we were trying away from "it" in a game of freeze tag or the "wolf" who was trying to catch us in another game, they wouldn't let go of my hands and I had to run with at least two girls permanently attached to me at all times! They cheated to be on my team in different games and, as we were getting ready to say goodbye, brought me balloon after balloon, hugged me over and over, and told me they loved me and would miss me! It was an incredibly happy experience, but I was also very sad to say goodbye! I definitely left a little piece of my heart with those girls! 

Friday was yet another busy day. We checked out of our hostel and drove to the Sacred Valley. Our first stop was Awana Kancha, a llama farm and textile shop that supports local families. We got to pet and play with the llamas, learn the process for naturally dying textiles, and browse some of their beautiful products! We then headed to the ruins at Pisac-- terraces and buildings sprawling over the mountainside. My first reaction was awe-- how could Machu Picchu possibly top a place so beautiful? 

Once we had hiked through the ruins a bit, we went and got some lunch nearby and then moved on to the market in the modern town of Pisac where I was able to find a couple gifts for people back home! Then we climbed back into the bus and drove to Ollantaytambo, another beautiful set of ruins in the Sacred Valley. These were created to look like a seated llama and were used as an astronomical observatory. Again, the ruins, the surrounding mountains, the sky... everything was amazing! We had a little while before we needed to catch our train, so Ava, James, Brian and I decided to quickly hike partway up a nearby mountain with ruins atop it (we weren't able to hike the whole way as the path had been closed due to a tourist falling off the week before!) The view was pretty spectacular and we then hurried to catch our evening train to Aguas Calientes! 

We spent the night in Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu, and woke up before dawn to catch one of the very first buses up the mountain! We arrived just as the gates were opening at 6 a.m., which luckily allowed us to get many photos without tourists in them! Somehow I had thought that because Machu Picchu gets so much hype and because I had seen so many pictures, it wouldn't astound me that much. I was so wrong. Breath-taking, awe-inspiring, spiritual, beautiful, transcendent. That's the closest I can come to describing the way the clouds drifted over the silhouettes of nearby mountain peaks, the way the sun rose up through the windows of ancient stone buildings, the way your heart caught looking at this place. Machu Picchu seemed to belong on that mountain more than any man-made place I've ever seen; I can't imagine that jungle wilderness without it. 

After wandering through the ruins for several hours, hiking to an Incan bridge, and laughing at the local llamas, we began our hike of Wayna Picchu, the tall mountain that you can see in all of the pictures of Machu Picchu. The trail was steep, with stone steps cut into the mountain and sheer drops off the cliff most of the way up. I didn't have too hard a time going up, though it got scarier once we neared the top!  Between 45 minutes and an hour after beginning the hike, we summitted and took some photos to prove we'd made it before beginning the descent! Unfortunately, going down those thousand stairs didn't agree with me knees nearly as much as it did with my sense of adventure and they've been hurting since! It was still an incredible experience, however, and something I'd recommend to those not afraid of heights if you get the chance! 

Once everyone made it down from Wayna Picchu, we headed back to Aguas Calientes for lunch and to meet our train back to Ollantaytambo where we caught a bus back to Cusco. Somehow, exhausted as we were, we managed to make it out to dinner and spent a brief time exploring the Cusco nightlife though none of us were really up for dancing! I think we all slept well that night! 

Sunday was our final and free day in Cusco. Brian, Veronica, Kaylie and I started it off with a quick trip to a local market and then got ourselves over to the Chocolate Museum as soon as it opened! We sipped chocolate tea on a balcony overlooking Cusco and sampled various chocolates! Next we grabbed lunch at Aldea Yanapay, a restaurant that supports a social project working with children in need in Cusco, and wandered the San Blas artesian district. We walked to the Mirador for a beautiful view of all the red tile roofs in Cusco as well as some very in-love pigeons, then returned to the hotel briefly before taking a taxi up to the White Christ, a statue that stands protectively on a hill over Cusco. We watched the sky get dark and then walked down into the city for a delicious farewell dinner (and a good helping of ice cream!) 

The next morning we packed our bags and returned to Lima and "real life": school, volunteering, and city life. I'm spending the next couple of days volunteering with Building Dignity in Villa El Salvador, running, and studying for the three midterms I have next week, but, per usual, can't turn down an adventure and will be headed to nearby San Mateo to do some hiking on Saturday and Sunday! More soon! Miss you all!