Welcome to the Jungle

5 days later and I’m back in Cusco after an unbelievable trip to the Amazon! Due to the massive water strike in Cusco, we left on Thursday morning bright and early at 4:30 AM. We drove the whole day and the drive itself was quite an adventure. After driving through some of the most beautiful mountains ever, we finally made it to what is technically part of the Amazon rainforest in Peru. We drove down these massive valleys filled with so much green that my senses were going nuts. As beautiful as Cusco is, there’s not much greenery—it’s definitely the epitome of an Andean highland. It was fantastic to see every shade of green possible. The roads to get to Manu National Park were pretty insane; we spent many a turn gripping on for dear life. We finally made it to Pilcopata, the last town before you hit either the national park or the indigenous villages. We all hopped into the back of a truck and set out for Santa Rosa de Huacaría, the first indigenous village on our trek.

We made it to Haucaría around 7 at night and trekked our gear out to the platform we were staying on. It was about a 10-minute walk from the central part of the village, so it was nice to have some space and be fully immersed in the wilderness. We set up our tents on the platform and made it back to the village for dinner and some traditional songs and stories. Every meal in Huacaría included yuca, which has become truly the only food in Peru that I absolutely hate. There are many beneficial aspects about it—it’s easy to grow in any climate, it can be cooked in many different ways and it fills you up real fast. But, after yuca in every single meal for multiple days, I despise this food. It was glorious to eat a meal today without yuca. But, along with the yuca, we ate many other interesting things in both the villages—palmitas, platanos, freshly slaughtered chicken and many an interesting juice.

We woke up the next morning at yet again, 4:30 AM. This time around, we had a much more interesting experience. We participated in Darikkin, a ceremony that takes place right as the sun is rising. It focuses on finding equilibrium in a person by connecting them to the four major spirits of the area—the universe, the water, the earth and the forest. This ceremony also takes place in the river, so I was quite ecstatic to get a chance to swim. We donned our swim gear and walked down to the beautiful swimming spot near our campsite. Alberto, the local shaman, came with us and chanted some traditional words before taking us one by one and sprinkling a bit of oil on our heads before we entered the water. I got really interested in tourism during this excursion, so I wonder how much of this ceremony was in fact a bit staged for the tourists. Nonetheless, I most definitely had a spiritual experience as I entered the chilly river at this early hour. It was fantastic to feel clean in nature and be a part of an indigenous ceremony, no matter how much it had been affected by tourism. Darikkin was awesome.

After breakfast, we met up with Alberto. We had a really interesting conversation with him where we learned a lot more about traditional medicine in the jungle. We even got to embark on a brief tour of the area to see the plants he often uses in his medicine including the well-known ayuhuasca, which is utilized by many for its hallucinogenic effects.  After our talk with Alberto, we also got to talk with one of the teachers from the village. He discussed the many issues with migration to the area and the difficulties with the multiple languages. In Huacaria, there are two main groups—Machiguenga and Huachipaeri. Both of these groups have individual languages. It’s difficult to teach students Spanish with these different language backgrounds, so education in these areas is constantly being re-assessed.

In the afternoon, we got to interview different people from the community. I, along with a few others, got to interview Alberto some more, which was really interesting. We also got to watch him perform some treatments on a man with rheumatoid arthritis. It was awesome to learn more about traditional medicine and shamanism, especially since it connects me to my undying passion for the Inuit culture.  We also had time after our interviews to play with the local kids, which was amazing. It’s so refreshing to play with kids and they thoroughly enjoyed playing with our cameras (as demonstrated by the photos below). We had dinner (obviously with yuca) and had a few more stories before we hit the hay.

The next morning we had breakfast and then met with Alberto again. This time he showed us some of his treatments, including how he diagnoses susto, a psychological problem that’s only found in the selva. We also got to have our hair washed with two medicinal plants in order to relieve stress. It was awesome! It was really cool to participate in this medicine after we’d been learning so much about it. We had some more free time, which I utilized to go swimming once again. I miss water way too much, especially after a summer up North so I was swimming in this glorious river whenever I had the chance. After lunch, we packed up all our gear and hitched a ride back to town in the sweltering heat. After begging and succeeding in obtaining some cold cokes and ice cream from our academic directors, we hit the road on a much more insane ride to Queros, the next town we were staying in. It took about an hour to get there and it was a glorious, yet semi-dangerous, way to see more of the beautiful green jungle.

Queros was probably one of the most beautiful places I've been to in my life. The mountains surrounding this village were phenomenal. It had a river, although we weren't able to swim in it. Basically, Huacaria was great, but the views at Queros were to die for. It was also refreshing to get to Queros because we had some idea of what to expect. Huacaria definitely had it's challenges since we were all adjusting to something totally new.

We had dinner that night in town and after an unsuccessful attempt at frog hunting in the dark, we crashed again. In the morning, after breakfast (with no yuca!) we met with some of the leaders of the community to discuss tourism. It’s a really interesting topic in these towns and it was great to hear their own beliefs on it. After, we all split up and got to help out with the crops of the community! I luckily got to assist with picking coca leaves which was so cool. Later that afternoon, we got to do more interviews and that night we had a traditional meal with the whole community.

We got up real early, once again, to pack up and hit the road. We didn’t return to Cusco until 9:30 at night so it was a long day of traveling. As hot and uncomfortable as I was at times in the jungle, it was an unbelievable experience. I sure hope to make it back sometime in my life. Now, we begin Quechua classes and attempt to prepare ourselves for our next rural home stay in Colca Canyon in about 2 weeks…! Below is a brief image of the insanity of our drives through the jungle... this one occurred as we drove right through a river. Quite the adventure.

La Naturaleza

Another glorious week in Cusco. Although this time around, we had quite the amount of work. With a Spanish project, a paper and another exercise to do, we were all pretty exhausted throughout the week. We thankfully made it to the end (although barely) and now only have a few more days of class until we head to the Amazon! We were supposed to head out on Wednesday morning real early, but due to a large and semi-dangerous strike, the highways are closed so we're not leaving till Thursday now. Bit of a bummer, but it will be great to have a free day in Cusco. When we get to the Amazon, we get to explore 2 different communities in Manu, which I am too excited for. It’s going to be fantastic to get out and spend more time in the wilderness. We’re even sleeping in tents!

We ventured a bit on Friday afternoon, had some lunch and enjoyed some unreal jugo before more class (ick). Juice here is not like juice in the US, it's like a straight up smoothie. I am in heaven (example shown below).

On Friday night, we ventured on a Spanish class excursion with our teachers to a local karaoke bar. This experience was insane. The highlight was when our entire group mastered an unbelievable cover of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” It was absolutely fantastic. 

Saturday was one of the best days I’ve had so far in Peru. A group of us woke up at the crack of dawn and caught a bus to Pisac, a town in the valley over from Cusco, which contains some unreal ruins. The drive was crazy, but we made it there safely. We spent about 3 hours hiking up some mountains and exploring the endless and wonderful ruins. It felt toooooo good to escape from the city for a bit and to be fully immersed in the wilderness of Peru. I had many an emotional moment during this day trip because I kept realizing how attached I’ve become to this country and specifically the mountains of this country. I’m working on a Spanish project right now about the festival of Senor Qoyllur Rit’i, which involves hiking up a snow-covered mountain to pay homage to both Christian and indigenous rituals. There’s lots of talk of the Apus, or the spirits of the mountains. I am definitely connecting with these spirits as I’m here. I am wildly connected to them. Wow.

After hiking all morning, we got back down to the town of Pisac, which was amazing. We at lunch at this awesome vegetarian restaurant and explored the unbelievable outdoor market they have. I purchased a necklace with the symbol of Pachamama since I’ve been eyeing one for a while now. Pachamama is the indigenous Mother Nature and she represents the past, the present and the future all in a cyclical manner. It’s pretty badass and I’m feeling real connected to her down here as well. I’m so intrigued by the spirituality of these people. This culture is fantastic.

I’m gonna tough it out for a few more days and then I’ll be getting my full dose of wilderness loving. More epic pictures to come after la selva!

PS: Here's a requested shout out: Lizzy Stephan is a tool.

Living the Life in Cusco

Week one of class in Cusco—check! And what a fantastic week it was. Every day this week I wake up in the morning, have some glorious cereal with soy yogurt, and hit the Avenida to walk to class. We have Spanish class every morning from 9-12 and a conference every afternoon from 3-5. My friends and I are on a walking mission so we usually make the 50 minute walk from our houses at least twice, maybe 3 times, a day. In Peru, it’s a cultural custom to return to your house for lunch, so we go back and forth between our houses and the CBC 4 times every day. Public transportation is a possibility, but we prefer to walk (especially after lunch which fills you up to an extreme). Below is a picture of the notorious Condor, as viewed from my apartment complex window. My host grandma told me to use the Condor as a reference, especially when coming home at night. Therefore, the Condor and I have developed a deep love for each other and he has guided me home safely every night. Thanks Grams!

Our conferences have, thus far, been pretty boring. Every day we have a new speaker come in and talk to us on a topic about indigenous people in Peru. This past week basically included a short history on the indigenous populations in Peru, so it wasn’t too intriguing. But, we’ve got speakers this next week about bilingual education, intercultural medicine, etc. Should get more interesting! A typical post-conference hang out sesh is posted below, along with the amazing view from our classroom porch. I am wildly in love with Cusco.

Although our schedules are pretty jam-packed, we’re finding time to explore Cusco as well. After class some nights we’ll head out for a coffee or a drink in the Plaza. On Friday, we were able to stay in town for lunch, so we got the opportunity to explore more then as well. The other major opportunities for exploring are of course, the weekends. As a group, we’ve experienced the discotecas each Saturday, and they are quite the experience. But, this past Friday, at the recommendation of our assistant academic director, we hit up this place for some live Peruvian folk music. And it was fantastic! Honestly some of the best music I’ve seen live. A bunch of us were sitting at these little tables with candles on them in this great spot jamming to these 45-year-old Peruvians on pan pipes (as seen below). It was a fantastic experience and a great way to spend a Friday night.

The last major part of this week (I know there’s a lot that’s happened this week!) was the tour we embarked upon on Saturday morning. SIT nicely set up a tour of some of the major Incan ruins right near Cusco. We met up in the morning and took a bus to the farthest site out. After checking out that site, we hiked all the way back to town, stopping at others along the way. In total, we saw 4 of the major sites in the area—Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Q’enqo, and Saqsayhuaman (or as many people have nick-named it, “Sexy Woman”). Although our tour guide wasn’t too interesting, the views and the sites were phenomenal. It was pretty fantastic to hike all the way back to Cusco and admire the Andean mountains all along the way. I’m madly and wildly in love with these mountains. I know I’ve said this before, but whoa, I’m seriously in love. I can’t stop living in awe of their majestic glory around me and I don’t know how I’m going to live without them (not to be over-dramatic). Below are a few shots from our Cusco tour.

There's Too Much to Say...

Sorry for the persistent posts, but there truly is too much to say right now! We're finally in Cusco and it is wonderful!!! After finishing up orientation on Thursday we drove an hour to Cusco where we met up with our host families! I'm living with my host mom, Maria Elena, and her mother, Josefina, in an apartment and it is great! I have a great room all to myself and it's awesome to finally have the space to unpack and settle in.

Yesterday was my first adventure in Cusco. Another kid from my program lives in the same apartment complex as me, so his host dad drove us to the SIT headquarters yesterday. Our classes take place in the CBC in downtown Cusco--it's this really cool organization for campesinos that need help. We met up with the program directors and after a brief tour of the CBC, we took our Spanish exam. It was a bit rough, but I know it will get better with time! After the exam, we walked back to our houses. It takes about an hour to walk, but it's a straight shot down this Avenida so it's not bad.

After lunch I met up with some girls from the program and we walked back to the centro to buy cell phones and other various things. We're all now equipped with Claro cell phones, so that's pretty exciting. It's nice to have another way to stay in touch with each other. We also discovered the main Plaza del Armas which is fantastic! It's all very touristy, but it's awesome. It's a really interesting tourist scene in Cusco because so much of it is based on wilderness adventures. There's tons of shops with backpacks and offering all sorts of trips to different places around Peru. My kind of tourism, although I'm still trying to avoid it and live as much like a local as possible. Which is quite difficult.

I'm really, really happy in Cusco. I'm really, really excited to spend 6 weeks getting to know this awesome city. I'll write again when I've got more to talk about, but until then, hope all is well! (And this last picture is of the view from my room... Enjoy!)

The Rain in Spain...

Falls mainly on Machu Picchu. But, it was still fantastic! Yesterday we were lucky enough to venture as a group to the ruins of Machu Picchu and they were fantastic. We woke up real early, around 5 AM, in order to catch the train from a nearby town that takes you to Machu Picchu. The experience on the train was phenomenal as well--lots of snacks and hot tea. We got to the town before Machu Picchu where we met up with our tour guide. We then took an unreal bus ride up the mountain... This bus was whipping around the switchbacks like nobody's business. We safely made it up, went through the gates and there it was--the beautiful ruins of Machu Picchu. It's quite mind-blowing the first time you see this place. It's unbelievable to think about people creating these buildings so many years ago, it's fantastic.

We had about a 2 1/2 hour tour where we learned about the interesting spots of the ruins. Literally as soon as the tour started, it started raining. And it didn't stop for the rest of the time. We looked quite hilarious in our brightly colored ponchos (which turned out to be awesome rain gear). It was the first real tourist experience I've had in Peru, so much of our time in Urubamba has been truly removed from tourism, we've seen like 2 tourists our whole time here. But, Machu Picchu was a different story. Even though I'm trying to not be a total tourist, I totally embraced my touristyness and even took those dorky photos of just me and the ruins (as seen below).

After our tour was finished, we got time to run around the entire site and take pictures. It was a constant battle between my camera and the rain, but I got a few decent shots. It’s hard to get a unique picture of Machu Picchu that hasn’t been seen before, but the fog and rain yesterday did make for some cool images. I utilized my trail guide skills and took the rain as a fun and interesting adventure, rather than the ultimate downer that it could have been. We ended our time at Machu Picchu around 2 PM, drenched and cold, and made our way down again via the deathly bus ride.

In the town of Machu Picchu we met up for lunch. One of the biggest food things I’ve had to adjust to here is that lunch is an ENORMOUS meal. Every lunch includes an appetizer and a full entrée, its nuts. The food here is incredible, but there’s always so much. I’m hoping I persevere and eat as much as possible tonight with my host family in order not to disrespect them in any way. After lunch we had some time to wander around and a bunch of us hung out together in a group. The people in my program are awesome and I’m bummed to have to split up from everyone today—I’m having so much fun with everybody. Ah well, we will have class together every morning and there will be more excursions for us to be reunited on.

The train ride back to Urubamba included quite the adventure. One of the employees on the train demonstrated this native dance and chose one individual on the train to join him in his dance. Oh, guess who it was? Yep, me. I got up and fully embarrassed myself in front of all of my peers and everyone else on the train. And I totally loved it. After this dancing incident, the employees also put on an “alpaca fashion show,” demonstrating multiple alpaca outfits for purchase. It was quite hysterical.

Now, we’ve got a bit more orientation and then a large lunch extravaganza. Around 3:30 PM, we’re taking the bus back to Cusco where there’s a large reception and we meet up with our host families—crazy! I’m excited, but also totally and utterly nervous. I’m horrified that I won’t be able to communicate, or that they won’t like me, or that I’ll make some offensive mistake. I think I’ll be fine, but it’s a lot of pressure to be put under. Hopefully all will go well tonight and then it will be smooth sailing in the future.