Regis Broke Free

My brother asked me, "Is Regis coming along to Southeast Asia with you?"

Regis, anticipating the climb up Roraima, Venezuela.

Alas, I cannot escape the hard truth any longer. I've been putting it out of my mind. 

I am faced with the profound question Nelly Furtado once asked: "Why do all good things come to an end?".

Triumphant at the Summit

Regis has broken free once and for all.

Regis at Angel Falls (Venezuela), the highest waterfall in the world!

As I have said before, he has always been a free spirit. He enjoyed life on the road, and he met a lot of people and saw things many monkeys will only dream of seeing.

Day 2 of the Inca Trail, hitting the highest altitude of the trek.

He was with me as I set off on my own last December, trekked the Inca Trail, and witnessed Machu Picchu.

Going where few monkeys have gone before!

 For every journey, he was there.

Sightseeing in Cusco

At the summit of Pacha Mama, Lake Titticaca

We had our differences, I once or twice I feared that something would come between us for good. But we stuck together through the cold and damp of Peru, and the sweltering humidity of Venezeula.

Marveling over Moray

Swooning over Salineras

I even gave him a traditional Peruvian woolly hat. Because monkeys don't like to be cold.

Overlooking the lake city of Guatape, Colombia. My last photo of Regis. 

 I still have the hat. He left it behind. Just like me.

Reaching Tayrona National Park in Colombia was a turning point for us. I didn't realize it at the time. We had been on the road for a while, both tuckered out. I planned to get some serious R&R while chilling at this remote, tropical paradise. 

Perhaps this was why I failed to notice the change in him. I was too busy with my own plans and feelings. But looking back, it makes sense.

When I think of Tayrona, it is really just the ideal location for a monkey. As a National Park, it is very safe. The white sandy beach and turquoise waters are surrounded by thick jungle, filled with other monkeys. I saw a few of them...maybe it was then, while I was distracted, that he slipped away.

I know he was there when we arrived, and I remember thinking "Tomorrow I will take a photo of Regis on the beach", and brought him along on a hike through the Jungle. Unfortunately, then my camera broke, and I tucked him away in my daypack. Perhaps he saw his rellies frolicking in the treetops, and considered the warm breeze and swinging hammocks that were abundant in that wonderful place. Perhaps then he thought of how we were headed for the snow-capped mountains of Quito, and then, ultimately, the far North: Canada. 

Perhaps he weighed his options, and decided he would like to stay. 

I never saw him again. 

On my last day, as I packed my things, he was nowhere to be found. Nothing else was missing from my pack. I searched frantically through the entire beach site, even enlisting the help of a sympathetic friend. But Regis was gone. 

Eventually I had to face the facts, pack my things, and hike back without him. It felt a bit callous that he never even said goodbye, but I understand. After all, I also felt like I could stay in Tayrona forever. Its that kind of place. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and at least I know he is happy, enjoying the sort of lifestyle that suits monkeys best. 

It will be a bit lonely not to have him along as I travel SE Asia, but the blog will live on bearing the name of this inspiring free spirit. 

Goodbye Regis. Roam free. 

First Days in Cusco

Getting ready for my next adventure has me reminiscing about my first days in Cusco last December.

I'm trying to remember what it was like, how I felt, and the things that seemed so strange at first, before I slowly grew accustomed to life in South America. I'm mentally preparing to go through that awkward stage again once I reach Bangkok.

I remember it was very cold when I arrived. There was no central heat in house, which was not uncommon. I would bundle up in my newly-purchased alapaca sweater and wrap myself in my blankets while I typed away on my tablet or studied my Spanish lessons. It didn't help that I couldn't figure out how to get a hot shower for the first week, so I would come out shaking like a leaf and stay shivering for a very long time! (note to newbies: to get hot water out of those electric showerheads, only use the very smallest level of water pressure possible. Also, try not to get electrocuted)

Regis in front of the Catholic cathedral in Plaza de Armas, 

I loved my homestay hosts from the very first. They were an adorable older couple that just loved to have young travelers stay with them. They patiently helped us along with our Spanish, advised us on how much was a reasonable price for taxis, instructed us which buses to take, and fed us delicious food!!! They were a huge highlight of my stay in Cusco, and I highly recommend living with locals while traveling, at least for a portion of the time. I lived in a part of the city I probably would never have seen otherwise, and experienced the day-to-day Cusco from a local perspective. 

L-R: me, my homestay "parents", and my Dutch housemate 

Speedy Gonzales was the little terrier pup that belonged to my hosts. Since they were empty-nesters, Speedy became their fur baby and he was spoiled, but so much fun! It felt very homey and reassuring to have a pet around. He was always happy to see me when I got home :)

I arrived in Cusco at an awkward time, right before New Years. The regular classtimes at my Spanish school were interrupted due to the holidays which delayed the ideal scenario of slipping into a regular routine, and in addition to that there were not many students enrolled. I ended up in individual classes for the first while because no one else was at the beginner level with me. This was nice because it meant I was basically being tutored, but it was also overwhelming.
To have to adjust to a new home, culture, language, and social situation was exhausting and stressful! I had no friends, no family, and nothing familiar at all to turn to. 

When New Years came around, I felt lonely and isolated. I was incredibly relieved when E., a young Peruvian employee at the Spanish school, invited me to join her and her friends for the celebration.

E. and I joining the festivities in Plaza de Armas at New Years

I had only spoken to her over email before I arrived, and a couple times at the school, but I really liked her because she was so friendly and outgoing. Her English is fantastic as well, so I finally had someone to talk to! She ended up not joining her other friends for the night, so we just hung out and talked the night away, danced around the plaza at midnight amidst fireworks and drunken revelry, and then chilled at a local pub and listened to some fantastic live music until the wee hours!
Having a friend made a huge difference to me, and things started to look up.

At the beginning, everything is new and difficult. I took this photo from a cafe off Plaza de Armas, while exploring the city alone and ordering a meal in Spanish for the first time. I was so nervous about the most basic phrases, but with practice it became easier. Navigating transit and city streets by myself was stressful at first as well, but eventually I learned my way around (I made lots of mistakes, and it wasn't the end of the world!), and it felt awesome to be able to show newbies how to get around and where to go. 

I loved randomly experiencing something unexpected. Sometimes it was festivals and dancing in the streets. Sometimes it was a conversation with a local lady. Sometimes it was trying a new food I had never seen before. Every day was something new and exciting. 

I know that my first weeks traveling will be difficult and full of uncomfortable adjustments. A part of me dreads that and wishes I could skip it all together, but the truth is that those first days are when the impressions are the strongest and there is so much potential to see things so clearly...things that fade and become normal over time. I want to try to do better at capturing those moments this time. Hopefully it won't take me 10 months to get around to sharing them with you :) 

Insomnia Strikes Again

In general I have been sleeping pretty well in Peru, apart from the first week of adjusting to the altitude and a few nights during my Inka Trail Trek. I never sleep past 6am, but I don't usually have trouble falling or staying asleep...until just now! I went to bed around 10pm and now it is just after 2am, and I've been laying wide awake for at least an hour. This makes no sense, because 
1. I haven't had more than 4-5 hours sleep the last two nights due to late nights and early mornings
2. I just expended more energy yesterday than I have since the Inka Trail. 
Since I'm awake anyway I'll tell you about that great adventure! 

There are some pretty nifty Inka ruins and salt mines around Chinchero, a bit of a drive outside Cusco. I have really wanted to see them since I first arrived, but I was really turned off bus tours after my super-touristy/boring city tour bus experience in January. Enter Peru Path, the non-profit tour company that I used for my Inka Trail Trek. These guys are so great at what they do; super knowledgeable about the Inkan history, fun, laid-back, helpful...AND the company supports education in needy local communities! What's not to love? 
I shot off an email to my Inka Trail guide to inquire about whether they had tours to the Moras Moray sites, and received a quick affirmative. Before I knew it, I was getting together a group of students from my Spanish school for an all-day mountain bike tour! 
This is especially funny to those that know that I haven't been on a bike in years, and I'm pretty sure I've never been mountain biking in my life. 
However, I was determined that this was the best way to go because you really get to experience the countryside and it would be a personal challenge. 
I was warned by one of the school staff that it was "difficult", but in my ignorance I thought, "how hard can it really be?". 
Well, for one thing the seat was very hard, as my poor bruised bottom is now telling me!
And yes, it was really, really challenging, and I walked my bike up most of the hills...but at 3,500 meters above sea level, I'm going to blame at least a little bit of the rapid heartbeat and lung combustion on the altitude ;)

The good news is that I really loved the experience, and was inspired to give mountain biking a try back at home. Of the 4 friends that joined me on the tour, all of them had biking experience and admitted it was a tough trail. I didn't quite keep up, but I really pushed myself, and I think all you lovelies at home would be pretty impressed with what I tackled! Some of it was really steep, and pretty technical (again, I walked the worst of it!), but I was especially thrilled with the downhill sections where you are whipping down the hill, dodging rocks, and navigating the twists and turns. It took a lot of concentration and I had a few close calls where I almost wiped out, but in the end I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face! 

The historical sites were very cool, interesting, and I am really glad I visited them, but now I'm convinced mountain biking is the only worthwhile way to get there! Just say no to bus tours! 

Only One Week Left in Peru...

Greetings, friends!
Despite the lack of blog updates, I am in fact still alive! Since I started volunteering after my Inca Trail trek my days have been very full of activity and time to write has been limited, to say the least.
Now I find myself once more at the end of a full and delightful day, with an early start awaiting me tomorrow...so I will keep this brief.

What have I been up to?
Well, I finally completed my Spanish lessons...I clocked approx. 100 hours, though that might be a bit of a stretch if you only count classtime...there were many "field trips" which was usually practicing conversation in a cafe, or browsing a market. Overall, I really enjoyed my classes at Proyecto Peru, and I know I learned a lot! Now I just need to do some studying to solidify what I've learned into my brain! The irregular verbs are the bane of my existence!

As previously mentioned, I've also been volunteering at an orphanage for girls. This was definitely a placement that was outside my comfort zone, but it has been a neat experience. I think it probably deserves a Blog post if it's own, so I won't say too much right now. This week is my last with them...In fact I leave Cusco a week from Tuesday! So crazy how fast time flies!

Last weekend I went with 3 other girls from the school to do a tour of Lake Titticaca, which was really alot of fun! We left late Friday night on a sleeper bus, complete with big comfortable reclining chairs, and arrived in the lakeside town of Puno at about 5am. From there we joined the rest of the tour group and hopped on a boat to visit the Uros' man-made "floating islands" (really incredible!), as well as a much largeer regular sort of island where we climbed some mountains/big hills, dressed in traditional clothing for a fiesta, and lodged with a local family for the night. The next day we visited another island after a bumpy ride on the  choppy early-morning water, climbed another hill, ate fried trout for lunch, and then clambered down over 500 stairs to reach the Harbour to get back on the boat.

It took a couple hours to get back into Puno where we browsed some shops and bummed around in a cafe for a while. At an appropriate hour we visited a delightful restaurant in the Plaza which served me a delicious ceviche (fresh fish marinaded in lime juice, and slathered in some kind of cool, herby sauce...not cooked, btw! I'm getting more adventurous with seafood), and then back to the cafe for hot drinks. I had the opportunity there to Skype my family for the first time since I left at the end of December, which was really nice.

We departed Puno on another night bus, arriving back in Cusco in the week hours of the morning on The Monday.  We tried to sleep once back at home with limited success! That was a rough day for Spanish lessons!

This weekend was much more chill. Yesterday my friend and I slept in after a late (fun) Friday night, and then spent the afternoon haggling in the markets, trying to get some souvenir shopping out of the way. A mouthwatering meal at "Korma Sutra" curry house, and a fruity pisco cocktail at the Pisco Museum with some friends completed the day.

Today we visited some little-known, untouristed ruins about an hours walk from our homestay. It was a gorgeous sunny day, a steep climb, and a refreshing break from the bustling busy city and tourist crowds. Afterwards we made ourselves some lunch (avocados here are just infinity x better than at home....it's not fair), chilled out, and went to the "cine" to watch "unbreakable"...In English, with Spanish subtitles :)

Tomorrow the plan includes volunteering, getting my mullet cut off, (yes, one of the many perils of the pixie cut is growing it out often results in a horrific mullet), doing laundry, and visiting the Inka Museum! Not sure what the rest of the week will hold, but I'm organizing a group to visit some sights in the sacred valley next Saturday! Hopefully I'll have time to put up another post soon!

Adios for now!

Adventura de Domingo

I had big plans to pack in 2 bus tours this weekend...however, after last week's "city tour" I was reminded that in fact I loathe bus tours. The cramming of many tourists into many tiny seats, the herding of many tourists through sites of interest, and the pressuring to purchase overpriced touristy souvenirs is exhausting and actually not very enjoyable. It is a cheap and convenient way to cover a lot of ground in a short time, though. 

After trekking the Inca Trail, beginning my volunteer placement, and a wild and fun birthday last week, I just wasn't up to putting myself through the tourist mill all weekend. 

Instead, Saturday was spent making up for a few hours of Spanish lessons missed while I was away, and then enjoying a delicious lunch with the school secretary and my new friend/roommate from Holland. 
In Cusco (and maybe all of South America, I'm not sure), the waiter will never bring your bill unless you ask for it. This is one of the things I love about South American culture...they are never in a rush (unless they're driving). You can spend hours in a restaurant ( and we did), and you will never feel like they are waiting for you to leave. Lingering and having long conversations over a meal is perfectly acceptable. 

Sunday morning I woke up early and decided to go on an adventure. Rather than tour bus the destination in mind, I was going to self-guide! I roped in my new friend, and did a quick search for some details in my travel book. We walked to a certain street, haggled with a couple drivers, and were soon headed to the little riverside town of Pisac in a 12-passenger "colectivo" minibus (basically a taxi that doesn´t leave til it full). 

I had heard that Pisac is best known for it's Sunday market, but I also knew that there were some Inca ruins too, which I personally find more interesting. Once we arrived we had to haggle again to get a taxi to take us to the ruins. Since only tourists go that way, the taxi drivers try to get away with absolute robbery. For instance, it cost us S/.6 for a 45 minutes drive to Pisac, but the taxi driver wanted S/.25 for a 15 min drive up the hill. We walked away from him three times, but he kept following us and lowering the price and eventually we gave in!
We shared the taxi with a Peruvian couple and their little girl, who was absolutely adorable! She sang us a little song in Spanish as we drove. 

The Pisac ruins were much bigger and more elaborate than I expected! The main entrance area was packed with tourists on bus tours, and we even ran into a couple friends from Proyecto Peru who admitted they felt like they were being rushed from place to place. I tried not to feel smug about my decision to explore on my own.

Apparently there are park wardens that will give information about the sites for free, but we missed out on that. It was okay though because it was fun to just poke around on our own and take photos at our leisure without feeling like we were taking up someone's time, or feeling pressured to move on. 

The ruins were very beautiful! At the entrance you overlook a huge terraced semi-circle built into the mountainside. The Incas used these terraces to grow different types of crops, because the difference in elevation could be quite extreme. For instance, they grew corn and quinoa on the lower levels, and potatoes higher up. 

There were many structures that could've been homes, but there was also a military fortress and a temple. It was like a whole city on these mountains! 

We were able to enjoy all of it because we didn't have to rush back to a bus! After about an hour the tourist hordes dispersed and we followed the trail around the mountain, up some steep stairs (my legs screamed in terror...they remember the Inca Trail all too well), through a tunnel, and emerged on the other side, with even more ruins to enjoy! It was perfectly quiet and peaceful, with only a handful of other visitors around. We had incredibly hot sunny weather, and I was so happy that we had as long as we wanted to take it all in. 

If you follow the trail, it takes you through all the ruins, and then down the mountainside right into the center of Pisac, where the famous marketplace is. We browsed the stalls on our way to lunch. It was typical tourist stuff for the most part...alpaca goods, some little carved musical instruments, and jewellery. Eventually I will have to buy some stuff, but at that time food was priority!

We went to a tourist hot spot called Ulrike's, and enjoyed pumpkin cream soup, chickpea curry with mint chutney, and a slice of lemon cheesecake! Delicioso! 

We caught another colectivo back to Cusco, and I really enjoyed catching a glimpse of non-touristy Peru as we drove. Because it is Sunday many places are closed, and because it was sunny out there were many families outside playing futbol or picnicking in the fields beside the road. 

Cusco is a big, busy, noisy city, so it was really enjoyable to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. I'm really glad I visted Pisac the way I did.

Though I can't lie...I may brave another bus tour to see Lake Titticaca next weekend...

The long awaited update

Hola! 
I'm sorry to have kept you faithful readers in suspense for so long...it's been crazy busy since I last wrote, I literally have not had time to write anything. 

Yesterday (my birthday!) I got a few unexpected hours off in the afternoon, so after a much-needed siesta (which as everyone knows is probably the best birthday present I could receive), I decided to try to tap out a few thoughts and memories of my latest adventure: a four-day trek through the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

Where to begin??
I have done hiking and I have done camping, but I have never combined the two before, and to say I was nervous about embarking on this trek would be a serious understatement. I am not a hardcore outdoorswoman and I feared to the weight of my backpack (which ended up at approx. 11 kilos...which is a lot for me!) combined with the difficulty of the trail would be too much for me. 
However...this is a challenge I have been thinking about for quite a while, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. It is another fear that I needed to overcome. 

There is so much to say...and I can't seem to find the words...

I know it sounds cheesy, but this was not just a hike, it was also a journey on many different levels. There is a lot of time for reflection and I was challenged and confronted with things about myself that I wasn't expecting. If I had to sum up the whole experience in one word it would be "Humbling". 

It was humbling to be surrounded by jagged mountain ranges, in absolute peace and quiet, just taking in the stunning natural beauty and incredible Inca ruins staggered along the trail. It made me feel transported to a different world, like I was sneaking a peek at "the big picture", which also made me feel completely tiny and insignificant.

It was humbling to be served by the porters, like the unjustly privileged white girl that I am. While I struggle to carry a 30 L padded, brandname backpack of my personal "necessities" up a hill, sweating and breathing hard, they scamper past with probably over twice as much weight on their backs in nothing more than glorified nylon bags, so that they can arrive at our campsite hours before us to set up our tents and cook us a gourmet meal. Some wear worn-out sandals, or sneakers, and they bring nothing for themselves but the clothes on their backs. They get up before us, and go to bed after us. They do our cooking and cleaning. They pack in everything from propane tanks to the dining table. Their lives are very difficult, and the work is the only way they can provide for their families.
And so they clap and thank us for our business. Humbling.

On the third day we got into a bit of a time crunch because we wanted to visit a certain historical sight which would close at 4:30pm, and we were running late. Due to the unrelenting evil stairs of the previous day followed by MORE hours of stairs that afternoon, we had to pick up the pace and my knees and quads literally gave out with about a half hour of walking left to go. 
It is a difficult thing to face when your body refuses to do what you tell it to. 
I am a proud woman and I do NOT like to admit defeat, or to accept help. That day, I had to do both. It was extremely Humbling, and I have a hard time admitting it even here where only friends will read it. 

Neverthless, the trek was an amazing experience, and I loved almost every minute. I was with a really fun group, and our guide was funny, and very knowledgable and passionate about Inca history, which really enriched the whole trip. As a huge bonus, we had PERFECT weather the whole time. It basically only rained at night after we had gone to bed. Amazing. Especially since we are in the middle of the rainy season!

I´m sorry I am not able to to put up any photos at this time. I don´t have the cable to connect the camera, and there is no spot for the memory chip...I might be able to figure something out eventually, but for now you´ll just have to imagine it :) 

Weekend Update: Conquering Fears

Friday:

My second day of Spanish lessons. I'm adding more words to my vocabulary every day, but still struggling to understand people when they talk...comprehension is coming little by little.
I ventured out of my comfort zone today (this is now a daily occurrence...between the stress, mate de coca, and all the exploring on foot, my heart is getting pretty fit) when I ate lunch at a restaurant by myself after my lesson. Granted, not much speaking was required, but I didn't use any English at all, so that was an accomplishment!

Afterward I conquered another fear: bartering! I'm now a proud owner of a chompa de alpaca (alpaca sweater) which apparently I got a fair deal on. This is probably due to the compassion of the lovely woman who sold it to me, rather than my pathetically timid bartering skills. I probably looked like a drowned rat as I shivered and explained "soy muy frio!" ("I am very cold!"). Today was very rainy and cool, and there is no indoor heating anywhere! Now with my new purchase I am cozy and "muy caliente"! I wish I had more room in my pack to load up on these for my next Canadian winter!

My final task of the day was to get a phone. I rented a basic phone from the school for S/.10 a month (approximately $3-4) and bought the recommended amount of credit from a hole-in-the-wall pharmacy for an additional S/.5. Though I miss my trusty smartphone from home, I'm glad I didn't bring it. My roommate said his was stolen within his first week in Cusco.

I still haven't ridden the bus...this speaks to the amount of terror it strikes into my heart. I have been overcharged nearly every time I've taken the taxi, so I've begun walking everywhere which can take a very long time and usually results in me huddled in a doorway during a downpour. Maybe this weekend I'll finally take the bus...

Saturday:

Friday night had my stomach producing some interesting sounds, and after a sleepless night tossing and turning, I arose in the morning with a seriously upset stomach, feeling shaky and aching for sleep. The thought of food was not appealing, but I managed some breakfast and then postponed my planned putting and went straight back to bed. For the rest of the day.
I have no idea what it was...maybe a bug or delayed "soroche" (altitude sickness). Overall, I can't complain as it was relatively mild and I was feeling back to normal the next morning.

Sunday:

After breakfast and a cold shower (still not used to it), I decided enough was enough and I needed to tackle my (perhaps disproportionate) phobia of the city bus.
The buses here are independently owned companies, with names that can be quite funny (ie: "batman"). Their destinations are printed on the side, but since I only know approximately 3 streets and have only a very basic understanding of the city layout, this is not very helpful.
The buses honk as they approach the curb, and when the front door opens the driver's assistant hops out and shouts out the bus's destinations in hopes of attracting potential customers.
I approached the "pereno" (bus stop) hesitantly and even more timidly approached a stranger to inquire which bus I should take. My Spanish must have been muy malo indeed, because he simply brushed me off and I scurried back to my corner. My next tactic was to run up to the next business and ask the assistant "plaza de armas?". She shrugged with an indifferent "Si", and waved me aboard. I clambered into the first available seat, which happened to be at the front, and observed the proceedings with interest.
The main street by my guesthouse is one of the busiest in the city...basically that equivalent of a highway. Driving in Cusco is...an experience. Apart from a few stoplights, it mostly seems like a free-for-all! There are 3 lanes on this particular road, but they are more like guidelines. Cars drift between them at will, dodging built up traffick, pedestrians, and taxis creeping up from crossroads, or simply drive over the lines to keep their options open. I have never seen such aggressive yet skillful weaving through traffic...it looks like chaos, but I have yet to witness an accident or road rage. There is honking a-plenty, though! They honk for everything...to let pedestrians know they are approaching, to inform another car there isn't a chance in the world that they can cut in, to greet one another, or in the case of a bus making a stop: to say get out of my way, or I will crush you! I am even more impressed by the drivers here because there is basically no such thing as automatic transmission. Another fun fact: there are seriously old VW bugs and vans EVERYWHERE!
Back to my bussing experience.
People seemed to pay upon their departure, and the standard fare is 70 cientes...the equivalent of about $.23, which is a vast improvement over arguing with taxi drivers insisting on S/.5.
The downside, of course, is that I'm in charge of knowing where to hop off. I have yet to master this. Both times I rode the bus today resulted in a long walk to my actual destination (though not as long as it would have been without the bus)! Good thing I have nothing but time on my hands! Tomorrow I try again, with a different destination. We'll see how it goes!

New Year, New Country

country. 

I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to write an update here. The Blogger app on the tablet I am using has gone on strike indefinitely, and the browser will not accept that I am in fact the rightful author of RBF and insists on a read-only Blogger basis. As of now I have decided to write this in an email to myself from my tablet, which I will copy and paste into Blogger from the more cooperative computer at the school. 
Now that you are up to date on everything that you don't care about, I'll try to summarize a few points of interest from the last 5 days...

1. I arrived safely. It came to about 24 hours of travel, not including the drive to Vancouver. I got precious little sleep due to nerves, flying (can anyone actually sleep in those seats?) and airport delightfulness, so I was pretty pooped by the time I landed in Cusco, Peru. My adrenaline got me as far as about an hour after settling into my homestay, and then I crashed for about 4 hours until dinner, and when I went back to bed later that evening, I slept soundly for another 8. A rarity for me at the best if times!

2. No altitude sickness! Yay!!! My host family has been drowning me in mate de coca which is supposed to help,  so maybe that is the key. The tea tastes like green tea, and I get seriously jittery when I drink it. I'm sorry I can't bring any home for you to sample, as the drug sniffing dogs at the airport would bust me as a coke smuggler. True story. 

3. My hosts Willy & Gloria are the sweetest little couple. I think they are in their 60's, and they live in a multilevel home with separate apartments in each floor. Their grown children with families if their own lives in the other floors. They also own a 6 month old terrier named "Speedy" (spelling unknown...this is just how it sounds). 
I am one of two student/volunteers staying here. The other is a guy from Germany who is fluent in "Spain Spanish", which has an interestingly different accent. He also speaks English, so I feel pretty silly struggling to learn my first second language!

4. I am slowly adjusting to a different way of water usage that includes unpotable running water (ie: brushing my teeth with bottled water), throwing toilet paper in the garbage rather than flushing it (because the plumbing can't handle it), and water only being hot when used for tea. Cold showers and I have yet to become friends. I'm already dreaming of a steaming hot shower followed by a large tub for soaking in when I get home! 

5. I've had my first Spanish lesson, and discovered that (unsurprisingly) I am far better at reading and spelling than at speaking the language. My memory is bad...I knew that already...but it is frustrating when I have to keep checking back to my phrasebook for things I know I've learned! It's early days yet, so there is still hope for me.

6. The weather is generally cool, though. It changes rapidly from sunny and warm to rainy and stormy. We've even had periods of hail the last two days, and plenty if torrential downpours.  I plan on purchasing a nice cozy alpaca wool sweater this week. Sure it will make me stand out as a tourists...but who am I kidding. That was already blatantly obvious. I've never felt so conspicuously white in my life. 

7. Last night/this morning I celebrated Años Nuevo (New Years) with my new Peruvian friend, E. We joined the drunken throngs of tourists and locals alike in Plaza de Armas...it was quite an experience, and I will hopefully elaborate on it later when I figure out how to put up photos and video! It was unlike any New Year's party I have ever seen before! My ears are still ringing :)

8. I've done a fair bit of exploring on foot already since I think it is one of the best ways to get to know a city, along with the fact that I haven't figured out the bus system yet and I have plenty of time to kill! Cusco is quite large and very busy. 

9. The food! Gloria is a wonderful cook, and everything has been very tasty. Peruvian cuisine is very starchy, so there has been lots of quinoa, rice, and potatoes, usually accompanied by a bit of huevos (eggs), queso (a mild, salty white cheese), or pollo (chicken). For breakfast once it was simply a sliced boiled potato with two large slabs of cheese! More often it is a guava smoothie and two small bananas.

10. The portion sizes have been so incredibly large, and served three times a day, that I have been feeling sick and each bite is a struggle to swallow! Nerves and not a whole lot of activity also contributes to a current lack of appetite. I have been so afraid to offend that I've eaten everything I've been given no matter how long it takes...but I finally worked up the courage today to speak to Gloria about it! It took me about an hour to compose a short paragraph in Spanish which I read to her haha!! She laughed and said that she wouldn't serve so much to me, and said my pronunciation was "muy bueno". Tonight will be the first test run with the new portion sizes! My next challenge is tackling the bus...

That's all the news I can muster for tonight. It takes a long time to tappity tap it out on the tablet! Hope you enjoyed reading! 

2015

The past year has included some pretty sweet travel times, including a family vacation to Hawaii, my second season in a treeplanting camp, and a cross-Canada roadtrip with 3 wonderful people! Not too shabby for a slacker on a student's budget.

2015 is even more promising.
In fact, my upcoming adventure will begin tomorrow when I begin my journey to South America!

On December 29th, I'll fly into Cusco Peru to spend 6 weeks learning Spanish at Proyecto Peru and volunteering in an orphanage for girls. Then in February I hop on a plane to Venezuela to undertake a volunteer program with Aldeas de Paz to learn the ins and outs of NGO administration, while taking some more Spanish lessons. I will spend 8 weeks there, and then head home mid-April to readjust to North America for two weeks before heading out into the bush for my third season cooking for treeplanters in northern BC and Alberta.

It will be a little crazy and I fully admit to being slightly terrified! But I know it will be really cool, and I will meet so many fantastic people, and see some pretty nifty parts of the world...so I am also really excited! I've wanted to learn Spanish and live in a country where I can practice it for quite a while, so it will be pretty special for me to be able to do that in 2015.

I should have some basic internet access once I arrive there, but I'm not sure that I will be able to upload many photos unfortunately. We'll have to just wait and see how it goes. Either way, I'll be using this ol' blog to keep you curious people informed of what I'm up to while I'm away. Feel free to creep, but I would also love to hear from YOU! Despite the adventures, I'm sure I'll miss home sometimes :)

Anyone else have travel plans for the new year? What are some goals you are aiming for?