Today we went white water rafting on the Urubamba river (sacred Incan river) and it was awesommme. We also got an awesome lunch after and got to see some Ican ruins on the way back to Cusco. Cusco is an awesome city, extremely beautiful, but it has a lot of tourists which is a downside.
Tomorrow we head to Machu Picchu. I am very excited! We have a three day "trek" visiting the town of Aguas Calientes, Santa Maria, and Santa Theresa. After Machu Picchu we go to Copacabana, a city on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, and spend a day there. For de-orientation we are going to Isla Del Sol, the birth place of the Incas. Once that is over it is time to return to La Paz for one day and return home...already! It doesn´t seem like it has been three months at all and I have really enjoyed my time here in Boliva and Peru and already can´t wait to return!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Parque De Papas
For the past couple of days I lived with a family in an ecotourism park called Parque de las Papas (Potato Park...its a lot cooler than it sounds). I lived with Anne and Molly and our homestay family was awesome. We did a lot of activities with our dad Ciprian such as work in the field, play soccer, and go on tours or walks around the community. On Thanksgiving we planted trees for the community then had a Turkey Bowl Futbol game that was tons of fun. After we all dressed up in the traditional dress and had a big fiesta with the whole community. We danced, shared thanks, and had a nice big 3 course meal. It was defiantly a different Thanksgiving but one I will always remember.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
November 22 Update
I just want to apologize on how sorry I am for being so behind on my blog! I have been so busy and been having so much fun that it has been hard to keep up. Recently I stayed in a Afro-Bolivian homestay family in the Yungas and it was an awesome experience. I helped my mom pick coca leaves in the morning, under the scorching hot sun, and played with my adorable 7 year old brother named Henry. It was cool to live with the afrobolivians becuase they have adapted to much of the Bolivian culture but have their own rhythm. Sophia and I were together and stayed at the house for 4 nights. The last night they taught us their traditional african Saya dance that was just tons of fun. Their music really gets you going! Anyway, I had a grea time in Tocana and it was probably one of my favorite homestays.
PERU!
Tomorrow I head to Peru and this is my schedule:
-Homestay in Parque de las Papas for 4 nights. We will learn about papas (potatoes), textiles, trek, and get to know another family.
-White water raft for one day near Cusco
-"Trek" to Maccu Picchu!
-Isla del Sol for orientation
-La Paz Dec 7
-Home Dec 8
That is my schedule and I am going to work on updating my blog but it will be hard. I am really sorry and want to update it but it might not be until I arrive home until I can thoroughly finish it. For now, I have been having so much fun and I can`t believe there is only 3ish weeks left...crazy! I will leave you with some of my highlights the past couple of weeks:
1. Being attacked by and alligator during our night safari in the Pampas (everyone was safe it just rammed our boat)
2. Seeing an anocanda
3. Having monkeys come within feet of us! I love monkeys.
4. Homestay at Tocana but in particular going down to the river with some of the local boys. At one point on the way down they grabbed old plastic bottles better known as trash and rode down the rocky slope on them... rock sledding. They didn´t let me do it though haha. Also: climbing trees and picking the mangos from them, talking with my host mom, and dancing in the Saya
5. Fishing for Piranas
6. Discoteca Saturday night in La Paz. We got to see a popular local rock band it was so much fun!
7. Jumping on a trampoline during a fair in El Ciebo with Sophia, Helen, Kate, and Anne. It was absolutely hilarious and I hadn´t done it for a long time.
8. Seeing the El Ciebo chocolate factory and eating a lot of souvenir chocolate after.
That is all I can think of now but I will be sure to add more....there are too many highlights that I can´t think of them on the top of my head.
Paz y Amor
Natalie
PERU!
Tomorrow I head to Peru and this is my schedule:
-Homestay in Parque de las Papas for 4 nights. We will learn about papas (potatoes), textiles, trek, and get to know another family.
-White water raft for one day near Cusco
-"Trek" to Maccu Picchu!
-Isla del Sol for orientation
-La Paz Dec 7
-Home Dec 8
That is my schedule and I am going to work on updating my blog but it will be hard. I am really sorry and want to update it but it might not be until I arrive home until I can thoroughly finish it. For now, I have been having so much fun and I can`t believe there is only 3ish weeks left...crazy! I will leave you with some of my highlights the past couple of weeks:
1. Being attacked by and alligator during our night safari in the Pampas (everyone was safe it just rammed our boat)
2. Seeing an anocanda
3. Having monkeys come within feet of us! I love monkeys.
4. Homestay at Tocana but in particular going down to the river with some of the local boys. At one point on the way down they grabbed old plastic bottles better known as trash and rode down the rocky slope on them... rock sledding. They didn´t let me do it though haha. Also: climbing trees and picking the mangos from them, talking with my host mom, and dancing in the Saya
5. Fishing for Piranas
6. Discoteca Saturday night in La Paz. We got to see a popular local rock band it was so much fun!
7. Jumping on a trampoline during a fair in El Ciebo with Sophia, Helen, Kate, and Anne. It was absolutely hilarious and I hadn´t done it for a long time.
8. Seeing the El Ciebo chocolate factory and eating a lot of souvenir chocolate after.
That is all I can think of now but I will be sure to add more....there are too many highlights that I can´t think of them on the top of my head.
Paz y Amor
Natalie
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Day 57: Nov 1
-Woke up, packed, and had breakfast
-Piled into the back of a 4x4 Jeep with John, Crister, and Chris. We sat sideways on a long, bumpy, rocky car ride. We had to drive a total of 7 hours to Guinay, the town where we were going to catch a boat to Rurre.
-Piled into the back of a 4x4 Jeep with John, Crister, and Chris. We sat sideways on a long, bumpy, rocky car ride. We had to drive a total of 7 hours to Guinay, the town where we were going to catch a boat to Rurre.
Day 53 (Oct 29) & Day 55 (Oct 31 Halloween!)
Trek Sumup
The trek was really fun and it was cool to start in one type of landscape and end up in another. For the most part the trek was amazing and absolutely gorgeous but at times it was very difficult. Towards the end of the trip we had to wear our big backpacks and have the 95 degree sun beating down on our heads. Since we were in the jungle there were also a lot of annoying bugs and mosquitos. Luckily, all the positives strongly outwayed the negatives.
The first day was all at a slight downhill and the weather was great--sunny but not too hot. We ate lunch near a river and once we reached our campsite we got to swim. We set up our tents near these old abandoned huts and other pre-incan ruins.
2nd day: I was the leader and had a pretty hard hike...I think the hardest. The landscape changed a lot to jungle. We had to carry our big backpacks for half the day and it was just sooo hot. We arrived to the campsite and swam--the water was amazing. The campsite was pretty buggy and muggy. We ate dinner pretty late and decided that we were going to wake up really early in the morning to avoid the hot afternoon sun.
3rd day HALLOWEEN! We woke up really early and left the campsite at 6:45. Crister wore a witch hat in honor of Halloween. The morning was great becuase it was so cool. We passed awesome waterfalls and the valley was just gorgeous. We mainly walked higher up on the edge of the valley overlooking the river below; there were also huge waterfalls on the other side of the valley that we could see pour down. At one point in the day Crister and I got lost becuase we stopped to get water and when we were finished the group was way far ahead and didnt wait. There were so many different paths to take that we waited for Maro and Chris to come back and get us. After that we had a miserable lunch under the scorching hot sun. The rest of the afternoon was really pretty but supppper hot. We finally made it to a swimming hole near the town Chusi where we stayed that night. I was so happy to see water! We had dinner in the town and also had a woman´s game of soccer. All of us girls played the local woman on the little cement soccer field. It was soo much fun and reminded me a lot of my Costa Rica trip. We, of course, won 4-2. It was a blast. For Halloween we got costumes and candy and did tent trick-or-treating. Each of us went to each other´s tents and got candy it was hillarious...it only lasted about 10 min because there were 4 tents but it was still really fun. Everyone had pretty good costumes for what we could do with them. I was a mystical creature...it is an inside joke with the group. After the trick or treating we made a bonfire and told scary stories and ate our candy. A few of us stayed up after that and talked and also teepeed the instructors tent haha. It was an awesome Halloween in a verrry different way. I don´t think there will be another Halloween where I am treking in the jungle of Bolivia, play soccer with the local woman, and TENT trick or treat. I had so much fun and it was defiantly a Halloween to remember!
The trek was really fun and it was cool to start in one type of landscape and end up in another. For the most part the trek was amazing and absolutely gorgeous but at times it was very difficult. Towards the end of the trip we had to wear our big backpacks and have the 95 degree sun beating down on our heads. Since we were in the jungle there were also a lot of annoying bugs and mosquitos. Luckily, all the positives strongly outwayed the negatives.
The first day was all at a slight downhill and the weather was great--sunny but not too hot. We ate lunch near a river and once we reached our campsite we got to swim. We set up our tents near these old abandoned huts and other pre-incan ruins.
2nd day: I was the leader and had a pretty hard hike...I think the hardest. The landscape changed a lot to jungle. We had to carry our big backpacks for half the day and it was just sooo hot. We arrived to the campsite and swam--the water was amazing. The campsite was pretty buggy and muggy. We ate dinner pretty late and decided that we were going to wake up really early in the morning to avoid the hot afternoon sun.
3rd day HALLOWEEN! We woke up really early and left the campsite at 6:45. Crister wore a witch hat in honor of Halloween. The morning was great becuase it was so cool. We passed awesome waterfalls and the valley was just gorgeous. We mainly walked higher up on the edge of the valley overlooking the river below; there were also huge waterfalls on the other side of the valley that we could see pour down. At one point in the day Crister and I got lost becuase we stopped to get water and when we were finished the group was way far ahead and didnt wait. There were so many different paths to take that we waited for Maro and Chris to come back and get us. After that we had a miserable lunch under the scorching hot sun. The rest of the afternoon was really pretty but supppper hot. We finally made it to a swimming hole near the town Chusi where we stayed that night. I was so happy to see water! We had dinner in the town and also had a woman´s game of soccer. All of us girls played the local woman on the little cement soccer field. It was soo much fun and reminded me a lot of my Costa Rica trip. We, of course, won 4-2. It was a blast. For Halloween we got costumes and candy and did tent trick-or-treating. Each of us went to each other´s tents and got candy it was hillarious...it only lasted about 10 min because there were 4 tents but it was still really fun. Everyone had pretty good costumes for what we could do with them. I was a mystical creature...it is an inside joke with the group. After the trick or treating we made a bonfire and told scary stories and ate our candy. A few of us stayed up after that and talked and also teepeed the instructors tent haha. It was an awesome Halloween in a verrry different way. I don´t think there will be another Halloween where I am treking in the jungle of Bolivia, play soccer with the local woman, and TENT trick or treat. I had so much fun and it was defiantly a Halloween to remember!
Day 52 Oct 28
-Woke up not feeling so well and packed
-Had to say goodbye to everyone in Tutu that was really sad. Saying goodbye to Johnny, the boy who I went to the hospital with becuase he cut his hand, was probably the hardest...and his adorable little brother. I didn´t really like my family that much so it wasn´t that hard to say bye but my sister Llovana was crying.
-Cleaned the program house and hopped into the vans
-Rode in 4x4´s up a mountain a little under 17,000ft. I felt sick from earlier and from the car ride so once we started hiking I had no energy and my stomach didn´t feel good. As we started to descend I felt better. We hiked through these rocky bowls and then up and down a pass. On the way down you could "rock ski" because it was easy to slide/run. It was really fun! The landscape was mountains similar to Apolobamba. It is cool though becuase we started way up in the mountains in a totally different ecosystem and then throughout the trek slowly descended into the jungle
-that night we camped at the base of Mount Illampu. It was gorgeous! There was also an aqua blue stream running right through our campsite. We made dinner and played some group games.
-Cards and then bed
-Had to say goodbye to everyone in Tutu that was really sad. Saying goodbye to Johnny, the boy who I went to the hospital with becuase he cut his hand, was probably the hardest...and his adorable little brother. I didn´t really like my family that much so it wasn´t that hard to say bye but my sister Llovana was crying.
-Cleaned the program house and hopped into the vans
-Rode in 4x4´s up a mountain a little under 17,000ft. I felt sick from earlier and from the car ride so once we started hiking I had no energy and my stomach didn´t feel good. As we started to descend I felt better. We hiked through these rocky bowls and then up and down a pass. On the way down you could "rock ski" because it was easy to slide/run. It was really fun! The landscape was mountains similar to Apolobamba. It is cool though becuase we started way up in the mountains in a totally different ecosystem and then throughout the trek slowly descended into the jungle
-that night we camped at the base of Mount Illampu. It was gorgeous! There was also an aqua blue stream running right through our campsite. We made dinner and played some group games.
-Cards and then bed
Day 51: Oct 27
I woke up late after my huge scorpion scare and went straight to the school in Tutu to teach. Todays lesson: how to cultivate potatos...today they taught me a little more than I taught them
-Went to the program house and worked on projects. We painted both bathrooms, planted flowers, fixed the chicken coop, and painted this sweeet dragon on the wall.
-Quickly went home for lunch. On the way to my house I helped this cholita carry her bag. I felt really bad for her becuase she was like 60 maybe and had to walk 5 hours in the HOT sun with all of her groceries. I really wanted to get her a taxi but I didnt have money on me and I also didnt see a cab pass by. I really hope she made it home ok!!
-Returned to the program house and finished projects. We split into groups and got supplies for our trek.
-Group reflection meeting around the bonfire.... a great way to close the time at Sorata. 3 weeks flew by!
-Ran into town to get candy and my costume for Halloween!
-Ate dinner at home and played with the kids for the last time : (
-Chilled with Becky and Chris then BED!
-Went to the program house and worked on projects. We painted both bathrooms, planted flowers, fixed the chicken coop, and painted this sweeet dragon on the wall.
-Quickly went home for lunch. On the way to my house I helped this cholita carry her bag. I felt really bad for her becuase she was like 60 maybe and had to walk 5 hours in the HOT sun with all of her groceries. I really wanted to get her a taxi but I didnt have money on me and I also didnt see a cab pass by. I really hope she made it home ok!!
-Returned to the program house and finished projects. We split into groups and got supplies for our trek.
-Group reflection meeting around the bonfire.... a great way to close the time at Sorata. 3 weeks flew by!
-Ran into town to get candy and my costume for Halloween!
-Ate dinner at home and played with the kids for the last time : (
-Chilled with Becky and Chris then BED!
Update
Sorry I am so behind!! I am so busy and having so much fun that is hard to update all the time. I am doing my best but I just wanted to let you all know what I am up to right now. I am in a town called Rurrenabaque and it is in the low lands so basically I am in the jungle. Rurre, as they call it, is right on the river and is gorgeous. My group and I are working on a service project with the local health clinic. We have been making water filters and tomorrow we will be delivering them to a town 30 min down the river. We got to Rurre by boat on a two day boat trip (I just put some photos up on Facebook of it). The boat trip was amazing---we chilled on a boat, stopped and did treks to waterfalls and swam in them, and we also camped on a beach. The night we camped actually was really nice at first but then there was an intense thunderstorm with lightning flashing every second...it was awesome. I also got a really sweet stripped burn on my stomach that hurt for a couple days. Anyway, everything is awesome and I can´t believe there is only ONE month left! My time here has really flown by and I hate the thought of leaving. I will do my best to update the blog but I won´t have much access these next couple of weeks--sorry!! Hope all is well with you and I will update you ASAP! Chao for now!! : )
Day 50: Oct 26
-Observed a second grade class in downtown Sorata. It was really cool to see the difference between the rural and urban school. The school in Tutu is wayyyy more informal and the teacher doesn´t have as much control. In Sorata the teacher was strict and homework was actually checked...you actually couldn´t go to recess if you didn´t do it.
-Made pizza with Chris at the program house
-Painted the school in Tutuacaja with everyone (we painted it yellow stripes...)
-Played with the kids in the Cancha with our new tshirts
-Becky Chris and I went back to the program house and made banana bread...YUM. We also did more painting and touching up of the walls at the program house.
-Internet with Chris and cabbed it home
-Played with the kids under the light in the street when I got home. They were playing with tires and rope it was funny. I gave them cookies and then went to bed...but that wasn´t the end of my day!! I actually had one of the scariest nights everr...
I was stung by a scorpion FOUR times! This is what happened:
I felt a bite or a sting on the back of my knee and I ripped something off and threw it to the wall. I had no idea what it was but checked around my bed and didn´t see anything. A couple minutes later I moved my arm from under my jacket that I used for my pillow and I felt the same sting on my arm. "WHAT THE HECK!" I yelled. It felt like another wasp sting. I looked around more and still didn´t see anything. Finally after the second time I shook my jacket I felt another, but lighter, sting on my finger and cheek. That was it...what could it have been. Obviously something is in my bed but I had NO idea what it was going to be. I turned on the light to find a scorpion crawling right in the middle of my bed. "Oh. My. GOD. I am going to die!!" Is the first thing that ran through my brain. Scorpions can be deathly poisonous so I ran into Becky and Chris´ room asking what I should do. I fell on the way to Chris´room too haha because it was really muddy. Anyway, I got my mom and she went into my room and killed the scorpion (after I took a picture) and told me it wasn´t poisonous. I called the instructors to make sure and they called a biologists friend who told me the same. Thank god I didn´t die. It was so scary but also hilarious. What a night!
-Made pizza with Chris at the program house
-Painted the school in Tutuacaja with everyone (we painted it yellow stripes...)
-Played with the kids in the Cancha with our new tshirts
-Becky Chris and I went back to the program house and made banana bread...YUM. We also did more painting and touching up of the walls at the program house.
-Internet with Chris and cabbed it home
-Played with the kids under the light in the street when I got home. They were playing with tires and rope it was funny. I gave them cookies and then went to bed...but that wasn´t the end of my day!! I actually had one of the scariest nights everr...
I was stung by a scorpion FOUR times! This is what happened:
I felt a bite or a sting on the back of my knee and I ripped something off and threw it to the wall. I had no idea what it was but checked around my bed and didn´t see anything. A couple minutes later I moved my arm from under my jacket that I used for my pillow and I felt the same sting on my arm. "WHAT THE HECK!" I yelled. It felt like another wasp sting. I looked around more and still didn´t see anything. Finally after the second time I shook my jacket I felt another, but lighter, sting on my finger and cheek. That was it...what could it have been. Obviously something is in my bed but I had NO idea what it was going to be. I turned on the light to find a scorpion crawling right in the middle of my bed. "Oh. My. GOD. I am going to die!!" Is the first thing that ran through my brain. Scorpions can be deathly poisonous so I ran into Becky and Chris´ room asking what I should do. I fell on the way to Chris´room too haha because it was really muddy. Anyway, I got my mom and she went into my room and killed the scorpion (after I took a picture) and told me it wasn´t poisonous. I called the instructors to make sure and they called a biologists friend who told me the same. Thank god I didn´t die. It was so scary but also hilarious. What a night!
Day 49: Oct 25
I woke up and had the best morning yet! At 5:30 the Tutu gang climbed the local mountain. It was hard to climb at first because I was really tired and it was pretty steep but once I got to the top (after about an hour) it was AWESOME! The sun just rose as we reached the top and there was an incredible view of the valley: Sorata, the river, Mount Illampu and the surrounding trees and mountains. I felt great and the morning was fantastic. We all climbed to one part of the mountain but then the boys left, Sam and Chris, and Annie Becky and I climbed to another part of the mountain and we had an incredible view. We sat, talked and did a little meditation. I was just so happy and felt so alive! The walk down the mountain was priceless and defiantly an adventure. We walked through prickly bush forests, in between trees, down slippery rocks, through giant pigs...it was hilarious. I fell various times after Becky would tell me to be careful. For some reason we just could not find the trail! Half the time we had no idea where we were but thats what made it great. I really enjoyed my early morning!
Me on the top of the mountainWhen I got back, I had breakfast with my family and then showered to get all the mud off. Becky, Chris and I journaled and then Becky and I decided to see if the party at Annie´s house from the night before was still going on. The music was still playing and people were still sitting, drinking, and passed out from the night before (it is a tradition to have a party for your house once the roof is complete; it is supposed to be a blessing). Anyway, we got to the house and started laughing because it was just a non stop party. Moms were passed out with their kids tugging on their sleeves, Cholitas were dancing, men passed out then woke up and started drinking again. I cant tell you how funny it was haha. The party-goers asked Becky and I to show them some American moves so we did. It was great.
We left the party and I went back to my house for lunch. After lunch we all piled into a car and went to the market. I was with my mom and Gina---we got some groceries and fruit juice. When we finished I bought more t-shirts for all the demanding parents of my community. I met my family in the Cancha after and watched a little soccer. Then I went to the program house for a little and made more tshirts. When I went home my family wasn´t there so I just relaxed and read my book. It started to thunderstorm so Chris and I went onto this one balcony and watched the lightning shoot through the sky--it was really cool! I saw the longest lightning bolt in my life. I went home after and learned that I had another sister! I had no idea. Her name is Lola and she is 18 and I guess was living in La Paz for a year with her boyfriend. Both her and her boyfriend were back but there was an argument going on over drinking. I don´t know exactly but in the middle of the night Lola and her boyfriend escaped as my mom put it. "Lola, se escapo!" It was hilarious when she said that. I had a quick dinner then went to the program house and all the girls watched a movie. Came back and went to bed! End of another awesomme day.
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