Up and Coming

So everyone left for the Inka trail or Salkantay trek today. I got up early to send them off because it was the last time I'll see most of them. I get back from my Inka trek after they have all left. I keep reminding myself that it's ok because hikingt the Inka trail was what I wanted and the choice I made. I know it will be great and I'll meet lots of cool new people. It is just hard to wait and watch the others go and have another shared experience!

In other news, when in South America, DO NOT try to book your own flights with South American airlines. They won't work because you don't have a credit card from a South American country and then you'll be stressed out about whether you have a flight or not...your friend might also try to book a flight but with a European airline and at the last second you'll receive the email telling you there's a problem. Dodged a bullet there. You then will need your Volunteer manager to phone the airline to translate that you have one of two options: go to the Lima office and pay directly for the flight or cancel through a long winded email. Yes, this happened and I chose the latter. What a stressful 24 hours! In the end, Nico from Peru's challenge got Elisabeth and I flights!

So here is our plan: bus down to Arica, Chile for a day or two of surfing and then head over to Buenos Aires, Argentina for some tango and a gaze at the beautiful Iguazu Falls! But first I must hit the Inca trail!

Bittersweet!

Today was one of those wonderful wonderful days that is also mixed with the bittersweet sadness of goodbye. Today, it was our last day at the school. It's amazing how in 3 weeks people can change you. That they can carve a place for themselves in your heart when it feels like you only just met yesterday. When we stood around for the goodbye ceremony, it was similar to the welcoming ceremony.

I had the same rush of emotions about what was happening. Only I no longer stood beside people I had just met looking on into the eyes of strangers. I stood beside my friends and looked out at children and mothers who were also my friends. The shared experiences that we had together are the ones that change you. The ones that forever remain. I know that when I am older and I look back on the year that I turned 25, volunteering here and having these experiences with such a vast variety of people will be one of the first things that comes into my mind.
Today was also extra special because it was the first day that the kids got to play on their brand new playground equipment!

Haakan got to officially welcome in the equipment with the Peruvian tradition of breaking a bottle that was hanging of the equipment. Boy did he look proud! Then it was the rush of children all vying for a turn on the seesaw, swings, or monkey bars.


The laughter was so heart warming and their was no one without a smile.


We were also very fortunate to be a part of bread breaking tradition that happens here in October. The mothers and Ruffino "the Professional" took time to bake sweet Anise bread to share with us and the children. The bread was either shaped like horses or had the faces of women in it. They gathered us around and we broke off pieces and shared with each other. It was still warm and had the best hint of sweet licorice taste. Then, before we left, they let us give the bread to the children to go share with each other.

It was very hard to leave the school and know that it was the last walk up to the van that we would make. The last time we would see those bright blue buildings and the welcoming voices of "Hola Amigas". It was our last drive from Quillahuata back to the guest house. The last time we would pick people up walking into the town. I tried to soak it all in so that the images could survive in my memory long after I left this adventure and went on to something new. As it sits, I think I would have to try very hard to forget.

The Best Day!

Today was one of the best days I have had with this program. It was a construction day .. so what made it so special? The playground equipment that the school has been waiting for (and some of the volunteers) arrived. Before now, many of the kids played the game marbles with rocks or ran around in the field chasing each other. I do believe it was their first time seeing playground equipment that they knew was going to be just for them.

I have never seen a group of kids look so eager at equipment they couldn’t even use yet! They all just sat along the wall and watched us talk and work before going back to their class today. Their joy was very subtle but infectious at the same time. As vols, we knew this day was something big. Bigger than anything else we might have participated in so far on this adventure. This was BIG.

At one point during classes, the grade 3 & 4 girls came out while the teeter totter had just been put in the ground. Memo gave them the okay and they all hopped on. The giggles you heard were so heart warming. These girls were so happy! It was such a candid moment, such a real moment I swear it will be ingrained in my memory. It makes you realize that some of the things we have in Western society have taken away our ability to enjoy the simple things.

I cannot wait until all the equipment is set and painted and all the kids can enjoy it.

The Sacred Valley Tour

It is when you go on a tour that you really see how well you bond as a volunteer group. There’s no escaping to your rooms on the bus. For our group, the tour of the Sacred Valley was two full blown days of ruins trekking, photo taking ridiculousness.  
On Saturday we started out to find that Sylvie was sick and would not be leading our tour. So we went and met Berta, another local Peruvian at the Chincherro ruins. She was very cute. However, her English was limited at times and we would ask her questions to which she would answer now and then revert around to yes. The Chincherro ruins were mostly converted by the Spanish and it is the view of the mountains here that really takes your breath away. They were gorgeous and you can totally see why someone would choose to build there.

At the Chincherro ruins, we visited a woman who showed us how they dye their strings to make fabrics. It was very interesting to see how everything was made from natural components. We also saw a large family of guinea pigs and many of our volunteers felt bad that they had chosen to indulge in this the night before. Vegetarian for the win!
After lunch, we went and saw the Ollantyambo ruins. They were built into the side of a mountain and overlook the cobblestone town. They were left primarily untouched by the Spanish as the Inca’s had not completed their building by the time they arrived to attack. We had gorgeous weather for touring this ruin. It was really cool to see how they created the terraces and the sun temple. Plus, some of the stones they used were huge! I can’t believe they brought them from Urabamba on the other side of the mountain. Their craftsmanship is rather incredible.

Saturday night, we stayed in Pisac so the next day we could go directly up the ruins. The hotel was lovely to be in. The night before, Elisabeth, Jenny and I stayed out dancing at Mama Africa till 2 am, we definitely did not get enough sleep for the tour lol. Totally worth it though.

The Pisac ruins were by far my favourite. We took the bus up the side of the mountain to the military area. We could see the view of the terraces going down the mountain and then on the opposite side we could see holes in the mountain which the Inca’s used as tombs. We joked that Lee might end up in those tombs because of all the photos she took and her need to get so close to the edge.
The Pisac ruins take about 3.5 hours or more to walk down. I like to think of it as Inka trail prep. We saw the ceremonial center of Intihuana and lots of lookout spots. There was this ruin that looked to me like a lost city that I swear I have in about 30 different photos.

We ended up getting to the temple area and going to the look out and reinacting a scene from Titanic for all the world to see. There were also some llama poses and a couple "lets do Miley Cyrus shots"

Definitely fun stuff. Other highlights include walking through a tunnel, looking at a lookout over the sacred valley, and climbing down numerous (sometimes precarious) steps to make it down to Pisac.

Our Lunch was definitely well deserved! After that everyone separated and tried our hand at bartering in the market. There are so many stalls and shops. I know I did not see them all. Sylvie had been telling us for the longest time to just wait to buy things till the Sacred Valley. I am glad I listened. They have some unique things and some things you can see everywhere, but you cannot beat the prices. Everyone walked away with some very nice treasures and gifts.

The last highlight if this tour is the visit to the Llama and Al Paca farm. Having a bad day? Go feed a Llama. It was so much fun. There is grass that you can feed them with and they come running. It was so funny. I was a mix between really wanting pictures and being afraid that they were going to bite or spit on me. Definitely worth it though!

A week in Review!

I swear the wifi here runs on Peruvian time! I like the feeling of being disconnected in a lot of ways..but it is still an adjustment. So an update on the past few days:

Today - I learned how to mix cement for the stairs. I don't think I ever thought about if I would ever learn how to do that before (for anything more than a craft purpose). I realized today, as I was shoveling cement into a bucket for Elisabeth, that had I not participated in this project I still wouldn't know how. It is interesting to think about the things I'm learning without being quite conscious of the fact that I'm learning them. We are hoping to be done with the stairs soon and nexr week we will be putting in some of the playground equipment other volunteers have donated! We are also going to be working in a community members green house.

Tuesday/Wednesday - My newly discovered love for fruity drinks on the weekend led to my demise and I was rather sick. I am glad Sylvie and Jane know what to do and they were able to go and get me antibiotics right away. I am much better. Tuesday, we were rained out anyways so I didn't miss anything. On Wednesday,I discovered bites on my back which Jane deduced were flea bites. Great! My bedding and most of my laundry that had just been washed went back to the laundry. But no more bites today! We also had hardly any kids at the school because the teachers had a meeting with the education minister. Thus, any kids who showed up we mostly just played with!

The Weekend- Last weekend was pretty great. On Saturday we did a tour of the ruins around Cusco. At the one historic site called Saixawayaman (aka Sexy Woman) there was this tunnel/cave we went through. It was so dark that I had to shut my eyes to stop from freaking out. At this point, Elisabeth was walking fast and Nicole was holding onto my hood which resulted in a bit choking lol. Afrer we got out, we came upon what looked like a huge rock slide. Elisabeth immediately turned to me and was like "Let's do it!" We assumed Sylvie wouldn't let us, but he was more than willing to ler us give it a try! The speed you pick up is crazy! You only use your hands to stop and it isn't that easy. I slammed into the ground with my feet on the second half. Totally worth it. The ruins were pretty cool too. The Incas made animal shapes in the wall and one of the stones was over 100 tonnes! Only the Incas could go to the site and every solstice they hold a traditional celebration there!

The rest of the weekend was spent wanderin around Cusco. On Sunday we went to an interesting restaurant called Fallen Angel where our table was a piece of glass over a bathtub full of fish! It was interesting!
This weekend we tour the Sacred Valley and then we only have four says of volunteering left! It's crazy how quick its gone by and this feeling I have that I have been here so much longer.

Week One Down!

So the first week is over! Yesterday, we pick-axed at more of the hill (which is now none existent) and then scraped concrete of a rock wall. Today, I did my first bit of teaching English to the grade 3/4 class. It was fun and mostly resulted in being super dramatic to express common greetings and animals. We also covered the alphabet and the first letters of our names. I also helped with the art class and had 5 very eager grade 1/2s make very wooly and pom-pomized sheep masks. It was rather funny to watch and definitely gave some insight into the children's skills. They're all so cute and they really love seeing themselves in a picture or video and taking pictures.
Since it is Thanksgiving this weekend in Canada and I won't be around, here are a couple of things I am greatful for at the moment:

1. The awesome people I am working with through Peru's Challenge.

2. The welcoming attitude of the children and families we're working with.

3. The fact that we have someone to cook for us everyday. It is a luxury, I am aware and an unexpected one at that, but I think I could have made myself sick.

4. The ability to travel.

5. The comfy pants I bought before coming here.

6. Central heating. Our guesthouse has none. I swear sometimes its colder inside than out.

7. Family. Those that are family by blood and those made into family through friendship.

This weekend we tour the ruins around Cuzco and then we have a free day. Hopefully it is as beautiful as today!

Visiting Pumamarca and Quillahuata

             Yesterday, we went to visit the towns that Peru's Challenge works with.  The first town is Pumamarca. It is a more like a village than a town and it is 3800m above sea level. It has a dirt road and little to no shops, just houses along the side.  We went to visit the school, however because it was a holiday, none of the children were there. The school itself is quite sustainable. It serves 150 students and teaches women to create textiles. It has its own Green houses to grow food and they are trying to get bread ovens working there so that they can also make their own bread. The food feeds the children both breakfast and lunch, which are sometime the only meals they get. Since the organization started working with the community to figure out how to irrigate crops and build there own greehouses alcoholism has gone down by 80%!
It was refreshing to hear that their work is making a difference. Plus, on the way back we got to go look at the roses in one of the greenhouses that are sold at San Pedro Market in town.  They were gorgeous.
             The next town we visited, the town we are going to be working in, is called Quillahuata. Despite it being a holiday, the children were at the school because they knew we were coming. They had a 'Welcome Ceremony' where they covered us in confeti and string and said "Hello." Then, the women of the community did the same thing. I swear I am still finding confeti in my hair! This whole little ceremony and their excitement really touched me. I swear at one point, I probably could have cried. You can just tell they are so genuine and welcoming and they truly want you there.
              Today, we started on our first project for the school. They had an area that they wanted levelled out with dirt so that the kindergarten group can have a toilet. So we went with our pick-axes and shovels and spent 2 and half hours demolishing a hill before the rain started to come. There were three little boys there helping too. They are definitely mischevious and know how to work the volunteers. Two of the boys were nine and one was seven. They were definitely better at pick-axing than I was. It was funny because at first they just watched us and then they decided to help and the one boy kept carrying the wheel barrel and saying "Mas, Mas" (more, more). It was amazing how eager they were and how different their attitude was from Western society. Sylvie said that after they helped us they would go help their parents in the field!
                 At our break, I saw children carrying photos of themselves and looking so proud. They pointed it out to me that it was of them. They were so excited. This moment, along with many others in my short time here, have just pointed out how priviledged I am to have been born into Western society. How priviledged I am to be afforded the opportunity to help because I have money. How much I already know I want to continue doing something bigger than what I am at home. I think this is a feeling that will only continue to increase the longer that I am here. I am already so grateful to have had this opportunity.
                Tonight, we begin our Spanish lessons and tomorrow we start teaching the kids:) I am so excited. I am teaching English and Art and helping with Hygiene and Snacks. Then, in the time where we have nothing to teach we help with the construction. It should be an interesting day!

Cusco

             Today we toured around the main city centre in Cusco. I love it! I caught myself thinking about staying longer after I finish Macchu Picchu. It is very different from the outskirts. When we drove by them yesterday, I kept thinking this is not what I've read about nor what other people have told me!
              We are staying about 30 mins away from the city centre so we took the local bus into town with Sylvie. During our tour, their was some type of miltary celebration so there were lots of people in uniform. We went around to some of the plazas. The one in the main square had these beautiful balconies surrounded by the old buildings. I definitely will be going back and eating there! While we were walking around we saw lots of women in traditional dress with baby llamas or al pacas. They sit there and wait till you take a picture with them so they can earn a few soles. I'm not going to lie, I'll prob go back and get one because the baby llamas are just so cute! Next, we went to San Pedro market where we tried some local fruit and sweet bread. The one fruit I had bought in Lima and ate wrong. It is similar to a passionfruit and you peel it and then suck out the seeds. It is called granadilla. The other is green and looks like a large piece of ginger or something. It is called chilemaillo and tastes like an apple custard would. I really liked it! In the market, we also saw pig heads, frogs to be killed for frog soup, and a baby llama offering. It was interesting!
        Tomorrow we go to visit the villages we will be working with! I am very excited and cannot wait to hang out with the children:) We will also figure out who is doing what with the children and get our spanish lesson groups in order based upon our skill level. Later, we will have a welcome dinner in town with a traditional meal!

Made it to Cusco!

                Today we learned more about how everything in Peru goes at its own pace. My tour book said that the country coined the idea of "Hurry up and Wait."After waiting in line and getting all 13 pieces of luggage, then boarding tags and Passports back, we had 30 minutes to get through security and to our plane. So naturally, we rushed passed people in a long line and scooted in, to wait in another line for security and get through security and down to our area only to see that our plane was delayed. It did end up coming, but you could tell the lack of information was frustrating for most people. Personally, I expected to have issues like this and to wait so it really was one of those things you just deal with. Three hours later we were off.
                 Getting off the plane and into the open in Cusco air you could feel the shortness of breath that is accompanied with the altitude. I don't have any altitude sickness yet, but I do feel dizzy quite quickly and I don't think my asthma is helping. Oh well, I will drink the coca tea which I find quite good with sugar!
                The Swedish volunteers met us at the airport along with Nico and we came to the volunteer house. This place is absolutely beautiful! It is up on a hill in a secure area and has lots of living space. They really have tried to make it homey and allow us to really settle in! We are two to a room and we get our own bathrooms:) They have a large comunal space and eating area. Plus, they have guitars which I was excited about right away even though I don't know how to play much. Also, we all opted to have our meals made for us. So a local who is staying with us will make all our breakfast, lunch, and dinners while we are here for about $8 a day. I am hoping at some point he can show me how to make some type of traditional Peruvian dish... but we will have to see!
                The only downfall here is that there is no wifi. I really shouldn't say that it is a downfall as I think being disconnected will be a good thing. It will really give us the chance to enjoy our time here with everyone else!
                 I expected when I got to South America to feel different about being here. Like a nervousness about it that I usually get when I first set off somewhere. But, while it is different from home, it doesn't feel like I thought it would. I thought maybe I would have the feeling when I got to the Volunteer house, but I don't. There is no drastic change in my mind. It kind of just feels like "Oh this is my life and this is how it's going" and to be honest it's an awesome feeling to have!
Tomorrow, we go on a tour of Cusco which I am excited about!

A Day in Lima

So I got into Lima last night after spending far too long in San Salvador's airport where even the shop keepers sleep until the planes arrived. When I arrived there was a taxi waiting for me as a part of Peru's challenge. The driver was very nice, but I was immediately mentally kicking myself for not learning more Spanish in the summer as he knew very little English. So there I was combining French and Spanish to try to ask him if he grew up in Peru and there he was replying that he was taking me to Miraflores. Needless to say it was a quiet ride after that. Plus, I was fascinated with the buses and how they look like RVs. Apparently, they used to just stop whenever someone on the street waved their hand at them but the mayor (who is Lima's first female mayor) made it so that their needed to be bus stops and that people had to wait at the bus stop! Funny how something so normal to us is so different for them. They also pack the busses really full and at times hardly stop when letting people off.
   Traffic is really interesting as well. There is the constant noise of honking.. so much so that there are signs telling people to stop. I've also seen a number of cars stopped in the middle of the road because they have a flat and need to change the tire. I even saw one man walking with his car! I can only imagine what traffic would be like in India after seeing what it's like here!
   Today, I wandered around a bit with the two Aussies I'm rooming with. One is a teacher and the other is going into teaching next year. I think my favorite thing was seeing tights and at the top they had the butt cheeks cut out so that you could have a seamless lift! Christmas gag gift perhaps? I also met the other people in Peru's challenge during our Lima tour today. Everyone is so well travelled!! I think it will be a great group.
  As for Lima, I feel as though I only got a glimpse of it today from the tour and the wander. The tour showed some pre-Inca ruins, some of the squares and nice buildings, a quick glimpse of the favellas and it almost left us behind while trying to get water. We had wanted to go to this light show they have here but got back from the tour too late. Plus, I was starving so Jenny and I went and got Chinese food instead. I know.. not very adventurous.. Lima is very westernized that way..it has everything you can have back home. But I mention it because we did have Pisco sours! I like them. Its a bit like tequila in frothy drink form and is definitely the first of many;) Tomorrow we head to Cusco to meet Jane and hopefully some of the other volunteers as we only have 8 with us right now and we're supposed to have 12!

Today!

                  I fly out today! Today! After the past few months of talking about this trip, hearing/heeding all the warnings to be safe, collecting all the gear, and getting all the dreaded shots, today I am finally leaving. To say that I haven't felt butterflies or a couple 'Oh shit' moments on our way back from Edmonton would be a lie. It was the reality of this is actually happening and it's happening for the next six months that contributed to those moments. But they are happy moments and moments of excitement for what is to come!
                   Yesterday, I found reason 1, 254, 688 as to why I love my mother. As I was packing stuff into separate bags so I could find things easier when unpacking my mom came up with the idea of sucking all the air out. She then sat there and helped me for a good half an hour. In the end, it may have caused the reason for me to have too much stuff, but whatever I am grateful.
                    As for the stuff. I have come to think I am an okay packer. Reality check: I like things. By things, I mean that I now have my adult wardrobe that I like and that I have taken a while to invest in. By trying to pack for 6 months in unpredictable weather, for volunteering, trekking, and summering (?), I realized it was really hard to get my things down to a minimal number. Even more, I realized that I like to have my clothing give off a certain style. Yoga pants don't really do that. But does it really matter? No. It really got me thinking about a minimalist lifestyle. About what it would mean if we could only carry the clothes we had on our backs always. What would society as a whole look like? It's an interesting concept to me and I am hoping that over the course of this six months, I'll attach even less ideas to the things I've brought. I hope to leave them places for people who need them more than me and make myself feel that much lighter.