Day 1 and 2

Hello friends!

So, Day 1 was not very exciting other than the fact that I was able to meet and get to know some of the members on the trip. I sat next to Kristen on the flight from St. Louis to Newark, but sadly everyone was displaced on the flight from Newark to Lima, Peru. Once we arrived in Lima, we went through Immigration (which went a lot faster than I thought it would) and also through Customs. Of course, after we all got our bags and went through Customs, Cecilia was stopped and searched. She was the one in the group with the most bags, but it didn't take long and we were on our way to find the Starbucks to meet up with the rest of the group. After a lengthy ride to our hotel, we all settled in knowing we had to be up at 3 AM ready to go to Paracas (of course I only got 30 minutes of sleep after watching The Lord of the Rings on TNT in español, worth it).

Day 2 was FULL of excitement and a non-stop pace that proved to wear some of our group down. We all, as mentioned above, had to be awake at 3 AM to eat some breakfast which consisted of rolls with jam, meat and cheese, and juice. The bus arrived not too long afterwards and we were on our 3 and a half hour ride to Paracas. Paracas is a small coastal town where the Argentine general San Martin started the quest for Peru's independence. As we made our way through the town, we were approached by SO MANY vendors trying to sell their trade. Being American has its drawbacks in this kinds of ways. I hate being singled out in other countries, I just want to know what it feels like to fit in. I want to feel how the pace of everyday life is for those that live here everyday. So far, I have not felt that, but living with my family in Cusco gives me some hope.

From Paracas, we went out on a boat ride to witness the wildlife on the different islands and also see the "Candelabra". I could not believe how many birds, penguins, and sea lions there were! Apparently, the islands are major sources for "guano" or bird droppings that they collect and use as fertilizer. The cold breeze was a little much for me at times, though, because I failed to dress for the weather. After looking at the weather report last night, 70 degrees sounded warm, but when you are out on the ocean on a boat at 8 AM, it is a completely different story. After the 2 hour boat tour was over, we relaxed in Paracas for about an hour and I finally was able to relax. I sat on the sea wall and watched the waves come in on the beach, it was something I enjoyed thoroughly.

Then, our guide took us to Paracas National Park. The amazing thing about Paracas National Park is that it is a vast desert next to the ocean which no animals or plant life. We were able to see fossils of ocean dwellers from 40 million years ago, some photos of the mummies that were found there many years ago, and stunning views of a desert that seemed to span the color spectrum. There were reds, whites, browns, and so many more colors that seemed to radiate from the ground. When the tour was complete, it was time for lunch at a nice little restaurant close to the beach. I chose "pollo frito con papas y sopa de venduras" (fried chicken with french fries and vegetable soup). Both were very delicious and I was sold on Peruvian cuisine. Everything that I have had so far has been "muy sabroso" (very delicious).

On the long drive back to Lima, I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep, but I was also able to wake up and see the lights of Lima at night as we started to enter the city. Not knowing what to expect other than return to the hotel, I was surprised when we stopped at a building I was not familiar with. After getting out, we were told that we were going to have dinner with the travel guide's mother and friends because she was celebrating her birthday and wanted us to join them. She had chicken, potatoes, and rice prepared for us and we all ate on the rooftop of their apartment building while we enjoyed music and Coca-Cola. Towards the end of the evening, we played two games of BINGO. I came so very close to winning the second game and the grand prize (a bottle of Peruvian wine), but I fell one space short.

However, I was so very pleased with the mother and her friends. They were legitimately some of the nicest, most inviting people I have ever met in my entire life. All of the hospitality we were shown and all the care they provided us was just simply amazing. I felt so at peace and at home with them, something I didn't expect to feel. I was just so in love with the mother that, with her insistence, I promised to send her the photo that we took together :)

Now, it is time to shower and sleep to save up some energy for tomorrow. Having to both fly and try to impress my host family tomorrow will both demand a lot of energy that I don't have right now and I hope that with a shower and some good sleep tonight, I will be able to do both with relative ease. Until then, hasta luego and se amo a Amy mucho :)