An Answer to the Trivia Question & Much More...

Well, I've been scouring the streets of Arequipa for the answer to the trivia question from, oh! almost a month ago and this morning I finally got lucky. This one is a tad bit different than I originally described because this one doesn't have pedals...it has a motor. (We're sophistacted now boys and girls!) At first I thought I had hit a goldmine. I thought what I saw was a traveling restaurant but alas! It's a door-to-door pot & pan salesperson. Not as interesting as I first thought but fun all the same.

Since I've been here I haven't gotten too terribly sick. At first I had a sore throat, then a sinus infection, and then, well, you don't really want to know about that one. But now I'm happy to report that I'm doing fine and back to my usual self.

Here, anytime you look the least bit puny everyone says..."es gripe", which to me sounds a little comical but in actuality is just the flu. But people say it ALL the time around here. And their cure for "me duele la garganta" - Spanish for "my throat hurts"? Pisco...which is basically a type of whiskey. It's probably best if you think during the days of prohibition when moonshine was cool. I've never actually tasted moonshine but if it's anything like Pisco I don't care to try it. That stuff makes tequila taste like it's for babies. And where does the best, the smoothest Pisco come from you might ask? Not the store! No! Someone's house...I told you it reminded me of moonshine.

I have now tried Pisco, along with a few other things I don't know if I should mention. Oh, what the heck! My Grandma Hetty always used to say "While in Rome, do as the Romans do." Well, I'm not exactly in Rome but I think the saying holds true for here as well although it's a little different. "A donde fueras, haz lo que vieras." Which means, wherever you are, do whatever you see.

In keeping with that theory, I've tried some of the local cuisine which includes the following: anticucho, cuy, and queso helado. Now, on the surface, none of these things sound really creepy but that's because they're in Spanish. Once you translate them, things change and you now have: a cow's heart, a cute little guinea pig fried and on a platter, and cheese ice cream. I can say I am now a huge fan of one of these three things and I'm sure you can probably guess which one it is...the ice cream. It's to die for. And no, it isn't really made with cheese. It's just the name. It's pretty close to our homemade vanilla ice cream but much richer. Probably a cross between that and gelato and anyone who's been to Italy knows about gelato. Wowzers! The other two items that made it onto my plate (or kabob, I should say), I can probably do without eating again.

I am very happy to report that the very frightened guinea pig that was in the kitchen of one of the oldest restaurants in Arequipa was
still alive after my meal. Although his prospects for a long and happy life seemed rather bleak. There were also some baby ducks in the kitchen in a box that I'm sure will be on a platter some day soon. Ugh! It's not right to see your food before hand, that is unless it's a lobster and I suppose they're just not cute enough for me to feel bad about eating.

In addition to trying some of the local cuisine, I've also gotten about town and gone to several historical sites. One of which was The Santa Catalina Convent, which is apparently a part of the Opus Dei sect. I have proof on my camera and it's a good thing because no one here believed me when I was talking about it. Maybe it was because a couple of weeks ago my Spanish was so bad no one could understand what I was saying but I know what I saw and there is no way I'm joining that church. It was absolutely beautiful though with brightly painted walls and streets that look like they belong in Venice. The convent is over 400 years old and is still a working convent. I decided that the nuns there all had to be very short and very fat because all the doorways were very small and there had to be at least 20 different kitchens in the place. Pretty impressive for a nunnery.

I've also been to Sabandía and Yumina which are some small towns outside of Arequipa where there's a lot of agricuture. After taking a 30 minute bus ride which costed about $0.15, we walked to Molina which is a historic location where they grind corn. We then hiked to Yumina, about a 45 minute walk up and around a rather large hill where we ran across a very friendly little goat, some natural pools, which were very frigid, and a chalk tunnel which we walked through with no flashlights. It was all great fun though, including the bus ride home when I almost bowled over about a dozen people because I wasn't hanging on when the bus took off.

I have also taken a trip to Mundo Alpaca where we got a tour of the facility. I got to make friends with some really cute little alpacas. I was surprised to learn that there are about five different species. One reminded me of an ewok on Star Wars and another got really friendly when he tried to first eat my scarf, then my leg. He was really cute though with long, brown, dreadlock type hair, so I didn't mind so much.

In my spare time I've also taken multiple dance classes and two cooking classes since I've been here. I'm still a terrible dancer but I really have fun with my new moves. So far, I'm not an expert in Salsa, Merengue, or Reggaeton but I sure do like the dances! I've also been doing my far share to tear it up in the kitchen. The first week we learned how to make ceviche, a potato dish, and a purple desert, and this week we made tamales, a dish with a lot of chile peppers, and my favorite, queso helado. That's right! Now I can make my own...so watch out Emeril! I might just start up my own version of a Latin cooking show, Peruvian style of course. I've been trying to figure out what to do next with my life...I think I'm going to need to practice some more. :o)

So, what's next for me? For now, I'm working on making friends with a little puppy who lives on the street. He was hit by a car several weeks ago and slowly but surely we're making friends. I named him Rodrequiz because that's the name of the street where I met him but I call him Guizi for short. He's really sweet. If I could get the upload to work I'd upload a picture of him but apparently I've maxed out for the day, something like that. Anyway, I have Guizi, four more weeks of Spanish class and a trip to Machu Pichu and Lake Titicaca planned for the coming month. Oh! I almost forgot Halloween is tomorrow and here, it's a huge deal so we're all dressing up and hitting the town. I hope all of you have a spooky Halloween as well!

An Adventure at El Cañón del Colca

Two weeks ago I left my cozy little apartment at 4:30 in the morning to venture out into the wilderness for three days with a group of unknown friends. My guide came in a taxi to pick me up and just to make sure everything was okay, my host father, Henry, got up as well. I thought this a little strange and unnecessary because after all, who in their right mind would come for me so early in the morning other than my guide or someone else from the agency? When I returned, I found out why it’s important to double check.

We left in a standard tourist bus after picking up the remaining trekkers. There were 17 people in the bus in total…four guides and 13 gringos. Gringo, a word I’m sure originated in Mexico, is used here frequently. However, it’s not just used to describe Americans. It’s used to describe anyone with light colored skin. So, regardless of whether you’re American, German, Australian, or English, we’re all gringos. They commonly use another word to describe Americans which I’m not so fond of, Yankee. People from the South can definitely relate to not wanting to be called a Yankee but here, I’m a Yankee.

We arrived at La Cruz del Condor around 9:00 in the morning after what seemed like a dreadfully long bus ride along dusty roads with multiple traffic jams which consisted of cows, sheep, and donkeys in the road. What also made the trip a little more miserable was a certain German girl who at one point was car sick and then once she found a friend also spoke German, became a chatterbox. Not what you want at 5:00 in the morning. However, we all survived to make it to this incredible lookout point where we were able to witness the gigantic Andean Condors soar through the air before taking off to the Colca River below to hunt for food. They are amazing creatures, some with wingspans up to 12 feet. I read somewhere where they are unable to start flying on their own. It is necessary for them to basically fall off a cliff to start flying. They are amazing birds though and I was very fortunate to see several on both my first and last day of my trip.

Colca Canyon is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and was created by the Colca River. It is nestled in the Andean Mountains and incredibly, the river is the beginning of the Amazon. The river supposedly got its name from the many holes in the cliffs of the canyon where the Indians in Inca and pre-Inca times used to store food and also used these “holes” as tombs for important people. The crazy thing is, is that after being there I’m not sure who would want to carry food, let alone a dead person, up and down those cliffs and something tells me the trail system is a little better today than it was back then.

Anyway, back to the real story…after a nice lunch in Cabanaconde, where I just so happened to forget my very nice, very new, North Face jacket, we, an Australian named Duncan, a German named Thea, our guide, Jhon (and yes, that’s really how he spelled it), and I headed out for the rim of the canyon. From Cabanaconde it was a five hour hike down mostly steep trails to the canyon floor where we stayed the night at Llanuar Lodge. Where, during dinner a loco kitty continued to hop up into my lap until I finally relinquished the fight and allowed it to sleep on my lap for the remained of the evening. We, Duncan, Thea, and I shared an amazing room complete with handmade bamboo and rock walls, gravel flooring, and pillows made of straw, and of course, no electricity. It was a neat place though and boasted of the canyon’s only thermal pools which we all enjoyed before dinner.

The next morning we started our five hour hike across several mountains around 9:00, after a breakfast of pineapple pancakes, served with, but of course, strawberry jelly. Before leaving home I filled my camelbak, which holds 2.5 liters of water and had an extra 2 liters in two other water bottles. Although it gets very cool here at night, especially in the bottom of the canyon, it gets pretty hot during the day and just as we arrived at Paraiso del Palmas, I sucked the last drop of water from my camelbak. This place was comparable to Llanuar Lodge but had several cold, and I mean COLD, water pools. It was afternoon when we arrived and the sun was still out for a few hours so we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and hung around the pool until lunch was ready. Later that night, after dinner, I looked up into the sky to be greeted by what seemed to be a million and a half stars. I could even clearly see the milky way. It was amazing. There aren’t many places in the world where you can see stars without dealing with light pollution. It really does make a huge difference.

That evening, I began to ask Jhon what time we needed to get up in the morning as an English couple had told us that they were leaving at 5 o’clock in the morning and another group was leaving at 4 o’clock. He was acting a little odd so I thought the better question was to ask when we’d be eating breakfast in the morning. When he replied 9:00, I automatically let out a “Yahoo!” thinking that I could sleep in until 8:55. You can only imagine my surprise when, before 5:00 in the morning, I heard a tapping at the door and a voice saying “Katherine, Thea, Duncan…”. I tried to ignore him for a bit but it wasn’t any use, so I put my torch (headlamp) on my head and began to crawl out of my warm bed. Ugh. Why on earth would anyone get up at 5:00 in the morning to do anything? And, did he expect us to hike up the mountain in the dark? So, the joke was on us, breakfast, although it really was at 9:00 in the morning was at the top of the canyon.

Once we were up and about to leave I searched my bag for my last apple bar, as I was sure I had one left. Hiking up a mountain for three hours without any food in my stomach didn’t sound appealing and with the change in altitude from the bottom of the canyon to the top, it really is important to have some source of energy. After several minutes of searching I finally gave up and Thea offered me one of her crackers and Duncan gave me half of a cookie he was eating. I felt like I was living during the Great Depression and getting food rations.

The hike wasn’t too bad, a 1,100 meter ascent in three hours. There were parts that were difficult because of loose gravel and other parts had large, oddly shaped “stepping” stones cut into the side of the mountain. It took three hours to make it to the top, with multiple stops during which I would blow my nose (as I had developed a sinus infection) and take time to look around me as it was much to dangerous to pay attention to anything other than where your next step would be on the trail.

The last exciting part of the hike took place just mere meters from the top when I looked up to see a man and three burros headed my way. It was too late to go to the left (the mountain side) so I moved over as far as I could to the right to allow them room to pass. The man, burro #1, and burro #2 passed without incident but burro #3 apparently had it in for me because I noticed as he walked he continued to get closer and closer to the edge, where I just so happened to be standing. As he passed, I sucked in my stomach but it was no use as there wasn’t enough room for both of us. Of course, burro #3 being on the inside didn’t have need for concern when we collided. It was I who almost saw my life flash before my eyes when my little feet slipped off the trail and down the side of the mountain. Had it not of been for a rather large boulder within arms reach I wouldn’t be sitting here in my apartment sharing this story with you. How ironic it would have been to be just steps from the top and then die. Thankfully, that day, that wasn’t the story of my life.

Another interesting item that the English couple shared with us is that their guide took them to one of the local Peruvian family’s houses where they donned traditional Peruvian clothing and where given pick axes and some other type of tool used to level the ground. When they began, I thought, “Oh! That’s neat; they got to take a picture. Just like at one of those old-time picture places at Six Flags…cool.” But oh no! They actually worked the fields for several hours. By the time they were finished with their story, tears were streaming down my face I was laughing so hard. Just thinking about it now makes me laugh uncontrollably. So, after we ate breakfast, when our guide told us that we were heading to the fields you can only imagine my horror and that I was thinking, “I actually paid for this?”

Duncan, Thea, and I decided that lots of things are lost in translation, especially when my Spanish is better than our guide’s English. We walked for a while through town but then came upon a tourist bus, which we boarded and eventually arrived in a small town near Chivay, to enjoy some more thermal pools. I am pretty sure these pools were much hotter than the others we had enjoyed at Llanuar, which after hiking 20 km should have sounded pretty good but there was one big difference. That day, it was around noon when we got there and the sun was beating down…not the time of day you want to be hanging out in a “hot tub”.

During lunch, we got to witness the power of numbers when we walked out of a restaurant in search of a more economical meal and the owner ran after us and said we could have soup, salad, chicken or alpaca, French fries, and a drink for 12 soles, which equates to about $4.00 American. So, we all went back into the restaurant and were happy that we’d saved $2.00 a piece. On the way back, we napped, exchanged email addresses, and laughed at the two guys from Ireland and Poland, as apparently they had become great friends since meeting each other a few days earlier. I couldn’t resist snapping a picture; they were just too cute together.

So, all in all, my trip was amazing. It did take me two days of walking back and forth from school to feel normal again. (For two days it seemed that just being able to go up and down the stairs at my house without assistance was a major accomplishment.) I did decide that it was critical for me to have my hiking boots for my next excursion so I’ve asked a friend from back home to send them to me. Hopefully they will be here sometime this week.

And, as for my very nice, very new, North Face jacket, it was waiting for me at the restaurant. They were holding it for me. How incredible is that? Oh, and the part about Henry getting up to check to make sure the guy who came to pick me up was legit? Well, it turns out (I discovered upon my return to the house) that a guy came to the house at 3:00 in the morning asking for me. He didn’t have a car or a taxi and my house mother’s sister who answered the door thought it very strange and told the guy to go away. I still don’t have a clue who that guy was because later that evening we all got together to have a drink and I asked the guide if he came to the house earlier in the morning and he said absolutely not. Here, we call that muy extraño.

A Little Trivia

Well, I know that I promised you all that I would write about my Colca Canyon experience this weekend and since I've noticed that there are actually a few of you who are logging onto the site I thought I should at least put something out here since I didn't get around to the trip report as I had an entire host of things to do this weekend. See below for details...

Friday night I spent the evening with Renato, my host brother, telling him about the wonders of American music...in spanish of course. I brought along my laptop so I have lots of completely amazing hit songs which I shared with him. I explain why Dave Matthews Band is probably one of the most incredible bands of all time, why The Hooters were popular in the 80's, and introduced him to lesser known artists such as Griffin House and legends such as Elvis and Frank Sinatra. Needless to say, his computer was working overtime the rest of the night downloading music from the internet. I will also have to say that he shared some interesting Peruvian music with me...some of which I really liked.

Saturday morning I got up early so I could take my 30 minute walk to school. So as not to disappoint the street pups, I packed several treats and was busy along the way handing them out to wayward strays. After my four hours of class, during which I learned the past tense...yahoo!!! Yes, in two weeks time I am now in my American equivalent of my third semester of spanish classes. Amazing! As usual, when I returned, I needed to take my afternoon nap. I've finally decided that it's not only my brain working really hard that's making me tired, it's also because I'm sitting outside in the sun for four hours each day. We're under an umbrella but the material isn't very thick so a lot of light is filtering through. I could really give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money...it only took me two weeks to notice.

So after my re-energizing nap I got up to take a semi-warm shower (by this time it was past the 3 o'clock cut off for agua caliente) and got ready to go out. I had a wonderful dinner with my host family and when I didn't hear back from my Scottish friend, Craig, another student at the school, Renato said he'd go out with me so I wouldn't have to go by myself. My friends, Anna and Ines, were apparently near death on their Misti hike, one of the three mountains that surrounds Arequipa at a mere 19,000 feet. (I decided after developing a sinus infection last weekend at Colca that it was probably best that I not go until I had that under control. Boy am I glad I played it smart.) So, Renato and I left the house for an evening of dancing. My dance teacher, Edwardo, said I needed to practice and where else better to practice that at the discoteques? I enjoyed an evening of very bad karaoke singing, live music, and DJ played American and Latin America music collections all in the same club. I had fun trying out my new salsa and merengue moves though. Like they say, practice makes perfect.

Today, because of all my practice last night I didn't crawl out of bed until 11:00. This is proof I'm sure of my desire to only be the very best at everything I do. So after eating breakfast at 11:00, then lunch at 1:00, it was time to start studying. I took at break at 5:00 to head out with Ines to meet Anna at Cusco Coffee near the Plaza. Anna is leaving tomorrow for Puno, Peru, then on to La Paz, Bolivia, then back to Cusco, Peru where we all three hope to meet up to hike Machu Pichu in mid-October. Upon returning, I began my studies where I left off and just now decided to take a break to share with you some more of my incredibly interesting life. :o)

So, now you can understand why I haven't had any time to write about my Colca Canyon adventure. But...the title to this blog is "A Little Trivia" and no, I haven't written anything concerning trivia have I? Nope...but here goes. I've seen this twice since I've been here. The first time I didn't have my camera and the second time (this weekend) I had it but I felt a little bad about taking the picture. The next time I see this I promise I'll take a picture and post it because it's the answer after all! So, here goes....

Question: What has two wheels, a set of pedals, a platform, a rack for stacking things, lots of pots and pans, and a hardworking Peruvian?

Living an Ordinary Life in Arequipa

Today is my 35th birthday. I will spend most of my day either at school or studying which at this point in my life makes me completely happy. I’m still worn out from my weekend excursion to Colca Canyon and have decided that I’m either really getting old or I’m much more out of shape than I thought.

I woke up early this morning and opened some birthday cards from some friends that I had taken with me from home. What lovely surprises…thank you all for the smiles. I then decided that since it was my birthday that I should go back to sleep. That worked for a little while but now I am ancy again and ready to do something but not something that includes leaving my warm bed.

I was going to write about my Colca Canyon experience first but I think I’ll save the really exciting stories for later in the week…perhaps this weekend. Although weekend excursions to canyons and mountains are exciting there is plenty here in daily life that amuses me. So, I thought I’d share that with you; a little glimpse of my kooky life in Peru. These are just a few of the things I’ve experienced in the short week and half that I have been here…

· I walk to school every morning. It’s a good 30 minute walk so I’m figuring it’s almost two miles. (I’m not trying to set any land speed records, okay.) But on the way to school I pass several interesting things. Dogs on the roofs of houses looking down into the street to see what or who they can harass. I pass by my favorite sign every morning about half way into my walk; hot dogs. It makes me laugh every time. Just before I get to school, I have to cross the street where there is a manual traffic signal i.e. a little policeman in a little house. At night he has a glow stick similar to the ones they use at the airport at night to help the pilot know where to park the plane.

· You all know I’m a big fan of animals. So it shouldn’t surprise you that within my first week I went to the supermarket (don’t think Wal-Mart here, it’s not that glamorous) and bought some dog treats. There are more dogs running the street here than I could count in a lifetime. In the mornings generally you can find them foraging for food. You might think that the sight of puppies running the streets would break your heart on a daily basis but sometimes it makes me smile. (Like I said, it’s a kooky little world I live in.) There are times when I’ll pass a “family” of dogs because that’s how they act. They hang out together and it’s clear to me that they watch out for each other. Frequently I’ll pass a group of four or five dogs who look like they’ve never even dreamed of a bath and all but one, the lookout dog, will be taking a nap. I can only imagine the loyalty in the group. Hey guys…looks like there’s trouble up ahead, we better get outta here.

· Every day I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my host family. You would think that mealtimes would be peaceful times where one could relax. And sometimes I do. But most of the time my brain is in overdrive trying to keep up with and stay involved in the conversation. It’s always a glorious moment when I say something that was intended to be funny and everyone laughs. I’m just always praying it’s because I said what I was trying to say. The meals are delicious though. Lunch is definitely the biggest meal here and is always three courses. The first course is generally soup. Before arriving here I’d only had one type of soup in my life and pretty much would veto anything other than homemade potato soup. Not anymore. I eat whatever it is they put in front of me. I’ve been told that people in the larger cities don’t fix cuy (guinea pig) or gato (cat). Yep…that’s right, those cute little fuzzy pets of yours are dinnertime chow for an entire country. The second course is generally some type of meat and rice. They also fix a lot of vegetables, which I’ve never been really good at eating. The third course is generally some kind of fruit dish. My favorite…fresh pineapple, sautéed in butter, sugar, and fresh orange juice. You talk about yummy.

(This is my school.)

· I think the only reason I’m able to eat all the fruit and veggies here is because they are so fresh. I have never had fruit so juicy in my life. I don’t know that I’ll be able to eat it anymore when I return home. Serena said the same thing when we were in Miami, that she couldn’t eat it when I offered her some grapes. At the time I didn’t understand but now I totally get it. There is a difference. And it’s huge. One of my favorite fruits is something that grows on a tree, looks similar to an orange but has a shell like an egg. You have to crack it to eat it. It looks totally disgusting. It reminds me of something out of Alien verses Predators…slimy clear liquid with nasty green colored seeds. You shouldn’t have an edible picture in your head at this point, because it doesn’t look edible but it is out of this world delicious. You just don’t want to chew, just swallow. It’s very dulce…Spanish for sweet.

· Going to the bathroom is always a fun adventure around here. It’s not that you can’t find one but generally when you do come across one there is never any toilet paper. So, I’ve gotten used to carrying around my own. And the tricky part is if you do have some then you have to remember to put it in the trash can afterwards. I have to really think about it to remember…no multitasking for me in the bathroom any more! The shower is another thing I’m figuring out. At home, I’d always take a shower in the morning while some people take showers in the evening right before going to bed. Here, I quickly learned that if I want a hot shower I have to take one between 2 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon. The water is solar heated which basically means it sits in a black tank on top of the house which warms the water when the sun beats down during the day. I am fortunate to have an electric heater shower head but it’s no match for the cold water in the morning or at night. You can only imagine how crazy my hair is every day from 8:00 am until mid-afternoon. I’m glad I brought plenty of ponytail holders.

· Another interesting thing I’ve noticed is that they ration napkins here. They have the corner on the market for the world smallest napkins. They are the same size as ours but only one sheet. So where ours is like an 18x18 inch square of paper folded multiple times theirs is just one little sheet. So if you’re going to spill anything on your lap you better be good at strategically placing food.

(This is my apartment.)

· The transportation around town is quite interesting as well. Most of the buses here resemble VW vans and are commonly packed with 50 people. It’s quite a sight and an experience. I haven’t taken the bus that many times because I’m not really sure where they all go just yet. They all have signs on the front but by the time I have figured out which one I should be on it’s already passed me. You’d think that the guy hired to yell at people to get on the bus and who tells everyone where it’s going would help but my Spanish isn’t that good just yet. So generally I either walk to the Plaza de Armas (the city center) or I take a taxi. The problem with taxis for me is that I look like a foreigner…blonde hair (at least half of it…that irresponsible hair thing I’ve got going on) and blue eyes make me a target for every freakazoid out there. Anywhere I’m going a taxi should cost 3 soles which translates to $1.00 American…pretty cheap transportation when you figure it takes me about 40 minutes to walk from my apartment to the Plaza…about 2.75 miles, one-way. But commonly this is how the conversation goes…”A la Avenida San Martín…cuesta es?” And I commonly here “cinco soles” or worse “siete soles” to which I reply “es muy caro, no gracias” and then go look for another taxi. Yesterday was the first day that the first taxi driver I asked replied “tres soles” – Yahoo! No walking for me! I think it might have something to do with my Spanish getting better, I’m not sure. Maybe I just got lucky and got an honest driver.

(This is my teacher, Elivra.)

· I’m also working on my whole “being assertive thing”. Regardless of whether it’s standing in a line or walking down the sidewalk if you don’t take charge you’re not going to get anywhere. So, I’m learning basically how not to be as polite as I used to be. I am also learning how to disregard constant horn beeping telling me that I need to hurry up as I cross the street. This place would be a nightmare for a third grader…they’d never get across the street.

So that’s pretty much what I’m up to these days…passing out treats to the pups who live on the streets, studying Spanish about 6-7 hours a day, and mixing in some fun with my new friends. I was originally thinking about staying here 3 weeks then traveling for a few weeks but I really like my Spanish teacher, Elvira, and things are going well and I’m enjoying being able to speak the language. It’s amazing at this pace what a difference a day can make…so I don’t know. I suppose I’ll leave it up to chance at this point and see which way the wind blows. Isn’t that what Mary Poppins does?

(These are my friends, Ines (Germany) and Anna (Poland).

Author's note: I was unable to publish this blog until the following day due to the fact that all of South America was without internet service. My birthday has and will continue to be celebrated on September 24th.

Bienvenido a Perú

My first day in Peru started early Friday at 6:15 when my plane touched down in Lima. Antonio, my driver, was very gracious and pointed out interesting sights along the way to La Posada del Parque, the hotel where I stayed while in Lima. It’s a relatively quite place and the only reason I say relatively is that I am sure that I will hear the incessant beeping of car horns all night long. I don’t think the drivers honk at anything in particular. I think they either like the sound of their horn (some are quite entertaining, on the first toot anyway) or perhaps they just get bored and it gives them something to do in the traffic while they’re waiting.

Speaking of traffic, I had heard and read that it is some of the worst in the world. And I will have to say that I agree. I have only seen driving like this one other time in my life. It was when I was in Barcelona and I remember thinking back then that anyone who got in a car had a death wish. I am happy to report that I have not been involved in any automobile accidents as of yet nor have I witnessed any. I did, however see numerous near misses and close calls. There are two things that are perplexing me at this moment about things I saw while being strategically driven through the city. The first is how many people can actually fit in a minibus? These small buses look like a sardine cannery attendant packed them. They are similar to VW vans and apparently have a capacity of 50. The second question is what in the world are these people who walk down the middle of the road thinking? In America, it is common to see window washers or people with flowers weaving in and out of traffic near an intersection. I’m okay with this and although I think it’s dangerous it makes more sense than what I’ve seen so far. I’ve seen old women, young men, and children, all walking the white lines in the middle of the road peddling whatever it is they think will sell. This wouldn’t be too much of a stretch from what you see in America if not for a few things. 1) There are three lanes of traffic but cars are five lanes thick and 2) In between the cars is where the motorcycles zip by which also happens to be the street peddlers’ lanes. I really don’t understand how there aren’t more accidents and deaths. Fortunately, I haven’t witnessed anyone driving on the sidewalk as I did when I was in Puerto Rico; always proof that things can get worse.

While in Lima, I walked around the city, one thing the guide book says you really shouldn’t do. However, my new Peruvian friend, Eulo, from the hotel wanted to practice his English so he went along with me. We first headed to the Museo de la Archeological and then on to the Plaza Mejor and the Cathedral. I also had a local dish, ceviche which was very yummy. In the evening, I had dinner with a new friend from England, Rachel. It was her last night in Lima and she gave me several pointers on things to see in Peru. She’s a very sweet girl and I’m looking forward to traveling to England and visiting my new friend. On Saturday afternoon I ventured out on my own and visited the Museo de la San Francisco y Catacombes. The San Francisco Monastery was one of the most important churches in Lima in the 17th century which also served as the local cemetery. During the 17th and 18th centuries there were over 200 monks that lived at the convent. Today, there are a total of 35. Although the church was absolutely unforgettable it was easily surpasses by the catacombs which served as the burial grounds for over 75,000 people for over two centuries. I think it would be a little creepy to go to church on Sunday knowing that there were dead people right under the pews but apparently that was life back then.

Now, I am sitting in my apartment in Arequipa which is in Southern Peru. I’ve met a whole host of interesting people on my trip. Serena, from Milan, who loves to salsa dance. Katharina, originally from Germany, who now lives in Paris. Brenda, who lives in North Carolina but was born in Peru. Rachel, who is a vet who lives in England and my newest friend, Ines, who is from Hamburg, Germany. She is staying with the same host family as I am. She’s a great girl and took me out today to the supermarket so I could pick up some things and showed me around some of Arequipa…mainly the beautiful Plaza de Armas.

My host family, the Paz-Cornejo’s are amazing. They speak slowly and use exaggerated hand gestures so most of the time I am able, even with my limited ability, to keep up with the conversation. As I said before, I am actually in a small apartment above the main house, which is a little bigger than my cabin at the lake. There are two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a full kitchen. I think at some point I will probably have a roommate which will be fine with me. Ines has a room in the main house. Although I haven’t met everyone, apparently the grandmother, and a sister with her children also live here. It kind of reminds me of a small apartment complex.

Last night while I was sleeping I awoke to what sounded like gunshots and lots of them. I lay there in bed thinking “Boy am I in the wrong place. It’s not safe to go out at all at night.” I asked Henry, the father, in the morning, in completely broken Spanish what the noise was last night. He said that it was the church setting off fireworks in a celebration. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. It is much calmer here than in Lima. Not near as many people and much less traffic, although no one here knows how to drive either.

I start school tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Ines says it will take us 30 minutes to walk there. I’m looking forward to it. She says that she’s only been in school a week and had never taken Spanish before and she speaks so much better than me. She has been in country for three weeks now though and in a few weeks she’ll start volunteering at a local orphanage. We’ve already talked about taking a few trips together, although at this point I’m sad to report that I might not be able to make it to Bolivia…political unrest. Apparently the Presidents of both Bolivia and Venezuela have kicked out the U.S. Ambassadors. We’ll see though…the most dangerous road in the world is in Bolivia and I was really looking forward to riding a bike on it. So maybe things will calm down before too long.

Of course, being a quick learner, there are some things I’ve already figured out…
1) When you ride in the taxi always make sure to keep your bags in the center of the car as someone walking down the street will take them from you if they are near the door when you are stopped.
2) Traffic signals and signs mean absolutely nothing…to anyone.
3) No one will speak to you (or heckle you) if you have a male escort and the exact opposite is true…no escort, you better get ready!
4) Don’t even think about trying to pass off an old or torn bill…American or Sol. No one will take them…period.
5) Unless you want to constantly be at the end of the line you better get ready to be pushy. It’s time to learn to be assertive.

I’ve already had great fun and am looking forward to school this week. I already know my mind is going to be worn out. Translating the dinner conversations has been fun yet exhausting. I’m ready for this to get a little easier. But number one…it’s been great fun!

The Outer Bands of Ike

Welcome to sunny Miami! Wait, scratch that. Welcome to…cloudy, steamy Miami! Yep! That’s more like it. I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale yesterday afternoon and was enjoying the sights inside the chic airport; lots of turquoise, funky carpeting, starfish and seashells, even a rum bar complete with mast and main sail from a real sailboat, thinking that this was another city I’d add to my list of possible homes. Then it hit me. As soon as I took one step outside, the humidity combined with heat. The next thing I did was set down my bags and knot up my hair. By the time I made it to the rental car I was sopping wet. I had also decided that I packed way too much.


The plane ride wasn’t too bad if you consider that we were flying into the outer bands of a hurricane. The pilot informed us that we would be encountering 35 mph winds and to make sure to stay seated and that the flight attendants would be doing the same. As we got closer to the ground and I was able to see the highways lined with palm trees I wondered if the people in the cars below could see our plane bouncing around in the air. At one point, another passenger let out a shriek and the next thing I thought of was being at the county fair watching little children wearing crash helmets riding bronco sheep. If you’ve never seen anything like that you really should. It’s similar to a cowboy riding a bronco but much cuter. Anyway, that’s what I felt like, one of those little cowgirls on a crazy sheep.

I also got a chuckle when one of my friends, who apparently has been chasing around his four children instead of watching the weather channel, replied to one of my emails where I was commenting on the possibility of missing my friend Ike. He was telling me not to worry, that more than likely I’d make other friends. I wish I could have been there to see his face when he finally realized that Ike was a hurricane and not a boy. I was also glad to know that it’s not just me that tends to check out on the world occasionally. But he is right…I am going to make other friends and very quickly.

I made it to South Beach without any problems and checked into the Clay Hotel/Hostel which is a place my Uncle Raymond recommended. It’s a very pink, white trimmed, Latin style building located in none other than the Historic Spanish district. How’s that for an omen? I’ve already had great fun. I have three roommates, all from Europe…Germany, Italy, and I’m not sure where, as she hasn’t really spoken yet. The first thing that Katharina, the German asked, is if I had an Oklahoma coin. Her brother asked her to help him finish his coin collection. Of course, that wasn’t on my list of things I needed so I’ve promised to mail her a quarter when I return.

I don’t have any pictures to post yet but I thought I would officially kick off my blog today. So far, I’ve just been wandering around South Beach which kind of reminds me of Venice Beach. The people watching is great and eavesdropping on conversations is equally entertaining. Miami is definitely a melting pot. You’re just as likely to hear any language in the world here as you would be to hear English. I love to see cultures mixed. On the corner you can hear Spanish (of course), Italian (ciao Bella…my favorite Italian phrase), Russian, French, Greek, and anything else you can imagine. It makes me want to learn them all. Spanish is first on my agenda though.

That’s it for now. The next time you hear from me I will be a temporary resident of South America. How exciting!

Author's note: At press time, the unknown roommate had a name...Nicola. She's from England, she just worked a summer camp in New York for disadvantaged children (her third year) and will head home on Monday to find a nine-month job so she can return next year. I knew I'd make friends...

Some of My Favorite Things

Any story that doesn't completely tidy things up at the end and let the reader know that everything did turn out happily ever after just wasn't well written. Not that my blog is well written but I am going to share with you some of my favorite things, if only so I can have a smile on my face this morning as I begin the process of getting my cabin and yard back the point where it looks like someone inhabits the place.

My favorite Amy line: "Are you crying about losing YOUR wallet?" (This was said to a 16 year old girl who plays for her. And yes, she was crying over something like that. Just imagine Amy not being very sympathetic toward the situation and you'll hear the tone in her voice, it was priceless.)

My favorite song on my iPod: "Forever in Blue Jeans" by Neil Diamond. (This also just happens to be my theme song although I seem to be missing one key ingredient. I'll let you guess, I got the jeans and me.)

My favorite bumper sticker, still: "My Labrador Retriever is smarter than your honor student." (And I did see some others that made me laugh so don't think there wasn't any competition for this honor.)

Favorite Julie moment: With this girl, it has to be the insightful conversations we have where I think both of us go, "Wow", at least at some point during every discussion. She's one of my people who hold me accountable and isn't afraid to be brutally honest. I love that girl.

Favorite Ben comment: "I'm okay with the directions being as specific as they can." (Believe me, when it comes to canyoneering in Zion National Park, it's very nice when you know exactly where you're going.)

My favorite compliment I received: "I hope I look like that when I'm 34." (This was spoken by one of Holly and Chad's friends from the float trip in Sacramento. The girl was 25ish and couldn't believe I was about to turn 35. Like I said...my favorite compliment. :o) )

My favorite Susan and Raymond moment: Watching Susan squash Raymond and me like little bugs at Rummy Cube. It really is a fun game...probably the best time I've ever had losing. And, yes, I did say that, for real.

Favorite Ben and Angelique moment: Ben and I realizing that we were rockin' 'cause we weren't the ones who didn't get the lid tightened on my Camelbak for our hike at Red Rock Canyon. We're both pretty sure there would have been two more bodies buried out in the desert in unmarked graves had it been one of us. You might be wondering why two and not just one...well, there can't be a witness, duh!

My favorite dialogue with Wyatt: Wyatt - "I love you Kay Beth." Me - "I love you too Wyatt." ('nuf said)

My favorite canyon at Zion National Park: Pine Creek, most definitely. I know, you've been hearing me talk about it for over a month now and still nothing. Someday...as Frank Sinatra sings.

My favorite Robert comment: "I'm literally sweating my ass off." (Hiking, bouldering, and scampering up hills will do that to you in 110 degree heat.)

Favorite moment with Amy, Abygail, Benjamin, and Elijah: Playing in the waterfall. (It's amazing how allowing yourself to act like a child can be so good for your soul.)

Average age of the world's best (and my favorite) huggers: Just under 7. (Mr. Behling skewed the results.)

Favorite moment with Amy T. sin (Spanish for without) kids: Going wine tasting and the wonderful conversations that ensued.

Favorite memory of a night out with Regina: Getting separated from the group and hearing people yelling "Oklahoma!" while looking for me. Ghost Riders are kind of like the marines...no one gets left behind. (We call ourselves Ghost Riders because we played for the Roughriders at Crowder and since we're retired, we're, you guessed it...ghosts!)

Favorite moment with Jeremy: Going to church with him on Sunday night. What an experience!

Favorite time with Sheri and Kylin: Playing memory and almost getting beat by a two year old. Yeah, she's really smart for her age.

Favorite song to sing: "Tomorrow" the song from Annie but only with my best Tomorrow singing buddies - Kylin and Sheri. We got quite good at it on the way home from the airport...think barbershop quartet minus one.

Favorite discussion with Holly, Chad, and Alex: Being educated on the definitions of hipsters and emos, and another group I can't mention since I understand the underlying negative meaning. (If you don't know these groups of people, which can be a lot of fun to people watch, let me know and I can school you now.)

Favorite news on the job front while gone: The FDIC has a ton of jobs posted on their website all across the country. (Hopefully this means I can find a job next year.)

Favorite Holly, Chad, and Alex moment: Singing "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey while riding the bus back from the floating trip.

My favorite read: "Eat Pray Love" (And there was some competition: "Smart Girls Think Twice", "When Your Best Isn't Good Enough", "Love is a Choice". All are very good books and I have learned a lot about myself because of them. Of course, I took my Bible, and it is most definitely the best book on the planet. I excluded it just because it really doesn't have any competition.)

Favorite moment with Lee and Minerva: Kayaking in Elkhorn Slough. I had a great time watching all the seals and otters play. And of course the friendly banter between the two of them was always entertaining. :o)

My favorite vehicle: Oh! Hands down, my FJ. It now is better than ever and ready for the next road trip. I picked up some really cool and cute purple Hawaiian flowers with sliver lining on them while with Holly in Sacramento which I'm going to put on the back window. That way everyone will know that a girl drives that hot ride!

Favorite purchase: A scarf I bought at a Celtic store in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, that was actually made in France. Liz got one too and we decided that it kind of went with her theme for this summer so it was perfect anyway...sorry, an inside joke that will have to remain inside.

Favorite sign by a street performer: "Juilliard Fund" (This kid was a saxophonist on the boardwalk in Fairhaven. He was actually quite good and was dressed for the part.)

Favorite time with Liz and Evan: Hanging out at Clayton Beach, playing fetch with Boo, and finding purple starfish on the beach.

My favorite meal: Dinner with Lee and Minerva at Phil's Fish Market. Talk about yummy...crab legs, fire roasted artichokes...Oh! It was absolutely delightful! That's followed closely by Mr. Behling's birthday dinner thanks to a yummy dessert complete with homemade whipped cream, courtesy of Mr. Behling himself.

Favorite gift received: A handmade starfish that Tiffany gave me. I can't find my little hooks or I would already have it hanging in front of my kitchen sink window. Her sister made it and it's beautiful.

Favorite San Juan Island memory: Being the second to last vehicle to skootch onto the ferry. The last one? Some of our new friends whose kayaks hung off the boat. The wait for the next ferry...three hours. Ha!

One of my favorite lines from my new favorite read: "When I get lonely these days, I think: So be lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your unfulfilled yearnings." (Wow, it still gets me.)

My favorite question posed: "Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" (Yep. That's a good one for all of us.)

And last but not least, my favorite passage out of the bible which I found just before I set off on my journey. I would read it every now and then to make sure that I was staying on track. It's from Proverbs 2: 2-11 (NLT):

Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.

I'm now at a time in my life where I get to decide which way to go. Please pray for me that I will hear Him and gain wisdom and understanding and I will be able to make wise choices about my future. That's all for me for now...see you in September.