It's Been A While

I have been learning a lot of espanol but still need more. :)

The week in Cuzco passed so quickly, I barely noticed that I hadn't posted to the blog. We have been having second thoughts about leaving on Tuesday for Argentina. Seeing those phenominal mountains of Bolivia made us second guess our want to avoid paying the hideous fee that Americans pay to visit Bolivia (I have heard from Germans, Austrailians and Canadians that it's only the folks from the USA that pay US$135 to enter the country)

Still, we have decided to take our time. I think now that we didn't have any idea how addicting this travel thing could be. I only wish there was a bottomless money pit to spend most of the next year on the road.

So, I think the last time I posted we might have been in Huanchaco. We've done a lot since then but I've been trying to sift through my feelings about this country. There is so much to love about this place.

From Huanchaco we headed south on an overnight bus. We arrived in Lima in the early morning and changed to another bus station and headed to Ica. The hotel we stayed in was charming (El Carmello) and they arranged our day trips. The following morning we headed to Isla Ballestras on a boat. Known as the poor man's Galapagos, these islands (that you cannot disembark on) have sea lions, gigantic pelicans, and penguins. It was neat to see penguins walking around and not in an exhibit.

The next morning, I left (solo) for a tour of Nazca and a sobrevielo (overflight). My guide and I drove for two hours from Ica to Nazca. When we got to the airport, he asked me for my passport. Oooops. Noone had told me that I needed a passport. I was very lucky, he asked the guard for personal favor and they let me fly after all. Whew!

I can't begin to tell you how moved I was by the whole event. It was breathtaking (not to mention stomach lurching). It's taken me a while to process it. The kind of people that the Nazca's must have been is fascinating. We have learned alot about how advanced these cultures were - how it was necessary for the Spaniards to portray them as savages but that they were really an amazing culture with tons of knowledge.

The time in Puno was a little scary with Helen's illness and altitude sickness. We are all hoping that is the end of that. We were able to meet Mike and Meghan on day to and spend the night on a straw mattress on Isla Taquile. Once we hiked to the top of the island and saw the Incan Ruins and the distant Bolivian mountains, I think we were sold on seeing more.

The week in Cusco passed quickly. School was tough. I learned a bunch but it just made me realize how far away I am from mastering this language. I feel much stronger about speaking - but I realize quickly when I screw up (right after I finish my sentence)

This weekend, we are headed to Winn's house in Ollanta and on to Machu Picchu. I am so excited I can barely stand it. The best part is that it's supposed to be warm! That means I can wear my "Machu Picchu Outfit". My earrings from Ana and my skirt from Holt! I promise to post more soon!