Friday, July 22, 2011

Back in the States

Back in Atlanta after almost leaving my duty free Pisco at the gate and bearly escaping customs with a few coca leaves in my bag!  Southern food, something fried or smothered in BBQ sauce is on the agenda.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Lima - Bikes and Ceviche

 After an incredible descent through the Andes and into the desert we made it to Lima and headed straight for the Inka Frog where we would stay for 3 nights.  Big Lima is much, much different than Cusco but we enjoyed the new museums, ocean views and ceviche.  Highlights were a bike tour of the city and petting a hairless dog, but we were all looking forward to our flight home and end to an incredible year.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Goodbye Cusco


We hopped on an an overnight bus to Lima, our last capital city in the 6 countries visited on this trip.  21 hours over and down the Andes and then across the sand to the big city.  We are all sad to leave but also ready.  In less than a week we will be back in the states, enjoying favorite foods and the summer heat.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Top Ten Lists for Cusco - Mike


 1. The Wanchac Market
2. Parades and Street Dances
3. Llamas & Alpacas
4. Tamale Ladies
5. 3 Cylinder mini taxis
6. The Andes
7. Adobe Homes
8. Weavers & Textiles
9. Coca tea
10. Potato fields & Terraces

Helen's Top Ten List for Cusco



 1. Inka Kola
2. Lomo Saltado
3. Ausangate Bilingual School
4. Futbol Games
5. Machu Pichu
6. Chuwa Restaurant
7. Killia, Eilleen, Alejandra S., Xiara, Arianna, Alejandra M., Natalia, Carmen & Mar
8. Choquequirao
9. Papas a la Huancaina
10. Urpicha

Cusco, Top Ten by Meghan


 1. Majo, Maijo and Mikaela
2. Profesores Wilson & Karina
3. My pink room
4. Winn & Wow
5. Machu Picchu
6. The Plaza at night
7. Felipa
8. Cuy (guinea pig)
9. Papas rellenas
10. School busses

Debby's Top Ten List


 1)  Mantay Babies, Lily - the nurse, and the Mamas
2) South American Explorers Club staff and fellow traveling members
3) Living Inca/Quechua history - festivals, buildings, dances, people
4) New friends - the Leonard-Rose's, Filipa and family, Eric & Elizabeth, Celine, the crew at Olly.
5) Busy sidewalks at all hours of the day and night - pedestrians
6) Eating lunch out almost every day - 3 course meal for s/4.80 ($1.75) @ Corazon del Maiz
7) Aji de gallina, Papas a la Huancaina, Chicha Morada, Inca Cola, Coca Tea, Pisco Sours, Papas rellenos, Cuzquena Cerveza
8) Not having to do my own laundry - s/3.50 per kilo ($1.28/kilo) washed, dried and folded
9) Just happening upon festivals on the Plaza de Armas and in the streets
10) Living in the beautiful Andes - breathtaking sunrises, gorgeous blue sky days, rooftop drinks at Marcelo Batata to watch the sunset and lights come on in the city

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Adios Casa de Wow


We made our last pilgrimage to Ollantaytambo to say goodbye to friends that have really formed our Peruvian adventure.  Casa de Wow and the home of Winn and Roberto served as a special place for our family and a "home away from home".  Last August during our first pass through Peru we said similar goodbyes but these we much more heartfelt and difficult.... maybe one day we will return.
In return for the many impressions on our lives, we left a plackard on our room door, hoping that we would not be forgotten during our many but briefs stays in this incredible place.  We won't soon forget.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Return

On the 3rd day of our trek we woke up very early and ate breakfast in our tent (yogurt, cereal, apple and banana) and then we hiked back up to Choquequirao's Sanctuary.  Edds, Dad, Mom and Meghan hiked up to a big circle of grass with blocks all around it.  I stayed down and read my book called Criss Cross.  When they came back all of us hiked up to another set of ruins that were very big and had a very big aquaduct.  As we left, Edds took the path back to the campsite and we kept walking toward Marampata where we were going to eat lunch.  The path was up down up down all the way.  Finally we got to Marampata.  Our lunch was packed for us in our bags.  Finally Edds came jogging with the horse behind him.  Mom tried to feed the horse an apple.  It didn't work.  The horse would not eat the apple.  Mom tried and tried to feed it but he would not eat it!
Finally we kept moving.  From Marampata and on it was pretty much all down hill.  We passed rivers, tiny pools of water and very noisy birds.  We hiked down all of the trail that we had climbed yesterday.  When we reached the bridge over the Apurimac, Mom had promised me and Meghan that we could have a soda in the campground Rosalinda.  But when we got to the campsite everything was closed.  Mom said sorry and said we could get one in Chekiska (where we would sleep).  Mom and Meghan left Rosalinda first so they could get a head start.  I took a break for a couple of minutes and then got on the horse.  We climbed up 18 switchbacks and after the 18th switchback was Chekiska.  Meghan and I drank sodas and also ate a fruit kind of like Chirimoya but with tiny spikes on the outside.  It was called Guayabana.  Our troup arived with the horses and they started putting up our tent.  When it was dark we played cards with a candle and when we heard "Mr. Mike" from Edds, we hurried off to dinner.
The next morning we ate breakfast as Edds saddled the horse and we se off.  We had to walk two sets of switchbacks up hill basically all the walking down hill that we did on teh first day.  I rode on the horse all the way to the bench and we rested there and had some more guayabana.  Again Mom hiked off first and afer a minute I pulled out my lolypop, stuck it in my mouth and followed her.  The blocks on the ground that showed us the kilometers that we walked were getting lower and lower and my spirits began to rise and rise.  Finally I reached the mirador with Mom.  We waited until Meghan and Edds and Dad came and then we waited until Eddie and Aderli came with our food.  We ate a big thing of rice with vegetables and hot dog inside of it.  It tasted really good!  From the place where we ate lunch was all down hill and flat.  When Meghan or I got on the horse we ran with it and sometimes I ran with the dog Duby.  That is why the fourth day is my favorite day.
We walked a tiny trail that was shorter and when we reached the 1 kilometer sign I couldn't believe it.  We ate ice cream in Cachora and then took a van home.  It felt good to me in my own bed at last!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Choquequirao Trek

We got up really early just like in our manu trip to get on a bus and drive for 3 hours. Where we would stop was in Cachora, a nice small town at 9134 ft. We had a local breakfast called Qapchi. It was fried potatoes mashed up with haba beans, rice and chicken. It would have been better for dinner but was pretty good. Then we started walking. That day we walked 19 kilometers which is almost 12.8 miles. The first bit was really easy. We went at a fast pace up a non steep mini road. We ate lunch at a little house that was being built before we hiked up a little more until the Mirador. From there we had a BEAUTIFUL view of the snowy mountain range that was right across from Cachora. From the Mirador it was steep steep STEEP switchbacks untill we got to Chikiska which is where we camped. I got to sleep in a tent with Helen and we stayed up kind of late talking.
The next day was our all uphill day. Helen and I shared a horse so whenever we got tired we could ride for a little while. Our guide Edds said the horse didn't have a name so I named him Leo. He was gray with white hooves and a white patch on his forhead. When I wasn't riding him I could take his rope adn lead him up the hill. We stopped and had a really nice 2 course meal in Marampata 2 hours from Choquequirao fefore starting to walk again. We got to the campsite at 3:00 and hiked up some more to the actual ruins. We stayed up there for 2 and a half hours to see the llama terraces. The terraces werre made of black stones but the incans had white stones around them in the form of llama. My favorite terrace was one where there was a momma llama next to a baby. It was so cute! We hiked back down to the campsite and I dreamed about Incan ghosts coming out of the terraces in the shape of llamas.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Report Cards

I attended Parent/Teacher conferences at Ausangate and reviewed the first term reports for Meghan and Helen.  I have always enjoyed these meetings because teachers allways have great things to say about the girls, and this time was no different. 
Each class has a Spanish (speaking no english) and an English (bi-lengual) teacher.  As a bi-lengual institution, math and english are taught in english and all other courses are taught in spanish.  The students are 90% Peruvian and Meghan and Helen are 2 of only 6 or so children that speak english as their first language.  Obviously the english classes are remedial and the children are mostly speaking their native tongue, especially during breaks, lunch and recess.
Meghan's English teacher, Mr. Wilson was out the day of the conferences so my discussion with her teacher Ms. Karina took place in Spanish.  Although I am sure I missed some minor details, I heard that Meghan has excelled at Spanish in such a short time (which I knew), is always up to new challenges, and is mature and sensitve to the needs of her peers.
Both Helen's professors, Ricardo and Maria Renee were present and reported that she has adapted well to a new language, been very helpfull to other students during English, and is an excellent mathmatician. 
It was clear that both girls had quickly emersed themselves here, were welcomed into this new community and had made lasting impressions on their teachers.  I thought Maria Renee might cry as she expressed sadness that Helen would not return next term.  A great conference for Dad, who expected no less but always enjoys confirmation.... gracias hijas!