Ok so this was the craziest, best, busiest weekend! I will honestly never forget all the many adventures we had this weekend.
Ok so last Friday during class my teacher literally got through 10 pages of the book haha... we are never going to finish, but thats fine with me! We listened to Peruvian music for a long time though, which was definitely nice! Class went by so slowly though because I was so excited for our adventures!
My group consisted of 13 people... It was the perfect number, and we split into 2 groups to leave. I was in the earlier group with Kaitlin, Ginny, Carlin, Gabby and Shelly. We all ate quickly, dropped off our school stuff at Carlin and Ginnys house because they live really close, and then we took a taxi to the bus station. We spent 22 soles for a 5 hour bus ride to Paracas! It was such a good deal.. thats less than 10 dollars haha. So we eventually arrive in Pisco and take a taxi to Paracas. Wow, that was an advenutre in itself!!
Eventually we arrive to a REALLY nice hostal in Paracas... its SUCh a cute beach town, and the hostal was a lot nicer than some hotels I have stayed in. The people were incredibly friendly, and it was 10 by the time we got there, and so they recommended a good, cheap place to eat by the water. For just 8 soles, we all got a heaping plate of rice, plantains and eggs. So good! And mostly safe I have found out! About 30 minutes later, we paid the hostal people to pick up the other 7 people in Pisco so that they wouldnt be so confused like we were. Finally we all are together and decide what to do the next day. And then we pass out!
For 5 soles, we wake up for breakfast at 7. We have really good coffee, fresh rolls, butter and jam. We also have fruit juice, which I pass on because I think that makes my stomach hurt... but regular orange juice also makes my stomach hurt, so that makes sense. We woke up so early because Paracas is famous for its sea lions and penguins! We signed up for a boat tour at 8, but it was too choppy they said. I was so disappoitned! I really wanted to see them! I shoul dnote that iwas incredibly warm and sunny and wonderful. While we were waiting to see if it would be ok to go out, we shopped. Boy did we shop! So many cute shops, but I couldnt buy anything big because I literally had no room in my bags to take back things haha. Eventually, we eat again and decide we should move on... we pay the hostal guy 20 soles to take us to our next destination .. Huacachina! Its called an oasis and was about an hour away. WOW THIS PLACE WAS INCREDIBLE. We immediately sign up for sand duning and sand boarding. BEST experience of my life. Imagine looking around and everywhere you look is sand dunes and sunshine. I felt like I was in ALaddin... CRAZY. mom, you wouldnt have liked the sand buggying... haha I think i was lifted more out of my seat than I was actually in my seat! The hills were crazy large... it was insane! Sand boarding was so much fun too! They had us practice by going down on our stomachs first, but then we stood up! One girl got a good amount of pictures, so I cant wait to see how those turned out! On the last hill, nobody would go first... haha so of cousre I did... we had to go down on our stomachs because the dune was so large... I took a picture.. it was actually insane. I was sort of scared because you couldnt really see where the hill was going... you just had to trust the workers! So I went and it was the most unbelieveable feeling... you feel lik eyoure flying!! and then it got really bumpy... so I have a couple of bruises on my hip bones, but i was lucky that i didnt get sand burn like others!
That was unbelieveable though. I will probably never again do these things! And it only cost 30 soles for all of that... which is like 10 bucks! WOW. So crazy. We took lots of pics, so I cant wait to show all of you!
So then its about 3 or 3 30 and we still havent eaten lunch. Everyone is dehydrated... since were in the desert it was very hot and sunny, and i was the only one who brought water. We wanted to check out some wineries, so we pay the sand dune people 20 soles each to take us to the grocery store to grab some grub (I got an empanada... so yummy... and a banana and a HUGE thing of water that I chugged), then to 2 wineries, a chocolate place that is famous, and finally drop us off at our hostal in Ica. (We realized its so much easier to just pay about 5 soles each more to travel together and have a concrete, safe form of transportaiton than to wing it and use taxis). The wineries were very different than in the states. I took many pictures, and it was interesting to hear all about the different wines. There is a reason that Peru is not known for its wine... wow it was not good... burned the nose and throat as it went down! At the first place, our tour guide had the best laugh... haha I actually taped him! And he spoke very good English. We got to try about 6 different wines that are very much stronger than the wines in the US... haha! Also tried Pisco straight, which is not good... It burns so badly! But Pisco sour is good! We also got to try tejas, which are famous chocolates from Ica! Then we quickly went over to the other winery because it was about to close. I tried a lot more wine, but once again.. not the best! Dad you might have like some of these... I dont know much about wine, but these were at least in huge barrels and they got teh wine out with sticks.. the guide didnt speak English, so Im sorry I dont really know what went on. Ew gross... he chugged a glass of Pisco! I cannot imagine how he did that. Finally, it was getting dark so we were off to the choclate place! It was my favorite! The tejas are so good! I like the pecans ones... they are huge chocolate pieces filled with caramel and pecans. They are delicious. I bought a box (they were pricey... 25 soles for 12) but these are known all around Peru! We also got a couple of free samples.
Finally we made it to our hostal in Ica, which was not nearly as nice as the other one, but still manageable. We quickly showered (we were still covered in sand!) then dressed to go to one of the girls host moms sisters restaurant! we waited a very long time for our food, but I tried this meat dish with rice and french fries. My stomach had been having cramping pains for the past 3 or 4 days, adn by this point I was getting concerned... that night I was sick all night... I think I got 2 hours of sleep the whole time... it was really bad... I took medicine adn that helped, but i was concerned about our bus ride back... Kaitlin is probably my closest friend on the trip and offered to pay a lot more with me to go on the more expensive bus with a bathroom on it, but I decided to suck it up. That morning around 9 we all went to explore more of ICa. I think it was Corpus Christi, so all of the Catholic school children were having a parade around the town! They were also paitingin the side walk adn it was incredible. So cool. I didnt enjoy it as much as I could ahve though because i still didnt feel well.
Finally we leave! 5 hours on the bus back home, but i was fine. As soon as i got home i ate half a box of pretzels and so much food and water i was fine but i hadnt eaten or darnk anything all day because i didnt want to get sick.
Gabby lost her passport and cell phone on this trip...... and her house key.... so i will have to deal with that today i think too
gotta go, but that was a brief summary of my weekend! it was amazing!!! Talk to you all soon... gonna be late to class!
lunes, 7 de junio de 2010
jueves, 3 de junio de 2010
¡Me gusta el sol!
That´s right ... its sunny again!!!!!!!!!! I have noticed that when its sunny in the morning that usually means that it will be sunny in the afternoon as well! Im so excited for this!
So yesterday was quite the adventure. We got ice cream in Pueblo Libre, which is the district that our school is in, and it was so delicious. I havent really had much dessert here, though its everywhere! The ice cream is different here, but cheap! It cost about 1 American dollar for a good amount of ice cream. Rachel would have really liked it!
After a brief stop in Metro, a grocery store that reminds me of Walmart a little bit (haha they sing happy birthday to you on the intercom there if its your birthday!), 4 of us decided to check out the light show a little early. Our Peruvian classmates put us on a combi (a small bus) and told the driver to let us know when we got there haha. That was nice because we didnt have to frantically figure out where we were and when we should get off.
The park was amazing! It only cost 4 soles to get in, but I would have easily paid 15 dollars in the states. There were HUGE fountains that were synchronized to music, and I dont even think we saw every fountain in there! Some people chose to run around in them, but I passed on that one... it was too cold! It was nice to go with just the 3 other girls intially because we got to explore it for about an hour or so before the huge group got there... so we of course took lots of pics! There was a tunnel made of water that was one of my favorites. Around 9 (at this time I was starving! Hadnt really eaten anything too filling all day except the ice cream), but the light and water show started! It is somewhat like the one in Epcot, but not really haha thats just the best comparison. There was a huge fountain show with laser lights and a projector that showed images on the water. The first half was Peruvian music, but the second half the music consisted of Backstreet Boys, Savage Garden etc. haha Of course we had to sing along, and we were taped by a couple Peruvians! haha it was fun!
By this time the original 4 of us (Shelly, Kaitlin, and Liz and I) were really hungry and we had been there for 3 hours. Some other people wanted to stay, but we were ready to head out, so we dropped Shelly off, and then the 3 of us went to Miraflores to grab some grub! We walked along Calles de la Pizzas (I might have spelled this wrong) and we were basically mobbed by all the restaurant workers trying to get us to come into their places! They will all pay for your drinks as long as you buy their food. It was too overwhelming and too pricey, so we ended up at a Chifa (Peruvian Chinese restaurant) that was much more low key and more reasonably priced... plus, its always really good! Not too much like the Chinese American food... not as fried... more fresh! I ended up getting a Tortilla Verdura, which is like a vegetable omellete. Liz and Kaitlin have been getting only soup for dinner, so they were really hungry and got soup plus a full meal! We all sort of shared, and everything was really really really good... plus by now it was 10 30, so we were just so excited to eat. I also tried Sangria! We got half a liter for the three of us, which cost 18 soles total. So 6 soles... so about 2 dollars! For a good amount of Sangria is not too shabby!! Wow it was strong though! Very delicious.
After dinner Liz and Kaitlin wanted to see where I lived, and so they walked me home. It takes me about 3 minutes walking to get home from the main strip of Miraflores, so it wasnt far, but I was very happy they walked me home... I wouldnt want to go alone! They live in San Isidro, which is the closest out of anyone to Miraflores, and they told me that they would show me how to get there by bus. Where they live is more residential with lots of cute parks, but I want to go home with them some days and then catch a bus to Miraflores, which is about 15 minutes by bus. Plus I think I could navigate it just fine during the day. (Gabby was off dancing with a different group.. I hadnt mentioned that yet hahaa) It was really nice to hang out with this group though, and hopefully it happens more in the future!
Finally got home, to bed, and passed out! I actually sleep really well here... and I even had a HOT shower this morning. And its sunny! What a great day! Lorena, our host mom, told us that she would take us out after school today, but i dont think she remembered, and we dont know where she is... hopefully that happens though... I have been looking forward to it!
All for now! Talk to you all soon!
So yesterday was quite the adventure. We got ice cream in Pueblo Libre, which is the district that our school is in, and it was so delicious. I havent really had much dessert here, though its everywhere! The ice cream is different here, but cheap! It cost about 1 American dollar for a good amount of ice cream. Rachel would have really liked it!
After a brief stop in Metro, a grocery store that reminds me of Walmart a little bit (haha they sing happy birthday to you on the intercom there if its your birthday!), 4 of us decided to check out the light show a little early. Our Peruvian classmates put us on a combi (a small bus) and told the driver to let us know when we got there haha. That was nice because we didnt have to frantically figure out where we were and when we should get off.
The park was amazing! It only cost 4 soles to get in, but I would have easily paid 15 dollars in the states. There were HUGE fountains that were synchronized to music, and I dont even think we saw every fountain in there! Some people chose to run around in them, but I passed on that one... it was too cold! It was nice to go with just the 3 other girls intially because we got to explore it for about an hour or so before the huge group got there... so we of course took lots of pics! There was a tunnel made of water that was one of my favorites. Around 9 (at this time I was starving! Hadnt really eaten anything too filling all day except the ice cream), but the light and water show started! It is somewhat like the one in Epcot, but not really haha thats just the best comparison. There was a huge fountain show with laser lights and a projector that showed images on the water. The first half was Peruvian music, but the second half the music consisted of Backstreet Boys, Savage Garden etc. haha Of course we had to sing along, and we were taped by a couple Peruvians! haha it was fun!
By this time the original 4 of us (Shelly, Kaitlin, and Liz and I) were really hungry and we had been there for 3 hours. Some other people wanted to stay, but we were ready to head out, so we dropped Shelly off, and then the 3 of us went to Miraflores to grab some grub! We walked along Calles de la Pizzas (I might have spelled this wrong) and we were basically mobbed by all the restaurant workers trying to get us to come into their places! They will all pay for your drinks as long as you buy their food. It was too overwhelming and too pricey, so we ended up at a Chifa (Peruvian Chinese restaurant) that was much more low key and more reasonably priced... plus, its always really good! Not too much like the Chinese American food... not as fried... more fresh! I ended up getting a Tortilla Verdura, which is like a vegetable omellete. Liz and Kaitlin have been getting only soup for dinner, so they were really hungry and got soup plus a full meal! We all sort of shared, and everything was really really really good... plus by now it was 10 30, so we were just so excited to eat. I also tried Sangria! We got half a liter for the three of us, which cost 18 soles total. So 6 soles... so about 2 dollars! For a good amount of Sangria is not too shabby!! Wow it was strong though! Very delicious.
After dinner Liz and Kaitlin wanted to see where I lived, and so they walked me home. It takes me about 3 minutes walking to get home from the main strip of Miraflores, so it wasnt far, but I was very happy they walked me home... I wouldnt want to go alone! They live in San Isidro, which is the closest out of anyone to Miraflores, and they told me that they would show me how to get there by bus. Where they live is more residential with lots of cute parks, but I want to go home with them some days and then catch a bus to Miraflores, which is about 15 minutes by bus. Plus I think I could navigate it just fine during the day. (Gabby was off dancing with a different group.. I hadnt mentioned that yet hahaa) It was really nice to hang out with this group though, and hopefully it happens more in the future!
Finally got home, to bed, and passed out! I actually sleep really well here... and I even had a HOT shower this morning. And its sunny! What a great day! Lorena, our host mom, told us that she would take us out after school today, but i dont think she remembered, and we dont know where she is... hopefully that happens though... I have been looking forward to it!
All for now! Talk to you all soon!
miércoles, 2 de junio de 2010
3 hours at the school with nothing to do!
Well I should be doing my homework, but I seemed to have left my workbook at home, and it would take me over an hour to go get it, so I will have to find things to do here! And so I am making another entry while everyone around me is working on papers. I feel bad, but I am so thankful that I dont have any to do... especially since Im not really getting real credit for the classes that I am taking.
At 7, the Peruvian students are taking us to a light and water show. I hope we dont get wet... I do have my rain coat today, but that would be far too cold! So Gabby and I are staying here until then to do work and stuff because its a waste of money to go home and come back. All of my money is basically going toward transportation!
My stomach has been doing weird things lately... boooo! I am getting a little bit nervous to eat a lot of things so I have been buying things at the grocery store just to get some calories in me! I think its the school lunches that do funky things... others are having the same problem! Thats not so fun. But for the most part, I feel healthy!
Good news, some girl just asked me to go get ice cream shortly! YAY. I havent really had dessert here much, so that will be nice!
i think that our plans for teh weekend are becoming more concrete. We want to go to Ica, where we can maybe go sandboarding, seal watching, wine tasting etc. Sounds legit! Speaking of legit, we told our professor (who is Peruvian and teaches English to Peruvian students) that he could use the phrase that´s legit to describe something that is really cool. Haha so then we got into a conversation about slang, and he swore that he loves calling people his niggas! hahahahah its so funny to hear a 55 year old, slightly plump peruvian man saying these words haha.
So those are my weekend plans, and I have really nothing else to say... hmmmm yup thats all thats new with me!
I just got a wonderful surprise though... i just talked to Jon on the phone! What a nice boy to call me for a whopping amount I am sure. thank ya!
At 7, the Peruvian students are taking us to a light and water show. I hope we dont get wet... I do have my rain coat today, but that would be far too cold! So Gabby and I are staying here until then to do work and stuff because its a waste of money to go home and come back. All of my money is basically going toward transportation!
My stomach has been doing weird things lately... boooo! I am getting a little bit nervous to eat a lot of things so I have been buying things at the grocery store just to get some calories in me! I think its the school lunches that do funky things... others are having the same problem! Thats not so fun. But for the most part, I feel healthy!
Good news, some girl just asked me to go get ice cream shortly! YAY. I havent really had dessert here much, so that will be nice!
i think that our plans for teh weekend are becoming more concrete. We want to go to Ica, where we can maybe go sandboarding, seal watching, wine tasting etc. Sounds legit! Speaking of legit, we told our professor (who is Peruvian and teaches English to Peruvian students) that he could use the phrase that´s legit to describe something that is really cool. Haha so then we got into a conversation about slang, and he swore that he loves calling people his niggas! hahahahah its so funny to hear a 55 year old, slightly plump peruvian man saying these words haha.
So those are my weekend plans, and I have really nothing else to say... hmmmm yup thats all thats new with me!
I just got a wonderful surprise though... i just talked to Jon on the phone! What a nice boy to call me for a whopping amount I am sure. thank ya!
Traffic in Lima!
I just had the craziest taxi ride haha. The traffic in Lima is very efficient, but very different from what Im used to. There are taxis everywhere, and you can kind of do whatever you want... you can cut people off, there doesnt seem to be a speed limit, and there are definitely no lines or lanes. Despite it being so crazy, I have not seen an accident yet (knock on wood) and I feel completely safe in every taxi I have been in! Its so efficient! Everything here is, but I feel like we save so much time kind of going wherever we want instead of waiting at stilly things like stop lights (there are a few, but really not too many) There are also many roundabouts that are incredibly efficient. The key thing is that you have to be aggressive... there is no room for passive drivers! But you get to your destination way faster this way. It reminds me of a video game I had... crazy taxi! Thats actually a good description of it haha.
So yesterday after class some of us decided to go to China town, and it was nothing like the other China towns I have been to in the past. It was of course crazy busy, and its in central Lima so there are lots of pretty buildings all around. The companeros told us to be extra careful though, so I didnt want to take pictures of this place. There were many little stores and street vendors, but I still feel like it was a little bit overpriced. It was interesting to see a different type of China town though! Our taxi rider also warned us to be safe (he spoke some English because his son lives in New York so he is trying to learn it!)
So from China town we decided to save a lot of money by taking the bus. We ended up saving probably around 15 soles, but wowwww what an adventure!!! Gabby and I didnt know that you had to pay after you sat down... but like I said, everyone here is so friendly and patient. The person who collects the money apparently had a thick accent, so Gabby had some trouble understanding him. And then it got REALLY crowded. We got seats, but when we (haha I) started recognizing the area, we tried as politely as possible to get up, but once again you have to be assertive! It took us about an hour to get home, and it probably would have taken about 40 minutes by taxi, and we saved a lot of money so I was pleased with this! The bus stopped right in front of the Vivanda that we go to, so it was about a 2 minute walk back home!)
yesterday for dinner were these vegetable tortillas... more like vegetable omelletes! It was sooooo good. And of course we had rice. After dinner I washed the dishes as I talked to Morena! I actually put together a couple of sentences (though very slowly... its a start!) She talked a lot though, and Im getting used to how quickly she talks. Once again, very efficient! I actually like the talking fast part! haha except its hard to understand sometimes.
i dont know what well be doing today... most everyone has to write papers that are due Thursday and Friday. Luckily I dont have to write any because its very hard to be on a computer for an extended period of time, and I dont think it would be very easy to work at an internet cafe. However, Gabby has to write one and she is currently on facebook, so I might have to go to an internet cafe with her tonight so she can work on it haha. Sometimes I have to remind her to do several things for class, to have with her etc, but my sense of direction has GREATLy improved. I think I always had it somewhere in me, but it was just never forced to come out haha. And plus, since I dont know Spanish well, I am forced to pay attention to as many things as possible around me. I think it is sort of like when you lose one of your senses, the other senses become more sensitive. (if that makes sense) Since I cant understand whats going on around me so well, I have to be extra observant to everything else!
Still trying to figure out weekend plans... unfortunately I cant really plan much because all the travel websites and travel agencies are in Spanish....... haha which makes sense, but it puts a dent on what I can do! Hopefully I can just join a group doing something! If not, there is plently to do in Lima. Our professor was talking about how he wants to take us back to his hometown in Chaclocayo, so maybe we will do that some time.
Also, we have to choose the track we will be taking for the Tarma trip on June 10. Unfortunately, I am not eligible to make the 3 day trek and hiking excursion to see the natives because I dont speak Spanish (they had never told us that this was a prerequisite, but it makes sense...). But we are supposed to do many fun things throughout the trip, so I am still excited for it! All for now.. off to class!
So yesterday after class some of us decided to go to China town, and it was nothing like the other China towns I have been to in the past. It was of course crazy busy, and its in central Lima so there are lots of pretty buildings all around. The companeros told us to be extra careful though, so I didnt want to take pictures of this place. There were many little stores and street vendors, but I still feel like it was a little bit overpriced. It was interesting to see a different type of China town though! Our taxi rider also warned us to be safe (he spoke some English because his son lives in New York so he is trying to learn it!)
So from China town we decided to save a lot of money by taking the bus. We ended up saving probably around 15 soles, but wowwww what an adventure!!! Gabby and I didnt know that you had to pay after you sat down... but like I said, everyone here is so friendly and patient. The person who collects the money apparently had a thick accent, so Gabby had some trouble understanding him. And then it got REALLY crowded. We got seats, but when we (haha I) started recognizing the area, we tried as politely as possible to get up, but once again you have to be assertive! It took us about an hour to get home, and it probably would have taken about 40 minutes by taxi, and we saved a lot of money so I was pleased with this! The bus stopped right in front of the Vivanda that we go to, so it was about a 2 minute walk back home!)
yesterday for dinner were these vegetable tortillas... more like vegetable omelletes! It was sooooo good. And of course we had rice. After dinner I washed the dishes as I talked to Morena! I actually put together a couple of sentences (though very slowly... its a start!) She talked a lot though, and Im getting used to how quickly she talks. Once again, very efficient! I actually like the talking fast part! haha except its hard to understand sometimes.
i dont know what well be doing today... most everyone has to write papers that are due Thursday and Friday. Luckily I dont have to write any because its very hard to be on a computer for an extended period of time, and I dont think it would be very easy to work at an internet cafe. However, Gabby has to write one and she is currently on facebook, so I might have to go to an internet cafe with her tonight so she can work on it haha. Sometimes I have to remind her to do several things for class, to have with her etc, but my sense of direction has GREATLy improved. I think I always had it somewhere in me, but it was just never forced to come out haha. And plus, since I dont know Spanish well, I am forced to pay attention to as many things as possible around me. I think it is sort of like when you lose one of your senses, the other senses become more sensitive. (if that makes sense) Since I cant understand whats going on around me so well, I have to be extra observant to everything else!
Still trying to figure out weekend plans... unfortunately I cant really plan much because all the travel websites and travel agencies are in Spanish....... haha which makes sense, but it puts a dent on what I can do! Hopefully I can just join a group doing something! If not, there is plently to do in Lima. Our professor was talking about how he wants to take us back to his hometown in Chaclocayo, so maybe we will do that some time.
Also, we have to choose the track we will be taking for the Tarma trip on June 10. Unfortunately, I am not eligible to make the 3 day trek and hiking excursion to see the natives because I dont speak Spanish (they had never told us that this was a prerequisite, but it makes sense...). But we are supposed to do many fun things throughout the trip, so I am still excited for it! All for now.. off to class!
martes, 1 de junio de 2010
Chilly weather!
The chillier weather I was expecting is definitely here now!
We got a new student today who lives literally right around the corner! Her name is Liz, and she seems really nice from the 30 minute conversation in the cab ride!
Today 2 taxis tried to overcharge me, so I said no way! haha except I said no thank you... I will not fall for that! Now with three people, it will cost us each 3 soles, or about 1 American dollar each to get to school! Not bad for a 30 minute drive!
Yesterday after school I was looking at where to go this weekend with some other people. A lot of people have a lot of papers to write and stuff... so that is really unfortunate so they dont know if they can go... but I really want to go to the beaches up north! That would be wonderful... Mancara is where were looking. Its really hard to find airlines and hostels etc. when everything is in Spanish! So hopefully I can just join a group. I also want to go sandboarding at some point, but that is in the south...
Lorena (my ma here!) is off work until Sunday! She has been sleeping because the women works so much. She said seh will pick us up from school on Thursday to show us around! Im definitely excited for that.
So yesterday Gabby and I went to Lar Cormar, which is a shopping mall along the beach near our house. Side note .. i can see the beach from my room! Just figured that out today haha... it has been so foggy, but today it was clear enough to see if I look really hard and squint my eyes a little bit.
The mall was way overpriced... it was too Americanized and you cant bargain with them... which I am definitely a fan of haha
After that, we located a kiosk for tourists! We got a map of Miraflores (YAYYYYYYYYY) so now we know where we are. I had figured out that all the names of streets that were countries ran parallel to our street (Francia), but it was nice to see what ran perpendicular to us as well. I am finally getting the hang of the city. So then we figured out that it was about a mile to walk home, and we get to walk along the beach! Lorena had told us its really safe, and I felt 100 percent safe because there were security gurads everywhere. There are so many police officers all around Miraflores, so I always feel good about walking around with others there... even at night. (Though dont worry ma and dad I dont do this frequently.)
After we got back, I just wanted to have some alone time... haha. Sometimes I just need my space from others so I came back and worked on a lot of Spanish homework. I am getting the hang of it... its actually easier than German to l earn I think... and its easier to learn the articles.
But then we had dinner... some sort of bean soup! New kind of beans that I have never had, but it was really good! I had much slower and not as much as I had the previous night... that was just bad! But Morena told me I was too thin haha! She was trying to give us the Natilla again, but I had to pass. I get so much fuller here than ever before. The food is so fresh and wonderful, but I just get so full. I think its also because I am not exercising here like I do at home.
Let me go on about Morena for a little bit... this women is wonderful!! She has no children, but she has raised Lorena since she was born (and Lorena is 31). She is under five foot with teh biggest eyes and the best smile around. She talks so quickly, and seh loves her 2 dogs.. I laugh every time I hear her talking to them! Chuiy and Benito! She will have full conversations with them, sing to them, call them her children! (sound familiar, Ma?!) haha. She tells us seh will only cook us healthy food that is pure. Its really interesting because if you look in our fridge it only has natural food... no yogurt or processed cheese, but fresh fruits and veggies, fresh chicken and blocks of cheese. It just makes me so full!
Today they are taking us to the catacombes... but most of us have been there already, so I think some people were thinking of going to china town... its apparently not the safest place, but they said it was ok if you went in a large group, and I definitely want to see it because there is such a large Chinese population here (Chinos) and the many Chinese restaurants are called Chifas! Very cool.
Ok I did pretty well for typing as fast as I could for about 15 minutes! But off to Spanish class for me!
Hope you all are doing well. I am going to remember to bring my camera cord one day to upload some pics! The pics of Miraflores on Sunday are really cool since we had perfect weather, and I want to show you pics of Caral also! The mountains were awesome! ADIOS
We got a new student today who lives literally right around the corner! Her name is Liz, and she seems really nice from the 30 minute conversation in the cab ride!
Today 2 taxis tried to overcharge me, so I said no way! haha except I said no thank you... I will not fall for that! Now with three people, it will cost us each 3 soles, or about 1 American dollar each to get to school! Not bad for a 30 minute drive!
Yesterday after school I was looking at where to go this weekend with some other people. A lot of people have a lot of papers to write and stuff... so that is really unfortunate so they dont know if they can go... but I really want to go to the beaches up north! That would be wonderful... Mancara is where were looking. Its really hard to find airlines and hostels etc. when everything is in Spanish! So hopefully I can just join a group. I also want to go sandboarding at some point, but that is in the south...
Lorena (my ma here!) is off work until Sunday! She has been sleeping because the women works so much. She said seh will pick us up from school on Thursday to show us around! Im definitely excited for that.
So yesterday Gabby and I went to Lar Cormar, which is a shopping mall along the beach near our house. Side note .. i can see the beach from my room! Just figured that out today haha... it has been so foggy, but today it was clear enough to see if I look really hard and squint my eyes a little bit.
The mall was way overpriced... it was too Americanized and you cant bargain with them... which I am definitely a fan of haha
After that, we located a kiosk for tourists! We got a map of Miraflores (YAYYYYYYYYY) so now we know where we are. I had figured out that all the names of streets that were countries ran parallel to our street (Francia), but it was nice to see what ran perpendicular to us as well. I am finally getting the hang of the city. So then we figured out that it was about a mile to walk home, and we get to walk along the beach! Lorena had told us its really safe, and I felt 100 percent safe because there were security gurads everywhere. There are so many police officers all around Miraflores, so I always feel good about walking around with others there... even at night. (Though dont worry ma and dad I dont do this frequently.)
After we got back, I just wanted to have some alone time... haha. Sometimes I just need my space from others so I came back and worked on a lot of Spanish homework. I am getting the hang of it... its actually easier than German to l earn I think... and its easier to learn the articles.
But then we had dinner... some sort of bean soup! New kind of beans that I have never had, but it was really good! I had much slower and not as much as I had the previous night... that was just bad! But Morena told me I was too thin haha! She was trying to give us the Natilla again, but I had to pass. I get so much fuller here than ever before. The food is so fresh and wonderful, but I just get so full. I think its also because I am not exercising here like I do at home.
Let me go on about Morena for a little bit... this women is wonderful!! She has no children, but she has raised Lorena since she was born (and Lorena is 31). She is under five foot with teh biggest eyes and the best smile around. She talks so quickly, and seh loves her 2 dogs.. I laugh every time I hear her talking to them! Chuiy and Benito! She will have full conversations with them, sing to them, call them her children! (sound familiar, Ma?!) haha. She tells us seh will only cook us healthy food that is pure. Its really interesting because if you look in our fridge it only has natural food... no yogurt or processed cheese, but fresh fruits and veggies, fresh chicken and blocks of cheese. It just makes me so full!
Today they are taking us to the catacombes... but most of us have been there already, so I think some people were thinking of going to china town... its apparently not the safest place, but they said it was ok if you went in a large group, and I definitely want to see it because there is such a large Chinese population here (Chinos) and the many Chinese restaurants are called Chifas! Very cool.
Ok I did pretty well for typing as fast as I could for about 15 minutes! But off to Spanish class for me!
Hope you all are doing well. I am going to remember to bring my camera cord one day to upload some pics! The pics of Miraflores on Sunday are really cool since we had perfect weather, and I want to show you pics of Caral also! The mountains were awesome! ADIOS
lunes, 31 de mayo de 2010
The day I fell in love with Miraflores
HOLA!
I finally have gotten the hang of Miraflores.
Yesterday was a wonderful day. Gabby and I explored Miraflores all day. We slept in after a long day on Saturday (I will have to update you all later! though I told you most of it already.)
Morena prepared a really good avocado sandwich for breakfast, I had my cafe con leche (she realiezd how much i love coffee!) and Gabby had a papaya smoothie. I am not a huge fan of papaya, but I have pineapple when she has it!
Finally we were on our way to the grocery store called Vivanda (think Harris Teeter... tons of free samples!) and I bought some food, granola bars and found those corn nuts that I love so much. Next we walked across the street to the internet cafe to check our email. Its 1.50 soles to use it for one hour, so thats pretty good! We are getting to know the lady there, but she has such a thick accent that I dont understand her. She laughs at me a lot, but is very nice nonetheless haha.
Then we went back to drop off our stuff! Morena welcomed us with the normal hug and kiss. The Peruvians are so incredibly friendly. I can even understand Morena, our nanny, some of the time... though I cheat by using body language and context clues... but it works! I also cant respond easily, but I can say phrases that she can sometimes pick up on. She told me how rapido I was learning! Its refreshing.
We thought we were going to meet up with two other girls who live in San Isidro, which is pretty close to Miraflores. It turns out that one of the girls couldnt come, but Kaitlin met us at Haiti, which has become the meeting place for our group because everyone knows where it is. Its a pretty nice restaurant. I tried a pisco sour there, and it was definitely delicious! Its a pretty popular drink in Peru, and pretty much any bartender will let you try one for free because they all think that they make the best ones!
So finally we explored Miraflores, and its incredibly nice. We walked around the park in the warm sunshine (it was nice ... like 70 degrees and completely sunny!) We looked for picarones (fried sweet potatoes with syrup) but couldnt find them.. so we got churros, which are soooo much better than they are in the states. We then saw people playing fantasy futbol... instead of american football it was with soccer players! We were also offered to buy some drugs, but declined haha. Next we found a group of old people dancing salsa, a Justin Bieber fan club, and an art gallery. Several times people just smile and say hello and call you amigos. They are so friendly. I ended up buying a good amount of things! I found a bag for cheap! I have learned that never buy anything until you bargain with them (which I can now do on my own). I also bought a pair or earrings for 1.50 soles that would be at least 20 dollars back home, the nicest pair of sunglasses I have owned for 15 soles (I broke mine the day before oops) and other things.
So after exploring for 4 hours we tiredly went back home! Lorena was there, but she was with a male friend... Im not quite sure of her situation with that, but Morena cooked us a very rich meal... note to self... dont eat really rich food too fast. We had chicken, mushrooms and realy good mashed potatoes that were the best I have ever had (sorry ma) but they didnt settle wel in my stomach... haha. Morena wanted to take pictures of her dogs! So cute. I wish I could send you pictures. Morena is so cute. Shes under 5 feet with the largest eyes. So nice! We had dessert for the first time.. like caramel but called natilla. So good, but so rich!
Ok well I gotta go to class... not quite sure what Im doing today, but it should be an adventure, like always. You never know what youre going to do on a dailyi basis. It took me awhile to get used to it, but this morning I even spoke to the taxi! I told him where it was and bargained.. we got the best deal we have gotten yet.
Its cloudy today, but maybe it will be sunny later... I have seen sun the past 3 days!
All for now!
I finally have gotten the hang of Miraflores.
Yesterday was a wonderful day. Gabby and I explored Miraflores all day. We slept in after a long day on Saturday (I will have to update you all later! though I told you most of it already.)
Morena prepared a really good avocado sandwich for breakfast, I had my cafe con leche (she realiezd how much i love coffee!) and Gabby had a papaya smoothie. I am not a huge fan of papaya, but I have pineapple when she has it!
Finally we were on our way to the grocery store called Vivanda (think Harris Teeter... tons of free samples!) and I bought some food, granola bars and found those corn nuts that I love so much. Next we walked across the street to the internet cafe to check our email. Its 1.50 soles to use it for one hour, so thats pretty good! We are getting to know the lady there, but she has such a thick accent that I dont understand her. She laughs at me a lot, but is very nice nonetheless haha.
Then we went back to drop off our stuff! Morena welcomed us with the normal hug and kiss. The Peruvians are so incredibly friendly. I can even understand Morena, our nanny, some of the time... though I cheat by using body language and context clues... but it works! I also cant respond easily, but I can say phrases that she can sometimes pick up on. She told me how rapido I was learning! Its refreshing.
We thought we were going to meet up with two other girls who live in San Isidro, which is pretty close to Miraflores. It turns out that one of the girls couldnt come, but Kaitlin met us at Haiti, which has become the meeting place for our group because everyone knows where it is. Its a pretty nice restaurant. I tried a pisco sour there, and it was definitely delicious! Its a pretty popular drink in Peru, and pretty much any bartender will let you try one for free because they all think that they make the best ones!
So finally we explored Miraflores, and its incredibly nice. We walked around the park in the warm sunshine (it was nice ... like 70 degrees and completely sunny!) We looked for picarones (fried sweet potatoes with syrup) but couldnt find them.. so we got churros, which are soooo much better than they are in the states. We then saw people playing fantasy futbol... instead of american football it was with soccer players! We were also offered to buy some drugs, but declined haha. Next we found a group of old people dancing salsa, a Justin Bieber fan club, and an art gallery. Several times people just smile and say hello and call you amigos. They are so friendly. I ended up buying a good amount of things! I found a bag for cheap! I have learned that never buy anything until you bargain with them (which I can now do on my own). I also bought a pair or earrings for 1.50 soles that would be at least 20 dollars back home, the nicest pair of sunglasses I have owned for 15 soles (I broke mine the day before oops) and other things.
So after exploring for 4 hours we tiredly went back home! Lorena was there, but she was with a male friend... Im not quite sure of her situation with that, but Morena cooked us a very rich meal... note to self... dont eat really rich food too fast. We had chicken, mushrooms and realy good mashed potatoes that were the best I have ever had (sorry ma) but they didnt settle wel in my stomach... haha. Morena wanted to take pictures of her dogs! So cute. I wish I could send you pictures. Morena is so cute. Shes under 5 feet with the largest eyes. So nice! We had dessert for the first time.. like caramel but called natilla. So good, but so rich!
Ok well I gotta go to class... not quite sure what Im doing today, but it should be an adventure, like always. You never know what youre going to do on a dailyi basis. It took me awhile to get used to it, but this morning I even spoke to the taxi! I told him where it was and bargained.. we got the best deal we have gotten yet.
Its cloudy today, but maybe it will be sunny later... I have seen sun the past 3 days!
All for now!
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)