Day Thirty-Two

I was not a happy camper this morning. Last night, I did not sleep at all; the combination of the altitude, uncomfy bed and a sick roommate made for a sleepless night for Hannah. Regardless, I got up, did my planks, took my shower and packed my bag for the day. I ate a breakfast of fruit, granola and yogurt and set off for the  day's adventures. 

Today, Kaleb was my bus buddy, I even let him borrow my extra pair of headphones. 

His tattoo was healing nicely, making me want one even more. Our first stop of the day was los anillos agrícolas de Moray. It was cool; mostly large circular terraces used to grow the 7 different types of quinoa, 1000 different types of maíz and 3000 types of potatoes. 

The second stop was the salt mines. Again, they were interesting, just a bunch of different rectangles filled was salt and water from the mountain. It was cool to walk between them, but it was another quick visit. Then we sat in another breathtaking plain that looked onto the mountains.

The final stop was the textile mill. Here, they demonstrated how the alpaca fur was cleaned, dyed and spun. They use insect blood and other natural ingredients with a chemical to change the shade of the yarn. Then, it is spun twice and used to create different clothing products. 

When we returned for the day, it was about four. We went to Papacho's for lupper and I got another salad. Then, it was time. I finally did it; I got a tattoo!! It's of the chakana symbol with the sun and moon inside, I love it! However, I must admit that I could not have done it without all of the support (thank you Nikki, Jacob, Mikaela and Ryan). Also, shoutout to my main man Jose for the amazing art, even though he laughed at me. All in all, it was an eventful day. 

Day Thirty-One

Due to the absurd altitude, I could not run this morning and probably can't all week. I guess it is good to give my legs a rest but it is drivibg me insane. I try to workout a bit when I wake up in the morning, but nothing helps the constant bloated feeling that comes from eating a diet of bread, potatoes, rice and chicken. I said it before and I will say it again, I cannot wait to go grocery shopping  and to run in Boston.

Nonetheless, Cusco is beautiful. Toda, we all got together after the hotel breakfast and toured the city. Mom, you would love it, there are alpacas, llamas and goats everywhere. Also, rainbow flags are ubiquitous throughout the city. At first, we thought Cusco was just a very progressive city celebrating gay pride, however we soon learned that that was simply the flag of Cusco. In fact, the Incans celebrated the sun and saw rainbows as sacred signs from the gods, therefore it is fitting that the flag is a rainbow. Also, all this month Cusco is prepping for the celebration of their special day on June 24, so it's a party 24/7 here.

Today's tour was filled of various different places. To start, we the Templo del Sol. The architecture here was simply beautiful. In the past it served as rooms for the Incans to live and worship. The original beauty however is perfectly preserved. In the middle of the stone rooms, there is a stunning courtyard surrounded by perfectly sculpted arches and intricate paintings. On the outside of this temple, there are terraces that overlook the mountains and city. Also, the influence of the sun is very apparent here as well as there is a sun in almost every painting and even sculpted above every door way. I saw many good designs that would make great tattoos (sorry dad).

The second stop of the day was another church: la Basilica de Catedral Cusco. If I am being completely honest, it reminded me of all of the other cathedrals that we have visited complete with catacombs and all. Of course, the artwork and architecture were stunning, especially the façade. When we finished the tour of the three different parts, we headed for lunch. I found a salad and it was great: a real day maker.

After lunch we headed to Sacsayhuamán (pronounced "sexy woman). This national park was a large open field with terraces in the grace. When we got there, there were a bunch of llamas/alpacas roaming freely and we decided to chill with them for a bit. Then, as we sat down for the lecture, the dog herding the llamas came and sat right in my lap. Yes dad that's right, I almost brought home a new friend. As we left Sacsayhuamán, we went through a tunnel that was very small and dark and I did not like it. It only got worse as I accidentally almost picked some random guy's nose as he headed in the opposite direction through the dark. 

Next we went to the Tambo de Puca Pucara which was basically a spiral with tombs inside. It was cool inside of it, but there was not much to see. We ended the day at Templo de agua de Tambomachay. Again, it was interesting to see the natural fountains and pose like penguins on the rocks, but the visit was quick.

Upon our arrival to Cusco, a group of us headed right to the tattoo parlor. I was determined to get one, but I made the boys go first so that I didn't get infected. Kaleb got the Andes mountains on his foot and Jake got the chakana and Caral design I picked out on the inside of his left heel. They didn't have time for me, and I was still deciding, so we just headed to Paddy's Pub from there to watch the basketball game. Oh that's another thing, the boys decided they needed to take an Always Sunny picture because the bar had the same name, but they needed a Dee. Apparently I was blonde enough to play the part, but as time went on they thought that "the analogy was falling into place." That's about it for today.

Day Thirty

Thirty, flirty days flew by so far. 

I got up early this morning so I could go for my last run in Lima. If I'm being completely honest, I'm ready to go back to Castle Island. The slippery sidewalks and constant stopping is getting to me, I cannot wait to just go run in my normal loops. I will miss the view though; it's hard to beat running along the malecón and seeing the surfers in the Pacific below the cliffs. On my way home, I stopped to pick up flowers for my host mom. I went with my favorite, sunflowers, with a bit of baby's breath (Emily would be proud).

After I showered and dressed again, I had to finish packing up my bag for Cusco. Then I had my last breakfast with my host mom and Estaban. The French open has been on the TV all week so there was not a lot of conversation as Ana María was enticed with the match. I do not really understand tennis and cannot really get over the ridícula noises they make while playing so I just ate my breakfast and thought of anything I might have forgotten to pack. Another truth: I cannot wait to grocery shop for myself again, I am so done with bread.

I had some time after breakfast to turn in my essay for chapter four and catch up on my blogs. Ana María has a match tomorrow so she walked me downstairs early to wait for the bus. I waited in the lobby from 10:20 to 11:20 for the bus, but I did come eventually. At the airport, we were confused as to where we were supposed to go so we were rushing and confused to start the day. When we finally found the correct line, we had 20 minutes until boarding. Thankfully, we were able to check in , run through the airport, go through security and get to our gate in the time we had left. However, this rushing was all for nothing as our flight ended up being delayed about an hour, so we all got snacks and waited.

On the flight, I had an aisle seat which I greatly appreciated. I spent my time listening to Taylor Swift, who is newly on Spotify, and solving my Rubix cube. In fact, my Rubix prowess is so impressive that the man sitting catty-corner to me asked to borrow my cube and solved it in less than five minutes. It was quite the international bonding experience. 

When the flight landed, I made the first mistake. I jumped off the plane, ran to the bathroom while babbling to Nikki about how cool Cusco is. Suddenly, it all caught up to me and I felt the altitude. Thankfully, they were handing out free coca leaves and I stuffed my lip full while waiting for luggage.

Once we got to the hotel, I put my bag down and napped like the champ I am. I woke up to walk to La Plaza Mayor for the soup dinner. Finally, I headed to bed and finally slept.

Day Twenty-Nine

Last day in Lima :(

I went through my morning routine per usual, but today instead of walking to El Sol, I had to pack my stuff. I truly cannot believe my time in Lima has come to an end. It's so hard to leave now that I got settled into my routine and now that I know how to navigate the city. Also, knowing that Trump is still president and actively denying climate change has me hesitant to return to Boston. However, I have a little pup waiting for me back home, so I guess there is a bright side. 

After struggling to decide how and what to pack, I needed a mental break so I walked to Parque Kennedy. I met up with Cati and Kelly at Starbucks and from there we went to get our nails done (gel French manicure of course). It took a bit longer than we anticipated so by the time we finished hanger was approaching quickly. Thankfully, we headed to La Lucha and appeased our appetite with one of the best sandwiches I have ever had (it was basically a steak and cheese with sautéed onions but one of the best nonetheless). Knowing I still had some packing to finish, I started the walk home, but first Cari and I stopped at the Rubix cube store. That's right, your girl now owns a 4x4x4, it's going to be an interesting plane ride. I also had to stop to buy some Pisco so that I can bring a bit of Perú back to my family. I just really hope the bottle doesn't break in my bag. Send positives thoughts to the wine bottle in my luggage as well. I do not really want to have to buy a completely new wardrobe because all of my clothes are covered in rosé.

Eventually, I finished packing, shoutout to Spotify for putting Taylor Swift's entire music back on and having Lil Yachty's new album, it really helped me through the strenuous packing process. I realized today that one of the things that I will miss most about Lima is the music. It's reggaeton all day every day here and it's lit. It's playing everywhere from the clubs to the grocery store to the elevator, it's always a party. 

Now that packing was finished, I had to get ready for dinner. I apologize but I gave up trying to make my hair look nice. I was going to get it done but I ran out of time, so I just left it down and let the Lima humidity do its thing. For dinner, we went to La Rosa Náutica, but first we had to bring all of our luggage to the bus which was difficult to do gracefully in a dress and heels. Nonetheless, we survived and made it to the most famous restaurant in Lima. In fact, we had the entire upstairs to ourselves and it was honestly the most beautiful restaurants I have ever been to. It is on a pier right on the water so you could look up to the lights and the cliffs on one side, and on the other the Pacific ocean stretched out into the dark. The lights from down the coast sparkled through the windows, and the restaurant itself was simply gorgeous. As always, we were running on Peruvian time so the dinner in its entirety lasted from 8 to 12. The food was delicious (I had a pisco sour, goat cheese salad, corvina and the coco de popa), but some of us had to find ways to occupy the wait time. I now know how to fold a napkin in to a rose and how to make a paper airplane. Although we planned to go out after dinner, many of us could not muster the strength to rally and go out. Therefore, I ubered home with Nathalie and went to bed.

Day Twenty-Eight

Last day of school!

Today, I got up and ran. Since it's Friday, I had to be extra speedy getting ready because school starts at 8:30 so we can take our weekly exams. This week, we focused on the passive voice and I think it went pretty well (can't be too sure). During grammar class, JuanCarlos answered any general questions that we had about Spanish and then we convinced him to show us more videos of his Dobermans (Doberman?). In conversation, we finished the presentations from yesterday and takes to Diana about life in general. Finally, we ended our school day with a little celebration that included a diploma and sweatshirt from El Sol. Still, I cannot believe that we "graduated" from El Sol today. It feels like forever ago since I first walked into sala 16 with Romeo, but it is crazy that it is actually coming to an end.

In order to properly celebrate, we went to Punto Azul and treated ourselves to some ceviche. I also got the Parmesan scallops and they were amazing.

After we were properly stuff, I headed to Parque Kennedy to meet up with Nathalie and Kelly. From there, we headed to the Inca Markets to do some light souvenir shopping. The 5ft llama just taunted me the entire time, I really want to bring it home but I know I cannot. From there, we stopped at a bank so that Kelly could use the ATM, but the machine ate her card. When we tried to ask the manager to get it back, he just said it wasn't possible and told us to leave so that other people could use the ATM. Thankfully, she has a credit card she can use in the meantime, so we went shoe shopping to help her forget. After picking up some greatly needed gelato, we parted ways and headed home.

At home, I took my daily afternoon nap. They don't really siesta in Lima, but I'm trying to start a trend. I woke up to dinner, which I ate with my host mom. Then, I practiced my Rubix cubing for a bit until I had to get ready to go out. 

Tonight, we all met next to the Parque del Amor. Actually, our spot is closer to the lighthouse but we all find each other either way. We stayed there for about an hour just hanging out and listening to Chance of course, then we headed back to Victoria in Barranco. It sounds cheesy to say but I truly am going to miss Victoria, I just don't think there's any bars in the US that are as pretty with the twinkly lights and towering trees. Yes Mom that's right, trees, it is like a fairy house (I know it's odd but that's all I can think of to compare it to). After Victoria, we headed to another discoteca (I do not know the name), but I did not stay long as I was exhausted and my feet started to hurt. I ubered back with Amelia and Nate, the once again fell asleep as soon as I got home.

Day Twenty-Seven

Here in Lima we're in (twenty) seventh heaven. I apologize as I am running out of witty sayings, I'll try to think of some more.

Today had the same start as always: run, Starbucks, school. In class today, we just continued with the passive voice grammar. Also, in conversation we got to create products and give a pitch (all in domain por supuesto). Cati and I created flying cabs to help with Lima's outrageous traffic problems. The rest of the class thought it was a bit extra and unrealistic, however I believe that we do have the technology and engineering at our disposal to make it a reality (of course these cars will run on renewable energy, just wanted to make that clear). 

After class, we headed to UNIFE for the last day. We had squash, rice and some type of meat for lunch, then went to a lecture. Today the focus was on gastronomy, and was very interesting. The professor was hilarious and engaged the audience, making time fly by. Soon enough, it was once again time for our presentations. I gave my presentation on Pueblo Libre, Santiago del Surco and Callao. I like to think it went over well but I guess I will just have to wait to see the grade. When the presentations ended, we said our final goodbyes to the girls at UNIFE. Well, I guess they were not exactly final as the girls put all of our names on the list for a club, so we took another class bonding trip. 

I went right home after UNIFE and took a greatly needed nap. Then, I finished my homework and ate dinner with my host mom. After, I got ready and headed out once again. 

The discoteca was and Mia and it was amazing. The venue was great and very open, but the best part was the music, and of course, the salsa. Coming from a girl that cannot dance, it was so much fun trying, and failing, to put our salsa lessons to work. I have never seen anything like it though, a club full of people all twirling and dancing the salsa, it was unlike anything in the US. 

Unfortunately, the fun had to come to an end as it was a school night. We headed home, and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

Day Twenty-Six

So far, we have been in Lima for the same amount of days as there are letters in the alphabet. Crazy.
Anyways,  I did not want to wake up for the 6 am alarm this morning, but I just had to bite the bullet. After my run, I got ready for school and headed on my merry way, making the necessary Starbuck's stop per usual.
Today in El Sol, we continued practicing everything we have learned so far, with special emphasis on el estilo indirecto y la voz pasiva. I find these classes to be a lot more enjoyable as the conversation is more open. Also, according to JuanCarlos, we stopped learning the grammar and now the next step, the hardest, is learning all of the vocabulary. I think this thought is the reason JuanCarlos prompts us to ask any questions we may have about the Spanish language and culture. He is more concerned that we actually comprehend what we are doing than any grade we might receive. He's a really cool guy, I am so happy he has been my teacher for the past two weeks. Oh, and I am still working on the entire dog situation.  As for conversation, we discussed the following problem: a manager reported his own company for their illegal pollution of a nearby river - should he be fired or continue working there? The hour flew by as we discussed morals, corruption with business and the necessity to protect the environment. I was especially excited to discuss this matter because it helps me practice talking about topics that truly interest me and are significant in my life: the environment.
Once classes ended, we headed to UNIFE. If I am completely honest, I was close to staying home as I was feeling very ill, but I knew I had to rally. First, we ate potatoes and lomo saltado for lunch. We finished lunch early, so we spent the rest of the hour walking around the architecture fair again (which was selling makeup, desserts and jewelry so I am unsure as to how that all relates to architecture). Then, we proceed to the presentations which took a total of two hours today. It's interesting to listen to and engage in the presentations, but it is difficult for my to sit still for two hours. Due to this, I pulled out an old trick from high school: friendship bracelet string. I may look odd, but it helps me release my energy while simultaneously focusing on the presentations. Also, someone gets a bracelet/anklet out of it so its a win-win-win, but I am running out of sting so I need to find some soon. After the presentations, we attended a lecture about architecture, specifically that of the Incans. It was interesting, but a lot of it we knew from the myriad museums that we visited the first week. To end the day, we watched the Marinera performance, and some of us even learned the dance. OR at least tried to (shoutout to Ryan who slipped and ruined his shot at being a professional Marinera-er.
Finally, we headed home, and I had a pasta dinner and carrot cake dessert waiting for me. Today was too long and calls for an early night, so buenas noches!