Cusco and the Sacred Valley

So, now that I have time and things to write about, I am going to write A LOT of blogs! This particular post is about a week that I spent in the Sacred Valley of Peru. It was one of the most memorable weeks of my life. I went with a very nice Spaniard named Cristian that I met at Pisco Sin Fronteras, the non profit where I had been volunteering. We met about five other PSFers in Cusco. I did not have a camera of my own, so I am using all of Cristian's photos! He is also a graphic designer, so I do not think he is going to appreciate the "design" of this blogpost.. He he.

We arrived in Cusco after a 20 hour trip from Pisco. The first thing that I wanted to do was rest. The altitude in Cusco is about 3400 meters or 10,000 feet, so I

was exhausted and had a head ache. We bought tourist tickets, which included the majority of the ruins that surround Cusco (minus Machu Picchu) and museums in and around Cusco. And, of course it included a statue - located on the ROAD - that everyone has admittance to.. But, anyways.. Neither here nor there.

The second day, we went to ruins surrounding

Cusco. We started ruins that were a tribute to water and walked down through the countryside to three other ruins. My favorite, that day, was Sacsayhuaman, which is located directly above Cusco. The city of Cusco itself is said to be in the shape of a puma, and these particular ruins were the head and teeth of the puma. In the photo above, you can see the stone architecture that is typically Incan. The jagged edge to my left is part of the "teeth". There is no mortar; the stones were "engineered" to fit together. Basically, they just fit together... It is said that Sacsayhuaman took over seventy years to build.

The next two days in Cusco were spent resting and visiting museums. After we felt well rested, we went to a site called Pisac. This was another ruin located above the village of Pisac, which was very hippy. They even had Kombucha, which Cristian smelled and practically gagged, but I drank, and enjoyed, my hippy fix (kindof)! The hike up to Pisac included waterfalls and riveting views. To me, the most fascinating part of Pisac was the terraces built for agricultural production. This type of process is still widely used throughout Peru today.

The buildings of Pisac were said to be built in the 1100s, and the majority were used for worship.

After we visited the city met with friends, and ate some good food, the next stop was Ollantaytambo. This village is located more or less one hour from Cusco. I had heard of a hostel(www.casadewow.com - see the homemade bed to the right) there owned by a woman from Asheville, NC, so I had to check it out. It was amazing. Not only was I sooo happy to speak to someone from NC that said "y'all", it was also an awesome little place to lay our heads. The first day there, we hiked above the village to local ruins and ate at a restaurant that donates all its profits to a nonprofit. The following day, we went with some Spaniards on a "locally" led hike. It was very interesting. The "guide" even lit up a funny smelling cigarette on our hike. It was a beautiful hike, but we could have spent our time elsewhere. I did appreciate spending time with new people though, and the ample time in nature.

The day after our stay in Ollantaytambo, we went straight to Agua Calientes to make our way to Machu Picchu. We arrived at 8:00 at night, by train, and woke up to go hike to Machu Picchu at around 4 in the morning. We hiked all the up to Machu Picchu. We were definitely one of the first one hundred people who arrived, if not the first seventy! I had a lot of energy that morning, so we were able to make it up relatively fast.

The advantage to arriving to Machu Picchu early is that you are able to hike to another ruin called Wanupicchu. We started this hike at approximately 7 a.m. I had a mixup with the lavanderia (the place that washes your clothes), so

I had to wear a dress for the hike. I survived! The view from the top was like nothing I have every seen and more beautiful than anything that I could have ever imagined. From the top we hiked around to caves that are located beneath. And, then we hiked up (again).

We luckily visited Machu Piccu on Easter Sunday (and Cristian's birthday), so the crowd was very slim. We spent the whole day walking around the ruins and discovering this ancient, mysterious place. I was so tired that I took a short nap with a chinchilla...

After walking ALL day long, we were exhausted. We returned to Aguas Calientes, had a celebratory bday dinner for Cristian, and took the train back to Ollantaytambo (pic to the right). We slept the whole two hours of the train ride. We said goodbye to Ollantaytambo the following day and headed back to Cusco for our last evening there!

The next day, a Tuesday, I headed back to Pisco to finish out my last two weeks of work with another friend from Spain, and Cristian headed travelin'. It was an emotional goodbye, to say the least, but looking back, it was a great Machu Picchu experience. And, if you have to say Chao for Now, what better place to say it than at one of the great wonders of the world. I am thankful to have had this experience with such special people. I am truly lucky!

I will be writing more blogposts over the next week about Huaraz and Chachapoyas, two other

places I have recently visited in Peru. I am in Chachapoyas now, and I am making my way up through the jungle to Colombia. Today, I hiked twelve miles to the world's third largest waterfall, and tomorrow, I am making my way up to Yurimaguas - and then on a boat to Iquitos, Peru in the jungle. I will be heading back to NC June, 26 and then to San Fran in August to be in Erica and Bryan's wedding. Stay tuned, and I will keep everyone posted!

Volunteering in Peru - The Making of a Life

So, I apologize for the large break in my blog entries. This blog is about the questions and non answers of why I have neglected to write a blog about my travels in Peru and Galapagos. I find myself yearning to teach yoga these days. I am teaching four or five classes a week. I love it.

I've been absent from my blog because my travels have turned into life, a life that seems to resemble my life in NC. I find myself in a social situation similar to mine in Boone. It is much more intense, but the same characters seem to be present. And, the same Anna presents herself over and over again.

When I did I become desensitized to this place? When did riding in

mototaxis become normal? The presence of Typhoid become no big deal? Or, the livelihoods of Peruvians become my responsibility?

The answer that I am finding is that, as Hap says, life follows you. You can't escape yourself..

You have to embrace yourself, no matter where you are. Life is so beautiful, but the mundane can sneak in.

I am currently volunteering in Pisco, Peru, a city

that was demolished by an earthquake almost

four years ago. The road outside my house, one of the main roads in town, is finally being

reconstructed. Many people still live in plastic houses, and there are 500 people communities of people living illegally. I visited a woman this morning that does not having running water in her house. She is so happy because we are helping secure her plastic roof. This not something I could ever become

desensitized to, nor do I feel like I am making a huge difference. The idea that we are sharing

here is what intrigues me. I am in all honesty, selfishly here. I find the life here fascinating. I find helping these people personally fulfilling.

But, I ask myself, how will I be when I return to a

place where people have everything and no one is happy, me included? I find myself in this situation now. I have everything, but I still create drama at every turn.

I find appreciating my needs as an adult is one way to appreciate life. I don't mean "material needs", I mean emotional needs. Saying what I need and how I need it! Again, really listening to

individuals when the are talking to you.

Many questions are surfacing as I celebrate my ninth

month in South America. And, I am without answers.

These questions and non answers are why I have neglected to write a blog about my travels in Peru. Because, traveling has become life, and I have stopped noticing the warm colors of the colonial buildings, the soft laughs of children, and the different environments than my own. I know I am not the only person asking these questions, but I needed to find the answers, and

I am finding the answers are the same in every place I go.

I have decided to start noticing again. How? Through yoga, art, and dance, I say; through yoga, art, and dance. Also, listening to the stories

with all my ears. Noticing the way people here do everything with nothing. Really appreciating their abilities. These are the things that remind me of why I am here. I came here to appreciate and live a life that is different than my own. Learn from the people who live with nothing and from the people who live in areas that have been demolished by industrialization and capatilism. Many

lessons I gain from osmosis, and I know that many lessons will come to me once I have returned to the US.

I have also found that achieving balance in South America has become just as hard, if not harder, as finding the balance in NC. But, that's okay because the struggle always gets easier when you realize the challenge.

I am revising this blog two months later... When I wrote this I was experiencing some personal

drama... Living in a house with over 70 crazy

gringos, trying a relationship in very trying conditions, having an upset stomach every other day, and dealing with uncertainties of returning to the US. When you're in a situation that is difficult, you don't realize the extremity

of it at the moment, and I was definitely dealing with this here.. I was also making great friends from all over the world, riding in mototaxis (tuk tuks) everyday, teaching children, getting to know a new culture, building houses for people who had nothing, painting slides, and working with a Peruvian community.

I spent three months hard-core volunteering in Peru - the majority in Pisco only with one week in Huancayo. I call it "hard-core" because I treated the experiences as jobs. We never stopped. I had the time of my life, but I am happy to return to a normal rhythm of life. I loved it; it was just intense :)

Galapagos - Travels with Suzanne

Hey Everyone,
I apologize for the long pause in blog posts. I am finally in a place where I can upload pictures and videos! I am in Lima. I am going to make posts about different things that happened in Galapagos.
The first place Mom and I visited was the island of San Cristóbol. Mom was really a trooper; she arrived after a ten hour plane ride and then went straight to a two hour boat ride! And, these boat rides are not easy. As you can see in the photo, there were MANY sea lions here to meet us. It is hard not to fall in love with beautiful animals.
We stayed in San Cristóbol for two days. The second day, we went snorkeling at a place called Kicker Rock or Sleeping Lion. I went snorkeling there! It was sooo beautiful. I saw sharks, eagle rays, turtles, and many other types of fish. The water was a little chilly, but I survived. The water in Galapagos is shockingly cold. Kicker Rock is the rock formation behind Mom´s head.
After spending two nights, we headed to Isabela. Two boat rides later, we arrived. The sleepy little island where I was living was a perfect place for us to rest. At times, Mom was a little bored, but I think she learned to like it after a while.
Mom took pictures of everything. This is me going into my house! I also lived at a church... It happened to be the noisiest place in town. If there was not construction, there were people singing or playing LOUD reggeaton. And, not to mention that my roommates and I all shared the same roof! Never a dull moment.
In Isabela, we did many activities together.
One of the first places we visited was the tortoise breeding center. It was breeding season! They actually make very funny noises when breeding. We also went on a kayak ride with my friend Jackie. It was very relaxing and beautiful. We saw sea turtles, American Oyster Catchers (bird), sea lions, and penguins!
We also visited the Wall of Tears together. We rented bicycles from my friend Junior and rode for about an hour to get there! This is a picture of Mom and I on to of the Wall. It was a wall built by prisoners in the 1950s, but was never really finished. BTW, the island I was living on is a formal penal colony...
We went to another beach called La Playa del Amor (the beach of love). I went swimming and Mom waded a little bit. We saw a lava tunnel and visited our water reserve on Isabela. This was all within walking distance from the beach! The beach on the island where I was living was outstanding. I made a point to walk on the beach there everyday. I also did a lot of yoga on the beach. Mom and I did yoga on the beach, as well.
Mom also went to the volcano! I had already been and needed to pack, so I did not go with her. We also went on a cruise together. We went to Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago, Bartolome, Baltra, Sombrero Chino, and South Plaza. I apologize because I do not remember the order! It was definitely a good decision. We had a great time.
One animal we saw was a frigate bird. This is what a frigate looks like when it is mating. Our guide told us that this is only 60%! Many animals are endemic to Galapagos. This animal is endemic. Endemic means that it is only found in the Galapagos and native means that it is found in Galapagos but also in other parts of the world. We saw blue footed boobies as well. As you can see on the left! They are so cute. There are red footed boobies in the Galapagos, as well, but we did not see these animals. Sally Light Foot crabs are EVERYWHERE in Galapagos. And, they are illegal to eat. Our guide told us that when he was young, they ate these guys all the time. They are one of my favorite animals of the Galapagos.

We had a great time exploring this magical place. I actually left the Galapagos a day before Mom. The picture of me in the crazy red dress is me during my despedida or going away party!

After Galapagos, I left on a mad rush to Peru... And, from here the story gets more and more interesting. I am now in Colombia posting blogs that I never finished, and when I was writing this post, I had no idea what the future held. Wow! It is a lesson in time and patience. We are always, really in that boat, and it is great to look back and know that my time in SA ended better than I had imagined!

Long Overdue Post

Dear Friends and Family,

I apologize for the anomaly in my somewhat regular blogpostings. I have been abstaining from posting because the internet at my house hasbeen down, and we here in the Galapagos don'tfindthe internet being down as an exigent problem; we have other things to worry about! From here on out, I am going to try to make my posts less erratic. I apologize if I am somewhat verbose (wordy) throughout this post, but I am studying for the GRE and using the words throughout my blogposts!

The month of November, was to say the lesat, was the best yet. After the first week of school, we had a break for almost two weeks. My friends and roommates had friends visit during this time. We decided with certitude that this was the best time for us all to explore Isabela.

The first place we went was to a place called Tunneles (look above), which is a place off the coast of Isabela where the lava has made tunnels in the sea. You can see the blue-footed boobies to the left of the screen. It is difficult to illustrate the beauty and awe of this location. We circumambulated, or walked, around the area. I can see how this are could be extremely volatile if correct precautions were not taken! Thank goodness I brought the correct shoes!

After leaving Los Tunneles, we went snorkeling! The water, unfortunately, was not pristine or warm, but my cold feet were placated by the octopus and shark, both harmless, I saw swimming in the water.

Our next, and last stop for that day, was a place called "Tintoreres". Below, you can see the video which gives a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape at Tintoreres. There were penguins (yes I said penguins), sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, marine iguanas, and many other types of birds. Surprisingly, this location is only a two minute boat ride from my house! We did not get to go snorkeling here, but it was definitely the highlight of my day. The sun finally came out at this time, too, so it was truly an incredible view.

The other video above is of me and a BABY sea lion. The young, more naive sea lions are practically harmless, but the male "machos" or "bulls" are much more inimical or hostile, especially, when they think you are trying to "take over" their territory. The male iguanas can be quite pugnacious as well, but only towards other male iguanas. They could be called "pugilist" or a boxer. When challenged, the male iguanas head butt each other.

Tomorrow, I hope to have another blog post about trips I took to the volcano and another island called Floreana. Right now, I am "falta" dos meses mas in Isabela! This is Spanish for - I have two months left! There will be many more verbose, erudite posts in the future - don't worry!

Namaste,

Anna

Dancing with Turtles

Well, I've been dancing and exploring the island a lot! I was sick for about a week and a half, but I am back on track now. I had a wonderful birthday. We made a vegan meal and ate at our house. The local dance spot, the Iguana Point, is becoming more of a hang out for me. I have been there twice, and I think I am beginning to learn to dance better. The picture on the left is on my birthday of all of my friends here on the island. It was taken in the house next to mine, "The Mission". It is called this because a Catholic church is right next to our house. We hear church bells every day.. Sometimes a 5 am.

My friend Vera and I rode bikes to a wall that was built by prisoners. The island where I am living, Isabela, was once a penal colony. Along the way, we saw many beautiful places. First, we st

opped to look at the water and some iguanas. We visited a popular hang out for the iguanas. The picture to the right is Vera walking around on the volcanic rock. There are a lot of iguanas here, but you can't see them. The picture on the right is me, and behind me is a large iguana. They are such cool animals! Occasionally the iguanas spit salt out of their noses. They do not have access to fresh water, so it is a mechanism for them to stay hydrated with salt water. One iguana spit his salt

on Vera this day. Some people think it's a defense mechanism, as well. These animals are harmless.

After checking out the iguanas, we continued on our way to the wall "El Muro" in Spanish. On the way we passed about three turtles. These were just babies, but it was wonderful to see them in

the wild. We also saw a lot of birds and stopped at a lookout.

From the lookout (picture on the left), you can see the whole island. It is very beautiful and uninhabited. It makes me realize how far away I am from the rest of the world. It is easy to forget that when you get caught up in the trials of daily life. The town where I live is those small white spots in the photo behind me. The picture on the right

is on the other side of the lookout. There are five volcanoes on this island, and you can see one behind me here.

The next photo on the left is a picture of the wall. I wish I knew more history about the wall, but all I know is that it was built while Isabela was a penal colony in the fifties. It is a little eerie, but

interesting all the same.

I have also been working a lot. Everyday the job is more exciting and challenging. The kids are getting better, and I am becoming re-accustomed to teaching young students again. Although sometimes, my classroom reminds me of a scene from Kindergarten Cop, I do feel like I am making progress with my students.

Today, we had a "company party" with all the teachers in the school. We went to the Highlands, and they cooked a whole pig. Of course, us three vegetarian teachers did not eat any pig, but we did eat four varieties of corn. I must give us credit and say that we all tried the broth of a soup made with pig hearts and intestines! But, none of us made is much farther than eating a piece of yucca. After everyone ate, we all danced for about four hours. It was the longest company party I've ever been too! It lasted eight hours. They boiled orange leaves and added sugar and made a tasty drink with canya, sugar cane liquor.

The video below is us dancing at the party. We danced meringue, salsa, cumbia, bachata, and reggaeton. Moving my hips is still an issue for me, but I am getting better and better. I am taking a belly dancing class with one of my friends, so it is helping me with my hips.

I have discovered that yogurt is great for my stomach, and I have been eating it two times a day everyday for about a week now. Let's hope that this is my stomach's saving grace. I am continuing to enjoy my stay here. I see more dancing in my future. I am going to teach my third yoga class in my series next week. Teaching yoga is going well, but I definitely benefit from having a teacher. My own practice is hurting because I was so sick.. Anyways, Namaste, peace, and love. I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween.

Anna Erwin