Things to do before I die: eat Oreos at the top of Machu Picchu...check!

Welp, I just got back on Sunday from my trip to Machu Picchu and Cusco! What an amaaaazing time, I don't even know where to start! We left Lima at about 3am Thursday morning, flew into Cusco, and visited Unabamba for the day. We went to "Nelly's House", which was a little place where we got to see how native women skin, process, dye, and weave alpaca, vicuna, and llama wool...soooo cool. Of course I bought an alpaca sweater, in guess what color? Duh. Pink. haha. It was so interesting to see how much time these women put into each thing that they make; makes you really appreciate what you buy. Next we went to Oyallantembo (totally wrong spelling) where we got to see ancient Incan ruins. I was blown away. It was absolutely fascinating to see the amount of skill that the Incans had despite how "primitive" they seemed to the Spanish. At this place, the rocks at the very bottom were the smallest but as you went up they got bigger and bigger and smoother and smoother...all brought in from at least a mile away and hauled up a "ramp" which was really I giant steep hill. AFter that we went to a native woman's home that was over 400 years old and still going strong. Two creepy things there: guinea pigs (cuy) were running around all over the floor and they had a shrine of their ancestors skulls on the wall...ah!! But verrry interesting to see.
Friday we went to Machu Picchu!! All I can say is, pictures do it zero justice. When you're actually there it's so much better that it's hard to explain. We took a tour for the first part of the day then the second part we were free to do whatever we wanted. Some people hike Huayna Picchu, which is the mountain that you see in all the pics of Machu Picchu, but about 10 of us hiked the Machu Picchu mountain. It started to thunderstorm right when we started so needless to say despite the terrifying straight uphill hourlong hike to the top, the rain made it pretty crazy..but a blast! When we got to the top we busted out the Oreos to celebrate! haha that's something I'll never forget.
Saturday we toured Cusco during the day, went horseback riding, and went out to the clubs that night. Needless to say we were EXHAUSTED Sunday when we got home after such a long weekend, so I think we all slept the whole day (at least I did!).
Things I've learned this week:
1. If you lose your voice the entire trip at Machu Picchu, just say that you're whispering because you're trying to be respectful hahahaha.
2. If you ask the kid from Holland in your class what language they speak there and he gets pissed and says he can't answer a question that stupid, apologize and explain that Americans are ignorant.
3. Peanut butter makes me salavate like a dog. I feel like a crack addict when I finally get to eat some. I start shaking. Someone call Intervention.
4. If the creeper at the gym tries to hit on you while you're working out by asking you what kind of material the White House is made out of, turn up your iPod and up the speed on the treadmill.

These are the women dying wool at Nelly's House. Nelly is the second one from the left. She spoke Quechua, Spanish, and English. Peruvians: 1. Americans: 0.

Me and Nelly. Sporting the pink alpaca sweater that I bought for 20 bucks, handknitted. I felt like I was ripping her off!


This was on our way to the Incan ruins the first day. These little girls were singing some kind of little tune...quite possibly the cutest thing I've seen on the trip so far.

This is the infamous shrine at the native woman's house...ah!! Make no mistake, the things hanging on the left are dried dogs or alpacas or something. And yep, real human skulls. Good morning, great-great-great Grandpa Jorge...it's really good to have you here...watching over us...day and night?


These were the Incan ruins at Oyallantembo. Doesn't look like much but it was outrageous.

Close up of the rocks used. This was at the very top of these ruins, they fit together perfectly and strategically. Amazing! Peruvians: 2. Americans: 0.

MACHU PICCHU!!! This is the typical picture that everyone takes but I don't care. I love cliches.

Other shot of Machu Picchu. Can't believe I actually got to go there!

Down towards the bottom where everything is...all the houses, temples, etc. It was a huge place even though I didn't realize it before I went.

Here's their "quarry". They were legit w/ rocks. I had the song "Roxanne" in my head while I was here. I wonder if the Incans had their own version of this song. I'll put money on it that they did...they didn't want to put on a red light.

This is at the bottom of the Machu Picchu Mountain. If you look really, really closely at the very top you can see a flag. Wait for it...

This is at the top of Machu Picchu! Not sure why the flag is rainbow, I can't remember. The Incans were non-discriminant, though. Equal opportunity society.

Lo hice!! I did it! My quads are still burning and I'm still cold but sooo worth it!

The view of Machu Picchu from the very top of the Machu Picchu Mountain...

This was at the Plaza de Armas in downtown Cusco...rockin!

We took a horseback ride through Cusco. My horse was called Principe and I think he sensed my competitive edge because no matter where we went he had to be in the front and race everyone else...haha!

I need to send a message to Japan...

Finally here are the pictures from my trip to Arequipa! I road tripped w/ the fam, took a tour of the Colca Canyon, and another day trip of the city of Arequipa. Tomorrow is our final exam for the class that I've been taking for the last 3 weeks. Then Thursday we head to Cusco to go to Machu Picchu on Friday!! Woo woo! Last night I chatted w/ my Peruvian mom for a good hour and a half about all kinds of slang and phrases. The Lambs will appreciate this ohe: I told her that when I have to go to the bathroom I say, "I have to do some paperwork." So she said that my dad will say, "Necesito mandar un mensaje a japon...I need to send a message to Japan!" HAHAHAHAHA!!

On the way to Arequipa we stopped at a seafood place and got camarrones...delicious as usual!!

Eating camarrones...Chino loves them as you can see!

The front of the church where we went to mass...

The inside of the church where we went to mass. These Peruvians go big or go home in all aspects..especially religion and their churches. Praaaaise the Loooorrrdd!!

At the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa, which is the main square. Full of people, shops, cathedrals... Gorgeous place.

Got to stop and take pictures with a native lady and her llama and hawk. Please excuse my ridiculous coat, it was freezing up there in the canyon haha. The only thing this woman could say in Spanish was "Propina..propina..prooopiiinaaaaa." = "tip".

View from the canyon where there were a million terraces that people harvest their crops on.

We stopped at a place in the canyon called the Cross of the Condors where dozens of condors (giant birds) fly around. This was amazing and they got really close to where we were taking pictures on the canyon ledge.

Some condors hanging out on a ledge. What a view!

This was at the highest point on the Colca Canyon tour. There's a legend that if you stack these rocks it's good luck. So everytime anyone visits this place they make their own tower. From up here as far as you could see the whole area was covered in these...At the very top of the place we were at was where in 1995 (?)they found Juanita, an ancient mummy that was sacrificed for being a prostitute (that last part isn't true..I couldn't remembered why she was sacrificed haha).

On the city tour we visited a store that sells clothes of alapaca, llama, vicunas, etc. They raise the animals, shave them, and weave their wool on site. Careful, they spit! (Or maybe that's camels..)

Where they sort all the different types of wool.

This was a native lady weaving alpaca wool. All the clothes and crazy patterns they weave by hand--impressive! Plus she gets to wear a sweet hat all day.

In the middle of a park where we stopped on our city tour.

Before...

AFTER!!! Yep, this is exactly how they serve it to you, the infamous cuy aka guinea pig. It was actually really delicious once you got past the fact that you're eating not only a digusting rodent but also the pet of the American population. To me, it tasted just like friend chicken, I wouldn't have known the difference!

It's lunch...and he's HAPPY to see ya!

Me and my hermanitos in front of one of the many churches/cathedrals in Arequipa. They're almost as tall as me!

From on top of the cathedral roof...Love this picture

We got to go on the roof of a cathedral where they ring the giant bells. You could see all of Arequipa and all the volcanoes...I think this one behind me is the Misti Volcano but I can't remember...

There's a bell on my head, but don't call me a bell-head. Hay una campana en mi cabeza, pero no me llames una cabeza de campana.

Senorita Sublime Blanco

It's been more than 2 weeks already?! What?? Last week we didn't have classes because for the Peruvians the 4th of July is a week long. So, I went on a road trip with mi familia to Arequipa, which was a 14 hour drive south of Lima close to the coast. On the way down I saw ginormous sand dunes, shanty towns that I thought all of Peru was really like, and some of the scariest driving imaginable haha. Last Monday I took an all day (3am-5pm) bus tour to the Colca Canyon, which was GORGEOUS! I think I forgot to pack my camera charger (Brian, please don't reply to this...I know I'm a ra-tard like Rain Man) but I have some amazing pictures to post...this is also why it has taken me so long to post another message on here because I wanted to include pics. I also wanted to post pics of the cuy I ate. Guinea pig...with the head, legs, teeth, claws, everything all right there fried up on your plate. It was delicious!! Tasted exactly like fried chicken. I've also tried alpaca, trout from the highlands, pig feet, octopus, sea urchin, etc. All delicious minus the pig feet, which tasted like gummy bears and pork...nasty. The rest of the trip was great and I learned a TON because I was only around Spanish-speakers so that really helped. I got back to Lima on Friday and have just been hanging out trying to recover from a bad case of the gobloots (the Lambs can support me on that one...no bueno!)

Things I've learned so far:
1. If you're trying to say "My hair is full of dust," make sure you use the word polvo not pavo because otherwise your hair is full of turkeys and your host mom will think you're mental.
2. If a Peruvian tells you to "Fist me" when he thinks something is cool, don't worry...he's trying to say "Pound it."
3. Sublime blanco (a white chocolate bar w/ nuts) is God's gift to Peru. It's like he froze heaven and sent it down to the vendors on every street corner and made them about 25 cents.
4. If your little brother asks "Que es 'shit'?" and then starts yelling "SHIT!!" in the middle of a restaurant, it's ok to laugh until you cry because no one here knows what it means.
5. Peruvians don't understand what a vegetarian is. It's sinful.
6. I'm still going fishing every morning.
7. Don't worry if a Peruvian gets offended/confused if you tell them "No way, Jose!" (They'll think you're calling them Jose, even though there are a lot of Jose's, not everyone is named that).
8. Dumb & Dumber in Spanish is double the funny! "Harry, tus manos estan heladas!" "Eso John Denver es lleno de mierda..." hahahahahaha