I...am...jungle. I love coffee!

This past weekend was our trip to Huancayo and Junin! After a 14 hour train ride Friday we spent all day Saturday hiking, and let me tell you, this hike blew any hike in Colorado AND the Machu Picchu hike out of the water! It was a 6 hour uphill hike to our destination of a ginormous glacier. A group of 4 of us took the lead and were determined to compete with each other and the rest of the group (that obviously didn't care one bit about "being first" like we did...weird.)...we called ourselves the Pachamamas and Papas haha. "Pachamama" in Quechua is Mother Earth. It was hippie, but fitting! The view of the hike was soooo worth it though. The next day we went to Junin and got to hike (this time through the jungle thank God) to a waterfall! This sucker shat all over the Casa Bonita waterfall hands down. We got to swim in it for a while, which was a nice change of weather from the day before at the glacier where it was so chilly it started snowing styrofoam. AFter leaving the waterfall, we went to a butterfly farm, where believe it or not, I held an anaconda!! Yep, me, the girl who is afraid of gartner snakes on a run haha. I about died from panic but faced my fears! (Never again, though). After that we visited a local jungle tribe. I of course volunteered to be the bride in their pretend wedding and married the tribal man of my dreams. We're going to be so happy together! We got back Monday and now I've just been back to classes...

Things I've learned this week:
1. If a girl in class tries to practice her English with you by saying "I am jungle" and "I love coffee", just smile politely and try not to die laughing. But DO tell all your friends and use these phrases all weekend long while at the jungle.
2. Sometimes you get so bored you google "Google." Think about it.
3. Panty lines and fanny packs are cool in Peru.
4. A manicure and pedicure plus tip costs $10...total. Uuuh, done.
5. Stomach infections build character and stamina. (At least that's what I'm telling myself).
6. Peruvians think peanut butter is disgusting. BLASPHEMY!!!

This is me chewing a coca leaf before our ass-kicking hike, good thing I was prepared!

This is a view of one of the lakes on the hike.
The Pachamamas and Papas at the top of one of the hardest parts on the hike...little did we know we still had a ton left to do haha.

Me at the glacier!! You have to be verry verry care-ful, glass-i-ers can be verry verry slippy!

The next day on our hike in the Jungle. This is the man of my dreams. He would fit right in at the Ozarks, I think!

At the waterfall...Eat your heart out, Brian Flannigan.

The group swimming under the waterfall...brr!

The death of me...

I guess I look like a balloon when I get scared. Either way, this was the face of pure terror.

See. I touched it. Sick. What a terrible animal. Serpents=the Devil. Everyone knows that.

My wedding!! This isn't exactly what I had in mind from the bride box, but I guess it'll do for a jungle wedding.

Me and my husband. I like to call him Mowgli. This was us dancing around the fire. Please send gifts to Peru!