***Please check back in a couple of days for photos…this Internet connection isn’t strong enough to load photos.***
The last four days have been crazy, amazing and exciting. I wish I had been posting more, but now I will try to consolidate the last few days in to this post. It feels like it has been weeks, not days that we’ve been here. Our muy mal Espagnol has been getting better everyday, and people (although they laugh at us all the time), are very patient with us.
After I last wrote, we spent the night on the plane and landed in Mexico City. We waited in a long customs line (seriously long), picked up our baggage, put our baggage back in line to go to Lima and then we were free to do whatever we wanted until our next flight which departed at 5:00 PM.
After our long waiting time in the customs line, we weren’t sure if we would have enough time to get out and do something in Mexico City before we returned for our flight. We asked around and found out that we could probably go for a quick tour of the city. We asked someone at the hotel airport how we could get a driver to pick us up, and drive us around the city. They called someone, and we met George the driver in front of the airport. He hardly spoke English, and we were very hard to understand, so we spoke to his co-worker Aron on the phone about what we wanted to do. We ended up going to the city center and eating breakfast at one of the hotels there with a great view of the city center.
There we met (in person) Aron, who ended up showing us around the city while George followed along in the car so we would have a ride when we needed one.
Something that I started to see in Mexico city were “organico” cans for composting next to all of the garbage and recycling containers.
During our tour of the city we went to Plaza Mayor, a ruin from the Aztecks that has been uncovered. It was a really interesting sight.
On our ride home, we listened to really loud music. It was a blast. George and Aron turned out to be a great team to show us the area in just a couple of hours.
Lesson number 1: Always go for it. If one may have time to get out of the airport and see something new, do!
We flew out of Mexico and landed in Lima at 11:30 PM. A driver picked us up from the airport and drove to Barranco, Lima, Peru. At first he couldn’t find our hostal, but we did eventually. At first glance, the hostal was very scary (especially at night), with no sign and graffiti covering the buildings nearby. We we very hesitant to get out of the car, but did. We went to the front gate (which was locked), and looked forlornly in to the front hallway. We weren’t sure what to do since we didn’t have a key and it was now past midnight. Just then, the owner of the hostal opened the door and invited us in. We were shown to our room–A dorm-sized room with 2 bunk beds for us all. Right outside our door the roof (made of tin) stopped, creating a hole, so that we could see the stars an listen to the city outside. I’m not sure what happens when it rains. At first we were skeptical of the room (and hostal in general), but after our stay was up, we were happy we had stayed there, as it turned out to be a very safe place, especially for the price we paid. We would highly recommend La Casa Barranco for people looking for simple, safe lodging in the Barranco area.
When we woke up after our first night (which was actually morning) in Lima, we all needed showers badly after the airplane had made us all very stinky. We weren’t sure where the towels were located in the shared bathroom, so we just took the towels that were hanging outside of our room. After we all bathed and dried with 2 of the towels we found hanging, we got dressed and were ready to head out for our first day in Lima. On our way out, as we were hanging the towels where found them, we met a guy also staying at the hostal from Argentina. He informed us that the towel we were returning was his, and he had wondered where it had gone. Yes, this was a very awkward moment.
Lesson number 2: DON’T TAKE TOWELS FROM HANGING RACKS OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOSTAL ROOM!
We ate breakfast at La Espiga de Oro, a cute little cafe in Barranco. We then hailed a taxi (which was playing Bohemian Rhapsody) to Central Lima, Plaza Major and walked around the area. It is filled with shops selling converse (very popular here), and other shoes, as well as other goods. We found a cool museum specializing in different art exhibits all the time. We went inside and were surprized to find an exhibit of a theatre group specializing in theatre about government reform (Hello, Lamentable Tradgedie of Scott Walker!).
We walked around the central square for awhile and then found a neat street with a market selling all sorts of goodies. We walked some more and found a restaurant to re-hydrate.
PHOTO
We found this little girl selling things in one of the markets, and she as so excited that we bought something from her.
For dinner, we went to Central in Miraflores, Lima. At 5:30, when we first knocked on the door to go inside and eat, it was locked and there didn’t seem to be anyone around. Then, a man came to the door and we said we were hoping to eat dinner. He informed us that they didn’t open until 8. We asked if we could make a reservation, so he went further inside the restaurant and got a couple more employees who were very excited to have us there, wanting reservations. They all wanted to know where we were from, and how we found the restaurant. We made reservations for 8:00. When we went back, we were invited in and ordered right away. We realized there was really only one vegetarian option on the menu, and almost left, but were so glad we decided to stay. The meal was FABULOUS!! The chef even came out to meet us, and made us an extra speial vegetale dish. YUM!
The next morning we hailed a taxi to the corner of Avenue Grau and Jr. Ayacucho. Our driver was having a really hard time finding the intersection, so he asked many people along the way. Something that is different in Peru than most countries is that people aren’t afraid to ask for help and directions, which I think is wonderful.
When we finally arrived at the corner where we were hoping to catch a bus to the ruins of Pachacamac we found that the corner was smack in the middle of the wholesale market district of Lima. We were all very hungry, so we started looking for a restuarant. We couldn’t find anything (or the bus), so we decided to get another taxi back to Central Lima to eat breakfast there. After we had driven not more than 2 blocks, we saw several cafes that looked perfect. With our not-so-clear Spanish, we told the driver we wanted to get out there. I don’t think he really understood, but we gave him a couple Soles (Peruvian money) so he was happy.
Lesson number 3: always walk a couple of blocks and one may find what they’re looking for.
We ate cheese sandwhiches and jugo de naranja at an adorable unnamed cafe. We then walked back to the corner to catch the bus. After a couple failed attempts we finally got on the bus heading to Pachacamac. The bus is what all of the locals use to travel throughout and out of Lima. I love riding on buses in different countries. The real life on a bus is so interesting, and really gives me a sense of lifestyle and culture.
We arrived at the site of the ruins of Pachacamac and entered. We walked all around a bunch of the different ruins and all the way to the top of the Temple of the Sun. In the 1500s it was covered in red plaster, and there are still remains of the color today.
After a fine walk along the ruins, we went back to the base (where there is also a cafe and museum). We ate a delicious lunch of Lomo (potatos, onions and rice in a red sauce).
We walked back out to the highway where we were dropped off, and caught the brown bus back to Miraflores. I felt really bad because the driver told some of the kids on the back of the bus that they needed to move for us to sit down. I never want anyone to have to move out of their spot for me!
We got off the bus in what we thought was Miraflores, but I don’t think it actually was. Inanna got her hair cut at a hair salon which was also the house of a cute puppy.
Then, I ate a churro from a street vendor. I LOVE CHURROS.
We hailed a taxi to go to the real Miraflores. We arrived in a fancier part of the neighborhood with a starbucks with school kids doing their homework. They spoke English, French AND Spanish. Wow.
We walked around El Parque De Kennedy (yes, it’s dedicated to the President of the US), and the found a gallery filled with mixed-media art. For dinner we found a vegetarian restaurant called “Bircher Benner”. They had a wonderful Peruvian-Vegetarian menu. We had the mushroom ceviche and soupa amarilla. It was all delicious.
We took a taxi back to the hostal to go to bed early because we had to be up at 4:30 to get a taxi back to the airport.
After we got back to the hostal, we went to a pizzeria in Barranco right next to our hostal. The guy who owned the seemingly-new pizzeria was a very good pizza maker. By this time, I was so full I didn’t know what to do with myself.
We woke up at 4:30 to head to the airport. We bought our tickets through StarPeru to fly to Arequipa. When we checked in ourselves and our bags, the lady at the counter told us that we needed to hurry to get to our gate on time. We disregarded the message, since our flight didn’t leave until 7:10, and it was still only 5:30.
Lesson number 4: ALWAYS LISTEN AND OBEY TO WHAT PEOPLE SUGGEST!
After a long breakfast and doodling around the airport, we finally decided to go to our gate. This is when we realized why she was telling us to hurry. The line for security was so long, we couldn’t see the end. Luckily the line moved fast and we got through in time to get to our gate just as the bus was leaving to get to the plane.
We arrived in Arequipa and walked from the plane to the airport. I can’t say that I’ve actually walked on the runway from a plane to get to the airport before. It was cool.
We talked to a tour person at the airport about getting to Yanque (our next destination) and she gave us the information about the best bus to take. We hailed a taxi to go to the Arequipa bus station. At the Arequipa bus station, there is a long hallway to walk through. On one side, there are many booths selling bread, corn and other snacky foods, and on the other side there are booths with bus companies selling tickets. We got the 11:45 bus from Arequipa to Yanque and beyond. While waiting for our bus, the security guards payed special attention to us which was both scary and comforting.
We finally loaded in to the bus and started driving. We were all really sleepy and eventually fell asleep to the bumps of the bus. This bus was also filled with locals along with two more groups of backpackers.
About halfway to Yanque, we all had to go to the bathroom really bad. There wasn’t a bathroom on the bus, so at one of the stops we had to take to pick up more people, we asked the driver for “El Bano”. He siad we could get off there and go. Elly, Inanna and Mom got off to go to the bathroom whie I watched our stuff in the bus. When Elly got back she asked if I needed to go to the bathroom. I did. I hopped off the bus, but couldn’t find where the bathroom was. I went in to a tiny little shop and asked for the bathroom. They shook their heads and pointed across the “street”. There I found Mom and went to the bathroom in one of the tiny little toilets without a seat–very typical here.
After we got back on the bus, the driver was very annoyed with us for taking too long. I’m not sure how the locals can hold it so long. Later in the trip, we got to such high elvation that there was snow everywhere!! We all were starting to feel the altitude, so we drank some mata and sucked on some coca candies (they are my new best friend in the Andes.) At the stop in Chivay (the last stop on the bus before Yanque), we were asked to buy a condor tourist ticket. At first we thought it was a fake scam or a tour of some sort, but it turns out that you actually do need to buy the ticket in order to see the condors in Colca Canyon.
We finally arrived in the square of Yanque. As soon as we stepped off the bus, it was like we had stepped in to another world. instead of the city sounds of Lima, it was very peaceful. It was raining, so we hopped in a local shop for cover, and bought some handmade hats and scarves to stay warm.
As soon as the rain stopped we started looking for our guest house. After asking for directions, we thought we were going the right way. Turns out we weren’t. As we were getting closer to what we thought was our guest house, 2 cattle came up the hill with huge horns. Elly and I started runing for our lives. Then we realized that their shepherds were with them.
Lesson number 5: Cattle are actually afraid of us, and even though they look like they will kill you at any moment, the actually probably won’t.
We were told that we we’re in the completely wrong place to find our guest house. We followed our new directions and found it. Killa Wasi guest house is what it is called. It’s like a little paradise and has an awesome view of the andes. Last night after eating a delicious meal made by the people at this guesthouse and drinking some coca tea, we all went to bed early–exhausted from our day, and the altitude not completely agreeing with our systems. Poor Inanna has a cold on top of it too. 
This morning we woke up early and headed to the central square of Yanke to catch a bus to see the Condors. When we got there, the Saturday morning market was going strong. We got some photos of the kids dancing in the street.
After failing to find a bus that wasn’t completely full to go to see the condors, and forgetting all of our tourist condor tickets, we were loosing hope of being able to see the condors today. But then, as we were standing in the street like completely stupid gringos, a man with a mini bus approached us to ask if we needed help. We told him that we wanted to see the condors. He nodded and said that he could do that for 105 soles ($10 per person). We got in his van without seat belts. We started our journey to the condor lookout–1 hour(16 miles) from Yanque.
The road through the mountains is beautiful, crazy, and frightning. On some parts, waterfalls cover the road, but everyone just drives over them. When I looked out my window, half of the time the drop off was at least 500-1000 feet and there were no guardrails. Luckily, although the van wan’t in the best of shape, our driver was fantastic. Right before the lookout, we had to show our proof of our “condor tourist ticket” that we purchased in Chivay on the bus. When we arrived at the condor lookout, we were all amazed and gasping for breath (because of the beauty, and the high altitude). We walked to the actual lookout and watched as the clouds rose out of nowhere and made everything white–were were in a cloud!! Disappointed about not seeing a condor, we went back to our driver’s car. He told us that we should just wait a couple of minutes to see the clouds rise above us. He said that he had all of the time we needed. So, we headed back down to the lookout. Just as he said, the clouds started to rise, revealing the deepest canyon in the world. And then, THE CONDORS CAME OUT!
Lesson number 6: Taking a local car to visit the Condors turns out to be the best way to go to see as much as possible, and to stay as long as you want.
On our decent from the mountain, we stopped in a little town with a market.
Now we’re sitting in the cafe of Killa Wasi guest house, and just about to leave for the hot springs!
Thanks for reading!
~Hannah
The Incans built many of the their structures to tell time using the sky. At the equinoxes, different lights show themselves on specific parts of ruins. Also, different constellations peak through specific windows of ruins. It was very, very interesting. Overall, the entire planetarium visit was outstanding. I learned so much, and became inspired to learn more about astronomy. Definitely one of the most influential things I´ve done in the trip so far. 
