HomeBeing

{{Home is where the heart is}}

I have officially been home a week from Peru and still feel quite strange being back in the States. I'm no longer accustomed to life here and getting back into the rhythm of life at home is hard. I feel different, separated from the other people I see around me, people who haven't just gotten back from living in Peru and don't know what it's like to return after immersing yourself so fully in another culture. I felt like a complete stranger, completely disconnected as I walked through the Atlanta airport, back on American soil for the first time in three months. Why did I only hear English around me? Why did everyone seem so rushed, so hurried, talking on their cell phones, running in expensive high heels, lugging their heavy Louis Vuitton suitcases? Why did a cup of coffee cost $5 instead of s/5 (1 sol is equal to about 30¢)? Why did I have to speak English to everyone?

I think about Peru almost constantly. I miss being there, waking up in the morning to look at the mist upon Chicón glacier, walking through the busy market at midday, conversing with my family over soup and a second every lunch while commenting on the antics of Laura on Lima Limón and waiting anxiously to find out who won Miss Cumbia 2009 while disparaging it nonetheless, wandering through the Plaza de Armas with my friends, building stoves in Yucay and then following it up with several big glasses of amazing juice from the juice lady, playing with my hermanita, Killary, at home just to watch her break out in an amazingly lit smile, waiting anxiously in the market around 6 for churro man to appear, making occasional forays into Cusco that left us overly stuffed with American-style food from Jacks and exhausted, dodging motos, walking the pista to Spanish class, laughing around an amazing plate of comotoe chips or guacamole or potato wedges until late at night at the Muse with an amazing mixture of Germans, Peruvians, and Americans, at least two languages always going at once. My experience in Peru was absolutely spectacular and I could have asked for nothing better. The perfect combination of people in a beautiful, interesting, and unique place that I was lucky to call my home for three months.

Some little differences or things that I have noted about being home.
-I still think in Spanish, and sometimes expressions or words I use often come to my mind and/or lips first in Spanish and I really have to think about the English translation
-Everything needs to be more spicy and salty. As I have not yet managed to find ají here, I'm finding cayenne pepper a passable substitute for my soups and any bland dish that seems to need extra help. And if I eat cheese, it's only pepper jack
-When I meet people, I find myself automatically moving towards them to give them the customary kiss-on-the-cheek that Peruvians do. Upon entering a room, Peruvians greet each other this way. By the end of my time in Peru, all us Americans did it to each other upon entering a room without even thinking about it
-I find myself having to turn down the heat on my shower because I am so used to the Urubamba lukewarm showers
-I still hesitate before crossing the street, even if the cars I'm crossing in front of have a red light, for fear they won't obey and will run me over
-I feel strange when cars follow the road signs (especially posted speed limits), there are seatbelts in the back seats, and cars don't just drive on the left side because they feel like it or pass on curves
-I still hesitate about throwing toilet paper down the toilet and look for the little bathroom trash can (Peruvian sewer systems don't take toilet paper)
-I feel hemmed in by too many trees
-I get overwhelmed in supermarkets because they are way too big. And the prices for fruit and vegetables--which often aren't even that amazing--are ridiculous. $6 for 2 avocados?! I could get 3 for like s/5 (about $1.5).
-I am amazed I can eat fruit and vegetables with every meal
-I really miss seeing motos in the street
-Having to drive everywhere seems a sin...everything I could possibly need should be no more than a 15-minute walk from my house
-Doing my own laundry again is strange (almost everyone takes it to a lavandaria or hires someone to wash it in their house. And there are no driers...sometimes there are washing machines).
-In fact, I'm no longer used to doing any household chores (the most my family would do was let me set the table)
-I feel cold almost 24/7. Even if it rains at night, I'm supposed to see the sun during the day!
-Clothing looks much more drab after seeing Quechua women's brightly colored dresses
-I feel like the family should always get back together for lunch

I couldn't have asked for a better first-half-of-bridge-year experience than Peru. It was fun, fulfilling, different, unique, a really special chance to engage myself in another culture and live like them. Not just to experience a country as a tourist (though I did some of that, making sure I saw Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, along with the other Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley), but to really get to know the place and understand the people. I am proud now to call myself an Urubambina and a Cusqueña...to feel pride in my heart when I see the baby blue flag of Urubamba or the rainbow flag of Cusco province. They say that home is where the heart is, and now Peru and Urubamba have taken some of my heart and I am proud to call it my home. ¡Hasta pronto, Urubamba! Cuídate, eres buenazo, un lugar muy chévere.

You Know You've Lived in Urubamba When...

{{...porque al fondo hay sitio}}

• You can distinguish between the sound of an oncoming moto and combi to a) know how far to move out of the street and b) know whether to stick your hand out for a ride
• Paying more than 20 soles for a meal is murder
• You dread breaking 100 sole notes…50s get a sigh, and even 20s are bad in the market
• You can sleep through the early morning chorus of barking dogs and moto horns without a problem
• You have almost been hit by a moto or combi more times than you can count
• You don’t flinch at the sound of horns
• You’re not afraid if a combi whizzes past your shoulder
• A plate doesn’t look complete without at least two forms of starch: potatoes, rice, yucca, pasta, and bread
• You can’t eat your pizza without salsa de rocotto, extra oregano, and creamy garlic sauce
• You think that potatoes taste much better with ají and mayo
• In fact, anything that’s bland tastes better with ají
• You think it’s strange not to carry a coat with you at all times—even when it’s hot and sunny
• You know that “ahorita” means anything between “right now” and “sometime tomorrow”
• You think you should only ever have to pay 1 sol to go anywhere in Urubamba
• Only psychedelic motos with bright, flashy, crazy lights are cool enough to be ridden in at night
• You’ve memorized the songs for Gloria, Soy Vida, Coca-Cola, Ayudín, Brahma, and every other product with a commercial and find them stuck in your head 24/7
• Songs for telenovelas like “La Tormenta”, “Al Fondo Hay Sitio”, “Niños Ricos, Pobres Padres”, “El Diablo”, “Un Gancho Al Corazón” also come to your head 24/7
• You always drink your Cusqueña, but can’t stand Pilsen or Cristal
• You know to take a shower before 8 p.m. because the water turns off in Urubamba at night and know only cold Urubamba showers have high water pressure
• Adding “ito/ita” to any adjective makes it much better
• You find yourself singing along to cumbia songs on the radio
• You revere churro man and wish he were open all day for constant carmel-y churro goodness
• You recognize certain combis and motos by their stickers or signs
• You know that when you start seeing scorpions, rain’s a-coming
• You’ve learned most of your Quechua words from the names of Urubamba hotels
• You know how much anything good costs in Pisac and aren’t afraid to bargain until you get that price—not the gringo price
• Every morning, you love to look upon the mist upon the mountains
• You know that the Muse potato wedges are a food from God and far superior to the Muse yucca fries (and require plenty of ketchup, salsa de rocotto, and that mustard-y sauce)
• You aren't fazed by traveling with a sheep under your seat, a bag of cuy, and a box of chickens in your combi. Tomorrow, you'll probably travel with sheep on top of your combi and a bag of rabbits.
• You both love and hate Cusco

The Final Goodbyes

Y se llama Perú













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This weekend I had to undertake the difficult and very sad task of saying my final goodbyes to my friends, my family, and Urubamba. All last week I dreaded my upcoming goodbyes and tried to take advantage of every last moment in Urubamba. I lingered over meals with my family, sat and thought in the Plaza, took lots of photos of everything, did my final stoves work, and visited with my friends during every free moment. And don't forget pack...the great ordeal of leaving any place you have lived for a long time. I borrowed a scale from the ProPeru office and packed and repacked and organized all of my things several times over to make sure I wouldn't have to pay overage charges. I managed success....every one of my bags weighed exactly their limit. Though 8 kilos for a carry on is quite heavy, I can assure you that.

Time behaved strangely my last week, until it was suddenly Wednesday without my even realizing it. Wednesday was my last night with all my friends with the Princeton Bridge Year group, who left early Thursday morning for Lima and Trujillo. That night there was a big party at The Muse, one of our favorite restaurants/hangouts, because it was moving to Cusco to make more money (the owner wanted to raise all the prices at least 5 soles, which the person who runs it knew no one would ever pay because only volunteers and Peruvians, not tourists, go to The Muse in Urubamba). So I went with David, Brian, Tugce, Agnes, Leah, some of the ProPeru staff, Katie and Mary, several Germans, and a few of our Peruvian friends to give it a last goodbye and celebrate my times with my Princeton friends. It was great fun and a perfect ending to my time with the five of them. The ProPeru staff had us take shots of tequila (my first shot ever), we played pop quiz for the first time and won (good thing we had the germans to help us translate some words for one of the questions!), I ate my last ever plate of potato wedges (though, unfortunately, Maddie wasn't there to enjoy them with me), there was laughter all around with my friends, and we even got a free plate of guacamole, comote chips, and potato wedges to enjoy. The only bad part of the night was the part when my Princeton friends all left bit-by-bit and I had to say goodbye, not knowing when I'll see them next. We're all planning a big reunion in Martha's Vineyard for next fall when we're all over there for college! How much fun will that be...Peru, only in Boston instead. Tugce, Agnes, David, Leah, and Brian were five great people to spend the entirety of my three months and I'm very glad I got to meet them all. Five completely different personalities that all brought something unique and exciting to ProPeru. Working on everything from stoves to a woman's group to after-school-programs to filters to teaching English, bringing so much to all of us. Thank you all for helping to make my experience in Peru wonderful and contributing so much to Urubamba!!

The next few days were a blur of more preparations and packing and quality friend time until the weekend came up. I made sure to spend lots of time with everyone Friday and Saturday in preparation for my early early out Sunday morning. I had my last dinner with Emily and Kusi Thursday night (cinnamon-and-apple pancakes...she is amazing if you want food!!), we went for my last dinner in the Green House and then enjoyed the plaza on Friday night, and then came the final day: Saturday.

I spent the majority of my day with Katie and Mary in Cusco, enjoying my last time navigating the city that we all both love and hate, saying "no" to the last time to the women offering massages, eating my last (spectacular!) veggie burger at Jack's, making my last personal purchase of a scarf at the Artesian Market (leaving me with s/ 20 for my day in Lima with Ònia on Sunday), looking at the waving rainbow Cusco flag in the Plaza de Armas for the last time, riding in my last combi. When I returned I finished my packing until I fit exactly within the limits and enjoyed final quality time with my hermanita, Killary. I also had to say my final goodbyes to Kate, Travis, and Laura, the three of the ProPeru staff with whom I spent the most time and bonded the most. Kate was truly amazing for any problem, concern, or just for a smile; my mom here in Peru. Always there for a hug, sweet, able to help with any problem (if she didn't know the solution she would get on finding out exactly who knew it and get any issue solved), always worried about taking care of you and making sure you were enjoying your time in Urubamba to the fullest. Travis was my stoves leader and one of the funniest people I knew in my time in Urubamba. He made us want to go out for every stoves day, even if it was in Yucay (where he also introduced us to the marvelous juice lady!), and always impressed us with his energy, dedication, and the amazing ways he found to destroy a stove when necessary (pulling the gigantic cloth-wrapped rock through a chimney to create a gigantic hole in the bottom tubo was by far the best). Thank you both for working so hard to make my time working with ProPeru as productive, interesting, and rewarding as it could be and always striving to make changes for the best.

And then, before I knew it, it was nighttime and time for my goodbye party with my friends. It turned out to be my aunt's birthday party as well, so I spent the early evening entrenched in fun final family activities at her restaurant, Pizza Wasi. We all waited anxiously to see the boxing match between the Peruvian star Kina Malpartida and an Englishwoman (Kina won, just like they had all predicted), ate vegetarian pizza (as always, doctored up with ají, rocotto, and the amazing creamy garlic sauce), drank ponche de ava (which is hot pink and actually really good, which I hadn't expected when I looked at it. But my mantra in Peru was to always try everything at least once), and socialized as one big, happy family. But then finally the time came where I had to say my big goodbyes to go for my final night with all of my friends, Germans, Peruvians, and Americans. It was sad hugging every member of my family, people who had dropped by my house for lunch and dinner, people who had come from Cusco for a variety of family birthday parties, my little cousins who, on my first Sunday in Peru, had shown me beautiful trees with orange/pink flowers, made me climb trees with them, and went for bike rides with me. And who knows when I shall see them again? The road through life takes us on a variety of different paths and you never know where you may end up so you can always hope you may come upon someone again, but never know when or in what context. Fortunately, however, my goodbyes to my mom, sister, grandma, and grandpa were able to wait until a little later or it would have been too much at once.

Once I left Pizza Wasi I headed over to Tequila, the biggest indoor space in Urubamba (which isn't saying much) where all of my friends were waiting there to say goodbye to me and many more would stop by later. Germans Larissa, Pancho, Vicky, Sophie, and Marcus, Peruvians Pasu, Nube, Carlos, Franco, Fernando, Arson, Eddie, Jose Luis, and Coqui, Americans Katie and Mary. We all laughed together for the last time, played games together, swapped stories of the last three months in Peru, and took advantage of every last moment we had together to celebrate our friendship. Every one of them has brought something unique and special to my time in Urubamba and without them my experience would have been quite different. It will be hard to see some of these amazing people again, but we have many ways to keep in touch (facebook, skype, email, snail mail) and I'm sure that someday we will find a way to meet up again, even if different countries and a few oceans separate us. But even if we know that in our heads, our hearts couldn't help but constrict and bring not a few tears to all our eyes and extra big squeezes to our hugs as we promised we'd write lots.

The last goodbyes I had to make were among the hardest: my goodbyes to my family. My goodbyes to the people I spent almost every meal with, who watched out for me, took care of me, let me see into their lives and their hearts. My goodbyes to my adorable hermanita Killary, who I had watched grow astoundingly in my three months in Peru, who now laughed when I laughed, smiled when I waved to her or called her name or asked her how she was. My goodbyes to my mom, who, being 26 and close to my age, was more like a friend than a mom, always wanting to chat about my life and her life, always there with a smile and kind words. My goodbyes to my grandma, who cooked every delicious meal I ate in Urubamba, who worried over how much I was eating and if I was wearing sufficient layers to go outside. My goodbyes to my granddad, who always worried about my safety if I went out at night, who was intensely interested in the work that I did with stoves and filters, who joked with me about everything. My Peruvian family--different from my family at home, but same in the way they loved and cared for me.

My experience in Peru was absolutely spectacular and there is nothing I would change about it. I am so fortunate to have been able to spend time in this unique, interesting, diverse country with such a complex culture and history. I know that living in Peru has deeply changed me and I'm proud to call myself an urubambina. Peru has left a stamp on my heart that can never be denied or forgotten and I'm lucky it's there. Thank you, Urubamba, for making the first part of my gap year a success!

We Miss You, Mad Dog

{{Tanto tiempo juntos y ahora te tienes que ir}}

This past weekend I had to say goodbye to two more of my friends here, Maddie and Pasta. Maddie came down to Peru with me in the beginning of September and we did everything together from the very beginning. First time in Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, early explorations of Urubamba, Halloween, Pitusiry hike, meeting the "plaza men", Ollantaytambo, Pisac, all our time around Urubamba. She and I got to be very close and Peru just doesn't feel the same now that she's gone. Who else is going to make fun of me with her big smile, bright curly blonde hair, and sarcastic, bring-me-back-to-earth comments? It's just strange knowing that now when I walk to ProPeru I can't poke my head in her window in the green house just down Torrechayoc to see what she's up to and if she wants to go get potato wedges (the answer is always yes!).

Pasta was a Peruvian friend from Lima who lived with two of our other good friends. Hilarious and fun to be around, he quickly became someone I would always look to hang out with when we were all together. He, too, teased me 24/7, renamed me Wheeeeee, and added another dimension of amazing people to my stay in Urubamba. "Pasta pásamelo pasta pasta pásamelo pásamelo pasta". He's hopefully coming to live and work in Barcelona next spring, so I'm hoping I'll be able to see him and we can explore Barcelona together!

Having to say these goodbyes this weekend reminded me of just how soon I am leaving. Now it's only two days until the great departure date and I can't believe how time has passed. I have to think about things like packing and obeying weight restrictions and paying exit taxes and how hard it's going to be to do those final goodbyes. It'll be easy to reunite with my ProPeru friends and the staff, who have all made my time here absolutely spectacular, but so much more effort and much less likely with my German and Peruvian friends, who were a special extra touch in my life and made it even more international. There are so many more things I wish I could do here--go to my friend Nube's birthday party, explore the Sacred Valley even more, install more stoves--but I guess it's true that all good things have to end. But I do have amazing memories (and lots of pictures!) to sustain me until the next time I see everyone and Peru. But I'm not gone yet...still got another day and a half to take full advantage of my city, Urubamba!

A Peruvian Turkey Day

Last night, for the first time ever, I celebrated Thanksgiving away from my house and my family. Instead, all of the ProPeru volunteers and staff got together to bring the best of our home to Peru and celebrate how much we have to be thankful for by getting to live here. It was strange not watching the Macy's Day Parade, or cooking pies and turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and every other wonderful dish with my mom and dad and grandma in our kitchen (finally with double ovens so we don't have to fight over who uses it first), curling up with our new Black Lab puppy by a fire, watching a cold and grey Portland fall day pass by outside, prepparing my list of Christmas-gifts-to-buy for Black Friday. I missed all the all-day-long lovely kitchen aromas, gathering leaves and flowers to decorate the table, the lazy and yet busy feeling of the day, the peaceo f being with my family.

But we certainly made this a Thanksgiving to remember and give thanks about. There was every kind of Thanksgiving food imaginable that could be made with Peruvian ingredients (potatoes and camote were the stars, featuring in almost every dish). Everything from traditionals like mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and stuffing to broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole with pecans on top, and choclo. We all loaded our platters into the ProPeru office, joined together several tables, and sat down for a happy, loud, thankful feast. Even though I still greatly missed being at home, I couldn't have asked for a better Peruvian version of the holiday.

I am so thankful that I have been lucky enough to meet these amazing people and spend my time with them in Peru. My experience in Peru would have been completely different if I didn't have the spectacular ProPeru volunteers and staff that I've both worked and played with, as well as the amazing Peruvian and German friends I have made. These are people I want to continue to remain friends with, and I am so lucky that they have become an influence in my life. Thank you everyone for an amazing Peruvian Thanksgiving!

Now We're Down a Musketeer :(

{{Mira que te siento lejos; yo te busco y no te encuentro ahora}}

This weekend we had to say our final goodbyes to one of my best friends here, Claire. Claire arrived just a few short weeks after I did in September and it's hard to picture these next few weeks without her. Claire was always around; one of the first people I would call to get together, to get coffee or food at the Muse, to plan one of our adventures. We went to Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and various other sites near Urubamba together. She was a core part of our group and it's just not right that Clara isn't here! No more girl-who-can-fit-through-the-window-bars and churro man costume, musketeers, crazy, fun, amazingly sweet Claire here with us. That puts us at just 15 days until Maddie leaves, and only 20 more for me here. How is Peru coming to an end so soon?? Too soon, as a matter of fact!

Puh-roo misses you Claire and we all can't wait to see you back in the States at our epic ProPeru reunion! ;)

Remember, Remember the NINTH of November

{{las palabras como patria o porvenir, bandera, nación, frontera, raza, o destino}}

The 9th of November is Día de Urubamba, so this weekend abounded with festivities to celebrate the 170th anniversary of this town. All last week leading up to the 9th of November the Plaza was scrubbed completely clean, all the Plaza buildings were painted white with a red stripe 1/3 of the way up, and a festival air abounded. Basically, Friday night until Monday night was one giant party throughout the district. Villagers came from all the nearby towns in the valley--Yucay, Huycho, Hyallabamba, Chichubamba, just to name a few--to participate in the Miss Urubamba competition on Saturday. This constsis of competitions in best indigenious dancing, best cooking, best sewing of costumes, and in general, best overall representation of the culture of the Urubamba valley.

Then all day Sunday was the Gastronomical and Handicrafts fair in the Plaza. There was all sorts of food--from cuy (guinea pig) to homemade honey from way up the mountains to lomo saltado to special varieties of potatoes with ají and mayonase to chicha--along with beautiful alpaca woven sweaters and hats and scarves and blankets or carved and painted gourds. All native woman proud of what they had made by hand stood by their displays, encouraging you to try their marmalade, feel their sweater, stop for a huge, frothing glass of chicha.

But around 3 on Sunday, the mood in the Plaza changed in preparation for the giant party that was to be there that night. Bands were coming in from Cusco to sing every type of Peruvian music--wayno (folkloric music), cumbia, rock, salsa--so they started putting up the stage decorated with giant Pilsen Callao signs and blasting music from such groups as Grupo Cinco (5) and Hermanos Yaipen (cumbia songs I now know all the words too...). And then out came the Pilsen. Cases upon cases of a dozen 40s were stacked all over the Plaza and the Peruvians began to drink. When Peruvians party, they PARTY!

I went to the festivities later that evening with some of my best ProPeru friends, several of our German volunteer friends, and a few of our Peruvian friends. The road in front of the stage (which was placed, ironically enough, on the stairs in front of the church) was packed like a mosh pit with Peruvians dancing to their favorite wayno and cumbia songs. I can't count the number of times Peruvians tried to offer us beer or asked us to dance because we were gringos, but we had made ourselves strict rules to not separate because we would immediately get lost in the press of people. So we all danced together on the stairs by the stage with a perfect view of the party below. I loved being there as a part of the festivities and showing my pride as an Urubamba citizen. I'm definitely coming home with an Urubamba flag!

And it didn't stop with Sunday, since Monday was the actual Día de Urubamba. From about 9 until 3 Monday, every school in Urubamba and the surrounding districts marched in their school uniforms in front of the main dignitaries of Urubamba and a congressman (still not positive why he was there...). The little kids were the cutest because they couldn't follow the rhythm of the military-style marching and just swung their legs and arms sort of randomly to their own internal beat. All the children wore the most serious looks on their faces as they marched, which dissolved into smiles and hugs as they reached the end of the parade and were scooped into hugs by their parents.

That evening the festivities continued with party part two in a park across from the bus terminal. We also went to that, which not only had more live wayno and cumbia music for dancing (including a very famous singer from Cusco who arrived late, after I left, because she had problems with her car from Cusco to Urubamba), but also carnaval rides and foosball tables. Kids were running around the traveling carnaval, playing, insanely happy, while their parents and siblings danced and just let loose.

But it was back to work as normal for everyone on Tuesday, though I am sure there were quite a few blurry eyes!

Here Comes the....Rain! Woo?!

{{Raindrops on roses}}

The rainy season is officially beginning here in Peru. Now, along with lugging your fleece with you everywhere so your family doesn't worry that you'll get sick because you didn't "abrígate", you also have to make sure to lug your rain jacket. You never know when the wind might bring in the heavy, dark clouds that seem to permanently hang over the mountains and dump heavy buckets of rain over Urubamba. The rain pours for a while--10 minutes maybe, an hour at the maximum--thundering against the metal rooftops, creating rivers and lakes in the streets, drowning the plants, as heaven opens up above us. And then it stops and the clouds clear and suddenly it's sunny and hot again. Or sometimes it stops but the clouds remain all afternoon, a grey covering over the sky (reminds me of home! That's what it's starting to look like there, no?. You leave your house and have to wade through the mud wallows that now populat the streets, looking as the homeless dogs that wander Urubamba shake themselves of excess water that they couldn't hide from and continue their wanderings for food and who even knows what. The mornings are all quite hot, however, the sun beating down with extra force, as if to try and make its last stand against the clouds and rain that are about to come. It smells fresh now, the earth happily drinking up the water that it receives. My family has been worried that it hasn't been raining as much as it normally does this time of year because many of the crops aren't growing as tall as they should be. Let's hope that it keeps coming in force.

The scorpions are also, unfortunately, coming out with the rain. I hadn't even known that there were scorpions here in Urubamba until Michaela found one on her bedcovers one day while napping. My family informed me that the scorpions signify that the wet season is coming soon, which I find funny because I always have associated scorpions with hot, dry places where the coming of rain is like a gift from god. I search my shoes and my bed every day, but so far no scorpion sightings in my house. Let's keep our fingers crossed; hopefully I haven't cursed myself by saying that!

It's off to Spanish class now. See y'all later!

Goodbyes Don't Last Forever...But They Still Suck

{{El destino que nos une y que nos separará}}

This weekend I had to say goodbye to two of my best friends here in Peru, Michaela and Liz, which was quite hard and sad. It's amazing how even though we have only been together for six weeks, we have gotten to be so incredibly close and now know each other so well. And those six weeks sure flew by way too fast for me! We've worked together, we've explored the streets of Urubamba together, we've joked together, we've created fun memories together, we've traveled Peru together, and we've grown together. They were two absolutely amazing people that I was lucky to meet here in Urubamba and cannot wait to see again. I wish they could share the rest of the experience here. Stoves will definitely not be the same without Liz there to make fun of my technique or us to work completely seamlessly together. And who else will I laugh like crazy, open and close the pizzeria, and dodge bricheros with but Michaela? I know things are never meant to stay the same, but sometimes I just wish they could stay as they were when everything seems perfect.

Saying goodbye to Liz and Michaela, however, and looking at how fast the weeks have flown made me realize how little time I have left and how soon I will have to part from all the people I love here. I have been insanely lucky and have gotten to know quite a few Peruvians and also some volunteers from a German organization. It's fun to see them all around town in Urubamba; it makes me feel like I am really at home here. And we try and plan some fun combination of ProPeru volunteers-Urubambinos-Germans for every weekend. But this, unfortunately, means that I'll have even more goodbyes to say when the time comes...and I only have as much time left as I have been here so far. Being on this side of half-way makes it look much closer than I would have imagined!

But I'm going to cherish all the memories I've made here with my fantastic friends and know that we'll get to make many more in the future outside of Peru and work on not worrying about future goodbyes yet. For now, it is only goodbye Liz and Michaela, thank you for being such amazing people, I love you dearly, and Peru misses you like crazy.

A Visit to the Old Hill

{{}}

This weekend I went to Machu Picchu with Claire, Maddie, and Michaela, which was probably one of the most awe-inspiring trips of my life. We didn't get to spend the night up there, but we had lots of amazing time to explore, reflect, wander, comment, and ponder.

We took an early early early train from Ollantaytambo (about 45 minutes from Urubamba) to Machu Picchu. It was a cute blue train with yellow letters, old-style, and took us slowly through the winding country and up towards Machu Picchu. Gradually the land outside began to get greener and greener and the hills surrounding us higher and higher as we approached this sacred Inca place. Claire and I were sitting together in a sea of French tourists who were all completely delighted with everything and took pictures of all they saw. Their tour guide was full of energy and kept walking up and down the aisle, pointing out things in an excited voice and telling them more about the surrounding countryside (or at least that's what I guess, since I don't speak French). At one point he came by playing Celene Dion for them on a mp3 player and stopped at our seats to chat with us. He was excited to find out that we spoke Spanish and soon we were talking in Spanish and English about our work and Peru while he occasionally translated the important points to the French tourists sitting facing us. Nice little language 3-way there!!

When we arrived at Aguas Calientes, the last stop for the train, we had to take a bus up a curvy, steep, and narrow mountain road to Machu Picchu itself. I kept my eyes very resolutely focused ahead as we climbed, since often as not we seemed to be driving right on the edge, and there was barely room for a bus coming down to pass us. But fortunately, these bus drivers did not drive like most Peruvian drivers, so we were safe!

Finally we were up at the top and in we went (after stamping our passports with Machu Picchu stamps, of course), all excitedly commenting to each other that the day had finally come and we were actually at the most impressive Inca site. Then it was through the gates and we found ourselves on the edge of Machu Picchu, with all of its different facets open to our exploration. Machu Picchu is huge, much grander than you may imagine, with ample open and green space (for llama grazing, which we did see!), residencies (including a special residential wing for the King and Queen), temples (The Temple of the Condor, where they did animal sacrifices, and the Temple of the Sun), an astronomy tower, agricultural terraces, a guard/observation house, water fountains, and irrigation channels. The fact that this entire architectural marvel was built in only 50 years completely astounds me and leads me to believe that we are still far behind the Incas in many respects.

The four of us climbed and explored everywhere, sometimes following lines of tour groups (and listening in about the significance of certain spots), other times following the signs that said "Alternate" and descending along paths and next to granite stones that no one else seemed to frequent. In the morning there were lots of tour groups and it was quite busy, but in the afternoon it calmed down some, and we were able to sit high on one of the agricultural terraces and marvel about the wonder laid out below us. We had probably the most perfect weather we could ask for: sun, but not burning sun (like we had Sunday and Monday here in Urubamba), followed by a little breeze and high clouds in the afternoon. The surrounding hills were lush and green, wreathed by caps of fog and clouds, and I could completely understand why this was such a sacred spot to the Incas.

Eventually, we descended from this mystical land back into the tourist trap of Aguas Calientes, then boarded our train back to Ollantaytambo. all of us slept the entire journey home, then, when we arrived back in town, quickly washed the caked-on dirt off our faces and arms, changed clothes, gave a quick run-down to our families here, and then ran out for a fun group Saturday night "on the town". From Inca ruins to a modern bar, from hiking to dancing, a day in Peru can have it all!

The Many Meanings of Moto Horns

{{Tantas cosas que contar}}

Motos are little taxis that you can take anywhere in Urubamba for 1 sol. They (along with everyone in Peru) drive like complete maniacs (we've decided that every Peruvian driver drives like a 16-year-old), weaving in and out among other motos, cars, bikes, and pedestrians without hardly touching the brake. You think that they might be slightly cautious on some of Urubamba's crowded streets, especially during market days, but you are actually the one who needs to watch out for them.

Motos--and truly all Peruvian vehicles, but motos are the worst--use their horn for every possile reason, often instead of using their brake. Here are a few examples of moto-horn-use:

-Signifies that they are at an intersection and are not slowing down (the one time I was in a moto that stopped at an intersection, I thought the driver might be sick or something. They just don't do that)

-Signifies that they are empty and they're wondering if you need a ride

-An annoncement that they are bearing down on you, so hop out of the way quickly

-A warning to other cars and people that they exist

-An impatient way to tell other cars and motos to get a move on

-Signifies that they are getting in the opposite lane to pass someone who is a) driving too slowly, b) parked or getting passengers, c) stuck in traffic, d) just in the way of their crazed path through the city

-An annoyed remark to someone who didn't get out of the way fast enough and forced them to move over a little from their pre-determined path

-Signifies that, if you're trying to flag one for a ride, they already have a passenger

Those are the main ones I can think of; I think that to be a moto driver you have to pass a test in horn-significance-recognition or something!!

Fall, By Any Other Name, is Spring

{{Son mis amigos, en la calle pasábamos las horas}}

Tomorrow is the first day of fall in Peru, called the "Day of Youth". All the children have the day off from school to celebrate with parades and fiestas, and in the big cities, teenagers will spend the evening going out to bars and clubs to celebrate their youthfulness. I can't believe that at home it's the first day of fall, where you can feel that chill in the air, you start to see the leaves change their colors. Spring here means the beginning of rainy nights (rain completely flooded the streets on Sunday) but hot hot days. I had always thought, when I came here, that the seasons, even though they were opposite, would still have the same names; it never occured to me that September could be anything other than fall. This year, however, I get to enjoy two springs!

I realized as I was writing about my adventures earlier that I mentioned the other interns by name but didn't say anything about who they are or what they're doing so everyone can understand my references to them. They are quite a great group and I am definitely dreading the beginning of October when two will leave, breaking "the original bunch".

There are 10 volunteers in total: 5 from the Princeton Bridge Year Program and 5 NGOs. We all get along really well, laughing as we paint a museum in Pisac, scheduling movie nights and nights out and trips to see the local sights. Everyone is easy to get along with and unique in their intersts, reasons for being in Peru, and stories. The 5 Princeton Bridge Year students are Tugce (from Turkey!), Brian, Leah, David, and Agnes; they'll all be staying for 9 months. Tugce, Brian, and David will start working on the stoves and filters project with me once they finish their intensive Spanish classes in October, while Leah and Agnes are working with a woman's group and an after-school care program for young children from rural communities.

The other 4--Maddie, Liz, Michaela, and Claire--are a mixed bunch, staying for varying amounts of time. Liz is taking time off between university and work and is from just outside London; she works on the stoves and filters project with me and is leaving in only 3 weeks. I know my project is going to feel quite different once she's gone; I mean, I am used to having her around almost all day, every day! Maddie is also taking a bridge year before going to Harvard; she works as a 1st-grade teacher's assistant and will leave a week before I do. Michaela is taking time off between university and work and is from Nebraska; she works with the women's group and the children's care center and leaves in just 4 short weeks. We had a big celebration for her 23rd birthday last Thursday. Claire just arrived on Saturday and will be doing some manner of education project; she is a junior in college taking a semester off and will leave in late November.

So quite a mixed group, everyone brining varied interests, accents, stories, and senses of humor to the table, which makes for lots of fun conversations and moments of "What did you just say that was? Wicked sick??". I know that this experience of being with everyone in a foreign country is going to make us tighter friends with a bond that will last across continents and for years to come.

Bricher@s, Adventures, and Soup

{{Princesas que buscan tipos que colecionar}}

That quote pretty much sums up the idea of "bricher@s": Peruvians, either guys or girls (hence the @) that go after foreign men and women to have relationships with them simply for their money. I haven't had any encounters with those yet, but the other night as we were walking home with my friend and his host siblings, a group of bricheras started talking loudly about how he'd be a "good catch". Oh goodness!

Fortunately, since bricher@s really aren't common in Urubamba (you'd have to watch out for them more in Lima or Cusco), I've been able to enjoy quite a few adventures to the surrounding area during my first two weeks here. Our first weekend the entire group--Leah, Agnes, David, Brian, Tugce, Michaela, Maddie, Liz, and I--went to the Ollantaytambo ruins, Pisac ruins, and the Pisac market. This Sunday we all went to the Pisac ruins, the Pisac market, and the Ollantaytambo ruins, which were all amazing!! I'm so impressed by what the Incas were able to accomplish with limited technology and a simple drive to make the best for their gods. The religious sites were always high up on the mountaintops because the Incas wanted their temples to be closer to the realms of the gods. That is also where they put their tombs (which we saw at the Pisac ruins) because they believed that if they did so, the condor, the symbol of the gods' life, would then swoop down and carry them to heaven. They have 3 main lives they think of: the gods' (condor), the now life (puma), and the afterlife (snake). I bought a cool ring in the Pisac market with all three of those in silver with a few stones from the area.

The Pisac market was really fun but also quite overwhelming...I'm definitely going to go back there more towards the end of my stay when I have the definite idea of exactly what I want because there is just so much everywhere! And all the stall owners trying to get you to buy their products and if you even make a move towards something of theirs, or even gesture towards it with an eyebrow, they rush to assure you that it's pure alpaca or hand made or the finest quality silver. I didn't really get a lot of photos there because there were a lot of people wandering around asking you to take photos of them for money and I didn't want them to all swoop down upon me.

I think I preferred Ollantaytambo because it was more impressive, grander where Pisac was more spread out. Ollantaytambo was an unfinished temple when the Spaniards came and then the Incans abandoned it and the Spaniards used some of the stones to buid their own churches. Pisac was already a working temple when the Spaniards came; they then took a lot of the stones to use for churches. I now can't wait to see Machu Picchu, since the Spaniards never got to that temple and never managed to destroy it!!

This past weekend Liz, Michaela, Maddie, and I had a ProPeru trip to Cusco where we had a guided tour of the Saqsayhuman, Q'enqo, Pukapukara, and Tamboachay ruins around the city. We had tours with ProPeru these first two weekends because the tourist boletos only are good for 10 days. I, personally, had more fun on that tour of the ruins than I had the weekend before because our guide didn't run us from one section of the ruins to the next, but instead stopped and explained different meanings and symbolism. It didn't seem to be her goal to move us from one ruin to the next at lightning speed, but instead let us enjoy them. Saqsayhuman gave us an amazing view of all of Cusco sprawled below; it was used for religious festivals over which presided the Inca (who was actually the king) and his wife. Q'enqo was a special religious site that united the three elements of condor, puma, and snake in one place with underground caves, high rocks, and an open, circular plaza. Pukapukara was where people coming through the area would give tribute of crops to the Inca and his wife; these were planted throughout various areas in the Sacred Valley. Tambomachay consisted of beautiful ritual baths of the Incas that used spring water to purify and cleanse mind, body, and spirit.

Of course, we couldn't be in Cusco without wandering around the town a little bit. We spent the night before in a hostel in Plaza San Blas, just up the road from Plaza de Armas, and spent those two days gorging ourselves on "American-style" food (no more soup for lunch! No more chicken and rice!). Our bodies, however, were not supremely pleased by that sudden change...all three of us did not feel entirely 100% after Friday dinner and retired after looking around Plaza de Armas a little bit. Saturday we had lots of time to explore the city before we were taken back to Urubamba, so we wandered through a book market where I found beautiful editions of books by one of my favorite authors, Mario Vargas Llosa, got ice cream on La Avenida del Sol, and people-watched from a cafe balcony above the Plaza.

Sunday we had our last big outing with our boletos: the four of us hiked 13 km from the highway bus stop to the Inca test gardens of Moray. I thought we weren't going to make it at one point about half-way through when it started pouring rain as we climbed steep, hilly road after steep, hilly road. One taxi driver stopped and told us that we really should take a taxi up because it was far and hilly, but Maddie told him we were "mujeres fuertes" (strong women) and he backed away quickly. Moray was stunning; I could not believe that the Incas had known that they could create different climates to test different crops. The scale was phenomenal and we even got to take our tired little legs all the way to the bottom to be completely surrounded by circular terrace after circular terrace spiraling up, up, up.

That's the low-down on my non-stove adventures for now. I'm off to enjoy lunch with my family...first course, of course, being soup, followed by some insane amount of rice, potatoes, and meat. No meal is complete without at least three different types of starch!!

To Build A Fire...

{{Son de aquí, son de allá}}

I have officially completed one week in Peru! The current count: two stoves made, nails and wire installed around another six, 15 wheelbarrows-worth of heavy rocks moved, several documents edited, uncountable amounts of sawdust sifted. Making the stoves is the most fulfilling--and super fun...I mean, you get to play with mud!--activity that you can find, definitely! It's hard work, dirty work (I've come home every stove day absolutely plastered in mud and black from soot), but absolutely, beyond-words amazing. Just to see the stove grow brick by brick, layer of mud by layer of mud, the ceramic pieces aligned just so to make a level cooking surface, each chimney piece further directing the smoke out of the house and away from the lungs of the women and children who cook over them every day. And then, when you reach the end of a stove, having smoothed the last layer of covering mud flat, and you see the face of the happy new owner break into a smile as they try and feed you copious amounts of corn and eggs and peach juice. I love knowing that every stove we put in right away does something absolutely amazing.

But there are some problems with the stoves as well that Liz (the other stoves volunteer with me), Travis (one stoves leader), Jaime (another stoves leader), Kate (volunteer coordinator) and I are going to address in the next few months. ProPeru is pushing hard to get carbon credits for their stoves, and an inspector is coming out in November to test the real efficiency of their model. We need to return to every community, every house, where ProPeru volunteers have installed stoves and talk to the families to see if they really do work well for them. Some families are quite excted to receive a stove but then find that the back burner doesn't boil water as quickly as the front burner, which is vital for them because they need to cook quickly. As soon as they see this once, or even hear it from a neighbor, they revert back to the old stove model, taking away the health benefits of removing smoke from the house. Some families put too much wood in their stoves, which takes away their purpose for reducing wood use.

We want to make the most efficient, most cost effective, most environmentally friendly stoves that make the families happy, so we need to see what everyone thinks about our current model. Liz and I tested the boiling time of the current stove model yesterday and we found that it worked quite well to boil the two pots quickly and evenly as long as we pushed the wood back far enough in the stove so it was under both burners. But we're also thinking of a few other ideas for how to improve the design; maybe adding a second back door to increase air flow and allow for wood to be put directly under the back burner, or maybe using some bricks with channels to allow for greater oxygen to reach the flames. Lots still to explore!

Next post I'll give an update on my life besides stoves so far (which has been absolutely amazing!)

¿Estudiaste en España, no?

{{España vuelve a casa}}

I am safely in Peru and I am loving every minute of it so far. The past few days have just been filled with meeting our host families and the other volunteers, wandering around Urubamba, orientation, and getting aclimitized to the altitude. There are three other volunteers with me right now: another girl taking a bridge year before going to Harvard and two girls taking some time off between university and starting a job. The Princeton bridge year kids arrive tonight and then the fun of projects begin tomorrow.

Every single person I have talked to in Peru, however, has noted one thing in particular about me: not that I'm American, not that I can't always use subjunctive properly, but that I have a "Castillian" Spanish accent. When I got picked up from Lima, the woman's son said that it made him laugh every time I spoke becuase my accent was Spanish. In Cusco, within five minutes of being picked up at the airport, they asked me when I studied in Spain. My Spanish teacher told me I need to get a Peruvian one, stat. Now it's a family joke with all of my host family here. Qué guay!

One, Two, Three, Go!

{{¿Qué será?}}

Today is my last day in the States before I depart for Peru at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. All I can think about now is how excited I am to leave and how ready I am to meet my host family. It’s hard for me to sit here in Portland packing knowing just how soon I will be flying away and how profoundly my life is going to change as I grow during these next three months.

I realized while packing that many of you may not know exactly why I decided to take a bridge year before starting college. Simply put, I was ready for an adventure. I yearned to try new things, immerse myself in a different culture, and do public service work. Living in an unfamiliar culture would encourage me to be creative, independent, and innovative, to challenge my assumptions, and to challenge other's by turn. In the process I hope to discover new interests and talents. I am eager to apply my passions -- traveling, speaking Spanish, science and medicine, environmental work -- to a service project with real meaning, and in the process do something good for a local community and the world.

My bridge year would also give me the opportunity to take a breath before I dive head-first into the full-tilt excitement and fun of my freshman year at Dartmouth. Applying to college is a lengthy and daunting process. It’s a test of your character and your endurance. Yet the rewards are many. By putting yourself out there, you learn more about yourself and reaffirm the goodness within. So, while nerve-wracking, you ultimately light up with a smile as you choose your home for the next four years. Despite the positive outcome, I knew that after years of working hard in school, trying my best, both in class and extracurriculars, I needed a change, one that did not involve the structured world of academics. My service work in Peru allows just that. I believe I can achieve more and beyond anything imagined, if I embark first on this unique journey before starting college.

I’m signing out! Next you hear from me, my feet will be quite firmly planted in Peru!

The Final Four

{{Por la tierra, por el cielo, busco un sentimiento nuevo}}

I now have fewer than four days left and am madly engaged in the favorite activity of all travelers: packing. Guillem's old room has become my packing station, with potential clothing and stuff that I may need--from work gloves to a Peru guidebook to malaria medicine to jeans to my passport to my camera (with its charger!)--strewn all about. I made myself an extremely detailed list of everything that I think I may need, some of which may still be skinnined down (since I don't want to look like the proverbial American female tourist who brought her entire wardrobe with her), but I still have the feeling that I'll end up in Peru and realize that I'm missing that one little thing that is now 5,000 miles away. But the world has gotten much smaller than I think most of us realize, and who knows, that little thing is probably sold in Urubamba too!

It is finally hitting me that I am actually leaving for Peru soon and I cannot wait. I'm so ready to dive off into the unknown, but I am quite nervous as well. These next days are going to pass me in a haze of packing and shopping and final tasks to wrap up around the house, but I am making a point to stop and enjoy the little things that make "my house" and "my family" and "my city". The bright pink roses that are still, somehow, blooming outside Guillem's old room. The sound of my parents' footsteps in the kitchen over my room every morning. The smell of old books with crinkled spines and lovingly-finger-worn pages at Powell's on Burnside. The taste of my peach black tea. The feeling of calluses growing as the metal strings on my violin indent my fingers. 

I will miss all of it, but next thing you know, I'll be getting used to the little things that will designate my life in Urubamba, and too soon as well, I will be missing those. 

So, I attempt to make sense of the clothing and stuff sprawled out across Guillem's old bed, thinking that I will soon become a part of another's family just as he became a part of ours. 

Preparation count-down

The nervous butterflies are starting to kick in as I realize that I only have 9 more days in the States before I fly off to Peru for the first 3 months of my bridge year. And I have so much to do between now and then! The house to organize, clothing to buy, boxes to unpack, emails, phone calls, and letters, my final goodbyes to my horseback riding and violin instructors, plenty of family time, and the last goodbyes to friends. And, of course, the most important element: packing! It's quite crazy, I have to say. But I am so excited; if I could jump on the plane to Lima tomorrow, I would. 

People ask me sometimes if I am jealous of my friends who are heading off to college or just getting settled in, my friends with their new dorms and hometowns and roommates. I don't regret my decision in the slightest, though I did feel the slight stirrings of jealousy when we were in Williamsburg yesterday and my dad and I saw all these William and Mary freshman on orientation and shopping at the bookstore. That all seems so far away from me now, however. I know that all of us, whether we are off exploring a new country or simply a new state, will have tons of new friends, experiences, and stories that will shape us for the better and that we will get to excitedly share when we next see each other. It's not the question of if you'll see friends, but when, where, and what new stories we'll have to tell.

And super exciting news of the day: I found out who my host family will be. And they look amazing! My host mom's name is Karina Delgado Ocampo and here is the little description about her. "Karina is 26 years old and has lived in Urubamba for 10 years. She is the omther of a beautiful 5-month-old baby girl named Killary, who is very active and barely ever cries! She also has a small dog, Kiya. Karina enjoys taking walks, cycling, plants, and practicing English. She is a wonderful cook, and often prepares meals with her mother who lives in the house as well." I'm sure I'll get to try lots of authentic Peruvian recipes with them! :D

Alright, time to get back to my long list of house tasks!