Ecuador & Galapagos FAM Trip

I can't believe it has taken me this long to get some time to write about my trip in late June to Ecuador. As I mentioned in my last blog, my good friend and coworker, Ryan, and I got assigned to go on the Galapagos / Ecuador FAM trip for work. We only had to pay for our flights which was nice. The trip was around 8 days (Wednesday - Thursday) and consisted of a land portion in Quito, Otavlo, and Magdalena, then onto the Galapagos Islands. 

Day 1 - Arrival to Ecuador

Today we took a late flight from Lima to Quito. It's nice that in only 2 hours we could get to the capital of another South American city (flying from the states would have taken hours longer). Unfortunately, it was Rodrigo's birthday so we felt bad missing it, but we had wanted to get to Quito a day early to be able to have one extra day. 

Day 2 - Free Day in Ecuador

Today we got up early and went to explore the city of Quito. We went up to the Teleferico and took a gondola up the mountain side to see the city from up high. Unfortunately, the day was pretty overcast so it didn't look as great as it would have if it was clear. Quito is surrounded by a number of volcanoes which makes it really beautiful. It's a big city (bigger than I had expected for some reason) so it was nice to see it from above. Ryan and I took a horse-back ride to enjoy the views some more and to check out a volcano that was covered by a huge cloud :( Oh well. The ride was fun though! Afterwards, we went back down to our hotel and took our luggage to our new hotel (Hotel Quito). We grabbed lunch, and worked most of the afternoon to catch up on emails. 

Day 3 - Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo

Today we did a full-day tour of the main sites of Quito, as well as the equator. The historical center of Quito was beautiful. We got to see some monasteries, as well as saw one of the wisest historians (can't remember his name at the moment but he did talk to me :)). We then had lunch on our way out of the city, and then checked out the equator. It was really neat to do some activities playing with the center of gravity. For example, they showed us how water being flushed (or drained) on either side of the equator goes different ways. Very interesting to see in person! It's also very hard to walk in a straight line on the equator line - both sides are pulling you gravitationally ! It was a long day of touring and we were exhausted after getting back. 

Day 4 - Otavalo Market & Arrival to Magdalena Community

Today we woke up early to get to the Otavalo market. I'm not much of a shopper, but at the largest market in South America, I couldn't help but go nuts! I bought a few purses, hair bands, scarves, and other trinkets :) It was huge! Afterwards, we also got to buy hand-carved wood boxes. The hand-crafted arts were so beautiful. They were expensive though! I can only imagine how many hours some of these life-size carvings would have taken with all of the detail that they had. We stopped for lunch at a local spot where some children did some traditional dancing and we ate guinea pig, chicken, corn, soup, and other food for lunch :) The children were absolutely adorable!

In the afternoon, we arrived to the community of Magdalena. This community has been working together with Klein tours in order to give tourists the opportunity to come out to "the campo" and experience life in the shoes of real locals. They are given the opportunity to do community work, including harvesting, painting, volunteering in schools, etc. Most tourists only stay 1 night, but the longer you stay, the more time you have to volunteer and just take in the beautiful landscapes. Each house is renovated (it was not the most "rustic" accommodations I've ever stayed in, but for some it may feel that way). They had electricity, hot water, and even wi-fi! That isn't rustic in my book... Upon arrival we settled into our rooms, and then took a hike up to get a view of the community as well as the surrounding volcanoes. From where we hiked up to, we could practically see Colombia (we were very far North in Ecuador). It was so cool to be so close to another country! We then had a delicious local dinner of trout, soup, and some juice and went to bed pretty early. They even gave us hot water bottles to put in our beds to keep from getting too cold :) 

Day 5 - Salinas & Return to Quito

Today we woke up bright and early to get one more hike in before leaving for the train to Las Salinas. The train itself was kind of boring, but seeing the town of Las Salinas was pretty cool. It was interesting because the people there have more African roots and look very different from the typical Andean roots. Just an hour of being on a train, and we had entered a totally different culture! 

We then had a long ride back to Quito where we slept most of the way. Upon arrival to Quito, we caught up on our emails and then had some dinner and packed up to get ready for our trip to the Galapagos Islands! 

Day 6 - Arrival to the Galapagos Islands

We were picked up around 5am to go to the airport today. It was tiring but we were so excited that we didn't care! Our flight stopped in Guayaquil then arrived to the Galapagos. We stepped into the tropical climate and it was so exciting! We took a shuttle to a dinghy to take us to the ship. We settled into our room (a Junior Suite with huge windows out to the ocean) and then had our first delicious lunch on board the Legend cruise ship. Normally, the boat holds up to 100 passengers, but since it was the off season there was only 30-40 of us passengers on deck. Needless to say it wasn't crowded and we had lots of space on deck for us! 

After lunch, we had an excursion to see the giant tortoises on Santa Cruz. They were amazing to see in person - huge! We also saw our first seals, as well as some local kids doing some traditional dances. It was a great first day. Dinner was also delicious and we slept like rocks :) 

Day 7 - Egas Port & Bartolome

Today we had two excursions. In the morning we visited Egas Port where we walked around the rocky terrain and saw different birds, crabs, seals, and other animals. Afterwards we got to have our first snorkeling experience in the Galapagos which was amazing! We got to see sea turtles up close, and the seals came right up to us as well! It was a little scary but so cool at the same time! 

After having lunch on the ship, we laid out by the pool before arriving to the next excursion. We went to Bartolome and climbed lots of stairs to get to the top of the island. The views from the top were breath-taking, especially for a crystal-clear day, with blue ocean and sky for miles. It was absolutely amazing! I got very burned this day (so close to the Ecuador it's hard not to). We had the opportunity to snorkel again, but we decided to walk along the beach and enjoy the view of Pinnacle rock. We also saw some penguins! So interesting to see them in a warm climate. 

After dinner, there was a "dance party" with lots of salsa and bachata which of course Ryan and I loved! Most of the "tourists" didn't stick around because they didn't know how to dance so it seemed much more like a staff party + travel agents than anything. It was fun though :) 

Day 8 - Dragon Hill & North Seymour

Today we also had two excursions. In the morning, we visited Dragon Hill in order to see the giant lizards. We also saw some flamingos and a variety of other birds. The dragons were cool but I didn't enjoy this island as much as Bartolome.

In the afternoon, after lunch, we had another opportunity to do "deep-ocean snorkeling" which was off the boat. We got to see some reef sharks as well as some seals and lots of fish of course. I really enjoyed this but thought we would have been farther out in the ocean. Ryan was hoping we would see some hammer head sharks but I am glad we didn't... haha 

After snorkeling, we went to North Seymour which is where we had the opportunity to see lots of birds nesting, including the blue-footed boobies. We also saw a baby seal which was absolutely adorable! We also saw the blue-footed boobies doing their "mating dance" as well. One our the little boys in our tour group, who had been "flirting" with me throughout the whole trip, didn't leave my side during this tour and ended up holding my hand during most of the walk haha (he was 5 years old). He was absolutely adorable! 

That night, we had our last dinner and toast. We talked some with our new friends we made on the cruise, as well as the "Russian" who had only complaints about the trip... 

Day 9 - Bachas Beach - Santa Cruz

Our last morning was spent on the beach in Santa Cruz for an hour before departing for the airport. It went way too fast and I wished we could have spent more time on the Galapagos Islands. I hope to go back some day :) It was a great bonding trip with Ryan too. 

Hasta luego! 

FAM Trip to Buenos Aires & Iguazu Falls!

I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve written in this blog. I clearly need to start updating more! I am currently in Cusco, Peru with my family, but I have a little bit of down time and I figured I’d try to catch up with my work-trip to Argentina. Back in April, I was chosen for a “FAM” trip from my Travel Agency to go from June 13 – 18 to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls, to learn more about the destinations, meet our providers, and learn more about the tours we offer our clients. I was chosen to go with my friends, Hellen, Rodrigo, and Ryan.

Buenos Aires 

Early on Thursday morning, we went to the airport around 6am for our 8:30am flight to Buenos Aires. The flight was about 5 ½ hours with LAN, and upon arrival to Buenos Aires, we were surprised with warm weather, even though we were expecting chilly temperatures. Right now, in South America, it is considered the “winter” season since we are opposite the Northern Hemisphere. Veronica, a representative from Say Hueque, our Argentina provider, came to pick us up at the airport to take us to our first hotel, Savoy. There was a strike going on right near the hotel, so the police would not let our van through and we had to walk with our luggage a few blocks to the hotel. Always starting off with something exciting J Upon arrival to the hotel, Veronica gave us a briefing for our plans in Argentina, and then let us off on our own.

We freshened up in our hotel rooms (Hellen and I had a room with a balcony overlooking the main street! Great view) then we headed out to eat around 4:30 or 5pm because we were starving! Of course we checked out La Americana, where we were recommended to try empanadas. Empanadas were definitely one of the memories I had of when I lived in Argentina and I was happy to have my queso y cebolla (cheese & onion) and criollo empanadas. Peru just does not compete when it comes to empanadas. Afterwards, we were craving some gelato, so Hellen and I shared one the boys shared another. Frutas del Bosque (fruits of the forest) and chocolate was the best combination! 

After returning to the hotel, we had a about an hour to get ready for our first “tour” – the Dinner & Tango Show. It was fun to get dolled up and go out for a night on the town. The theatre was gorgeous, and everything was fancy. We had a 3 – course meal, and all you can drink champagne and wine. The dinner itself was okay, but the wine was fantastic (of course, we were in Argentina). The Tango show itself was really impressive. I am pretty critical when it comes to dance shows, and I was really impressed. The dancers were very talented and I fell in love with Tango. I would love to learn! Afterwards, we dropped Hellen off at the hotel and I went out to a club with the boys to meet up with Rodrigo’s friend, Flor. I can’t believe how late the nightlife is here in Argentina. I completely forgot from my time when I lived in Cordoba. They started letting people in that were on the “list” at 1:30am! We were exhausted from getting up around 5am that morning… we stayed until around 4am and then headed back to the hotel for some sleep. 

The next day (or a few hours later), on Friday, we got up, had an awesome breakfast then checked out of our hotel to make our way to Palermo, another district of Buenos Aires. On the way, we walked through a beautiful park that was full of many roses and beautiful green areas. That day was much colder and the crisp air was a nice change from the humid, cool air in Lima. After visiting the park, we dropped our luggage off at the next hotel, Esplendor Soho, and then went to the Say Hueque office to meet the rest of the staff. We had a meeting for a few hours to get to know them, and learn more about their tours and services, and from there, Veronica took us on our private city tour. It was a beautiful sunny, but crisp day (reminded me of a fall day back in New England) and we got to see the main parts of the city including Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta, the Cemetary where Evita is buried, La Boca (and Caminito), and others. The city is beautiful and I really enjoyed it. Along the way, we stopped for lunch and had empanadas (of course) and stopped for another gelato as well. We couldn’t help ourselves! On the way back to Palermo, most of us fell asleep in the car because we were so tuckered out from the day. We had one more hotel tour for the day, and after we saw Esplendor Hollywood, we went back to the hotel and all passed out for a few hours. After waking up around 11pm, we wandered out to find dinner and settled on some pizza, another specialty in Argentina. On our way home, we brought Hellen some pizza and someone off the street tried to rob the box of pizza straight from Ryan's hands...hahah. In general, all Italian food is really good in Argentina since they have so much Italian influence. I still can’t believe how late Argentines eat dinner here… 

The next day, Saturday, we woke up a little bit later and started our hotel tours with Santiago around 10am. We saw Be Hollywood, Aspen Square, and Bobo.  After that, we took Santiago out to lunch to one of the best pizza places in Buenos Aires (although the name is slipping my mind right now). We had a good time with him and it was great to get to know someone that we normally work with strictly via email. After lunch, we had another city tour that was supposed to be a “group tour” but ended up being private but with a different guide. We saw the same sights, but it was good to hear the history again since I always have a hard time understanding that type of stuff… J That night we took another long nap, and woke up around 11pm to get ready for dinner. We went out for our last nice steak dinner in Buenos Aires, and from there went to a tango club where they danced strictly tango (besides for 2 salsa numbers when we first arrived). It was a great last night in Buenos Aires and all of us wished that we had had more time to explore the city on our own since our schedule was so jam-packed.

Iguazu Falls

On Sunday, we woke up and went to the airport for our short flight to Iguazu Falls. Upon arrival, it was a bit rainy (typical for the summer season there) and we were picked up by a representative and immediately went to a restaurant for lunch. Of course we got the typical Argentinean cuisine – parilla (grilled meats) with salad and hand cut fries. So good, but so heavy! We all wanted to take a nap afterwards but we were whisked off to inspect hotels. We checked out Aldea de la Selva, Loi Suites (an amazing 5 star hotel in the middle of the jungle), and Grande Crucero. Afterwards, we headed to the hotel to take a much needed nap. Later on, we went to Beto’s, a sandwich place, for dinner. I was brought back to my days in Argentina with my lomo sandwich…man we ate so much on this trip! Pretty sure I gained at least 5 lbs… after dinner, we walked around and explored Puerto Iguazu for a bit, before going to sleep. 

On Monday, we went on our full day tour of Iguazu Falls. The day started out really grey and a bit rainy, and I have to admit I was disappointed. Everything looks different in the rain, and less beautiful so I was praying for some sunshine. We started the day off with a train ride to La Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat) which  is at the top of the falls. The walkways lead you right up to the top of the falls; it was really exhilarating to be so close! 

Afterwards, we went back down and prepared for “the Great Adventure” – a boat ride that takes you into some of the falls and gets you completely soaked. Luckily, we were prepared and brought a complete change of clothes. I couldn’t believe how close we got to the falls in the boat, it truly made my experience in Iguazu. Just as the boat ride ended, the clouds broke and the sun caused some beautiful rainbows – perfect for panoramic photos! From there, we continued our tour and walked around the rest of the falls on the Argentine side – there were so many awesome angles to experience the waterfalls and take photos. I was in heaven! We stopped for a quick lunch and also got to see coatis who were not even afraid of humans. After finishing up the tour, we went back to the hotel before heading out to dinner in Puerto Iguazu. We went to a really good place called “Te Amare” which had a live acoustic singer. It was the perfect ending to a great trip. The next day Ryan and I got picked up around 9am for our flight to Buenos Aires (Hellen and Rodrigo flew straight from the Brazilian airport of Iguazu to Lima…they missed an 8 hour layover). It took us over 16 hours to get home, but it was worth it.

That’s all for now :)

Likes about Lima

So I think I've been here long enough to begin to compile a list of things I like and don't like about Lima and Peru in general... of course, there are vast differences between my time in Cusco and my time in Lima so I will try to focus most on Lima in this post.

What I love:

• Bodegas: being able to walk 5 minutes around the corner (or literally outside my front door at my old apartment on calle piura) in order to buy my fresh fruits, water, cheese, yogurt, toilet paper, soap or anything else I really need. 
• Living by the coast: being able to be by the malecon and the coast in just 2 blocks is really freeing. It's alot easier to get on my bike or go for a run when I have such beautiful views to look at..it also helps me forget how crowded and suffocating the city can be. 
• Westernized city: I'll admit, as much as I had seeing American brands everywhere (KFC, Pizza hut, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts...etc etc) it is nice to have the luxury of having access to PinkBerry or Starbucks after a long day at work or on a hot summer day. It does make me feel like I'm not in a foreign country though which I dislike... 
• Movie theater: I love that Lima has movie theatres, and the one by parque kennedy is cheap and even has movie night on Tuesdays that cost only S/7. I missed that about Cusco - sometimes you just want to go to the movies for date night (or in my case, it's our Sunday night ritual :)) 
• Friendly people: Although my experience with some Peruvians in Lima has been negative (all the cat-calling and harassing in the street, the overall unfriendliness from Limenos, or the racism of "white" Peruvians vs. colored...) there has been some positive interactions I've had. Girls that have taken me under their wings (Marycruz, Solange, Nataly, Gerardo's sisters) to make sure I was comfortable and felt like I was part of a community. Also many taxi drivers who I've had great conversations with regarding relationships, family, faith, God, etc. etc. Sometimes these chats really inspired me and lifted my whole day. 
• Escuela D1 - My dance studio in Chorrillos... I have really grown to love it there. The teachers are great, and although the classes aren't cheap (S/25/class) they are worth it and I've really gotten to work with some fantastic choreographers and teachers. I'm so blessed to have gotten to join that world there and they have inspired me so much!
• Menu & Food: I love the food in Peru. From pollo a las brasa, to ceviche, arroz con mariscos, La Lucha, lomo saltado, and many other foods, it's something I'll never forget. My favorite are the menu places that cost between S/6 - S/12 for a two course meal + drink. Can't beat that, and that food has always left me more satisfied then the really nice "luxury" restaurants. Go figure! 
• Safety: I don't think there has every really been a time where I have felt in danger in Lima. Granted, whenever I go outside the "bubble" of Miraflores/Barranco, I'm usually with Gerardo so I know I am in good hands. But I have really gained confidence, even going out to Independencia, Chorrillos, and Los Olivos by myself and I've felt safe. I'm glad for this since this was something I was worried about being in such a huge city...
• Fruits & Veggies: The fact that fruits and vegetables are among the cheapest things you can buy around here...besides bread and rice. Back home, at least in Boston, it is so expensive to get good quality fruits and vegetables. I remember spending so much at Whole Foods, Shaws, Trader Joe's, just to get good fruit (never made it too much to the Farmer's Markets...). I love that these healthy things are affordable here!

It's Been Awhile...

I can't believe how long it's been since I last wrote. Since then, lots has happened. I went back home to the US for Christmas & New Years and it was nice to see everyone, although a bit strange since it was my first Christmas home since 2009. I was in Peru the last two years (2011 and 2012) so it was a little weird.


I was ready to come back to Lima though, as the cold weather was killing me, and I was also sick almost the entire time I was home. Lima welcomed me back with hot weather and sun, just what I like :) It was really good to be back, especially since I missed taking dance classes too. I also got promoted to a "Group1" Travel Advisor which basically means I get better requests and better clients to work with. So far it's been working out and I am glad I'm not working with so many "budget" clients these days. Work has been relatively busy which I like since it keeps me motivated. 


A few weeks after coming back to Peru, I had a minor disaster happen to me (which ended up being a blessing in disguise!). I was working a weekend shift at the office, when I came back to my apartment one Sunday afternoon. As I walked in the front door, I heard the sound of pouring water (kind of like a mini waterfall) coming from the hall. As I got closer to my front door, I realized there was water flowing out from the bottom of the door, as well as down the front door from the ceiling. My hands shook as I opened up the front door and as I swung it open, I realized there was about 4 inches of water covering the entire floor in my living room and kitchen. I immediately panicked and grabbed as many things as I could so they wouldn't get ruined. My shoes were floating around the apartment, as well as anything else that was left on the floor. Luckily, the bedroom was barely flooded so our laptops were fine. I ran upstairs and got the help of my neighbors who helped me scoop over 25 buckets of water out of my living room. It turns out my neighbors living directly above me left the water on for the day, and went to the beach. We banged on their door but they weren't there, so the water continued to pour into my apartment through the ceiling. There was paint everywhere and it was a completely mess. My suitcases got soaked, as well as my shoes which are ruined. I am just so happy that my electronics are fine. 


My landlord let me stay in the apartment for 4 free days since I was inconvenienced. After 4 days, they tried repainting the walls but of course nothing was dried out yet so the paint just fell off again. At this point I realized I really just needed to move into a new apartment. When I told the landlord this, he said that was fine but I would have my 4 free days “revoked” since I wasn’t planning on staying, and he was raising the price by $50 if I decided to stay…ugh que mierda. So I frantically started looking for another apartment…my 4^th home in Lima since June… 


I only had 5 or 6 days to find an apartment, and the day I had to move out was a  Sunday. The problem is, the weekly newspaper with all the housing listings comes out on Sunday so I wasn’t able to see any apartments before the day we had to move out. God was definitely on my side with this though, I was so stressed out, and after calling almost 20 apartments, the first apartment that I was able to see that same day, was my dream apartment basically. When I saw the pictures online, I knew it was going to be perfect for me, and it turns out that it was. I went to meet the landlord, and he handed me the keys 15 minutes later. I was so grateful and it seems that it was a blessing in disguise that the flood happened at my old place, because I am so much happier living in this apartment. It is close to my other friends apartments, plus only a few blocks from the ocean. It also has a balcony that overlooks a fountain. Although there is a lot of traffic, the apartment is really nice and open and really homey. I’m so grateful!
 
Besides that, I have been going to physical therapy for my back which is caused by my poor posture at work. Luckily it’s not too expensive (S/30, about $12) for a half hour session and they do a good job. I just wish it would start feeling better! I really need to work on my posture. I also have been taking contemporary and jazz as usual, but jazz is with another teacher since Diana took off for the US for 6 months. Unfortunately now I don’t have the assistant teacher position so I’m back to paying for classes. Wah :(
 
I also participated in a flashmob in Parque Kennedy as well. It was to raise awareness for the “One Billion Rising” campaign (Un Billon de Pie) which is a campaign that is dedicated to stopping violence against woman and children worldwide. It’s an awesome cause and I’m so glad I could be part of it (even though I couldn’t make the rehearsals and didn’t know the choreography…) Diana, the instructor I used to assist for at D1, lead the dancers and it was a fun day. 

Flash Mob Dance

Other than that, I don’t think much else has happened in my life. I spend my free days going to the pool (I joined the JW Marriot gym, and I have free pool access, yay!), working out and dancing. I am trying to fit more travel into my schedule but it’s tough since I work so much. I’m hoping to get some trips to Brazil, Ecuador, the Galapagos, and some other places in the next few months. I have been learning so much during my time here in Peru, and growing alot as a person. I can't believe I've been here over 8 months... time flies!

That’s all for now!

Lunahuana, and life in Lima

Ahh! I've become such a horrible blogger since I moved to Lima. It's hard to keep up when I'm super busy with work, dance, and my social life. I'm still in the same apartment in Miraflores (the 1 bedroom) and it feels good to be in one place for more than 3 months (well, almost 3 months at the end of December). I've really settled in, I bought a bike, and I've been enjoying Lima more, now that the weather has gotten a bit better. It's crazy how much of an effect the sun can have on your day. I notice that I'm much more energetic, happy, and positive I am when it's nice out. When it's grey, I feel tired, sluggish, and I'm usually pretty crabby :( good thing Gerardo has lots of patience for me! 

Anyway, besides work and getting used to making sales, I've also been assistance teaching a Jazz class in Chorrillos. It's awesome because I don't have to pay to take class now! The only downside is the teacher, Diana, is leaving to start her own dance company and won't be with D1 Escuela de Dance next year :( I'm so bummed. I've also been taking a Contemporary class which has really allowed me to let go and relax. I get super tense at work, and contemporary is really out of my element, but allows me to use my technique which is nice. It feels good to start getting back in shape again, although i have a LONG way to go.

Some other highlights of the last few months were my trips to Lunahuana and then my recent trip to Ica and Huachachina with Daloma, Spencer, and Kat, my coworkers. 

Lunahuana

The weekend after Thanksgiving, I had my mind made up to get out of the city and go anywhere. I mean ANYWHERE. Once you are stuck in a city of 10 million people and listen to noise constantly everyday (especially when you're from a small town like Groton, as I am) you start to go a little crazy without some peace and relaxation. So, on a Friday night we packed our bags and got on the next Soyuz bus in the direction of Ica, a city 5 hours from Lima. I had heard Lunahuana was a nice relaxing place, with a rushing river, good food, white water rafting, and SUNSHINE so I figured why not? The only downside was I wasn't really sure how to get there, and all I had was my handy-dandy Lonely Planet book which ended up being all we needed. By the time we got to the Soyuz bus station and got on a bus (the ones that go towards Ica leave literally every 10-15 minutes, and cost less than $15) it was around 8:30pm.

Luckily, we woke up just before the bus stopped in Cañete and grogily stumbled off. I took out my book again and saw that to get to Lunahuana, we had to take a combi (a ghetto mini-van type of public transportation) to Imperial, 10 minutes away, and from there another combi to Lunahuana, another hour away. As we looked around the deserted bus stop of Canete, where hardly anyone got off the bus, we realized we probably missed the cut-off time for combis (it was now almost 11:30pm). We talked to the nearest taxi and negotiated for him to take us to Lunahuana for about $25. Not too bad for a 1 1/2 hour ride through the Andes at midnight. He even gave us a history lesson on the way. I was so happy that I could see the stars for once, and the moon shining down on the Andes mountains. This is the Peru I know and love, and tend to forget about while living in Lima. 

Once we arrived to Lunahuana, it was completely dead, so we took the recommendation of the driver and stayed in a hostal near the main plaza (it was also in my Lonely Planet book so I knew it had to be okay.. haha). The room cost about $15, but was one of the dirtier hostels I had ever stayed in. No toilet seat (squatting  required), no shower curtain, and a rock hard bed. Oh well, we were exhausted anyway so we passed out early. Upon waking up, there was construction going on right outside the building and it felt like they were going to saw right into our room. Needless to say this was NOT how I wanted to spend my "relaxing-weekend-get-away-from-the-huge-city-of-Lima-that-is-full-of-construction-and-noise-everyday". 

We came out of the hostel and walked around until we found an alternative. It was a nicer hotel, definitely a bit more expensive (expensive for Peru is nothing like it is in the states, but still). It had direct access to the river where you could swim, beautiful grounds, a nice (clean) pool, and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It was definitely worth the splurge (and by splurge, I think I spent like $100, tops). I was in heaven. Tranquility (besides the sound of the river, which was fine by me), and beautiful views. Ahhhh. I think I transformed into a different person. After lounging around a bit and getting breakfast, we walked around and decided to do some white-water rafting. I think the rafting cost about $10 each, and we didn't sign any waivers... hm... The rapids were pretty slow but it was still a fun experience. 

After taking an afternoon nap, I was dying to do a horseback riding activity so we went back to the same agency and did ride throughout the town and into the surrounding mountains. The ride was fun, and we even got to run the horses a bit which was something I hadn't done in so long. We rode through some pretty poor areas though and it was a good time for some reflection. That is one thing that I am learning so much from living in Peru: really appreciating what I have and being grateful. 

That night we went to a restaurant recommended by my manager, Ric, and we had some of the best "chupe de camarones" which is crawfish soup. It is creamy and delicious, and the crawfish are fresh out of the river! The restaurant was a bit far out of Lunhuana so we had to take a taxi out there, and on the way back there were no taxis so we walked about 25 minutes before we hitchhiked with a car going by... We also bought some homemade pisco infused with peach which was also delicious ! 

The next day we relaxed by the pool and negotiated for a late check-out so we could relax the whole day. I sunbathed and swam for most of it. After trying cuy (guinea pig) for lunch, we packed up our stuff and took a combi, stuffed with over 15 people, back to Imperial. From there we took another combi to the Soyuz bus station in Canete, and then took the next big bus back to Lima. I was not happy to be back in Lima but I was very refreshed from a nice weekend away from the big city, and a tan (and a million bug bites) to prove it. 

No time to write about my trip to Ica & Huachachina now, but more to come later :)  

3rd Home in Lima

I can't believe it's already October! With the seasons being opposite here in South America, I feel like I often forget what time of year it is since it's so different from the States. Although the weather is still grey most days, it definitely feels warmer, and I haven't had to wear so many layers :) The sun also peaks out more often then not - and people say once it's out, it will be out for good for the summer months (November-March). I can't wait! Now that I've made it through the worst months weather-wise, its good to know I'll be in the clear for awhile enjoying the beach while everyone at home is dealing with cold weather :) 

So, what have I been up to? Hmm... well work has slowed down a bit since we are technically out of the busy season. On one hand, it's nice to not work long hours (9-12 hour days) for late bookers, but on the other hand, some days can be really slow when there are not many requests coming in. Things have been good though, and I'm really enjoying doing sales :) 

As for my living situation, I have moved yet again. Long story short, there was some drama with Danielle's boyfriend and we were basically kicked out of our apartment because of him at the end of September. We only had a week's time to find a new place to live which was VERY stressful since I also had to work. Luckily, I was able to find a 1-bedroom in Miraflores, which is only a few streets away from my good friend Daloma and her boyfriend's apartment. It's a little more expensive then I wanted to pay ($600 everything included) but its kind of nice having my own apartment and space and not having to worry about roommates. I thought I'd feel lonely but I'm enjoying the peace and quiet and not having to worry about who didn't wash the dishes, etc, etc... I guess now I know how my mom feels now that my brothers and I are out of the house! 

All in all, I'm starting to settle in here in Lima, and am thinking to stay here until at least June. For awhile I was stressed thinking about the future, when I was coming home, and my expectations of my family back home. I've finally arrived to a place of more peace, where I'm enjoying where I am and making the best out of my situation here. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but I've made the decision to be here and I'm going to run with it. I had a number of goals I wanted to accomplish/work on while being here so I'm going to write them down here so I can remind myself and keep these things on the forefront as I move forward.

Goals:

*Improve Spanish grammer & vocabulary

*Travel & get to know more places in Peru especially

*Dance! and challenge myself with harder classes especially. 

*Live in the moment. I'm only 23 once so I'm going to start acting like it! :) 

That's about all I got for now. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I'm coming home for Christmas which is exciting! I miss my family and friends so I'm so happy to be able to see them :) 

Hasta luegoo

The Amazon & Machu Picchu

So, just a few weeks ago my mom was here in Peru :) She arrived on September 1st with her boyfriend, Tom, and it was so great to see her. Here's a rundown of our time together in Peru:

Lima. 
Mom & Tom only spent two nights in Lima so that they could spend the majority of their time in Cusco and in the Amazon. The first night I picked them up at the airport around 10pm and we took them to their hotel near Parque Kennedy. We only had time to get some juice at La Lucha before they wanted to go to bed.

Sunday, the next day, was jam-packed with all the things I wanted to show my mom about my life in Peru. We started the day by checking out Parque Kennedy, where we saw a zumba class going on outside. We then moved on to see LarcoMar (the outdoor shopping mall/restaurants located on a cliff in downtown Miraflores) and from there jumped on a "local" bus to get to Barranco. From there I took them to see the best views from my district and the main park. Luckily the sun came out and made Lima look a lot more beautiful than it normally is when it's grey and depressing... 

From there I showed them my apartment. After spending a few hours there, we took a taxi to Parque de Las Aguas, where we walked around and took a bunch of pictures with all the beautiful fountains. From there, we grabbed a pizza at Pizza Hut and called it a night (whew what a long day!)

The Amazon - Puerto Maldonado 
The very next morning, I woke up at 5:30am to get to mom & Tom's hotel by 6am to get a ride to the airport. We took a flight from Lima to Puerto Maldonado (with a stop in Cusco) and once we got off the flight it was scorching hot and SO humid. We were met by our tour guide, Jaime, who took us to the jungle office to drop off the luggage that would not be coming to the jungle lodge with us. From there, we took a 45 minute bus to the dock, and then a 2 hour boat ride down the river to our jungle lodge, Refugio Amazonas.On the boat, we were given lunch which was fried rice wrapped in a banana leaf :) oh and boxed peach juice, of course.

Our lodge was so cool. Our room only had three walls, and the third wall was open to the jungle. Our beds had mosquito nets over them, but at night the jungle was so loud that it felt like we were outside (well, we kind of were). The walls were made of bamboo and we had curtains for doors which was interesting. We also had a hammock right in our room which was awesome! We spent 4 days and 3 nights in the jungle doing a variety of tours such as observing clay licks (watching Macaws, parrots, wild pigs, etc eat the clay), night hikes, night watch to see the Caimans, swimming in the amazon, climbing a canopy tour to watch the sunrise of the tree tops, and a variety of other activities. 

We spent nights relaxing in the lodge, eating local food, and enjoying happy hour cocktails :) We were so exhausted from every-day activities provided at the lodge that we were passed out by 9pm and up at 5am in the mornings to begin the next day's activities. Although it was exhausting it was a cool experience and we saw a variety of animals including ant-eaters, sloths, monkeys, macaws, caimens, parrots, wild pigs, and a number of other animals. 

Cusco
After leaving Puerto Maldonado, we flew to Cusco. Getting off the plane in Cusco, I felt at home again. I really love that city and it has so much charm and culture it's hard to forget. The sun was shining when we landed, and the sky was bright blue. Upon arrival to our hotel, Casa San Blas, we all went up to the balcony to have some Cocoa tea and relax. That night, after relaxing a bit, we went to Papa Pacha for dinner which was nice. We also went out to Inkateam and danced some salsa. It brought back so many memories to be back in the same places that I spent so much time in two years ago when I lived in Cusco. It was great to see old friends and faces and catch up. 

Sacred Valley
The next day, we left in the morning to head off to the Sacred Valley. We stayed in Casa Andina Private Collection there, which had amazing scenery but was pretty remote and not near the down-town Urubamba area. Later on, we went downtown for some dinner (12 sol pollo y papas at a local place, not bad). We then came back to the hotel to drink some wine, and the hotel wanted to charge us 35 soles to open our wine so Tom somehow figured out how to open the wine with a nail clipper and a tooth brush... nevertheless, it worked and we had two bottles of wine and enjoyed conversation and looking up at the cloudless sky full of stars (living in Lima, its been a very long time since I've seen the stars). 

Machu Picchu
The next day, we woke up early to eat breakfast and catch our ride to the train station in Ollytaytambo. After an hour and a half train ride, we arrived to Aguas Calientes, and took the bus up to Machu Picchu. It was amazing being back there, but there were many more tourists this time around which I did not enjoy :( The last time I went with my mom it was not crowded at all and it felt more magical in a way. Nevertheless, our tour was great, and our tour guide Fabricio was phenomenal. After the tour we had lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge, explored the ruins a bit more, took about 200 photos, and then headed back down to Aguas Calientes to find our hotel and have dinner. 

Huayna Picchu
The next morning, we woke up around 5:30am to have breakfast and get up to Machu Picchu in time for our Huayna Picchu hike. Unfortunately it was raining pretty hard which was disheartening, especially since the rainy season doesn't usually begin so early in the Andes. Once we got up to Machu Picchu around 7:30am, the rain had stopped but the fog was still pretty thick which made Machu Picchu look pretty mystical. We did the hike up to the Huayna Picchu peak which took us around an hour. The view from the top was still breathtaking even though the fog made it hard to see the ruins. It is an incredible feeling to be sitting above the clouds :) When climbed down and it began to pour so we were grateful we had gotten the hike in beforehand. We still got completely soaked, but luckily had some dry clothes to change into once we got back down to Aguas Calientes. We then had lunch and took the train back to Cusco.

Cusco
Our last day in Cusco, we spent wandering around and enjoying the city. We had lunch with my good friend Jhon, which was nice :) In the evening, we all went out to dinner with my good friend from home, Emily, who I've known for years. From there, we all went out to InkaTeam to celebrate the last night. We didn't end up staying out too late though because we were all exhausted from all the travels we had done. 

The next morning we flew back to Lima and after dropping off my mom and Tom in Barranco, I had to go to work to answer about 200 emails in my inbox. They spent the afternoon in Barranco then took a cab back to the airport to get a flight out that night. All in all it was a fantastic trip together and we had a great time. While it was hard to say goodbye, I look forward to traveling more during my time here in Peru.

That's all for now, hasta luego :)

Mi Vida Peruana

Holaaa here I am still surviving in Peru, finally getting over the changes and finally getting used to my life here. As I had suspected, I knew that the beginning of my move would be "easier" than the second and third month. And I was right. The first month I was very involved with my new job (I will am, I am turning into a work-a-holic) but after the first initial month is when a wave of home-sickness hit me. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I missed home, my family and friends, and my life in general. Not to mention, it doesn't help that the weather here SUCKS right now. It is Winter until September and everyday is grey and overcast and chilly. I actually prefer that it rain over this weather. When it "rains" here, it really just mists which, to me, is not rain. I'm not going to lie, going on facebook and seeing everyone enjoying their summer days, laying in the sun and drinking on patios made it even harder for me to be far away. I have to say, my extended family (my uncles and brothers especially) teased me by Skyping and Facetime-ing me from my grandma's lake-house. I just keep telling myself that when they are 2 feet deep in snow I will be laying on the beach, which is oh-by-the-way one block from my house. So I'll try to re-cap the last two months.

I'm an Official TA :)
By the middle of July, I had passed my oral exam to become an official Travel Advisor for Latin America for Less. It was almost 2 1/2 hours long and I had studied pretty extensively and I am so glad it's over with. Since then, I have been working decently long hours because we have a lot of work to get done. We are constantly getting new requests and working with new clients. One thing that keeps me sane at the office are my co-workers. The environment is really relaxed and I really love the people I work with. They have a sense of humor and it helps keep the stress level a bit lower. Everyone seems really close and I hope to be able to go out more with everyone. It's tough when I'm not motivated because I'm so exhausted from work... 

Back to the job... Luckily, we do not do any cold-calling so that's one nice thing about my job. Another thing I like alot is that I am never bored. I always have work to do, and if I don't, I'm  receiving more requests from my manager. So far I've sold about 4 or 5 trips :) I've also done 13 airport transfers this month... some at 4:30am and some at midnight... we get $50 for each transfer we do so I try to take advantage as much as I can although some days I'd much rather be sleeping after a long day at the office...

New Home in Barranco :)
Enough about work (who wants to read about work anyway?) I have finally moved into my "own" apartment in Barranco, Lima. Barranco is a cute, "artsy" neighborhood in Lima which is next to the popular Miraflores district. It has a lot of personality, and it feels less stuck up then Miraflores. There's also a lot of creative graffiti everywhere which I enjoy reading on the daily. I live with my friend Danielle, who I met in Cusco 2 years ago. She is now working at Latin America for Less as well, since I convinced her to stay in Lima a bit longer than she had planned. I am really glad that we searched in Barranco and didn't give up. We had to live in a hostel (well two different ones) for over a week before we found a place to settle. The land-lady is in the states and is trying to sell the place, but she told us we can live here through October so that at least gives us some time to look for another place. It's so nice to be settled and to not live in a room in someone else's house. As much as they say "our house is your house" it doesn't feel your own until you feel responsible for it. 

The apartment is beautiful (a bit more expensive than I was looking to pay, but it's worth it). It's got tons of windows and lets alot of light in (although the sun won't shine for another month). I finally have a room with a bed bigger than a twin bed which is a miracle in itself (I spent 5 years in college with a twin bed and everyone always made fun of me..). I also have my own bathroom which is amazing, although everything is always so wet and mold grows easily on EVERYTHING. We constantly have to clean and keep doors open while we shower so the water/steam doesn't help the mold grow. We also have our own laundry unit which is really nice. Oh, and as I mentioned before, we are 1 block from the Malecon which is where the coast is. We are also 4 blocks from the super-market and super close to the combis that take us to work. All in all, I'm really happy with the location and it feels more like home than I ever felt in Miraflores. 


Life in Lima
Besides the weather, my life in Lima is good. I have been trying to get into a routine with dance, and also have been trying my hand at cooking. I'm not very good, but I like practicing :)

On Mondays and Wednesdays I have been taking a jazz class at D1 Escuela de Dance in Chorillos which is about 10 minutes by bus from my apartment. It has been a huge stress reliever for me, and I hope to continue and do a larger variety of classes at D1 Escuela.  I'm learning really quickly that everyone has their outlet, and when they don't use it, it's hard to function in life. I am a much happier person when I'm dancing so I definitely plan to continue that.

Anyway, I think I've written enough to fill everyone in on what I've been up to. I plan to write more about Lima/Peru in the upcoming blogs. My mom is arriving to Lima tonight with her boyfriend, Tom, and I'm so excited to see her! She is spending the day in Lima tomorrow. After that, we are off to the Jungle and Machu Picchu :) I will be sure to update my blog on the trip once I am back.

Hasta luego chicos :)

2 1/2 Weeks in Lima

So it's been about two and a half weeks since I arrived in the city of Lima, and in some ways its flying by and in other ways it feels like I've been here forever. 

Luckily, I was able to move into an apartment only a day after I arrived. I had been emailing with a girl named Teresa that posted an ad on expat peru and I came by to see their apartment and moved in on the same day. It's a bit expensive for what I wanted to be paying living in Lima ($400/month) but I figured it was a good starting point because its a safe building and its in downtown Lima. My roommates are super nice and friendly, and have made my transition a lot easier on me. They also have a dog named Hatchi who's great :) The district is called Miraflores and from here I can take the bus to work which takes about 10 minutes on the bus + 15 minutes of walking...or just a 40 minute walk. I'm hoping that in the next two weeks I'll be able to find my own apartment with a coworker so I can start making my "home" in Lima rather than just renting a room in someone else's place. Although I have to say it is really nice to have three roommates since it can get kind of lonely not knowing many people in such a gigantic city.

As of today, I’m 2 weeks and 2 days into my training as a Travel Advisor for Latin America for Less. It's crazy to think of how much information I have learned in the last two and a half weeks. Basically my training has consisted of learning all the ins and outs of the company, learning the process of projects, how to use all the excel spreadsheets to do price matching and itineraries, and how to quote packages and hotels to clients. And most of all, I've been learning about all the countries we sell - Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Costa Rica. It's like being in college all over again. Normally, the first 3 hours of my day consist of studying a handful of destinations in a given country (for example, today I studied the Amazon, Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, Chiclayo, Trujillo and other cities in Peru). Not only do we learn the destination, but we are required to know all of our "top pick" hotels for three, four, and five star hotels, why they are top picks, where exactly they are located, and what makes them special. I'm starting to feel like an encyclopedia but I like it because its all about travel which I'm passionate about. After being quizzed on the destinations by my trainer, I usually have some kind of class to learn about operations of the company, etc and then I work on fake itineraries or shadow other TAs during the day. 

Lucky for me, I'm not the only new one this month. There's two other TA's, Mark and Matt who started a week or two ahead of me. It definitely takes the pressure off knowing that I'm not the only one who doesn't know what they're doing. The office environment is really chill and its interesting to see how everyone has similar backgrounds...either studied or lived abroad before in South America, and came back down because they missed it so much. Many people are from the US, but also some from Canada, Europe and Peru as well. Between the 40 of us, it feels like a close-knit family and even after only a few weeks I'm feeling comfortable there. My AGM also has a puppy that hangs out at the office which makes life a little better too :) Oh, and we have a cook that comes in everyday and cooks us a two-course lunch for 8 soles (about $3) so I haven't even had to worry about cooking myself many meals. 

Besides work, I haven't been doing too much else mostly because I've been so exhausted from working 9am-6pm everyday. I'm hoping to start taking some dance and zumba classes soon though so I can get into a good routine. It's definitely weird working a 9-6pm job when I'm used to working crazy hours in a restaurant back home.

Hopefully the next time I write there will be more interesting stuff to write about but that's all I got for now :) 

Hasta luego.

Moving to Lima, Perú

After returning to the states two years ago after living abroad, I'm now a recent college graduate, and am preparing to move to Lima, Peru for a year-long contract with a company called Latin America for Less. There, I'll be working as a travel advisor doing sales and making itineraries for people interested in traveling to Central and South America.

It's crazy that after 3 month-long trips back to Lima, Peru in the last two years, I'll finally be staying in the city for an extended amount of time. While it's going to be hard leaving behind family and friends again, I'm excited for a new challenge and a chance to improve my Spanish, and live in another foreign city.

Preparing for this trip is definitely different than my first trip abroad, as I am less nervous about communicating in Spanish and not knowing anyone beforehand. Lucky for me, I have a handful of good friends in the city of Lima, and there are lots of young adults working in same office as me so hopefully  I won't have trouble meeting people and making Lima my new home. I think the biggest issue for me right now is packing and trying to decide whats coming with me and what to leave behind...

Hasta luego :)