So, it has been quite a while since I last updated! I am now home safe and sound from my 6-month amazing adventure, but I have a lot to write about! I will start with our last group trip to Arequipa, and then I will write entries about travels with my sister and my last days in Lima.
We left for the long bus-ride to Arequipa from Lima the Friday after finals ended, Friday December 4th. I went on the trip as a way to celebrate the end of finals and our last trip together with my Holy Cross friends Meredith, Meg, and Peter as well as our two Peruvian friends Guillermo and Luis (Chuliso). The bus ride was a little longer than expected due to many stops at bus stations along the way, and we finally arrived in Arequipa after 20 hours on the bus! The trip was very interesting and as we got closer to Arequipa the roads were winding through mountains and had some nice views.
When we got to Arequipa on Saturday morning we went to the Plaza de Armas and from there found a hostal for the night. The plaza was really big and pretty and all the buildings there were made of white volcanic rock called sillar. We walked around and found a tour agency to do a treck of the Colca Canyon starting the next day, Sunday. After lunch, we visited the convent of Santa Catalina which is an old little village-like convent and then browsed a few markets. I caught a mass in a smaller cathedral right next to the plaza and we all had dinner together. After that we all went to bed early, because we had to wake up at 3am the next morning!
La Catedral en La Plaza de Armas
On Sunday morning we all woke up at 3am and were ready when our guide, Angel, picked us up. We drove for 6 hours, stopping when we got to a look-out point on the canyon. The Colca Canyon is supposedly the deepest canyon in the world, and it was absolutely beautiful. The look-out point was called Mirador del Condor and we could see a huge condor bird in the distance. From there we could see how deep the canyon actually is. We then proceeded on to a small town on the edge of the canyon called Cabanaconde where we had lunch and then headed out on our treck. We walked to the edge of the canyon and looked out onto where we would be walking, braced ourselves for a long walk ahead, and started our decent. We walked for about 4 or more hours weaving down the canyon on a path until we finally reached the bottom. We all were exhausted and rested at the river in the bottom and took in some beautiful views. But not for long! Angel told us we needed to keep going because the sun was setting and we did not want to get stuck in the canyon in the dark. We kept on walking, across the bridge and along the canyon this time going up and across. After what seemed like days and barely making it before darkness we got to the little canyon town where we stayed in a little stone hostal. It was a difficult day, especially since I was not feeling well, and we all rested well than night.
Trecking en el cañon de colca
The next day we started out early and walked further across the inside of the canyon for about 2 hours until we reached the oasis! The oasis was a little town at the base of the canyon that had beautiful blue pools. We got to take a break, rest, and cool off in the pools because the sun was very strong in the canyon. Of course, I got sun-burned pretty badly! After resting and eating lunch, it was time for the 3 to 4-hour ascent. Guillermo, Chuliso, and I decided that we would probably not be able to make it to the top before sunset so we opted to take mules up instead of walking. I have never ridden a horse before, let along a mule, and it was an interesting experience. It was kind of fun, and the views were amazing, but I had to hold on tightly so that I wouldn't fall off! Chuliso, Guillermo, and I made it to the top and then waiting for the hikers who proudly made it to the top a little while after. We had a nice dinner together that night and Angel, who turned out to be a great guide, ended up telling us some spooky ghost stories from his experiences in the canyon.
Guillermo con su mula en el cañon
The next day, Monday, we left Cabanaconde for Chivay, a larger village on the way to Arequipa. We took a bus with some of the local people who were going to Chivay for a religious celebration of one of the saints. The typical dress of the women in the Arequipa area was my favorite from the typical dress I have seen in Peru. They were beautiful dresses and hats that are covered with brightly-colored embroidery. When we got to Chivay, we went to the hot springs there. They are a group of pools overlooking the mountains, but the pools are filled with naturally hot water from the water under the mountains. We were told that the sulfur in the water is what makes it hot. It was a nice, relaxing way to end our strenuous hike. We had lunch in Chivay and took the bus to Arequipa, from where we took the bus to Lima. After a long nights journey Tuesday night, we arrived back in Lima in Wednesday, content from a really nice trip together.
Los baños termales en Chivay
The rest of my week was busy with last-minute good-byes, Christmas shopping, and a bit of packing. On Wednesday, Meredith, Jen, and I met our Spanish teacher for lunch and to say our good-byes. It was the first of many good-byes and it left us all feeling unsettled at the idea of saying good-bye to so many people we had become close to over the last 5+ months. On Thursday Meg and I went for a run in the parks overlooking the ocean for one last time. Meredith's sister was visiting so I met up with the two of them and some of the other girls for lunch in Miraflores before going to my volunteer work at La Posadita del Buen Pastor one last time. It was pretty sad to say good-bye to the kids, since I had grown pretty close to them over the 4 months of my volunteer work, and they all made little good-bye cards for me.
La clase mayor de niños en La Posadita
La clase menor de niños en La Posadita
On Friday morning I went into the hospital for my last day. It was also very hard to say good-bye to all my friends in the hospital, and I made sure to get many pictures, especially with Lady and Anderson. Much to my surprise, my dear friend Josselin was not in her bed in the neumology wing. I was informed that she went home because she was feeling better! After 4 months of always working with Josselin and then hearing from another teacher that Josselin was probably going to die soon, I was overjoyed to hear that she was actually doing better and went home! I know that she has cystic fibrosis and will probably run into future health problems, but I am so happy that at least for now she is doing better. It was sad that I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to her, but I left her a note with a little bracelet I had bought her from Arequipa. Josselin was a very significant part of my experience volunteering in the hospital and I learned a lot from her positive attitude and her friendship. It was sad for me to leave the hospital for the last time and say good-bye to the other teachers, but I am so lucky to have had such a meaningful experience volunteering there. I will carry the memories with me for the rest of my life.
Con Anderson y la otra Josselyn en el Hospital
Con Lady en el Hospital
Con todos los voluntarios del viernes en el Hospital del Niño
After the hospital on Friday morning, I went to a get-together that my chorus had planned as a going away party for me. We all went to one of the group member, Alejandra's, apartment to chat and play board games. It was nice to hang out with the chorus members outside of school, and it was another sad good-bye. Later that night all of our friends got together in Meg and Jen's house before going to a discoteca to celebrate Jen's 20th birthday and to go out together one last time before everyone started traveling and going their own ways. It was great to have all of our friends together - exchange students, the girls from our house, the HC group, our Peruvian friends - but at the same time it was really sad to say my good-bye to many of the people at the end of the night.
Despidiendo a la PUCP
Despedida con los chicos del coro Voces en Christo
Todos celebrando el cumple de Jen y la gran despedida
The next day I met up with Meg and our friend Luisa from our Peruvian Social Reality group to have breakfast. I then said my good-byes to Luisa and to Meg, because Meg and Jen left that afternoon on a bus ride to the beaches in northern Peru. Meredith had left that morning for Cusco. The rest of the day I spent packing for the trip with my sister and organizing my things. That night Guillermo and I went to the airport to pick up my sister and she finally came out of the exit over an hour later than expected! We found out that her luggage had been lost in Miami, but luckily it arrived the next day, Sunday, right before our flight to Argentina! Christy and I slept in my home in Lima that night, had breakfast with my family, and left for out flight to Arentina to begin our adventure!
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