Blogs from Arequipa, Peru, South America - page 17

I am writing this entry sat almost alone in the worlds deepest canyon, the Colca. Valley, high in the Andres at 3500 meters. Snow capped mountains and volcanos in the distance. lush green valley wall and far below me a river of which I can just here its sound. Above me two Condors are circling, catching the thermals created by the sun and the valley. Thirty minutes ago there were over 200 tourists here.but they have now left and it's just me and the magnificent, butt ugly Condors. Oh and Peruvian women selling their wares, and they don't count.So what made me get out of my pit at the unholy hour of 2.45am following a great barbecue the night before? Condors and apparently ... read more

Some things you may not know about Peru. The Incas were originally Japonese monks. The Inca civilisation invented ink. Peru means share the love. Peru is home to only 3 people. I find it har... read more

Alright folks I went to Machu Picchu. AH-MA-ZING!!! I now understand what the big deal was all about. Seriously, incredible, I mean words don't even describe it... the history, the views, it's just-- majestic. I would say it definitely counts as something you should do before you die (not to be morbid haha). I went with little Julia, the younger Julia (not my roommate) that was actually living in the Home. I'll be sure to post pictures. On the way to Machu Picchu, you pass through the city of Cusco, it's like included in any tour you purchase. Super cute city. It's very different from Arequipa; it's colder, and wetter but also greener. It was awesome, it was really touristy, but it was still fun to explore somewhere new. Did some serious shopping... get excited ;) ... read more

We arrived at Hostel Santa Catalina at about 7:30 in the morning. And this is something we have not really talked about, but is worth mentioning here. The check-in/check-out process/times for hostels is remarkable. You could never check in to a hotel in the US at 7:30 in the morning. It just is not an option. Santa Catalina, however, had a room pretty much ready to go for us. I am assuming the room had been occupied by people who went out on one of the early morning tours (read as early as 2:00 AM). The hostel setup was really nice with great views from the rooftop deck. We soaked those in before setting off on a self tour of the city. One of our Peru books had a short walking tour that highlighted the 18th ... read more

Hey folks, Happy Woman's Day! I didn't even know that day existed. Oops.. but they celebrate it here for sure. Ok-- that was from a saved blog I had started. Woman's Day is actually on March 9th.. haha. Remember when I said in my last blog, I'm going to try to blog more often and give you more information. Here goes for real this time. The Job Alright I currently have a job! I work in the mornings and some evenings and I'm at the Home in the afternoons (most afternoons). I teach English. I taught myself how to teach, probably not the best profesora in the world, but it works! Julia my roommate has helped me a lot as well. She’s very encouraging, and gives me ideas for my students. My classes are very small, ... read more