September 12, 2009
the sacred valley
I´m going to Machu Picchu tomorrow and I can´t decide if I want to walk all the way up (like 1700 Incan stairs) or take the bus. We shall see. Today at 3:30pm we take the train to Aguas Calientes for the night and come back to Ollantaytambo tomorrow around 3ish. I need to do some serious shopping still. I have a couple things but need more! I only have one more week here and then I´ll be seeing all of you again! Hasta pronto!
September 11, 2009
welcome to the jungle
Hello friends,
The last few days have been busy traveling days. I spent some of last week in the Amazon and it was amazing! I was literally IN the Amazon river. We decided to go swimming in a little town called Infierno, which means ¨hell.¨I thought it was funny. We stayed at an ecoLodge there and our rooms literally looked out into the jungle. If you want to look at pictures it is called Posada Amazonas near Puerto Maldonado. We saw monkeys, macaws, bugs, cabibarra, birds, bugs, and bugs. It was fantastic. Now I´m in a place called Ollantaytambo, which is right outside of Machu Picchu. I will be going there on Sunday. I saw some ruins today and it was freaking amazing! We were in Cusco last night and it was a really cool town. I can´t wait to go back there and do some shopping! Just so you all know, Pisco, the local alcohol is GREAT. A pisco sour tastes like a margharita only better. No joke. A met an older woman today from the UK who lives here in Ollantaytambo (yes, that takes me a while to type) and she is doing nonprofit work for the local women, teaching them about contraception and giving them birth control. They give them Depo because pills are too hard. She also helps with getting food for the local children who have to walk 3 hours downhill to get to school and most never eat, then they have to walk 3 hours back uphill. She´s an amazing lady.
Lastly, I´d like to say: GO KASEY KAHNE! He´s 6th in the points race right now! By the way, my group leader has nicknames for everyone and mine is ¨NASCAR,¨I like it.
That´s all for now amigos! Adios!
The last few days have been busy traveling days. I spent some of last week in the Amazon and it was amazing! I was literally IN the Amazon river. We decided to go swimming in a little town called Infierno, which means ¨hell.¨I thought it was funny. We stayed at an ecoLodge there and our rooms literally looked out into the jungle. If you want to look at pictures it is called Posada Amazonas near Puerto Maldonado. We saw monkeys, macaws, bugs, cabibarra, birds, bugs, and bugs. It was fantastic. Now I´m in a place called Ollantaytambo, which is right outside of Machu Picchu. I will be going there on Sunday. I saw some ruins today and it was freaking amazing! We were in Cusco last night and it was a really cool town. I can´t wait to go back there and do some shopping! Just so you all know, Pisco, the local alcohol is GREAT. A pisco sour tastes like a margharita only better. No joke. A met an older woman today from the UK who lives here in Ollantaytambo (yes, that takes me a while to type) and she is doing nonprofit work for the local women, teaching them about contraception and giving them birth control. They give them Depo because pills are too hard. She also helps with getting food for the local children who have to walk 3 hours downhill to get to school and most never eat, then they have to walk 3 hours back uphill. She´s an amazing lady.
Lastly, I´d like to say: GO KASEY KAHNE! He´s 6th in the points race right now! By the way, my group leader has nicknames for everyone and mine is ¨NASCAR,¨I like it.
That´s all for now amigos! Adios!
September 5, 2009
one week down, two to go
I´m now in Huaraz and will be leaving tonight. The reason I haven´t posted in a few days is because I was in a little mountain town called Vicos. There was little running water and so no internet. Most people spoke only Quechua or Spanish so my speaking skills are improving everyday, which is really exciting! I´ve been eating potatoes for every meal and luckily I haven´t gotten sick...yet. Most people in my group have gotten a flu thing which I´m trying really hard to avoid. Tonight we head to the jungle. I´m excited because the longer I sit here in Huaraz the more homesick I get. I miss you all and hope that all is well. If you want to look it up the name of the town I´m going to is Puerto Maldonado. Oh, let me share a magical moment with you. While the rest of my group hiked to the top of the largest mountain I´ve every seen, I stayed behind and gazed at the Andes while my babysitter, Manuel, played his flute for me. Now, please go listen to ¨Come Fly With Me¨by Frank Sinatra for me so you know what I´m talking about.
xoxo
xoxo
August 30, 2009
in llama land
Hello TFPeople and friends!
I am safe and sound in Lima, Peru. Our flight out of Atlanta was WAY delayed because we had to debark and completely switch planes. The air conditioning was broken. I tried to take a shower this morning which was difficut because I had to keep my mouth shut so water wouldn´t get in. No diarrhea for me...yet. We toured Lima today and it was so fascinating. We went down into some tombs and I totally felt like Indiana Jone´s assistant! I don´t have much time right now because we are going to go explore the area of Barranco where I stayed last night. I finally put my Spanish skills to work in the cabs we took and it was amazing. We are headed to a village tonight so don´t expect any posts soon. Sorry this one was so short!
I am safe and sound in Lima, Peru. Our flight out of Atlanta was WAY delayed because we had to debark and completely switch planes. The air conditioning was broken. I tried to take a shower this morning which was difficut because I had to keep my mouth shut so water wouldn´t get in. No diarrhea for me...yet. We toured Lima today and it was so fascinating. We went down into some tombs and I totally felt like Indiana Jone´s assistant! I don´t have much time right now because we are going to go explore the area of Barranco where I stayed last night. I finally put my Spanish skills to work in the cabs we took and it was amazing. We are headed to a village tonight so don´t expect any posts soon. Sorry this one was so short!
August 26, 2009
2 days
I will be leaving for Peru in about 2 days and I'm starting to get really nervous. I just got my updated itinerary and before, when I read it I would get extremely excited, but now I get anxiety. Hopefully it's more excitement than dread. Either way I have a new bottle of chill pills so I'll be covered. I'll be packing up the rest of my stuff tomorrow and then I'll be ready for my early morning flight on Saturday.
August 13, 2009
a coming adventure
I'm leaving for Peru in 16 days. I've decided that instead of trying to write a million individual emails I'm going to log my adventures here. I'll have Internet access all but 4 out of the 22 days I'm down there, so I should be able to be consistent. I hope I can write you something worth reading.
February 12, 2009
February 9, 2009
total eclipse
Josh Groban was on Ellen today. HYSTERICAL! He's funny, she's funny. I need to meet him. Watch and see why. Love, love, love.
February 7, 2009
23?
Disney's new campaign is Are You 23? I discovered it on the Disney website by accident. I wanted to see what their new promotions are because I will be in Disneyland soon. I was taken to a page where huge letters reading "Are you 23?" flashed onto the screen. Then Tinker Bell flew onto the screen and numbers appeared counting down to March 10. I thought I was missing something so I Googled the phrase and it turns out that nobody knows what this is about.
I really don't think it has to do with age because there is a place for you to enter your email address to "Be the first to know." This makes me think that you either have to qualify somehow or be the 23rd person to...something.
There were some interesting theories about DVD releases and that the Disney brothers started making cartoons in 1923. There are also some really far fetched guesses like 2 + 3 = 5 so that means a fifth park will be opening. The Disney Company is doing a really good job keeping this one a secret and therefore creating intrigue. I know I'm interested. I'm hoping it has something to do with the parks because it will hopefully benefit my up coming trip!
Not to mention 23 is my most favorite number...
I'm thinking about doing some research to see if I can come up with any viable guesses.
I really don't think it has to do with age because there is a place for you to enter your email address to "Be the first to know." This makes me think that you either have to qualify somehow or be the 23rd person to...something.
There were some interesting theories about DVD releases and that the Disney brothers started making cartoons in 1923. There are also some really far fetched guesses like 2 + 3 = 5 so that means a fifth park will be opening. The Disney Company is doing a really good job keeping this one a secret and therefore creating intrigue. I know I'm interested. I'm hoping it has something to do with the parks because it will hopefully benefit my up coming trip!
Not to mention 23 is my most favorite number...
I'm thinking about doing some research to see if I can come up with any viable guesses.
winter quotes
Sorry I haven't been posting. This should make you feel better.
"It's not quite sex, drugs, and rock n' roll but it's close" ~Archaeology Professor
"I think we can all agree that we don't want our sex organs on the ground." ~Bio Prof
"There's an egg and a sperm...and a magic moment occurs." ~Bio Prof
"I'm just teaching you how to be obnoxious and smart without really knowing anything." ~Bio Prof
"Students really seem to love multiple multiple choice exams, so that's what we'll be doing." ~Bio Prof (That's total bull by the way. Students HATE multiple multiple choice)
"I know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato. That was my pick up line in college." ~Bio Prof
"Ok I promised you some sex. We're getting there." ~Bio Prof
My biology professor has a stutter and I never find it funny until he gets stuck on the word "because" because it makes me think of the Wizard of Oz.
"Now I know I have a stutter and it can be problematic so if you don't understand what I'm saying just be like 'Hey Jeff, too many syllables not enough words.'"
"It's not quite sex, drugs, and rock n' roll but it's close" ~Archaeology Professor
"I think we can all agree that we don't want our sex organs on the ground." ~Bio Prof
"There's an egg and a sperm...and a magic moment occurs." ~Bio Prof
"I'm just teaching you how to be obnoxious and smart without really knowing anything." ~Bio Prof
"Students really seem to love multiple multiple choice exams, so that's what we'll be doing." ~Bio Prof (That's total bull by the way. Students HATE multiple multiple choice)
"I know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato. That was my pick up line in college." ~Bio Prof
"Ok I promised you some sex. We're getting there." ~Bio Prof
My biology professor has a stutter and I never find it funny until he gets stuck on the word "because" because it makes me think of the Wizard of Oz.
"Now I know I have a stutter and it can be problematic so if you don't understand what I'm saying just be like 'Hey Jeff, too many syllables not enough words.'"
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