Finally Home!

Although I am very sad to have left Peru, it is nice to be typing this with a full belly of deep dish Chicago pizza and wet hair from a very warm, nicely pressurized shower. For my last morning in Cusco, I awoke to people shooting off yellow confetti in the streets. I am unsure why; I was getting mixed responses (plus some that I honestly just could not understand). However, I got out and walked around one final time. I had wanted to try to get to Mass this weekend, but it was not possible. So, I wandered around the plethora of churches again and just took in the mountain air and beautiful sunshine that was unavailable most of the time in Lima.

Thus began my horrific trip home. I felt like I was acting out scenes from various movies such as "The Terminal" and "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" but without the humor of John Candy and Steve Martin or the soothing charisma of Tom Hanks. Anyway, my flight from Cusco landed at 1 pm. I was scheduled to leave Lima at 11. I could not, however, check in my luggage again until about 7:30. So, my many hours were spent going through my pictures, dealing with the WiFi issues at Starbucks, fixing Mo's frozen Nook that I had borrowed, and befriending tons of strangers.

Everyone I met who was a Peruvian thanked me for how I chose to spend my time in Peru. I don't need their gratitude, but it feels wonderful to know I have it. This is a country in great need, and I so wish I could have done more. Other times, I feel helpless and overwhelmed with the dire reality for many of these wonderful people. And, I feel utterly pathetic this instant that I am relishing in the aftermath of a warm shower after returning from a country in which running water is often a luxury. I always tell my students that their actions are like tiny pebbles that can start ripples that will spread beyond their wildest imaginations or intentions, and this can be for good or bad. I know that I can take what I have experienced and share it with others. My students will call it yet again one of Miss Kahl's "life lessons." But, although I am daunted by the insurmountable work yet to be done in Peru and in so, so many other places around the world, I feel that it only takes me to get one other person to go out and try volunteering for themselves. From there, the ripples will spread. I talked at great length with a college student from Florida I met on the train back from Machu Picchu. She was excited about my experience, and she wrote down CCS's website. That's a start, and trust me when I say this will be carried into every class I teach at Pekin High. Fellow teachers, instead of academic trips maybe we need to be doing more missionary work??? Who's with me?

I hate that I am about to sound whiny after going on an altruistic kick to just turn it around to selfish complaints. However, after amusing myself in the Lima airport for 10 hours, I boarded a very uncomfortable plane for the 5 1/2 flight to Fort Lauderdale. Upon arrival in Florida, we realized we were one of several flights in at the same time. So, I had 55 minutes before my plane left. I spent 15 minutes in the line for customs, another 15 looking for my bag to be told they switched half of our flight's luggage to the other carousel, then came another agonizing 10 minutes in line with border control. So, I had 15 minutes to recheck my luggage, get through security, and run like hell to my gate. Sadly, because I was "looking antsy" as the Homeland Security agent told me, I was pulled aside for a body scan and a wand-down. I guess it never occurred to him that it could be because my flight was going to be leaving without me that I might look physically upset. As I ran to the gate, I approached just in time to see the door of the plane close. A Spirit Air employee came out and looked at me and another girl (Emily from Chicago) who had just run up and said, "Sorry. Once the door is closed, it's closed." We watched for 5 full minutes as the plane sat there before backing up to get to the runway. I wanted to cry.

So, thus started the very long line at the Spirit Airlines counter. There were at least 30 of us in line, and the lady got a call that they were sending up 17 more who missed their connections. She was unsympathetic. When a woman from a Baptist missions trip looked at all of us and told us that this too had a purpose in life and pointed to heaven, the Peruvian man behind me yelled, "Jesus Christ! The purpose is obviously that we never fly Spirit again!" It was chaos. The lady put Emily and I on standby for a 4 pm flight but confirmed us on an 8:15 pm flight. When we asked her what our chances were, she replied, "I would say 50/50. I mean we do seem to have alot of misconnections." Duh... I looked at my watch that read 6:15 am Florida time, and I knew I was in for a long day. An elderly couple who had taught at Princeton befriended me and gave me the idea to go the art museum downtown. But, I just couldn't muster any enthusiasm for even that (I love any museum!). So, I found an outlet and said a prayer of gratitude that I had my laptop, the Nook, and my iPod with me. I sat there all day, making new friends, getting my pictures uploaded and ordered (thank you Walgreens), soothing unaccompanied minors who were nervous about their flights (honestly, I had no idea this many children were sent on planes by themselves. The one girl was only 6 for crying out loud!), and called my family members. I finally got to talk to Dad! The elusive man had me worried as my phone calls went unheeded before. He talked at length about how he has been fixing my shed and about how much he truly loves my cats. Okay, so I say he loves them, but come on..he talked about them for five minutes, and we all know he's a sucker for pets although he has a funny way of showing it.

Finally, the boarding for the 4 pm flight was called. I positioned myself by the desk and shamelessly flirted with the young man working there. He smiled at me (with very long eyelashes and dimples) and put me at the top of the standby list. There were about 10 of us total, and only 4 of us got on. I did feel selfish, especially after being in Peru in the first place for something so selfless, but I am truly glad to be home. Well, actually I'm not quite there yet. I'm crashing at Monica's tonight, and I'm heading home at 6:30 am. And yes, family members, I come bearing gifts. I have such mixed feelings. I am glad to be home, and I cannot wait to see my nieces and nephews. However, I am sad to leave Peru and its people behind. I have made so many new friends, here in the States and abroad, and I have gained so many memorable experiences that have changed me and will continue to do so. So, when is everyone else signing up? Count me in!

Machu Picchu

I have been so looking forward to this day since I booked my entire trip. It started badly, though. We were at the station when the hotel called the driver to tell him they forgot to give me my entrance and bus tickets. So, we flew like bats out of hell back to the hotel. If I hadn't been so nervous that I might miss the train, I may have been scared to death. The city is filled with speed bumps for a reason, but my driver heeded only those. In between, it was free fall down steep alleys and around winding curves, passing every other vehicle. I have to give him credit, he got me back to that station (which is in the neighboring town) on time!

The train was an adventure in itself. It was a four hour ride to Aquas Calientes. I really need not fear about being alone. As my mother always pointed out, I never knew a stranger in my life. Aah... so true. The people (family) I was sitting directly with were from Mexico. They spoke English well, and they were hilarious. They were enthralled with the Nook, which I ended up not needing because we were in the happy hour carriage it seemed. Everybody was walking around, greeting everybody else, etc. The father and daughter across from me were from Madison, Wisconsin. This is where Joy and Mila are from too. Weird, huh? The father is the superintendent of the Madison school district, and Samantha teaches Spanish in Colorado. We chatted about education for hours (literally). In the meantime, the scenery was gorgeous! Just when you think you've seen every mountain peak, there are some capped with snow. Then, there's the river, which is low in this season. You'll turn and see a bridge, turn again to see a waterfall, and yet again to see beautiful valleys and greenery.

Once we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we immediately found Mario, our guide, and headed onto the bus. We were a very eclectic group: Australians from Melbourne, a Peruvian/Canadian named Maria (who took my picture for me several times), another Canadian, a father and his son from Texas, a mother and daughter from California, a couple from China. Word of advice: Although it may be a safe assumption that somebody who is absolutely terrified of heights may not be visiting Machu Picchu anytime soon, those skittish people should sit on the left hand side of the bus on the way up the mountain. For everyone else, sit on the right -it's beautiful and adventurous, especially when the bus whips around the corners. Silly me making friends again; I was chatting with the Chinese girl and missed the first sighting of the ancient city. Do not make that mistake - keep your eyes peeled to the right once you go around like the 20th curve.

Then, there it was -amidst about 200 tourists. I thought I was going to cry. It is beautifully stunning. The city was built starting in 1450 and finished 70 years later, with the help of 20,000 farmers. Only the nobles, mainly priests and priestesses, actually lived in the city. It housed about 700 people in its heyday. It was actually built using the rock of the mountain. When Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911, it was intact. The Spanish had never reached it, mainly because it had been abandoned by then. However, only 70% of it is uncovered; about 30% still lies under greenery and will be unearthed through UNESCO within the next 10 years. Machu Picchu itself not only refers to one of the mountains near which the city resides but also the 80,000 acres around it. Bingham soon discovered that there are 70 trails leading into the city from all over the Andes, and about 80 towns around the area where the commoners lived.

There is only one entrance into the city, and the city is oriented to the sun. The windows of the houses face east. The trapezoidal windows withstand earthquakes, which Peru gets about 2 to 3 a year. On one peak in the city is a sundial that is perfectly aligned with the four cardinal points. If you rub your hands together and place them over the sundial (but never touch it!), your hands will feel warm and tingle from the magnetic force. The Incans also carved out rock formations throughout the city in the shape of the surrounding mountains for positional orientation. They stored their grains and foods (including dehydrated potatoes) outside the city walls. There are various temples that pay homage to the three sacred animals - the condor, which represents the world of the gods, the puma, which is our current state in this world, and the snake which represents our souls, our inner worlds. The Incans would meditate and offer coca leaves and such before the condor in order to obtain the wisdom of the gods. But, the idea of the snake is that there really is no death because we always remain part of this world. Therefore, they mummified their bodies and positioned them sitting up, ready for the next adventure. In fact, coincidentally, we were there on August 1, which was one of the most important days in the Incan calendar. They called it the Day of the Mother Earth, during which they would make offerings to Mother Earth with promises to always honor and protect her. The Incans would be amazing Green Party candidates today! Their temples are built near mountains because the mountains represent "apu," the Quechuan word for life. There are 300 different species of orchids that grow in the area, and 400 different species of birds. The irrigation system still flows with fresh water from a canyon high on Machu Picchu. It truly is a gift to the world.

Some advice for future travelers: 1) Wear sunscreen and shorts would be okay; it's very warm; 2) Bring bug spray if you will be there after 2 pm; 3) Take it slow; the numerous stairs will cause you to feel out of breath; 4) Go now because one year from now UNESCO is limiting the number of daily visitors which will require you to book your trip one year in advance; 5) Take a guided tour! That's how I learned so much as I walked around taking notes (Says the guy from Texas, "You must be a teacher." You bet, buster!); 6) Be prepared to get a bit dusty and prepare yourself for the heights - the views are stunning but most staircases have no railings; 7) Wear shoes with good traction. Not everyone is as sure-footed as a llama, such as myself or my friends to the left here. 8) Bring water to drink! Also, a good book - there are tons of little nooks in which to sit and read.

Okay, enough of that. I just loved it so much. I still cannot believe I was actually there. Some odd things happened, however. I was leaving the city when I hear my name being called. There are Joy and Mila! We took a picture together, shared experiences, and made our final final goodbye. Then, on the train back the people who work on the train (stewards? porters?) put on a fashion show of alpaca wool sweaters. It was hilarious! There was loud music piped in, and they walked down the aisle like it was a runway. They even grabbed up the girl next to me, a new friend - Danielle from Tampa, Florida, who was traveling here with her Greek relatives of all people-to model a sweater as well (which her uncle then bought for her). Then, when I arrived back in Cusco I found out that Sara, another volunteer, had been on the same train! It is truly such a small world.

So, here I am in Peru for my last night (kind of). Not only have I enjoyed seeing the sun the last couple of days, but I adored seeing the Southern Cross tonight. It is such a peaceful evening here in Cusco, and I am sad to leave this place, this country. Thank you to all who have been following this often lengthy blog. I will see many of you soon!

Cusco

Waking up this morning was bittersweet. Having to say goodbye to everyone who was left at the house was hard. We had had such a great time last night playing cards, eating microwave popcorn, and waiting for the new arrivals. We were rolling on the floor laughing so hard at times, and we were not even drinking any alcohol. So, this morning I ate my final roll with jelly at the house and bequeathed my box of Frosted Flakes to a grateful Matt (especially since he lost his ATM card on his excursion outside of Lima).

My flight to Cusco was delayed by an hour, however the 1 hour and 20 minute flight somehow took us only 50 minutes. Warning #1 to travelers aiming to visit Cusco: The flight in is absolutely gorgeous as you are flying over the Andes almost the entire time, however the descent is rapid, bumpy, and you swerve constantly to hit the wind right as the plane has to precisely land between peaks. It was interesting to say the least. The hilarious thing is that this entire two weeks I have consistently slipped into French when I get flustered with the rapid Spanish. I was soooo excited, then, to be sitting by a family from France on the flight! The funny part is that as I was speaking to them in my intermediate French, I kept slipping into Spanish! I would answer yes in Spanish instead of French and so forth. Oh, the irony!

I was worried upon my arrival about altitude sickness. I was very lucky today, though. I feel absolutely fine. I have taken some altitude sickness pills, and other than shortness of breath if I stand up too quickly or ascend a series of steps, I feel good. I hope I am not jinxing myself as I speak. So warning #2: Be prepared! Drink lots of water beforehand and no alcohol.

Of course, instead of taking it slowly since this is my only day in Cusco, I was speed traveler. At first daunted since this is the first time I have actually been in a foreign non-English speaking city completely by myself, I sucked it up and trudged onward. Wow, is this the city of churches! I went through at least 4. Warning #3: You can get passes to visit multiple sites on one ticket. Of course, I found this out about my 3rd church in. Also, the Cathedral is pricey, but you can get a guide to take you through for a few soles' tip. My favorite church to go through (I did love the Cathedral for its architecture, but its gawdy figures were a bit creepy and overdone in my opinion) was Santo Domingo. I would recommend this to anyone. It is a beautiful area built around old walls built by the Incans. Here is a picture of an Incan doorway leading onto the courtyard. Many of the churches do not allow pictures, so I loved that this one did. Also, I would recomment going into Santo Campana to climb up the bell tower for pictures overlooking Plaza de Armas. Stunning! I would also recommend walking down past the Art Museum to the ancient wall made from very odd-shaped stones that fit perfectly together like the one in the picture below with 12 sides!

Warning #4: This town is completely a tourist trap. Everybody stands outside peddling their wares and services from massages to Incan textiles to pictures with domesticated animals. Yes, you read that correctly. There are women and children in Quechuan dress walking all over the place with little lambs wrapped up to their chests. They ask for money to take a picture of them. I got duped once, but I was not so foolish when the children with the llamas approached me. Although I really wanted a picture with one of the said llamas, I was not ready to hand over my camera to these children, particularly the one who pretended to cry when I told him "no thanks." So, I walked on and then turned and took a picture as they walked away. Over the course of just about 2 hours, I turned into a not-so-polite person. My "no thanks" soon just turned into an adamant "No!" with a fervent shake of the head. One kid walked up to me to ask me what I was doing in Cusco today. I told him that I was just walking around on my own. So, he said, "Aah. Peace and quiet." When I nodded, he then replied, "You are peace, and I will be quiet" and continued to walk beside me before he abruptly tried to peddle his "paintings" that he "made" that look eerily similar to the other 50 small children who showed me the same pictures. I have learned to finally say no to people (those who know me well would be proud).

I finished my afternoon by walking almost the whole length of Avenue de Sol to the Incan market. I returned to the main square to meet Mila and Joy, two other volunteers who arrived in Cusco yesterday. We had a lot of fun. We went to an organic restaurant right off the square. It was delicious. We then walked around to a few shops along the square and ended at the Inka Grill for dessert and cappuccino. The Inka Grill is another of my recommendations. The staff is all so friendly. Since this was Mila and Joy's third visit in two days, they knew who they were. The decor is neat, and there was live entertainment that consisted of two men playing native windpipe instruments and horns. I loved it. We finished in time to watch the fireworks over the plaza.

So, here I lounge in bed in a room that I do not have to share with anyone. I am watching TV for the first time in 2 weeks (it's Project Runway if you were wondering; I love Tim Gunn). And, I am looking forward to Machu Picchu tomorrow. I have an early train, so I have to sign off for now.

Last day in Lima

For my last day in Lima I chose to go to the Mother Teresa Home for the Dying and Destitute. Although my initial reaction was one of sadness for these disabled people who had nobody else, my reaction soon changed to one of hope, inspiration, and joy. Truly, how can you look into the eyes of a disabled child who smiles back with such joy at the simple task of you helping them to eat and not feel love? And, as I looked around, disheartened at the beginning that these individuals will spend their entire lives in this home, I saw friends greeting one another, nuns kissing the children, therapists high fiving their patients, and school child after school child volunteering to make the residents' lives the best they can in the situations in which many of them were born. I felt truly blessed to have been there today to meet all these wonderful people.

My day began by feeding two children, Maximo and Frank. I am not exactly sure what their disability was, but they had very limited mobility. I then traveled down with another volunteer to the lower floor to work with the adult males. Most of the residents here have been left for homeless or abandoned by their families. The Vatican helps to fund the center, but volunteers are desperately needed. The nuns (from Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity order) run the show, but there are physical and occupational therapists that come everyday to help the residents function better in their lives. The nuns have willingly taken these people in, even sought some of them out. The male children will continue to live in the center but will be moved downstairs sometimes in their 20s (usually). For the female children, they will get moved to a center in Cusco, which is the nearest center for adult women. Their disabilities range from spina bifida to paralysis to Apert Syndrome. They have limited mobility and some mental limitations.

Downstairs, I helped transport residents to the physical therapy room. I met an English-speaking man named Ray who had gone to school in Canada in the 60's. He played several sports including tennis and golf. He claims that once in Miami Tiger Woods told him he had a nice swing. He also said Tiger needed to practice a bit more. He was hilarious, talking to us about everything from Twilight to Toronto to his car accident and loss of family. I loved him instantly! I also met a man who sat and spoke Quechuan to me for about 5 minutes. I didn't understand a single word, and yet I wished he was my grandpa. They were so sweet.

After that, I moved back upstairs to observe an occupational therapy session with three of the girls. I spent the bulk of the rest of my time with an occupational therapist working with the boys. For over an hour, I rolled play-doh with them and worked on their motor skills such as drawing circles, pointing, and counting on their fingers. I fell in love with a boy named Gabriel. He has limited speech, but he could be quite demanding as he kept commanding me to sit by him, pointing at the seat next to him quite adamantly. It was such an incredible experience. I feel like everyday here I learn something new. Surprisingly, though, it's not just new things about a novel culture; I have learned so much about people and the infinite compassion and love individuals have for others. I am so grateful for all that I have been able to see and do here.

After lunch and our final feedback session, a group of us really wanted to visit the historical cemetery here in Lima. It is where the former presidents are buried and is full of mausoleums. Unfortunately, Kique (although he could not forbid us from going) warned us so direly that things tend to happen to tourists there, particularly fair people who do not have black hair. He said if we insisted on going, he would insist we wear hats and not take cameras. So, we decided not to go. Instead, Amy and I went back to Barranco to walk around in the daylight. It is an amazingly beautiful district. We traveled the same route as the night before, from the Bridge of Sighs to the pier onto the beach. They had a market set up with crafts, and Amy and I of course did some more shopping. Who could have passed up a $1 bracelet? Obviously, not me! I also got a red embroidered belt with a blingin' buckle. We then walked along the main street to a park that opened up onto an overlook of the ocean again. It was just so peaceful walking along, talking as two strangers in a strange land will. It was a good final afternoon in the city.

After rousing games of cards and one last trip to Plaza Vea, we had the most incredible dinner. The cook, Lucinda (?), made us these beautifully delicious stuffed potatoes. She boils them, skins them, mashes the inside, and then lightly fries them after filling them with egg, black olives, chicken, cilantro, and other lovely ingredients. They were so flavorful. We are now making her a hand-made thank you card. She is a lovely woman who is always so happy, polite, and glad to see us. She told us this evening when she left that we all need to come back to visit our new Peruvian family, and she will cook us whatever we like. Mmm...heavenly.

So, now I'm off to teach the Canadians the card game of Golf. After I own them, of course, we have all decided to make an early night of it because most of us are departing tomorrow. Some of them are leaving at 3 in the morning. The good-byes just continue. After saying our farewells to Corey and Carol today (tear in the eye), we had to part from Kique and Aida. Then, Jorge made an appearance to say good-bye, and Juan Carlos just stopped by to wish us well. It truly is like a family, and it would be hard to never see them again. Well, I'm off to Cusco tomorrow!!

Second to last day of placement

I did not go to Wawi Wasi today. Instead, I returned with Carol and Andrea to the house we were building yesterday. The family, Juliano, Maxine, Mariana, and Franco were so grateful for our help. We worked for about 3 hours, and it was very rewarding. We had to dig holes in the dirt with a trowel, a crowbar, and our hands for the posts. Then, we basically nailed makeshift walls of wood to the posts to create two rooms. The roof consists of tin panels that we just lay on top of the walls. In the meantime, the family has two chickens that are constantly underfoot, and one even bit my hand today. It took a long time because Juliano is in a wheelchair due to a leg amputation, so he would direct while we worked. He and his wife changed their minds frequently. Plus, none of us are carpenters. So, Tony from Martincitos, we volunteers, and Juan Carlos (our driver) basically winged it as we went. We were up and down ladders, nailing boards together and then taking them apart again, and maneuvering long pieces of lumber and roofing around a very small area. I absolutely loved it. It reaffirmed my dream to do a Habitat for Humanity project someday.

After placement and lunch, we went to Pachacamac. The city is named after a two-faced god that was worshipped by the four various tribes that had resided in the area over a span of hundreds of years - the Lima, the Wari, the Ychsma, and the Inca. The name means "creator of the world." The residents themselves lived outside of the religious area. The religious area today is an archaeological dig site that has unearthed dozens of temples. Each civilization just built upon those built by their predecessors. We also saw a cemetery, which looks like a terraced mass burial ground on the hill.

We ascended (by van) up to the Temple of the Sun by the Incas. The temple had been six terraces high, but unfortunately it is only four now due to earthquakes and looters. The priests used to live on the top terrace and used the temple as an astronomical observatory. People would sacrifice guinea pigs and llamas as offerings to the sun god. The area is a perfect location. It's on a river, so there are agricultural fields around for crops. It's near the ocean for fish and shells. And, it's built into hills in the desert. The Temple is on the highest site of the city.

The last area we saw was a Allacawasi/Mamacino, which is near the Moon Temple. It housed older women and virgins. These women produced goods there such as food and textiles. Some were concubines for the Incan nobles. They would travel with offerings to the Sun Temple. They were most often the prettiest and most intelligent women in the Incan empire. The building is very prototypical Incan with trapezoidal windows and door frames. Although it is now all stone, it was covered with gold and silver hundreds of years ago.

It was an amazing day. We even saw the infamous Peruvian hairless dogs. I myself would never own one-they are quite ugly, and I don't really like saying that about any animal. We are going to go to Barranco tonight for one last night of all of us being together. Most of us volunteers currently at the house are leaving for home or Cusco this weekend. There will only be a few left until the new group gets here on Sunday. So, we all have to make our farewells. Thank goodness for Facebook, though, we won't be far!

Peruvian Independence Day

So, on this date in 1821, Jose de San Martin, an Argentine general declared this land independent of Spain. So, here I am wearing my red and white ribbon, feeling a bit like a real Peruana, and am disappointed. Today and tomorrow are official holidays here in Peru, so many places are closed. However, we woke up today to realize we missed the fireworks in downtown Lima last night, and that most celebrations today are seemingly families getting drunk together.

My placement was open today. At Wawa Wasi, we embarked on our third day of painting the exterior window frames, doors, and railings green. It seemed like our longest day of work yet, but then about an hour and a half in, we turned on the radio. We found a station that was claiming to be playing all 80's music. This apparently includes "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis and "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, but we were happily singing along (especially to the U2 and David Bowie songs) as we worked. It made our time there pass much more quickly. It also made our work much sloppier. I returned to the house covered in green paint from my hair to my shoes.

We got picked up from our placement early, though, to help another group of volunteers tear down and rebuild a house for an older couple. Apparently, their house was located next to a building site of a business. Well, today the business owner demanded the family's house was on his property and that their house needed to be taken down. A large group from the neighborhood came out and rose in support of the family. So, the house was torn down and moved over a bit to satisfy both parties. The family live in poverty, and the house is virtually all they have. They have very few possessions, and it only took us about 10 minutes to move everything back in. When we left, the house was not completed yet, but they had part of a roof up for the night. The family was so grateful, and it made me so sad for them. I truly felt like I was giving something to someone who needed it so desperately. I loved it, and I hope we get to go back to finish it tomorrow.

We ate a very good lunch of pork ribs, corn, potatoes, and salad. Then, we went to the Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History of Peru. It is the largest collection of native artifacts in the nation. Our guide, Enrique, was very knowledgeable about the native tribes, and I learned so much about pre-Incan history (for example, did you know that Inca is actually what that tribe called their kings, not their tribe?). The museum was full of ceramics, artisan work like metalcraft, and weapons. It was very interesting to see how the artifacts differed from time period to time period based upon both the era and the geographic resources. The colors used on ceramics, for example, were vastly different. Some tribes used only 3 colors, whereas others like the Nazca used 11 colors in their art. The relics have withstood the test of time and are so well-preserved that it really gives you an insight into the historical eras of the owners/makers. The artwork expressed a lot of the people's religious views and gods, especially the sacred animals of snake, puma, and condor. Of course, many of the pieces were utilitarian, and you realized again and again how innovative they truly were even thousands of years ago. For example, we saw skulls that had been recovered from tombs. These skulls show that lobotomies (craniologies) were performed in b.c. times, and they covered the holes with gold plates. In many cases, the skull grew back and the people lived but without their tumor, infection, etc. affecting them any longer. To one indigeneous tribe, seashells were worth more than gold or silver. To yet another, how many heads of your enemies you wore clipped to your belt showed your strength and power. It made me yearn to travel all over Peru to see all the amazing places from which these tribes hail. I definitely cannot wait to see Machu Picchu (which means "old mountain"), especially considering the Spanish never found this site. It took an American archaeologist, Hiram Bingham, to discover it in 1911.

So, tonight we are going to travel downtown. There is reportedly some dancing that takes place in the main square for Independence Day. Tomorrow, I am going to work at Martincitos, a center for senior citizens. Then, on Friday I am going to work at Mother Teresa, a home for disabled individuals. Hasta manana!

Tuesday's Work

At placement today, we painted more of the exterior of the Wawa Wasi. It was not quite as cold today, and it's supposed to get warmer as the week progresses. We learned yesterday that this past five day period has been the coldest in a very long time here in Lima. Of course they have :-).

After placement, we again had a Spanish lesson. Then, Rebecca, Amy, and I went to Miraflores, the district on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Miraflores is located on clifftops overlooking the ocean, and it is absolutely beautiful. It is one of the wealthier districts in Lima, and the disparity between it and the district in which I work is startling.

We started at Larcomar, the shopping mall. We then walked along the clifftop path to Parque de Amor (Park of Love). This park is stunning. It is full of cement structures (benches and such) covered in mosaic tile. It has gorgeous views of the ocean, including the men surfing in this cold!! We had fun taking pictures and admiring the views. We walked down to the lighthouse. On the way back, we got to see people hang-gliding off the cliffs. I am seriously considering this. I think it would be breathtaking and so much fun.

Tomorrow is Independence Day here, and I cannot wait to see the festivities. Each building is mandated to fly the national flag, and it seems so patriotic here - even in the poorest districts. We are having a special lunch, and we might check out the parade. We'll see manana!!