Im in Peru!

First off, I would like to say that you will have to excuse my typing because I havent exactly figured out the Spanish keyboards. I cant put apostrophes in so I hope it doesnt make it too hard to read and if something else comes up Ill try my best to figure it out! So heres a start of my trip!

After about 21 hours of traveling I finally got some sleep when I landed in Lima! I met up with most of the team, Ashley, Linda, Michelle, and Karen in Toronto and then Rob, Phil and Norm at the hotel in Lima! So after 6 hours of sleep (not enough after the long trip!) We headed out on a tour of Lima city! I saw the first catholic church here in Peru and the Fransican Monistary! I have plenty of pictures of them coming later, but I cant upload from my camera right now! We also got to see some of the beach, downtown Lima and some local ruins. After our tour we ventured off to some shops and malls to soak up the sun, and I actually got a bit of a sun burn but it seems to have cleared up! That night we packed everything up again because we left for Cusco at 630 am! In preparation for Cusco and the high altitudes I have been drinking TONS of water! Below is a picture from the day in Lima with the water bottles I collected throughout the day! I dont think I have ever been so concerned about the color of my pee! But it seems to be working well because so far I havent had any problems with the altitude.

SO! Yesterday we arrived in Cusco. I have been so tired and not successfully catching up on sleep from the long day of traveling that I slept the entire plane ride (only 50 minutes) but I dont even remember taking off. I did wake up just in time to take some awesome pictures of the mountains from the air! LOOK HOW AWESOME THIS IS! It doesnt even compare to the Rockies! At first I had no idea how there could be an airport with enough landing room for our plane, but the pilot banked AROUND a mountain to the point where I thought we were going to drop our of the sky and pulled us safely into Cusco! Check it out!

So yesterday was a free day around Cusco. I used more spanish yesterday than I have the whole trip. I have been designated the translator because I know the most spanish out of the 10 of us, even if it isnt all that great! But, Ive been holding my own and Im pretty happy with how well I understand others!

I like Cusco a lot more than Lima! Its less crowded and Americanized. We got to see a parade yesterday and GUINEA PIG. I didnt eat any, but I sure saw it. Poor things! Ill have more pictures when I can download from my camera! So far I am having a FANTASTIC time! I love it so much and I am so glad I get to be here! Hopefully more to come soon! We start the trail on Wednesday so I will try to update before then. Thanks for reading!

Waiting!!!

This is another piece I wrote for my English class, but it is closely tied to Peru! I just can't wait!


                           Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

    Waiting. Waiting, waiting waiting. Currently I’ve been doing a lot of waiting. I sit here and wait for an idea to come to me about waiting. I am hoping that if I just keep blabbering on like this I will find something to write about. So when were some times in my life that I have waited? Well, I really think that you’re always waiting for something. Theres the whole idea of looking for the destination but not taking in the journey. I feel like people do that a lot. They are so excited about what they will have for dinner they spend all afternoon waiting for it, or they spend all week waiting for the weekend. I guess the big thing I am waiting for right now is my trip to Peru. Yes, maybe I should be spending a little more time in the moment, but how can I with Peru looming over my head.
    I am waiting, waiting, waiting, to get on the plane and head over 4,000 miles to Peru for 10 days. My day is consumed with thoughts about what I need to pack, if I’ll be in shape enough for the trip, or how I am going to deal with the altitude. Waiting for this trip is stressful! Stressful because I have to keep up with my school work, and how am I supposed to be focused on school work when everything going on in my head is revolved around a foreign country? I will sit down to write a paper, automatically open my browser, and open up a Google search of Machu Picchu and begin brainstorming about being there. I can see myself in in the pictures, smiling, ecstatic and taking every moment in.
    So what should I be doing right now, besides mindlessly doing homework and going about daily routines until I can get back to day dreaming? Maybe I should just be taking in the moment. Enjoying the beautiful day with the birds chirping and the smell of spring. Each puddle on the sidewalk becomes an obstacle in between me and Peru. To occupy my mind, I eat, or work out, to help get my body in shape for what I’m about to do. But my mind is still on over drive. There are so many thoughts, flying through the fibers in my brain, and I can’t seem to sort it all out. Waiting does that. The wait has triggered the procrastination skills that I have developed all too well over the years, hoping that things will move faster if I am not focusing on the tasks at hand. With only a week left, maybe I will try to take in the small things and appreciate the moment. Admire the quiet of my dorm and get ahead on work before I head off out of the country. Its wishful thinking, but waiting seems to be a force I haven’t yet figured out how to control. I think I’ll go look at more pictures of the Andes.

All things Peru!

I am so unbelievably excited for this trip. Over the last few weeks I have been doing a lot to get ready, so I figured I'd post an update! I still can hardly believe its happening, 3 months after surgery. I can't believe my parents are letting me leave the country without them! (Especially because of how jealous they are that I am hiking the Inca Trail before they do!) I can't believe that all I  have to pay are my personal costs (Thanks to Convatec's sponsorship!) I can't believe I have been given this opportunity! There are many things I can't believe, but it is becoming more real each day, and I am sure it will really hit me when I head home this weekend to start packing!

So far I have been putting things aside that I know I will need. I have had to go out and buy numerous pairs of pants for hiking in because the temperature will be around 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, although when I'm there I will have to figure out Celsius! I have also been searching around for different foods to bring and eat now to keep my energy up! I have found these really good "Zone" Bars that are delicious (because there is lots of chocolate!) and there are no nuts or granola pieces in it that I can't eat!!! They also have 200 calories and a lot of protein and vitamins! I have also been having a Boost shake a day which is another really good source of calories and protein and CHOCOLATE!

So besides buying a ton of things to get ready for the trip, I also have been working on getting in a little bit better shape! (Not that I was in bad shape, I just need to be able to hike for 6+ Hours a day.) So aside from hitting the gym and getting back into Zumba classes regularly, I went skiing on Sunday which was really great! Once we got back from skiing, (around 5:15) we rushed off to Zumba for 5:30! Needless to say, yesterday I was incredibly sore, but hopefully it will be worth it so I won't be as sore when I'm in Peru!

This weekend I will be heading home to pack up my bags because I leave in 9 days! Next Thursday my parents will come and pick me up and we will head down to Portland from Farmington so I can be at the airport for 4:30 in the morning! My parents have been doing a lot for me back home, ordering pants and rain gear! Hopefully I will get everything taken care of this weekend! For now I really have to try to focus on school work, which unfortunately is a little difficult with such a great trip coming up!

Thanks for reading!
Holly

(This is a picture from skiing Sunday!)