Wow. OK so here I am. The international airport in Lima, Peru, about to catch my flight home. I spent everyday of the past week working in the daycare center and making more great friends that I had to say goodbye to. I really had the time of my life working in Pisco. Every night we had a meeting to get updates from all the work crews. It was so inspiring to sit there and hear about a school being built, homes being constructed, rubble being cleared, and lives being put back together. I have never felt such a sense of comunity. One of the volunteers was kicked out of the organization unfairly two days ago and all of us banded together and fought the administration to get him back. It worked, and we completely revamped the vias of communication between volunteers and administrators. It was really cool to be a part of. I didnt want to leave.
Yesterday I said goodbye to a buddy of mine Kyle, and today I bumped into him in the middle of Lima, the largest city in Peru. Major coincidence again. I don´t know how these things keep happening to me.
Two nights ago I was sitting on the corner with a bunch of new freinds after our victory, wiped out from helping kids all day, chilling drinking beers and singing Dispatch songs. I had never been happier than I was in that moment. People begged me to stay and I came so close to doing it. Honestly I´m still considering turning around right now. I still haven´t gotten on the plane.
The only reason I still come home is my friends and my mom. You guys are the greatest. It´s bad enough how little I see you already, there´s no way I could leave you forever. But I want to stay so bad. I´m not ready to go home. I just keep going back and forth. Stay. Leave. Stay. Leave. Still haven´t decided. I guess we´ll see. If you see me this weekend, I got on the plane....and if you don´t...enjoy the holidays.
-Christina
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Hands On Disaster Response
I was dropped off on the side of the highway yesterday after spending 18 hours on a bus with a 17 year old lage Columbian girl, who stole my window seat, had NO concept of personal space, puked all night, and is the LOUDEST CELL PHONE TALKER EVER! Sigh...so yeah I made it to Pisco.
For those of you that have no idea why I am in Pisco, here is a reminder, I posted this on September 2nd:
´Inspired: While Ann and I were eating breakfast at the hostel in Iguazú on our last morning there, a television in the corner was blaring the latest update about the recent earthquake in Peru. Over 500 killed, 2,000 injured, and 40,000 homes destroyed. Just take a moment to think about those numbers. Hearing about this really affected me. I jumped on the nearest computer and searched for a way I could help. I was thinking about volunteering in Peru after the semester...After reading about the reports of violent crime and absolute chaos in the disaster area I started to shy away from the idea, but I haven't ruled it out. There are a few organizations from the U.S. that are about to launch projects there now that the after shocks have died down. There is one group speciafically that I have been in contact with. You can check out the website below. We'll see where this goes.´
And here I am. A new chapter. Saying good bye to Kristyn and Ann wasn´t easy. It´s the first time in 5 months I´m not with someone from the Córdoba crew. Really on my own again. Anyways yesterday I showed up and within 25 minutes I was on a work site shoveling rubble. Already I have heard so many increible stories. People who lost almost everything and what they didn´t lose in the quake was looted soon after. An elderly man tells me that where Im shoveling is where is two grandaughters died when the roof caved in on them. He started take whatever work he could to earn money to put his home back together, he ended up in a factory with few safety regulations and his hand was fractured in an accident a few weeks later. He hasn´t been able to work since. The home he lives in is made of pieces of scrapwood and its about the size of a college dorm room. What little he had left was looted two days ago.
Today I worked in a daycare center in a refugee camp. The camps are large fields where people have been living in tents for four months now. No water. No electricity. Widespread theft, violence, and rape. The daycare centers were started so that kids could simply be kids again. Just a safe place to play. If you want to check out some more info about where I am, or see some video footage of the disaster response in Pisco, check out this site:
www.hodr.org
Again sorry for all the spelling errors and choppy crappy writing. I only have one sole (about 30 cents) on me, so I can´t pay to use the internet that long here.
Peace.
For those of you that have no idea why I am in Pisco, here is a reminder, I posted this on September 2nd:
´Inspired: While Ann and I were eating breakfast at the hostel in Iguazú on our last morning there, a television in the corner was blaring the latest update about the recent earthquake in Peru. Over 500 killed, 2,000 injured, and 40,000 homes destroyed. Just take a moment to think about those numbers. Hearing about this really affected me. I jumped on the nearest computer and searched for a way I could help. I was thinking about volunteering in Peru after the semester...After reading about the reports of violent crime and absolute chaos in the disaster area I started to shy away from the idea, but I haven't ruled it out. There are a few organizations from the U.S. that are about to launch projects there now that the after shocks have died down. There is one group speciafically that I have been in contact with. You can check out the website below. We'll see where this goes.´
And here I am. A new chapter. Saying good bye to Kristyn and Ann wasn´t easy. It´s the first time in 5 months I´m not with someone from the Córdoba crew. Really on my own again. Anyways yesterday I showed up and within 25 minutes I was on a work site shoveling rubble. Already I have heard so many increible stories. People who lost almost everything and what they didn´t lose in the quake was looted soon after. An elderly man tells me that where Im shoveling is where is two grandaughters died when the roof caved in on them. He started take whatever work he could to earn money to put his home back together, he ended up in a factory with few safety regulations and his hand was fractured in an accident a few weeks later. He hasn´t been able to work since. The home he lives in is made of pieces of scrapwood and its about the size of a college dorm room. What little he had left was looted two days ago.
Today I worked in a daycare center in a refugee camp. The camps are large fields where people have been living in tents for four months now. No water. No electricity. Widespread theft, violence, and rape. The daycare centers were started so that kids could simply be kids again. Just a safe place to play. If you want to check out some more info about where I am, or see some video footage of the disaster response in Pisco, check out this site:
www.hodr.org
Again sorry for all the spelling errors and choppy crappy writing. I only have one sole (about 30 cents) on me, so I can´t pay to use the internet that long here.
Peace.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Today is a big day.
Remember how I said our next stop was La Paz, Bolivia? Yeah. No dice. So we get to the border on December 2nd and they inform us that as of December 1st Americans have to pay 100$ to cross into Bolivia. We dont have that kind of money. So I try everything, show them that we are actually current residents of Argentina, nothing works. We decided not to cross, I inform the bus driver and we grab are bags and are left in the middle of no where Peru, and it's cold and pouring rain. Kristyn is crying hysterically at this point and Ann although way more composed looks really worried as well. I try to calm the group down and hail a car. The guy agrees to give us a lift to the nearest village where buses leave for Puno frequently, and from there we can catch one to Cuzco. We hop in and end up on a bus full of Peruvians, from middle of no where to Puno. It was a great ride. Stuning view of Lake Titicaca. Shades of blue I've never seen before. Incredible. So then we get back to Puno hop on the next bus to Cuzco. Kristyn ends up sitting next to this woman who was very clearly smuggling something. She kept passing out these 'seat cusions'and sasking people to sit on/hide them for her. Very shady. Then she kept asking Kristyn to hold a backpack of hers. Riiiiiight. So yeah we make it to Cuzco after three bus rides and all of this crap, it was truly the longest day ever.
Cuzco is probably my favorite city so far. It's the oldest city in the Americas, so full of history. The first day here was spent chilling out around town running errands and the like. And while Ann and I are sitting on the steps of a small plaza youll never guess who we bumped into. Yup. THE AWKWARD SWEEDS! I still cant beleive it! This is near impossible. Anyways, we didnt actually talk to them, they did everything they could to avoid making eye contact with us and walked away. Meh.
So we go to bed early and yesterday wake up at 4.30 in the morning to make a 6 AM train to Aguas Calientes, aka Machu Picchu Peublo. That's right. I went to Machu Picchu. First lets talk about that train ride. As we ascended, altitude sickness hit me really hard so I spent the 4 hour ride vomiting and shaking. Yes it was worth it. Most incredible day of my life. Seeing the lost city was absolutely overwhelming. And because we opted to get there so early for the first few hours we felt like we had the palce to oursleves. I cant even put this experience into words. I'll show you the photos. We stayed there all day and cought the last train home. Went out for pizza and headed back to the hostel. We were wiped out after the day of hiking.
So that brings us to today. It's currently December 5th, 2007 9.37AM. I left home 5 months ago exactly today. Today is it. My last day backpacking. Last day with Ann and Kristyn. At 4.30 I catch a bus to Pisco Peru to volunteer for a week and then I'm home. Saying goodbye again. God I hate this...
Cuzco is probably my favorite city so far. It's the oldest city in the Americas, so full of history. The first day here was spent chilling out around town running errands and the like. And while Ann and I are sitting on the steps of a small plaza youll never guess who we bumped into. Yup. THE AWKWARD SWEEDS! I still cant beleive it! This is near impossible. Anyways, we didnt actually talk to them, they did everything they could to avoid making eye contact with us and walked away. Meh.
So we go to bed early and yesterday wake up at 4.30 in the morning to make a 6 AM train to Aguas Calientes, aka Machu Picchu Peublo. That's right. I went to Machu Picchu. First lets talk about that train ride. As we ascended, altitude sickness hit me really hard so I spent the 4 hour ride vomiting and shaking. Yes it was worth it. Most incredible day of my life. Seeing the lost city was absolutely overwhelming. And because we opted to get there so early for the first few hours we felt like we had the palce to oursleves. I cant even put this experience into words. I'll show you the photos. We stayed there all day and cought the last train home. Went out for pizza and headed back to the hostel. We were wiped out after the day of hiking.
So that brings us to today. It's currently December 5th, 2007 9.37AM. I left home 5 months ago exactly today. Today is it. My last day backpacking. Last day with Ann and Kristyn. At 4.30 I catch a bus to Pisco Peru to volunteer for a week and then I'm home. Saying goodbye again. God I hate this...
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Altitude Sickness
Sigh....oh life.
OK second day in Arequipa was very cool. We went out to the countryside for a bit and saw a whole different side of Peruvian life. Then took my uncle out for dinner and drinks to thank him for everything. We got to talking and I found a lot out about my family that I never new before. Much more to think about. Anyways, we spent one more night in Arequipa and barely made our bus to Puno, Peru this morning. After a bus ride from hell, we got to Puno around 2. We check in to a hostal and head out to Lake Titicaca for the day. We went to two man made floating islands. MOST DISAPPOINTING TOUR EVER. It seemed like they we´re more interested in sucking money out of us than actually educating us about the culture. Which kind of pissed me off. So I´ll admit it. We were scammed a little. I mean the island was cool and all but overall we left feeling exploited.
So yeah. Traveling is not always easy. Lately morale has been low. First there´s the altitude sickness, which kind of feels like having the flu and being hungover at the same time, and it´s only going to get worse from here. Then there´s the fact that for two weeks we have literally spend every second of everyday together. I think that might be getting to us a little as well. And then another huge thing that wears you down is the constant paranoia that you have to have when traveling. You have to live every second of every day thining that everyone is about to scam you or pcikpocket you. It´s kind of stressful after a while. We´re not in the best areas right now. Same things every day. Lock the doors when you get in a taxi, keep track of your bags, dont get lost, and if you are dont act lost, be careful when you ask for directions, when someone gives you change check to make sure the bills arent fake, beware of people pretending to be police officers, be careful about falling asleep on the bus, dont take cash out in public, dont walk around holding your camera, be careful who you speak English around, triple check that you locked the hostel door, dont talk to anyone in bus stations, just overall dont trust anyone. Ever. It´s kind of tiring. But that´s really the only thing I have to complain about. Believe me, it´s all worth it.
Tomorrow we set off for La Paz, Bolivia. Time is flying. I´ll be home in two weeks.
-Christina
OK second day in Arequipa was very cool. We went out to the countryside for a bit and saw a whole different side of Peruvian life. Then took my uncle out for dinner and drinks to thank him for everything. We got to talking and I found a lot out about my family that I never new before. Much more to think about. Anyways, we spent one more night in Arequipa and barely made our bus to Puno, Peru this morning. After a bus ride from hell, we got to Puno around 2. We check in to a hostal and head out to Lake Titicaca for the day. We went to two man made floating islands. MOST DISAPPOINTING TOUR EVER. It seemed like they we´re more interested in sucking money out of us than actually educating us about the culture. Which kind of pissed me off. So I´ll admit it. We were scammed a little. I mean the island was cool and all but overall we left feeling exploited.
So yeah. Traveling is not always easy. Lately morale has been low. First there´s the altitude sickness, which kind of feels like having the flu and being hungover at the same time, and it´s only going to get worse from here. Then there´s the fact that for two weeks we have literally spend every second of everyday together. I think that might be getting to us a little as well. And then another huge thing that wears you down is the constant paranoia that you have to have when traveling. You have to live every second of every day thining that everyone is about to scam you or pcikpocket you. It´s kind of stressful after a while. We´re not in the best areas right now. Same things every day. Lock the doors when you get in a taxi, keep track of your bags, dont get lost, and if you are dont act lost, be careful when you ask for directions, when someone gives you change check to make sure the bills arent fake, beware of people pretending to be police officers, be careful about falling asleep on the bus, dont take cash out in public, dont walk around holding your camera, be careful who you speak English around, triple check that you locked the hostel door, dont talk to anyone in bus stations, just overall dont trust anyone. Ever. It´s kind of tiring. But that´s really the only thing I have to complain about. Believe me, it´s all worth it.
Tomorrow we set off for La Paz, Bolivia. Time is flying. I´ll be home in two weeks.
-Christina
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