Just before Easter weekend I arrived at Hogar de Esperanza. The desert is my new home. To say the least, it was surely a different Easter. There are thirty nine kids here, the age range is one to seventeen. Slowly I am learning names and characters as I try to make sense of their raced Spanish.
All of the other volunteers here I love!! All, bar one Canadian, are American, and thought hot cross buns only existed in the song. But alas, they are real! I really feel like I've been accepted into their little family.
There's one thing that I have been reminded again and again on this trip, and that is my youth. At eighteen I am still so young. Almost every adult I have met in Peru has said "but you're so young!" Hugely aware if my youth after so many comments began to hinder me, causing me to question myself and God if my youth brings about a lack of potential. Was there a problem with doing something like this at eighteen? I don't have wisdom of the years, nor more than eighteen years of life experience.
But then I came across 1 Timothy 4:12 "don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity". Suddenly I received a surge of energy and encouragement. I realized that if God wanted someone older, he would have put the desire in someone elses heart and not in mine. I don't need to be older to do God's will. Despite my age, I trust that God is with me every step of the way. He is in control. It's just my job to shine the light.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Machu Picchu
Woke at 4.30am to begin the big adventure to Machu Picchu which translates and 'old mountain', everyone pronounces Picchu wrong and apparently the wrong pronunciation translates to something very rude!! To be perfectly honest, after a horrible night of sleep, I wasn't too much of a happy chappy to be waking up so early, but I dragged myself out of bed - knowing that it would be worth it, well, hoping that it would be worth it.
After the insanely scary bus ride, upon arrival, it was six o'clock. With the huge river rushing 400m below, the mountains were still towering, hazed over my morning mist. It was chilly, very chilly. Some say Machu Picchu was built for astronomy, others think it was a retreat for the Incas, there are endless theories. Truthfully, no body knows what the site was for, one can only guess. There was and is nothing written in any Incan or Spanish writing that mentioned the site at all, I guess trying to figure out the unknown adds to the mystery of the place. The site is huge, it took more than three hours to explore. Standing at the top, looking down on what I've always wanted to see, was deeply empowering.
At one point I looked through my viewfinder and it felt like I was taking a picture of a picture, but on lowering the camera, the realization that I was actually at Machu Picchu kicked in and I felt a profound wonder settle inside me. It was an amazing experience, an experience that I can try my hardest to explain, but mere words cannot express the vast beauty and sereneness the place conjured.
Being there made me feel an odd sense of nostalgia for something, some people and some time that I will never know.
And getting up at 4.30 was, no doubt, worth it.
After the insanely scary bus ride, upon arrival, it was six o'clock. With the huge river rushing 400m below, the mountains were still towering, hazed over my morning mist. It was chilly, very chilly. Some say Machu Picchu was built for astronomy, others think it was a retreat for the Incas, there are endless theories. Truthfully, no body knows what the site was for, one can only guess. There was and is nothing written in any Incan or Spanish writing that mentioned the site at all, I guess trying to figure out the unknown adds to the mystery of the place. The site is huge, it took more than three hours to explore. Standing at the top, looking down on what I've always wanted to see, was deeply empowering.
At one point I looked through my viewfinder and it felt like I was taking a picture of a picture, but on lowering the camera, the realization that I was actually at Machu Picchu kicked in and I felt a profound wonder settle inside me. It was an amazing experience, an experience that I can try my hardest to explain, but mere words cannot express the vast beauty and sereneness the place conjured.
Being there made me feel an odd sense of nostalgia for something, some people and some time that I will never know.
And getting up at 4.30 was, no doubt, worth it.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Llamas!
Visited some Inca remains today, it was really cool. But to be honest, the newborn llama that was there was way better. It was so cute, with big googley eyes and skinny legs...like an odd looking Bambi.
Yesterday I had the day to myself in Cusco so I roamed the streets, I went to an amazing cathedral, the cathedral of Saint Dominico, it is so beautiful and the artwork inside is amazing. I then did some shopping, there are sweaters/ponchos/hats/socks everywhere, so I don't need to worry if I get cold!! I got an awesome blanket with every colour imaginable on it.
For dinner I went to Yanapay restaurant which gives all of it's proceeds to making a better life for street children. So the entire place was themed with hanging kites, lanterns, there were soft toys and board games, and cartoon menus. Very cute. AND the food was good. In Peru their main course is lunch, so I've started getting used to that, and I mainly have soup at night. Soup is good because it warms me in the freezing cold!!
Tomorrow I'm off to the Sacred Valley ready to climb Machu Picchu at six the next morning!!
Yesterday I had the day to myself in Cusco so I roamed the streets, I went to an amazing cathedral, the cathedral of Saint Dominico, it is so beautiful and the artwork inside is amazing. I then did some shopping, there are sweaters/ponchos/hats/socks everywhere, so I don't need to worry if I get cold!! I got an awesome blanket with every colour imaginable on it.
For dinner I went to Yanapay restaurant which gives all of it's proceeds to making a better life for street children. So the entire place was themed with hanging kites, lanterns, there were soft toys and board games, and cartoon menus. Very cute. AND the food was good. In Peru their main course is lunch, so I've started getting used to that, and I mainly have soup at night. Soup is good because it warms me in the freezing cold!!
Tomorrow I'm off to the Sacred Valley ready to climb Machu Picchu at six the next morning!!
Monday, April 4, 2011
cusco cusco CUSCO
Cusco is an amazing city, i love love love it!! (better than Lima any day) All of the bulidings are terricotta, all the streets are cobbled and lined with tiny coffee shops, street markets and everything is so beautiful. Around the city there are about thrity beautiful churches that are breathtaking!
Cusco was originally the ´city of the Gods´and the main city in Peru, when the Spanish invaded they conquered the city and changed the capital to Lima. Now Cusco is a hybrid of traditional Peruvians - the Quecha (the Incas were their kings) and the Spanish. Because of this mix the culture and architecture is so brilliant.
I went to the biggest market in Cusco, the meat section was revoltiong, but they told me it was traditional for menopausal women to drink beef penis soup. yuk!! I´ll suggest that remedy to work when I get back! Of course, the food here is quite interesting, on the menu last night was llama loin and guinea pig! Incidentally I met a llama today and was then offered fried guinea pig, I politely refused. As I´m sure a lot of you would do too!
Till next time
Laura
Cusco was originally the ´city of the Gods´and the main city in Peru, when the Spanish invaded they conquered the city and changed the capital to Lima. Now Cusco is a hybrid of traditional Peruvians - the Quecha (the Incas were their kings) and the Spanish. Because of this mix the culture and architecture is so brilliant.
I went to the biggest market in Cusco, the meat section was revoltiong, but they told me it was traditional for menopausal women to drink beef penis soup. yuk!! I´ll suggest that remedy to work when I get back! Of course, the food here is quite interesting, on the menu last night was llama loin and guinea pig! Incidentally I met a llama today and was then offered fried guinea pig, I politely refused. As I´m sure a lot of you would do too!
Till next time
Laura
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Pacific coast and Starbucks
Woke up in Lima this morning, due to jet lag, at five. After heading downstairs for breakfast I adventured into the district of miraflores. About a one minute walk and I found myself in a park on a huge cliff with a beautiful lighthouse on it's edge. All along the cliff edge was a cute brick wall and a boardwalk. As I had a lot of time to kill I headed off to see what I could find. The view of the vast and rugged pacific ocean a couple of hundred meters down was amazing in itself. The walk, dotted with park after park, ended me at a really cute shopping centre. Nice bookstores, dunkin donuts, craft shops and starbucks (which is where I am now) created a very good morning for my first in Peru!
The language difference hasn't been too bad. Most of the time I get by. But thanks to my dark hair tourists have mistaken me for a Peruvian and have begun to ask for directions in broken Spanish!! Lucky for them I do speak english...but unlucky for them I don't know the directions.
I wish I had more time to explore Lima, but I'm off to Cuzco tomorrow. According to the whole world Cuzco is THE place, so hopefully I'll forget my sadness in leaving Lima.
Adios for now mi amigos!!
Love love
Laura
The language difference hasn't been too bad. Most of the time I get by. But thanks to my dark hair tourists have mistaken me for a Peruvian and have begun to ask for directions in broken Spanish!! Lucky for them I do speak english...but unlucky for them I don't know the directions.
I wish I had more time to explore Lima, but I'm off to Cuzco tomorrow. According to the whole world Cuzco is THE place, so hopefully I'll forget my sadness in leaving Lima.
Adios for now mi amigos!!
Love love
Laura
Friday, April 1, 2011
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