Overdue!

Hola,

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated...sorry! It turns out there’s no internet in the house we’re staying in, so we have to go to an internet cafe in the town center--which is fine, it just makes the whole posting pictures thing a little difficult and we have to walk here...blah!

+Anyway, things have been super amazing these last few days. On Saturday, Tawnya and I went to Machu Picchu. I´ve been there before, as you know, but this time was completely different. It´s winter in Peru, so it was freeeezing, so we bundled up for the long train ride. We had to wake up at the break of dawn, so we were disgustingly tired when we got to the station--but it was a four-hour train ride, so we had time to sleep.

I was unconscious for most of it, but from what I remember, the ride was absolutely beautiful! Don´t make fun of us, but Tawnya and I had no idea that Machu Picchu is actually in the Amazon, so it was a fun little surprise when we found out! It was cool to see our surroundings slowly turn all jungle-y.

When we got to the base of the mountain it was sprinkling a little bit, so we bought ponchos from one of the vendors, just in case. (Note to self: Peruvian winters are cold; bring something thicker than your thinnest sweater next time. That is all. -self). So we cross the bridge, board the bus, drive the switch-backs, and twenty minutes later...there it was, in real-life!

We climbed the mountain with haste and got a little hot in the process--it was still raining, so I just shed one layer. As we climbed closer and closer to the surface of the sun, it became even hotter (go figure) so I took another layer off and was in a tank top for the rest of the exploration...big mistake! I must have extremely delicious arm blood, because I was bitten about twenty times all over my arms from fingers to shoulder...hmm, the precise amount of skin that was exposed! Good one, Erica! Good thing I tool that Malaria pill before I left.

The best part about Machu Picchu for both Tawnya and myself, was definitely the sundial--it was so amazing, I can´t even describe it...it was like this almost overwhelming feeling of being at one with the Earth. The Incas were scarily accurate when it came to direction, the solstices, the planet alignments, etc.

So, the dial has a certain shadow, the winter solstice, and no shadow at all on October 28th. And each corner of the protruding portion of rock at the top points exactly in the directions North, East, South, and West. AND, it´s at the very center of the Andes, AND faces exactly 13 degrees from the center of the rock--which aligns with the fact that that precise spot in the Amazon is 13 degrees below the equator...so crazy!

You could literally feel the energy emitting from that point, and pulling you inward. When we walked up, there were people with arms outstretched* rolling the energy in their hands and rubbing all over their bodies, and others were holding pendulums that began to spin when held next to the sundial- I was literally expecting someone to strip naked and throw themselves at the rock in an expression of pagan extremism. My first thought was that they were slightly insane, but then I totally felt it myself!

It was sad to leave, but the thought of spending the night there was scary. Where would we sleep, on a llama? The bugs would eat me alive! So we caught the bus, and then the last train (barely) back to our comfy hotel room before we left, though, we made some new puppy friends! I pet one of them this time, because I couldn’t resist, he rolled on his back and let me pet his belly! I proceeded to purell the hell out of my hands afterwards! You can never be too careful, you know. Actually, I suppose obtaining from petting them completely would be the most careful--but where´s the adventure in that?!

So back to the train we went--longest four hours of my life, but we rested a little. We ended up sitting by the same people that we sat next to on the way out there, a man a woman. The guy was kind of creepy--he told us that they were from Lima, and had some sort of business in Cusco. He said he liked our eyes, and that we made him nervous to speak English, and that we are "like flowers." He asked to take photos of us, several photos--some together, some separately--and we´re pretty sure that he took some without asking, because when he was "playing" with his camera, it was totally pointed in our exact direction and it definitely flashed a few times. eww! Ahh, but part of the experience. =)

Anyway, once we got back to the hotel we ordered room service, watched "Never Been Kissed" and then went to sleep way too late. We had to be awake around 4:30 in the morning, so we were like the walking dead. Our cab picked us up at 5:00; we arrived in Lima around 8:00, came to the house and crashed around 9:00.

We met everyone that we’ll be working with, and they’re all really cool people.

We had our first day at the placements yesterday, which was so amazing. This visit is getting a little pricey, though, so I think I’ll update all about Sunday through today when I come here tomorrow.

Hasta Mañana!
Besitos

E