I needed a change of scenery last weekend so I left the country for a little trip to Bolivia. I took the bus to the quiet town of Copacabana, which, just to clarify, is NOT the Brazilian resort town of the same name. I got a single room in a hostel and went out to explore the city. I visited the cathedral, had some fried trout down by the lake, and then decided to climb the huge hill behind the town. My guidebook said it took about an hour to hike to the top, so I asked this local guy where the trail started and he pointed about 10 feet away. So I started climbing right there. I should have known it wasn't the official path when, after about 5 minutes, I came to a part that looked like there had been a small rockslide and I had to use my hands to make my way up. I kept going, but the trail split off so many times that I didn't know which one to take. I just guessed and kept ascending. At one point, I literally couldn't go any farther unless I brought out my rock climbing equipment, so I had to back track and take a different path. I did finally make it up and I must say, the view was worth it. There were a bunch of people lighting little fires and candles as offerings. I went down the hill on the actual path and got to see the stations of the cross that my guidebook mentioned, even though they were in reverse order going down.

The next day I took a boat with a bunch of other tourists to La Isla del Sol, the supposed birthplace of the Sun and also the first Inca. I got to explore some pre-Incan ruins and see the famous rock that gave the lake its name. The rock (kaka in Aymara) looks like a puma (titi), hence the name Titicaca. Then I hiked back across the island right on the crest of the mountains, which was really cool. It took about 2 1/2 hours and I was all alone, so it was a nice time to think and just take in the scenery. The boat ride back to Copacabana was excruciatingly slow; I don't know if it was because it was kind of windy or if they were just trying to save gas.

The path kind of reminded me of the Great Wall of China.

On the bus ride back to Chucuito, I became instant friends with an 8-year-old girl when I smiled at her. So we played games to pass the time. She would think of a fruit and tell me the first letter and I had to guess which one it was, which was good practice for me. Overall, the whole weekend (transportation, food, hostel, island tour) only cost about $25. Not bad.

This week has been really busy at my hostel here in Chucuito. We are basically at capacity because there are 35 people here for some kind of business retreat. So I've been helping out with meals, being a waitress of sorts. It's kind of fun actually, and it gives me something to do during the day.

I only have four more classes to teach here before I move on to my solo traveling. I'm kind of learning that I don't really like teaching all that much. It might be because all my students are from 8-20 years old and I would rather teach adults. These teenagers are really testing my Spanish because they talk FAST (must be a universal teen thing). It's different using Spanish to teach English because I can just directly translate a word into Spanish instead of having to explain the meaning in English like I had to with the class I was teaching in Seattle. But other times it's more difficult, like when I'm trying to give instructions in Spanish and I just get blank stares. I'm really not looking forward to teaching kids at an orphanage in Lima; maybe I'll change my mind about what I want to do. . .

So when you all were enjoying the first day of summer, I was down here during the shortest, coldest day of the year. This winter solstice also happens to be when the Andean New Year is celebrated because they celebrate the birth of the sun. Lots of people (I was not one of them) got up super early yesterday so they could be there to witness the rising of the sun. When I got up, much to my HORROR, they were in the middle of sacrificing one of our "pet" alpacas! I asked what they were going to do with it, and they said we would eat it. And we did--later that day we had alpaca soup! The different parts of the animal are still lying around the kitchen. There is a big pot of "innards," the head is sitting on the counter, and the wool is in a heap on the floor. Yum.

On Wednesday, there was a paro in the province of Puno, which basically meant no cars were to be on the road. They even put big rocks in the middle of the road so you couldn't get through. I did see a few cars go by; the drivers just got out and moved the rocks to get by. I didn't get a clear reason for the paro, but I'm guessing it was part of an effort to save the environment.

Since we couldn't go anywhere, the people who run the hostel invited me to go with them on a boat trip to find el agua dulce. Apparently this "sweet water" is located in the middle of the lake and it is sacred. We found it where there were a bunch of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the lake. They are convinced this water is special so they filled a big tank with it to be used in holy ceremonies. Also on our trip, we passed by quite a few trout farmers with their big nets set up. Sr. Santiago wanted to buy some fish from them for lunch, so he just went up to one and made a deal. Fish is so cheap here--I think he paid 50 cents for about 8 pounds of fish! They were going to make ceviche out of it, but then decided to fry it instead. I have to try ceviche before I leave because where else can I eat raw fish marinated in lemon and onion?

I was feeling bored the other day (hey, it happens a lot in a town where the only means of entertainment is kicking a soccer ball around in the dirt), so I decided to go to Puno to watch a movie. I entered the cine and paid my 30 cents and then was led to a small room with a regular-sized TV. Then they proceeded to pop a pirated DVD into the player and turned out the lights. It was very poorly dubbed, so I could hardly understand anything. I think I'll have to watch the unpirated Pirates movie when I get back to the States so I can figure out what was going on.

This weekend, there were a couple other gringas staying at the hostel, so I hung out with them on Saturday. We went to the floating Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca. These islands are made entirely of reeds and the Uros People originally built them hundreds of years ago to separate themselves from the Incas. We walked around on the squishy ground and took a ride in a reed boat and took some pictures and that's about it. They have no electricity on the islands so they have solar panels set up, which I thought was interesting, since they're so traditional but then have that modern source of energy.

These guys are making a reed boat.

Today the guys in charge of the town clean up day presented the kids with 40 basketballs, soccerballs, and volleyballs as a reward for their hard work. They brought me along so I could take pictures (which has happened a lot here since none of them has a camera). Then they introduced me and made me tell the kids about the English classes I'm giving and invite them to come. I really hate talking in front of big crowds, but talking in front of a whole school in another language??? Yikes. I don't even know what I said. But then afterwards, a few girls came up and kissed me and said hi. So I think I'll be having more students tonight that usual.

Balls!

Here's me being nervous in front of the whole school.

I've been holding class from 6-8 at night on weekdays. There are about eight high-schoolers who come and also a few adults. They all really want to learn and they got upset one night when I wanted to end class 10 minutes early. A couple girls wanted me to translate "Where is the love?" and "I don't like your boyfriend" into Spanish because they like those American songs. I thought it was kind of funny. It's also interesting to note how much faster the young ones catch on than the older adults. I have to go over and over something for them to get it and the teenagers understand right away. Teach your kids a language when they're young!

I was hanging out in the plaza today when these boys came up to me wanting to shine my shoes. This was not the first time they've bugged me and I usually tell them I like my shoes dirty or something. But today I thought "Why not?" So now my shoes are nice and polished and he even got off the white paint that's been on them since my Louisiana mission trip last year. Now I wonder how long they'll stay nice?

Okay, time for a Rorschack test. Tell me what you see in this mess of peeling paint and water stains: 

This is on my bedroom wall and whenever I look over there, I see a teapot. Let me know what you think.

This week I learned a little about Peruvians' mixed faith in God and in the spiritual deities and traditions of their past.

I attended the Catholic church service that is held in Chucuito in their old church building. It started about 20 minutes late (like everything here), so I had some time to just sit and reflect and watch the people come in. I thought the whole town (all 1600 people) would come since this is the only church service here, but there were only about 75 of us. The service started with, in my opinion, some rather contemporary music. There were guitars, a drum, a tambourine, and a flute, along with a couple of song leaders. They even played one I knew (''Sing Alleluia to the Lord'', but in Spanish, of course). It was a very nice service and I think I'll go back this week.

I had a conversation about religion with Sr. Santiago one night. He asked me if I was religious and I said yes. Then when I told him I was protestant, he wanted to know the difference between protestantism and catholicism. So, using my limited vocabulary, I attempted to give him a rundown of some major differences, but I stressed that both worship the same God. Then he went off on how he can't understand how people can believe in that stuff because God doesn't guide our lives, we do. So it was a good opportunity to share my beliefs, but he was not very accepting because he was sure I was wrong.

Yesterday, Sr. Santiago asked me if I wanted to walk to the top of the hill behind Chucuito. I said sure because I've been wanting to do that. I had no idea what I was in for! There were five of us that started out together. Before we left, we all chewed up some coca leaves and stuck them in our cheeks because ''it helps with fatigue and makes you stronger.'' (see picture at left) And, yes, cocaine is made out of coca leaves, but it only becomes a drug when it is processed. The coca leaves are just a natural-growing plant (like marijuana!). Anyways, it took about an hour and 45 minutes to climb to the top, and it was a hard hike, especially at this elevation. When we got there, I took some pictures, and then people started arriving from all over. Huh? Is this some kind of meeting or something? When about 30 of us were gathered, they brought out some incense and said some kind of prayer. I didn't understand any of it because it was all in Aymara. Then we had lunch. All the women emptied the contents of their shawls onto a blanket, forming a huge pile of black and white potatoes, lima beans, and pieces of fried bread. Then everybody just dug in. They all kept offering me more, but there's only so many cold, flavorless potatoes and beans I can eat. After everyone was satisfied, we started picking up the garbage in the area. Apparently, the rocky area at the top of the hill is a sacred place for the Aymara people. It is where they offer sacrifices and come to pray. I had noticed a bunch of rocks stacked on top of one another in various places, and it turns out they do that as a form of worship. So after about four hours of gathering all the garbage together, they had another ceremony, I guess to dedicate it as a clean place to worship. Then, after taking more coca, we headed back down. It was really funny to see these old women saying ''Give me more coca. I need more coca!''


I've been going to Puno a few times a week to mail stuff, use the phone, or just hang out because there's not really anything to do in Chucuito. The first time I went, I ate at this restaurant and ordered Pollo con Coca Cola (yes, that's exactly what you think it is). It was good, and cost about $3.25. The next time, I got wise and ordered the menú, which is the set meal of the day. To start, I got a small plate of bbq beef and a potato. Then they brought out a soup with rice, potatoes, and beef in it. Next was the main course, fried chicken with thick french fries and salad. I also got my choice of beverage. Lastly, they brought out dessert, jello with something creamy on it. All this for only $2.25. Needless to say, I was stuffed. Last time I went to Puno, I found a restaurant with a menú for only $.80, which wasn't quite as much food, but it still filled me up. I love how cheap everything is here. My dollar goes a long way.

A couple days ago I bought a Cosmo en español to entertain myself. I'm going through it cover to cover looking up words I don't know so I can increase my pop culture vocabulary. I think I'll go work on that now before my class starts at 6:00.

I had a nice first Saturday here. Sr. Santiago wanted me to help out with their ''project,'' which turned out to be a city clean-up day. They gathered all the kids together (about 120 of them) and a few adults went with each group to a certain part of town. Then we brought all the garbage back and sorted out the plastic and metal (which is going to be sold for recycling) and then burned the rest in the middle of the street. I'm glad I'm up-to-date on my tetanus shots because some of those things we were handling were so rusty I couldn't tell what they were.

I also got to see part of a wedding today. Wedding celebrations here go for two or three days straight. The actual ceremony took place in the church at about 8 am. Then everyone processed outside with people throwing fake flower petals on the couple. They marched around the plaza with a band playing. Then all day they continued marching around the town with everybody following them. And people kept throwing the petals on them so that they were completely covered in them. The kids especially loved this activity. Once in a while they would stop and dance and everyone would take a drink.

Another fun activity I got to do today was wash my clothes. Most of the roads here are dirt, so everything I wear is dusty by the end of the day. There isn't a laundromat here, so I did like the locals do and bought myself a bar of laundry soap and cleaned my clothes using two tubs and a faucet out in the yard. My hands were fa-reezing when I was done and I wanted to take a shower (especially after handling gross garbage all day). Most of the showers here only have cold water, and I HATE taking cold showers. There is a shower that gets warm-ish, but I have to turn on the water heater two hours before I want to shower, so I kind of have to plan for it. So I've only been showering here about every three days or so. I'm fine with that--I bought myself a hat so I can cover up my greasy hair.

Yesterday I decided to check out Chucuito's one and only claim-to-fame, The Temple of Fertility. It consists of a stone structure full of phalluses of various sizes. Apparently women go here and sit on top of the penises to increase their fertility. So of course I had to try it. (Hey, I want to have kids someday!) When I left, there were women selling penis keychains ''to remember the temple.'' I tried my best not to laugh in their faces.

Brrr...I'm so cold right now. My hair is still wet and I have to wear a skirt because both pairs of jeans I brought are drying on the line. It's fairly warm during the day, but as soon as the sun goes down (at 5 o'clock), it gets really cold. I got sunburnt my first day here and I was only outside from 8-10 in the morning. But the elevation is so high that the rays are stronger. So now I remember to wear sunscreen every day! There's no heat indoors, so at night I bundle up and fill my Nalgene bottle with hot water and sleep with it.

Here are some photos. Sorry if all the pictures take a long time to load. But I can guarantee you that it takes longer on the computers here. I have to start downloading (uploading?) when I first get on the computer and then they're finally done when I'm ready to leave about an hour or so later. But I don't mind; at least I have internet access here!

Clean it, boys!

Wedding procession

Increasing my fertility

Yup

I'm currently in Puno, a bigger and more touristy town about 20 minutes from Chucuito. I came here to look for a phone card to call to the US because they don't exist in Chucuito. Hardly anyone even has a home phone there.

I've been doing okay healthwise since I got here. I was warned about altitude sickness, since the elevation at Lake Titicaca is 12,400 (almost as high as Mt. Rainier!). But I've been fine, just a little tired, which could be from all the traveling, or perhaps from waking up everyday to the roosters crowing right outside my door. (But it's not as bad as this episode in Mexico.)

Today was my first day of teaching. Sr. Santiago was supposed to round up some people who wanted to learn English, but he's been out of town the last couple days. So I ended up just teaching Hilda and Edgar, the two people who live at and help run the hostel. They're great people. Hilda and I have been hanging out a bunch. She makes me breakfast every morning and then we sit and chat. She's one of the indígenas and wears the traditional alpaca sweaters and full skirts. It was very interesting teaching these two because they know nothing about English. So I started with ''What is your name?'' and had them answer ''My name is _______.'' I think I'm going to enjoy this, and maybe our small class will grow.

Where we eat breakfast

The outside of the building

The offending rooster

Well, I made it to where I was supposed to be without any problem! Here's how my first couple of days went.

I arrived at the Lima Airport at night and then was immediately ripped off. I needed to get a taxi to a hostel in the middle of the city, so I talked to this taxi driver and he said it was 18 to get there. I tried to talk him down to 15, but he was firm, so I said okay, assuming he meant 18 nuevo soles (or $6). But then when we got to the hostel, I tried to pay him and he said it was 18 dollars. So I got upset and even had him call the other guy I had talked to, but he said it was 18 dollars because it was a service of the airport. So I paid him, close to tears (mainly just for sympathy). All I was thinking was Why would they quote me in US dollars? We're in Peru!

The hostel turned out to be fine; I shared a room with this Japanese guy who talked my ear off. The next morning I took a cab back to the airport (I only paid $5 this time, so I sort of felt justified) and then took a plane to Juliaca. From there, I jumped in a colectivo headed for Puno. A colectivo is a big van, but it works kind of like a shared taxi. The driver calls out where he's headed, and then when it's full, we take off. Puno was where I was supposed to meet Moises, the guy I've been corresponding with the last few weeks. It took a little while, and some help from a local guy, but I found him at the bus terminal. Then we took a colectivo to Chucuito, the town I'm staying in for this first month. So it took awhile, but I finally made it here!

Here I am in the colectivo.

I live in a hostel, but they don't get many guests, so right now (and most likely the entire time), it's just me and Señor Santiago, the owner. I have a tiny double room, with a bathroom outside around the corner. My mattress is super hard and my pillow is so heavy it feels like a rock. But it's fine for me. Right outside my door is a big flowering plant, which is nice, except that it attracts a ton of bees so I have to hurry and shut my door when I leave so they don't come in my room. There's also a small field right outside my room where three alpacas live. Yes, I have alpacas for pets, can you believe it!?!

The door to my room (with the bee plant!)

Inside my roomThe bathroom sink made of stoneThe yard outside my room

I'll write more later; right now I want some lunch!