7/15 - My Final Thought

7/15 - My Final Thought

Here is my Jerry Springer final thought for the most amazing and unbelievable 15 days in the jungle.
As I sat on the plane leaving Lima, I was heartbroken this experience came to an end. I had no idea I would feel this way on this day, no idea that I would form friendships that I know, will last a lifetime. (I actually thought I would be sick of traveling and would have literally jumped speedboat a long time ago!)
Over the past 16 days, my life has been more meaningful than I ever could have imagined. I've seen and done things that scared the H out of me, made me cry happy and sad tears, and made me want to sing out loud at the top of my lungs! The morning and night boat rides on the Amazon River, interacting with the Yagua kids and teachers, holding a baby monkey (and watching one jump on my head!), feeling like I'm on top of the world and the sky's the limit on the canopy, getting a postcard live view of Machu Picchu - I feel re-inspired to live out loud in the classroom and my own life.
I've met so many inspirational people along the way. All of the teachers - so dedicated to their students and wanting to always learn more. The faculty served as mentors for all us - an example to always stay motivated and committed to science. The amazing guides and all of the Peruvians - I learned so much from your knowledge, your lifestyle and what it means to be happy where ever you are. My Amazon BFFs, we became a family overnight in the jungle - I never would have survived without you and I know, our story is just beginning. =)
Above all, the past 15 days have taught me what fills my heart. My desire to learn about different cultures, travel to exotic places and help everyone I can is now stronger than ever. I'm grateful for this opportunity, for the people I met along the way, and for it opening my eyes wide enough to see my happy.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my adventure with you. I know it was a little cheesy (and hopefully funny) at times, but it's real, it's live and it's all me! Luckily, my journey doesn't end here. I get to experience it all over again next summer, this time with a group of 7+ fortunate students, watching their eyes light up, as mine have over and over again. The magic of the rainforest is not just a filter on my camera (though it is an awesome one) - it's exactly what Dr. Linnea Smith described and I love it!
Now more than ever, my heart is full, I'm living out loud, and my story is just beginning - the future's so bright - I gotta wear shades! :)

I leave you with a slideshow of my favorite pics from the jungle and the 'Chu.
Next stop - no se - the world is my oyster! :)

Here are my favs - kind of a lot! :)

7/13 & 7/14 - Machu Picchu!

7/13 and 7/14 - Machu Picchu!

Today we hopped on the Peru Rail for a 3 hour chug through the countryside that would drop us off at Aguas Calientes - the town at the base of Machu Picchu! We spent the first day touring the "Stonehenge" city, taking in the views and hiking the Inca Bridge.  We spent the night in an amazing hotel in Aguas Calientes so we could have the whole next day at the 'Chu, where we did one last morning birding (specifically looking for the Cock on the Rock😳), hiked to the sun gate and explored, before heading back to Cusco for our last night in South America. These 2 days were a magical experience that I will never forget. Our leader, Mo from ASU, told us to periodically stop, close our eyes, take a deep breath and then take a second. Sarah and I did this all over the 'Chu and now, the beauty, views and emotions I had are burned into my memory forever. This mini break really made me appreciate where I was and what I was seeing. We've decided we are definitely returning with our 3rd Amazon Amiga Joan to hike the 4 day Inca trail that ends on the 'Chu in the very near future - talk about a 180 degrees change in my attitude towards being outdoorsy and life without wifi! (The Amazon really has changed me...for the better!)
I don't think it's possible to put into words what I saw or how I felt on the mountain, so I've decided that this post is best described through photos of the views and my excited selfie face! 😝 there are 2 slideshows - one of the town Aguas Calientes and the other is Machu Picchu! I went a little crazy with the Picchu pics - sorry about that!

Next stop - a tearful goodbye in Lima. 😪

Click to play traditional Peruvian music while you watch the slideshows.

Click for the Machu Picchu slideshow.

Click for the Aguas Calientes slideshow.

7/12 - Church, Church, Church

July 12

This morning started with Jesus! I went to the Spanish Catholic Mass at the Cusco Basilica with 4 other girls and loved every second of it. It was a 7am Saturday service and the church was packed! (Some members even stayed for 2 services.) They played the organs, sang, and did all of the other normal churchy things you would expect. It was a great experience for me and I had an indescribable feeling before, during and after the mass.  I felt inspired, calm and happy all at the same time.  Like I said yesterday, I know this stop on the (3 hour) tour happened for a reason. This is something I want to bring back to Phoenix with me and have decided to start a church crawl! Every-ish Sunday, I want to try out a new religion or church to experience everything and potentially find a good fit for me! At the very least, I'll learn and experience new things along the way. I'm very happy I had the chance to attend mass in Spanish in Peru - I don't know how these experiences can get any better...but I know there is a big mountain in my future and can't wait!

After church, we traveled through the Sacred Urambamba Valley and visited a working Salt Mine, the Inca Terrace Gardens, the town of Chinchero and the Center de Textiles tradicionales del Cusco. The views in the sacred valley were beautiful and I took a million pics!

The salt mines look like plots of snow and are owned by individual families.  I wanted to 

go ice skating on them - or jump in a salt pool! The best part of the mines were all of the little food carts around it that had fried bananas (a Peru fav) and tons of salt seasoning. I bought 2 small bags😳 

The Terrace Gardens look like a UFO. They are circular ledges to grow crops at different levels and temperatures. There are 40,000 working terraces in Peru, all started by an English woman who came to Peru in search of something more. We hiked down to the bottom and I was amazed by how small I felt in the middle. 

We then went to a traditional Incan lunch, where we had potatoes, corn, potatoes and...(drum roll please)...Guinea Pig! (Cuy!) Once I got over the idea of eating Ratatouille, it was actually pretty tasty.  I've had a no fear attitude this whole trip - can't break that streak now! When in...Peru?! :)

The textile center is in the town of Chinchero, which is a small, agriculture one in transition.  Many residents are selling their land for an international airport project and it's losing a bit of its old country feel. It reminded me of the Yagua preservation project in the jungle. The Yagua are more interested in keeping with their roots - probably because they've never had a taste of the "fancy" life, which is part of the magic of the rainforest.  Modernizing and more money aren't always good things - which is one of the big revelations I've had this trip. (Mo money, no problems...wise one Diddy.)

The Textile center is one of the only traditional pieces left of Chinchero. It is a non-profit project that employs women of all ages in the community.  They use all natural products for cleaning and dyes like the Yagua to make blankets, hats, gloves, belts, bracelets - you name it. (The weight in my suitcase is proof of this!) It made me think what my life would have been like, had I not been born in the USA. Most of the people we've visited have had very little choice in their futures - not because they are forced into a career unwillingly, but because that is the tradition and the norm.  I'm sure I could have been very happy weaving Alpaca thread into a blanket for my career, as I'm sure most of these women are. It just would have been a very different life and I can't help but wonder how hard/easy it is for them to branch out socially and culturally.

Sarah and I had dinner at a cafe (named Sara's!) and chewed up all the bandwidth - we were having withdraws! (It was getting so bad, I almost had the shakes!) We saw this Cusco celebration while out and loved being in the middle of the culture.

Next stop - 'Chu 'Chu 'Chu!

7/11 - inca Culture

July 11

We spent the morning traveling from Lima to Cusco - it definitely feels like a brand new trip...minus the smelly, dirty clothes and the million plastic bags (at least I won't wake up Lilly anymore with the rustling). 😳 Sarah is my new roomie and I'm beyond excited! She is a BA chick living in Charlotte by way of Long Island and we've already become besties in the jungle, so continuing our fun on the mountain will only add to the adventure of a lifetime! (But we miss Joan, Lilly, Jackie and Julie already!😭)

 Cusco is significantly higher than the Amazon by 11,000 feet and we are feeling it! The recommendation is to take it slow and drink lots of water...and we did. Cusco is very touristy - it's where all of the Machu Picchu hikers stay and we are loving the amenities. 

Up first was lunch at a very fancy restaurant and I tried, Alpaca! It was chewy and really good - I'm all about trying new foods and Cuy is up next (google that for a surprise)🐁 The restaurant had open charcoal grills and baskets of produce all over.

After lunch we went on a long walking tour of Cusco.  We visited a couple churches, the main square, an artist's house where he sells hand painted Inca pottery, looked at original gray 600 year old Incan walls that are all over the city, a reconstructed tower and city gardens. 

I fell in love with Inca pottery and the artist. He has been painting for decades and is the sweetest man. I practiced my espanol with him too, so either the store closes at 6 or the water cup costs 600 soles...😳 I plan on returning to his store when we have free time on Tuesday for some authentic Peruvian pots.

I was blown away by the cathedral, Cusco's Basilica. It is shaped like the Holy Cross and is the largest one in Cusco. There are 3 or 4 masses every day in Spanish, Latin or Quechuan. It has a community feel and some members attend every day. (I couldn't help but picture Sister Act 2 and really wanted to tear off my windbreaker and jump on stage to sing!) There are gigantic organs, mostly used on Sundays that light up the church. The church was covered in gold statues, beautiful paintings, jewels, and guinea pig symbolism everywhere. It was overwhelmingly beautiful, and even though I haven't been to church in years, I couldn't help but feel religious. In this magical country with all of these amazing experiences, I can't help but feel like we entered this basilica for a reason. These weeks are all about experiencing Peruvian life and finding myself along the way, so I'm getting a small group together to attend mass tomorrow morning.  I'm really looking forward to this religious/cultural/spiritual experience in the early morning. 

We took it easy for the rest of the night, exploring the main square with the hot water, air conditioning and Starbucks (and a few local cafés and pubs)! Next stop - Jesus, salt and textiles!