The Coast...

So as much as I have grown to appreciate Peruvian culture...their sense of timing is not....superb?....The seven hour ride through the mountains to the coast was a bit longer than anticipated....turned out to be over eight...so now I have learned to + 60 min to time limits....anyways...we finally arrived in Ika...a major coast town...triple the population of my current home in Ayacucho....we arrived starving and went to a restaraunt where they only served chicken and papas..the music was so loud we couldnt talk so exhausted we ate in silence as the Peruvian band danced around us...went to out hostal, which was more like a hotel and asthetically pleasing...got up early the next day and drove to the high desert...we ate an authentic meal and walked around...we were in a town that is an oasis in the middle of this massive desert...there is a natural lake in between huge sand mountains....they were not comparable to dunes...they were much larger....towering above this oasis town...it was unreal...Peru is incredibly more diverse than I had imagined...we then went sandboarding....amazing...one of the most fun things I have ever done...we got into these cars, they looked straight out of the movie Transformers....or the Incredibles...no doors...they strapped us in with these intense seat belts...and we floored it up these sand mountains...safety is not necessaily a priority in Peru...I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride, but with sand blowing all over...we got to the top of the peak and got out....they unstrapped us to these boards...they look just like snowboards, but are waxed on the bottom....I laid down on my stomach as they strapped me on to this board and before I knew I was ready they pushed me down and all the sudden wemt flying down this sand mountain... so fun...except a few screamed..leaving them with a mouth full of sand...very entertaining....HIGHLY recommend it!!

We then drove to Nasca...stayed in a hostel that looked like a very sterile doctors office...with the same corny art...but grateful it was clean...got up early the next morning and went to the airport...after paying another airport tax...got on these planes that seat 12 people and took off to see the Nasca Lines...the lines are these crazy designs and figures that have been drawn out in the flat land of the desert over 2000 years ago by the Nasca tribes for religious and ceremonial purposes...they are in shapes of animals, hands..etc....but you can see them from the plane ride...really famous archeological site...and there are a lot of mysteries that still remain about them....half the people got sick on our plane from the nausea...the pilot consistenly flipped the plane side to side so each isle could get a good view....I was fine, but it did not take so well with most people...it was very cool to see and incredible it has been around that long...but have to admit I was not as impressed as I thought I would be...they were rather hard to make out and I guess I just may not appreciate the significance of them as much as I should...good experience though...then saw a traditional potter that made crazy Nascan ceramics...showed us how he did his work and still has pottery that was created by the Nascan tribes...such high quality that it has been preserved over 2000 years...pretty crazy when you think about it...they sure knew how to make their art.

We then drove to a beach town called Parakas...right on the water...little village, it was so nice to see a body of water..it had been awhile...and the air was finally not stark dry like in the Andes...we stayed at a cool hostel...looked like a bread and breakfast...and Poncho and I bonded on the trip...so he gave me a single room, which was awesome...first time I had personal space in a month...but as I began to settle in the ENTIRE town had a black out....I climbed to the roof to check out what was happening, because everyone had split up...and the locals were walking around with head lamps very casually....I take it black outs are common in Parakas....I found out later that it was a single hair dryer that caused the whole village to lose electricity....different level than American technology...it was cool for star gazing....Southern Cross is beautiful down here....finally after all that commotion woke up the next morning anf jumped on a motor boat that took us to the islands that had crazy wildlife...apparently similair to the Galapagos Islands, but not as extensive. The weather reminded me of Northern California....overcast, windy, cold, lots of waves in the water...our boat driver had a bad lisp...so his English was hard to understand, but the sea life was cool...there were these crazy edgy cliffs and caves filled with sea lions, penuins, and condors...cool to see....there are locals who make their living collecting these animals waste and making fertilizer out of it...there was an old building...looked like a mini Alkatraz....that was their central business...hah...the things people do for money down here...but cool...went back into town had ceviche and fish,....shopped around...the most beautiful turquoise I have ever seen...and loaded back up for the mountainous car ride....it was cool though...watched some movies in Spanish...and learned all about Kenyan and Burundian politics from my friend Diphile...

Now back in Ayacucho at this make shift internet cafe...and starving...they served coy for dinner...guniea pig....I am all about trying new things, but the problem was that I woke up at 5 this morning to amplified squealing...because apparently our dinner was being slaughtered at the guniea pig farm across the street...which takes place on the rooftop of our neighbors....the appeal was shot right there....it was all bone too...Peruvians love the stuff though...I just remember my friends having them as pets growing up...hard to grasp...no thank you....tired of Peruvian food...the meat here is cooked so well that it is tough to rid of all the potential bacterim and parasites in it and almost always chicken...and 200 kinds of potatoes all generally taste the same...just weird shapes...missing my moms food or American food in general...as exotic as Peruvian food may sound...the mentality tends to be...lets cook whats available....really well....and then add some spice....I saw a Snickers bar on the coast trip...never been so excited for American junk food...we know how to make chocolate...it was 5 sol...but totally worth it...the little things in life I am learning to appreciate more :)

Had coffee today at the plaza with some volunteers...a bit older than me...but heard some of the craziest stories about international living and traveling...lots of insight...I never figured I would learn as much as my fellow volunteers as I have....perhaps more so than the local people...or maybe just in different ways...people are fascinating...

Anyways, thats the summary of the coast...so fun...it was great to get out of the homebase too with all the chaos going on....the girl who had sever bruising got flown home...apparently she had a severe blood platelet problem and being at such a high altitude cause it to escalate..so she is being hospitalized back in the states....and all my friends are feeling better finally, which is amazing....it was discovered they had picked up an E coli bacterium infection...I feel lucky that one passed me up...thats all for now...more updates later.