Traveling & Protestors

So after traveling for 5 days we came back from the airport and there were large rocks and broken glass all over the streets because of the strike...no one is supposed to work, not even drive...it was quite the welcoming from a 3 am flight back to our homebase...so today we woke up and there are burning tires and rocks with angry protestors on the street again...last day though, thank god...the people here want pay raises and for the prime minister to resign...pretty bold expectations...not sure how effectivce it will be, but it shall be interesting..

Went to Cusco, Aguas Calientes, and Maccu Piccu this weekend...and Lima...never traveled so much in such a little time...we almost missed our flight as we sprinted across the airport...cusco was awesome...our hostal was just ok, but we went through the Sacred Valley...saw some really cool markets, the town was really fun..the bars and "discotecas" were fun too...met a bunch of people from the UK and South Africa...some Peruvian boys taught me and Meredith how to dance to "bamba" on the streets...it was so fun...I was waiting for some friends outside of a bar and ended up talking to this local girl...she was selling hats, but ended up sitting next to me and talking..she had really good English...she names all the American presidents and their accomplishments...damn she knew more about my country than I did...I was thoroughly impressed...she was smart and in school..I asked her what she aspired to be...she said a tour guide...if you are smart enough there...you go to a 5 year program to be a tour guide...i remember thinking really?? out of all the things thats what you want...but after seeing them in Aguas Calientes...they make good pay, get to travel their country to awesome places, if they are good they make some of the best connections with people all over the world...now I get it..not such a bad gig ehh?...she was really cool...but our conversation ended by her yelling bye as she ran from one of the cops following here, because apparently she was not supposed to sell things around the stores...bad business......
the train to Aguas Calientes was probably the best part...it kept getting greener...in comparison to Ayacucho...even though the elevation is significangtly higher here...it is so much more beautiful there...getting closer to Maccu Pichu everything was bright green, and the mountains were huge...it was beautiful...then when we got to Aguas Calientes...we stayed in a sweet hostal...called Gringo Bills...it was not a typical hostal, but beautiful...it was a fun town with natural hot springs...and lots of artists and markets...
We then got up at 4am to hike Maccu Piccu...the winding road up the mountain took forever, but once we got there...we hiked for a little bit and then all of a sudden you go into this path and come out into this huge city in these massive mountains...it was incredible...it was hard to grasp that I was actually looking at the view, I thought I was in Disneyland or something....we got there really early too so there were not many tourists, which were awesome, but as the day progressed more and more people came...we got a tour from a native...who had hilarious english...it was pretty comical, but learned alot...the Incas spend a 100 years building this incredbile city, but never actually got to live in it because the Spanish came and killed them...crazy...I think it is by far the most incredible sight I have ever seen...strongly reccomend it...still can't believe I was there...

That night I got really bad food poisoning from raw broccoli...unfortnatley we were traveling back on the train and in the hour and a half car ride down cobblestone roads down the mountain back to Cusco...maybe the most miserable I have ever been in my life....it was awful...now I understand to a further extent how bad the parasites really are in the water here...its frightening...don't drink the water...or anything washed in it...I am finally recovering...

Our group was dropping like flies...there are so many infections and water and food borne diseases...I think 4 out of 8 of us were pretty sick...I never thought I would be so excited to come back to home base....

Its good to be back here...yet still it is so far from anything familiar....definitley dont have any comforts of home..not even materially, but no common lifestyle with people either...the first week was a breeze....everything is so new and exciting...still exciting, but I feel myself now mentally adapting to this lifestyle and understanding the thought process of people here...its a struggle, yet hopefully refreshing at the same time...how often can you not walk outside because of angry protesters burning tires down the street?...I guess I should embrace the experience?

I woke up this morning to angry barking dogs and a bazillion roosters...I had crashed early last night so I woke up around sunrise...I went to the roof and watched the sun come up...I could only help but think how I am probably watching the same sunrise as my mom right now in Cinci...however the view could not be more different...across the roof there was a guniea pig farm to breed meat...the tin roofs are held down by large rocks to keep them from blowing off...adn even thought the mountains surround the city...its the dry season, so the dust is everywhere...again...just so different....first exposure to the developing world...its hard to describe..

I had a Spanish lesson last night, Gustavano, our teacher is great...I am picking up on it more and more...but sometime I think it comes out giberish....I went to buy notecards at the store last night...and I asked for la fichas...they looked at me like I had 4 heads...apparently my pronunciation needs some work...its pretty comical...work in progress though....I just find myself laughing at myself way too often...

I feel like i have been here so much longer than 2 weeks, just beause SO much as happened...its crazy...i feel so disconnected from everything at home...I guess its just all part of it though...

Alright off to see whats up with this strike...miss you all!