Ica
November 2-5, I spent the weekend in Ica with some of my Rotary club members and a few exchange students. Ica is a department below Lima. While in Ica we visited a winery, went sandboarding, and visited the Plaza. We also had some of the best picarones I have ever tasted, and probably will ever taste, in my life! Picarones are fried dough, like funnel cake, drizzled with honey. The picarones that we had in Ica were homemade! The dough was so thick and spongy-- good for soaking up honey! The honey was even homemade! The honey also had fruits and figs in it! Delicious! I'm starting to drool-- better move on haha! When we attempted to come back to Lima Sunday, November 4, our van broke down. We were unable to buy bus tickets until the following Monday morning. We spent another night in Ica and didn't get back home until 3pm on Monday. Here are some pictures from the weekend!
Ice cream in the Plaza!
At the sand dunes!
Trip to Madre de Dios, Cusco, and Puno
November 8-18, all the exchange students and I went on a trip to Madre de Dios (in the jungle), Cusco (in the mountains), and Puno (in the mountains). We spent the first couple of days in Madre de Dios. It was so hot and humid! It was a lot of fun though! We went zip-lining, tools boats on the river to almost every place we went, and stayed in a lodge right in the jungle. In the jungle there were SO many bugs! Inevitably, I got stung by a wasp. When I'm stung by wasps, hornets, or bees I get celulitis. A group of students ate some bad mangos and got really sick. We had to make a run to the hospital on the second day of the trip-- great start to the trip... I went to the hospital to get medicine for my celulitis, but the doctor misdiagnosed me and only treated me for an allergy. After calls all the way back home to the U.S., I finally got the right prescription of medicine. I went to the pharmacy and got my meds that I took for the rest of the trip. We spent the next few days in Cusco visiting the ruins of temples made for Incan gods. We also went to Machu Picchu!!! This was an amazing experience! I loved it! When we saw the classic image of the city ruins and Wayna Picchu (mountain), I was in awe. All I could think about was how two years ago in Spanish class we studied Machu Picchu and it meant nothing to me, but now I was here and it was unreal! My friends and I hiked up to "La Puerta del Sol" (The Gate of Sun), a temple for the sun god, Inti. From this location you could see everything-- all the mountains and the city! The view was beautiful! My friends and I sat her for an hour or so just taking it all in! It was such a unforgettable experience! After Cusco, we visited Puno where Lake Titicaca is located. We visited islands on the lake and stayed one night on the Amantani Island. We stayed with families, like host families. I had two younger siblings ( a sister and a brother). We brought gifts for the kids in our families. I gave my little 9-year-old sister a Barbie. When she opened her gift, she was so happy! Even her older brother was happy for her. The smile on her face put a smile on mine. It felt good to know that I could make someone that happy! Before I knew it, the trip came to an end! The trip went by really fast, and I enjoyed every moment of it. As the saying goes, "Time flies, when you're having fun." Here are some pictures from the trip:
At Machu Picchu!
At Madre de Dios!
At Lake Titicaca in Puno!
Family Change
Just a few days ago, I changed families. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't work out. Things weren't going well with my old host family, so I switched. I now live in Surco with my new host family. My new host family consists of my mom, dad, and three sisters (they're 3, 14, and 15). Our other family members such as cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmas, and great-grandmas from my mom's side all live very close. We see each other almost every day when we go grocery shopping or eat dinner. I love being around so much family! It feels great! I call my host parents "mama" and "papa."My parents call me "hija" (daughter) and my sisters call me "hermana" (sister). I already feel so close to my new family. We all get along really well! This past Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving. We made a turkey and everything! All the family came, too. I didn't realize just how much I missed being around family until Thursday night when we were all crowded around the dinner table, talking, laughing, and eating together! I am so happy with the switch!
Well, my family and I are going to eating lunch here very soon! Afterwards, we might play soccer! Until next time, chao y un besito!
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