Un lugar con mucho cosas

What an amazing place Peru is. The history is alive, beautiful and can been seen, felt, touched and even eaten everywhere. I thought after Machu Pichu there wouldn´t be much to see, was I ever wrong.
Arequipa is called the white city beause all the buildings and archways are made of white volcanic rock. When we first drove into the Plaza de Arma it was lit up and the archways glowed in the moonlight. It imprinted an image in my mind that I don´t think I´ll ever forget.

From here we headed into the desert coast of Peru (an extension of the Chilean desert), I believe the second driest in the world. It is vast and in most places nothing exist. Then we come upon valleys where water runs from the Andean mountains and boy are they ever rich and fertile. Everything grows. What an agriculture tour we have been on. Some new crops for us to see are the asparagus, artichoces, cotton, grapes, mangoes, figs, pecans, onions, rice, plums and more. I love how history comes to life for us here as the girls and I had just finished reading some books about slavery and cotton plantations. The next thing I knew we were picking cotton. It was interesting as the seeds are inside the white fluffy balls. The are sharp and prickly. Yet the people who pick the cotton during slavery times were punished for blood on the cotton, a next to impossible feat Í´d say.
We went to Nasca to see the famous Nasca lines, beautiful sand designs in the desert created by the Nasca people during PreIncan times. The best way to see them is by air in a tiny 4 seater plane. Treava and I toured together and our first sighting was the astronaut on the right and then the plane swirls to see the monkey on the left and then a 360 so the other person can see, on to the frog, the hummingbird an amazing tiltling of the wings and stomach and yikes, Treava lost her cookies and I sure wanted to do the same. It was though worth it as I don´t think there is anything like it in the world.
Then we went to an Oasis in the desert for sand boarding. What a kick in the pants. Personally I´ve never wanted to try snowboarding, yet after sandboarding I might be converted. The hostal we stayed in had the most adorable monkey the kids were able to play with and hold which the did ever free moment. It would cry when we put down. I think it was very lonely.

Today we are in Paracas and area hit very hard by the earthquake in August 2007. The rubble and destruction is painful to see in a country so poor. Yet the peoples spirits are positive, alive and upbeat. They are grateful to have their life as about 500 died here.
We went to see the island full of peguins, sea lions, seals, dolphins, commorant and millions of birds. They harvest the bird guana as there are so many birds.
Que le Via Bien. Lisa

Uros Island (floating island made of reeds) Peru

Indigenous Boy, Taquille Island, Peru, 12,500 feet

Sacsaywuman Inka Ruinas afuera Cusco, Peru

Cusco, Peru (500 year old Inka Wall in back)

Arequipa, Peru

Hi everyone! We are FINALLY in Arequipa! Its OK, very crowded yet pretty. The plaza de Armas is spectacular! Today treava and I bought bird food from a Little boy...put it in are hands and fed the wild birds from our hands! We went on a city-country tour of Arequipa. It started at the plaza at 9:15 this morning. The first stop was MIrador del Carmen Alto. You got off the bus and looked down into the Chile river. It was pretty but VERY dirty! We also tryed the famous juices from this area, Arequipa papaya and tumbo(I think) Those were kinda funny tasting!! The papaya was sweet and not like Papaya at all and the tumbo was very sour and had a funny texture! They also had guinea pigs their and those were fun to see. Are next stop was the Mirador de escaleras(Stairs). We drove up semi high and then climbed maybe two hundred stairs to the final lookout. It was a nice view of the city but nothing to stunning. Then we went to plaza viego which was very pretty. I think we will post photos latter but we got a really nice family picture in front of one of the arches surrounding the plaza. There were red flowers behind the arch and trees beond that. This was my favorite spot on the tour. There was also a church there but we diden´t get to go in because it was closed.I don't really care...I have seen a million-thousand-trillion churches. Next we went to the founders of Arequipa mansion. It was ruined in a earthquake but has been repaired. It was cool but it wasn't very big nor mansion like. Pretty much just like a house with some COOL antiques. My favorite was the statue that was all dressed for Battle. Real silver and lots of Shields. After that we went to a grain factory. It was old and nothing was really happening but we did get to see the water spinning the crushing wheel. Then we headed back to the main plaza got off the bus and went to EAT! Then we fond the old and famous monastery and ask how much it was. It wold have been $50 for our family so we decided not to go in because in our book it says its cool but not very much to see. After that we caught a taxi to the alpaca factory. It turned out to be more like a factory museum. It was very interesting seeing the machines but we were all looking forward to actually seeing the process and people doing it. Then we walked back and now were doing school work. We are thinking about heading to the beach tomorrow and that should be fun! I'm ready for some warm weather! In Arequipa its cold and always raining! I don't think we are going to Chile because it would be ten hours to the border. After the beach and the Nazca lines its back to Lima to meet my Grandma! I'm really excited to see her! Miss you,
Vienna

Why in the world are we traveling

As any adventure goes in life there are good and bad times. Yet for me the worst as a mother comes when one of my children gets sick in a 3rd world country. In Lake Titicaca, altitude 12,000 feet, Treava got very sick. We were on a boat tour of the island and the floating islands and Treava was lethargic and started to vomit and as the day went on the symptoms worsened. by night fall we had called the Touristico medico (Doctor who comes to You) who diagnosed it as severe altitude sickness and possibly food poisioning on top. He was a sweetheart and came back 3 times over the course of the next 15 hours to check on her and sent his nurse twice. He was so apologetic about how much he had to charge us. $35 for all the visits and $35 for the medicine and oxygen. I was scared to death and afraid of my worst fears of travel as she continued to worsen needing oxygen first ever 3 hour then 2 then 1. I could never be a nurse. Just the act of administering oxygen brings left nightmares for me. We all prayed and prayed and in the morning tried to get down to a lower elevation. The doctor advised us to fly as busing would require going higher yet and oxygen would be hard to come by. Plus we wanted out of there quick. Yet as all things go in a 3rd world country nothing is quick. So we said more prayers and finally were booked on a flight leaving at 3:40 pm. When we got to the airport the flight was delayed. We had strategically planned leaving the hotel and oxygen so treava would only have to go 2 hours without oxygen. Yet God does not close one door without opening another. The airport had oxygen and administered it to her. Thank god I travel with Hand sanitizer as they don´t clean the mask as they move from persons in need. As another door closed, the flight was cancelled another was opened. Of the 150 people on the flight the called only us up and offered us a flight to Tacna or Lima. We choose Tacna as it has the best medical centers in the country. They boarded all people for Areqipa and once aboard told them the flight was cancelled. They told them they would bus them. Caous surrounded us with irrate people. I admired the Lan Airline staff as they remained professional with many angery tourist who deboarded while we called for more oxygen for Treava. Then they cancelled a flight bound for Lima and pandamonia broke out as the Koreans scrambled for their luggaged and tried to get aboard our flight headed for Tacna then Lima. More prayers as by now it´s getting dark and all flights must leave by nightfall as there are no runway lights. Finally we are in the air bound for Tacna or so we think when the announcement comes we are going to Lima. I don´t care just get us down at this point in hopes Treava will heal. We arrive in Lima, Treava throws up, Noelle, Vienna and I cry and pray more while Chris tries to find a Hotel. Then the voice of God, ok Lan airlines speaks and calls us to the desk. Since we are not in Tacna and by the grace of god, the compassion and heart the size of a giant they offer to put us up in a 5 star hotel directly across the street from the best medical center in Peru and then fly us to Arequipa whenever Treava is better. What an amazing gift this was to all of us. Treava over the next 12 hours improved. We were all exhausted and relieved and grateful. The 5 star hotel had some of the best food we have eaten all free of charge and wonderful staff and a swimming pool to lounge and heal by. I am always amazed by the gifts the great Spirit gives us in times of need like this. As I tell my children remember to always be grateful for what we have been given. As Vienna will attest to Even in times of despair you can recieve a gift of a 5 star hotel, her dream. Please pray for us to have a safe journey till we meet again. I love you Lisa

Crazy flights and the black market

We got to Lake Titicaca and went on a tour where we visited the Taquiles islands and the floating islands. At the taquiles island they had amazing traditions! The men knited and the woman weaved. On the hike up we saw a eight year old boy knitting a red hat with some blue and green. That hat is know as the hat for the married men! The unmarried men wear the same style hat but white and red. The woman on the other hand- when they are younger than 15 they wear a cape covering their faces. Once they are 15 and a woman they get a cape with tassles on the end that are either blue and white if they are sad and dont want to be talked to but red, orange, yellow and white if they are happy and want to be talked to. All of this color coating is indicators. We ate a delicious lunch on Isla Taquiles but I couldn´t get much down with the way treava looked and felt (my mom will write about it).

We (Mckenna, Jamie, Terri, Dennis, Vienna, My dad, My mom, Treava, I and our tour group) took the boat ride to the floating islands ridding up top overlooking the beautiful veiw. We arrived at the Island to see the locals running about covering up the non-waterproof stuff. When I stepped off I thought I was on a trampaline! The spungy reeds that they use for the island is very springy! When I looked in their house I went WOW. I would no want to sleep in a house that size with my WHOLE family (it was tiny). That was their tradition to hoast a whole family in one of those tiny, tiny houses! They gave us a demonstration on how they make the islands. What a process! First they have to cut chunks off the reed roots and make an island by binding then with a rope and two sticks. Then they ancor the island to the lake bottom. Layer by layer they cover they whole island with reeds. They made their reed houses and staked them down to the island. Their newly built island will now last them 80 years PLUS! We took our last leg of the boat ride back to Puno and Treava was worse. My mom posted somthing on this.

The next day due to Treava´s conditions we booked a flight to Arequipa. HAHA, when we got to the air port we found out the flight had been delayed so we waited and waited until we found out that the flight had been cancled. They were very apologetic and gave us the option of going to Tacna or Lima. Anyways we ended up in Lima with them putting us up at the Sheraton (which is like a resort here, I don´t understand why but it´s way nicer than the Sheraton in the states!) with breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can guess how happy I was! Durring our time in Lima we went to the Black Market (Polvos Azules) but didn´t spend much time there due to the flight that they gave us to Arequipa (our original desination). We went to the airport to try and get to Arequipa for the second time only to find out that our flight had been DELAYED again. We we shure we were going to have to spend another night in Lima, which didn´t bother me, Vienna and Treava but did my parents. Luckly for my parents the weather cleared up and now we are here in Arequipa!

Today we went to the museum of the Incan Ice prinsess who was found on the top of a volcano nearby to here. She was very well preserved along with the other oferings found at her site. It was very impresive to see all the fivehundred year old artifacts along with the one of the Incan princesses herself. She was sacrificed to the gods and had been kept at a special camp for roalty that were going to be sacrificed. Acording to sientist she knew this her whole life. At age 14 she waslked up to the top of the vlocano with large procession including the priest, king and many others. At the top they sedatated her with Chicha (their alcoholic breverage) and coca leaves. She was wrapped up in the fedal possition and the preist gave her a hard wack on her head fracturing her scull and killing her. That is only the story of Juliaca but there were many more bodies found than just her´s! I miss you all and hope this gives you a good update!
Noelle

Internet Cafe, Ollyantaytambo, Peru

Incas watching the bullfight in Peru

Tortuga de Amazonas

Rafting the Urubamba River, Peru

Epiphany Festival, Peru

Treava´s Inca Friend

Machu Picchu continued

Hi again, I am now in a better mood so will hopefully write a better follow up of Machu Picchu. Anyways, to get back to the story... we climed this mountain to get a BEAUTIFUL veiw of Machu Picchu and then got a guide (since ours didn´t show up) and walked around though the ruins. It was striking when the clouds rolled in and gave a beautiful fogged in affect! I took lots and lots of pictures some sunny some foggy. It was amazing how fast the weather changed. Their water systems were ingenious-it was amazing how creative they were! They were also smart enough to come up with amazing arcetectual designs. Beatiful and eficient! We are now staying in Ollantatambo-this gourgous village in the middle of the Sacred Vally. We went to a Bull fight and it was the craziest thing ever! There were tons of people in the stands and then hundreds up on the hillside. It was so cool when we went down to the arena and were right there in the mist of the action! The bull fighter was VERY full of himself! After the Bull fighting was done we got to go get a picture with a famous volly-ball player, she must have been 7 feet tall! It was crazy! We have been having a blast with the Dunn´s and we just went on a horse backride and rafting trip! The horse backride was awesome because we got to gallop almost the whole way! The rafting was hillarious, we rode bull (on the front holding on for our lives) and at the begining when my day was asking one of our guides his name he acidentally pointed at the paddle so the guy tells him is name is paddle. My dad sticks out his hand and say hi Paddle (in spanish) my name is chris! We all cracked up and we laughing for the rest of the trip! Ollantatambo has been a wonderfull town and we are going horse backriding AGAIN tomarrow-I´m exited! Then we will have to depart to Lake Titicaca and eventally to Lima and meet my grandma Schmitter there! Grandma if you read this I am soooo glad your coming and can´t wait to see you!! Miss everyone! Noelle

PERU

I guess I really haven't given an update on overall Peru. I'm having fun!! Meanwhile, I miss home! We are traveling with the Dunn's(our friends from Alaska who moved to Panama). This has been a blast! We found out that Grandma Schmitter is coming on the 29Th and we are all VERY excited about this! We have all sorta fallen in love with Ollantaytambo, we packed up today, were completely ready to go and....we decided to stay one more night and do one more horse-bike ride!! Today we went rafting! It was reaaaally FUN! We had the all American experience(but WAY cheaper)a great guide, AWESOME equipment and lunch on the river side! It was class three in one part but in most only class two. The class three was awesome and exciting but the rest was a Little slow but still VERY fun!! In the class two we got to sit bull( on the very front of the raft with one hand) this was thrilling! In one part of the river Kenna, Noelle and I were all sitting bull and.. Kenna (or as she puts it I) grabbed on to each other right as a big wave came and boom! We fell and the water splashed all over us! We were drenched! Back to the Peru update! Highlights for me have been... Machu Picchu and Lima and Ollantaytambo. OK, I guess that's like every where I have been but its all cool! How are all of you? I miss you all and I miss AK!! So... tomorrow we head to Lago Titicaca( titi is from Peru and Caca from Bolivia!) wait not tomorrow but the next day tomorrow we go to Cusco to do MOMS hike. Whatever. Cusco is OK but I like Ollay a lot better! In the morning tomorrow we are going to go horseback riding again! It was so much fun we had to do it again! Its an early wake up (8:00) not compared to the farm but for me hey I'm on vacation! Hope you all had WONDERFUL holidays!! By the way.. two months left till home SWEET home!!
Vienna

Amazon

Someone asked were we swimming in the same river with the piranah. Well you see our guides were amazing. First they had us swim in the river for 3 days. They said it was best to swim in the middle where the current was. On the 4th day they took us one forth of a mile up river in a paddle boat and we fished for the piranahs on the edges of the river. When Vienna caught one and we saw the teeth I thanked god I still had all my toes. Then that night they took us one fourth of a mile down river to look for caymens, alligators. We saw one 2 meters longs. and about 3 others. Can you guess if we swam in the river again? Love lisa

Machu Picchu, Peru

Bullfighting in Ollyantaytambo, Peru

PERU

Hey!! So...we are currently in a small peruvian town Ollantaytambo! We have been here for three days! There is a party going on and there is lots happening! Yesterday was the biggest day although the night before was crazy packed with people and proceccions! There was a bullfight yesterday at the local ring and it was fun! They did not kill they just were like clowns and suff! They had capes and they were playing with it! The bulls were not very vicious but it was cool to watch! Noelle is writing about Machu piccu so I will not but it was SO cool! Back to the party! There are lots of different villages around Ollan so the best dancers from each villages come and preform there dance in costume! There are some that are supposed to be spanierds and have big noses and some that look like incans and MUCH more! During all this we wnt on a horse back ride!It was very fun! We got to trot most of the way and everyone except me galloped! My horse refused to go but sometimes it would and then it was so much fun! We went to a ruin in the hills and that was cool but I have seen 15 thousand! Happy new years!
Vienna

Machu Picchu

Hi everyone! Sorry I havn´t wrote for so long! It has been an amazing week! We went to 5 or 6 ruins but the most outstanding was definatly Machu Picchu! We got there at 10:30 and I was the 337th person out of 400 to get to climb Wayanupicchu (this beautiful hike up to the top of a peak with a gourgous veiw of Machu Picchu and the sourounding area!). It was uphill but not as hard as I thought it would be. Once we got to the top we went up the impossible staircase! It was the most nerve racking and scary moment of my life. Up that staircase we went and to the top. It was gourgous. We snapped lots of pictures and made our decent down. What a hike, when we got down we ate tuna and crackers and tried to find our guide. We never found hime so we got a new guide. It was very interesting to hear about the culture and why things were there and that one of the reasons that Machu Picchu wasn´t destroyed by the spainyards is that they fled with all their food and belongings before they arrived. I will tell you more about it later but right now I need some more time to prosess the beauty of it! Noelle