Transportation system

I'm going to really miss the transportation system here.... If it was like this in Los Angeles, I wouldn't have purchased a car.. or maybe I would have, but would only drive it once a month or so, which isn't really that worth it... but anyway.. it's very entertaining and at the same time efficient and cheap...

Basically how it works is that there are two sorts of buses.. micros (large buses) and combis (minivans)... in their window they have a letter (and sometimes #).. from the type of bus it is and the letter in the window, you know what the route the bus goes (well, this is known just from asking people and personal experience)... from there, all you have to do is go anywhere on their route and you flag then down when they drive by, they pick you up and then you get dropped off anywhere on the route you want (you don't even have to walk to a bus stop or bus station...).. in fact, you could get dropped off just 10 feet from the person who just got off before you.. though that's obnoxious... it costs 1 sole or 1.5 soles depending on the distance which is pretty much 33-45 cents... its half price for students.. and if you have a kid, as long as their sitting on your lap, the kid doesn't get charged...

The buses themselves have to be the most rattiest vehicles i've ever seen.. I imagine they would be awesome to take to burningman... a couple times i've been in ones that the cobrador (the guy you give your fare to) was sat there holding the door closed!... once the top of the door fell out of it's socket and they spent 5 minutes putting it back in...

in the combis (minivans) they squeeze about 16 passengers (plus the driver and the cobrador; making 18).. and then they usually will squeeze in two more people who are standing there bent over.. of course no ones wearing a seat belt.. but these cars are so ratty that a crash would probably not save you with a seatbelt anyway.. HOWEVER the passenger(s) do need to wear a seatbelt or at least appear to be wearing one...

This is true of the taxis as well... in a station wagon, we've fit about 9 people before.. which is fine, and we don't get pulled over as long as the front passenger has their seatbelt on...

Pretty much anywhere within the main part of Trujillo costs about 4 soles ($1.33)... going all the way out to huanchaco in a taxi which is about 20 minutes in taxi is about 10 soles ($3.33)... the taxis are often just as ratty as the micros/combis...

The other cool thing is that there are always some sort decorations in the taxis (and micros) ... it's usually men taxi drivers (though i've had a couple women taxistas)... who have the ever popular bobble head dogs... sometimes mickey mouse characters stuck/hanging from the front windshield... lots of stickers all over the inside of their car saying anything from "no escupa" (no spitting)... to stickers about not accepting fake money...

some photos of a micro.. our trip to the zoo with the kids... actually the seats don't usually look this nice...

Pictures up (Lima/Cusco/Machu Picchu, Nursery, Surf competition)

Pictures up.Here

A very thorough summary written by Nadia here:
http://livelaughlove365.blogspot.com.

Heres some pictures to keep you company:




I'll keep my summary very brief as Nadia's is very thorough..

Basically spent a few days in Cusco, then went to Agua Caliente, Macchu Pichu, Ollantaytambo, then back to Cusco.. with a couple day trips to Tibón and Pisac... Cusco is sooooooo incredibly different than living in Trujillo... it's even a different sort of touristy than Mancora and Mantanitas, Ecuador was... There's international food (like Korean food?!? and Indian... mmmmmmmMMmmmm) and so many tourists, I was not used to seeing so many non Peruvians... I was also not used to spending so much money. I can get a 2 course meal and a drink for 4 soles.. and we were going to restaurants where the plates were 40+ soles... All I thought was that I could eat lunch for 2 weeks on the cost of this one meal!!! But I really had to get over it, cuz it was just one week and I was treated for a few meals, so it wasn't breaking the bank so much. For Macchu Pichu, we didn't do a 4 day trek.. we took the train there and the bus to the entrance... Overall I think this was nice to save some days to hang out in Cusco more and have a more mellow unrushed time... plus gave us the extra energy to make it up Wayna Picchu which is a bit exhausting with the altitude.. and Britta and I did the extra Gran Caverna loop, which was sort of like climbing WP again... I was super spent after that and ready to pass out. I had alot of difficulty with the altitude and consumed quite a bit of coca products (tea, chocolate, candy, etc) while I was here because otherwise I had a horrible headache and lightheadedness (which I took tylenol every day as well to cope)... Learned i have great bargaining skills and can tell someone off in the worst way in spanish if i really needed to.. (which I almost needed to because,... well long story, but they redeemed themself, so I didn't).

Oh.. and i got really sick at the end of my trip... had nausea for 2 days before the 'runs' started (and lasted for about 5 days) and immodium wasn't helping.. at one point when i got back to trujillo, the nausea left and I hate a huge meal which immediately exited keeping me up until 2am... I went to work the next morning (waking up at 6:30am)... It was gone and came back for another go for a few days.. strange thing.. it was the sort that didn't give you stomach cramps before hand, it was just a constant run to the bathroom.. sorry probably not something you want to know details about, but it's a part of living here I think.. Hadn't had it this bad before though.. wonder what was in Cusco....

It was suuuuuuuuuuuuper cool to see everyone...

What else... Well I'm on my way out tonight to someone's farewell party, so I'll leave it at that... for now.

Things i will miss in Peru......

My nursery kids, riding the micros/combies, surfing in huanchaco, liz (but will see her new years!!), the other SKIP volunteers, cebiche, 4.50 sole menús (like $1.50 for a drink and 2 large course), potatoes gallore (the best french fries, fresh not frozen), carts on street (to buy watermelon, papa relleno, meals, marcianos, acuñas, etc), dance class @ the gym, speaking spanish all the time, Grupo 5 and cumbia (hehe it grew on me), tortillas (egg kind), farmacias (don't have to go to the doctor for every little thing), chinita (grew to like this nickname that folks gave me here :)), traveling, exploring all that is Peru...

What I won't miss:
having a bad infestation of lice, talking on skype w/ brentt (and not having him in person), tons and tons of random bug bites all the time, whistling and cat calling (and taxis honking and waiting for you even though you DIDNT wave for them), unavoidable tanner/freckled skin (so much sun despite being caked on with sunblock all the time), coming home from work with dirty feet (though the flip side is going to work every day in flip flops was very cool!), so many meat options, 'the runs' every other day (tho i think it kept the weight down! heh)...

My future plans

So, I plan to come back to the states for about 6 months before heading out for part 2 of my travels. Which means I will be in the states just long enough for the holidays and New Years and then the first week of January I plan to head out to Patagonia with Brentt and work my way up through Central America. At that point, I plan to sort of "settle down" somewhere and travels from there are will be 2 weeks here and there as vacation time allows from wherever I'm working permanently.

For the 6 months I'm here, I'm trying to decide if I am going to live in near Pasadena (Where Brentt is going to school and lives) or on the West Side (if job prospects are more over on that side)... I am going to sign up with a temp agency that I have known several social workers to use and have liked. I'm slightly concerned about the bad economy and being able to find a job, but at the same time, feeling confident that there has to be some sort of social work job out there... Just hope I can also get myself some good health insurance (since I will have NONE the minute I step on US soil). I'm looking at this as an opportunity to work with a different population... maybe with children? I would like to stay in Mental Health.

Moving to huanchaco

I have moved to the cute beach down of Trujillo, called Huanchaco. Though this adds about 30 minutes each way to my commute, I thought it would be a nice move for my last month here so I can surf as much as I want and have a bit of a slower paced lifestyle on the beach. The volunteer house is now about 16 people, and although I miss the always-something-happening in the house and getting to know the other volunteers more, I am also enjoying the privacy of living with only 2 other people.

Thank you for DONATIONS!

It'll take me a bit to catch up on blogging on Cusco/Machu Pichu, but I wanted to send out a thank you to all that donated stuff for SKIP. A majority of it was from Nadia and her coworkers (THANK YOU!!!) we received baby clothes, memory games, tracing paper, markers, kids scissors, toothbrushes (btw, the kids looooooooooooooove their new toothbrushes, they were so excited to get them), frisbee, and some adult clothes and a super nice camera donated by Britta (thanks!!).

Thanks to my friends who also brought down yummy gifts for me =) choc covered blueberries and other trader joe treats from A, music goodies (cds and an mp3 player!) from the terrakroma folks (my ipod had stopped working too so this was great!), chai tea from michael/britta, chocolate from brentt...

hope i'm not forgetting anyone/anything...

Long time no blog...

Hey folks,
Sorry my Peru blog has been quiet for a while... I´ve been in Cusco for the past week and half..

In the aiport right now on my way back to Trujillo, just trying to hold it together!! I´ve had 4 days of nausea, 2-3 days of "bicicleta" (or the runs as they say in the states), a stomach ache like someone has punched me... and probably collectively have eaten about 3 meals in the last 4 days since everything i look at or smell makes me want to throw up... and therefore feeling quite lightheaded and delirious at the moment... fortunately this happened after Machu Picchu so I was able to enjoythat... I´m still able to walk around, so I don´t think i need to go to the doctor quite yet, but Im thinking if i can´t hold more food down or if the immodium doesn´t start working soon, Ill need to take a few more days off of work and see the doc... haven´t been this sick yet in Peru... my only other bad case of sickness was just like a half day of tummy ache and was gone...

Hopefully in the next week I will be able to update on:
1. My move to Huanchaco Beach (I´m no longer in the SKIP volunteer house). Though still working for SKIP of course.
2. Vacation in Cusco with A, E, Britta, Michael, Nadia, Anthony, and Misty!
- Plus generous SKIP donations from Nadia and Britta!
3. Future plans back in the states!
4. Things I will miss here in Peru (already have started a list!!!)

off to run to the bathroom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!