20.6.2015

iquitos - day 2

saturday, we got up at about 8, for a 9 o'clock tour. first, we loaded the boat to go look for pink and gray freshwater dolphins. we had to go to the reserve, pacaya-samiria, which is bigger than costa rica or belgium; gigantic. we entered the reserve, then quickly got into the river network. this was awesome! the water was so dark, the plants were all aquatic (or at least were able to survive in water), and there were amazing views. one cool thing, was when a wave would hit the (not)shore, the plants would move with it because they are not anchored on the ground. very cool. another cool thing was the water line. it was about 4 or 5 feet above the current water line, that is crazy high river. the amazon is amazing. 

anyway, we traveled a little ways, then saw the dolphins! they were really dolphins! and we even saw a pink one! the guides had funny calls; whistles, clicks, and a farting noise. i die listening to it. the dolphins didn't get hight out of the water, but we could still see them! after seeing them, we kept going in the boat, saw some sloths, monkeys, lots and lots of birds (herons especially) and amazing scenery. no place looks even remotely the same as the other, it was all so unique. even a minute of moving, and you would not think you were even remotely close to the same place.

we kept going for a long time (like three hours) then got into a lagoon where we could swim! the water was black because of the acidness eating and decomposing everything, so it was eery. we jumped in and swam a while! nice and refreshing, cool but not too cold. and we even saw a dolphin or two swimming with us. they stayed around for a few minutes before disappearing. now i can officially say i swam with wild dolphins. we swam for a little more then got back in to go eat. they said loading dinner, and they were right. they just tied us to a tree and our cook from the lodge started cutting open leave wraps filled with rice and chicken. now that was yummy! and cool to look at. after eating, we went to go fish for piranhas. we drove (in a boat of course) and then pulled into a thick area in the marsh. we all got our poles and went at it. right off the bat, the other boat started catching things galore. my boat didn't catch much. . . andrea caught the biggest, and it was huge! i didn't catch anything until the last minute when i went up to the front and fished. they were tiny and i never actually got them in the boat, they got off before then. oh well, i got two, i can say. 

after fishing and keeping about 7 of them, we returned to the bungalows for a bathroom break before heading right back out into a different part of the reserve. we went to a village called 20 de enero, or 20 of january. the villagers are allowed to live there because they lived there before the park was an actual park, but there are restrictions on their food and hunting. while in the village, we learned to climb a palm tree. the villagers used to cut them down, but that takes years for new trees to grow and even more time for the fruit to grow. we all got to climb up. it was tough. there are two groups you had to use and it was hard! i got the highest at about half the tree height. after that, we had to go back because it was getting dark.

it was a little disorienting on the ride back because it was so dark, the river was so big, and i had no idea where i was. but we got back safely, and ate dinner. good, of course. i look the food, and all the rice is amazing! we had the piranha too! it was whole, like the fish i had in costa rica. teeth and all. it was good tho. reminded me of my cabin. and i kept the bottom teeth of one of them. after dinner, it was legend time!

the workers told legends about the forest. like the water god, the animal protector, and the god of the forest. it was really neat! bed shortly after.

instagram - robin_stark1114

14.6.2015

the last day in cusco. 

we got up early from our great hotel, for breakfast at about 8.30. we had to check out by 9.30 because the people coming in early from flights have to be able to check in early to combat the altitude sickness (12.000 feet can be killer, trust me). 

we ate then had the whole morning to ourselves. out plan was to watch the parades, one at 9.30 which went right in front of our hotel and the other in the plaza de armas at 10. they weren't on time, surprise, peruvian time, so we went to the plaza de armas to watch that one. we got some souvenirs, after being harassed endless we had to tell them to leave and no one was going to buy anymore (man they are annoying and never-ending. when one leaves, another one swoops in). it was taking way too long to get things going, damn peruvian time, so we just left to go to christo blanco to get a great view of cusco. 

we got a taxi then arrived to the spot. or so we thought. it was the incan ruins city, and of course, i didn't have my pass because i put it away for safe keeping (i am a little ocd), so it would have costed me 130 soles or about $45. i was not about to do that. . . but the amazing people i was with pooled their money and gave me 90 soles, so i paid the remaining and got in. it was worth it. the view was amazing. cusco is situated in a natural depression in the andes mountains. you could see so far and it was beautiful. there were the white capped andes in the distance and it was awesome. we left soon after because we wanted to go to the marked and a few other things. 

the same cab drove us back and we got to the central market of cusco. it was closed, dammit. but there was lots of shops and stands surrounding the market. we (paige, andrea, and i) walked around, got some snacks (amazing kettle puff corn), and some clothes and bought chia. it is so cheap! i want more more more. after walking around most of the shops, we went to eat in the coffee shop and used its wifi, then walked around a little more. we saw the parades (amazing, i am still in awe at how beautiful they are. and all the participants are so passionate and it really shows, it makes me jealous of the pride they have in their country), more shops (about 38210 sol alpaca shops) and the chocolate museum.

it was getting close to time we had to go back to the hotel, so thats what we did. i was thirsty, so i needed to buy a cold coke. i walked to the closest place that had cold coke. when i walked in and grabbed it, the lady talked to me in english and said it was 8 soles, so i purposely ignored her and asked in spanish how much it was and she said 5 soles. see, it proves worth it to talk in spanish. 

we left the hotel and got to the airport for the flight back to lima. it was, of course, the same toy plane we took to get to cusco (i could tell because my ocd kicked in when one of the buttons was on the opposite side as every other button on the whole plane). it was an easy flight, however. 

this was from the night before, this is typical clothes from the old times, and were used in the parades. there were so many variations, and each and every one was more beautiful than the last, and each and every group had a more amazing dance and music than the last. 

cusco was amazing, and i will definitely miss this amazing city. but i know i will be back sooner rather than later. cusco, hasta pronto. 

instagram - robin_stark1114

12.6.2015

today was the big day. machu picchu. a big group of us were walking up, so we left at 7 to walk up. we left the hotel, walked through the cool and beautiful aguas clients and left for the hike. the hike to the entrance was easy, the calm before the storm. along a river, between a huge anyone, so beautiful! we walked across a bridge that we had to show our ticket, passport, and student card in order to cross then took a picture with the entrance sign and headed up the trail. 

i went fast and furious, and it was harrrrd. lots of stairs, switchbacks, uneven trails, and even steps up a retaining wall. but, it was extremely worth it, so beautiful! valleys, green mountains, water falls. so beautiful and extremely worth the walk. i got there first, after little over an hour after we left the hotel (average time is 2.5 hours - told you i flew), and waited for people to arrive. once there, paige and i wanted to go in quick and look before it got crowded while everyone waited for the rest of the walkers and the bus riders. we had to show our passport, student id card, and entrance ticket every time we went in, which was multiple times because there are no bathrooms, nor eating inside the actual park. i remember saying to paige how i thought i was going to cry, and shaking from excitement. and it did not let me down (i did not cry, however). oh.my.god.it.was.amazing. we walked up quick, then back down. we got with our group after a while and split up for our guided tour. 

the guided tour was awesome! we learned so much, like 60% of the ruins are underground, as foundation for what is above ground, 90% of the ruins are original, original drainage system that still works for drainage and irrigation. the sun temple is situated with one window perfect situated for the summer solstice and another perfect situated for the winter solstice, tomb under the sun temple is for the royalty that are always buried in the fetal position so they can be reborn easily, the more precise and precious stones are for more important people, and everything was done in order to satisfy the gods, especially pachamama. also, the mountain peak in the picture is huayna picchu (to the north), not machu picchu. machu picchu mountain is behind (to the south) of the ruins.

after touring the various levels for a long time, we had time to ourselves. paige, kayla, and i wanted to quickly do the two hikes, sun road, which is the entrance to machu picchu from the inca trail, and the inca bridge which is a bridge used by the incans. the sun road was amazing. it was far to the south along the ridge of the mountains and it was tough too, uneven original incan trail, steep steps. but so worth it, it was amazing and we saw the other side of the mountain as well as a panoramic view of the mountains. we stayed for a while, then walked back down to go to the inca bridge.

the inca bridge was cool and short, with sheer cliffs (hence the reason we had to sign a book when we leave and return from the hike) on the side and beautiful mountains and the incan bridge was awesome and amazing how they made it.

we went back to sit. it was nice to just sit, meditate and take pictures, and just talk. after hiking, without stopping for over 7 hours, we were pooped. we got lots of pictures after most of the people left, and the sun was going down and peaking through the clouds. beautiful. i could sit there forever. no joke. i wish i had sat there longer, but i wanted to do everything i could. i already want to go back. i was very sad to go. "goodbye machu picchu, i love you," i said multiple times. there was a total of 32,000 steps, 314 flights of stairs, or 14 miles for the whole day. 

after all day of munching on few granola bars and water, i was hungry and i didn't care how much i was going to have to pay to eat in the park. i got a gigantic, like twice as big as subway subs for about $9, which isn't too bad. and it was great. after eating, we rode the bus down, which was crazy but much easier than walking. ha. after getting back to aguas clients, we walked back to the hotel to get some things from our bags then walked downtown. we split up and a few of us went to the markets to look a little more. and thank god we did because i finally found the ring i was looking for! the incan cross. i am so happy, holy shit. 

at about 6.30, we loaded the train for ollantaytambo for our hotel. the train ride was fun again, with no asshole interruptions, thank god! interesting, talking with people. after the train, we walked to our hotel which was interesting. a bunch of different room type things connected, but it was nice. ian and i's room was strange. we think it was originally a one bed, but they needed more room so they stuffed another bed in. no joke, when we opened the door, it hit my bed. there was a desk, that was close to the bed that you couldn't even move the chair, and a bar right by my bed. and the closed was in a hole in the wall behind ian's bed. strange. i don't know about the others, but i was pooped and quickly hit the hay after playing a few rounds of cards. easily one of the most amazing, and life changing days of my life. 

instagram - robin_stark1114

7.6.2015 - on the morning of the 7th, we got up early to eat breakfast. i found out brendan got sick too and neither of us felt good at all. and the skimpy breakfast did not help. after breakfast, we found out the pier, that we were going to go on a boat ride in to see sea lions and penguins, was closed due to high wave levels. so, we went to plan b and went to the paracas national reserve. we drove though desert that looked like mars. we saw fossil deposits, from the prehistoric ocean that once occupied this area. 

after the fossil deposits, we got to the coast to see "el catedral" or "the cathedral" which was a cool rock formation in the ocean. it was once connected to the cliff, and somewhat resembled a cathedral, but due to earthquakes, fisherman using dynamite, and many other things, it has deteriorated to what it is today. that was cool, awesome ocean views, boobies (blue footed boobies from the galapagos island's relative), and just great views.

we kept driving, saw more coast, more desert, then got the "visitors center/museum" type of thing. on the water, nearby, there as flamingos! that was cool, and to be completely honest, i didn't think those were even in the wild. i'm just kidding, i thought they were just a zoo kind of thing.

 after going though the museum, we went back to the hotel and left for lunch. we drove for a little while and got to san jose habitacion, which was an old plantation that has been refurbished to be a high end hotel and event/restaurant of sorts. we toured, saw the church (which had a beautiful and gigantic center piece made from mahogany from nicaragua, that was then carven in spain and shipped to eh plantation). after, we went to the "punishment room" which was underground, and small. where the slaves were punished if they misbehaved. creepy stuff. then, we toured the house, and its catacombs which were a labyrinth to escape the pirates of that era. it was really cool to see and learn about the history of the house, slavery, and everything else. then we ate, which was amazing, of course! lots of peruvian cuisine, and the desires of picarones, which are similar to fluffy donuts with a type of honey. i am in love with them. after lunch, we had free time to explore the plantation, in other words, napping in the hammocks. that was glorious. i am going to have to invest in a hammock. after i woke up from my hap, i walked to see the horses which were small and dehydrated by active and healthy. and then explored some more. 

we left the plantation shortly for home. it was a four hour ride through more desert, and along the coast. i got home and was exhausted. i cannot even imagine what the four day cuzco excursion will be like. i am so excited. 

thank you for reading! follow me on instagram - robin_stark1114

6.6.15 - we got up early, about 5.30, and then was at the isa office at about 5.45 and were on the road a little after 6. we picked up a few stragglers on the way and then we were officially on the road. we drove past shanty towns, through neighborhoods filled with houses that were made of straw, mud, few boards and anything else cheap that could be used. a lot of the houses looked like a playhouse or fort that was made by three year olds; held together haphazardly, made of any available materials, sometimes no roof, no doors or windows; just holes. we went through towns overrun by dogs, cats, and other animals. towns with water main breakages that last days, wasting thousands of gallons of precious water. many of these towns are in their early phases of development, so they don't have much infrastructure or good housing or transportation options. after driving for a while, and seeing the poverty of these towns, it redound on me: how lucky am i? these people know no different, but i do. i would like to say i could live like these people do, but in my gut, i know i would not be able to. don't get me wrong, this does not bother me at all; all the neighborhoods, poverty, etc., that doesn't make me uncomfortable or anything, but i do know that i would not be able to live like that. to live off mere dollars a day, to have to scrounge for food, water, clothes, materials for housing, or anything else. you truly cannot imagine it until you have experience it first hand; to see or live in it. you may be able to picture it, but never truly imagine or live it.
back to the events of the day. we drove and drove, about 4 hours to the oasis. it was so cool! we were around mountains, and a huge desert with gigantic dunes. we got off the bus, got our bearings, used a disgusting bathroom, and loaded into our dune buggies. i wanted to sit by brendan, whitney, and jasmine because i knew they would be hilarious; and let me tell you, they were! we all were. we sat in the back (extremely bumpy the whole time) and buckled in for a crazy ride. through huge dunes, vertical, horizontal, sideways, slantways (ha willy wonka reference, for all you movie fanatics like me), all of the above. screaming our heads off, laughing our asses off, bouncing off each other and everything around us. then we stopped and got to sand board. there was a small (i thought was small, it wasn't) hill, leveled out then another hill. they said you could probable make it if you went fast, and let me tell you; i flew!!!! i was the first and i was probably the fastest, no joke you fly. we waited for everyone who wanted to go, then went to another bigger hill. i didn't think it was that big until ian went down, and disappeared into oblivion. it was gigantic. probably 70-100 feet high. i flew gain, so much fun! then we went for a last hurrah, and took pictures. it was beautiful. a desert among mountainous backdrop. perfect. and of course, i took sand to add to my collection!

after pictures for a while, we went back to the oasis to eat. good dinner, then we walked around the oasis to explore. so cool! there was a sulfur pit over one of the nearby dunes, so you could smell that and the water had to be mildly acidic, but there was still life! 

after exploring, we got back on the bus to go to our hotel for the night. so nice, everything. the soft beds, balcony overlooking the ocean, amazing hot and strong shower, huge pool, ocean and pier right on the edge of the pool, everything. right away, we all wanted to swim so we went down, but it was extremely cold so after shivering for a while in the pool, we walked around the ocean side, took pictures, talked, watched the beautiful sunset, then decided to make some drinks. i brought pisco, so i made a pisco sour with my mix, and we went to play volleyball, drank some more, then got hungry. we walked to town, which was a short walk and ordered. i got yucca, and rice. i love yucca so much, it is amazing. whitney got conch but didn't like it so i tried it and ate two. after that, we went back and made more drinks. brenben and i wanted to get drunk, so that is what we did. we played some drinking games for a while then about midnight went to our rooms. in the middle of the night, i thought i had to poop, but actually i had to puke . . . and i mean, i threw up the contents of my stomach; i didn't even know my stomach held that much . . . but i survived to see another day. thank you for reading, and i hope you keep returning! follow me on instagram - robin_stark1114

not much has happened the last couple days, so sorry for not updating earlier. i have had school, and not much else. after class on tuesday, i went home, took a nap then we went to see mad max. the theaters here are different, you have to choose your seat (similar to like a baseball game). the movies, at least those made in america, are in english with spanish subtitles. i was expecting everyone to talk through the whole movie because they don't have to pay attention and listen but only read. not the case, it was good. very loud, and let me say; i loved the movie so much!!! it was action filled, bloody, pulled on your heartstrings, had amazing actors (i absolutely adore charlize theron) and the score was amazing! the other girls probable weren't as much a fan, but i loved it! best movie i have seen in a while!
today after class, we went to the inca market. it is basically a market of a bunch of "tiendas" or small shops that sell the same thing. it was good to go, but it is the same thing over and over. i will probably go again before the end to get gifts. i bought a few funny things, and a nice baby alpaca beanie that i absolutely love! not much is happening this week, we have the ica excursion this weekend which will be great, but other than that basically just classes.
I can talk a little more about peru. there isn't much more to add, but a couple things. public urination is not a big deal, if you got to go or even want to, feel free. the dogs, can fight whenever they want and it isn't a big deal and they can also shit in the streets, sidewalks, and everywhere else that is public and it isn't bad. most of the time they don't even clean it up. no wonder the water quality is so bad here. . . not much else, besides the driving maybe. it isn't bad to honk, cut people off, or anything like that. and the traffic is so horrendous because the infrastructure is lacking so much due to the terrorism during the 80s and 90s. i am learning so much about the socioeconomic and political parts of peru. i will update when i know more!
again, nothing too exciting. i hope i keep you keep up with me! instagram - robin_stark1114

today was the tour of historic lima. we didn't have to get up as early today, we were leaving the office at 9, so i got to sleep in a little. i got up and my dad drove me to the office. once everyone was there, we left for the bus system. we had to take two different bus systems to get to historic downtown.

we got on one of the mini busses which was extremely packed. you can tell by brendan's (not whitney) that is was packed. i mean like 15 people on a bus the size of a mini-van. packed to the brim, with people standing in the tiny isle. after we got off the mini-bus, we walked to "la metropolitiano" or the central bus system which is the newest in lima, and was very nice. we rode that and got off. (i will apologize right now because we went to so many places i do not remember them all and do not remember why they are important) we walked around and around, went to theaters, government buildings and parks. all amazingly beautiful.

 this was a hill side that i admired the whole day. there are shanty towns upon the hillside that are amazing, i want to see them up close, but they are not safe to go through so we would have to get as close as we can. maybe someday.

we walked through catholic churches that were from the 1500's, think about that. that is before america was even founded, and far before america was even a popular destination. it really puts things into perspective. we are just a tiny piece of sand in the beach of life. we walked through amazing avenues, with amazing architecture, beautiful streets, just everything was beautiful. 

 well, i do remember this, it was the door for a royal family and the door had to be gigantic in order to let the carriages in because the women in those days were not allowed to be seen outside of their houses, so they did whatever they had to in order to not be seen. of course, i had to take a picture with it because it was gigantic. 

we went to a very old church, where we took a tour. it was awesome, but we weren't supposed to take pictures, but i couldn't resist. . . oops. the church was amazing; amazing architecture, painting, just everything. there was this dome made of wood and it was awe inspiring! i was mad i didn't get a picture of it. after touring the church, we went into the catacombs. this was awesome! there are roughly 73000 bodies down there, and there are many many chambers that hold the bodies. there have been excavations so the bones have been separated, and some areas renovated. the picture above was a 10 meter pit that was filled about 2/3 of the way with bodies. so cool, but also extremely creepy at the same time. 

 these two (left and below) are pictures of the buildings and the center where lima was originally founded in 1535. these buildings weren't here, but this is the place where it was founded and it was beautiful. awesome fountain, awesome buildings, lots of people. just cool. this city and country is just becoming more and more amazing.

this was a great day, lots of information, touring, and great sights that were awesome to see! this (below) is one of my favorite pictures from today, it was a ceiling of a theatre and it was huge, about 30 feet across, and all different colors. today was awesome! i know it will just keep getting better from here, and i cannot wait to see what is in store for me. one week down, eight to go. it is going by too fast! instagram - robin_stark1114

today was great. we got up really early and had to be at the isa office at 8, so we got there, but no one was there so we went to get a drink then walked back and got on the bus and left. it was supposed to be a long drive there, and it was, probable an hour or an hour and a half. the drive, however, was beautiful, through different districts, green areas, and also into the desert. we drove past the ruins, which i want to go back to and actually go into them, and into the "mountains" and to "mundo lire" rehabilitation clinic. it is a rehablitation clinic for about 4 to 18 year olds, who have been either picked up off the streets or taken there by authorities, parents, or anyone else. they have five stages to go through before they can get out, and this usually lasts about two years. most, however, do not make it that long, and escape or are taken out by parents or a guardian. we started by getting introduced by a girl from germany, who talked in english (soo that is three languages, damn girl, i can barely do two. kudos to her) and split up into groups to go with the girls or the boys. the boys and girls have to be kept separate because many times they are in prostitution or the like, so having them together is not a good idea. anyway, we got to work with our volunteer and cleaned an area for planting, which was through rock hard dust, and a lot of rocks.

we were having so much fun, lots of laughs. after we finished, we went to help the other group with the rest of the boys. we had to clean out a drain because it was overgrown with weeds and mud. now that was tough work, my hands still hurt from pulling the sheets of mud and weeds out of the gutter. after, we went inside and had some time before lunch, so we talked with the kids.

at lunch we all sat by some of the kids and talked. they were all so interested in our lives, where have i been, what do i like to do, movies i have seen, and music i like, food from the states that i like, food from peru that i like. it was awesome. we then broke up into teams for the main event, futbol or soccer for those of you who don't speak any spanish. we broke up into four teams and then went to the girls housing while the boys got ready. it was interesting to see the housing. simple, like a hostle, with a living room type and outside common areas. we looked there then went to play! we played and played, it was great to play.

i even scored a goal, surprising, huh. i can actually do sports, spite all you haters. ha. we played for a while then took a group picture (which i cannot post because it can cause legal problems, we cannot post their faces. so sorry, no group picture.) then got on the bus and left. it was such a fun day, and was very rewarding to see how happy the kids were to see us. it was truly an amazing experience!

the mountains around the clinic, were also amazing, even though they are just dirt, and no trees or grass; just. . . dirt. like everywhere else here. they were still awesome! our drive home was good, more sight seeing. i sat next to andrea and had a good conversation. she is cool too, i like her. one cool picture i snapped has a paining on a wall that says "vamos peru" or "lets go peru." that is cool how proud they are of their country, really gives them a lot of honor in my mind.

today was a great day. one of my favorites so far, if not my favorite. i was in dire need of a shower right when i got home, so dirty and smelly. great day, cannot wait to see what the future holds for me!