TravelStream™ news feed for member locaparacristo on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/locaparacristo en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:58:12 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1232061840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1232061840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1232061840/tpod.html Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:58:12 -0500 PERU!

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Lima, Peru

My trip home, like everything else has been inspiring. Does anybody have a better word for me, because I feel like I've overused it.
So in Huanchaco Jason, another lifeguard friend, showed up on the 11th. It was so good to see him! and strange all at the same time. I picked him up from the airport with Don Pepe's sons... the random boys that asked me if I was Michelle in the water...
from that moment on it was rush rush rush... The next morning I repaired wetsuits, helped with the surf lessons, had lunch, and then decided within five minutes to take my booked flight to Lima. I couldn't get a hold of Mariana, and Mariana's dad didn't really know what was going on with her either, so I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to find her... I do have her home address but she was at her summer home in San Bartolow further south of Lima. I was so torn because I was already missing the kids and Huanchaco, and Jason had just arrived... I was seriously considering just taking the 8 hour bus ride back on the 14th in order to make it on time to my flight that night. But, within a matter of 5 minutes I decided to take the plane to Lima. When I got there I went directly to a pay phone, when what I thought was another random guy came up to me and asked if I was Michelle (I am really popular down here). It was Willie! Mariana's taxi man, I didn't recognize him because last time he had picked me up at night, and honestly I hadn't paid much attention to him. I was so relieved to see him. He drove me 2 hours south to Mariana's home in San Bartolow. We also had a really intriguing conversation about Incan culture, and the town where he's from. He's a very hard worker, working to pay his way through school.
When I arrived in San Bartolow I felt like God just picked me up out of reality and placed me in a dream. It was so beautiful. Her house is set on a cliff that overlooks a cove where you can swim and snorkel... about a 10 minute walk along the malicon (boardwalk) is Mariana's beach.. her surf spot. There are barely any tourists, and the water is so clean and clear... Her house itself is made out of stone, filled with sunshine overlooks the bay with its breathtaking sunsets, and has an outside area also open to the cove with a white hammock wooden table for meals, and a stone built jacuzzi. Literally a dream.
Even better I finally saw my twin Sofie. When we got to Mariana's beach there was a girl packing up her gear into her car, and I nudged Mariana... "she looks like Sofie too..." I think she was distracted because all she said was "yea she does." A few hours later she mentioned it... "did you realize that was actually Sofie?" Kind of ironic huh? I kind of wish I would've had an opportunity to say hi since everyone thought we were pretty much the same person (until they saw me surf lol ;) )... but I'm sure when I come back I will get the opportunity.
That afternoon (13th) we were off to Lima to meet Mariana's friends..
I absolutely love them by the way. They are all a part of the privledged class here in Peru, but at the same time they are all very socially aware. Jemi is a Peruvian chic who is half Palestinian. She took me to a protest of the war going on between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza strip.. it broke my heart hearing of all the children and innocent people dying right now because the extremists on both sides are not willing to compromise. Apparently the biggest grievances are that press are not allowed into the area, and any medical aid that has been tried to be given by UNICEF and Red Cross have been shot at by the Israelites. So people are dying when there could be aid. Devestating.
It felt good to be a part of it. Intimidating too though, because there was a lot of anit-americanism because our country is the only one that is supporting Israel in this war effort. At one point I was at the front lines of the protest because I wanted to see the pictures and the articles that were posted. A woman grabbed my arm and asked where are you from? When I said the US, she paused for a second, and then pretty much screamed "this american wants peace!" It was really strange, and made me feel really uncomfortable, but at the same time I think it was inpsiring for her that I was there, so I'm glad for that. It was also very eye opening, and reaffirming to me to see how in most places American aid and infiltration really isn't welcomed. and it really isn't helping. I hope with Obamah we will focus more on our internal programs and pull out of places we just don't understand and so have no business meddling with.
Fiura is another one of Mariana's good friends here. She is so full of life and always singing and dancing to some kind of tune in her head. It's warming just looking at her because she wears her soul and heart on her sleeve. As I was leaving i was telling her I wanted to come back, and I started explaining to her my vision to want to help here, and about a desire that's been growing... these need to empower others. The more I talked the more she got excited. She said that I have a circuit of friends for support here because all of them are socially conscience and want to give back to..,
I left last night... had some yogurt with my mom when I got back today, who lovingly confirmed her support and belief in me... and now I'm sitting on my couch excited about my trip and everyone I met and everything I learned... but also really excited to see all my friends.
Thanks for being a part of this.
until next time...
peace in the middle east... some day :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231801500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231801500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231801500/tpod.html Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:23:56 -0500 PERU!

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huanchaco, Peru

Huanchaco has captured my heart.
Un Lugar is a surf camp run by a man named Juan Carlos. Every summer (which is january, february, and march in South America), he gives free surf lessons to the local fisherman kids... the kids of the caballeros. I don't really know how else to describe this type of fishing, except to tell you they fish out of boats made out of reed, shaped almost like a canoe, but with an extending piece in the front. They claim that they have actually been surfing longer than the hawaiians with these boats because their culture has existed for 4000 years, and the hawaiian culture has existed for only 2000 years. Interesting huh?
But back to Un Lugar... Juan Carlos' dream is to help these kids learn how to surf, and potentially become pro. He has been doing it for about 10 years now. He himself was the best long boarder in Peru a couple years ago, and last year he got 6th place... Working with him, and seeing how he constructs his classes and works with the kids, well you can just tell that he knows what he's doing... every couple weeks he runs a physical for the kids so he can inspect their swimming running and surfing skills, and then he gives a tutorial on all aspects of surfing from how the wave is formed to why different boards are used by different surfers. The volunteers that come help supervise the kids in the water, and on the off days, when there's no lesson, they help repair wetsuits and boards. I actually fixed wetsuits down there. It was so rad.
The only problem with his program is the funding. He has a ton of boards and equipment, but it's all run down. A lot of the kids, once they get to the point where they could eventually be sponsored and go pro they switch schools. They go to schools that will give them new equipment that Juan Carlos can't provide. One of the kids that has stuck around is Caly... he's so sweet and such a good helper, and you can tell he just loves being a part of this program. He told me that Juan Carlos is by far the best coach in the town, but the kids just want better equipment. Juan Carlos even helped me a ton with my surfing.
He took me out every afternoon while I was there and critiqued my moves, and helped to find the best spots to position myself and the different ways to enter into a wave. We even went on a midnight surf with a full moon... I felt so invigorated while I was there.
Being there has really stirred my heart. I want to help. I think a lot of you know about Out of the Boat... the swim program I started last summer... well I think I want to make it about something bigger. There are so many people who want to empower kids to be stronger in the water... to get them out of the temptations of the overuse of drugs and alcohol by giving them something better to look forward to... I want to help empower these people to live their dreams... This year I will hopefully learn the skills to make websites and improve on my photography and learn about grant money and just raising money so I can make Out of the Boat a program about empowering.
Anyway... so everyone knows my name... at least that's how I feel... Two times I was in the water and two random people paddled up to me asking if I was Michelle. Well, I guess it wasn't that random. One of the lifeguards of San Diego has a house down here so has a lot of connections, and I guess news made it down that i would be here. Being that I was the only girl in the water, and the only one wearing only a wetsuit top (everyone else was in full suits) I kind of stuck out... but hey, that's my style ;) So yes, with a couple of days I felt like I knew everyone in town...
And if I didn't know them, they at least thought they knew me. My friend Mariana who had invited me down to Peru in the first place told me I looked almost exactly like Sofia Mulonavich.. well apparently everyone here thought the same thing... everyday... two to three times a day... random people would yell Sofie!! sometimes I would ignore it... but sometimes it got to be so much that I just waved as though I was her... I felt like a celebrity.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231441020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231441020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231441020/tpod.html Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:01:47 -0500 PERU!

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Huanchaco, Peru

i´m in mancora still, leaving tonight. once someone told me that i remind them of a passage in 1 corinthians where paul talks about being all things to all people. a person who can be in a mixture of different crowds. well that´s what you find here in mancora people from all walks of life. there are the locals. some of which are incredibly friendly and love the diversity. Pilar, my friend´s mom, and the owner of the hostel that i´m staying out, is so social and goes out of her way to help people when she can. she has a beautiful soul, and if anyone comes here to mancora they need to stay at laguna surf camp. then there´s little kids who are about 8 years old out there on a board and ripping it, and then looking at you and smiling to make sure you saw them.. they´re the best. a boy named marcos comes to mind when i speak of the kids... his smile when he surfs puts a smile on my face too. then there are those that exhibit so much localism that everyone in the water can feel it. I can understand why though. After a busy weekend there is so much trash on the beach. Then you have people surfing who don´t know the unwritten surfing rules of how to respect eachother. Most people who travel come to party, use, consume, and then leave. So yea, I understand it. Then there are the surfers. Searching for that wave that will make their trip worthwhile. There was one man from Argentina who was so upset every morning because the swell hadn´t come yet. It was big, but it wasn´t the 2-3 meters that the surf report promised. There are so many little surf towns set up exactly for this type of person. They´re hidden jewels, and have not been exploited yet becaue of the ravages of el nino in 1998. They were pretty much destroyed, but they still have the surf crowd coming in to stay in a rustic hostel, and to eat a restaurant where there is only one thing on the menu, swordfish... and let me tell you it was delicious. (Speaking of surfing here i´m not sure, but i think i´ve been surfing with some pros. you can just tell.. and i definitely saw some pros while I was at the little surf town of labitos. and pilar´s nephew javier is for sure a pro.. i´m not trying to put them on a pedestal, but seeing where they travel and the lifestyle they lead, it´s ´so incredibly simple and delightful. i don´t know how else to describe it) then there are the chilenas as my friend diego puts it. but i´d like to put it in a broader category... the travelers who come to party and tan. it´s summer break down here, so all the kids in university are out traveling. and they travel in packs. mancora in peru, and mantenito (i think that´s right) in ecuador. and then there´s the revolutionaries. the volunteers who travel who want to give back, but not only want to give back, but want to empower. I have had so many conversations this weekend about the need to empower people, versus just give them what you think they need. There is so much poverty here. So many bad habits, such as a lot of drug use, in reaction to tourism. it´s fun here, but also heartbreaking. one man i met here has such a big heart. he took me out surfing and lets me borrow his board, and he talks about wanting to help the community. he was crying when i let him borrow the black market 7 pounds ( yea i know still in theatres and only 3 soles). He wants change, and he wants to give. But he´s stuck on coke. When he drinks he´s an entirely different person. and it makes my heart hurt because i´ve seen who he really is. and then there are those traveling in partners. the lovers who are enjoying the freedom of being in love with an open schedule. it´s beautiful. and then there are those travelers like me, traveling solo. everyone says you get to meet more people and experience more things, and practice your spanish more this way. Javiera, a girl surfer i met put it this way "you meet the best people when you travel alone." i totally agree, and it´s because you´re more open. Since I got to Mancora I´ve been traveling with Diego. A chilean boy who´s a lawyer in real life, but you would never know by the looks of him. He´s learning to surf, but does all board sports. We were in search for a place to skate for him the other day, so we went to Los Orgonos, a nearby surftown, also known as a ghost town because of el nino. They built canals there in order to help with the next hurricane, and Diego heard that it was a good place to skate, so we went. It was an awesome adventure. we met a local named jose antonio who just got back from working in the petroleum mines. He too was a surfer, and when he saw diego´s board took us to the best place to skate. Diego ripped it up. I love seeing people in their element, when they are so passionate with whatever they are doing. The next day we went to Labitos... 2.5 hours on the bus. I felt bad because the whole time he was so worried about getting back in time to meet his girlfriend Valentina, who was arriving that afternoon. Luckily we saw the argentinean couple from Laguna Camp who gave us a ride back... which only took 40 minutes by car. Quite a fun adventure though.. only 5 people on the wave :) Anyway, I´m telling you about all these different people to tell you to lead you up to the sushi party we had last night. Me and Pilar have been talking about making sushi for three days... and finally we went to the store, but shrimp, japanese bread crumbs, the green stuff to roll it in, the rice, wasabi, mango! avocado carrots... cream cheese.. just a bunch of yummi stuff. We decided to start cooking around 7, and what I thought was going to be a quite party of 6 or 7 ended up being a huge sushi party with everyone. the locals (the friendly and the unfriendly ones i mentioned), the surfers, and the travelers. It was so beautiful seeing everyone working together, laughing and sharing last night. My friend Dominika who had the worst time with the woman who had a huge localism vibe put it perfectly "life is funny like that, sometimes your worse enemy becomes your best friend." and that´s what I call God redeeming things. earlier that day, that lady started being super friendly and nice to me. I have been trying to be nothing but positive to her, becaue I understand where she was coming from, and I think I finally broke through. Then somehow peace was made between these feuding women. People, even enemies, came together last night. I know God was smiling down. Anyway... i wrote more than i thought i would. i am off to huenchaco tonight.. i wanted to participate in a volunteer program that sounds like what i want to do... a surf camp for local kids that is part of hostal. it´s called un lugar and is a part of otra cosa... unfortunately you have to have a month commitment in order to encourage consistancy.. i understand the importance for that. but it will be nice to see how the program is run. ok, until later.. nos vemos ;) michelle E
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231101060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231101060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1231101060/tpod.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:07:31 -0500 PERU!

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mancora, Peru

I want to talk to you about my 7 hour layover and Johnny, a local I met that took me around town, and to lover´s park which i in miraflores and is just gorgeous. poetry about love inscribed in various colors.. indecribably romantic really. Don´t get the wrong idea. It wasn´t romantic with Johnny, just the area itself was incredibly romantic. Although I was thankful to have him to show me around. We also ate at a local peruvian restaurant, with a cute little old man who sat next to me, who I later came to find was the owner. He was so humble, and gentle. He told me my heart made me beautiful, but I think he was the one with the beautiful heart.

Anyway, instead I want to tell you I am finally at the beach. After arriving in Tumbes around 830 I found 3 other people heading toward Mancora and we shared a cab to split up the cost. We arrived around 1030 at Laguna Camp. Did i mention that Mari´s mom Pilar (mariana´s friend who traveled with us) owns this highly acclaimed camp... her name is even mentioned in lonelyplanet: pilar. So, i am pretty much getting the hook up. I´m staying in a very clean room with a nice shower, and hamocks and palm trees everywhere. pilar is letting me borrow her boards for free, and i think she´s letting me stay for free too. i´m going to for sure give her some money though when I leave.

So yea, twice in one day, God just took care of me entirely. The old man I told you about at the restaurant told me it´s not good to travel alone, and then I met so many people traveling in groups of 4, 5, 6 or more who asked me why Í´m alone... but in reality I´m not alone. I feel like that in everyplace I go, I am able to find a home in some way or manner that seems like it was prearranged before I even arrived. that doesn´t mean at times I don´t get lonely and wouldn´t love someone to be with me... and that i don´t miss my friends back home, it just means I´m learning that i can trust.

So Pilar, she is so precious. She´s definitely lives the life of the surfer. you could see it in her hair, skin, and especially her relaxed way of living. the moment i arrived she layed down on a bed next to mine and just started chatting with me about life, and the town and Mari. i felt so welcomed.

That night Pilar took me on her moto on a quick tour of the very small strip of town, and then we sat down and had some drinks with some of her friends... one of whom just so happens to be Roscio... the 2nd world champion woman surfer. no big deal (sarcasm). but the best part is that she didn´t mention it once. it was her daughter, and then her husband that sung praises about her. She is also very humble.

I think this is what makes a person truly magnificent. When they do things out of the pure love of it, and work hard out of that love, and thus don´t need the assurance of other people´s praises.

Anyway, we had drinks. then I went out dancing till 2 or 3 with one of the other surfer´s at Laguna Camp, a chileano se llama Diego. The best part of this evening was that I though I was going to go to bed early so I could wake up early, but the night kept getting longer. On the way back to Laguna Camp we stopped at one other bar and saw Pilar who was hanging out with some locals.

Almost immediately after we sat down, and I felt the sand between my toes, and heard the waves crashing, i immediately realized I was home. The ocean was so near. I ran to it and just jumped in. I was so overwhelmingly excited. The water here is so warm by the way.

I ended up going to sleep around 4 in the morning (definitely so rare for me these days), woke up at around 730 am, did some yoga, went on a run-swim around the surf spot, and then surfed for hours on a 9 ft that I´m borrowing. I met so many cool people in the water, from LA, Argentina! and Brooklyn.

Unfortunatley though it was also crowded. The Waikiki of Peru really, on top of it there was localism. I tried to be nice to the main woman creating the localism feal, but i dont´ think she was having any of it. I really have never met this much hostility.

But I was glad to see the groms surf. I saw one of them wearing a shirt from some tournament in oceanside. i think the kids here are mini pros... and even if they´re not, they´re amazing to watch. They cut up and down the wave like it´s natural. There was also a guy out surfing with his golden retriever.

Right now I am taking a break, and will be back in the water in about an hour. Did i mention the water is warm... i was out for 3 hours without a wetsuit.

I´m so thankful, honestly. Being here makes me want to start up a hostel in some remote area on the beach, and have all the profits go to the neighboring kids and to the community. I´m going to hopefully see an outreach program similar to this when I go to Huenchaco in a couple of days.

On that note, I´m off to take a nap in the hammock, surf, and then spend the night dancing.

on my next entry i´ll try to talk more about the politics of hostals and travelers and the type of people who are here.

besos y abrazos
michelle E
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230926580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230926580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230926580/tpod.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:30:41 -0500 PERU!

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Puno, Peru

at 10pm on the first I left for Puno to go and explore the island of the oh so famous Lake Titicaca. i didn´t really know what to expect except that I should stay at el manzone and see the floating islands and tequile island.

I arrived at 4am and felt really awful because i had to wake up the person who man´s the door at night. Pobre cito. Reminds me of the times when I have fallen asleep at work at 3am to be awakened by a patient buzzing me. So I guess that´s just life.

I went to bed and woke up 2 hours later to go on a 7am boat trip to the islands. On the boat were a couple of older indigenous woman from Tequile. They were making bracelettes and laughing with eachother about nothing. Their playfullness and friendliness made them seem so much younger than they really were. I loved it.

The first island we went to were los islas flotantes de uros. Talk about more resistance; these pre-incan people built these islands made out of reed in order to escape the encroaching spaniards. they lived off of fish alone, and occasional trade to trips to the mainland. Now it seems they live off of tourism. There are about 40 of these little islands, each with their own name, we went to Utama. There I met to argentineans who apparently live in the area. i wish I would´ve asked why, but I didn´t had the time. Part of the reason i could imagine is the simple lifestyle here. You wake up open up your little store when there are customers, talk and ride around in your reed boat to relax. For me, well I think I would get a little bored, but I could definitely see the appeal of such a simple life.

Then we arrived to Tequile, a 3 hour boat ride (because the boat was so slow and old!). i didnt really know what to expect, and no one really gave us direction, so I started marching up the stairs to get to the pueblo. Little did I know that there were well over 500 of these steps ( I later read it in my lonelyplanet). I was definitely out of breath, and fully impressed with the local people after that climb. It must have taken 20 minutes.

So then i started on my walk to the village. Everyone on the island says hi to you, and takes a moment to chat. The men here are so cute because they wear caps that look like those old fashioned sleeping caps. They walk around at times knitting it themselves! can you imagine our boy back home proudly walking around knitting their own cap? The caps themselves represented your status: red for married, white and red for single. wouldn´t that make life so much easier?

But, there was so much dignity and sense of self in this people. These people rarely marry out of Tequile, have a general store with all the goods the people knit inside. What´s impressing is that it´s all at a set price that´s written down. They don´t bargain because they know their value.

Because of how pristine it was, it seemed so safe. I took a road to go look for the ruins, which i never found, but I instead encountered so many little kids running around. Not in poverty, but either knitting, tending sheep (which are highly important for their economy because of how much they knit), or just exploring the hills. I found one little munchkin (maybe about 5), trying to climb up this wall. I took his hand and lifted him up, then gave him a kiss on his forehead. He was so sweet, and definitely stole my heart. a lot of the kids on this trip stole my heart.

I was worried I was going to miss my boat and get stuck on the island so I prayed that a road that seemed to be a shortcut acros the island would bring me back to the port. It was a beautiful shortcut, and I got to see so many houses made out of stone, and fenced in stone as well. Luckily I made it back.

On the way home I literally thought I was going to die. about an hour before we arrived thunder clouds rolled in lightening lit up the sky, the lake started looking like one of the scenes from the guardian (well maybe not that bad), and then my seat started getting warm from the engine. I was sure one of two things would happen, either the boat was going to eplode because of the engine, or we were going to be tossed overboard. All I could think of was, how am i going to respond? i was going to grab the lifejacket put them on the kids, get everyone on floating pieces of wood from the decimated boat, and then try to swim the kids in.

Luckily none of that had to happen because we made it.

anyway, more could be said as always, but it´s time for me to write one more hopefully quick blog and then head out.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230839280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230839280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230839280/tpod.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:02:33 -0500 PERU!

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Cusco, Peru

There was so much energy new years eve, it was incredible.

The girls and I started off our adventure going to the square to buy one for Gabi (the owner of the house we were priveleged to stay at), and champagn for the evening. We sipped champagn with Gabi and her family from fanci stemmed wine glasses. I felt very high class mind you :) Gabi also gave us all lentels to put into our bags for midnight (apparently this is a tradition here to ensure you will have food for the year)

After the family left for their party we showered got ready and spent an hour drinking champagne and talking about all the amazing memories from the year.

now the main course of the evening. in cusco tradition whatever you do at midnight determines how you will spend the rest of the year. So everyone gathers in the plaza de armas and runs around the plaza to ensure a year of traveling and movement.

imagine: fireworks being sold in the street, and being set aflame anywhere and everywhere, thousands of people from all over the world screaming... singing... talking... and wearing some form of yellow-red-or green. To top it off it´s pouring rain, but noone cares because there is so much excitement in the air. At midnight everyone started running. we hugged and gave kisses on the cheek to every stranger we encountered wishing everyone a happy new year. i have never been to a fiesta so big. before we knew it, it was 2am, and we were soaked to the bones (because i when i say it was raining, i don´t been san diego 1 hour shower; i mean a continuance downfall of powerful rain).

we ended up crawling in bed by 230 am, so i am sorry to say i missed san diego´s new year by half an hour. but i know that you all must have had a good one. i felt your happiness in the morning ;)

and for those of you wondering, yes, i wore them.
michelle E
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230748440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230748440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230748440/tpod.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:41:58 -0500 PERU!

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Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru

¨"why blame the dark for being dark? it is far more helpful to ask why the light isn´t as bright as it could be." Rob Bell

I´m in Ollaynta right now. about to get onto the bus to head back to Cusco. This town holds a lot of significance for the Incans because it was the only town that was able to defeat the spaniards during the conquest. This resistance had to do a lot with the fact that it lay on a steep mountain so it was difficult for the Spaniards to advance.
Resistance.
Last night i had a conversation with a man named Date Gomez. He has 5 kids and a wife in Cusco and works all over South America duing architectal work. With the little money he earns, his two eldest children are going to work. He´s giving the world a little bit of light by saying his kids will have a better light. He´s resisting the cycle of poverty that his family has been a part of for so long. He insisted on buying me a drink, so i finally broke down and let him buy me a coke. He told me told me, columbianos son malos, chileanos son malos, ecuadorianos son malos... it seemed he thought every country had bad people except Brazil. This pushed us onto a conversation about how when there are bad people, sometimes we must first look at their circumstances before we can truly understand their heart.
What´s worse, a poor man who steals so that he can eat, or a rich man who gives nothing from his abundance. Socialism.
Dante told me that socialism is when a man, such as himself, has 5 kids and a wife and one piece of bread. Insted of keeping it for himself, because he earned it and bought it, he divides it into 7 pieces so that everyone can eat. When I was in Machu Picchu there were no beggars, I felt safe walking at night. Everyone had enough to eat. So socialism. Is it so bad? Afterall it is the model Jesus teaches isn´t it? I believe one of the only reasons Cuba is doing as bad as it is, is because it became an enemy of the US. with the fall of Russia it had no big power allies. So it became an island, literally and economically. So there is no food for everyone. There is poverty because everyone shares in the poverty equally. Well maybe not everyone, power does corrupt absolutely. And a government that holds all the power for long durations of time will become corrupt.
Anyway, what I´m trying to get at, is resistance. Socialism or not, we all have the power to give. This is light that the world so desperately needs. This is a form of light that we must continue to bring into the world. A resistance against the darkness. Each of us has this ability, to give all we can to the world, your country, your city, the peope around you, or simply your family. I beg of you, in this new year act on the passions that are in your heart. Your dreams. Whethere you realize it or not, God put them there so that you may in some way bring light into the darkness that exists here.
¨Resist the voice that says it is better to live for yourself this year

¨why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn´t as bright as it could be.¨ Rob Bell
brazos y besos
feliz ano nuevo!
michelle E
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230693180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230693180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230693180/tpod.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:32:52 -0500 PERU!

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Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Peru

So where do I begin. I´ve met so many people from so many backgrounds, locals and extranjeros and yet have only been in Cusco and Machu Picchu for a couple of days.

So I suppose I wills start with today. It was expensive to get to Machu Picchu. Very expensive. Surprisingly expensive. I probably have spent more here then I will spend on my entire trip because of the monopoly the train company has on the trip to Aguas Calientes (the city below Machu Picchu... with the only route to the city being the train), and the monopoly of the bus company that takes you to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. Plus the fact that everything thing there was super expensive (i spent $8 on a meal.. that´s just not latin america style is it?) because it´s an island, so they can do that sort of thing.

But in reality I should not be complaining. There was not one bit of poverty here. I had dinner with a local named Manuel. He is one of the security guards at the train station in Aguas Calientes (i got to know him because i lost my camera, which i´m not going to get into, but just fyi). We talked about the fact that there are no beggars here in this city, which is so rare in Latin America in general, because of the fact that everyone here has plata.. money.. from the tourist industry. 90% of the income of Aguas Calientes comes from tourism.

Not only is it good that the people here have enough to live on, but you can tell that they really care for their city. There are recycling bins everywhere. I don´t think I saw even one scrap of trash on the ground. Even better, the christmas tree in the plaza was made out of recycled 2 liter bottles of Sprite. I didn´t even realize it was made out of bottles till I got close with it. No worries, I took a picture of it with my high class disposable camera. But really, we as Americans could learn from this. These people don´t seem to waste. I know that I myself often forget that what we do or don´t do with our environment will effect the world in the future tremendously. Not only because of the fact that each person does make a difference, but because how you live your life is contagious. If you treat the earth and life well, others will see this and want to do the same.
the same goes for the mountain itself Machu Picchu. It sees about 2500 visitors a day. 2500!!! according to some researchers this is already causing major effects of the ruins such as land slides. in order to protect this place, the park would have to let no more than 500 in a day. But this too has problems. if there are limits on the people who can come then it will cut down on the economy flowing into the town and possibly cause a wealthy island in the mountains to become poor. It´s quit a controversial epidemic.

But, the mountains. Machu Picchu. Why do so many flock here? To be honest before I came I thought this was where Pizarro counquered the Incas. But apparently this place was hidden from the Europeans. It wasn´t even discovered till the early 1910´s by some englishman who had local guides.

It´s become so attractive to visitors because of it´s beauty and mystery alone. No one knows the true history behind this place, and this mystery is felt in the air.

This is where the clouds come to rest. They pass through the hidden Inca Ruins, catch their breath, and then continue on their way. A friend I met on the trail, Sneha, described it perfectly "you are literally in the clouds."

On my journey into Machu Picchu I met a brother and sister traveling together (which made me really want my brother here!). they are from Virginia, one is a dentist and the other just finished residency. We decided to climb Wayna Picchu together, the highest peak in the area. It wasn´t terribly difficult, but it was so steep so we were all definitly huffing and puffing on our way up. They try to preserve this area by only allowing 400 in a day. so you have to get up really early if you want to go, becaue there´s a long line to get in. They allow 200 at 7 and 200 at 10. (btw I woke up at 5am to go, craziness huh?). But what I was trying to get at is that the view was well worth it, you could see all the ruins of Machu Picchu from the top, and visit some smaller ruins including a house that had the best view ever. I would not have minded living here during this time period. I was also super lucky because they took pictures for me and promised they´d facebook them to me. I didn´t even ask, they just offered.

Anyway, my feet really hurt right now from the climb. But i did have a chance to relax in the hot springs after. It was such a relaxing place. Amidst the mountains and the mist and the rain my muscles had a chance to relax in the earth heated water.

Now I am in ollyanta. The town right below Aguas Calientes. I´m staying at a hostal owned my a charming woman named Roxanne. She´s going to take me on a hike tomorrow overlooking the town.. gratis. Then I will be off and returning to Cusco for el nuevo ano. It´s tradition here to by yellow underwear for good luck in the new year, so in keeping with tradition i bought some. I tried to figure out the story behind it but noone could tell me. So if anyone knows.. escribame!

I hope everyone has a fun but safe new year. Don´t forget to reflect on the accomplishments you made, the things you are thankful for, and your dreams for the new year.
con el amor de Dios
un beso y un abrazo
michelle E

ps there was so much more i wanted to write to you about, like my angel ricardo that helped me find my way around cusco, the amazing place that i am privilegd to stay at, the markets, the people at my hostal in aguas calientes.. pero no hay suficiente tiempo.. if you want to know more.. write me... or wait till i get back and i can give you fuller details ;) or not.. either way. lol
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230417720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230417720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230417720/tpod.html Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:28:31 -0500 PERU!

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Lima, Peru

Right now I feel like I live at the airport. It's not a bad place to be considering it is such a grand symbol of globalization at its best.  Nowhere else can you find so many people from so many different places and backgrounds. It's mind boggling to think about the amazing connections you could make, or that you could miss while at the airport.
The first person that I connected with was the man at the check in counter in San Diego.  There was only one lady manning the international check in until 6 and she was doing an amazing job keeping a positive attitude. You could tell that through her demeanor that she wasn't letting the ever extending line stress her out. I was quite impressed. I looked forward to interacting with her for this reason alone, but at 6 a man popped out and set up his check in counter. He was older and tiny but you could definitely see a spark in his eye.  I was his first customer.  Unfortunately while checking in by backpack was just a couple inches too long to carry it on, so I took a couple books out of the front pocket to put into my side bag; one of them being the new manifesto by Rob Bell on saving christians.  The guy read the title, and was staring at it for awhile, and so I asked if he'd ever heard of him. He said no, but that he was a minister so the book intrigued him... a minister? i was blown away that at 6 in the morning I was being served by a minister.  Not that a minister isn't just a human being like the rest of us, but people in that type of position I feel deserve a certain level of respect. It made me realize that you never know who is serving you. It's a lot like that parable Jesus gives about when you give to the least you are really giving to Him.
Anyway, I was off to I felt a very good start. At least I felt that God was definitely by my side. My flight went relatively smoothly to Atlanta.  There was a 3 year old behind me; when we took off he yelled "holy guacamole!! mom are we in the air!?!" I couldn't help but smile to myself. I loved his enthusiasm. I thought he was cute, but I think his mother felt bad for  me because he kept crying.  I leaned back and commended her for flying with her two boys.  I think she really appreciated that. 
In Atlanta I had a three hour layover. This also went pretty fast. I just had lunch and read.  I loved sitting there and listening to people from Germany Peru and Korea all in the same room.  I don't know why but that type of situation just makes the blood start flowing in my veins. It somehow feels inspiring.
On the actual flight I sat next to an older woman named Sally. It was her first time out of the country and she was super nervous.  So she was my travel buddy from the plane to checkout.  I think she appreciated the guidance, and it made me feel like an experienced traveler :) So it was nice both ways.
I was kind of worried when we arrived because I didn't have Mariana's address or number. I know, talk about unprepared, and we had arrived an hour late! I exited and she was nowhere to be found. So I just started to walk around. But there she was, sitting on a chair half asleep with her friend Mari. It was sooo good to see her.  Since I arrived around one in the morning, she took me on a night tour of Lima: we went through San Isidro (which is where she lives), down along the bay (which is so beautiful because you can see the city lights surrounding the edge of the bay and this huge lit cross that looks like it is floating in the air), and then through Mira Flores, and Barranco.
We were going to go straight to sleep but the girls saw a couple of boys they knew so we decided to go out. I was in my awesome pink pants (you know the one's you gave me Brooke). Talk about looking ready to go out. Anyway, one thing I noticed when I was here was that everything is behind doors. Mariana knew the guy that owned the bar so he had us park in a parking lot. It was behind these closed doors on the street, which I thought was strange. We barely made it in with the car. (people here drive even crazier than in Mexico by the way).  Then we took a motorcycle taxi (which is a motorcycle with a type of carriage attached to it) to the bar.  The bar itself was behind closed doors, but inside was definitely loud and just getting started. They played a mix of english and spanish songs, and i was surprised to see everyone singing along to even the American songs.  I did have a cerveza, because my friend Nick told me I had to try the beer here. It was called cuzcuena. It actually wasn't that bad, and I normally can't stand beer. But of course, maybe I was just so excited that everything tasted and looked good. quien sabe ;)
The next place we went to down the street had its doors completely shut. Apparently after three bars aren't allowed to let people in. It was probably 3:05. It was weird because you could hear all the noise inside, but you couldn't get in. We kept knocking and finally someone came to the door, looked around for cops, and then let us in. The strangest part about this place was that the people running the bar were probably 18 or 19. At least that's how old they looked. 
I feel like Mariana knows everyone here. I guess that's what happens when you grow up somewhere though. But it is nice being with a local, because I feel like I'm meeting and hanging out with the real people of this area.
This morning after we woke up (probably ended up in bed a little past 4 lima time, 1 san diego time), I decided to go for a walk as Mariana packed for our trip to Cuzco.  One thing I am definitely noticing is that Mariana lives in a high class part of town. All the houses here are beautiful. But I have also noticed that the majority of people here live in fear. There are fences, security guards, and barbed wire; some sort of security at every building. 
How have we reached a place in society that we have the ability to communicate with anybody in the world at a touch of a button, yet we are scared to let our own neighbors into our homes.  Better yet, how was this type of society enabled to be developed. I'm not singling out Peru. this exists everywhere. There really is so much love here. But like every big city that is lined with billboard after billboard, and McDonald signs and a Starbucks on every corner, there is a definite sense of disconnect between the classes.
But not with Mariana. I was so humbled when she told me she was packing sweaters for the people in Cuzco. Who thinks about stuff like that? To be honest, getting ready for this trip, I have mainly been thinking of myself. Which is ok. But hearing her wanting to give back awakened the importance of this in my heart. I hope to have an opportunity to volunteer. I was reading about different surf places along the coast that offer that opportunity to give back to the community, so maybe you can pray that I get a chance to do that?  
Ok. this is getting really long, so I will wrap it up with the fact that we did not leave for Cuzco today. I think they overbooked the flight so we're leaving tomorrow.  But this was definitely a blessing because all of us got a voucher for $200 at lan.com! (meaning I don't have to take a bus, so I will have more time in each city).  This is why I feel like I live in an airport though, because we were there for hours getting the voucher, and changing flights. But it was worth it not only because of the free airplane tickets, but because the guys fell sorry for us (or just thought we were cute ;) ) and gave us a voucher for a free lunch too. We ate at a peruvian fast food place in the airport.  I have to admit I was nervous, but the dishes were so delicious. They use a lot of potatoe. Okay, I must go, Mari and Mariana are sleeping and I need to join them so I can have enough energy to go out tonight. 
besos y abrazos.michelle E
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230217200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230217200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/locaparacristo/2/1230217200/tpod.html Fri, 26 Dec 2008 01:16:25 -0500 PERU!

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San Diego, California, United States

So I am off to Peru. It's amazing to me that almost every person I have told thus far about my next adventure has asked me if it's for missions work. I take that as a compliment, I really do. But it has also made me think about what is meant by the word mission. I am not going with an organized group with the intention to help a specific people with a specific task. But I like to think that i live each day with a mission. My hope is to live each day with the mission of somehow positively impacting the people that are set in my path. I also have a mission of being open to being impacted myself, by those same people.

So yes Peru. The land of the lefts and the vast Inca Empire. It should be an adventure. My plans are to be with Mariana the first half of my trip, and then on my own the second half. But for those of you who were a part of my last adventure, you know that God never really leaves me fully alone.

Anyways, thanks for being a part of this.

besos y abrazos
michelle E
ps special thanks to my brother and my mom for supporting me in my travels. i couldn't ask for a better family.
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