Ah, Randomness

Hey again!

Well, I was getting ready to buy my bus ticket back to Satipo this morning, when Ricardo called... basically, he said "Don't come back to Satipo for another week, because there won't be anything for you to do." LOL! I guess the plans for me to teach aren't finalized yet (which, unfortunately, I'm not really surprised about)... so, I said "Um, ok? What do I do?"

So Iris, his sister I've been staying with in Huancayo, is going to Lima for a week or so to take care of some business and visit her kids, and I'm going with her- I'm looking forward to it though- another week with no mosquitoes/sweating, and hopefully seeing some more sights! So, unfortunately, still can't post any pictures, but I'll let you know how I'm doing.

Speaking of Lima, Heather and I saw a really good movie the other day called Máncora, which takes place entirely in Peru! If you get the chance, you should see it- Heather and I were like "I've been there! And there! And there!" the whole time we were watching it, which was pretty funny too- she left last night for a trip to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, which I'm sure will be amazing- I want to go too!

Anyway, other than that I'm doing well, drinking lots of hot cocoa and looking forward to my next side-trip to Lima! Hope you're all doing well and not getting the flu/colds yet, and I'll keep you posted! Hasta la próxima! :)
Rach

Huancayo Update

Hey all!

Well, if you were hoping for pictures I'm sorry to say you'll have to wait just a little bit longer... once I get back on my own computer (about a week) I'll get some nice pictures up for you all!

Anyway, here's what I've been up to...

Monday through Friday I go to work with Heather, who is a Chicagoan living/interning here in Huancayo, to Promypes (pro-me-pays), which is a microfinance organization...basically they lend small amounts of money to people who need a loan and (of course) who can pay them back. It's been interesting all around- seeing how the company works and how the employees interact, as well as getting used to "Peruvian Time" (which is muuuuch slower than US time!). I go home for a delicious lunch, and then get to relax until 3, when we go back to Promypes for English lessons (or to help, anyway), or to explore more of Huancayo or just relax and enjoy an ice cream :)

I got to see a really cool place called Torre Torre (Tower Tower) this weekend- they are big wind-blown structures and they're beautiful! They almost look like a huge brown coral reef only above water. Heather and I climbed the dry riverbed all the way up to the top, where you can see part of Huancayo below, the mountains in the distance, and, of course, the towers. I'll post pics soon, this place is probably the outdoor highlight of Huancayo.

Also, I've gotten to try a lot of good food-lúcuma ice cream has been a treat (it's a Peruvian fruit, almost tastes like cake batter, it's so good!), and there are cake and snack shops all over...I may have to get a big bag packed to take with me to Satipo! Plus, since the weather is cooler, I get the chance to walk around a lot more and enjoy the sights.

I'll be sad to leave this weekend, but on the plus side Blanca found me a teaching job at a school near Satipo! I'll be teaching kids English Monday through Friday in the mornings, and I'm really excited- I think it will be a great experience, and I'm sure I'll learn just as much as the kids will!So I'm looking forward to that :) Also, Heather, some of her friends and I are planning a trip around Peru to see Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Puno (where Lake Titicaca is) and some lesser-known cities in Peru at the end of November, and of course I can't wait!

Anyway, that's what's been going on for now-feel free to post comments or ask me questions! Sometimes I forget to post details or random things, so your input is appreciated!

Thanks again for reading! More to come :)
Rachel

Huancayo Trip!

Hey All!

So Saturday I get to go to Huancayo for 2 weeks and I'm really excited! I'm planning on teaching English to Peruvian kids, and learning more about what Ricardo's sister, Iris, does. Also, I'll get to hang out with Heather, a fellow Chicagoan, share experiences and learn about her job as well, so I think it'll be a really great time! I'll let you know more and post pictures (if I can) while I'm there. Ok, thanks for reading!

Rach :)

Huancayo Photos

Hey again! Here are some Huancayo pics: The market, with any kind of potato you could ever want, flowers and plants, a fancy structure and the entrance to the Parque de la Identidad, and the fattest cheetah I've ever seen! Can't wait to go back! Ok, more soon!

Rach :)

Huancavelica and Huancayo

Hey all!

Well, I finally got to do some traveling this weekend! I went to the cities of Huancavelica and Huancayo which are in the Sierra, or highlands- Huancavelica is about 4,000 meters above sea level and chilly, which was a nice change for me (from the hot humid jungle), and the mountains there are huge! It's amazing to me that people can live and grow crops there. Huancayo is the capital of Junin District (Satipo is a province in Junin), slightly closer to sea level and a bigger city.

Blanca and I got into Huancavelica early on Thursday and spent the whole day touring the mountains with a group from Rio Negro (the town over from Satipo)- it was a beautiful day, nice and cool (freezing for Blanca, poor thing) and we saw some cool sights- not just from the mountainsides, but we saw an old abandoned mine which I think is the second biggest in South America, and one of the oldest churches in Peru- also saw a ton of sheep and cows, and unfortunately a lot of poor people- Huancavelica is one of the poorest places in Peru, I'm told- but it's beautiful there.

Friday we headed out early to Huancayo and met with Iris, Ricardo's sister, who works as an accountant there. She's very nice, and her house is a palace compared to where I live (no offense, Blanca!)- I also met Heather, a fellow Chicagoan who is working and living in Huancayo- she's very interesting, and the four of us had a nice long conversation over lunch. Afterward, Blanca and I went to the Parque de la Identidad (Identity Park) which was beautifully decorated with plants, flowers and stone pictures, as well as Peruvian-style figures. It was really cool! Then we saw the zoo, which had a lot of tropical animals, and the market downtown- need a guinea pig? Any kind of potatoes? A sheep's head? This market has it. Haha!

Anyway, unfortunately we had to head back Friday night- Satipo had its big party this weekend (ending today) so we wanted to get back for that, though I'm very much looking forward to going back to Huancayo again to see more sights and get to know Iris and Heather better.

Saturday marked the first day of the fair, so there were a TON of people in the main square for a fireworks and lights show at nighttime (really cool!) and people from all over Peru are here selling food, clothes, and other housewares--and trying to get my attention by saying the few English words they know haha! Sunday morning I saw a 4 hour long parade of schools, businesses and municipalities from all over Satipo (Satipo is a province as well as a city), which was fun and hot! Luckily the firefighters were part of the parade, and they cooled us all off with their hoses! So all in all, with my Sierra trip and the Satipo fest, it was a good weekend. :)

Ok, so here are some more pictures! (all in Huancavelica): The town square, a pretty stream, the oldest church in Huancavelica, me in front of a closed-off mine (the sign says "danger-do not enter"), and a little lake high in the mountains. I'll post some Huancayo pics too! Thanks for reading!

Rach :)