June (6-24-08)
Student free and weird!
I am happy to report that the first South America Pacific Challenge trip was a success!
The students, all 11 of them, Steph, my co-guide, and Vanessa, the professor, took off last night at 2:30am. After spending 41 days with this wonderful group of people, I already miss them, however, it is nice to be alone, and free as a bird!
Since the past e-mail I sent we, the PC group, has done quite a bit!
Rurembanque, Bolivia was to be our first encounter with the jungle; however, there was a glitch. We were supposed to fly there, yet due to Bolivian elections all airports and most businesses were closed. What did that entail for us, a 17 hour night bus ride on an Extremely bumpy road that hugged the edge of cliffs, rivers, and fallen rocks! IT was really too bad, because three students ended up getting sick, let's just say, the side of our bus was not the nicest sight the following morning.
We geared up and headed to the jungle, also known as the pampas of Bolivia. A 3hour dust filled bumpy ride in 4x4´s lead us to the bank or a crocodile infested river. We all hoped on wooden canoes, which were powered by motors and cruised down the river to our lodge. What a sight, tons of alligators, caimans, birds, monkeys, gigantic rodents, pink river dolphins, and what not. The next three days were spent in the outdoors, thank goodness for mosquito nets! We went on an anaconda hunt, and our guide captured one, Carl, a student held it, and got super freaked out, and dropped it, oops! We also went fishing for piranhas; I did catch a few, and ate them for lunch. Went swimming in with the pink river dolphins, and yes, in the same river with alligators, caimans and piranhas, yep a little dodgy!
From the jungle, we went to Copacabana, which is a little city on the edge of Lake Titicaca, and enjoyed La Isla del Sol. We took a boat to this little Island and hiked the heck out of it! After a three hour relaxing boar ride, on the largest high altitude lake in the world, we hiked to some ruins of the Incas which is where the Inca culture was supposedly born. The hike was intensive, yet well worth it, up and down the spine of the island. That night we slept hostel with a great view to the gigantic lake!
Next up, Peru! We crossed the border, hassle free, wohooo! Cuzco, Peru, also the capital of the Incas, was our home for the next week. The students had a few free days, which was nice for Steph and I to relax, relaxing we did. The first night in Cuzco we went all out! I am talking dancing on top of the bar all out! The next day I met up with Jose, my Machu Pichu guide from last year whom I became friends with, it was great to see him again! We did all of the planning and coordinating for the Machu Pichu hike, which yes, I co-guided with Jose!
The Salkantai Machu Pichu hike! Yes, once again I busted my butt to get to the top of Machu Pichu on this 5 day intensive hike! Day one, up hill climb on the foothills of the Salkantia mountain pass, I was not feeling so great, stomach wise, oh no! That night at base camp, the coldest night of them all, I was miserable! I fell asleep shivering in my sleeping bag with a roll of toilet paper in hand L Day two, awful! I woke up feeling as if a knife were stabbing me in my stomach, no way was I going to hike a super steep uphill hell of 7hrs, and then a downhill hike of 6! I made it to the top of the pass with the help of a horse! Yep, I was miserable but made it! Hahha Day three, I was feeling much better! It may have been due to the offerings we gave to the Paccha Mama, mother earth, at the top of the Salkantai mountain pass. Day three consisted of hiking up and down the jungle, following the river bead. We got to pick avocadoes, coffee beans, bananas, and other exotic fruits. Even better, that night was spent soaking our soar muscles in the natural host springs, ahhhhhhhh Day four, feeling even better! A morning jungle hike and afternoon rail way path lead us to Augas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Pichu. We arrived at Aguas Calientes, burnt out and ready to celebrate! We all invested in a bottle of beer and peanuts! It was a big accomplishment for us to all arrive healthy and happy, a few other students, 5 to be exact also got a stomach bug, thank goodness not as bad as mine, also two girls have asthma, so it was abig deal for them all to make it, good work! That night we got to sleep in beds, wohoo! Good thing, because the early wake up call, 4:00am, the next day was rough!
Day 5, Machu Pichu. After our last hearty breakfast, we hiked up the side of mountain which Machu Pichu is located on top of. Basically it was 40 minutes on the stair stepper; yep I beat my time of 1hr from last year! Arriving at the top, for the 2nd time was thrilling, even better was the wide open eyes of all the students! Jose, our guide, lead us through the winding ruins explaining every bit! What a thrilling 5 days!
5 DAYS OF ROUGHING IT DESERVED SOME RELAXATION
Ica was our stop, an oasis town surrounded by sand dunes. We all relaxed at the sides of the pool, soaking up the sun, reflecting on the hike, and I can't forget the cannon ball competition between the boys! We went on a dune buggy ride, sand boarding, and played king out the mountain atop the sand dunes.
Lima, Peru, the last destination for the students. After a 5 hr bus ride, which is NOTHING, we arrived to the big city. We sent the students in taxis to the hostel, but apparently the directions we gave the taxi drivers weren't the best! The four taxis had a hell of a time making it to our hostel; ours had to ask policemen on the corners and random strangers, FINALLY we arrived, and the students did as well, 15 minutes later. Lima was filled with nights at the bar, tons of food, jazz shows, shopping, last minute work for Steph and I, and family dinners at our hostel. Our last meal was spent at a local Peruvian restaurant where we indulging in many typical plates, cebiche, yucca frita, chicha beer, and a chocolate cake! After dinner steph and I ran to a bakery, bought an entire chocolate cake, for 12 soles, wohooo 5 dollars, and very carefully brought it back to the restaurant, it had no cover. Over dinner, we all recapped the trip, talked about our dreams and goals, and said our goodbyes! What an amazing group of people!
And that is the end of phase one of my trip!
Up next, northern Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia!
I am happy to report that the first South America Pacific Challenge trip was a success!
The students, all 11 of them, Steph, my co-guide, and Vanessa, the professor, took off last night at 2:30am. After spending 41 days with this wonderful group of people, I already miss them, however, it is nice to be alone, and free as a bird!
Since the past e-mail I sent we, the PC group, has done quite a bit!
Rurembanque, Bolivia was to be our first encounter with the jungle; however, there was a glitch. We were supposed to fly there, yet due to Bolivian elections all airports and most businesses were closed. What did that entail for us, a 17 hour night bus ride on an Extremely bumpy road that hugged the edge of cliffs, rivers, and fallen rocks! IT was really too bad, because three students ended up getting sick, let's just say, the side of our bus was not the nicest sight the following morning.
We geared up and headed to the jungle, also known as the pampas of Bolivia. A 3hour dust filled bumpy ride in 4x4´s lead us to the bank or a crocodile infested river. We all hoped on wooden canoes, which were powered by motors and cruised down the river to our lodge. What a sight, tons of alligators, caimans, birds, monkeys, gigantic rodents, pink river dolphins, and what not. The next three days were spent in the outdoors, thank goodness for mosquito nets! We went on an anaconda hunt, and our guide captured one, Carl, a student held it, and got super freaked out, and dropped it, oops! We also went fishing for piranhas; I did catch a few, and ate them for lunch. Went swimming in with the pink river dolphins, and yes, in the same river with alligators, caimans and piranhas, yep a little dodgy!
From the jungle, we went to Copacabana, which is a little city on the edge of Lake Titicaca, and enjoyed La Isla del Sol. We took a boat to this little Island and hiked the heck out of it! After a three hour relaxing boar ride, on the largest high altitude lake in the world, we hiked to some ruins of the Incas which is where the Inca culture was supposedly born. The hike was intensive, yet well worth it, up and down the spine of the island. That night we slept hostel with a great view to the gigantic lake!
Next up, Peru! We crossed the border, hassle free, wohooo! Cuzco, Peru, also the capital of the Incas, was our home for the next week. The students had a few free days, which was nice for Steph and I to relax, relaxing we did. The first night in Cuzco we went all out! I am talking dancing on top of the bar all out! The next day I met up with Jose, my Machu Pichu guide from last year whom I became friends with, it was great to see him again! We did all of the planning and coordinating for the Machu Pichu hike, which yes, I co-guided with Jose!
The Salkantai Machu Pichu hike! Yes, once again I busted my butt to get to the top of Machu Pichu on this 5 day intensive hike! Day one, up hill climb on the foothills of the Salkantia mountain pass, I was not feeling so great, stomach wise, oh no! That night at base camp, the coldest night of them all, I was miserable! I fell asleep shivering in my sleeping bag with a roll of toilet paper in hand L Day two, awful! I woke up feeling as if a knife were stabbing me in my stomach, no way was I going to hike a super steep uphill hell of 7hrs, and then a downhill hike of 6! I made it to the top of the pass with the help of a horse! Yep, I was miserable but made it! Hahha Day three, I was feeling much better! It may have been due to the offerings we gave to the Paccha Mama, mother earth, at the top of the Salkantai mountain pass. Day three consisted of hiking up and down the jungle, following the river bead. We got to pick avocadoes, coffee beans, bananas, and other exotic fruits. Even better, that night was spent soaking our soar muscles in the natural host springs, ahhhhhhhh Day four, feeling even better! A morning jungle hike and afternoon rail way path lead us to Augas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Pichu. We arrived at Aguas Calientes, burnt out and ready to celebrate! We all invested in a bottle of beer and peanuts! It was a big accomplishment for us to all arrive healthy and happy, a few other students, 5 to be exact also got a stomach bug, thank goodness not as bad as mine, also two girls have asthma, so it was abig deal for them all to make it, good work! That night we got to sleep in beds, wohoo! Good thing, because the early wake up call, 4:00am, the next day was rough!
Day 5, Machu Pichu. After our last hearty breakfast, we hiked up the side of mountain which Machu Pichu is located on top of. Basically it was 40 minutes on the stair stepper; yep I beat my time of 1hr from last year! Arriving at the top, for the 2nd time was thrilling, even better was the wide open eyes of all the students! Jose, our guide, lead us through the winding ruins explaining every bit! What a thrilling 5 days!
5 DAYS OF ROUGHING IT DESERVED SOME RELAXATION
Ica was our stop, an oasis town surrounded by sand dunes. We all relaxed at the sides of the pool, soaking up the sun, reflecting on the hike, and I can't forget the cannon ball competition between the boys! We went on a dune buggy ride, sand boarding, and played king out the mountain atop the sand dunes.
Lima, Peru, the last destination for the students. After a 5 hr bus ride, which is NOTHING, we arrived to the big city. We sent the students in taxis to the hostel, but apparently the directions we gave the taxi drivers weren't the best! The four taxis had a hell of a time making it to our hostel; ours had to ask policemen on the corners and random strangers, FINALLY we arrived, and the students did as well, 15 minutes later. Lima was filled with nights at the bar, tons of food, jazz shows, shopping, last minute work for Steph and I, and family dinners at our hostel. Our last meal was spent at a local Peruvian restaurant where we indulging in many typical plates, cebiche, yucca frita, chicha beer, and a chocolate cake! After dinner steph and I ran to a bakery, bought an entire chocolate cake, for 12 soles, wohooo 5 dollars, and very carefully brought it back to the restaurant, it had no cover. Over dinner, we all recapped the trip, talked about our dreams and goals, and said our goodbyes! What an amazing group of people!
And that is the end of phase one of my trip!
Up next, northern Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia!
May (5-31-08)
Buenas Noches!I am reporting to you all from La Paz Bolivia. The past few weeks have been, well, EXTREME, that is what the students like to call all of the activities we do.Iguazu falls was, once again, breathtaking! The best part for me, was seeing the eyes of the students open as wide as they could, as they all stood in front of the falls in pure amazement! after a day at the falls we volunteered with a native community in Northern Argentina called, The Guarani. We traveled 3 hrs to an EXTREMELY remote area, no running water, hardly any electricity, ect. We arrived and as the van pulled into the village children came up running and waving their arms with gigantic smiles on their dirty faces We spent the day preparing nutritious food for the village. This entailed, carrying buckets of water from the stream, purifying the water with sheets, making a version of egg salad salad, we cracked 350 eggs, ahhh, making chipas, a traditional fried flat bread, juice, milk, and bread. That day, we fed a village. The kids came running when they heard the lunch bell ring, this would be the only healthy meal they receive this month. We served the kids, then the teenagers, then the nursing ursing mothers, the mothers, the elders and then the men. We all connected with the kids, and they craved attention, they were so dirty, their clothes were falling off, however, the smiles they produced let us know they were leading a happy life. It is satisfying to say that we fed a village!From Iguazu we took a bus, for 29hrs, to Salta, Argentina. Salta is a very arid region of Argentina that specializes in the best Émpanadas, comparable to hot pockets, in the country. In salta, we did some Extreme activities. Some of the students went bungee jumping off of a bridge, and the next day we all went river rafting down the Juramiento river, they were class lll rapids. We all got wet, no one fell out of the boat, and the scenery was the best. As we went down the river the guides pointed out dinosaur foot prints, coral form centuries ago, and random species of animals. We all got our geology lesson for the day. After rafting we ´zip -lined across the river. From one wall of the river to the other we flew, we were attached by a harness to a cable our means of stopping, gloves! We crossed the river on 4 zip lines. the faces of some of the students were the best, they were terrifies, yet by the last zip-line they all wanted more!After Salta, we crossed the Chilean boarder. After a 14 hor bus ride, which is nothing! we crossed the Andes mountain range and arrives in San Pedro de Atacama, the driest desert in South America. We spent a night there and then headed to Bolivia. When we arrived at the Bolivian boarder, the control asked for our VISAS, WHAT!!! Last year I didn´t need a visa! SO... the boarder control took out passports, they gave them back to us in Uyuni after we payed 100 dollars, and a small late fee! WOW! Well, After hearing about the VIsa situation, our tour guide, Sonia, met us at the border. She is a cute, short, typical Bolivian. She guided us along the 3 day desert-salt flat tour. We made the trip in 4by4 Jeeps. Our backpacks were tossed on top, and we all crammed in the trucks! The first day we passed by many lagoons with flamencos, took a bath in host springs, and all experienced altitude sickness. This was not fun! I had a cold, and with that the altitude got the best of me, let´s just say, good thing a plastic bag was near by. That night the temp droped to 0F, thank goodness for my down sleeping bag!The next morning we all woke up with a crazy headache! Our guide Sonia,. provided us all with an herbal remedy, coca leaf tea! The next few days we made our way up, down , and around sand dunes. THe last day was spent in the salt flats of Uyuni. This wonder, consists of miles and miles of SALT flats, mountains surrounding the salt, and an island of cactus in the middle. I am now in La Paz, trying to get rid of my sniffles.
May (5-15-08)
Buenos dias!
I have officially been in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a week! How exciting, and let me tell you, a lot has happened!
I arrived in BsAs, and Ezequiel´s aunt and uncle picked me up from the airport, Cristina, the aunt, was jumping with joy, it had been two years since I had seen them. We arrived at their home, where I stayed for the next three days, and toasted with Chapman.
I had a great time with his family, we made sushi, YUM!, went to El Tigre, a delta river, and had a typical Argentine lunch, Asado, lots of wine, salad, and bread.
After a weekend filled with fun, work began. I moved from their house, which is further away from the city, to the center of the city with Laura, the girl whom I lived with two years ago when I taught English in BsAs. I visited all of the families with would be hosting my students, that was taxing! and tied up a few loose ends.
The students arrived on Thursday, safe and sound. Stephanie, my co-guide, and Vanessa, the Spanish professor, made sure they arrived safely.
That day we explored the capital and the port, went to a milonga, a place where people dance tango, and ate traditional food.
Yesterday we toured ´ La Boca´ and did some more taste testing. Alfajores, empanadas, and some Quilmes beer. That night all of the students found out what the night life in BsAs is like! We went to a Boliche, club, and danced the night away until 5 in the morning!
Today all of the students moved in with their host families, so I will have some time to myself, nice nice!
It has been loads of fun connecting again with old friends, visiting familiar places, and of course, eating tons of ´dulce de leche´!
Next stop is Iguazu Falls!
I have officially been in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a week! How exciting, and let me tell you, a lot has happened!
I arrived in BsAs, and Ezequiel´s aunt and uncle picked me up from the airport, Cristina, the aunt, was jumping with joy, it had been two years since I had seen them. We arrived at their home, where I stayed for the next three days, and toasted with Chapman.
I had a great time with his family, we made sushi, YUM!, went to El Tigre, a delta river, and had a typical Argentine lunch, Asado, lots of wine, salad, and bread.
After a weekend filled with fun, work began. I moved from their house, which is further away from the city, to the center of the city with Laura, the girl whom I lived with two years ago when I taught English in BsAs. I visited all of the families with would be hosting my students, that was taxing! and tied up a few loose ends.
The students arrived on Thursday, safe and sound. Stephanie, my co-guide, and Vanessa, the Spanish professor, made sure they arrived safely.
That day we explored the capital and the port, went to a milonga, a place where people dance tango, and ate traditional food.
Yesterday we toured ´ La Boca´ and did some more taste testing. Alfajores, empanadas, and some Quilmes beer. That night all of the students found out what the night life in BsAs is like! We went to a Boliche, club, and danced the night away until 5 in the morning!
Today all of the students moved in with their host families, so I will have some time to myself, nice nice!
It has been loads of fun connecting again with old friends, visiting familiar places, and of course, eating tons of ´dulce de leche´!
Next stop is Iguazu Falls!
May (5-8-08)
As most of you know, I have recently embarked on a grand journey, (some of you may not, so let me explain what I will be doing for the next year and how I got there). After traveling to south America many times I was approached by a former professor of mine, Dave Wright. He is the founder of a program called Pacific Challenge that specializes in travel study trips to Australia and New Zealand, check them out at: http://www.pacificchallenge.org/. Dave wanted to establish a travel study trip in south America, and approached me to head it up. Over the past year I have been working to create, coordinate, market and get this trip to South America underway. At the moment Pacific Challenge South America has 11 college students, one professor one guide, and myself, traveling to South America for the first trip. I arrive in Buenos Aires May 10th and the rest of the crew arrives the 15th. We begin the trip in Buenos Aires, Argentina, head to Iguazu falls, over to salta, cross the Andes, drive through the desert, fly to the jungle, hike Machu Pichu, surf some sand dunes as well as some waves, and then the students depart from Lima, Peru back to MN June 24th. As for me, well I plan to stay in South/Central America until December. I don't know what exactly I will be doing, but let me tell you, it will feel amazing to be as free as a bird! After my travels end in December, I will be back home for Christmas with the family. From there I plan to co-guide the Pacific Challenge Australia New Zealand trip in January, February, and March. April, apply for teaching positions at a Spanish Language Immersion School in Minnesota, and then if enough students sign up for the Pacific Challenge South America 2009 trip, I am back to South America for a few monthshen in July, I being what most people refer to as an 'adult life' yep, getting a place, starting my teaching job, and living la vida loca! We'll wait and see how everything pans out.
At the moment I am in Miami FL, visiting Ezequiel, my boyfriend, his dad, and grandmother, who is visiting from Cordoba, Argentina, before I depart for this travel study trip and then some. If anyone feels the urge to visit me this fall, airfare to Central America/Bogota, Colombia is not too bad! Think about it!
www.mytb.org/PacificChallenge08 is the address to a blog that the trip participants will be adding to. Feel free to visit and make comments!
1 comment:
Jenifer!
Como estas mi cacuhuatita!? Te echo do menos muchisimo, pero es bien regresar a Winona. Compre una coche nuevo y vi a Jess y Keavagh a noche. Ahora, busco un puesto en Winona....necesito suerte y rezos. He leido tu 'blog' y aparece que disfrutas tu viaje. Necesito regresar a Sudamerica porque hay muchos paises que no he visto....Huaraz aparece muy guay.
Ojala que te diviertas el resto de tu viajes, y recuerda: cuando visitas a Winona, es muy importante que me visitas. Comprendes?
buena suerte y ciao!
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