Paracas Party

Hello again. I am trying to stick it out and blog regularly-ish until we leave...it’s not working out too well, as you can see.

This past Wednesday, March 17, we went on a family day trip to Paracas, Peru. We had wanted to visit here and had been looking forward to it since February. Paracas is about three hours south of Lima (driving) and is home to a national marine reserve and also really nice beaches.

We woke up at 3:30 to get ready. Our driver, Javier, picked us up at our apartment in a 16-passenger van. Just for us! Never had I been so glad of a big family in my life! ha. Javier waited for a while and then drove to another part of Lima for another lady who was coming. I thought she was just a passenger, but it turns out, Ursula was a tour guide! Big family strikes again!

We started on our three-hour ride. It was weird to see the roads so empty. Once we got outside of Lima, everything was just dirt. Hills and hills of dirt-sand stuff. We also saw a lot of “los pueblos jovenes,” or shantytowns. About thirty years ago in Peru, the Shining Path terrorists were killing many people in the mountains. As a result, those Andean mountain families moved to Lima in masses. There were no places for them to stay, so they just camped out pretty much where there were open spaces. The houses were just tin walls and roofs, not very good living spaces at all. Some of those communities are in Lima, like Pamplona Alta. But these homes were in the middle of nowhere! It was weird. Then there were new houses (still small and brick) in clumps. Ursula told us that some politicians give money to help build the houses (to earn support). Then the people paint the politicians’ names on the sides of their houses. I guess it’s a win-win situation.

We arrived in Paracas after at about 7:30. Ursula led us to the port to get in line for our boat ride. Dad wrote all our names down on a list, on which you had to say your nationality. It was pretty cool to see that there were people there from Germany, Russia, and the Netherlands! Then we got on the boat. It seated about 30 people I think, give or take a few. The boat guide spoke in Spanish and then in English, so I was very thankful for that. We went about fifteen minutes (motor boat) to an island with some Nasca lines! No one knows who made them or why, but they think that an ancient civilization used it for orientation (a sort of landmark that helped them know where they were). It was pretty cool. Nasca (with the famous Nasca lines in the ground) is within 3 hours of Paracas. Next we went to a bigger island, called Guano Island. It was rightfully named. I felt sick at the overwhelming stench of bird doo. It was rather large island with thousands of birds. I am not exaggerating for once. There were literally thousands of pelicans and seagulls. I am surprised no one on the boat got pooped on; there were many seagulls flying over us all the time. Way cooler than the birds were the sea lions! Yes, sea lions in their natural habitat! It was extremely awesome. They were lying on the rocks, and we even saw some in the water around the boat. We literally got 5 or 6 feet away from them! Later we stopped by a swimming lesson. A mother sea lion was teaching her baby how to swim! The pup was only about a foot long and could only doggie-paddle with its head above the water. Once, the mother disappeared, and the baby was swimming around, calling for it. Then suddenly, the mom popped up right next to the pup and barked. It was just really cool! We also saw the nursery, where all the pups were. There were females watching them, and also males. The males were just fighting, not watching the babies. Typical. That whole beach was really loud; all the barking and the wailing made it sound like something out of a horror film.

After the amazing boat ride, we decided to go onto the marine reserve. I was thinking that there was nothing to reserve because all of it was just hills and hills and stretches of this weird sand-dirt stuff. I cannot believe that people lived there. “Barren” is a good name for it. But the Paracas civilization did exist; they found a cemetery in a couple of the sand hills. The mummies are now in a national museum. The sand is good for something: sand boarding. It’s like boogie boarding, except on sand. A lot of people go to Ica (an hour away) to do that because the sand is softer there.

After taking pictures at some viewpoints, we all spent some time on the beach. It was refreshing to play in the waves for a while, but hiking up the enormous sand hill was not so fun. Following the beach, Ursula and Javier led us to a little cove on one end of the reserve. It was so cute!! There were three little seafood restaurants and a small bay with more of the sparkling sapphire waters. The seafood (“chita,” or rock fish) was really good. Probably because it was fresh—they still had a tray of freshly-caught fish on the counter. Then we sat by the water and watched Rebekah and Elijah swim. (The water was way too cold for my liking.)
On our way home, we got caught in some rush hour traffic (so frustrating!) but that was it. A long day, but extremely beautiful and restful. I really loved Paracas!

Yes, I am alive.

Sorry about not posting for a while! We actually have not been doing that much. This past Saturday we didn't really do that much because my dad was just getting back from Puno, Peru. Puno is high up in the southern mountains of Peru. It is also home to Lake Titicaca, the highest freshwater lake in the world (15,000 feet!). The lake is so south that it shares a border with Bolivia (but the lake is really big, so it isn't like Dad was right next to Bolivia...). He is now in Tarapoto, Peru. It's another jungle area. He showed us a video of a tapir from a reserve...SCARY ANIMAL. Seriously, it's really gross and weird.

We only have two more weeks here! I really can't believe it. Actually I can because it feels like we have been here a really long time. Some guy thought we were Peruvian! I was like YES! But then I guess it was just him because we must look pretty non-Peruvian. We were in a taxi on the way to Reina de la Paz, and there was a lot of traffic, so we were really close to other cars. Another taxi pulled up beside us, and the driver kind of looked at us for a minute. Then he smiled and was like, "Hi!" (People are always wanting to try out their English.) Mom waved and said "hi" back. It was funny; that happened to us before.
Reina de la Paz (the teen mom home we go to on Tuesdays) has been going pretty well. The girls are starting school again, so the kids are in the daycare now. We didn't really get to interact with them that much. The head worker put me and Dad and Raul (our taxi driver) to work! Dad laid down foam squares on the floor. Then I glued foam to the wall. Add some plastic balls, and the daycare has a ball pit! It's a really good idea! I almost died from inhaling too much glue fumes, though. The stuff was like rubber cement times ten! Plus the area was kind of enclosed. It was worth it to see the babies' faces, though. The daycare has all of the girls' babies, but then they also take in ten kids from the community too! That is a lot of work, but the nannies are awesome.

There was a little girl there who only had one eye. Her dad was fighting with her mom, and he started to beat the mom up. Then he kicked the little girl in the face. Doctors had to remove her eye, I guess. It was really sad and hard. Who is so low that they would kick an adorable, precious two-year-old? I mean, really. The mom is in another teen home like Reina called Domi. The homes are working to try to get an eye for the girl, whose name is Fiorela. Cute name, just like the kid. Seriously, she is so precioius. Please pray for her and her mom. And the dad, although it's hard for me to say that. But I guess he needs a lot of help too.

It's tough seeing all those little kids who need help here. We saw another little boy selling candy yesterday. He just had a big bag of individually wrapped candy. Mom gave him our lunch leftovers and some money. I wanted to take him home with us. All the kids who sell stuff on the street have vacant looks in their eyes. If I had my way, I would have about 100 Peruvian children by now. Probably more.
So it's tough, but we are making it. Two weeks, wow. I remember when we had 70 days left. But now we are practically Peruvian, so it's cool :)
I will post more...probably about food...Thanks for your prayers!
Mags:)

Saturday Fun

This past Saturday we went back to the Indian Market to get souvenirs. Very touristy, gotta love it.
The Indian Market is within walking distance, so of course we walked. It was a nice day but very, very warm. When the sun comes out, Lima becomes very warm. We walked through some neighboring apartment regions to a main street that leads to Parque Kennedy. I think I have blogged about it before, that it's the center of Miraflores and everything. Lots of shops surrounding the main green area. Yeah, I think I did. So we walked there, and then you have to go down a couple of side streets and stuff, and then you turn onto the long street lined with markets. There are little shops selling paintings and Incan things too. A lot of the shops and stores before the Indian Market are filled with decoration things--rugs, paintings, wall hangings, jars, sculptures, etc. And a lot of it is in the Incan style stuff (like the stereotypical native Peruvian patterns).
There are two main markets, the Indian Market and the Inka Plaza. They are across the street from one another. The Inka Plaza is a little smaller and spread-out than the Indian Market. I personally like the Indian Market better. The deal about the prices is that 1) you can bargain to get the price you want, and 2) the prices are pretty darn good. When you figure it out, you can get a t-shirt for like mmmm well they ask for 25 soles, but that's a little high. Twenty-five soles comes out to around maybe 9 bucks?? So 9 dollars for a t-shirt is pretty good. Purses go for around 20 soles (around 7 dollars). Soccer jerseys are pretty well-priced also. Love it! I could look around there for a long time if I was a shopper. But alas, I am not. So I was pretty tired after spending 3 hours at the Inka Plaza with my family. But we got a lot of stuff done, so that was good.
Next we took a taxi over to Larcomar (the mall by the sea and within walking distance of our house). The kids grabbed a couple of tables in the shade while Mom and Dad ordered food. Not just any food--Pardo's Chicken. I had never tried it before, but I had heard about it. Now I can understand why. It was amazing. Rotisserie chicken, french fries, salad, and Inca Kola made my day. Inca Kola is an amazing soda found in Peru. It's bright yellow and tastes kind of like a bubblegum cream soda...?? Mmm I don't know how to describe it, but it's really good. We ordered a lot of food but ate a lot of it. I was glad we had leftovers; a lady with her family asked for the leftover package as we were walking out. Dad was glad to give it to her, and the woman was very grateful. I felt bad that we didn't have more to give her. But you can never be totally prepared, you know?
I had a pretty good day with my family. Good company and good food make for a great time. Despite almost dying of heat stroke and starvation in the market (kidding!), it was good :) I will post pictures soon. I think I might do an entire post about the food...
Mags :)

More Huaraz Pictures!

All photos are taken by Emily Wetzel. :)

More Huaraz...Day Three

After our party-hearty time the previous night, Emily and I slept well (our last night in our hotel beds..). We met Dad and Jorge again for breakfast (another wonderfully delicious buffet). Then Emily and I went back to our room while Dad and Jorge went to another meeting. We didn't stay in our room for long; soon my sister and I were camped out in front of hotel computers. I spent (wasted?) almost an hour on Facebook, trying to catch up with what was going on at home. Emily finally wrote me a message: we needed to go clean up our room so we could check out of the hotel later. After dragging myself away from the Internet, I headed back to the room with Emily. There we watched TV, packed up our stuff, and waited for Dad and Jorge to return.
Dad came to our room; the poor man couldn't ge into contact with the people he had wanted to talk to. Short meeting, huh? We made a plan to gather in the hotel lobby with our bags and then go to eat lunch. Lunch was spent in a cute little ovalo sort of thing: a fountain surrounded by restaurants. Like always, Dad insisted it was a gringo trap, but I was so hungry I didn't care. A huge burger at an international restaurant curbed my hunger. By the way, when they say "International," it's most likely Italian food (spaghetti and pizza) and also burgers.
Next we went back to the hotel, although we couldn't go back to our rooms. So we stuck to the lobby, where I spent more time on Facebook and looked up stuff on Huaraz. By the time we had gotten back from lunch, it was almost 4:00, so we had only a few hours before we met for supper. We were supposed to meet at a French restaurant (well, as French as a restaurant can get in the middle of Peru..) but we found out they didn't take Visa, so Jorge called Yenina. She gave the name of a place further down the street. Jorge led us to it...very quickly. We must have looked hilarious speed-walking after a Peruvian man down the lit streets of Huaraz.
We ate at the restaurant...another pizza place that I LOVED! It was so cool; flags and posters covered the walls and ceiling. It was very cool. During the meal, we talked with our friends from the party while Dad, Jorge, Yenina, and a doctor talked about Dad's program and the area's parasites (great dinner conversation, right?) I had a good time and enjoyed both the company and the pizza. Our group said goodbyes and exchanged email addresses. Then we went back to the hotel, got our stuff, and went to the bus station.
I nearly had a nervous breakdown at the bus station. The man in charge said that everyone needed to have their passports (or some sort of identification) and their tickets ready. Emily was all set, but Dad and I were like OH NO. Our passports were in Dad's suitcase, which was...already packed on the bus. Uh oh. Dad had a copy of his, but I was about to be left behind in Huaraz. Dad told Emily not to show her passport right away; maybe we could squeak past since we were obviously Dad's daughters. Well, no such luck. Dad showed his passport and got checked off a list, but then the man asked for Emily's too. I was like OH MAN I AM SO DEAD. The guy checked Emily's name off....and then mine too! He waved us all through. I was incredibly relieved (and although Dad didn't say so, I could tell he was too). I mean, it's not like I didn't have a passport, but we would have had to dig out Dad's bag from the bus and all that stuff. Maybe my resemblance to Dad has finally paid off!
After all that ordeal, we went safely home to Lima. Never was I so glad to see the crowded streets, cloudy skies, and crazy taxis. Home sweet home :) I am really glad I got to go see a different part of Peru. Lima and Huaraz differ in so many ways. I felt like I got a full experience of the real Peru, not just the modern city. Thank you for your prayers!
Mags:)

"Dude, what's he saying?"

Please keep in mind that this story is told from my perspective, which a lot of times is told in a sarcastic or dramatic way. :)
This morning my wonderful parents got me up at 8:30. Boy, I love that on a Saturday morning! *groan* Then they went to do some errands. By the time Mom and Dad came back, all us kids were ready to go to Callao.
Callao is another part of Lima (kind of like Barranco is). It's also where the airport is, so I kind of knew what to expect (what it looked like and stuff). Callao kind of reminds me of Huaraz except a little more spread-out and cleaner. Kind of like a slower-paced part of Lima. Callao is pronounced "kiyow." Say it with a karate stance, and it helps. KiYOW!!
Anyways, we rode in a taxi to a very old fort in Callao. It was built to keep out pirates and other such "bad guys." Think Pirates of the Caribbean. So we got there and were met by a group of four soldiers, some of who were holding rifles. Friendly place, right? We were told that the next tour was in 30 minutes, so guess what we did? Following family tradition, we wandered around around, of course! You know that's right.
My family and I walked down a street, guided by a lady who maybe worked for the city...or the fort? I actually have no clue who she was, but I think she was a city guide or something. She took us down to a police memorial/display site. It was filled with statues of policemen wearing their various uniforms and holding various guns and standing in front of various tanks and SWAT (SUAT ha) trucks. It was pretty interesting, but we had to get back to the fort to get on the tour.
Braving the extreme humidity and intense heat, we made our way back to the fort where we got inside (not before roasting ourselves outside--all the bricks make the place like an adobe oven!). To start the tour, we watched a movie--all in Spanish. Of course. We were all like, "They could have at least put English subtitles!" But alas, it was not to be. At one point I asked Emily, "Dude, what's he saying?" She was like, "I....don't really know." That pretty much sums up the whole tour--not understood at all. We got to see some replicas of uniforms, paintings of generals, and artifacts from the fort, though. All that history was pretty cool. It truly did remind me of Pirates of the Caribbean. The parts I did understand were things like, "Follow me," "let's go," "silence please," and some other words thrown in with the tour. I did understand a lot more than I had hoped though. They talk really fast in Lima, so that makes it more difficult to follow. One funny thing was a guy pretending to be a mannequin and then scaring people as they took pictures of him. Then he was just creepy. It didn't help that I had NO IDEA what he was saying.
A really awesome part of the tour was going up into one of the towers and getting to see the city. There was a 360-degree view of Callao, very beautiful. I wondered what the fort was like when it was being used. Pretty cool, although the guide apparently said that they had an outbreak of bubonic plague. Ew.
By the end of the tour, we were thoroughly educated on the fort and baked to a crisp. And hungry because it was 3 o'clock! So we hopped into a taxi and drove off for the Larcomar, a mall by the ocean. (It was probably more like dragged and crammed ourselves into the taxi. We have to cram 6 of us in the backseat--no seatbelts or anything. Lucky Dad gets the front seat.)At Larcomar, we went to Chifa, a Chinese restaurant, for Emily's half-birthday. She is 16 and a half :) (I have been there 3 times before while on the mission trip.)We sank into the seats and ate. And ate. And ate. I promise you, it's the best Chinese food I have EVER eaten. I love it. So it was a great ending to a great day with family. My crazy, adventurous family. :)
Mags:)

oops.

Make sure you read the post "Huaraz Day One" before you read "Huaraz Day Two." They are in the wrong order. I must have forgotten to post day one before doing day two. Arghhhhhhhhhh. Sorry!

Huaraz Day Two

The first day in Huaraz was so weird because we had gotten there in the morning and it felt like we had been there for a really long time already! The second day was a little more routine.
Emily and I woke up and had absolutely no idea what time it was because we couldn't figure out the alarm clock. We got ready anyways and met Dad and Jorge for breakfast. I love Peru's continental breakfast buffets. There's always good bread and rolls and fresh fruit. I got to eat some more of Huaraz bread. It's round and looks like a roll. Inside, it's hollow!! I loved it! (I love Peru's food--lots of carbs...potatoes, noodles, rice, bread...all my favorites!) Well I could go on and on about the food, but I won't this time. After breakfast we met Yenina at her house before getting into a taxi to set off for another community. Yupa is higher up than Challhua. I was again amazed at the beauty of Huaraz and the surrounding area. I just really couldn't believe that I was there! The taxi ride was about half an hour, but that was only because we were on a rocky dirt road practically all the way. I really didn't mind; I was too busy looking out the window. I had to wear my sunglasses a lot in Huaraz because we were closer to the sun by almost 11,000 feet. My eyes just aren't used to how bright it is there. (Sunscreen was a must-have too, yet I still managed to get sunburned..ugh) Anyway, we met Yenina and some other young women up near Yupa. We went to visit a church that a group of volunteers helped the people to rebuild; I think the roof caved in on the old one. The church sat on the side of the huge hill with a great view. Wow, I just realized I did not post any pictures on the last post. I'm sorry! Wow. Okay, I will post some after this post (or post a link to a Facebook album or something).
Back to Yupa. Dad asked about stuff that students could help with in the community. He also inquired of the parasites in the area...I couldn't name them from memory, but I do know that most parasites that are a problem come from the water sources or the food. As for the water, there's nice rivers from melted snow off the mountains. However, people use it for everything...from washing dinner (whether it's vegetables...or freshly-butchered meat...), to cleaning clothes, to bathing, to using it as a toilet---you get the picture. So the water just keeps getting dirtier as it flows on. By the time it reaches places like Challhua, it's not so clean. All kinds of critters get in the water, hence the parasites. People also get parasites by eating plants or eating animals that are the parasite hosts. That's such an easy way to get infected. Then the parasites get into your digestive system and larvae grow in your intestines, etc. And also a lot of kids run around without shoes, so I don't even want to think about the hookworm issues. So that's part of what I know about parasites in Huaraz. Now you know (but probably wish you didn't just read all that :)
After Yupa we went to lunch and had some free time (most of which I spent catching up with stuff at home through Facebook...I need to work on my time management a bit). In the afternoon we went back up the mountain to visit Diana Morris at the Lazy Dog Inn. Again, I cannot even express the beauty of the area; pictures don't do it justice. Huaraz looks like it belongs on a postcard! We took a taxi up for about 40 minutes to get to the inn. I think my sister Emily was a little nervous; she doesn't like heights (or dirt roads snaking up the sides of mountains). The drive was worth it. Dad got really good information about what the area needs and what kind of work Diana and her husband Wayne do (they're with the Andean Alliance people). I really enjoyed meeting Diana; she's very interesting and had a lot of good things to say. I am just meeting cool people all over the place! We got to see part of the inn and take pictures, especially of the view. From their front porch I could see a mountain pass! I was officially jealous :) I know a lot of people that would love to stay at their inn, and I don't blame them AT ALL. Here is a link to their website: http://www.thelazydoginn.com/ Oh stink. That isn't quite a link, but it's the website anyway. Copy and paste!
That evening Emily and I were reluctant to go but went anyway to a small party with Yenina and some of the young women and other people we didn't know. Dad needed to talk to some doctors that were going to be there. So we went and sat and socialized. Not really. I would have, but it was hard because I had NO IDEA what anyone was saying! Now if that wasn't motivation to continue with Spanish, I don't know WHAT is! I picked up some verbs, adjectives, and adverbs; that's it. Emily and I were at first like "oh my word this is so awkward." I convinced her that this was something we could laugh about in the future. I can still picture us sitting there, having no idea what anyone was talking about. Later Emily proved her FMT worth when she sang "America the Beautiful" in front of everyone. I chimed for the last line. Everyone said that her voice was beautiful; I was proud (and also hoping that I wouldn't be asked to sing. haha). The evening got better and better as we sang songs in English like "Momma Mia" and "Under the Sea." Cynthia (one of the doctors) played her guitar; she was really good! She sang a lot of songs I didn't know, so I guess I'll have to brush up on "American songs..." Hmmm. I had a good time after the initial awkward/clueless combo.
That was a great day! I loved seeing more of the area. I wish I could have video cameras in my eyes; it's hard to get the picture without actually being there. Please pray for the people who are sick or not in good houses.
keep reading for the third day!!
Mags:)

Huaraz Day One

This past week went by very quickly! last Tuesday we went to Reina de la Paz, where I played with babies all morning...loved it! Later I packed because that night I was going to Huaraz. Dad and his colleague Jorge were going to Huaraz to meet more people and look at more places to visit for Dad's program at Wabash. Dad asked if any of us wanted to go along, just to see a different part of Peru. Emily and I decided to go; who knew when we would get this opportunity again? I was a little nervous about it because I did not know what to expect (and also I would miss my mom a lot). So on Tuesday night we went to the Cuz del Sur bus station. We were all a little woozy because we took this crazy altitude medicine. Huaraz is about 3,100 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level. The highest places I had ever been were Machu Picchu (8,000 feet)and Cusco (11,000 feet), both of which are also in Peru. I was wondering about how the altitude would affect us but had to wait to find out. Let me say this: I am never taking that type of altitude medicine EVER. It made me slightly sick. It didn't help that we were on an 8-hour bus ride, either. We WERE in the first-class seats, though. Still, the roads going into Huaraz are no fun. We were all feeling pretty bad by the time the bus pulled into the station.

Next we took a taxi to the hotel. Taxis are cheaper in Huaraz than Lima and definitely less aggressive. Our hotel, the Hotel Colomba, was really pretty! It wasn't like a normal American hotel like Holiday Inn or anything. It was more like a bunch of rooms grouped together in rows. And also there were gardens all over the place. Huaraz is totally greener than Lima. Hotel Colomba also had a greater aspect: the view. Standing outside of our rooms we could see a snow-capped mountain. The scenery was absolutely and literally breathtaking for me. It was just so beautiful.

We then toured the city for the morning. It was funny (looking back on it) getting used to the high altitude. I got so tired just walking around. There's definitely less oxygen up there! Stairs were a killer. It sounds silly, but it's totally real. On some on the really big hills there are no trees because they can't survive up there; the air is so thin. Anyway, back to touring...Huaraz has tons of little shops and restaurants lining the streets. There are also a ton of people selling things from tank tops to bread to backpacks to puppies! There certainly are a lot of smart business people in Peru. Huaraz has a really cute town sqaure, so we spent some time there. Emily and I paid a couple soles to get our pictures taken with a llama (pronounced yama in Peru, haha). Its wool was so thick and soft; I can see why people want llama or alpaca sweaters and stuff. Next we went into a market, lined with more stalls selling authentic Peruvian souvenirs. Honestly, the prices are amazing. Better than Lima, and that's pretty good. Handsewn purses are 15 soles...around 5 bucks. You shopping-crazy people would go nuts down here. You can also bargain with the venders, so that makes it better if you can get the price down a little bit. I always feel bad for the people selling it; the price would be so much more in the USA. Dad says we're getting the "gringo price" anyway.

Later that day we went to meet with a nun (who happens to be not the hard-core kind) who was going to show us some of Huaraz--the poor part. Yenina and a girl visiting from Brazil took us to Challhua, a community on the outskirts of Huaraz. I had seen areas like this but had never actually been to one. The houses stand in rows...mostly cement walls (but I have seen tin sheets serve as walls), tin roofs (flat slabs held down by rocks), no electricity. Only two places to access the city's water. Most people end up using the nasty river. And it was raining. The dirt pathways between rows of houses turned muddy and dark brown. I was dismayed at the poverty in the beautiful area. There are around 300 children living there with their families. We got out of the taxi to meet two doctors, young women from Lima working outside of Huaraz for a year (they have 2 months left now! wow). Then we went in the school, one room with desks and books. Dad talked to Yenina and the doctors about how his students could make an impact on and learn about Challhua. It was very interesting to hear about the health problems and struggles of the local people. It's disturbing, though--the ministry of health office is only 2 blocks away...
It was hard to leave Challhua as it was. You can't help but feel you should do something to help them before you leave.

The trip was only beginning, and already I was learning a lot about Huaraz. It was a lot to take in. The rest of the trip is coming to the blog soon; keep reading!
Mags:)

Downtown and a Very Old Monastery

Last Saturday we went to visit downtown Lima. I was hoping it wouldn't be a repeat of getting lost in Barranco.

I love driving in downtown Lima. All the buildings are old, and there are beautiful churches all over the place. Little restaurants occupy corners, and everything just looks so ancient and stately! Our taxista dropped us off near the main square. We saw a really old church, the department of justice (where their supreme court meets--also a very big, old building), and the presisent's palace. Yes, it is a palace. Complete with red carpet runway going inside. My family and I got there just as a band was playing. I think it was some sort of military band. They were all dressed up in uniforms and were probably playing national songs. I was amazed at the visible police and security forces. Guarding the palace are a bunch of police officers and army guys. Many were holding pretty hard-core guns. I think I saw a few machine gun-type weapons. And then scattered over the whole downtown area are tanks with soldiers watching everything. Even when the band was playing, they were covered by officers. I could see the head security guy inside with a walkie talkie, keeping track of every person. (I enjoyed all this; I'm into the secret security, Jason Bourne kind of stuff. :)

Our main thing that we wanted to see was the old churches and the catacombs. So we headed over to El Museo Del Convento de San Francisco. Surrounded by old iron gates, the church stands in front of a big plaza with a fountain. We went inside and got tickets for the English-speaking tour. I was pretty bummed about not being able to take pictures. It was beautiful! The guide told us about the church, which was really a monastery. Historians could tell the dates of the church by some of the tiles on the walls. It is about 400 years old! I had never seen anything so old; it really is hard to comprehend. I would love to be able to see the church when it was actually being used.

Our tour guide took us in and out of rooms. It was huge!! Everyone was taken in by the wood carvings, old statues, and beautiful art. A lot of it was done in the European Spanish style. The materials for the building were brought in from all over the world! One room had a painting of the Last Supper. Judas was painted with the devil behind him. It was in the same time period of the famous Last Supper painting. The guide pointed out that there were children around the table; and get this, the foods on the table were Peruvian! There were potatoes, rice (I think), and GUINEA PIG! hmmmmmm. I thought it was a great painting. :) My absolute favorite part was the library. It was gorgeous; I could stand and look at it for hours! There were thousands and thousands of books! All of them were exttremely old. We could not touch anything, yet there was natural light sttreaming into the big room. I was not impressed with their conservation efforts in that area. One book wa a huge choir hymnal. We went into the room where the choir sang. There were many seats on a balcony, which overlooked the church below. We did not go into that part. Also, there was a VERY old organ.

The last part of the tour was in the catacombs below the church. It was used as a cmetary for the common people because there was not an official cemetary for Lima yet. There are around 25,000 bodies in the catacombs, although some historians say it is around 70,000. Either way, that's a huge portion of history! The bones were organized into sections according to bone length and what type of bone. Our guide said that it was done that way for the tourism. The catacombs were extremely eerie and sad. The lit pathway for tours had little caves off of them, which were blocked by little iron gates. That part was creepy. The whole area had a very dusty/musty smell. I thought it was kind of cool but got slightly freaked out when I thought of how it was back when Peruvians actually used it. The bodies were treated with lime to prevent a stench and spread of disease. There were vents leading up into the church, proving that we were actually standing beneath it. There were lots of holes in which unidentified bodies were thrown. The bones are arranged in patterns, again for the tourists. Lots and lots and lots of bones. The skulls were the coolest to see. Call me weird, but they were.

We were all bummed about not being able to take pictures, but here is a website with official photos of the church. http://www.go2peru.com/Lim_foto02.htm Copy and paste into your search bar. You can click on the pictures for a zoom-in if you want to. This was one of my favorite places so far!! More pictures coming soon!
Mags:)

Parque de Las Leyendas

Some police guy told my mom that El Parque de Las Leyendas was a good place to visit, so she decided to take us there on Thursday. My dad was still in the rain forest, and she knew it would be a good place to pass the time. We looked it up on the Internet, got the address, and headed out the door on another adventure. And what an adventure it was!

First we went to the Wong, a grocery store 10 minutes from our apartment (maybe a little less). Our taxi driver was really nice and spoke some English. Then Mom did some bank stuff, and the kids picked up Oreos to take to the zoo with us. (Oh, the comforts of home we find in food...) We got another taxi driver because the other one had driven off. Later we were wishing that we had asked him to wait for us. Our new taxista DID NOT KNOW WHERE HE WAS GOING. He pretended to know, but after 40 minutes, I was carsick and dying from a combination of diesel fume inhalation and heat stroke. After going in circles for a while, he finally found it and let us get out of the car. I felt faint. I do not really understand why they pretend to know where to go when they really don't. They are just losing money by wandering around Lima. About taxis and taxistas (taxi drivers): they will honk at you or flash their lights at you or yell at you to get your attention. Then you lean down and tell them where you want to go. The driver will tell you a price (no meters in the cars). Then my dad says you are supposed to haggle the price. (Apparently they will know you are a foreigner when you don't haggle.)My father is convinced we get the "gringo price" every time; but sheesh, five bucks for a 20 minute car ride is pretty good!

So we got to the zoo, and my little sister Rebekah goes, "I don't feel good!" And we are all like AAGHHHHH. Mom got her to feel a little better, so we went and got tickets ($13.50 for all of us!). It was really hot, and all the sidewalks make it feel like an adobe oven in there. Emily found a map, and we figured out a plan (which I personally think was "wander around the endless park of animals for two hours"). We then proceeded to see all the animals. I really liked it; there is such diversity! At first there were only llama-type animals and birds, and I was a little discouraged. Llamas are cool, but I am a little wary of them. (one of them almost came to eat us, I promise you.)There was like a big green field with little huts, under which the llamas/alpacas were standing. Then we saw some black jaguars that were really cool! A lot of the animals were kinda pooped out because it was so hot, but I didn't blame them.

We then went through the the jungle section. Next was a lot of exhibits that held sloth-like mammals, which we practically ran through because Mom gets creeped out by sloths. hahahaha :) My little brother Elijah is all about the tigers and bears and stuff, so we headed that direction next. We ran into the tapir exhibit. They were stalking me, so I quickly moved everyone along. (You can ask my family; the creepy and weird tapirs were following me!) The funny thing about the zoo is that they have some animal combinations that were strange. Like there was an exhibit with zebras and goats. The goats were weird because they were under the trees that were positioned along the fence. I then dubbed them the sentry goats. We went through and saw some hippos, giraffes, and ostriches. Then came the bears and tigers and lions. The bears we liked because they were from North America, and we just felt so proud (sad but true :). The lions were so sad-looking! They were just cooped up in small wire cages with nothing to do. You animal lovers would be outraged. The tiger was beautiful but was also in a cage. It was cute; Elijah just could look at the big cats all day. He's such an outdoor fellow :)

Our driver on the way home was really nice and took us through a nice part of town. It took about 20 minutes! I was thinking, "So it's really a lot closer to the apartment than we thought!" The zoo...what a wonderful place!
Mags:)

Barranco!

Sorry about being behind! I think I am finally caught up...Juat to clarify, the post about the dig is not about this past Saturday, it's about two weeks ago. I have pictures up on Facebook of the dig. Pretty cool!

So on this past Saturday, we ventured slightly off the beaten path to Barranco, another section of Lima. By taxi, it's only about 10 minutes away. I fell in love with it right away. First we went to the park, which is absolutely gorgeous. Everyting is so green, and there are beautiful flowers lining the sidewalk. Like the rest of Lima, Barranco is on a cliff overlooking the ocean. My parents picked a great day (but hot) to go there. We could see the sparkling blue ocean in the distance. Barranco has brick and stone streets and cute little houses, which only add to its charm. It was such a pretty picture: stone houses on the side of a hill, green grass, pretty flowers, and the ocean in the background. It was such a surreal moment for me. I was thinking, "Wow, I can't believe we're in another country, and I'm actually here." I am appreciating the great experience that this trip is. More experience coming my way: next week I am going with my dad, Emily, and my dad's colleague Jorge to Huaraz, which is a town in the mountains! I am pretty excited..how many people get to do that?!

Back to Barranco. Since we got here kind of late in the afternoon, we decided to go to lunch. Everyone was looking forward to our plan: pizza, tasted by Emily, Mom, and me on our first mission trip 3 years ago. My family and I walked. And walked. And asked for directions. And walked. And asked for directions again. And walked into a crummy part of Barranco. And asked for more directions. And then we walked back to where we started, having not found the pizza place. We then wandered around some more before collapsing at a restaurant table 50 yards away from where we started. We were so hot! And tired because in the wandering phase we had to walk up and down stairs.

It was an authentic Peruvian restaurant, run by a rather large family. U think they had more people on the streets than actually waiting tables. You see, in Peru, there are people who stand outside their restuarants, holding menus and distributing flyers. it's all part of the competitive business. They will follow you and talk to you and walk next to you. It may seem pretty annoying to other foreigners, but I think it's great! It really does work. Somehow, I don't think it would catch on in the States. People there like to be left alone more.

Another custom in Peru is the meal. IT is not to be rushed through; it's a time to talk and eat and enjoy. We were at the restaurant for a little over two hours. I had lomo saltado, a traditonal dish. It has beef strips, peppers, onions, and tomatoes served over french fries with a side of rice. Reaaaaaaally good! For dessert we had fried donuts made out of squash; they are served under a licorice-type syrup. I had these on a mission trip to Peru before, and they're as good as I remember. The food here is way better than the USA, sorry. One sad thing: A couple of raggedy little boys came around the restaurant with bags of candies. My dad, bless him, gave the older one (who looked about 8 years old) some money. Despite our best efforts to convince him we didn't need all those candies, he solemnly placed a ton of candy on the table. I do know one thing: 8-year-olds should NOT be selling candy to earn money for dinner. Please stop now and pray for that little boy and his even littler brother.

After lunch I was ready to take a nap, but we were not finished with our day yet! We walked down the path to the beach. It was kind of gross; at the edges of the cement walkway there were signs of it being used as a human latrine. yuck. :P We got down to the beach, where I gulped in fresh air. Finally we got in a taxi and headed home. I love Saturdays. (pictures at top are of scenery and food!)

PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sorry about being a horrible blogger. I tried to upload a big post the other day, but my charming little brother erased it. First photo: climbing up some of the 258 stairs from the beach (one way!!) Second photo: Rebekah and Elijah on the beach (no sand, so don't feel too bummed about your snow) Third photo:Soccer at Reina de la Paz (home we visit every Tuesday) Fourth photo: view from our apartment window (technically mybedroom, since I sleep on the couch) Fifth photo:market that we walked to from the apartment. Sixth photo:Rebekah holding a baby at Reina de la Paz.

Last Saturday Morning: Off to the Dig!

Last Saturday morning (two Saturdays ago now)we went on another excursion, this time to an archaeological dig. Who knew that there were ancient ruins in the middle of Lima?

The dig is surrounded by buildings, roads, and neighborhoods. Our (English-speaking..yay!) tour guide said the land where the ruins are was private property. Buildings and roads were being built on top of it until people (restoreres, archaeologists, etc.) intervened. Originally the area was around 50 acres, but now it is only around 15 acres. The ruins used to be a temple for Peruvians, whose culture is known as the Lima Culture (hmmm...they weren't firing all cylinders on creativity there, were they?) This group of people existed before the Incas, who are more well-known. The Lima Culture is in the center of Lima (duh.) A lot of the religion and culture is based on the sea (Pacific Ocean). The Lima Culture's sea-based religion was represented by waves and two-headed sharks. They also held banquets in which shark meat was the main dish. Other activities included remodeling buildings, breaking ceramic jars, and sacrificing children and women. Priests did worship stuff and also functioned as local governors.

The structure of the temple is made of many, many bricks composed of mud and seashells. They were placed vertically to make the structures more eathquake-resistant. (Aside from their obsession with sharks and human sacrifices, these guys were pretty smart!) There is one main pyramid on the west side that served as the ceremonial headquarters. We were able to stand on top of it because the pyramids didn't come to a point like in Egypt; the top is like a platform. Surrounding the central pyramid are plazas/rooms probably used for meetings.

Aside from the dig, there was a section of animals that were kept during the Lima Culture. There were alpacas, llamas, cuy (guinea pigs), and hairless dogs. I think it's kind of an oxymoron...hairless dogs. There were two, and one walked past me, and I was thinking "Whew!" and then the other one walked up and leaned against me! I was like "eww." But then I petted it and it was weird! Like pig skin (scratchy leather, sort of) Besides the animals there were plants that were in the era too. The whole thing was really cool!
Fun Fact: Everyone in the Lima Culture was 5 feet tall or shorter.

Also on that day we went to the largest fountain park in the world, also in Lima. If you want to see video and pictures, visit my family's blog: thewetzelsgotoperu.blogspot.com (I would post them here, but they take FOREVER to load! ugh) More news: my dad left yesterday morning for Iquitos, the gateway to the rainforest. Please pray that the weather is nice and for safety.
Mags:)

Tuesday

I am a bad blogger for not posting stuff in a while. I apologize. Pictures to come!

This past Tuesday my family went to Reina de la Paz, a home in a different section of Lima. It is for teen girls who have babies or are pregnant. Most of them were sexually abused. The youngest mom I have seen there was 13 years old. So that's like my fellow freshmen girls having a toddler to take care of. Scary, right? I have been to Reina on the mission trips that I went on with my church, so it was nice to come back and see the girls again. Mom did a mothering session in which she talked about bonding with the babies. Then the girls asked questions about parenting tips like sharing and discipline. I personally sat in a little bit on the class but had to go out to help watch all the toddlers. They are so cute! Later we had cake to celebrate Giugliana's birthday (she was there translating for my mom and helping the girls understand). After that everyone headed outside to play soccer and watch the babies.Soccer was played on the cement slab with lines painted on and goals on either side. I love playing with the girls; they are good but also have tons and tons of fun playing with us and each other. Yaneth asked when we would be back, and Mom said next Tuesday. Yaneth then said, "You can come everyday!" :)

Please pray for the girls that they would not be overwhelmed with their kids and that they would grow closer to God. Also please pray for the ones who have left the home and are trying to get jobs, raise babies,and go to school.
Mags:)

Another Adventure...Great.

We walked to the Market this morning. It's not like a grocery-market, either. I would say it's pretty hard-core. (But probably nicer than what you are thinking right now.) It's only about twenty minutes away (walking) from our apartment. I am getting pretty good about crossing streets. If you think that sounds lame, you haven't seen Lima traffic. Sometimes you have to start walking when the car is still going in front of you and you almost run into it. I actually like it. (the excitement, not almost getting run over)

As for school, I really like working at my own pace. We usually have school in the afternoon to avoid dying from the extreme humidity. But sometimes we go out then because it is sunny, warmer, and not as damp. It's cool to just manage your own schedule and do whatever. I also like sleeping in (although since I sleep on the couch, Rebekah and Elijah wake me up way earlier than I would like).
I will try to post some pictures and maybe video soon!
Mags:)

Lesson Learned.

These are pictures (see bottom of post for caption) of Lima.
Okay, everyone, the lesson for today is EAT BREAKFAST EVERY DAY. I learned it the hard way today.

First, a little background information. So we go to the grocery store, Vivanda, every couple of days. My siblings, Mom, and I walk for about ten minutes, crossing about five or so streets, some of them pretty busy. busy as in taxis coming around the corner in the middle of the road without a turn signal. But that's what's normal. Some of you beginning drivers would have a fit at the disregard for traffic rules. (The more disturbing ones would think it was cool.)

THE LESSON LEARNED: I don't really like a lot of breakfast foods because I am picky about it (like cereal and eggs and stuff). So I don't really eat breakfast a ton, which is a big mistake. We were in the check-out line at Vivanda, and suddenly I was really hungry. And then I wasn't just hungry, I felt weird. Sweat was just pouring down my face, and I could feel my face starting to pale. I told my mom that I felt light-headed. She told me to go outside. And then the scary part for me: my vision got spotty, and then blurry. I couldn't hear anything but faint voices asking me what was wrong. Then my legs started to give out, and I had to grip the counter to stay up, but my legs were wobbling all over the place. So my mom did the best thing she could in the middle in the Peruvian supermarket and told me to put my head between my knees. After my vision cleared, Emily took me to sit outside.
So the moral of the story is to eat breakfast, even if you don't really feel hungry because you will feel the effects later. Shame on me; I'm typing this and laughing very hard at myself. Actually, Emily and Carolyn were laughing at me while I was still recovering. And you'll only get this if you've seen the movie The Sandlot. Carolyn said, "She looks like a dead fish!" and Emily said, "Yeah, yeah, she looks pretty crappy!" So that made me feel tons better as you can imagine...

So other than that, we are great! :) Here are some pictures I took in a park that's less than five minutes away from our aprtment. There are people who give parasail rides (not free.) over the ocean and Lima. I can see them from our aprtment usually. I totally want to do this!!