Racismo?

So when we were in Ica on friday we went to one of the many vinyards that there are around and in the city. We did some wine and Pisco tasting. We went on a tour of the vinyard. We learned the difference between Pisco and Wine, 2 grape made drinks. (pisco is fermented distilled and wine is only fermented). And then we went to the resturant there is there. And we ordered food, and sat for 1.25 hours waiting for it. We watched a table of 35 get there food, we saw everyone who sat down after us get there food, we watched as new people sat down WAYYYYY after us and order there food. Then we asked were ours was, and they hadn't stated making it yet. after someone else in our group came up and compailed we got ONE dish to apease us. Then we payed for that one dish and left. Just left, after 1.5 hours. Then someone pointed out, we were the only white people in the place. Everyone else was a peruvian tourist, and they all got their food before we did. Is this why we didn't get it? They were waiting to serve everyone else until they served the gringos? I don't understand. I still don't understand how people can do a think like that "Oh they are white, they won't mind being served late."

It was here in Peru that i wished i could change the color of my eyes and hair. People just look at my face and see a blond blue gringo. The men need to stare and talk to me, where ever i go, and no matter how conservative my clothes are. I have been the minority here, and at some times its awful. The only time I have enjoyed having blue eyes here is when a little autistic boy at my internship held my face as he stared at my eye for a good 25 minutes. It was the first human being with blue eyes he had ever seen, and he was amazed.

And the sad thing is, i know that other people have felt how i feel x5,000,000. Look at our history of the world. There are so many examples of racism its ridiculous.

Sobreviviendo

Perú has yet to fail me in AMAZINGNESS. These last 4 days we have been traveling in the desert of Perú. We went to Nazca-Ica-Huacachina-Paracas and back again. The Nazca lines (ancient lines from pre incan times in shaped of animals and other things drawn in the sand) were more than we imagined. The town of Nazca was a ton of fun. Ica was HUGE and right in the middle of the desert, and the oasis of Huacachina -where we couldn't find a room because it was semana santa and apparently its the busiest travel days of the year and pitched a tent out of rocks poles and duct tape and slept in blankets Maria and Adam borrowed/stole from neighboring hostels- was not what was expected at all. It was like we were in the middle of the Sahara! Paracas was full of Peruvian tourists. It's beaches were full of sting rays and Adam got stung actually. And the Ballistas islands were full of sea lions and pegüínos. An amazing weekend. More to come when we get back to the states.

Coming back to Cusco after yet another amazing trip once again made me feel so at home, but this time its differnt. No Laura. No Matt. No ProWorld. No school. I feel alone and robbed. I had a life here, and just like that, its gone. I miss Laura. I miss Megan. I miss yoga. I miss Adam and Alyssa and Maria. I mis everything.

t-45 hours till our bus to Lima, then our flight to the Amazon jungle. Then I'll miss Cusco.

Lets listen to some patty griffin and right some thoughts. I got this e-mail from my mom today. She gets these inspiration quotes everyday in her e-mail and she sometimes sends them to me. A lot of times they are very very corny, but this one really related to what I have been going through lately.

Libby,

It's the way you think. That's your purpose. It's never been about what work you choose, what gifts you develop, or what niche you fill - let these be for your pleasure. Think as only you can think, which will lead to feelings that only you can feel, from which connections will be made, lives will be changed, and worlds will come tumbling into existence.
Thanks,
The Universe

P.S. Libby, this is why you're here.

What you think is what you think. Your thoughts, your TRUE THOUGHTS, rare sometimes, are what is in your head. This definitely related to today, and will relate to tomorrow, next Wednesday, and May 6^th.

That’s right I said my first Cusco goodbyes today. The were very different from my Occoruro goodbyes (I’ll save that epic story for another night), First was the ProWorld office and staff. We had our reintegration orientation or whatever you want to call it. We talked about the highs and lows of Cusco, who blogged and what that did for you, what were your biggest achievements. We wrote letters to ourselves that Lauren will be sending to us in6 months. And we talked about reverse culture shock. Its gonna happen to all of us when we go back. I’ve already dealt with the hardest part, and that was coming back from Nicaragua. If I can do that I can do anything. I COMPLEATLY changed my life into the person I am now, and I am very happy with that. Its gonna happen again. And I hope it will be easier to deal with. I have been here longer, reflected more, thought more. Then I said goodbye to Lauren and Eliza, the ProWorld Staff that has been SOOOOO wonderful throughout the whole time here. They really made my times her so great. They Love their work and being with us, and really try.

Then I had my last Spanish class and final exam and said a bye to my spanish teacher (YES!!!!!) And said a goodbye to CBC one last time. I also got some pastry from el citio and said bye to that. Then tonight….. I said goodbye to Karyn, Erich, and Laura. We went to the muse for drinks and some went to Bembos for food. Throughout my whole times here I didn’t really think about saying bye to Laura till it happened. We have SO much in common, and she has been my saving grace here sometimes when I felt like no one else was thinking like I was here. She has helped me to think and talj about what I really need to and want to, and has helped me become the person I am today, who I need to be. And now she will be spending 3ish more months here (she got a job w/ ProWorld!!!!!) and I will be in the states. And this made me think (this is where this relates to the inspirational quote.)

Why do I do this to myself? I put myself out of my comfort zone completely, learn a new culture and language, live with a family, and become a new person, if the only thing in the near future I see is hurt? I’m devastated I can’t sit in La Bondiet once a week and talk about life with Laura. I can’t believe there will never be another Proworld meeting with all of us together again. I will never go on another excursion with Laura Eliza and Lalo (OH ON I never said bye to Lalo!!) again. I have two more nights in my bed here in my mom’s house in Cusco… I’m sad. That’s all I can say. Why cant there just be a paradise where all the people I Love and need are within walking distance from me? Why do good byes have to exist?

Well, after many tears and many thoughts… If I had never come to Cusco I would never have met these people. I wouldn’t know about the greatness of proworld, I would never had made a difference in Occoruro. I would never have had these reflections and thoughts from these past 4 months. I wouldn’t be me. It is in my future to be me, and everything that happens in my life, good or bad, will allow me to be me, the person who is living this life.

Tomorrow I am off to Nazca and will be no internet for a few days. Next time I write I will be without Laura and without my mom.

No. Me. Digas.

The following is a real song that can be found on youtube (has over 14,000,000 views), and is quite supported by the tea party movement. It is entitled "Press 1 for English." Claro, it's a country song.

Now I'll speak very clear for you so there'll be no mistake.
My family fought and died protecting freedoms in these states.
Now we all welcome those who come but when you reach our shores,
Oh, you should speak our language, not the one you spoke before.
English is my language, it's the language of this land.
And every sign that's posted here I should understand.
I do not live in China, Mexico, no foreign place.
And English is the language of the United States.

Now, when listening to this and looking at these lyrics, I think one thing:

WTF!?!

These are the kind of thoughts I want to destroy!!! Why does it matter what language you speak in this world and where you live? If you speak one or five, why should it matter? Unfortunately, SO MANY Americans feel the same way as the sentiments in this song, and I'm sorry but that is disgusting. This is the United States of America. We are the land of the free and home of the brave. If you move all the way to the United States from a foreign country, you are braver than I could ever be, especially if you do not know English. And you are free here to do what you please, learn and speak what you like, and live how you want. That is what "America" stands by, right? Agreed, If you do not speak english and you move to the US, life may be hard for you, I get that. It would probably be easier to learn English. But you don't NEED to. It's not NECESSARY. What if you didn't have the opportunities or money to learn it? Or are waiting till you get to the US to learn it? There are so many other countries in this world that accept many languages, and have 3 or 4 official languages. And so many people from the US do NOT want that to be their fate. Many are too ignorant and lazy to learn a language. Many of them are far from open mined.

I just cant believe this. It makes me SO MAD.

Último fin de semana

So here are some highlights from this weekend, once again i think that my time is much better spent not at the computer.

-Last weekend in Occoruro. T'was a double weekend. on saturday they threw us a party with choclo, queso, habas, y un arblo de fiesta. We all took turns trying to chop down a tree with goodies tied on to the branches.
-Last night was the last saturday here for many, and out of all those with updated fb statuses (minus Laura and Erich) everyone was talking about how sad that was. And not to offend anyone at all, but that made me mad. How can going out, drinking, and listening to music be the only thing on your mind when you are in a underdeveloped country, learning of the culture, volunteering, and becoming one with a peruvian family? I feel like there are less and less people like me everyday.
-Sushi last night! Then i got sick from it.
-Today Andy and I went white water rafting. The other boys in the raft (who were all from Jerusulum... and spoke Hebrew the whole time) didn't want to be in front... so we were. We got SLAMMED with the waves, were in charge of the speed of the paddeling, and had a blast.

That's all for now! 2 days of school left....

No tiempo

Hey all. So this is our last full week of classes, and I'm spending as much time not at my computer as possible. The following topics i will be writing about when i return to the US, or i find wifi in a place that i will be waiting at for a long time.

-THE INCAN TRAIL!!!!!!!!!
-Religion: gold, god, and glory
-nuestro medio ambiente
- The last few days here in Cusco/our going away party.

-The last weekend in occururo
-returning
-our adventurs after the smester is over

Next week we have 2 days of classes, then on wednesday andy, myself and our friends Adam, Alyssa, y Maria are going to Nazca/Paracas for 4 or days, returning to cusco so i can say good buy, cry my eyes out when i have to leave my mom, and eat our last Juanitos and Bondiet goodies for a while. Then we are off to Liam and Iqitios which is in THE AMAZON.

I do have to say though, as excited I am for the summer, I am very VERY scared to return home. My host mom here is my best friend. I don't know what I'm going to do without her, her Love, and her home cooked food. Everyday she becomes more and more distraught over her daughter and boyfriend situation, and she is thinking he is going to take the house and her daughter and she will have nothing and her daughter will ruin her life. The friends I have made here do not live close to me, and not being able to see and talk to them, when we have spent almost every day with eachother since January... its going to be miserable. ¡Y no quiero perder mi español! Es más mejor que llegara aca en Perú. Me gusta much hablar en español, oir español en los canciones y comerciales y programens y peliculas, decir con la gente en la calle y los taxis. Me gusta todo la lingua. When i came back from Nicaragua, I was miserable. I hated the world, what i was doing with my life, United Statesians, the Unites Sates.... everything. I don't want that to happen again. I want to combine the life i live here with the good things i have found in the US. I want to live the sustainable life i need and crave. I want to share my adventures and live in the way i can. Yesterday, in our last development class before the final I asked the teacher to reiderate what shw had said to us the otherday "Profi, en mondays class you said that the only thing we can do with the information we have learned is just live or lives.... is there anything else?" This has been a question i ask myself over and over and over again. I feel helpless. I have seen these things, felt these feeling, and thought these thoughts that not many people in the world will every think feel or see. What can i do? I don't want to get involved in the economy, I don't wanna be the next president... All i can do is be the best spanish speaking traveling OT and show as much Love to people as i feel for them. Is that enough?

She wrote on the board:

Libertad ser auténtico
ser humano
mirarse en el otro y lo otro: RESPETO

Direct english trasnlation:
Liberty to be authentic
to be human
look at oneself en the other and the other: RESPECT

Not direct english translation that i made in my mind after asking her to explain this:
-As people who have been here, and have the opportunity to live in the United States, our liberty allows us to be authentic, to be an individual. There are others like me, i thought as i look at the majority of the class of United States students who had come to Perú to live. Be authentic. Be yourself.
-Be human. feel laugh cry hit love hurt question search teach breath praise learn live.......
-Do not look at "Them" as "them." We are all human. We all want to be human and live. See ourself in the other humans, and in the world around us, in our environment. Respect everything. Never look at something and say "thats not worth my time, or the time of anyone else"

Live how you know the world should be, and thats enough. For now.

Otro Vez

I know that I have already said this, but the biodiversity of Perú is something i don't think i will ever get over. This can been seen, yet again, in our adventures of the weekend and the past weekend.

Last weekend, we all hopped in a bus and went to Manu, a wildlife reserve about 5 hours east of Cusco. The bus trip took about 6.5 hours. Why do you ask? Well. about 2 or 2.5 hours into the trip, our bus almost skidded off the road. The roads in Perú are notoriously bad, but up until now i didn't really know why. Nooooooow i do. The roads that aren't paved, so the majority of the roads here, are made by workers who look at a mountian say, "Vamos a construir un carretera.... aca!" and then the do it. No math no engineering, just digging. So when buses carrying 30 some people drive onto this "road" and the collapse it or rocks fall off from the top, I'm not so surprised, and the Perúanos just build another road over the first road without really fixing anything at all. So when the bus driver sped through some mud and water that made us go skidding, and did that a few more times after that, i knew that true scare of roads in Perú. Gah. But anyway, past the times where the road cracked underneath us and we drove through waterfalls on the road and saw mudslides and what not, we arrived at Manu.

The area of Manu reserve we were in was a bosque de nubes, or cloud forest. It is at a very interesting spot below the top of the mountain and above the jungle where it is constantly in cloud, very very damp, and home to very interesting types of wild life. There is this one type of tree that grows around a host tree and eats it from the inside out as it grows over it. SO COOL. Our guide was Edward, a Princeton grad who signed up for a fellowship about sustainable agriculture. Yeah that was a lie when he was placed in the cloud forest for a year. But he was very very informative, and it was clear he was happy some american gringos under the age of 50 had come to spend time with him. He took us on two hikes over the course of the weekend and we saw a ton of everything. We walked on a canopy walkway over the tree line, drunk water from a waterfall. It was great. And cold and wet, but that was ok.

This weekend, me Andy Laura Erich Zack Matt Laura and Eliza with some of the gap year kids in Urubamba (good lord...they were something else....) climbed the Chicón glacier. It was a HARD hike. We started at maybe 1,000m above sea level, and at the top it was about 5,100m. It was harder and harder to breath with every step, and quite slippery a well. We walked through maybe 4 or 5 levels of vegetation. We started in almost a jungle, and ended with no vegetation at the top. Andy and I were the slowest people on the hike and we still got there 4 hours before the guide thought we would get there. At the top, it was cold, and we were tired, and we literally sat for 6 hours and looked out at the view. It was pretty spectacular. Andy and I went to bet at 630 in a tent about 10 meters from the rock and straw cabin where most all the other kids slept. They said it was cold and kinda smokey (the fireplace was right next to the window). Laura came to join us at 7 in our tent, and we went to sleep. At abot 1030, Laura woke up because our tent door was not closed all the way and she was getting rained on. We closed it, and realized that the rain/snow/hail mix outside was not gonna let up. At about midnight, water started leaking in from the sides, so Laura and I virtually spent the rest of the night in a puddle while Andy slept on to of a rock in the middle. It was not the most enjoyable night of sleep of my life.

at 545am we ran out of the tent, and Laura and i found some new clothes. I was a little cranky and cold and we hadn't eaten dinner the night before and then we started out to the actually glacier (we were about 2 hours away from it in the cabin). So we walked out into the sunny 630 am day with snow still on the ground, and i saw one of the best sights of my life. In front of us, for as far as the eye could see, were snow capped mountains. The were huge and grand and unexplainable. And so so glorioso. The hike to the glacier was cold and rocky, but seeing something that has been here for thousands of years was incredible. These next stats i stole from Laura so a nice applause to here for looking this up.

Peru is home to 70% of the tropical glaciers, aka the glaciers between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. The rate they are melting is quite alarming, and at this rate they will not exist within 5 to 10 years of today. I sat there looking at the Chicón glacier and thought to myself "When i come back here, this glacier may not be here" and once again was over come with the power of nature and being human and what human do to nature and everything. We had a fantastic class in Desarrollo about the relationship between nature and human yeasterday, but that is for another blog post. There are a far number of glacier lagoons at the bottom of Chicón, and you can see where the spots are that it is melting. There are people who make pilgrimages to Chicón for the hielo of the glacier. It is part of Apus, the mountain god, and it is very very sacred. I brought some for my mom and she was so happy. What happens when this glacier completely melts? People drink form the water that runs off it because it is SO pure and sacred. ¿Qúe va a pasar?

The hike down was VERY slippery, but not nearly as challenging as the way up. It rained for about an hour of the hike down, which is hated, but when we got into the bus and drove away, the sence of pride i had was wonderful.

On Tuesday, we concur el camino Inka as we hike our way to Machu Piccuh. Oh Perú, how i Love thee

PS i have tried to upload picture 5 times and it hasn't worked. Sorry!!