So I´m sitting right now at the Lima Airport drinkning a coffee that cost my girlfriend 10 soles, which equals about $4 US bones...quite normal I should guess.
I will be leaving this magnificant country in about 1 hour and really can´t believe it.
I am not going to recant a million stories on this page, nor describe a million experiences right now...there are just too many and again, words would not do each of them justice.
This will be the last blog on this spot, I am retiring this page until the next journey...which hopefully is not too far off on the horizon.
This country has opened my eyes to a different culture and given me a new perspective on life south of the equator, and made me fall in love with every part of Perú!!
Te amo Perú, y jamás te olvidaré
Siempre con cariño, amor y respeto
tómas
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Winding down and gearing up
My time here in Lima is winding down to a few short days, which at this point seem to drag on for eternity. I only have two days of teaching left, this Tuesday (tomorrow) and then my final day on Thursday. The kids I teach and I are going to go have a picnic of sorts at a local park and try to indentify some birds and animals to practice their English and also to play a little "futbol" (soccer for all us Americans).
Sunday will be a very special day for me-my girlfriend Beth arrives at 6:05AM here in Lima!! I have been waiting for this day since before I left!! I am so incredibly excited to be able to share such a rich and beautiful country with someone I love-I have never been able to share an experience of this magnitude with someone...I hardly believe it's real, it seems still almost like just a dream.
We will be leaving Lima shortly after she arrives for Juliaca. Once arriving there (by plane) we take an hour bus ride to Puno, which is situated along Lake Titicaca. We have made (with the help of my host mom) reservations for a hotel run by one of Marilou's (host mom) good friends. The owners are also helping us with a tour of Lake Titicaca by canoe-I feel privledged to have such giving and caring friends surrouding me. The 22nd of July puts Beth and I on a scenic bus ride to Cusco-where we have booked reservations at a local hostel (hope it's not like the movie!) and will spend almost 4 complete days in Cusco-in which we will see Macchu Picchu and have a bit of time to explore the city.
The 25th we take a short flight back to Lima and will have two days for some sight seeing and relaxation.
Then sadly, back to the US:(
On that note, I have been thinking about the trip back and how in just two short months so much in my life has changed! It makes me excited but at the same time it's almost bittersweet knowing that my collegiate career is over and the time for slacking seems like it passed away a lifetime ago...I know that this trip has had many ups and downs, and has made me and those closest to me mature as well by directly and indirectly dealing with my absence.
I cannot thank Bethany enough for her patience and support these two months-she has been nothing short of my rock while here, and my link to the northern hemishpere-I would also like to thank "skype" for enabling us to keep in contact via the internet-it has saved me countless amounts of money!!
I will write an official closing blog before departing this great country, but this will serve as a preliminary goodbye-as teaching comes to a close as does my time volunteering for "Sonrisas" I have spent most of this week reflecting. It's hard to try to encapsulate so many memories with words that seems to do them no justice...so I leave this blog to do just that...ponder my experience here and the future that lays ahead
t~
Sunday will be a very special day for me-my girlfriend Beth arrives at 6:05AM here in Lima!! I have been waiting for this day since before I left!! I am so incredibly excited to be able to share such a rich and beautiful country with someone I love-I have never been able to share an experience of this magnitude with someone...I hardly believe it's real, it seems still almost like just a dream.
We will be leaving Lima shortly after she arrives for Juliaca. Once arriving there (by plane) we take an hour bus ride to Puno, which is situated along Lake Titicaca. We have made (with the help of my host mom) reservations for a hotel run by one of Marilou's (host mom) good friends. The owners are also helping us with a tour of Lake Titicaca by canoe-I feel privledged to have such giving and caring friends surrouding me. The 22nd of July puts Beth and I on a scenic bus ride to Cusco-where we have booked reservations at a local hostel (hope it's not like the movie!) and will spend almost 4 complete days in Cusco-in which we will see Macchu Picchu and have a bit of time to explore the city.
The 25th we take a short flight back to Lima and will have two days for some sight seeing and relaxation.
Then sadly, back to the US:(
On that note, I have been thinking about the trip back and how in just two short months so much in my life has changed! It makes me excited but at the same time it's almost bittersweet knowing that my collegiate career is over and the time for slacking seems like it passed away a lifetime ago...I know that this trip has had many ups and downs, and has made me and those closest to me mature as well by directly and indirectly dealing with my absence.
I cannot thank Bethany enough for her patience and support these two months-she has been nothing short of my rock while here, and my link to the northern hemishpere-I would also like to thank "skype" for enabling us to keep in contact via the internet-it has saved me countless amounts of money!!
I will write an official closing blog before departing this great country, but this will serve as a preliminary goodbye-as teaching comes to a close as does my time volunteering for "Sonrisas" I have spent most of this week reflecting. It's hard to try to encapsulate so many memories with words that seems to do them no justice...so I leave this blog to do just that...ponder my experience here and the future that lays ahead
t~
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Iquitos
This weekend opened my eyes to the thrird ecosystem of Peru: Jungle.
Leaving Thursday night from the Lima was a gift, the weather here has been cloudy and gloomy-which is normal but a change is always appreciated. And a change I received! After a short 1 1/2 plane ride, I stepped onto the tarmac and was greeted by air so soaked with humidity I could drink it! Marvellous!! It was 80 degrees and a slight breeze was blowing, just enough to keep the mosquitos at bay.
During the bus ride to the hotel, I befriended an American named Kasey and a Peruvian named Aldo, the latter informed me and the former as to how we could rent motor scooters and tour the city. We accepted this proposal and agreed that Aldo would be our guide in exchange for conversation and an ice cold beer afterwords. The scooters only cost $4 dollars to rent for the hour, and came with a free helmet and fake Peruvian drivers liscense!! And they say the dollar is losing value...
The tour was incredible! Iquitos is a small (pop. 1 million) community, in relation to Lima (8 million) as has the lazy feel of a beach town. In reality this is true, it's situated right on the Amazon River. So we motored to the mouth of the river, enjoyed the night view, then cruised around town for another half hour. The interesting (and beautiful) thing about Iquitos is there are only motorcycles and buses, no one owns a car. Seriously, there are like four cars in the whole city, and the police owns three...
After scootering, we made good on our half of the bargain and got the most amazing hamburgers I have ever had-it had a fried egg on it, with lettuce tomato and mayo-seriously....amazing!! The beer as hoped was ice cold and was a perfect was to rign in the 4th of July.
Friday (4th) we boarded launches in the morning and set off on a tributary of the Amazon River-the Momon River. We headed to a "serpentarium" where as one may deduce from the name, snakes and all sorts of reptiles-some endangered species and others not. They also had a family of monkeys that lived there, and those were the real treat to see. They are so human it's scary-they're also little thieves!! A couple of people in our group had to chase after bogarted sunglasses and braclets.
An hour after we visited a native tribe called the "Boras" where we watched and participated in native dances and then most importantly...got to buy jewelry and knick-nacks. I'm not sure how I felt about invading someone's home, but the guides assured me we were welcome and this was their only way of earning income-still not in total agreement, but hey, that's just me...
Another 40 minutes by boat put us at the dock of "Albergue" our lodge. Lodge is a loose term. It came equipped with Direct TV and internet-oh satellites, what can't you do?
The lodge was beautiful, full of native birds and lush vegitation. The rest of the day was free to swim (yes they had a pool) and relax in one of the numerous hammocks.
Took full advantage of both.
Saturday morning we set off into the jungle for a five hour walk taking in the sounds...and the humditiy. Not to be the guy that states the obvious, but it's really hot in the jungle. Ok, done. Later in the afternoon we visited the Jibero tribe where I got to practice using a blowgun-which I'm quite good with I might add. I hit a tree like 25 ft. away, which by my standards is excellent.
Later that night Kasey, Steve, Jake and I set off in the kayaks provided by the lodge and explored a bit of the Momon river. We also swam, some willingly, others not. Steve fell into the water trying to get into his kayak-so later we all decided to join him for a swim. No parasites noted as of yet-Tomas 1-Rio Momon 0.
Sunday was a sad day. I really wasn't ready to leave the jungle-but it had to be.
Before leaving, we did go a different nature preserve of sorts, and were allowed to fish for pirhanas. This is a bit different from what I had imagined, and a bit dissapointing, because there was no challenge in it, just a bit of waiting. Still a fun experience, and yes I did eat it, even though there wasn't a whole bunch of meat on him, he tasted excellent. For those of you who know my aversion to fish...it's disapating. I also ate turtle legs, which taste like funny colored roast beef. Not too bad though.
The jungle of Peru is something impossible to experience in three days, as one may imagine. It's diversity, as well as the temperature, are stifling. I have already made a promise to myself that I will return to the jungle to experience it to a greater extent. And for any of you that are looking for an amazing week long vacation, I'd recommend Iquitos, or just Peru in general.
This place is forever be etched in my mind as one of the most beautiful and diverse places on the planet.
t~
Leaving Thursday night from the Lima was a gift, the weather here has been cloudy and gloomy-which is normal but a change is always appreciated. And a change I received! After a short 1 1/2 plane ride, I stepped onto the tarmac and was greeted by air so soaked with humidity I could drink it! Marvellous!! It was 80 degrees and a slight breeze was blowing, just enough to keep the mosquitos at bay.
During the bus ride to the hotel, I befriended an American named Kasey and a Peruvian named Aldo, the latter informed me and the former as to how we could rent motor scooters and tour the city. We accepted this proposal and agreed that Aldo would be our guide in exchange for conversation and an ice cold beer afterwords. The scooters only cost $4 dollars to rent for the hour, and came with a free helmet and fake Peruvian drivers liscense!! And they say the dollar is losing value...
The tour was incredible! Iquitos is a small (pop. 1 million) community, in relation to Lima (8 million) as has the lazy feel of a beach town. In reality this is true, it's situated right on the Amazon River. So we motored to the mouth of the river, enjoyed the night view, then cruised around town for another half hour. The interesting (and beautiful) thing about Iquitos is there are only motorcycles and buses, no one owns a car. Seriously, there are like four cars in the whole city, and the police owns three...
After scootering, we made good on our half of the bargain and got the most amazing hamburgers I have ever had-it had a fried egg on it, with lettuce tomato and mayo-seriously....amazing!! The beer as hoped was ice cold and was a perfect was to rign in the 4th of July.
Friday (4th) we boarded launches in the morning and set off on a tributary of the Amazon River-the Momon River. We headed to a "serpentarium" where as one may deduce from the name, snakes and all sorts of reptiles-some endangered species and others not. They also had a family of monkeys that lived there, and those were the real treat to see. They are so human it's scary-they're also little thieves!! A couple of people in our group had to chase after bogarted sunglasses and braclets.
An hour after we visited a native tribe called the "Boras" where we watched and participated in native dances and then most importantly...got to buy jewelry and knick-nacks. I'm not sure how I felt about invading someone's home, but the guides assured me we were welcome and this was their only way of earning income-still not in total agreement, but hey, that's just me...
Another 40 minutes by boat put us at the dock of "Albergue" our lodge. Lodge is a loose term. It came equipped with Direct TV and internet-oh satellites, what can't you do?
The lodge was beautiful, full of native birds and lush vegitation. The rest of the day was free to swim (yes they had a pool) and relax in one of the numerous hammocks.
Took full advantage of both.
Saturday morning we set off into the jungle for a five hour walk taking in the sounds...and the humditiy. Not to be the guy that states the obvious, but it's really hot in the jungle. Ok, done. Later in the afternoon we visited the Jibero tribe where I got to practice using a blowgun-which I'm quite good with I might add. I hit a tree like 25 ft. away, which by my standards is excellent.
Later that night Kasey, Steve, Jake and I set off in the kayaks provided by the lodge and explored a bit of the Momon river. We also swam, some willingly, others not. Steve fell into the water trying to get into his kayak-so later we all decided to join him for a swim. No parasites noted as of yet-Tomas 1-Rio Momon 0.
Sunday was a sad day. I really wasn't ready to leave the jungle-but it had to be.
Before leaving, we did go a different nature preserve of sorts, and were allowed to fish for pirhanas. This is a bit different from what I had imagined, and a bit dissapointing, because there was no challenge in it, just a bit of waiting. Still a fun experience, and yes I did eat it, even though there wasn't a whole bunch of meat on him, he tasted excellent. For those of you who know my aversion to fish...it's disapating. I also ate turtle legs, which taste like funny colored roast beef. Not too bad though.
The jungle of Peru is something impossible to experience in three days, as one may imagine. It's diversity, as well as the temperature, are stifling. I have already made a promise to myself that I will return to the jungle to experience it to a greater extent. And for any of you that are looking for an amazing week long vacation, I'd recommend Iquitos, or just Peru in general.
This place is forever be etched in my mind as one of the most beautiful and diverse places on the planet.
t~
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Slides from the desert
I know all the "post cards" should say Peru-but I can't help that-this was the only one Photobucket had
Monday, June 30, 2008
What do an oasis, a penguin and something 2,400 years old have in common
They're all found in Peru!
I'm out of superlatives to describe this country. On Friday I went on an excursion with the International Studies Abroad (ISA) to three places:
1) Huacachina-This is an oasis in the middle of the coastal desert in south-western Peru. An argous six hour bus ride arrived us to the magnificant speciman of a resort. Two hours after unloading the bus and getting checked in to the hotel, we embarked on our first two part excursion. The first part was to go tearing around the vast desert in HUGE incredible powerful dune-buggies. These bad boys hold 11 people plus the driver (whom I believe was insane, or just really liked his job). I have no idea how many horse-power they are, but suffice to say it's "sufficiente!" He took our group on a wild ride up and down gigantic sand dunes at I would guess 40-55 mph for about 20 minutes. We finally crested our last sand dune and then it was time for part two: sand-surfing! This is exactly what it would seem, although the boards used are about half the size of regular snowboards, so think of it being for midgets (sorry to all midgets offended by this description.)
I was the second to surf down the dune, and did quite well until the end, when I leaned back and proceded take a sand bath. Also, although the sand is soft and fine to the touch, it doesn't feel good to eat it...or get it in every oraface of your body.
So after being at the bottom of the dune, and waiting for the rest of the group to fall down it, our driver picked us up, and whisked us away to two more dunes...repeat process above only harder and more times! I loved every second of it, and hated the entire next day.
2)Paracas-Left the hotel, still full of sand, and took a two hour bus ride to the coast, where we got on a twin 200hp. mercury engine boat and sped off into the Pacific Ocean for a nature preserve. Along the way we spotted bottle-nosed dolphins, sea lions, and yes...penguins! We also saw one of the world's largest islands where they harvest guano (yes that means bird poo) for fertilizer. Mmmm...the smell of money...smells aweful!
Then it was a six hour bus ride after lunch to Nazca. This was aweful for many reasons. I was incredibly stiff from yesterday, still had sand in most of my possessions, and was a bit motion sick from the previous bus ride and boat ride. Didn't puke, but I should've.
Upon arriving in Nazca, we unloaded and ckd. in for the night. I showered again to remove more sand and my soreness, both with marginal sucess.
3) Nazca-For those of you that are not familiar with the Nazca lines, they are multiple sets of geometrically perfect lines and drawings in the middle of the Peruvian desert. One of the amazing things is that carbon testing dates them to be from around 300BC-600/700AD. Another interesting fact is that they were not discovered until the 1900s. Why? Because they are too vast to view from the ground! So why would these ancient people build these lines and animal drawings? No one is for sure, but one of the most interesting drawings may give a clue-it's of an astronaut! No joke-look up the pic on the internet-I only took a video of it and it's a half hour long, so it would never fit in a file, but yeah...aliens.
Now this may make many of you laugh, but there is some popular opinion that the sight was the location of an alien visit, and the Nazca people constructed the lines and drawings to serve as an homage to their "gods" and also to give them an arial map of how and where to land upon returning.
I will say no more of theories because regardless of why they are there, the Nazca lines are one of the most beautiful sights I have ever flown over, and one of Earth's true mistories.
To say the least I had a good weekend-and I am going to the jungle on Thursday! Oh yeah
I'm out of superlatives to describe this country. On Friday I went on an excursion with the International Studies Abroad (ISA) to three places:
1) Huacachina-This is an oasis in the middle of the coastal desert in south-western Peru. An argous six hour bus ride arrived us to the magnificant speciman of a resort. Two hours after unloading the bus and getting checked in to the hotel, we embarked on our first two part excursion. The first part was to go tearing around the vast desert in HUGE incredible powerful dune-buggies. These bad boys hold 11 people plus the driver (whom I believe was insane, or just really liked his job). I have no idea how many horse-power they are, but suffice to say it's "sufficiente!" He took our group on a wild ride up and down gigantic sand dunes at I would guess 40-55 mph for about 20 minutes. We finally crested our last sand dune and then it was time for part two: sand-surfing! This is exactly what it would seem, although the boards used are about half the size of regular snowboards, so think of it being for midgets (sorry to all midgets offended by this description.)
I was the second to surf down the dune, and did quite well until the end, when I leaned back and proceded take a sand bath. Also, although the sand is soft and fine to the touch, it doesn't feel good to eat it...or get it in every oraface of your body.
So after being at the bottom of the dune, and waiting for the rest of the group to fall down it, our driver picked us up, and whisked us away to two more dunes...repeat process above only harder and more times! I loved every second of it, and hated the entire next day.
2)Paracas-Left the hotel, still full of sand, and took a two hour bus ride to the coast, where we got on a twin 200hp. mercury engine boat and sped off into the Pacific Ocean for a nature preserve. Along the way we spotted bottle-nosed dolphins, sea lions, and yes...penguins! We also saw one of the world's largest islands where they harvest guano (yes that means bird poo) for fertilizer. Mmmm...the smell of money...smells aweful!
Then it was a six hour bus ride after lunch to Nazca. This was aweful for many reasons. I was incredibly stiff from yesterday, still had sand in most of my possessions, and was a bit motion sick from the previous bus ride and boat ride. Didn't puke, but I should've.
Upon arriving in Nazca, we unloaded and ckd. in for the night. I showered again to remove more sand and my soreness, both with marginal sucess.
3) Nazca-For those of you that are not familiar with the Nazca lines, they are multiple sets of geometrically perfect lines and drawings in the middle of the Peruvian desert. One of the amazing things is that carbon testing dates them to be from around 300BC-600/700AD. Another interesting fact is that they were not discovered until the 1900s. Why? Because they are too vast to view from the ground! So why would these ancient people build these lines and animal drawings? No one is for sure, but one of the most interesting drawings may give a clue-it's of an astronaut! No joke-look up the pic on the internet-I only took a video of it and it's a half hour long, so it would never fit in a file, but yeah...aliens.
Now this may make many of you laugh, but there is some popular opinion that the sight was the location of an alien visit, and the Nazca people constructed the lines and drawings to serve as an homage to their "gods" and also to give them an arial map of how and where to land upon returning.
I will say no more of theories because regardless of why they are there, the Nazca lines are one of the most beautiful sights I have ever flown over, and one of Earth's true mistories.
To say the least I had a good weekend-and I am going to the jungle on Thursday! Oh yeah
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pics from Huaca Pucllana
Here are four Pics from Huaca Pucllana which is one of the newest ruin sites in Lima-located right in the middle of the city.
I think the most intersting facts about this site were: They were not descovered until about 1970-they were not made a historic site until 1981, so some of the site has been destroyed by construction compaines.
Multiple tribes inhabited the site, and each time an new tribe came, they built a new temple on top of the previous one-so the "gran pyramid" actually extends deep into the ground, but they cannot excavate for fear that the pyramid would collapse. Bringing me to the next and I believe most intesting fact: The idigenous peoples built all pyramids and walls by hand, creating each adobe brick individually and letting it sun dry. In the last picture, you can see fingerprints from where hands crafted each brick. The manner in wihch they laid the bricks was also unique. Because of the fault line that runs under the coast of Lima, they did not pack each brick right next to each other, rather in a vertical fashion with space in between each adobe. This allowed for the walls and temples to absorb the shock and also flex in a sense in the event of an earthquake.
Intersting place I must say, especially a sight in the middle of a gigantic city
t~
I think the most intersting facts about this site were: They were not descovered until about 1970-they were not made a historic site until 1981, so some of the site has been destroyed by construction compaines.
Multiple tribes inhabited the site, and each time an new tribe came, they built a new temple on top of the previous one-so the "gran pyramid" actually extends deep into the ground, but they cannot excavate for fear that the pyramid would collapse. Bringing me to the next and I believe most intesting fact: The idigenous peoples built all pyramids and walls by hand, creating each adobe brick individually and letting it sun dry. In the last picture, you can see fingerprints from where hands crafted each brick. The manner in wihch they laid the bricks was also unique. Because of the fault line that runs under the coast of Lima, they did not pack each brick right next to each other, rather in a vertical fashion with space in between each adobe. This allowed for the walls and temples to absorb the shock and also flex in a sense in the event of an earthquake.
Intersting place I must say, especially a sight in the middle of a gigantic city
t~
Monday, June 16, 2008
Exito!!!
This means sucess!! I am referring to the fact that I was able to go paragliding-I am seeing improvement in my students, I am soon to be traveling to many wonderful sights, I have just seen some beautiful and impressive ruins, and I just ate an amazing sandwich.
So where to start...?
1) On Sunday, the sun rose and I could immediately feel the breeze coming from the ocean, bringing the wonderful aroma of salt and commerece, and also the thought of jumping off a cliff attached to a parachute. After eating a feast with my host family for Father's Day, I quickly found a taxi to take me to "Larco Mar" the paragliding sight.
I had already set up an appointment with Arturo, a seasoned pro in the business (I am a self-proclaimed adventurer, but jumping over a cliff with a novice isn't my idea of fun...or smart) I got a crash...haha...course in how to hook into the parachute. He then collected all his lines so they were not entangled-and then with the help of another worker, we ran/hopped to the edge of the cliff-where I was immediately ordered to jump off.
What an amazing feeling!!! The flight lasted for about 15 minutes, fully sufficient to see a good portion of the Lima coast. What I was not prepared for was this...for the first seven or ten minutes, my "pelotas" (i'll let everyone figure this word out for themselves) were in my throat. By the time I got my bearings, stopped hyper-ventilating, and enjoyed the flight-it was almost over. I still had quite the experience-and view!
As of now, I am trying to squish the video I took into proper size-it and some pics will be posted shortly:)
2) In regards to my students: I am feeling like they are grasping my message and that they are thouroughly enjoying my presence. Makes a guy all fuzzy inside...that's all I'll say about this.
3) The ruins!! I also will be posting some pics of two ruin sites I visited. They are Pachacamac and Huaca Pullcaman. The former is just south of Lima and situated on the Pacific Coast, the latter smack-dab in the middle of Lima. Both are impressive and I will also post pics. of them with a due description to follow.
4) I am online to travel to the Nazca Lines to see one of the most beautiful and mathematically incricate and concise sites on the planet. Oh, plus I get to go sandboarding...hehe. This will be 27 June.
Then over our most wonderful day of Independance, I will be going to the jungle!! Pirhana(sp?) fishing here I come!
And most importantly-I have just obtained, (well I just bought them) tickets for my girlfriend (Bethany) and I. We will be traveling together for 8 days ( 20 July-28 July) in Peru. We will be flyingb to a city called "Puno" and visiting Lake Titicaca. We then will be taking a scenic bus tour and spending four days in Cusco-where lies one of the seven acient wonders of the world...Macchu Picchu. Then we fly back to Lima for 2 or 3 days visiting muesums and such. I am overwhelmed with joy to be experiencing this place with my love! Words cannot express how I feel, so I will not try and describe it-it's just perfect...
5) And before I forget-I just ate the most amazing "sanguchon!" That means big sandwich, literally. There is a Peruvian chef named "Gaston" and he opened a sort of fast food joint that sells original Peruvian dishes in sandwiches-Oh my god-it's Heaven between bread!!! I just ate, "aji de gallina" (pepper chicken)in a sandwich with eggs on tops and smothered in a very tasty sauce. I swear if it's the last thing I do in my life, I will open a restaurant and serve dishes from all the places I have traveled on this beautiful planet.
Lastly, and most importantly-Yesterday was Father's Day-I didn't get a chance to talk to my pops personally-but I would like to let everyone know that he has been my biggest role model and most ardent supporters in all my adventures and decisions. I am forever greatful for his guidance and love-without it I would not be the person I am today. So pops...I love you and Happy Father's Day-even if it's a day late-but hey, that's me...
Pics. will follow
t~
ps-pardon the spelling errors-half the time I'm thinking in Spanish and can't remember how to spell words-the other half I'm watching the Discovery Channel and am not paying attention to what I'm typing...oops.
So where to start...?
1) On Sunday, the sun rose and I could immediately feel the breeze coming from the ocean, bringing the wonderful aroma of salt and commerece, and also the thought of jumping off a cliff attached to a parachute. After eating a feast with my host family for Father's Day, I quickly found a taxi to take me to "Larco Mar" the paragliding sight.
I had already set up an appointment with Arturo, a seasoned pro in the business (I am a self-proclaimed adventurer, but jumping over a cliff with a novice isn't my idea of fun...or smart) I got a crash...haha...course in how to hook into the parachute. He then collected all his lines so they were not entangled-and then with the help of another worker, we ran/hopped to the edge of the cliff-where I was immediately ordered to jump off.
What an amazing feeling!!! The flight lasted for about 15 minutes, fully sufficient to see a good portion of the Lima coast. What I was not prepared for was this...for the first seven or ten minutes, my "pelotas" (i'll let everyone figure this word out for themselves) were in my throat. By the time I got my bearings, stopped hyper-ventilating, and enjoyed the flight-it was almost over. I still had quite the experience-and view!
As of now, I am trying to squish the video I took into proper size-it and some pics will be posted shortly:)
2) In regards to my students: I am feeling like they are grasping my message and that they are thouroughly enjoying my presence. Makes a guy all fuzzy inside...that's all I'll say about this.
3) The ruins!! I also will be posting some pics of two ruin sites I visited. They are Pachacamac and Huaca Pullcaman. The former is just south of Lima and situated on the Pacific Coast, the latter smack-dab in the middle of Lima. Both are impressive and I will also post pics. of them with a due description to follow.
4) I am online to travel to the Nazca Lines to see one of the most beautiful and mathematically incricate and concise sites on the planet. Oh, plus I get to go sandboarding...hehe. This will be 27 June.
Then over our most wonderful day of Independance, I will be going to the jungle!! Pirhana(sp?) fishing here I come!
And most importantly-I have just obtained, (well I just bought them) tickets for my girlfriend (Bethany) and I. We will be traveling together for 8 days ( 20 July-28 July) in Peru. We will be flyingb to a city called "Puno" and visiting Lake Titicaca. We then will be taking a scenic bus tour and spending four days in Cusco-where lies one of the seven acient wonders of the world...Macchu Picchu. Then we fly back to Lima for 2 or 3 days visiting muesums and such. I am overwhelmed with joy to be experiencing this place with my love! Words cannot express how I feel, so I will not try and describe it-it's just perfect...
5) And before I forget-I just ate the most amazing "sanguchon!" That means big sandwich, literally. There is a Peruvian chef named "Gaston" and he opened a sort of fast food joint that sells original Peruvian dishes in sandwiches-Oh my god-it's Heaven between bread!!! I just ate, "aji de gallina" (pepper chicken)in a sandwich with eggs on tops and smothered in a very tasty sauce. I swear if it's the last thing I do in my life, I will open a restaurant and serve dishes from all the places I have traveled on this beautiful planet.
Lastly, and most importantly-Yesterday was Father's Day-I didn't get a chance to talk to my pops personally-but I would like to let everyone know that he has been my biggest role model and most ardent supporters in all my adventures and decisions. I am forever greatful for his guidance and love-without it I would not be the person I am today. So pops...I love you and Happy Father's Day-even if it's a day late-but hey, that's me...
Pics. will follow
t~
ps-pardon the spelling errors-half the time I'm thinking in Spanish and can't remember how to spell words-the other half I'm watching the Discovery Channel and am not paying attention to what I'm typing...oops.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Motivation
Somedays this word comes easier than others. I am having a bit of trouble finding reasons to motivate the students I teach, and trying to find the motivation to teach them. I feel at times it would be easier to send money and then just remove myself from the situation.
This is problematic for two reasons. 1) I don't have the money to fix a problem. 2) Money will not fix the problem.
The main problem I am facing is again how to motivate people to change. I took a course on persuasion in college-seems I have forgotten the basic priciples of said course. I know what the basic problems are: they lack clean water, proper nutrition, sanitation, and education. I know the priciple area to focus on is education, although at times it seems hard when very few students attend classes or there is not sufficient light to teach basic grammar.
I am not writing this blog to complain about my lack of resources. I have been blessed by the my family and my friends and Uncle Sam to learn that most of your resources lie inside, which basically boil down to...do you have the desire to create change, and if so...what are you willing to do to accomplish said change?
I honestly do not have a background in teaching education nor seriously the credientials to teach, but this should be the last thing on my mind-even if it isn't...
I am trying to make a change, but it is difficult when trying to overcome the most simplest of obstacles-I beg of any of you that have backgrounds in teaching to help me-
I once heard while deployed to Bosnia that when trying to make a change, "It's like watching the grass grow. You will never see the effect/change you made until you return-then it becomes like a wide open field."
Well said Mr. Osmanovic (my former interpreter).
Somedays here it feels like the blind leading the blind-but in that case, I leave you with some pictures of Cerrobala (where I teach) and a quote:
En la tierra de los ciegos...el tuerto es rey
"In the land of the blind...the one-eyed man is king"
I hope to be "el tuerto"
hasta...
t~
This is problematic for two reasons. 1) I don't have the money to fix a problem. 2) Money will not fix the problem.
The main problem I am facing is again how to motivate people to change. I took a course on persuasion in college-seems I have forgotten the basic priciples of said course. I know what the basic problems are: they lack clean water, proper nutrition, sanitation, and education. I know the priciple area to focus on is education, although at times it seems hard when very few students attend classes or there is not sufficient light to teach basic grammar.
I am not writing this blog to complain about my lack of resources. I have been blessed by the my family and my friends and Uncle Sam to learn that most of your resources lie inside, which basically boil down to...do you have the desire to create change, and if so...what are you willing to do to accomplish said change?
I honestly do not have a background in teaching education nor seriously the credientials to teach, but this should be the last thing on my mind-even if it isn't...
I am trying to make a change, but it is difficult when trying to overcome the most simplest of obstacles-I beg of any of you that have backgrounds in teaching to help me-
I once heard while deployed to Bosnia that when trying to make a change, "It's like watching the grass grow. You will never see the effect/change you made until you return-then it becomes like a wide open field."
Well said Mr. Osmanovic (my former interpreter).
Somedays here it feels like the blind leading the blind-but in that case, I leave you with some pictures of Cerrobala (where I teach) and a quote:
En la tierra de los ciegos...el tuerto es rey
"In the land of the blind...the one-eyed man is king"
I hope to be "el tuerto"
hasta...
t~
Monday, June 9, 2008
No wind...no fun
For the first time I do believe in my entire life, I am wishing there was more wind. Coming from good 'ol ND, that's something that's not in short supply.
But when one attempts to fly out over a cliff on a parachute, wind can be your friend. My first attempt at this feat has been thwarted-I will try again ASAP-possibly today.
Seriously, the one day a guy wants some wind...
t~
But when one attempts to fly out over a cliff on a parachute, wind can be your friend. My first attempt at this feat has been thwarted-I will try again ASAP-possibly today.
Seriously, the one day a guy wants some wind...
t~
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Tremors
And not the amazing Kevin Bacon movie. Today I was awoken to a tremor here in Lima that registered "5" on the Richter scale. Quite the way to wake up, I must admit.
I was sleeping soundly, then all of a sudden, "Salgan!!!" Now I would say I speak Spanish at least with a mild proficiency, and I know that "salgan" is the command form of "Leave" or "get out" but I coudn't put two and two together. So my host mom started yelling, "Temblor, Tomas, salga." Honestly by the time I got out of bed, put my pants on, and ran downstairs and outside, it was over. It was a bit dissapointing I must admit. Although the tremor itself was almost like sitting on one those cheap vibrating beds, (not that I have used one) but I would equate the experience to that. Nice thing was I didn't have to put any money into a machine-this was totally free! Thank you mother nature!
I am gonna start carrying my camera everwhere, hopefully I can get caught in a full-blown earthquake, video tape it, and then Brian Williams will talk about me on the Nightly News. Or I will get crushed by a falling window, either way...it's win win for Tomas!!
t~
I was sleeping soundly, then all of a sudden, "Salgan!!!" Now I would say I speak Spanish at least with a mild proficiency, and I know that "salgan" is the command form of "Leave" or "get out" but I coudn't put two and two together. So my host mom started yelling, "Temblor, Tomas, salga." Honestly by the time I got out of bed, put my pants on, and ran downstairs and outside, it was over. It was a bit dissapointing I must admit. Although the tremor itself was almost like sitting on one those cheap vibrating beds, (not that I have used one) but I would equate the experience to that. Nice thing was I didn't have to put any money into a machine-this was totally free! Thank you mother nature!
I am gonna start carrying my camera everwhere, hopefully I can get caught in a full-blown earthquake, video tape it, and then Brian Williams will talk about me on the Nightly News. Or I will get crushed by a falling window, either way...it's win win for Tomas!!
t~
Friday, June 6, 2008
La Gramara Market
Today I had the privledge and pleasure of experiencing one of Lima's largest (if not the largest) open area markets. It is called "La Gramara" and sprawls almost 20 city blocks. No vehicular traffic is allowed, so the streets are open with vendors, peddlers, beggars and thieves. It's an interesting place to say the very least.
I today was on the hunt for some pants and shoes. The pants I want are still being elusive, at least at the price I want, but I found some comfy walking shoes that can double as passable for more formal situations.
This market mainly sells clothing-and as one may imagine, all types, brands, sizes makes and models are here. So is it the real deal? Of course not! But who cares...I paid $20 US bones for a really nice pair of leather and canvas walking shoes (mentioned above).
I was informed this afternoon by my host mother that "La Gramara" does over a million dollars a day in business, and I believe it whole-heartedly.
Yet again another great day in Lima, and for the first time in about 10 days, the sun came out!! Normally, it's cloudy because of fog from the ocean, and it gets mixed with the smog from all the buses. But today I think whoever is in the sky said, "Congrats Tomas, you found some shoes." Or maybe it was just sunny....quien sabe?
Below are four pics from the market today
-they don't do it justice to show how immense it is, but I didn't want to flash the 'ol picture taker in front of 10,000 people-tried to "escongerme" (hide myself) a bit. But still this place is another hidden gem in Lima, not something you would most likely ever find from a tour agency, but something I was lucky enough to be shown by my host family. I love this country...
More still...
t~
I today was on the hunt for some pants and shoes. The pants I want are still being elusive, at least at the price I want, but I found some comfy walking shoes that can double as passable for more formal situations.
This market mainly sells clothing-and as one may imagine, all types, brands, sizes makes and models are here. So is it the real deal? Of course not! But who cares...I paid $20 US bones for a really nice pair of leather and canvas walking shoes (mentioned above).
I was informed this afternoon by my host mother that "La Gramara" does over a million dollars a day in business, and I believe it whole-heartedly.
Yet again another great day in Lima, and for the first time in about 10 days, the sun came out!! Normally, it's cloudy because of fog from the ocean, and it gets mixed with the smog from all the buses. But today I think whoever is in the sky said, "Congrats Tomas, you found some shoes." Or maybe it was just sunny....quien sabe?
Below are four pics from the market today
-they don't do it justice to show how immense it is, but I didn't want to flash the 'ol picture taker in front of 10,000 people-tried to "escongerme" (hide myself) a bit. But still this place is another hidden gem in Lima, not something you would most likely ever find from a tour agency, but something I was lucky enough to be shown by my host family. I love this country...
More still...
t~
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
First Day of Teaching
Yesterday I had yet another first-Fisrt day of teaching, and I now have a new found respect for teachers. Both for their knowledge of subject material and how to pass it on to others, but also their patience.
I have two classes as I said before. The first was of 11 children ranging from 8-11. The second are adolescents from 12-15. Although initially I believed the younger group more difficult to teach, i was suprised by their eagerness to learn and their ability. I was not prepared for their energy! I should have paid better attention to my brother's children at Christmas!! I almost don't have the energy to teach them for an hour and a half. I am just not accustomed to their attention span.
The adolescents were much more difficult to animate. I would have have had better luck talking to a brick wall! The second class is of 8 students, and two of the boys in the class seem "too cool for school." Tomorrow I will attempt some ice breakers, like talking about sports, or movies, or just putting them to work immediately.
It was also difficult to determine their level of English, some are better than others, and at times I'm not sure where to begin. I think the alphabet is a good place, and place most importance on pronucation. They seem to know some vocab., but just butcher the prounciation. Sounds like some classes I took for Spanish.
I must make an admission, if not a confession. May favorite saying while I was in college was, "Those who can't do, teach. Those that can't teach, teach gym." I retract this statement, well, at least the first part. I still hold no love lost for gym teachers, but that's just me. Maybe I should try and give soccer lessons here, I'd probably kill myself for the difficulty!
Once again, I am humbled from what I have learned, and for the kindness I have found south of the Equator.
On a fun side note, I'm going para-gliding I believe Sunday (weather permitting) and I'm gonna try and take some video and post it. Although here in Lima, I've only had two days of sunshine-so it'll probably be cloudy. I'm getting antsy to see the rest of the country and experience more culture.
For those of you interested in traveling to Peru in general, I suggest www.livinginperu.com
Or for those of you still wondering about what I'm doing: www.sonrisasdeesperanza.org
(it's in English and Spanish)
Take care all,
tomas
I have two classes as I said before. The first was of 11 children ranging from 8-11. The second are adolescents from 12-15. Although initially I believed the younger group more difficult to teach, i was suprised by their eagerness to learn and their ability. I was not prepared for their energy! I should have paid better attention to my brother's children at Christmas!! I almost don't have the energy to teach them for an hour and a half. I am just not accustomed to their attention span.
The adolescents were much more difficult to animate. I would have have had better luck talking to a brick wall! The second class is of 8 students, and two of the boys in the class seem "too cool for school." Tomorrow I will attempt some ice breakers, like talking about sports, or movies, or just putting them to work immediately.
It was also difficult to determine their level of English, some are better than others, and at times I'm not sure where to begin. I think the alphabet is a good place, and place most importance on pronucation. They seem to know some vocab., but just butcher the prounciation. Sounds like some classes I took for Spanish.
I must make an admission, if not a confession. May favorite saying while I was in college was, "Those who can't do, teach. Those that can't teach, teach gym." I retract this statement, well, at least the first part. I still hold no love lost for gym teachers, but that's just me. Maybe I should try and give soccer lessons here, I'd probably kill myself for the difficulty!
Once again, I am humbled from what I have learned, and for the kindness I have found south of the Equator.
On a fun side note, I'm going para-gliding I believe Sunday (weather permitting) and I'm gonna try and take some video and post it. Although here in Lima, I've only had two days of sunshine-so it'll probably be cloudy. I'm getting antsy to see the rest of the country and experience more culture.
For those of you interested in traveling to Peru in general, I suggest www.livinginperu.com
Or for those of you still wondering about what I'm doing: www.sonrisasdeesperanza.org
(it's in English and Spanish)
Take care all,
tomas
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Frist Week
So I have officially been south of the Equator for one week, and am starting to get comfortable being here. It seems just as one situation begins to be routine, another new one appears and i have a whole new set of guidelines, jargon, and people to meet. It makes for a truely amazing experience.
Today I met with the the coordinators of "Sonrisas de Esperanza" or "Smiles of Hope" the organization I will be teaching English for, and visited the site where I will be teaching English. I have had a few definitions of what "poor" is, but I gained a new perspective into what it can mean. The only thing I have ever seen that even came close to matching the poverty in the San Juan de Miraflores district of Peru is in Bosnia. But for some reason that pales in comparasion to what I encountered today.
I do not pity the people living in the Cerrobola district because they don't seem to pity themselves and it would seem contrite to do so. The only thing I can do is respect them as one would to any other person, and teach English the best I can.
I start my first class on Tuesday June 3rd, and will teach two 1 1/2 classes for kids ranging from 8-16. I also will be giving classes on basic sanitation to adults and how to properly clean their food and make sure the water they do have is safe to drink. As I have said before, I'm not here to move mountains, just hopefully start a network with caring individuals and have an impact in a few lives that would not have periviously had the opportunity to learn a foreign language.
More to come...
Tomas
Today I met with the the coordinators of "Sonrisas de Esperanza" or "Smiles of Hope" the organization I will be teaching English for, and visited the site where I will be teaching English. I have had a few definitions of what "poor" is, but I gained a new perspective into what it can mean. The only thing I have ever seen that even came close to matching the poverty in the San Juan de Miraflores district of Peru is in Bosnia. But for some reason that pales in comparasion to what I encountered today.
I do not pity the people living in the Cerrobola district because they don't seem to pity themselves and it would seem contrite to do so. The only thing I can do is respect them as one would to any other person, and teach English the best I can.
I start my first class on Tuesday June 3rd, and will teach two 1 1/2 classes for kids ranging from 8-16. I also will be giving classes on basic sanitation to adults and how to properly clean their food and make sure the water they do have is safe to drink. As I have said before, I'm not here to move mountains, just hopefully start a network with caring individuals and have an impact in a few lives that would not have periviously had the opportunity to learn a foreign language.
More to come...
Tomas
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Arrival
WOW!!!
That's about all I can say-The driving here is RIDICULOUS!! If any of you have ever been to Mexico City or Jakarta, I'd compare it to that-
The house I live in is HUGE!! All hardwood and marble floors, my private bathroom and bedroom-plus I have to tech savvy little bros (13, 16) Diego and Luis who just helped me get on to their network.
I still need to shower and maybe rest, but then I will walk around and take some pics of the place and neighborhood...
That's about all I can say-The driving here is RIDICULOUS!! If any of you have ever been to Mexico City or Jakarta, I'd compare it to that-
The house I live in is HUGE!! All hardwood and marble floors, my private bathroom and bedroom-plus I have to tech savvy little bros (13, 16) Diego and Luis who just helped me get on to their network.
I still need to shower and maybe rest, but then I will walk around and take some pics of the place and neighborhood...
Oh The Boredom
Sitting here at MIA-feeling a bit MIA-I think the idea of being gone for a couple of months is beginning to set in. This in and of itself doesn’t bother me all that much, I am just incredible bored of waiting in lines.
Should come as no surprise traveling in an airport, but as I sit and “people watch,” I am a really wishing that I would have traveled with someone else. Traveling by yourself is and can be a bit lonely. Oh woe is meL Ha, I just should’ve picked an itinerary that did NOT include a ten hour layover in Miami. I would really like to pick up smoking again, just to have something to do.
And stupid airports!! Why can’t they give a guy (or gal) some free internet?! Oh, you haven’t nickel and dimed me to death already? Not getting even free peanuts is a bit disgraceful, and a little disheartening. And they should honestly have a separate section for screaming babies, like outside of the plane, or in the cargo area!
I have been able to pass the time reading El Alquimista which is a great book and I would highly recommend to anyone who is traveling alone, because it really touches and relates to the idea of searching…
So I’m not all piss and vinegar, just frustrated after sitting here for so long. I should’ve taken some advice and gone to Little Havana for some Cuban food, but I’m cheap and didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So what do I do? Ate at Chile’s and had a jumbo margarita-some days I just don’t get myself.
Promise the next entry to be much more upbeat, and hopefully with some pictures.
For those that do not know yet, while in Peru I will be teaching English to little tykes, giving self-esteem talks to adolescents (hold all jokes-I’m serious) and giving first-aid classes to adults.
I would really like to thank everyone at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Thrift Store for donating so many books-I have a 45 pound suitcase full of materials and some Ramen noodles (thanks Beefs!). So hopefully I will be able to enrich a couple of lives-and have a little snack here and there.
Thanks to all the well-wishes from everyone-Meant a lot!
Hasta…
Tomás
Should come as no surprise traveling in an airport, but as I sit and “people watch,” I am a really wishing that I would have traveled with someone else. Traveling by yourself is and can be a bit lonely. Oh woe is meL Ha, I just should’ve picked an itinerary that did NOT include a ten hour layover in Miami. I would really like to pick up smoking again, just to have something to do.
And stupid airports!! Why can’t they give a guy (or gal) some free internet?! Oh, you haven’t nickel and dimed me to death already? Not getting even free peanuts is a bit disgraceful, and a little disheartening. And they should honestly have a separate section for screaming babies, like outside of the plane, or in the cargo area!
I have been able to pass the time reading El Alquimista which is a great book and I would highly recommend to anyone who is traveling alone, because it really touches and relates to the idea of searching…
So I’m not all piss and vinegar, just frustrated after sitting here for so long. I should’ve taken some advice and gone to Little Havana for some Cuban food, but I’m cheap and didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So what do I do? Ate at Chile’s and had a jumbo margarita-some days I just don’t get myself.
Promise the next entry to be much more upbeat, and hopefully with some pictures.
For those that do not know yet, while in Peru I will be teaching English to little tykes, giving self-esteem talks to adolescents (hold all jokes-I’m serious) and giving first-aid classes to adults.
I would really like to thank everyone at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Thrift Store for donating so many books-I have a 45 pound suitcase full of materials and some Ramen noodles (thanks Beefs!). So hopefully I will be able to enrich a couple of lives-and have a little snack here and there.
Thanks to all the well-wishes from everyone-Meant a lot!
Hasta…
Tomás
Friday, May 16, 2008
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