day 428: travel broadens the mind, so they say

HELLO FRIENDS

So it's been a while, my bad. Last time I wrote was in regards to a quinceñera where I died and then woke up a few hours later to find I had spent the morning passed out. It was alright, considering everyone I knew was either teenaged or a parent. Still, got into some drinking circles and sat around and chatted. It was fun.

What I want to talk about right now, though, is my trip during Fiestas Patrias here in Peru.
What is Fiestas Patrias? All I can tell you for sure is that it's like the biggest mother effin holiday in Peru celebrating its Independence.  But imagine your thanksgiving, independence day, christmas, and new years rolled up and shoved into the span of a few days (well, more like 2 weeks in my site). Seriously. Intense. I'm given a few days off to celebrate and rather than stick around in site, I decided to take advantage of this time and go travel.

Destination: Chachapoyas, Amazonas.


So my besties and I did all these touristy things during our 4 days here, like go see the ruins in Kuelap.

I said he couldn't get our faces and that sign with this shot.
So he got just the faces and the sign. Nice. 

Aw, look at how happy we are to see old things.

Look! Fake house.

Went mini spelunking in some caves to go look at some stalagmites (on the ground) and stalactites (on the ceiling), but mostly went cause walking around in mud makes funny squishy noises that make me giggle.

The whole group! We met up the other 3 who happened to have had the same
idea as us :D The more the merrier, I always say!

Our boots coming out of that cave!

We saw some sarcophagi at Karajía after a mini trek through pretty sierran lands, although some opted to ride horses.

THIS GIRL AND HER HORSE. I fell in love.
No, stealing small children and their adorable pets is not beneath me.
Hide yo kids, hide yo pets.

See the sarcophaguys? 

These girls followed us after leading a few horses down the hill
to pick flowers and laugh- a LOT. So friggin cute. I died.

And of course, we went and saw the Gocta falls- the third largest waterfall in the world!! I stood under it with my bestie and omg, mind blowing. As Z put it, it was like a nature/environment orgasm. The water was freezing cold and it looked like mist coming down, but standing under it, it felt like really heavy rain. Everything was so green and the entire basin like area just screamed nature. Seriously, if you ever have the chance to go here, GO. Thankfully, it wasn't rainy season yet so we had the chance to hike down and get up close and personal with the waterfall but the guide said that october/november means rain and rain means you can stand at the mirador and look a the waterfall, but you can't get to it. Sad. So go, but not during rainy season. And the butterflies! SO MANY BUTTERFLIES!!! In the most amazing, bright, fluorescent colors or some were clear! Their wings were SEE THROUGH. Dear lord, when I die, I want my body to be laid out in a field where butterflies like these can just feast on me.

See the waterfall in the back? Yea, we hiked to that.

WATERFALL! Pictures cannot describe.

Chachapoyas was a seriously amazing trip. I had a blast and felt so lucky to be in this world where things like these exist, to be part of a human race that has survived for so long and created such amazing things, and to be there with friends who I love and who love me? I'm probably the luckiest girl in the world.

 

These things are called juanes.
They remind me of tamales/humitas.
But they're a million times better.
Eat them. They're jungle food.

I have a year left, now, to do as much as I possible can in my little site that I now call home. I don't know if I'll be able to leave if my work here doesn't feel complete. Every day, there is just more and more of a chance that I might just stay a third year. I know, I need to get moving on my life and apply to schools and get a job and keep moving forward. I know that there's more for me to do in this world. I just can't shake the feeling that if I don't get my work done while I'm here, I can't go. Not yet. Not until I'm sure my projects won't die when I'm gone. But given all of these thoughts, I can't help but feel so damn pleased that I'm here right now, living in a part of the world that allows me the chance to see so much in such little time. PERU IS FRIGGIN AMAZING. And the volunteers here really can't be beat!


So yea, just wanted to let all of you know how happy I am, with my work and my friends and... well, with life. I know lots of PCVs leave service wishing for something different, but I have to admit that for me, this experience is just getting better and better. I only have a year left, but then again, I HAVE A YEAR LEFT!!

Med checks and another In Service Training is coming up in a few days. I get to see all my lovely youthie 17ers, and get these cavities worked on... But until then, I gotta keep moving!

I hope all of you out there are living lives that you love as much as I'm loving mine! Send me a letter when you get the chance.

OR EVEN BETTER a package! This amazing one here brought to you
by my one and only Momo <3 love="love" momo="momo" you="you">

WELPS that's all for now! Sending lots of love and happy thoughts in your direction (yea you, you lovely, lovely person, you). Leave me some comments, they make me happy.

PEACE AND LOVE < 3

Love < 3