la selva!

Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve written! I think the last time was Máncora... and Máncora was, for kack of better words, amazing. So relaxing.. we laid on the beach alllll day, best beaches in South America, I guess it’s the vacation hot spot, and we’d see people riding horses and sometimes we’d get in and body surf and catch the big beautiful waves. We’d all cook breakfast together and buy coconuts to make piña coladas and pisco sours, we’d squeeze our own orange juice to make fresh juice each morning and basically just lay in the sun all day, then go into town at night to eat, fresh fresh fish and lobster and crab, soo good, and stay out. Soooo relaxing and our house was amzing – our living room was outside and it was about 2 and a half stories. It was sooo awesome, but while laying on the beach I couldn’t help but get excited for our time at the lake this summer, eating fresh caught fish, bluegill and bass, (that I hate catching, but always get suckered into going somehow), and playing Farkle and that one omish people card game, renting a pontoon and jumping in with our clothes on (Grams!), and going with PRESTON this year!! Oooooh I can’t wait. And he looked so comfortable in that life jacket dad got him, lol, he looked miserable! But he’ll be so good at being in the water now that he is taking baby swim lessons and can go under water! Yay for Preston! Lol.
Anyway, the next week after we got back from Máncora was basically like finals week, and I had a couple papers due along with a pretty dang hard exam, so that was fun to come back to, and then we went out.. Wednesday.. Thursday.. Friday… and Saturday. Lol. So we studied... then partied. We basically just started to explore. We are getting away from the normal places, Calle de las Pizzas in Miraflores and the normal hot spots and Barranco and going to new restaurants and little bars that are like holes in the wall and it’s so much fun! This weekend, for Easter, I got away because it’s my faaaaaaaaavorite holiday back at home – with all the pretty colors and beautiful church music, Easter egg hunt at moms (which we will never be too old for!) and going to Grams and having our Easter egg hunt there with the whole family and of course now we get Pres babe! Our Easter surprise. So I went to Hauncayo this weekend – la selva, the jungle, and to get there took a 13 hour train ride, really beautiful and they pride themselves in passing 70 tunnels, 58 bridges, and 6 switchbacks (I was highly drugged during this, so I endured it al! Lol, took some 8 hour pill my host mom told me about, and I was good for the ride!) and it’s the highest train ride in America, and second in the world, so the altitude was intense, and we got out at a few spots and it was snowing! But it was really beautiful in the mountains and all the rivers and scenery. So after our 13 hour train ride (26 hours total between the two days!!), we find a hostel, and then of course go out! We went to a discoteca for just a couple hours at 12 because we had to get up at 4am to catch a bus to the jungle, fun stuff. We toured the jungle all day and ate fresh oranges from the trees and drank coconut juice and swam under waterfalls, then we got to another hostel, showered, then went to a discoteca, then got up and did it all over again the next day, except a little bit more intense. We were gone all day in the jungle, through trails, and we climbed about… 6 or 7 waterfalls, was crazy! When the trail ended, we were like, "Where do we go?" and the guide pointed up at the waterfall and we were like.. no way! We climbed these crazy strong waterfalls when the trail would end, then hike up some more soaking wet, then do it again, then run into a cliff.. the tour guide would throw a rope onto the tope - then we'd pull ourselves up - was scary!! Then we got back and took a 2 hour bus ride back to Tarma, where they have a huge Easter celebration. The Easter celebrations in Peru are like carnivals. We got there and it was crazy – tons and tons of people outside, caramel apples, selling stuff everywehre, we left our stuff at a hostel, and then made a deal for them to pick us up at the carnival at 4am so we could get to the train station at 6am for our train at 7am.. so sleeping wasn’t in the game that night, but well worth it. They have bands all over the street… about 8 of them, all playing loudly with people dancing and drinking in the street. We got this really strong hot drink called Calentito with Pisco and herbs in it, and passed it around and took shots of it until it was gone.., and then we did it over again. Then we danced in the street for a while, then they had an amazing fireworks display for about an hour. Then we went into the street to eat… all this amazing food, for one sol! Crazy. Food made right in front of you, hot sandwiches with fresh pavo and pollo, cornbread, panqueqes, yuccas, caramel apples, anticuchos, papas, hot chocolate, coffee, soup with choclo and herbs, basically all the Peruvian food you can think of, and all ridiculously for one sole. One sole is about 30 cents. That is really cheap – it’s different in Peru, they don’t jack up the prices when they know that’s the only place you can get it. Like the prices of stuff on the train, it’s the only place you can buy water, but it’s still cheap. Then after we ate – we went and danced some more, then it started raining, and we danced in the rain. At about 3am we went to a discoteca until 4am for when our hostel was taking us to the train station. Then… I basically slept the whole train ride, woke up and was miserable, so then I fell asleep again. Cold, wet, and tired. Longest train ride of my life. Then I went to the internet café to call my beloved fam when I got home at 9pm and it was closed. Whatevs. I miss you all very much I hope you know that! It feels good to be back in Lima tho, I miss the city when I’m gone. Especially.. staying in cheap hostels with sick sick showers. I felt cleaner when I chose NOT to shower. One thing I won’t be able to get used to is the prices in the states. Everything is ridiculous cheap. A sandwich can be from 4 soles to 10 soles, usually not more than that. So, about $1.20 to $3.00. One sol is equal to about 30 cents. Crazy! Usually a nice meal, 20 soles, $6.00, combi ride 1 sol, nails done – 10 soles, internet – 1 sol, copies or printing – about 10 centimos, hostels - 8 - 20 soles, candy - 1 sol, water and pop too, 1 to 2 soles – 30 – 60 cents, ice cream too, taxi ride, depends, 8 soles – 20 soles, never more. Clothes, cheaper, shoes cheaper, movie about 8 soles, basically everything. School is hard, the night life is good, people are great. Miss you all love you all! I’ll blog soon! We go to Iquitos this weekend (back to la selva!) and I’m gone from Thursday to Sunday – my whole life here is a vacation for real! I know. Blog soon tho!! love you!