One Week Left in Perú

Oops, so I'm sure nobody checks this now that it's been a month since my last update. Things have just been sort of stressful and busy here. I hosted Mike at the end of November and then I went to Cuzco and southern Peru the first week of December, and all throughout, I have been dealing with the biggest bureaucratic mess ever to get my Chilean student visa. Wooh! finally got that on Monday, after the most stringent requirements for a medical examination ever. I got a blood test for every known disease, a urine test, X-rays, and a general physical from one of three approved cardiologists. I guess Chile has tough requirements for Peruvians (the countries don't have the best of relationships, though I doubt the nonstop propaganda/blab about the Chilean spies makes news anywhere outside of Peru).

On my week of travel to Peru's "gringo trail" tourist zone, I met various Americans who were/are studying this year in Chile, some of whom I will be seeing this spring. One rock climbs, which is awesome, and it's more accessible in Chile. I haven't climbed in the almost 4 months of being in Peru, which I am convinced is one of the reasons my health is so poor here, as well as the cause for my declining morale. It's an addiction, and when you lose it, it really sucks.

There are way too many annoying people in Cuzco, either the gringos (not so much Americans I'll say, but other English speaking people) who live in the English speaking hostels and barely go out, just spend their days drinking and living in a little English bubble in South America. As well as the terrible brand of Peruvian the tourism industry has created there, who is looking to screw everyone they can out of every penny they can. That said, I also met many, many really wonderful travelers and Peruvians alike, and I saw so many wonderful historical things and natural beauty.

The steep street my Cuzco hostel was on, tough in that altitude.

 View of Cuzco from Qorikancha

Qorikancha, the main temple of the Inkan empire, with a Catholic church built on the old foundations.

A sculpture in the pre-Colombian art museum. I will be forever baffled by this, since I didn't question at the time to read the description as to how they knew about Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer before Columbus.

Písac ruins

My horrible day in Machu Picchu. Don't I look happy?

summit of Huayna Picchu

Huayna Picchu in the distance, so steep! Everything got sunny as I was leaving...I was still miserably soaked anyway.

Lago Titicaca, the largest lake in South America, at 12,500 feet in the altiplano. Several indigenous communities live in the various islands, who kind of preserve their isolated, ancient lifestyles, but really survive now on tourism.

View from the balcony of the house I stayed in on Isla Amantaní

summit of Pachatata, on Isla Amantaní

Yuri, a sweet little girl I met and hung out with on Isla Taquile. Here she is presenting me some freshly picked muña, an ancient all-purpose drug used to make tea drunk with every meal.

Fresh juices in Mercado San Pedro, Cuzco.

Cuzco from Sacsayhuamá