tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794500187575406352024-03-18T22:11:23.220-05:00Nueve SemanasKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-69943461022245132742011-07-21T12:17:00.000-05:002011-07-21T12:17:26.753-05:00Too Many UpdatesWell, what a crazy week it's been.<br />
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Only about 10 minutes after welcoming my dad to Peru, some idiot smashed in the window to our cab and my backpack (with my laptop, camera, cellphone, and passport inside) was ripped from my hands and whisked into an awaiting getaway car. Thankfully none of us were hurt, just pretty shaken up. And also quite confused.<br />
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There was nothing we could really do to, so we continued on to our hotel to sleep for a few hours before our flight to Cuzco the next morning. We figured I'd still be able to get on the flight using a copy of my passport. Wrong.<br />
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7 hours, one police report, 3 trips to the embassy, $135 US dollars and a new passport later, we returned to the airport. Only to miss the check-in for our flight by less than 5 minutes. Figures.Thankfully, Peruvian Airlines was <i>amazing</i> and let us switch our flight to the next day, no charge. We seriously owe them a huge thank you.<br />
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After spending the night at Julio's, and successfully boarding our flight, we finally made it to Cuzco. We spent 4 days and 3 (very cold) nights exploring the city, the surrounding ruins, and - finally!- Machu Picchu. It was a truly amazing experience and I'm really glad I got to experience it with my dad. Seeing a history teacher in his element was really funny (sorry dad!) and it was adorable how excited he was.<br />
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There is way too much to write about in one post, and in addition I've agreed with Julio that I will be breaking a down the trip to Cuzco into 5 separate blog posts on the Karikuy site. They will come out every few days over the next week or two. So I'll post the links here.<br />
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In addition, the program's been winding down, and I have to start thinking about replacing my stolen stuff, so I've decided to cut the trip short. I'm getting on a plane in a few hours and I'll be home tomorrow morning. It's been a wonderful trip, and I'm sad to leave, but at the same time I'm excited to come home in time for the last month of summer. Barring any more passport issues (crossing my fingers), I'll see everyone tomorrow morning!<br />
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Chau!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*Kate*</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-69885609904537518552011-07-13T20:46:00.000-05:002011-07-13T20:46:06.848-05:00Going to Be MIA for a Week!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm am super overdue for updates on photos from my last two trips, as well as posts for this past weekend's visit to Huaraz. But this will have to wait because <b>I am going to Cuzco and Machu Picchu with my dad for this week</b>!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my way to the airport to pick him up in a bit, and tomorrow morning we are flying to Cuzco for 6 days of archaeology, hiking, and delicious Peruvian food. I'm very excited, and it's sure to be a great time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photos and lots of blog posts upon my return next Wednesday night!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chau!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*Kate*</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-91983101327150482902011-07-12T15:43:00.002-05:002011-07-12T15:43:51.067-05:00NEW LAYOUT!!!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-69641845451293197462011-07-07T21:22:00.002-05:002011-07-07T21:28:06.905-05:00Cajamarca: A Love Affair. Part II<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be released on the Karikuy site on Saturday!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/07/07/cajamarca-a-love-affair-part-2</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-63819614100993719102011-07-07T18:17:00.002-05:002011-07-12T11:18:03.486-05:00Cajamarca: A Love Affair. Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHfnFQ1dUXKEnx_BVsAbP404-D9JXYDJfprpi7pgf6sPC-LuEkN8EFyTo1MyMAaUiYKXJX-9Zzq-h7BkOCLUM3SGUKpK5ktlNRQiMufb9wwekVH-YISDQH15Xy8rCrN3Rd20Sq61xAOmL/s1600/DSCN0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHfnFQ1dUXKEnx_BVsAbP404-D9JXYDJfprpi7pgf6sPC-LuEkN8EFyTo1MyMAaUiYKXJX-9Zzq-h7BkOCLUM3SGUKpK5ktlNRQiMufb9wwekVH-YISDQH15Xy8rCrN3Rd20Sq61xAOmL/s400/DSCN0449.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 19px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"After spending some time in the desert, I was ready to move on and experience the mountains that Peru is so famous for. Taking Julio’s advice, I booked a daytime bus for Sunday (rather than an overnight) on <a href="http://www.transporteslinea.com.pe/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Transportes Linea</a> from Trujillo to Cajamarca so that I could witness the beautiful scenery. It was truly remarkable; stunning mountains as far as the eye can see, small towns perched on the hillsides, and beautiful lakes. This is what I had been waiting for. Arriving in Cajamarca at night, without hotel reservations, was not as distressing as I had initially foreseen. Instructing my taxi driver to drop me off in the Plaza de Armas, I stepped out of the car onto a street lined with more hostels, hotels, and tourism agencies than I could count. Even at night, the view was beautiful!"<a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/07/01/Cajamarca-A-Love-Affair-Part-I/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"> [Continue reading...]</a></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-82956750080219022962011-07-07T18:11:00.003-05:002011-07-12T11:26:21.142-05:00Trujillo<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as some of you know, I recently spent about 5 days traveling through the north of Peru. I started in a desert city at the foot of the Andes called Trujillo, and then moved on to the highland city of Cajamarca. I had a blast, but there is way too much to write about in one post. In exchange for taking some weekdays off of work to travel, I agreed to write about my experiences in a series of posts on the Karikuy blog site. Out of simplicity, I will link each of them here! :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Trujillo: An Archaeologists Dream</b></span><br />
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</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Having stayed put in Lima these past 4 weeks, I decided it was about time to see some other parts of the country. Not that Lima isn’t full of things to see (even if I lived here a year I doubt I’d be able to see everything), I just felt like I needed to experience other regions of this beautiful country in order to fully appreciate it and all it has to offer."</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/07/06/trujillo-an-archaeologists-dream/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Continue reading...</a></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-28720331435667968552011-07-07T18:04:00.001-05:002011-07-12T11:27:35.604-05:00Anyone Want Some Raw Fish?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Okay, so we didn't exactly eat raw fish. Well...kind of.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week Julio finally brought us to one of his favorite local places to get grub - an amazingly well-hidden but wonderful Cevicheria. For those of you who don't know about Ceviche, it's a popular dish in Peru, and in many other South American countries, comprised of raw fish in lime juice. The acidity of the lime juice technically "cooks" the fish, so it's safe to eat, and other added spices make it quite tasty! As someone who doesn't really enjoy a lot of fish, it was pretty good!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wU1CeiStcuKrZldwSqXpFSMFu58k-eyOzDMrkOg6Y8bbCUfXyEqhrnpxJm0HfZYgIxOck0kd5X0PbJeEkr-KyXZzK4ySj23su3VMoJFScn6LYr91hDYhB5vgCA1knIbl55hhB9MKIRDX/s1600/DSCN0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wU1CeiStcuKrZldwSqXpFSMFu58k-eyOzDMrkOg6Y8bbCUfXyEqhrnpxJm0HfZYgIxOck0kd5X0PbJeEkr-KyXZzK4ySj23su3VMoJFScn6LYr91hDYhB5vgCA1knIbl55hhB9MKIRDX/s400/DSCN0292.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the Ceviche <i>was</i> pretty delicious, I could not get over the huge tentacles poking out of the pile, so I opted for something a little more tame. I shared a platter of calamari with the group, and then opted for a shrimp pasta.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCQBXbS7PE9679IuG9CGU5O3q6I9Ba2Ob72Cf4Ag5y-Z_HMz14ul7IPNgZVXHxzQfuWfwHl2sikFUOyZTRRYNsu9skmbvzs1nB6PVMy-8MV5e8_TDkFJK7muT3anzUy9FnZwBH9JYXPIP/s1600/DSCN0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCQBXbS7PE9679IuG9CGU5O3q6I9Ba2Ob72Cf4Ag5y-Z_HMz14ul7IPNgZVXHxzQfuWfwHl2sikFUOyZTRRYNsu9skmbvzs1nB6PVMy-8MV5e8_TDkFJK7muT3anzUy9FnZwBH9JYXPIP/s400/DSCN0291.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pasta was so good, I didn't want to finish it for fear of never tasting anything as delicious ever again. But my housemates did convince me to finish it and I managed to leave the lunch table only having shed a tear or two (I kid). </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASedfxZ-CTnBla5nR-qWLBeD7dxHTM58jR48FEMDmkv7amMhoVXUvgZ7k3ffqchXu6aFHqMlLYQIZNalMJQyGeNQ8veCi4gFdhXvTmk-kBZlRo4SBkfZyORsLTiDrxZuIY1F5N7Ydxges/s1600/DSCN0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASedfxZ-CTnBla5nR-qWLBeD7dxHTM58jR48FEMDmkv7amMhoVXUvgZ7k3ffqchXu6aFHqMlLYQIZNalMJQyGeNQ8veCi4gFdhXvTmk-kBZlRo4SBkfZyORsLTiDrxZuIY1F5N7Ydxges/s400/DSCN0295.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, a delicious lunch. I'm hoping we make a repeat visit to this amazing eatery sometime soon!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chau!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> *Kate*</span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-72829783579296529052011-07-07T17:45:00.001-05:002011-07-07T17:48:25.616-05:00Convento de San Francisco<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RWbPylIawwcoMts_sIAUUFnnxY7id5h60mgW14wFevILcD8b8Rh-iym0O5xC3gmQSgXh4a3P6nT9O53pn-5OdeT7zZA6palgDx5H3VbR_LljJx9buH1J8-EkjqHDYo0QwIRtVrygKYkB/s1600/DSCN0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RWbPylIawwcoMts_sIAUUFnnxY7id5h60mgW14wFevILcD8b8Rh-iym0O5xC3gmQSgXh4a3P6nT9O53pn-5OdeT7zZA6palgDx5H3VbR_LljJx9buH1J8-EkjqHDYo0QwIRtVrygKYkB/s320/DSCN0221.JPG" width="180" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay. So, thinking back two weeks or so (because I've been super lazy and haven't posted since then), me, Julio, and the other volunteers made a visit to the Convent of San Francisco. Located in the beautiful Historic Center of Lima the convent was constructed in the late 1500s shortly after the foundation of Lima itself. Unfortunately, much of the original convent was destroyed in 1656 during a particularly strong earthquake, but major attempts have been made (and are still currently underway) to preserve and restore the convent to it's former glory.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(**Just a <u>disclaimer</u> - all of the photos of the <i>inside </i>of the convent are courtesy of Stu and Ania's Karikuy Blogpost which can be read <a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/06/21/the-san-francisco-monastery-and-catacombs/">here</a>.) We weren't allowed to take photos during the tour, but they amassed some beautiful photos through Wikipedia, and in the case of the catacombs, some sneaky photography**)</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once inside, we were able to take part in one of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hourly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tours of the site in English. Our guide was amazing, and she </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lead us through room after room of impressive Moorish </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">carvings, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">original 400-year old oil paintings, and beautiful </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">gold-plated </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">statues. All this was certainly breathtaking, but I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was more excited for the two main </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lures of the site; the library, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the catacombs! As we made our way through the arched corridors, our guide asked </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"have any of you seen Harry Potter?"</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="800px Lima Convento San Fransisco Courtyard 425x285 The San Francisco Monastery and Catacombs" src="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/800px-Lima_Convento_San_Fransisco_Courtyard-425x285.jpg" /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although at first this may seem like a strange question, I completely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">understood her reference once we entered the room. Hundreds of books - some of them dating back to the 13th century - lined every wall from floor to ceiling, all of them of different shapes, sizes, and ages. In the middle of the room were two spiral staircases leading to a narrow walkway halfway up the bookshelves. It truly looked like something out of Harry Potter.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/library-in-san-francisco-monastery-lima-peru+1152_12787453402-tpfil02aw-29343-380x285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="library in san francisco monastery lima peru+1152 12787453402 tpfil02aw 29343 380x285 The San Francisco Monastery and Catacombs" border="0" src="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/library-in-san-francisco-monastery-lima-peru+1152_12787453402-tpfil02aw-29343-380x285.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although we obviously could not touch the books, there were a few laid open for display that we could take a closer look at. The largest one filling with over-sized music notes; they were made extra-large so that everyone singing could read off of the same sheet. The library was truly amazing, and it was hard to believe it was real!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After leaving the library and passing through some more rooms filled with beautiful paintings and murals, we entered the catacombs. It is said that about 25,000 bodies were interred here, but that's just an estimate. And from what we saw on the tour, I believe that. After letting the bodies rapidly decompose (with the help of some natural chemicals), bones were arranged in deep graves throughout the underground complex. Since stronger bones are the most resistant to time and exposure, most of what we saw included femurs (leg bones) and skulls, with a few other bones here or there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most chilling thing I saw was the cistern pictured below:</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><img alt="DSCN7420 380x285 The San Francisco Monastery and Catacombs" src="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/DSCN7420-380x285.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This gruesome arrangement of bones was meant to be...seriously!....decorative. It has a diameter of about 12 feet, and contains <b>30 feet</b> of bones underneath. And this was only <b>one </b>of <b>five</b> other similar cisterns. That completely blows my mind.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished off our day with delicious food and beer at a local soccer pub. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSa608It3YOwIuwQ5ve4CdJ_cpu6_gcbcS0NmQpGSUDbtpSz-t7FrgHTpgONE2nRqyOk4W9DIC6_jdwbxp1iByNlyJ7Pr4z4rkk8IZ-UHvp-hVzvoJeULLJJ9MZRIIXv3LscjxzE2C0Y3/s1600/DSCN0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSa608It3YOwIuwQ5ve4CdJ_cpu6_gcbcS0NmQpGSUDbtpSz-t7FrgHTpgONE2nRqyOk4W9DIC6_jdwbxp1iByNlyJ7Pr4z4rkk8IZ-UHvp-hVzvoJeULLJJ9MZRIIXv3LscjxzE2C0Y3/s320/DSCN0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVy3no095_Hp7qqYxzy0nGyGdj_0ndF82Vc8QSZQJ5uWqaCnwzSeyxsniIFZRm-wY5j16IID6M2Hs53cyzZa-mKoLfsK7OJ5xtHupLdrHRSuPpSG_0AyFljpDqxDnQaXrG2XL0sGDVE2c/s1600/DSCN0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVy3no095_Hp7qqYxzy0nGyGdj_0ndF82Vc8QSZQJ5uWqaCnwzSeyxsniIFZRm-wY5j16IID6M2Hs53cyzZa-mKoLfsK7OJ5xtHupLdrHRSuPpSG_0AyFljpDqxDnQaXrG2XL0sGDVE2c/s320/DSCN0240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having just spent a good half hour staring at skeletons, I opted for a dish that didn't have any bones in it; a tamale. And it was delicious. A wonderful end to a rather creepy (but informative!) day! :)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chau!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*Kate*</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-50020963359224722102011-06-29T10:06:00.002-05:002011-06-29T10:08:01.479-05:00Update<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a holiday today.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also I am sick.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will post in the next few days.</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-70083441494047698902011-06-24T17:13:00.001-05:002011-06-24T17:19:13.453-05:00Checking In...Briefly<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realize I've been a bit MIA for the past week/week and a half. Everyone here has had their share of the Lima stomach bug (I've got it right now) and the times when everyone has been feeling okay, we've tried to get out to the city to do some sightseeing. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's lots to talk about; we went to see the catacombs at the Monastery of San Francisco, experienced a bit of Lima nightlife, tried ceviche, finally beat Donkey Kong (sort of), and watched a very heated (literally) local soccer match. Sadly, we also said goodbye to Ania and Stu, as they are continuing on to Cuzco and Machu Picchu.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight I'm traveling by overnight bus to Trujillo where I will visit the ruins of Chan Chan. Sunday I take another bus to Cajamarca to see a bunch of different sites and will be returning to Lima by...you guessed it...bus, arriving back on Wednesday morning.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until I'm back from this multi-city mini-vacation I won't have internet access, so check back on Wednesday for around 8 new blog posts!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ciao!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f4cccc;"> *Kate*</span></span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-49119488215147933852011-06-20T17:00:00.003-05:002011-07-07T17:46:43.164-05:00Magical Circuits of Water<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Wednesday, the Karikuy volunteers went on a nighttime outing to the Park of the Reserve - also known by it's alternate name "Magical Circuits of Water" (no joke!) - home of the largest water fountain park in the world. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 4pm-11pm, the park boasts an impressive array of fountains lit up by colored lights. More akin to art exhibits than normal waterworks, each fountain has its own soundtrack and color-scheme. Some are even interactive!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlMRHCV_349esZQ3Wnr2a5A-dq5uH-Q-S1XU0F79fqhqP1M0pJQFMadp6wk2Y3f13KCEOLqOUpWqwoURy-lTT4Az8os2EAha3R4fQa7sM1pxKeZLocbRGILejTd3Mr67lngPH3tREzuNg/s1600/DSCN0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlMRHCV_349esZQ3Wnr2a5A-dq5uH-Q-S1XU0F79fqhqP1M0pJQFMadp6wk2Y3f13KCEOLqOUpWqwoURy-lTT4Az8os2EAha3R4fQa7sM1pxKeZLocbRGILejTd3Mr67lngPH3tREzuNg/s400/DSCN0184.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was really cool to walk through and see all of the beautiful lights, but the main attraction was the 30 minute laser show that took place each hour at the main fountain. Set to an array of different instrumental pieces, green lasers were projected through a fine mist of fountain water - that served as a screen. In addition to whirling geometric shapes created by the lasers, there were also images of Peruvians doing traditional dances. There was even a ballerina projection during the Swan Lake instrumental (shown below).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO-vMY3N44FmIQjupqPhwqx-gzthUv2EmCCRl5HIvYO5VN7FlzqcwwXh6K1KKU89_ODd6FI6yBJZ08tEbKvXzXXl8HhSMyMchyfmKPC-fSaA94HSC17c6u-9SnaWGaUuEQMLKVZii_6_j/s1600/DSCN0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO-vMY3N44FmIQjupqPhwqx-gzthUv2EmCCRl5HIvYO5VN7FlzqcwwXh6K1KKU89_ODd6FI6yBJZ08tEbKvXzXXl8HhSMyMchyfmKPC-fSaA94HSC17c6u-9SnaWGaUuEQMLKVZii_6_j/s400/DSCN0190.JPG" width="225" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out of everything we saw in the park, I had two favorites. The first was the "Fountain of Surprises", which consisted of an arc-shaped column of water that you could walk through.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjila8AGebIqgWFqlPkJKZopLnz1fUTsdDyg0tNLVrQvPz_QOpxB_x7JDECDNOuxJZ7zz2EY-QDPWdjMgziZap9TpvYGa8NCf9Axwa5rcz38cDMxyBZc73KcqvBVB6JuyM4L1C3hEtKZY8P/s1600/DSCN0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjila8AGebIqgWFqlPkJKZopLnz1fUTsdDyg0tNLVrQvPz_QOpxB_x7JDECDNOuxJZ7zz2EY-QDPWdjMgziZap9TpvYGa8NCf9Axwa5rcz38cDMxyBZc73KcqvBVB6JuyM4L1C3hEtKZY8P/s400/DSCN0197.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My second favorite was a circular fountain - I forget what its official name was - that spit water in different rhythms and patterns. The center of the fountain was a circle with a diameter of about 5 feet that didn't project any water - so the goal was to run into the center and back without getting wet. This was super tricky, and pretty hysterical.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimt_IRkdZ2MHm1hBHo_jQ3ufgumVYKrdsLEuF_zg06UkMuSgC05y0pEVVpA4tsFm4MMDvgqHsgFDEUWlk9UCiPgvO-hv2HtNVbLiFcZOY5i2LX6nivpnPGciYeSFKE_FTd1TxFFFdKxv7J/s1600/DSCN0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimt_IRkdZ2MHm1hBHo_jQ3ufgumVYKrdsLEuF_zg06UkMuSgC05y0pEVVpA4tsFm4MMDvgqHsgFDEUWlk9UCiPgvO-hv2HtNVbLiFcZOY5i2LX6nivpnPGciYeSFKE_FTd1TxFFFdKxv7J/s400/DSCN0201.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Towards the end of the park, we came across the beautiful fountain below, which sparked a whole series of Double Rainbow jokes. It never gets old!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnDn0AbNi5GumDjCK13nRIdmQH_KC-9bDXagk3uucx9BoyQYlmHFqaU3LxY__McUIwc0smtIvviqwXbSHe_n_wETqv2v3xrvoafRXKL1QcYGwQ0iz_vVfUDrK9C7EHvE5obVYfVWz5Bzb/s1600/DSCN0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnDn0AbNi5GumDjCK13nRIdmQH_KC-9bDXagk3uucx9BoyQYlmHFqaU3LxY__McUIwc0smtIvviqwXbSHe_n_wETqv2v3xrvoafRXKL1QcYGwQ0iz_vVfUDrK9C7EHvE5obVYfVWz5Bzb/s400/DSCN0218.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 Karikuy June Volunteers </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the park, we went to a local Polleria where we all tried Pollo a la Braza - a popular local dish which consists of chicken cooked over a fire on a rotating skewer. It was delicious!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpAiYu3huK7H_x9XSVxMlIWDyXzMTQaxLIgQ4nMdOyjR5PVHXfZUpWhieZWMc5zensSBICZwCn4AvDo06sQ2FI1lMx6jO3Yk7jq6OyZbWwb7f76ns_1RvWvRgxcF05LtOLE1jiUntsgDs/s1600/DSCN0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpAiYu3huK7H_x9XSVxMlIWDyXzMTQaxLIgQ4nMdOyjR5PVHXfZUpWhieZWMc5zensSBICZwCn4AvDo06sQ2FI1lMx6jO3Yk7jq6OyZbWwb7f76ns_1RvWvRgxcF05LtOLE1jiUntsgDs/s400/DSCN0219.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollo a la braza</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The perfect evening followed by the perfect food. What a great Wednesday! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chau!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> *Kate*</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information about the Park of the Reserve, or to get a different take on it, read my housemate Stu's recent Karikuy blog post on the evening <a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/06/17/water-water-everywhere/">here</a>!</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-17823999654360562702011-06-15T17:48:00.003-05:002011-07-07T17:47:16.936-05:00Huaca Pucllana<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our day began last Sunday as a quest for gnocchi. Ania had a hankering for some, and since Sunday is Magna’s day off, we usually go into the city to eat. Utilizing one of the many Peruvian guidebooks that were lying about the house, we learned that there are, in fact, only two places in the whole of Lima that serve gnocchi. We immediately reserved a lunchtime seating at one, and hopped in a cab to get there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me take this opportunity to explain how cabs work in Lima. Firstly, it is more common to see a cab than a private car on the streets of Lima. They are everywhere. And even if you are walking and clearly not trying to flag one, they will follow you for blocks honking to try and persuade you to take a ride. Second, if you can’t see one, you are sure to hear one, as their horns make an irritating noise similar to that of a clown car seen in the circus. Third, and perhaps most importantly, there are no meters or GPS systems in any cab.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This last point being said, when you flag down a cab, the first thing you do is tell them which part of the city you are going to. If the cabbie isn’t familiar with that part of town, he declines, and pulls away, often while you are still leaning on his door. When you do find someone that knows which part of town you speak of, the haggling begins. Cabs are ridiculously cheap here about 10 soles ($4.00 US) for a 15 minute ride. Divide that by the number of people in the cab (in our case, usually 4), and you’ve got one dirt cheap ride. Unfortunately, because we are gringos, cabbies often hike up the price thinking us stupid tourists won’t know any better. To prevent this, Julio is usually the one that does the initial bargaining with the cabbie. And there’s been more than one occasion where he’s sent a cab on its way and searched for a new one, because the price was too high. Now that we’re on the same page about cabs, I’ll continue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The particular restaurant we were seeking out was in a touristy area called Mira Flores. For whatever reason, our cabbie was not particularly adept at navigating the area (even though it’s one of the most popular ones in Lima), and we ended up spending 10 extra minutes driving in circles looking for the restaurant. To top it off, HE charged US more soles than we had agreed upon for the extra time spent driving around, even though it was HIS fault. Go figure. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it was rather annoying to deal with this stupid cabbie, the tune of the group quickly changed when we saw where we had arrived. It was Julio who had chosen which of the two restaurants to go to, and he had neglected to tell us that it was situated at a local archaeological site. Picture me dancing in happiness again. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Huaca Pucllana is a pre-Columbian site right in the heart of Mira Flores. It’s made up of labyrinth-like passageways and a huge temple. Even more impressively, every part of it is made up of individual hand-crafted bricks – in total taking over 300 years to construct. The restaurant we were in is situated directly adjacent to the site, and is open-air. While you eat you can watch the tourists walk through the site!</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since it's a super-touristy restaurant (the likes of Bill Clinton, Queen Reina Sofia of Spain, and many other famous people have been!) there are a lot of non-traditional (by Peruvian standards) food on the menu. Ania got her gnocchi, and I had coconut-curry shrimp with spicy rice. It was excellent! What was not excellent however, was our bill. Regardless, it was a nice treat, and as Ania said in her blog about the site, "how often do you get to eat next to 1600 year old ruins!?". (To read Ania's blog about Huaca Pucllana, click <a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/06/13/huaca-pucllana-lunch-at-some-pre-incan-ruins/">here</a>.)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After lunch, we headed into the ruins on a guided tour in English. The tour turned out to be 10 times more amusing than normal due to our companions; 8 recent female college grads from the US. One of their better questions to the guide, "Do alpacas still exist?!" And people wonder why other countries laugh at us. Oy vey. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, the site is beautiful, and very well preserved, compared to Pachacamac.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkYlg8DYnh-UCT0momjh4pOylJSbyHyfImHM6Ix95MVH6qtqInvLGr7fbrbp9KYfo_8wigi3U7utlbnRjZyIRWTm7aMNQoGdG5wx6AIvu9Gk8cpoxrhe9V-qx7EJPhMwlo_KqFhP0LB2_/s1600/DSCN0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkYlg8DYnh-UCT0momjh4pOylJSbyHyfImHM6Ix95MVH6qtqInvLGr7fbrbp9KYfo_8wigi3U7utlbnRjZyIRWTm7aMNQoGdG5wx6AIvu9Gk8cpoxrhe9V-qx7EJPhMwlo_KqFhP0LB2_/s400/DSCN0098.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Restoration work has been done on most of the walls, and where mummy bundles were discovered there are recreations in their place. There are also models showing how the mud-brick walls were constructed, and live animals to represent those the ancient Lima used to provide clothing and meat.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The site was really interesting, and it was nice to get a tour and learn about the site with more depth than we would have by simply walking through ourselves.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After we left the site, we took a 5 minute cab ride to the neighboring district of Barranco. It's right on the water, and has a lot of scenic view points. We got some sweets from a local pasteleria, and munched for a while, taking in the sites. We eventually settled on a cliff-side bar where we enjoyed Pina Coladas and the seabreeze. All in all, it was a lovely day, and we saw a lot of the city. For more pictures of the day, be sure to check out the album on my photo page (link is on the left hand side).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just an FYI, I'm writing this blog a few days after the fact (it's Wednesday). Tonight we are going into the city to show our new roommate around, and I know I'll have a lot to share. Hopefully I'll blog about it tomorrow! Until then...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chau!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*Kate*</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-949348550789390442011-06-14T14:05:00.009-05:002011-06-20T15:29:14.362-05:00Pachacamac<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a self-labeled archaeology nerd, I practically jumped up and down when, on only my fourth day in Peru, the ground decided to visit Pachacamac.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Located 40km south-east of Lima, Pachacamac is perhaps one of the most interesting and influential religious and ceremonial sites in Peru. Spanning over 1000 years, the site's occupation from AD 250-1534 saw both influence from and expansion by several Peruvian cultures; the Lima, Wari, Ichma, and Inca</span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click <a href="http://www.karikuy.org/blog/2011/06/14/of-ancient-bones-and-temples-%E2%80%93-pachacamac/">here</a> to be redirected to the Karikuy Blog to read the rest of this entry!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ciao!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> *Kate*</span></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-36422998043050189922011-06-10T02:30:00.003-05:002011-06-20T15:35:00.410-05:00Touring the Neighborhood<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My housemates have been discussing putting together a day trip to Pachacamac, which is a local archaeological site, for this Saturday. Picture me dancing in happiness at the thought of seeing my first archaeological site only 4 days into the trip. Perhaps as a result of my excitement, I decided to make it the subject of my first article because I could both satisfy my research requirement and read up on the site before our visit. I haven't gotten that far in my research yet, but from what I've read so far, Pachacamac seems like a pretty interesting site. When I finish the page tomorrow, I'll post the link (for those nerds who care to read it).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the afternoon we went to play basketball again. Our new elderly Peruvian friend, who Julio has dubbed "Grandpa" for lack of knowing his real name, met up with us again. He likes to sit and watch us play ball, as he rambles on in Q</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">uechua, despite us telling him again and again that we don't understand it well. Having embarrassed myself on the court again, I opted to sit out for the second game, in which Julio, Stu, and Ania played against three local children (who gave them quite a run for their money). While on the sidelines with me, Grandpa told a prolonged story in which he explained that he had two jobs; playing guitar/singing around Lima, and selling food from a pushcart. He then launched into a song in Spanish and sang to me for a good few minutes. It was perhaps the cutest thing I've ever experienced. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the afternoon, misfortune served as an unexpected treat. Stu and Ania's camera has been broken for a week now, and they decided they needed to get it looked at today. The four of us took a cab ride into the city to check out an electronics vendor that claimed he may be able to solve their problem. After dropping off the camera, Julio showed us around the neighborhood, which included a military academy, some beautiful old houses, the national anthropology museum (I made a mental note to go back there soon), and a pisco (grape brandy) factory. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually we returned to the house, where we ate dinner and decided what we would do for the evening. It was agreed that more Pisco sours would be made. Having tried this drink for the second time now, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get used to the feeling of the pisco burning the back of my throat as it goes down. It's too bad because otherwise it's actually really delicious.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, we played a bunch of Wii games and then started showing each other ridiculous YouTube videos. I was officially the MVP of the night - I introduced my housemates to both Bedroom Intruder and Double Rainbow, the latter they wouldn't stop quoting for the entire night. PS: if you haven't seen either of those, I suggest you go to YouTube <i>right now</i> and watch them. You won't be the same.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all the drinking and the laughing, we took a midnight trek a few blocks over to the "Hamburger Man". At the house, we identify street vendors not by their name, but by the item they are selling and their sex. (In addition to Hamburger Man, I've met the Pastry Lady and the Churro Woman). Even though Julio had described the hamburgers long before I actually laid eyes on one, I wasn't quite prepared for what I was about to experience. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ordering carne (beef), pollo (chicken), or chorizo (spicy sausage), you get a delicious meat patty on a bun. As the food is passed down the line of servers, they add lettuce, french fries (yes, IN the sandwich) and then top it with mayo, mustard, spicy relish, and ketchup. The result is a rather drippy but delicious burger-salad-fries concoction. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnmLX23-bTxGn6yGl_J5jomkjtInnGTJcfRDwDSnjpNwZhJ9DH5nynd5bUmQ0vQTeVMVu6diQ716DW4QlRZ7QUBsIEL_Y-58LyoJG-mh1VgYCjS2saKtVMeui80lKZjkwD8bNGN49Sxqi/s1600/DSCN0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnmLX23-bTxGn6yGl_J5jomkjtInnGTJcfRDwDSnjpNwZhJ9DH5nynd5bUmQ0vQTeVMVu6diQ716DW4QlRZ7QUBsIEL_Y-58LyoJG-mh1VgYCjS2saKtVMeui80lKZjkwD8bNGN49Sxqi/s400/DSCN0171.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamburguesa de pollo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And at about $0.70 US each, it's a deal none of us could pass up. As we walked down the deserted streets back to the house, munching on our burgers, Julio looked deeply at his food and said in a mystical voice, "what does it </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>mean?</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" which sent us all into a fit of giggles.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And seriously, if you don't get that reference by now, you haven't watched Double Rainbow yet. I wasn't kidding about that. Do it! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI">NOW</a>.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ciao from Lima at 2:30 AM.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*Kate*</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(PS: some pictures of the house are up!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-879450018757540635.post-79256903922451833572011-06-09T00:00:00.001-05:002011-06-10T02:41:17.478-05:00Arrival/First Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the duration of my first cab ride through Lima, I had a major case of d<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">éjà vu. There's this feeling I always get when I step off a plane in a new country - just a sense of being in foreign surroundings - so I was surprised when this time that feeling never arrived. Instead, I felt like I was back in Belize - we whizzed by dozens of bodegas, people strolling the street, cabs and buses loaded with people zipping by, plastered adobe-block houses painted in an array of pastels. It all seemed familiar, and somehow, quite welcoming.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">The house I'm staying in is in Planeta, a residential district of Lima. There is an abundance of bodegas, school children, street vendors, and stray dogs, and it's actually quite homey. Our street, like most others in the area, has a huge iron gate at the front. Remnants from a time when the city's residents had a curfew. They still shut it at night for security, and only facial recognition from the night guard will get you in once it's closed. Here's to hoping I befriend him soon, or I'm out of luck!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">My first night the four of us drank Pisco sours - the national drink of Peru - played Wii, and got to know each other. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Julio is our host, and the founder of the Karikuy organization. Ania and Stu,are a young couple from the UK who are currently on a year-long world trek.They are both in their mid-twenties, and last September they quit their jobs and decided to go on a year-long trek around the world. They've been to many countries already, and Peru is just one stop along the way, so they are only here for a week more. I'll be sad to see them go, but I am thrilled just to have met them. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">There's also Jacqui, but she lives with a host family in another part of the city and only comes 2-3 days a week to do research. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">After sleeping for what seemed like only an hour, I woke up to eat breakfast with the group. Meals are eaten downstairs on the first floor. Julio's elderly aunt lives on the lower level with Magna, her 17-year-old live-in care giver. Magna does all of the cooking for the group, and is very sweet, but is pretty shy, so I haven't learned much about her yet. Although I do know that she is an excellent cook.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">For breakfast we had rolls, on which we spread avocado and goat cheese. It sounds like a strange combination, but it's actually delicious! We also drank cinnamon and clove tea - something that's served at every meal. Guess I can't make fun of my mum for drinking 3+ cups a day anymore...looks like I'll be a tea addict too...sorry mum!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Lunch was also delicious. Meals always start with a basic soup - barley, various veggies, and chicken broth. Second is the main course - rice with a vegetable and a meat. Today it was spicy beef with red pepper, onion, yucca and rice. Also incredibly delicious. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">After lunch we walked around the block to a local playground to play basketball. Considering my knowledge of basketball parallels a 5 year old's knowledge of the stock exchange, it was quite an embarrassing game. Oh well, perhaps a week's worth of basketball will help improve my skills!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">The majority of the day was spent setting up email, skype, and this blog, and getting acquainted with the program that I will be using to post research. We also took a walk later in the evening through the neighborhood, during which we picked up some churros - sticks of fried dough, rolled in sugar, with melted caramel in the middle. Mmmmm. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">In the evening we ate supper, I tried my first cup of "Inca Cola" - a local soda that's crossing-guard yellow. The only way I can think of explaining it - and which gave my housemates quite a laugh - is that it smells like benedryl and tastes like bubblegum. They agreed. I could only manage a small cup because it honestly is like eating a mouthful of skittles with every sip. After this interesting experience we all congregated in the living room to watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Very cute movie. And then we all passed out.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I'd say it was a successful first day in Peru. Everyone is so nice, and I feel right at home here. It was a rather slow day, but relaxing. We are already talking about what local archaeological site we want to visit this weekend, so I'm very excited. Tomorrow I look forward to beginning my research and posting some pictures of where I am living as well. Until then:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Ciao!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> *Kate*</span></span><br />
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</span></span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623202804104839242noreply@blogger.com0