I have returned from my "one day getaway" to Paracas, a beach town in the south of Peru (roughly 3.5 hours away by bus). It was a wonderful experience and the first time I had ventured outside of the city. I tagged along with Cynthia, a Peruvian friend I met at school, and her mother after they invited me to join them! It was very generous of them and I'm quite grateful.
The adventure started Thursday night. Given that our bus left at 5:30 the next morning, we decided it would be best if I spent the night at Cynthia's house, which was VERY far from my house. That being said, Cynthia and her mother cooked for me and I met literally the entire family, including Cynthia's 94 year old grandmother, who was surprisingly lucid, but incredibly fragile. After heading to bed at around 1:30AM because I ended up finding the movie "Flight 93" on TV, I woke up surprisingly well-rested for our journey.
The bus ride was uneventful, mostly because I slept the entire way there, which made the 3.5 hours exceptionally easy to tolerate. When I woke up, we were passing through a small town just outside of Paracas that had been devastated by an earthquake in 2007, and it was shocking to see how it was still trying to rebuild.
Eventually we made it to Paracas where we were hounded by taxi drivers and representatives of different tourism agencies who wanted us to utilize their services. Eventually we found a nice man named Vincente who drove us around and told us all the best/cheapest places to choose. The highlight of the trip was the tour of Las Islas Ballestas, which essentially showed us Peru's equivalent of the Galapagos Islands. I saw sea lions, penguins, pelicans, and a whole bunch of other animals that I thought only lived in more temperate/colder climates, but I guess I was wrong! Below are some photos that I find particularly enjoyable.
Another interesting part of my trip was when I broke bread with Cynthia and her mother and then prayed a Christian prayer. I can't recall which one it was, though I know I've heard it before (in English). Our Father? What's the prayer people normally say when they eat the body of Christ?
The end of my trip, yesterday, April 2, also marked the end of my first month in Peru. Time sure flies, doesn't it? Only 8 more to go until I'm back with all of you! :) I intend to make every second count!
As for tomorrow, Easter, my host mother has informed me that there will be at least 16 people coming over to celebrate, so it should be an interesting day. I leave you with a link to my vacation photo album on Facebook. There are some beautiful pictures to see (and I'm not just talking about myself!).
Follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033548&id=1599810067&l=4bd717b469
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