couchsurfing, without the couch

I have been making friends with people in the CouchSurfing community here. They are really fun, energetic people, and a good mix of locals and other travelers. Usually, the common language is Spanish so it's great practice for me. It's much more fun than studying or taking classes, and just as good.

I took a day off of work and went rafting with them a few weeks ago. It was a blast, but terrrrribly freezing. A bunch of people chose to jump into the river, but i opted out of that one.

The guy in the front right doesn't speak English, so couldn't understand the commands that the guide was giving and was always paddling the wrong direction or at the wrong times. I was cracking up and yelling the spanish commands at him. I think I might have found it funnier than him...

Last weekend we went to a festival-type rock concert of mostly bands from peru and other south american countries. it included one band dressed up in costumes of different children tv show characters.

Pink Panther spent the whole time wandering around the stage and humping others

After that concert, we went to a bar downtown that had the most fantastic live music EVER. It was kind of like energetic latin ska covers of popular songs here. my legs were sore the next day from jumping and dancing.

Jaime and Jose Luis

With Jaime, from San Francisco, and Ellie, from Montreal

Sunday we went on a trip to see some waterfalls outside of town. I thought it was just going to be a short walk, but it turned out to take almost 4 hours to get there, (we thought we were lost a few times) walking under the blazing sun and through the river. Luckily I had worn my chacos but other people had to go barefoot. The water was freeeeezing (again... it's the dead of winter here) and sharp rocks hurt when they get between the soles of your sandals and your feet. But we finally made it and had a little picnic at the falls. Then we found a faster way back. Much better.

Walking through the river. Would have been much more fun if it wasnt numbingly freezing

I am keeping the sun off my head.

finally made it to the waterfalls

While doing my daily flight searches...

I found an incredible deal for my return to the states and... BOOKED IT!

So I arrive in San Francisco on October 20th, after a beautiful 7 hour layover in Mexico City, where I will proceed to consume copious amounts of huaraches, mole, and beans. Yay!

My plan after that is to head back up to the northwest in early November, to move in with some of my two best gals, Alexa and Brittany (who are actually coming to visit me and Linnea in Bogotá, Colombia in September). I am excited to start this new chapter in my life. Seattle, I have missed you (and everyone that goes with you).

Bothy Hostel

Whenever I tell people that I'm working at a hostel, they ask the same question, ''so, what exactly is it that you do there?'' So I thought maybe you might be wondering the same thing. I've been here for 3 weeks now, so I feel confident enough to tell you that my days don't really change much.

My day begins at 9am with a loud ''hola ereeeeeeeeeen!'' as I come down the stairs from Eduardo, who works with me every day. After a hearty breakfast of tea, white bread with margarine and jam and more bread, I plop myself down in front of the computer to check the reservations. There are approximately 4 different emails I get to check for reservations, so that can take me a while. Then I go back to the breakfast area and chat with any people that are there and clear dishes, etc. If I'm feeling motivated, I proceed to wash them or else I leave them in the sink for later (and secretely hoping that the cleaning lady will get to them before I do).

The next few hours are filled with people checking in/out, people asking questions about tours or the city or buses or other random information, making signs for different things around the hostel, or checking reservations again. Most of this doesn't take long so then until 2 o'clock I'm making myself busy by writing emails, blog posts or facebook updates. On some days the owner's mom brings lunch and is always impressed at how much I eat. Maybe she is trying to tell me something? One day she brought a dish with cow intestines and I surprisingly enjoyed it.

From 2-5 a have a little siesta time in which I lay in the hammock on the terrrace and try not to get sunburned, read, cook lunch, hand wash laundry in FRIDGID water, walk around town, buy pirated DVDs or watch said DVDs. I also had my first Spanish lesson yesterday that I will be doing twice a week. It's part of the perk of working here that the owner is paying for me.

At 5 o'clock I arrive back in the office to do pretty much the same thing I did in the morning. The only difference in the evening shift is that I have to call the other hostel that I do reservations for and tell them all the reservations for the next day. The system they have for all this is absolutely terrible but I've given up trying to fix it. So I get to do an awkward telephone call in Spanish in which I ask them to repeat things a lot. I'm getting better at it, though.

Arequipa: the main cathedral at night, on the left is the plaza

me and el misti, arequipa is in the middle

my little bed

the office where i am sitting right now, just picture me sitting there waving at you

Arequipa

Why hello! After quite the hiatus, I am back. Here's what happened since last time:

-I changed continents
With Kristen and Ashley, I flew from San Jose, Costa Rica, to Quito Ecudaor.

-Traveled around Ecuador
We spent about 2 weeks in Ecudaor, hanging out in beautiful and crazy Quito, visiting our friend Heather on the farm she had been working at for a few months, flying in a little car over the cloud rainforest, straddling the southern and northern hemispheres on the equator, amongst other beautiful and fascinating activities.

a good friday processional in Cuenca

At Mitad del Mundo, the equator

-Arrived in Peru for the second time in my life, three years later
After Ecudaor, five of us ladies (we adopted Heather and Elin from the farm) took a long long bus ride to the beach in northern Peru. It was nice to lay around in the sun for a while before we took off for Lima. After Lima, we embarked on our longest but most luxurious bus ride yet, a 20-hour journey to Cusco. We did what all travelers do in Cusco, which is mostly party until the sun rises. We didnt really have the option not to, anyway, because everyone in our gigantic hostel was doing the same. I said a tearful goodbye to Kristen and Ashley, my travel partners for the last 3 months, who were heading off to Argentina from Cusco. Heather and I headed to Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. (still not sure what that means...)

I wrote my initials in the sidewalk in Lima 3 years ago. they're still there!

Inca ruins, Saqsaywaman (say it out loud, phonetically)

-Traveled around Peru with Heather
Heather and I spent 3 weeks together in Peru, doing all kinds of things.

A boat tour on Lake Titicaca, which included the interesting and beautiful - but painfully comercial - floating reed islands

Visited Arequipa, the ''White City,'' second largest city in Peru

A hiking trip in the Colca Canyon (second-deepest in the world)

A pisco and wine tour in Ica

Sandboarding in Huacachina

A beautiful four-day hiking trip in the Cordillera Blanca

-Decided to stay in South America longer than originally planned
My friend Linnea has been living in Bogota, Colombia, since last year. She invited me to move in with her in August until she goes home in October. After a bit of consideration, I decided that I couldn't pass up that opportunity. So instead of coming home in August after visiting Bolivia and Colombia, I'll come home in October. Which gives all of YOU more time to come visit. :)

-Started working at a hostel in Arequipa
Because of my extended trip, I have to kill some time (about 6 weeks) while spending the least amount of money. (I'm running out a little bit, as you can probably imagine...) I met the owner of Bothy Hostel (www.bothyhostel.com if you're curious) last time I was in Arequipa, who invited me to come work at his hostel in exchange for room and board. Sounded good to me! So here I am. I work about 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. It keeps me busy, which in turn keeps me from spending money frivilously. My weakness now is buying pirated dvds of tv shows for about $4 a season. oops.

So there you have it, all the updates. I posted pretty much all of my pictures so far on picasa. I'll write more soon about my time in Arequipa.

I miss you all dearly and hope to hear from you soon!