Metro, Pedra Bonita, and Tijuca

We spent all day Wednesday exploring the Centro neighborhood aka downtown Rio. We started off at Cafe Colombo, a very popular cafe that has been around since the 1800s. The decor was beautiful and the coffees were delicious!

 Then we walked around to a couple art museums, churches, and saw some construction being done in preparation for the Olympics.

On Thursday morning, we went on a hike to Pedra Bonita. We took the train to the closest stop then took about a 20 minutes taxi ride from there. It was an interesting trip--the taxi driver had to stop and ask someone for directions, and his car couldn't make it up the hill to the hike so we had to walk up--but we made it! It was described online as an "easy hike" but we did not agree with that. It was only 30 minutes but the steep incline and 95 degree weather made it pretty tough! But it was all worth it once we got to the top! (We took much better pictures but they are all on Berto's camera.)

On Friday, we went to the beach. I unfortunately don't have any photos since I didn't bring my camera since the beaches here are infamous for theft. We only took as much cash as we would need for the day, and I'm glad that's all we took! There were two girls laying next to us that got there purse stolen while they were laying with it sunbathing--and none of us saw how it happened! The beach was nice, but it is definitely not a relaxing beach experience. In addition to worrying about someone stealing your stuff, there is someone walking by trying to sell you something every 30 seconds. If nothing else, it was good for people watching!

Yesterday we went on a tour of the Tijuca Forest, a national park within the city. We saw a waterfall and went on a short hike. We didn't knowingly sign up for the other part of the tour, which was a walk around a favela. It was interesting to learn the history, but it felt pretty strange to be on a "tour" through it.

Today we went shopping at a "hippie market" they have every Sunday. Then we relaxed at our hotel pool for the afternoon and went to a delicious pizza place for dinner. Here is the view from our hotel pool:

Our Rio trip is quickly coming to an end! We fly home tomorrow night, arriving in Chicago early Tuesday morning.

Parque Lage, Sugarloaf Mountain and Buzios!

Morning of day 6 in Rio and we have been keeping pretty busy! On Sunday we went to the botanical gardens and walked around for about a hour. We even saw some little monkeys in the trees!

Then we walked over to Parque Lage which was really beautiful. It used to be someone's mansion but is now a public park, cafe and art school.

For dinner, we took a taxi down to Impanema, a beach neighborhood, and found a tapas place that was pretty good. Then we walked around and found a street market and went to a cafe for dessert and coffee. One thing that I've really been enjoying is how good desserts are here! Mom, yesterday I had a peanut butter flavored popsicle that had peanut butter in the middle!

Monday we took the tram up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. The views were incredible. We had a snack at the cafe at the top and sat up there for awhile.

We came back to our hotel and had dinner at a yummy Italian place nearby. One thing we are still getting used to is the style of service at restaurants--it's either very formal with waiters in bow ties who spoon the food on to your plate or very casual where it's hard to get anyone's attention. We've also learned that you have to flag them down to get your check. This has made for some long dinners!

On the way home from dinner, it was pouring rain. There seems to be a big thunderstorm every night around 7. But the drainage system is not the best so the streets get flooded very quickly, and it causes the sewer water to come up into the street with it. We had quite the adventure walking the two blocks back to our hotel. We saw other people that came prepared with plastic bags over their feet, so Berto jumped and ran through the streets to get me some bags to wear. What a guy!

 Yesterday we took a day trip to Buzios, a town about 3 hours from Rio. We went out on a boat that made a few stops where we could jump off the boat and swim. It was really fun and we were wishing we could stay there for a few days!

Today we plan to explore downtown Rio!

First 2 days in Rio!

We arrived in Rio Thursday night after a long night and day of traveling. We were pretty jet lagged by the time we arrived so just walked around our hotel nieghborhood to find some dinner. We ended up at a place that had about 100 items on the menu, all in Portuguese. We chose some things at random and they actually ended up being very good choices!


On Friday we walked to escadaria selaron, a bunch of flights of stairs decorated in mosaics by an artist. There are tiles from many parts of the world--I even found one of Oregon!

Then we took the train to Copacabana and Impanema beaches and walked for a couple hours along the water. It was very pretty. Think we will go back for a beach day sometime this week. Think Berto will have to get a speedo and I will have to get a thong bikini to fit in. :)

Today we took the train up the mountain to Christ the Redeemer statue. It had amazing views but was very crowded so we didn't stay up there too long. Tomorrow we are going to explore a "bohemian and artsy" neighborhood nearby and possibly hang out at the pool at our hotel, which has a beautiful view as well.

Berto's spanish is helpful, but the language has been more of a barrier for both of us than we expected. I have not seen any mosquitos! But still putting a bunch of bug spray on. And it is HOT and humid. I think this might be the hottest place I have ever been!

Machu Picchu y the Amazon

This post will be short, as I am very exhausted from a long 6 days of traveling. I spent Saturday and Sunday in Machu Picchu and the nearby city, Aguas Calientes (named for its natural 'hot' springs that were more like lukewarm room temperature).

It goes without saying that Machu Picchu was breathtaking and amazing. We started our day at 4am with the long hike to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. When I say hike, I actually mean rocks in the form of stairs...1.5 hours straight of these stairs that were often too high for my short legs. It was a beautiful hike but very tiring! Once we reached Machu Picchu, we went straight to our next activity, which was hiking Huaynapicchu (the big green mountain in every picture you've seen of Machu Picchu). This included another hour of stone steps, often so steep that we were rock climbing. The Summit is a bunch of huge boulders that you have to very strategically maneuver in order to not slip 2 inches and fall to your death. Looking back, I'm realizing that this hike was very dangerous. But, wow, the view from the top made it all worth it! After Huaynapicchu, we met our tour guide to start our tour of Machu Picchu, the 'lost city' of the Incas.

Monday morning, I took a 7.5 hour bus ride to Manu, a national park of sorts on the outskirts of the Amazon. I stayed in a volunteer house there and did some volunteer work, such as monitoring and recording butterfly activity and cleaning the site. There was no electricity and the only water is what came straight from the river (no hot showers), so most people opt to bathe in the nearby waterfall. There are 2 monkeys living at the house, Chico and Paula. It turned out that the bed I chose to sleep in was also the monkeys' favorite bed to sleep in. So, the first night I was surprised to find Chico asleep in my bed, head on the pillow and everything. So I just got in with him and he was very sweet and loved to cuddle. He also really likes to sleep in and got a little cranky when I wanted to get out of bed at 7:30am. I never thought I would be sharing a bed with a monkey!

Now I am down to only 2 more days in Cusco! It will be very bittersweet to leave. Tomorrow is my last day with the kids, and I already know there will be tears involved!

My time in Peru is quickly running out - I can't believe how fast the past month flew by. In some ways, I am ready to come home, but the majority of me wishes I could just stay here and travel around South America for a few years (wouldn't that be nice?!).

Today was my last Spanish class, but instead of staying in the classroom, my teacher offered to take me shopping at some local markets. So, we ditched class and went shopping for two hours! It was really fun, and I really enjoyed spending time with her and getting to know her better. She has 2 daughters that are the same ages as Lee and I! It was also nice to have her around while I was shopping because I was charged significantly less money since I was with a local (it gave me some street cred). After shopping, I took her out for ice cream. It was a really great morning, and was just as helpful as a Spanish class since I had to have all of our conversations in Spanish!

This afternoon, I taught the kids how to make pictures frames out of popsicle sticks. I took each one of their photos and will bring printed copies in next week, and then they will give the frames to their moms for Mother's Day. They were so excited and really got into it- it was so cute!

I have a busy few days ahead of me. Tomorrow morning, I am going to Machhu Picchu with 7 other people in my house. We will be there until Sunday night. Then, at 4:30am Monday morning, I am leaving to spend a few days volunteering in the jungle. I'm not entirely sure what that will entail, but I think I will mostly be cutting down non-native plants. But, the thing I am most excited about is that there are 2 monkeys who live in the house I will be staying at. So, I will be hangin out with some monkeys! Also, in order to get to the house, you have to cross a river on a zipline. There is no electricity, so I will not be able to update with pictures until Thursday when I return to Cusco.

Here are some pictures from today:

Finally...the kids!

We had a great birthday party yesterday, complete with games, dancing, cake and jello. I'll let the pictures and videos speak for themselves!

Lago Titicaca

I returned early yesterday morning from an amazing weekend in Puno and Lake Titicaca. The adventure started Friday night with a 6.5 hour overnight bus ride from Cusco to Puno. Saturday morning we boarded a boat and visited Los Uros, a group of man-made floating islands. They are made out of reed-type plants, and were originally constructed as a means of defense. Some families still live on the islands, and we were able to get a tour and see their houses, which was very interesting- shocking to think that people still live so simply.

From Los Uros, we took a 3-hour boat ride to the largest natural island on the lake, Amantani. The island has a population of about 4,000 and is divided into 10 different communities (each with its own President). There are no streets, no cars, no electricity, and only some places with running water. There are also no hotels or hostels on the island, so tourists stay with local families. When we arrived on the island, we were split into 2 groups of 3 and taken to 2 different homestays. The family I stayed with was very nice and welcoming - a couple with a 10 year old son and 5 month old daughter. We arrived to a traditional lunch of island-grown vegatables, rice, and fried cheese. Meat is rarely ate on the island, and the diet consists of the grains and vegetables grown on the island and occasionally lake trout. Tea is also served after every meal with freshly picked herbs in place of tea bags. I am not a tea person, but enjoyed their Muna tea (tasted a bit like mint).

In the afternoon, we hiked up the biggest hill/mountain on the island, called Pachatata (Father Earth). It was a beautiful hike and the views of the lake and surrounding mountains were breathtaking. Plus, I scored a good deal on a handmade Alpaca sweater from a woman at the top of the hill - only 30 soles (about $11). After the hike, we returned to our houses for dinner and to get ready for the fiesta! Our family gave us traditional clothing to wear and took us up the hill to a party where we learned traditional dances. It was fun, and I enjoyed twirling around in my big skirt!

The next morning we took the boat to another natural island called Taquile. We went on a another short hike, and stopped to eat a traditional lunch of lake trout with rice and potatoes. We then returned to the city of Puno, where we got on our bus back to Cusco. It was truly an amazing weekend. The generosity of the family was very touching, and seeing such a simple way of life was eye-opening. It is definitely a place I want to return to someday!

This week, I am back to my normal routine of Spanish and volunteering. Friday, we are having a birthday party for all the kids who had birthdays within the past 3 months - so that is sure to be fun and super cute. I promise to take pictures!