I can't believe I only have 2 weeks left! AH!
So... updates from these last 2 weeks... Nothing too big. I went to a Catholic women's retreat last weekend, which was very interesting. I feel like I got closer to the women from Ojo de Agua and closer to Paty. It's so different, but I still love being able to be with people who love the Lord.
Teaching has had it's difficulties, but overall I love those little terds! It's going to be sad to leave them, and yet I'll be happy to not have to yell to get them to work, or call out the cheaters, or focus eyes on the board. That I will not miss. But I will miss their bright, smiling faces and the way the get me to laugh every day I go to school.
Most of all, I will miss my family. I love joking with my host brothers. Oziel's birthday is this week, so I bought him a belt buckle with a man on a bucking cow to remind him of the cow who claimed the life of 3 of his teeth in December. Ah... good times joking on that one. But I will really miss Mom. I think we have been what each other has needed. Have I said that already? Regardless, it's still true. I love her dearly.
With all this, I am also very excited to go home! I'm excited to SEE MY DAD!!!! I'm also excited to be able to talk to everyone again, look over my pictures from here, and eat popcorn with Valentina's with my brother. There is a lot to look forward to, and yet so much to miss.
Well, same prayer requests. Keep praying for the students I'm teaching and the students in the program from Ft. Lewis. These are last chances to reach out to them (at least, for some of them). PLEASE continue to pray for safety these last couple weeks, and especially when I travel home.
Andele pues...
Vaya con Dios,
Leah =)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Nada Mucho
Entonces... nueva cosas...
I learned how to embroider this week! I learned Monday and I couldn't put it down. I finished my project Thursday, and today bought more to keep my wee hands busy.
Oh! The teacher that was suppose to pick me up Monday to go back to Ojo de Agua forgot me, so I got to wait 2 hours at the bus station and take the "camione" back. It was best, because my body needed a rest from the day before (I had a mad run in with leche, and my body DID NOT like me).
Other than that my week was pretty chill. I taught on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday was relax day, so we listened to music and one of my students FINALLY taught me how to dance ranchera a bit! That was super exciting! And another student is suppose to make me a cd of like the best ranchera music of 2008! AH! SO super exciting! Man, I just love these kids.
Um, I went to the cemetary for the one year anniversary of Paty's husband's death. It is so natural and cool for them to go, but it was a little intense for me. But it was awesome to be a part of this family and experience all this with them.
Other than that, really nothing much happened. Just seeking the Lord and begging that my eyes will just stay on HIM. Man, I only have 4 weeks left. Isn't that nuts?!
Andale pues.
Vaya con Dios,
Leah=)
I learned how to embroider this week! I learned Monday and I couldn't put it down. I finished my project Thursday, and today bought more to keep my wee hands busy.
Oh! The teacher that was suppose to pick me up Monday to go back to Ojo de Agua forgot me, so I got to wait 2 hours at the bus station and take the "camione" back. It was best, because my body needed a rest from the day before (I had a mad run in with leche, and my body DID NOT like me).
Other than that my week was pretty chill. I taught on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday was relax day, so we listened to music and one of my students FINALLY taught me how to dance ranchera a bit! That was super exciting! And another student is suppose to make me a cd of like the best ranchera music of 2008! AH! SO super exciting! Man, I just love these kids.
Um, I went to the cemetary for the one year anniversary of Paty's husband's death. It is so natural and cool for them to go, but it was a little intense for me. But it was awesome to be a part of this family and experience all this with them.
Other than that, really nothing much happened. Just seeking the Lord and begging that my eyes will just stay on HIM. Man, I only have 4 weeks left. Isn't that nuts?!
Andale pues.
Vaya con Dios,
Leah=)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
There are no words...
Oh my, so much has happened within the last 3 weeks, I can barely sit and tell you all my adventures... or misadventures. But I´ll try to sum some things up.
Within the last 3 weeks, my host brother got 2 dogs, when my mom has wanted none. The first one was a gift to him, which was a too young to have left his mother chihuahua puppy named Chetto or something. I call him my wittle buddy or hijo. Paty and I have been taking care of him, and he-s kind of more my dog than his most of the time. He is SO CUTE... and if this keyboard wasnt messed up I would use exclamation points. He likes to take naps behind and around my neck and nibble on my armpits. Oh, the love. The other dog is very interesting, but somewhat reminds me of the dog that bit me. So I dont chat with him much. But I did try to seem friendly on Friday. Poor thing is chained up all day, so I do feel for him.
Erica came to visit me the first weekend, which was really fun and great. We went to a dance, which ended up being a wedding reception to some people I didnt know. Lets just say I only was pulled out on the dance floor once by some of my students that were there, and only for a short while. Aye... yo bailo muy feo. I really wanted to learn how to dance ranchera, but I didnt know anyone, and my brothers, who said they would show Erica and I how to dance, were MIA the whole evening. Though we didnt get home until 2:30 am, and we were more awkward than middle schoolers the whole time, it was a good experience.
I´ve been following Paty everywhere, and its been cool to see the Catholic world that I never knew before. I definitely have a new appreciation for it and I like learning the songs and such. However, there are times I get homesick when they do something or say something that I dont agree with. But, regardless, I am growing closer to the Lord and am having to depend on Him DAILY, which is awesome and yet hard to get through my brain.
Por ejemplo... Monday was my hardest day yet. I kind of was feeling the lack of fellowship and lack of ability to speak freely with people without having to think hard about what they were saying or what I needed to say. But I go into class, ready to teach, and leave crying my eyes out and an hour earlier than usual. Oh, so bad.... once again, exclamation points. Long story short, I was just very disheartened not being able to communicate and such, and I just broke down in the middle of my second class. It was terrible. But the rest of the week went fantastic and I learned how important it is to truly give each day to the Lord and ask for His guidance in every thing I do.
I went to a rodeo where drunk men rode cows. Entertaining...
Que mas...
Welp, prayer requests:
SAFETY: we´re all safe and well here - gracias a Dios- but it seems every time we come in for class something else seems something else bad has occured. One of the students grandfather died, and went home for the funeral, then the day before she was going to return she broke her collar bone and had to stay longer. She´s fine and has a great attitude, but it still sucks for her. Our professor who came down on Wednesday got a call from the college Thursday night that he was fired from Ft. Lewis because of cutbacks. Not only that, I guess he has other stuff going on, like his mom is sick. So my heart just breaks for him, because you can tell it is a lot for him right now. And we continue to here of violence about the narcos and such in Chihuahua and around that area. I guess 2 tourists were shot in Criel, but I´m pretty sure that was a situation where they were in a place where they shouldn´t have been. I´m honestly not too worried, because the people in our towns really look out for us, and this area is pretty chill. But please continue to pray for safety. Also start praying that we can have save travels back to the U.S. in April, because we REALLY don´t want things to get worse than they are.
EYES ON CHRIST: I continue to grow in the Lord and dwell upon Him and His promises, but I know that I am weak and can fall. Pray that I will also be fearless and share my faith with other whenever an opportunity arrives. I finished this book this last week that reminded me how Jesus can truly come back any day, and I need to do my part to share Him with others.
I´m truly doing great. I finished 4 books within the last 3 weeks. I knit in class, and I picked up more yarn to start a new project -- a baby blanket for my host sister, who is married and is expecting her first baby in June or July. OH, yeah. I got to go to the ultrasound to find out what the baby was too... exclamation points. It was so freaking cool to see life moving around inside another life. Anywho. I also got stuff today to start embroidering, and Paty told me she would teach me. I joke around with my brothers. My family digs through cow head on the kitchen table. I pick up dog crap every day in my house. I teach, and I absolutely love my students, even when they´re terds. Life is good. Gracias a Dios... exclamtion point.
Vaya con Dios,
Leah
P.S. It is probably going to take me a while to get through all the emails and such, so please bare with me. I might also have to wait until I´m here next weekend for class.
Within the last 3 weeks, my host brother got 2 dogs, when my mom has wanted none. The first one was a gift to him, which was a too young to have left his mother chihuahua puppy named Chetto or something. I call him my wittle buddy or hijo. Paty and I have been taking care of him, and he-s kind of more my dog than his most of the time. He is SO CUTE... and if this keyboard wasnt messed up I would use exclamation points. He likes to take naps behind and around my neck and nibble on my armpits. Oh, the love. The other dog is very interesting, but somewhat reminds me of the dog that bit me. So I dont chat with him much. But I did try to seem friendly on Friday. Poor thing is chained up all day, so I do feel for him.
Erica came to visit me the first weekend, which was really fun and great. We went to a dance, which ended up being a wedding reception to some people I didnt know. Lets just say I only was pulled out on the dance floor once by some of my students that were there, and only for a short while. Aye... yo bailo muy feo. I really wanted to learn how to dance ranchera, but I didnt know anyone, and my brothers, who said they would show Erica and I how to dance, were MIA the whole evening. Though we didnt get home until 2:30 am, and we were more awkward than middle schoolers the whole time, it was a good experience.
I´ve been following Paty everywhere, and its been cool to see the Catholic world that I never knew before. I definitely have a new appreciation for it and I like learning the songs and such. However, there are times I get homesick when they do something or say something that I dont agree with. But, regardless, I am growing closer to the Lord and am having to depend on Him DAILY, which is awesome and yet hard to get through my brain.
Por ejemplo... Monday was my hardest day yet. I kind of was feeling the lack of fellowship and lack of ability to speak freely with people without having to think hard about what they were saying or what I needed to say. But I go into class, ready to teach, and leave crying my eyes out and an hour earlier than usual. Oh, so bad.... once again, exclamation points. Long story short, I was just very disheartened not being able to communicate and such, and I just broke down in the middle of my second class. It was terrible. But the rest of the week went fantastic and I learned how important it is to truly give each day to the Lord and ask for His guidance in every thing I do.
I went to a rodeo where drunk men rode cows. Entertaining...
Que mas...
Welp, prayer requests:
SAFETY: we´re all safe and well here - gracias a Dios- but it seems every time we come in for class something else seems something else bad has occured. One of the students grandfather died, and went home for the funeral, then the day before she was going to return she broke her collar bone and had to stay longer. She´s fine and has a great attitude, but it still sucks for her. Our professor who came down on Wednesday got a call from the college Thursday night that he was fired from Ft. Lewis because of cutbacks. Not only that, I guess he has other stuff going on, like his mom is sick. So my heart just breaks for him, because you can tell it is a lot for him right now. And we continue to here of violence about the narcos and such in Chihuahua and around that area. I guess 2 tourists were shot in Criel, but I´m pretty sure that was a situation where they were in a place where they shouldn´t have been. I´m honestly not too worried, because the people in our towns really look out for us, and this area is pretty chill. But please continue to pray for safety. Also start praying that we can have save travels back to the U.S. in April, because we REALLY don´t want things to get worse than they are.
EYES ON CHRIST: I continue to grow in the Lord and dwell upon Him and His promises, but I know that I am weak and can fall. Pray that I will also be fearless and share my faith with other whenever an opportunity arrives. I finished this book this last week that reminded me how Jesus can truly come back any day, and I need to do my part to share Him with others.
I´m truly doing great. I finished 4 books within the last 3 weeks. I knit in class, and I picked up more yarn to start a new project -- a baby blanket for my host sister, who is married and is expecting her first baby in June or July. OH, yeah. I got to go to the ultrasound to find out what the baby was too... exclamation points. It was so freaking cool to see life moving around inside another life. Anywho. I also got stuff today to start embroidering, and Paty told me she would teach me. I joke around with my brothers. My family digs through cow head on the kitchen table. I pick up dog crap every day in my house. I teach, and I absolutely love my students, even when they´re terds. Life is good. Gracias a Dios... exclamtion point.
Vaya con Dios,
Leah
P.S. It is probably going to take me a while to get through all the emails and such, so please bare with me. I might also have to wait until I´m here next weekend for class.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Blow, Blow, Blow the Girl Down
There is a LOT of wind!
So... updates... I am doing good, though I have recently come down with a cold. But everything else is going good. I'm learning more and more Spanish by the day. I even had a long conversation with my host mom about the whole family and the dirt on them all, and I understood pretty much all of it! I was pretty stoked about that. Speaking of my host mom, Paty, we have a great connection. We take walks almost every evening where I marvle about the glorious creation that God has created here. Man! It was beautiful here! The sunsets take my breath away. It's like a rainbow stretches across the sky. And if there are clouds, the sun reflects on them like fire spreading wildly. Ah! So amazing!
I'm trying to think of what else I can report on... I'm not so lonely anymore. I get daily quiet times where I read John and just get blown away by how sweet Jesus' life was! My host mom takes me to chruch (though fairly different from what I'm used to), and this has been a great time to reflect on the Lord more. It's like I'm falling in love with Him all over again.
My students crack me up! They are so full of energy, y son todos locos, but I like seeing them on my days at the school. I struggle with getting them to focus and motivation to get work done, but what teacher doesn't struggle with that?
Oh! So, my best friends in Ojo de Agua are my host mom, Paty, the dog, Peckies, and a 3 year old boy, Josue. This last week, Josue and I played quite a bit in one day. At the end of hang out time, the adults asked, "Josue, ¿Quien es?" I chime in with "¿Como me llamas?" And he called me Josuesita. Isn't that adorable? Oh, I just wanted to box him up and keep him in my pocket!
Yeah... so things are going good. Keep praying for the students I teach and the students that are in the program, that they can see who God really is and that I can some how be a tool to show them or something. Keep praying for fellowship too. Though I am doing fine, it gets lonely when I can't share what I see or experience or learn with anyone else. Also pray that my eyes will be kept on Jesus and that I can encourage my family to follow the Lord. OH! and, of course, that I will continue to learn Spanish better.
Sorry if that was lame... I really can't focus well. But I pray for you all often and wish the best!
Vaya con Dios,
Leah
So... updates... I am doing good, though I have recently come down with a cold. But everything else is going good. I'm learning more and more Spanish by the day. I even had a long conversation with my host mom about the whole family and the dirt on them all, and I understood pretty much all of it! I was pretty stoked about that. Speaking of my host mom, Paty, we have a great connection. We take walks almost every evening where I marvle about the glorious creation that God has created here. Man! It was beautiful here! The sunsets take my breath away. It's like a rainbow stretches across the sky. And if there are clouds, the sun reflects on them like fire spreading wildly. Ah! So amazing!
I'm trying to think of what else I can report on... I'm not so lonely anymore. I get daily quiet times where I read John and just get blown away by how sweet Jesus' life was! My host mom takes me to chruch (though fairly different from what I'm used to), and this has been a great time to reflect on the Lord more. It's like I'm falling in love with Him all over again.
My students crack me up! They are so full of energy, y son todos locos, but I like seeing them on my days at the school. I struggle with getting them to focus and motivation to get work done, but what teacher doesn't struggle with that?
Oh! So, my best friends in Ojo de Agua are my host mom, Paty, the dog, Peckies, and a 3 year old boy, Josue. This last week, Josue and I played quite a bit in one day. At the end of hang out time, the adults asked, "Josue, ¿Quien es?" I chime in with "¿Como me llamas?" And he called me Josuesita. Isn't that adorable? Oh, I just wanted to box him up and keep him in my pocket!
Yeah... so things are going good. Keep praying for the students I teach and the students that are in the program, that they can see who God really is and that I can some how be a tool to show them or something. Keep praying for fellowship too. Though I am doing fine, it gets lonely when I can't share what I see or experience or learn with anyone else. Also pray that my eyes will be kept on Jesus and that I can encourage my family to follow the Lord. OH! and, of course, that I will continue to learn Spanish better.
Sorry if that was lame... I really can't focus well. But I pray for you all often and wish the best!
Vaya con Dios,
Leah
Sunday, January 25, 2009
I´m up to my ojos in frijoles
Hey! I´m alive!
So, I went to my town this week! I live in Ojo de Agua, which is about a half hour from Cuauhtemoc, with a widow named Paty and her 2 sons. Life is very chill, and settling into a routine of sorts has been awesome. I take it easy and I have a ton of time to read while I listen to "La Ranchera de Cuauhtemoc", which is a radio station we get out at my house. The radio is ALWAYS on when people are in the house. Though my house sucks any heat from my body, I get the warm fuzzy around my family. I love waking up and watching Paty make fresh tortillas every morning. I love my evenings where Paty and I sit in the kitchen (which is the warmest room in the house) and make small talk between my reading my book for class and her embroidery. I´m learning Spanish slowly but surely, but it sounds like I´ve come in with the most out of previous students. I still can´t wait to know enough to talk more to my family and my students!
Ah.... my students! As crazy as these middle school kids are, they are SO FUN! I teach English every lunes, meircoles, y hueves (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday) from 8:30 to 1. My first day was pretty stressful because I wasn´t given any guidelines or instructions on what I need to use or whatever. The students are more advanced than I originally thought, so I was a little sad I couldn´t just sing ABCs to everyone. But I have more of a game plan for each class, and I enjoy going to the school.
My town is cute and really relaxed. The weather has been pretty cloudy (except for when I´m in Cuauhtemoc, which is surprizingly warm... and I wish I had my chacos here) so I haven´t walked around very much. But I´m hoping that I can this next week or so. There are dirt roads except for one main one, and when driving in you have top stop for gallinas y vacas crossing the road. I love it!
So... I think that´s it. I´m doing fine. I´ve heard from people that the first 3 weeks are usually the hardest, and I can see that. It´s weird to think about being here for so long. I have gone to Catholic church a couple times, and those are the times I´m usually home sick. I thought I was going to be with an evangelical family, but it didn´t turn out that way, which is fine. But I miss being able to worship corporately and share in sweet fellowship on what God is teaching me. I do have one other Christian in the group, which has been nice, but we can only see each other when we all get together every other weekend. So, I guess you can be praying that something will work out. But overall, everything is alright. Even my legs are healing! Oh... yeah... I didn´t want to worry any of you, but I got bite by a dog twice my first full day here. But now I just have some sweet bruises and a good story. The teeth didn´t even touch my skin, and the dog was up on all its shots. I told it to my students and showed my bruises, which they seemed to enjoy.
Continue to pray for Janine and her family as she is still trying to get back to a more "normal" state. She was wanting to be here by February, but now she can´t make it until end of March. Also pray for our safety here. Things are not that crazy, but you hear of things every now and then. And, of course, pray for the students in the program. They´re all so great, and I just want to be a good light to them when I´m around. Also my family, because my mom seems interested that I read my bible and take notes, so hopefully I can talk more to here about what we believe and such.
I pray for you all often, and you are in my thoughts!
Vaya con Dios,
Leah
So, I went to my town this week! I live in Ojo de Agua, which is about a half hour from Cuauhtemoc, with a widow named Paty and her 2 sons. Life is very chill, and settling into a routine of sorts has been awesome. I take it easy and I have a ton of time to read while I listen to "La Ranchera de Cuauhtemoc", which is a radio station we get out at my house. The radio is ALWAYS on when people are in the house. Though my house sucks any heat from my body, I get the warm fuzzy around my family. I love waking up and watching Paty make fresh tortillas every morning. I love my evenings where Paty and I sit in the kitchen (which is the warmest room in the house) and make small talk between my reading my book for class and her embroidery. I´m learning Spanish slowly but surely, but it sounds like I´ve come in with the most out of previous students. I still can´t wait to know enough to talk more to my family and my students!
Ah.... my students! As crazy as these middle school kids are, they are SO FUN! I teach English every lunes, meircoles, y hueves (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday) from 8:30 to 1. My first day was pretty stressful because I wasn´t given any guidelines or instructions on what I need to use or whatever. The students are more advanced than I originally thought, so I was a little sad I couldn´t just sing ABCs to everyone. But I have more of a game plan for each class, and I enjoy going to the school.
My town is cute and really relaxed. The weather has been pretty cloudy (except for when I´m in Cuauhtemoc, which is surprizingly warm... and I wish I had my chacos here) so I haven´t walked around very much. But I´m hoping that I can this next week or so. There are dirt roads except for one main one, and when driving in you have top stop for gallinas y vacas crossing the road. I love it!
So... I think that´s it. I´m doing fine. I´ve heard from people that the first 3 weeks are usually the hardest, and I can see that. It´s weird to think about being here for so long. I have gone to Catholic church a couple times, and those are the times I´m usually home sick. I thought I was going to be with an evangelical family, but it didn´t turn out that way, which is fine. But I miss being able to worship corporately and share in sweet fellowship on what God is teaching me. I do have one other Christian in the group, which has been nice, but we can only see each other when we all get together every other weekend. So, I guess you can be praying that something will work out. But overall, everything is alright. Even my legs are healing! Oh... yeah... I didn´t want to worry any of you, but I got bite by a dog twice my first full day here. But now I just have some sweet bruises and a good story. The teeth didn´t even touch my skin, and the dog was up on all its shots. I told it to my students and showed my bruises, which they seemed to enjoy.
Continue to pray for Janine and her family as she is still trying to get back to a more "normal" state. She was wanting to be here by February, but now she can´t make it until end of March. Also pray for our safety here. Things are not that crazy, but you hear of things every now and then. And, of course, pray for the students in the program. They´re all so great, and I just want to be a good light to them when I´m around. Also my family, because my mom seems interested that I read my bible and take notes, so hopefully I can talk more to here about what we believe and such.
I pray for you all often, and you are in my thoughts!
Vaya con Dios,
Leah
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I´m here and alive!!
I need to make this short, but I wanted to let everyone know that I am in Mexico and all is well!!
The two days worth of bus rides was pretty exhausting because both of my departures were very early in the morning, and I can´t really sleep on buses. So very sleep deprived I arrive in Cuauhtemoc yesterday evening with 4 other fellow students. Today we all slept in and then got a tour of the Mennonite part of the town. I don´t feel like getting into details, but let´s say I ate a lot of cheese... and there was a bunch of white folks who didn´t speak English or a lot of Spanish... and there was a dog. But I am well and things are going great so far. Tomorrow I meet up for class, and then I will be heading out Monday to stay with my host family! Very exciting.
Other than the area being beautiful and the people being more than accomidating and friendly, we´re all kind of learning things as we go along. Please continue to pray for safety and good health for me and the group. Also pray that the whole group will get here soon, cause not everyone is here yet. Okay.... that´s it! Adios!
Vaya con dios,
Leah
The two days worth of bus rides was pretty exhausting because both of my departures were very early in the morning, and I can´t really sleep on buses. So very sleep deprived I arrive in Cuauhtemoc yesterday evening with 4 other fellow students. Today we all slept in and then got a tour of the Mennonite part of the town. I don´t feel like getting into details, but let´s say I ate a lot of cheese... and there was a bunch of white folks who didn´t speak English or a lot of Spanish... and there was a dog. But I am well and things are going great so far. Tomorrow I meet up for class, and then I will be heading out Monday to stay with my host family! Very exciting.
Other than the area being beautiful and the people being more than accomidating and friendly, we´re all kind of learning things as we go along. Please continue to pray for safety and good health for me and the group. Also pray that the whole group will get here soon, cause not everyone is here yet. Okay.... that´s it! Adios!
Vaya con dios,
Leah
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
I know that good things come to an end, but I wish the great times were an exception
I have just finished eating a homemade cocnut popsicle I picked up from a convience store while I sit in a internet place across from my hotel in Quito, Ecuador. I have really crammed my stomach today with a lot of delicious things, along with things I'm still not sure what they were, but now I can settle down and let those who want to know what's been going on what's been going on in my life for the last few days (even though if I get hungry I bought an empanda for later to be washed down with a strawberry soda).
Well, I throughly enjoyed my time in Cusco! I was sad to leave, and I feel like I still missed out on some things while I was there. A week wasn't enough, and I'm not the same. Get the jist? =) But I move on. I got to see Machu Picchu on Saturday, which was neat, and then Sunday I spent the day with my host family eating fritadas (which is pieces of fried pork, not like the Mexican fritadas) and listening to them go on in Spanish, which I barely understood but tried to follow along anyway. Sunday evening I said my goodbyes to Miguel and one of his friends I saw a lot during the week, then early Monday morning I was off for a new adventure to Ecuador!
This leg of my journey has been quite different from everything else I have done. Each country I've been to has been quite different from the next, but I never felt like a real tourist until yesterday! I ride in a tour bus with a bunch of gringos going from one tourist place to the next taking pictures of the same thing at the same time. That may have sounded crass, but it really hasn't been bad. Though it's a little weird for me, I have learned a lot from our guide and from the places we have visited. Yesterday we visited the equator, which has been my favorite part thus far! It was really cool to hear the science of the equator and doing experiments. I balanced an egg on a nail just like Anthony Bourdain did when he came to Equador! I was way stoked about that! We have also gotten to walk around Old Town Quito and see some old churches, a rose plantation, and an artisans market where our true American side came out to consume... ah, my favorite. =) Tomorrow we travel to Banos... I can't remember what we're doing there... oh well. I'm just enjoying the ride wishing that it wouldn't end.
This very well may be one of my last blogs until I get back to Durango! So sad! It's funny, because the first 3 weeks I was ready to go home at any moment, and now I don't want to leave. South America has grabbed my heart and won't let me go. I want to live here, eat here, speak here. I want the Latin lover who buys me Ecuadorian roses (which I guess are the best in the world or something). I want to read Neruda, Allende, and Vallejo while I hear the always present car alarm in the distance. Ah... te amo Sudamerica!
Vaya con Dios,
Leah=)
Well, I throughly enjoyed my time in Cusco! I was sad to leave, and I feel like I still missed out on some things while I was there. A week wasn't enough, and I'm not the same. Get the jist? =) But I move on. I got to see Machu Picchu on Saturday, which was neat, and then Sunday I spent the day with my host family eating fritadas (which is pieces of fried pork, not like the Mexican fritadas) and listening to them go on in Spanish, which I barely understood but tried to follow along anyway. Sunday evening I said my goodbyes to Miguel and one of his friends I saw a lot during the week, then early Monday morning I was off for a new adventure to Ecuador!
This leg of my journey has been quite different from everything else I have done. Each country I've been to has been quite different from the next, but I never felt like a real tourist until yesterday! I ride in a tour bus with a bunch of gringos going from one tourist place to the next taking pictures of the same thing at the same time. That may have sounded crass, but it really hasn't been bad. Though it's a little weird for me, I have learned a lot from our guide and from the places we have visited. Yesterday we visited the equator, which has been my favorite part thus far! It was really cool to hear the science of the equator and doing experiments. I balanced an egg on a nail just like Anthony Bourdain did when he came to Equador! I was way stoked about that! We have also gotten to walk around Old Town Quito and see some old churches, a rose plantation, and an artisans market where our true American side came out to consume... ah, my favorite. =) Tomorrow we travel to Banos... I can't remember what we're doing there... oh well. I'm just enjoying the ride wishing that it wouldn't end.
This very well may be one of my last blogs until I get back to Durango! So sad! It's funny, because the first 3 weeks I was ready to go home at any moment, and now I don't want to leave. South America has grabbed my heart and won't let me go. I want to live here, eat here, speak here. I want the Latin lover who buys me Ecuadorian roses (which I guess are the best in the world or something). I want to read Neruda, Allende, and Vallejo while I hear the always present car alarm in the distance. Ah... te amo Sudamerica!
Vaya con Dios,
Leah=)
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