First adventure at night.... Check!

This week is the celebration of the 447^th anniversary of Lima. All week there are concerts, shows, and activities to celebrate this anniversary. Last night I had the opportunity of going to La Plaza de Armas to see some of the festivities. On our taxi ride, our taxi driver pointed out many interesting places along the route, including the National Stadium where Soccer games are held. Soccer to Peruvians is like Husker football to Nebraskans. As we got closer and closer to our destination, traffic halted. A 30 minute taxi ride turned into an hour taxi ride. When we finally arrived at La Plaza de Armas we were awed by the number of people crammed into the Plaza, but as it got later more and more people arrived. This made it virtually impossible to get around, especially when worrying about not losing part of the group. As Ashley, Stephanie, and I were walking into the plaza we were stopped by two Peruvian men. Of course the first thing they asked us was if we were from America. As they continued to chit chat with us and ask us to walk around with them we got more and more creeped out. We told them we needed to go because we were meeting our friends, our guy friends. This was our first real experience with creepy men down here. We did find our group, which was pure luck considering how many people were already in the plaza at that time. We walked around the plaza, took some pictures and enjoyed seeing some of the festivities. As a group we ventured out of the plaza to find food. Many members of our group were craving McDonalds so, of course, we tested it out. Needless to say, it tastes the same as the US! As we attempted to wander back to the plaza, more people had arrived and we were unable to see more of the festivities. We decided to call it a night and since the traffic was not moving close to the plaza we walked about 5-6 blocks to get taxis. As you might now, it is not too safe to be out at night in a foreign country alone so Ashley, Stephanie, and I had a sleepover! We decided that venturing home in the morning was a safer, smarter idea. Although I do wish that I was able to see more, I am glad that I was able to experience one of Peru’s festivals. It was a much needed night out on the town!

Some of us at La Plaza de Armas! (Stephanie, Adriana, Andrei, Me, and Ashley)

Me in La Plaza de Armas!

1 week in!

Let me just say… that it feels like I have been here in Lima for a lot longer than a week! Not including today, I have gone out in the town every day. I have been to many fun places, such as the Indian Market in MiraFlores. I have been there three times and seen something new every time I have gone!

On Friday, I ventured to MiraFlores with a group of students in my program. We walked around Larcomar (The mall that is built into the cliff) for a bit and then found a way down to the beach. There were stairs after stairs after stairs! The way down was much easier than the way up! I know for a fact that I got my workout Friday! The beach at MiraFlores is mostly made of rock, which is very difficult to walk on and hurts your feet. Although the rock shore wasn’t what we were expecting, we had a wonderful time sitting on the edge of the beach and getting our tan on! (Mine was more of a burn…)

Last night, I ventured out with two other girls and my two host brothers to see Sherlock Holmes at a nearby movie theater. The showing was at 7 and it finished about 9. As you may know, at 9:00 it is dark outside. My host brothers and I took the other two girls home before we came home. We walked quite a ways and took three buses. On our way to take the first girl home, we were accompanied by a Peruvian police officer because a little ways in front of us there was a suspicious man. It was quite freaky but I felt safe when he was walking with us! Then we took the other girl home. We originally took the wrong bus but we were able to find the right bus and she got home safely. After about two hours, my host brothers and I also made it home safely! My first Peruvian adventure at night… I do not believe that I could ever become fond of them. The buses here in Lima are different than the United States. There are a lot more Cambies (I am not sure how you spell it) which are small buses with about 15 seats where there are always people crouched in the aisles due to overcrowding. Although the buses are always overcrowded and are quite dirty, they are cheaper than taking taxis and generally safer. I am getting more comfortable with riding on these buses every day that I am here.

Since there are so many little everyday things that are different, I am still having a hard time getting into some habits. Since you have to turn the hot water heater on, I have forgotten already and had to take yet another cold shower. Also, in Peru you are not supposed to flush toilet paper down the toilet. I remember over half the time but when I forget and accidently throw it in I am not about to fish it out! I am getting better every day and eventually it will become a habit. Slowly but surely I am adjusting to the culture that I have immersed myself in.

Brenda, Sarah, Me, and Adriana at the Indian Market!

La Costa Verde! So beautiful!

UPC - The university that I will be taking classes at while I am here!

Connected!

Tonight I had my host brother David take me out to get a phone. Finally I have a phone to use in Peru! It cost 59 soles (about 20 US dollars) For 20 minutes and 20 messages. I can reload anytime, it is like an American Tracfone. On the way to the supermarket, where I had to get the phone, we took a taxi, but on the way back we took a bus. The buses are small and only hold about 20 people but they are cheaper than taxis. I don't really know the streets very well though so I believe that I prefer a taxi, even if they are more expensive!

Also, today I had to walk to UPC by myself! I was a bit scared at first but the walk wasn't bad. I made sure that I was aware of my surroundings. I was told to look confident and not look like a foreigner... I tried my best! Also, I got my UPC id card today! Now instead of going through the guards and having to show my passport, I only need to show my id to the people standing at the gates! The campus is beautiful with trees everywhere. It is a gorgeous campus!

I feel like my Spanish is already improving. On our way to get my phone, David and I talked in Spanish and he would correct me when needed. I am learning new vocabulary that I will need to use during conversation. In class today, which is a class with a Peruvian professor that only speaks Spanish, I was a bit lost. I am hoping that it gets better with time! I have been here for four days and feel like I am already learning so much!!

Finally here and settled!!

I am finally getting around to writing my first entry in this blog that will document my adventures in Peru. It has been quite a change from the US. There are so many little things that are different that I am learning.

My beginning to this trip did not turn out the way I had planned. On my flight from Dallas to Miami there was no more room in the overhead bins and they made about one fourth of the plane valet their carry ons. This would not have been a problem, except that they sent all the valets to baggage claim. So in the Miami airport I had an hour to go out to baggage claim, wait for my carry on and then go back through security to make my flight. I showed up just a few minutes before they started boarding. When dinner came on the plane at about 6:30 I was starving. I hadn’t had anything since 8:00 when I had arrived in Dallas. The flight to Lima was extremely long but finally we made it at about 11:00. We had to go through immigration and finally got out to baggage claim at about 12:00. I waited and waited for my luggage and it never came. We had to fill out paperwork to have our luggage delivered to us. I was unsure of my host family’s address so we used Amy’s (another girl on the trip). When she switched families, I called and changed my address but it must not have been inputted into the computer. My luggage was delivered to the original address on Sunday evening. I was ecstatic when I received my luggage because I had been without it for almost 3 days! That was an experience that I would not wish to ever have again!

Now on to the fun stuff... It is summer in Lima and it is quite hot here. I have already gotten sunburnt (my sunblock was in my luggage). My host family consists of the mother, the father, and two brothers about my age, David and Kevin. David knows English pretty well so if I don’t understand something he is able to translate. On Saturday, my host family took me to MiraFlores which is a nice part of Lima. We went on a one hour bus tour of MiraFlores. On Sunday, they took me on a tour of Callao which is a naval port. We saw a fort, a museum, and we went on a submarine. Lima is very different than Nebraska. Everything is built up and it is there is always a lot going on. The driving is crazy! The taxi drivers weave in and out of traffic and don’t pay attention to speed limit signs. They also use their horns at intersections and when switching lanes to let others know they are there so they don’t have to slow down.  There are so many things that are different here compared to the United States. For example, at the home that I am staying at everyone is expected to bring their own toilet paper to the bathroom with them. I asked why some of the windows did not have glass (they are just like holes in the wall that can not be covered) and David told me that they don’t need them because it hardly ever rains. Luckily, the bedrooms have windows to keep out the bugs at night.

Today was the orientation of classes. Kevin took me to campus where I met with another girl in my program. To get in to the university, we had to show the guards our passports. All of the students have to show their UPC id cards but we have not received those yet.  I have classes on Mondays from 3-6 and Tuesday from 2-5 along with my two online classes. My host family did not know what time we would be dismissed so two of the girls in my program walked home with me because their families were not picking them up for another hour. It is about a 15 minute walk from UPC to my place of residence, good thing I remembered how to get there! I have to walk the route by myself starting tomorrow!

I was talking with my host family and my host mother asked me why I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. I told her I do not always eat breakfast and she thought it was very strange. She explained that in Peru, it is more typical to eat breakfast and lunch without a dinner. I am going to need to adjust to this new finding because I rarely eat breakfast but I always eat lunch and dinner.

I am excited to begin this 4 month long adventure that will hopefully allow me to communicate in Spanish. My Spanish is not the greatest, but I am trying and my host family has patience with me (they are going to need it). Let the journey begin!