Mi viaje a Lima

I just got back from my trip from Lima…Amazing! Well worth the 20 hour bus ride down there. I ate like there was no tomorrow….gyros (twice), chocolate dipped soft serve ice cream, Burger King, latte, Spinach stuffed ravioli, garlic bread, Thai food, sandwich with actual white, sliced bread…Like I said, Amazing!

The first thing I did when I got to Lima was visit host family #1 in Lima. I was only able to stay for a couple of hours, but they had planned on me spending the night and had fresh sheets and my favorite breakfast (freshly ground soy milk) all ready for me. Aww… But at least I got to eat dinner with them and they made my favorites again…steamed broccoli and this Peruvian stir fry dish. When I was leaving, things got a little scary. While I was visiting with my family, a little boy actually got hit by the car on the road right outside of the community. The community was really angry, because they had been advocating for a walkway bridge for a long time, and so while I was leaving, they were just beginning to form a strike and the police had their shields and armors all ready. Fortunately, some cars at the end of the line were still able to turn around even though traffic had been stopped. Note to self: Should you ever get in the middle of a Peruvian strike, run! Things will get out of hand very quickly (see strikes in Peruvian jungles)!

The next days went by more smoothly. I had a free day to bum around, so I had dim sum at Chinatown and practiced my Chinese. (It made me so homesick to speak Chinese again!) I also went to the beach (pretty, but hot), did some shopping (Yay! I finally spent some of my saved up Peace Corps money!), and generally just bummed around the city. For the next few days, we were stuck at a retreat center for Peace Corps training, but overall, I had a great trip! It scared me to realize how much of a country bumpkin I had become only after 3 months. Traffic scares the bejeezy out of me and I’ve picked up some really bad hygiene habits. But for once, I was stomachache free during the whole week (until I got back and had my first meal here), no one stared at me while I walked down the street as if I grew an extra eye, I didn’t see anyone peeing on the streets, and I was able to speak English freely.

Sigh…I can’t wait to go back. Fortunately, I found out over training that I was selected as the Peace Corps editor of a publication, so that means that I will have to travel to Lima again soon to take the publication to press. :) :) :) And for New Years, I’ll be taking another long bus ride to a place called Ancash to celebrate with my Peace Corps friends.

Please take care of yourselves, everyone, and just know that I am safe and sound back in my site.