I've Got My First Week Under My Belt

I've officially been in Peru for over a week!

I was a little homesick the first day, but I've been fine since. I've been working in a few different places here. Semillitos is one of the orphanages we work in. It is for children with special needs. They have all ages living there, ranging form newborns to the elderly. I've worked with the children and babies as of now. The babies are my favorite. There are three babies with Downs Syndrome that I have fallen in love with. They are all so full of life, and energetic!

On Tuesdays and Thursday, everyone goes to teach English in a shanty town called Pachacutec. I am going to be teaching the 5th graders, and some of the 6th graders. Some of them hardly know their ABCs, so my minimal knowledge of the Spanish language doesn't really matter. Speaking of Spanish, did I mention that I am lacking in Spanish skills. I can understand people sometimes, but I can't really have a conversation with anybody. I'm trying to learn, but it's easier said than done.

There is also an orphanage for normal children that I have only been to once, and hope to go to sometime this week. I was with the babies the one time I went, but I hope I can be with the older kids next time. They love to talk, and want to know the English word for everything (more practice for me!).

During the weekend, all of the volunteers usually travel around Lima and the surrounding area. I went to Pisco, Paracas, and Nazca. Pisco is the home of the famed drink, Pisco (imagine that). This is the preferred drink in Peru. We didn't stay for long though, we just stopped there because it's where the bus station is (traveling by bus is the way to go here, I would rate their enforcement of driving laws at a zero).

We took a taxi from Pisoc to Paraca, where we slept in a hostel. The next morning, we got up and went to tour the Islas Ballestas and the Resvera Nacional de Paracas. There, we saw penguins, fossils, sea lions, and many other creatures. Then we got a bus to Nazca, where we spent the night. We woke up in the morning and walked around the city a little bit, buying avocado sandwiches for breakfast for S1. Then, we got a taxi to the airport to fly over the Nazca lines. These lines were literally dug into the desert between 900 BC and 600 AD, by the Paraca and Nazca cultures. They consist of over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures, and 70 animal/plant drawings. The only way to see them is fromthe air. They were beautiful. After a long day out, we hit the road and headed back home!

Pictures are coming soon hopefully. My camera broke as soon as I got here. Once I fix it I'll post some pictures:)