the beach the beach the warm beach

I am at the beach! In Canoa. Not walking alone along it.

I have decided to head out of Ecuador to Peru on January 17. It´s a 38 hour bus ride to Lima and then a flight to Cusco. Cusco is high elevation and rainy and cold so I´m at the warm beach for a few days before going there.

Cusco is called "el cielo del mundo" which means the ceiling of the world, or the heaven of the world, depending on your interpretation. One of the highest cities in the world. I´ve told Geoff that when I get home (back to sea level) after a year of spending time in these altitudes, I will be a super hero and will need a costume. It is next to the sacred valley and in the middle of many important Inca ruins, including Machu Picchu. By all accounts, it is a place full of lots of crazy ancient energy and they still have Incan celebrations very often. It is a mid-sized city full of tourists which I am both excited about and not excited about. Not, because it´s always nice to not have to be a tourist every time you walk down the street and people want to sell you things or take you on a tour. Yes because it is easier to find things that this Western girl is accustomed to. Like pharmacies and restaurants. But it isn´t anywhere near as big as Quito, so I´m looking forward to a smaller place.

I am looking forward to having somewhere to live and something to do every day. I can´t wait to get mixed into the volunteers and working of Aldea Yanapay and the kids and the other volunteers and such. I love the idea of staying somewhere six months and really getting to know people. And Cusco is such a jumping off point of almost all that is important in Peru so I foresee great adventures available to me. So, start your vacation planning now. Cusco Peru.

I am feeling extra excited today because my back has still been bothering me and I was as yet unsure whether to continue on to Peru or head back to Portland. I´ve been feeling better, but wanted to test out a bus ride, so 9 hours on the bus last night is nowhere near the 38 to Lima, but I knew that if I couldn´t make that, there was no way I could do Peru. So, having arrived in reletively good shape, I am feeling confident about moving forward to Peru so now I am able to actually be excited for real.

Love you, mj