Hiking up to the waterfall

After seeing the ventanillas, we hiked up to two waterfalls. My host grandma was a CHAMP and made it to both waterfalls. Hector and I also hiked up to a different area above the waterfalls which gave a pretty beautiful view of the area. Also at one point I got to traverse a little bridge, climb down a pretty steep hill and sit on top of one of the waterfalls. It was a little dangerous but totally worth it!

The beautiful first waterfall

The river leading away from the waterfall

The "macho" waterfall

The pretty beautiful pathway up to the second waterfall but first a pit stop...

The bridge I had to cross

Climb down...

To get this awesome photo!!

Hector and I kept hiking up...

To see a pretty spectacular valley

Then we hiked back down to join the rest of the group

We got to see some local sheep getting a drink

Finally hiking back to go get lunch, everyone was pretty pooped

I don't think the kids had seen a waterfall before so it was a pretty cool experience

Ventanillas de Otuzco

The Ventanillas de Otuzco is a pre-Inca cemetery, the individual niches (resembling windows or ventana in Spanish) were carved in volcanic stone. Legends say that the Incas used them as grain storerooms and redirected the wind to keep the rooms cool. The niches lead into a network of dark and mysterious galleries which appear not to end. There is a myth that these secret tunnels link Cajamarca to Cuzco. Also from the top of the ventanillas there is a BEAUTIFUL view of Cajamarcan countryside. After the hike up, I played with the most adorable cockerspainel!

The beautiful Cajamarca!

Me and my host siblings.

The ventanillas

Pretty spectacular view

The ventanillas

The cutest cockerspaniel ever

Hiking Cerro Santa Apolonia

After taking the relaxing bath at Baños del Inca, we had lunch, rested, and then "hiked" Cerro Santa Apolonia. We made it about two blocks outside of our house when my host grandma got tired. Thus, we decided to take a cab to the top of the hill and walk down. The hill was really cool. You could see all of Cajamarca, Cajamarca. It had a beautiful lookout point and as we hiked down I got to experience a REAL rain. My first REAL rain since I've gotten to Perú! I've felt some sprinkles but not a true downpour until this one!  We also got to see the filming of a Huayno music video, eat some Mayma, and do some touristy shopping. It was a nice afternoon with my host family. However, we did miss seeing the Incan chair.  Thus, I'm really excited to return to this cerro and hike it with Mike! 

The "vista" or view

My host sister and I

My beautiful host grandma

The kiddos

The kiddos posing on this bridge on the hike down

Not sure what the purpose of this statue was but he has an accidental pirate leg!

The filming on the Huayno music video

This beautiful mural in the church on the Cerro. The backdrop for Mary is a typical Cajamarca scene. I have never seen anything like this before in a church!

The yummy Mamey we ate on the way down

The view down from the church

The view of the Cerro.

Baños del Inca, Cajamarca Perú!

So this past weekend I went to Cajamarca Perú with my host family. While the trip fell within my first three months in site, I was granted special permission to go on this trip with my host family because it is considered part of my immersion. I'm very grateful to have been granted this permission and it was a wonderful trip! On the first day, we went to this place called the Baños de Inca. This roughly translates to the Incan Bathes so I assumed that we were going to some natural hot springs! I later found out that there were natural hot springs which bathed the Inca King Atahualpa. Upon seeing the springs, I was slightly scared...(view photos below) but then I realized we would not actually be using these hot springs but individualized mini hot tubs! It was a wonderfully relaxing experience.

Walking into the Baños

The Baños look beautiful, right?!

A close up view of the hot springs...

The "algae" growing in the hot springs and the reason I got scared

More algae!

The reality of what we were doing there

My host siblings and I

My host grandma, host siblings and I

My host sister? and host grandma. My host family took like 20 pictures touching things that explicitly state "Do not Touch."

My host family kept joking that this was Hector's uncle... I didn't get the joke

Billeteras (Wallets) out of cartons

During training we learned how to make wallets out of tetra paks. While searching a DIY website, I found an even cooler design than the one we learned. So I decided to test the design out on my host siblings. They LOVED making the wallets with me and have been showing them off all week. I look forward to making these during classes this upcoming year. All in all, a nice hangout with my host siblings and an awesome reusing project!

The original product

The finished product, and the cut tetrapak

Yas using the template to trace where to make her cuts

Hector using a butterknife to make the creases

Hector bragging about how much money he has

Yas complaining how she has no money

Setting a Guinness World Record!

On January 19, 2013, I helped set a world record by dancing the traditional Peruvian dance, Marinera, with 653 other couples. We practiced for more than 3 hours before setting the world record. My partner was a friend of my regional coordinator, a 42 year old Peruvian man named Walter. The skirts we wore were not traditional Peruvian skirts but a fun Peace Corps hippie spin on the Marinera skirt :). After a short speech from a Guinness World record judge, we set the record and got to enjoy a short fireworks display. It was a pretty cool/unique experience and I am now a world record holder!

A big chunk of the gang!

The whole gang+ the stage. The chalk lines are where we start the dance

My dance partner and I

Annika and her dance partner!

The countdown to begin the world record setting!

The Peace Corps girls who participated!

The fireworks after the record was set!!!!