The return to Lima after spending time in the Amazon Jungle was in many ways a relief. I say this for many reasons, but the big ones for me were much more pleasant temperatures/ humidity level and no more bugs. We returned to the same hostel, Pariwana, on New Year’s Eve at about 8pm. The hostel did not disappoint (as usual) with a lively NYE celebration. It was so fun to ring in 2019 with new and interesting people from all over the world. New Year’s Day took us to the cool bohemian neighborhood of Barranco. We did not know what to expect, just that it was “artsy” and, dare I say, “hipster”. After a short Uber ride we stumbled across the bustling center which had lots of street performers, eateries, and art galleries. The sights, sounds, and smells of this area were quite stimulating, and we were super glad to have taken the chance to visit a neighborhood other than Miraflores (where our hostel was). After a pizza dinner at a restaurant/ “brewery” that was out of most flavors of beer as well as water (??) we decided to just walk back to Miraflores along the coastline. It was an awesome 45 minute or so walk where Phil and I just talked and enjoyed the weather. It was a perfect evening. The next day we tried out sandboarding. As Phil & I had learned, most of the Peruvian coastline is desert, and if you drive an hour or so out of lima there are huge dunes of soft warm sand. Our guides picked us up from the hostel and took us out to these dunes. One guide gave us the lesson while the other was in charge of driving the vehicle. Phil and I both really enjoyed this activity, as we both snowboard/ wakeboard/ wake surf at home. The next day we went surfing along the coast in Miraflores. For barely $10 we got a board and wetsuit rental for two hours. We had each surfed once before a while ago, so we just watched some YouTube videos before we left and hoped that would be ok. It was great, I got up and rode a wave in once, so I am content with that. Phil was getting the hang of it real well, I saw him stand up and ride at least a few good waves. Photos of both these board sport outings are below! On our last day in Peru we had a red eye flight home leaving at 11pm, so we planned to leave for the airport by 7pm. That still left us with nearly a full day to do something. We visited some ruins that were just a 20 minute walk from our hostel, the Huaca Pucllana ruins. These were from 200 A.D. to 900 A.D. and built by the Limas, not the Incas. For about $4 we got tickets to the site, which came with a free walking tour. It was super cool to see these ruins smack in the middle of a bustling city, and it was a great way to spend a few hours while waiting for our flight. The red eye flight home went smoothly, and now I’m at home in Bedford for the last time in what may be a very long time. The past three weeks have been so exhilarating and the perfect trip to break up my routine (which I love, but needs to be kept interesting). I learned a ton on this excursion, pushed myself in many different ways, and had the time of my life. Definitely reaffirms that studying experiential education is right for me. I’m thrilled to be heading back to Penn State for my 8th semester. I have lots of great things ahead this semester including winter training for crew, a diverse schedule of trips for Outdoor Adventures, and a light course load. Life is so good!
Comments are closed.
|
Archives
February 2024
Categories |