Top 41 Peruvianisms.... and a FB link to photos

In keeping with tradition, this year, with the help of a few Arcadia students, we came up with the top 41 Peruvianisms experienced on this trip... enjoy!

1.       Right is Wong, go left

2.       Stoptional signs

3.       Daddy Yankee –enough said

4.       Fernado Chicken’s

5.       Rules of the road are not rules in Peru, they are more like guidelines

6.       Peruvians are not in a hurry unless getting on or off a bus or plane

7.       Essential bus items: TP, plastic bags, wet wipes, and a good friend

8.       You can only flush the TP at the hotel

9.       When squeezing into a taxi, put your bags in the back because it makes you skinnier

10.   Llama tails point up and alpaca tails point down

11.   Maggie is the chocotejas master “Voy a llorar”

12.   Don’t start a conversation in Spanish unless you are willing to finish it in Spanish

13.   Take a chance and fly – someone will end up dead

14.   Never stick 3 white chicks and an Indian man together on a street in Peru

15.   Angela’s guide to speaking Spanish: add an “el” to the beginning and an “o” to the end of any English word and you will be speaking Spanish

16.   If you go to Peru, check out the man on Pichu Pichu, he may still be belaying

17.   Lawn chair wheelchairs are not all they appear to be

18.   A French movie, dubbed in Spanish, with English subtitles can still make you cry

19.   “Do you have a pen?” –Jodee

20.   Total curb count=6

21.   Ha Ha’s Christmas card is all set thanks to their photogenic natures and all of our cameras!

22.   Han’s had a little girlfriend that followed him around, until she met Sara and followed her around!

23.   Rabbit holes are dangerous because at the first sign of interest, the vendors will suck you in!

24.   Más pequeño wieners!

25.   If a meal doesn’t have papas, it is not complete

26.   Drinkable yogurt & fresh squeezed strawberry juice – life is good

27.   Midnight symphony in room 10

28.   If you lose your vasoline, just look in the AFO box

29.   PE, in fact, stands for Peru – not pulmonary embolism or personal equipment

30.   “Only one?...Oh yeah, he’s an amputee” (in reference to wheelchair footrests)

31.   When building a wheelchair, make sure you build it right side up

32.   You never know when a circus can turn into an igloo and then a taco

33.   Starting the day with prayer and song

34.   “ah-uno por favor”

35.   Americans think Peru changes seasons throughout the day but Peruvians will wear 3 pairs of socks regardless

36.   You will look immaculate each day if your name is Lilia

37.   No te llamas physical therapist!

38.   “Don’t ask questions, just let it happen.” –Brittany as she eats ketchup from a bowl

39.   Street performers in Peru really do perform in the street

40.   Don’t worry when you have to cross an intersection, the walking man on the street light will tell you how fast to walk to cross safely

41.   TODO ES POSIBLE!

 

 

Also, here, you can find the first album of our Peruvian pictures.  I believe they consist mostly of the clinic... enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101020080712428.1073741846.55715819&type=1&l=903cfd550e

 

Safe Arrivals

Praise God for a smooth transition back to the United States.  After doing some last minute shopping/site seeing in Cusco Monday morning, we boarded the first flight out of Cusco to Lima.  Then, Lima to Miami and finally to Pittsburgh.  We landed Tuesday morning welcomed by family and everyone's luggage.  We couldn't have asked for better travel.  God allowed every flight to be on time (both the airline and our group to make the flight), smooth flow in and out of immigration and customs, and everyone's luggage to be on the belt in baggage claim.  Now, after a few days of recuperation, laundry, and adjustment, we head our separate ways to begin our first clinical rotation.

I think I speak for the entire group when I say we had an amazing time and hopefully you as readers observed that while following the blog.  While there were some ups and downs with sickness for some, God's will was carried out and many world's were changed for His glory.  We also got to experience His amazing creation.  We truly serve an amazing God and we are extremely blessed.

Although the trip is over, there are a few things we would like to get posted in the next few weeks.  Be on the lookout for a post on the top "Peruvianisms" we as a team put together of the best experiences/tips of the trip.  Also, we are going to try to get as many pics posted online as we can (between the 6 of us, I believe we are up to almost 2,000 pics).  I believe there will be a facebook photo album and the link will get posted on the blog for all to see.  Or, call up the person you know and invite yourself over to get first hand details and photos of the trip.

Thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement along the way since the planning began until its completion.

Angela



Macchu Picchu



Macchu Picchu

Hiking in the jungle forest... while singing "In the jungle, the mighty jungle"

The peak to the left.. we hiked that.

The infamous jumping picture



Spice Girls and Britney Spears in the Sacred Valley

Friday was our last day in the clinic. On the way there we all chatted about the most memorable parts of the trip... we were up to about 31 things that were either jokes throughout the trip or "'life lessons"' we learned during our time in Peru... so everyone will have to stay tuned to future blogs to see what the list says! We were able to see a couple of patients in the morning, then worked on cleaning up the clinic and getting everything organized until lunchtime. After we got back to our hotel, many of the members of the group went exploring/shopping in Arequipa for the last time. Our friends Hannah and Hans were the first to leave Friday afternoon, and then the rest of the students left at around 7pm to catch our bus to Cusco. It was an amazing two weeks working with the MMI crew, and goodbyes are always tough after spending so much time together. But we all decided it was just a ""see you later"" rather than an official goodbye, and are hoping to keep in touch with our new friends!
Our bus ride was suprisingly comfortable and we all slept at least a little bit. The seats reclined 160 degrees and there was a leg rest that made the seat feel even more roomy (such a pleasant surprise!). With the exception of a few people barfing during the 10 hour busride, all went very smoothly! We arrived in Cusco a little before 6 am on Saturday morning, and were picked up by our tour guide shortly after. He took us to our hotel in Cusco to get some breakfast (where we met some funny new friends from England, Scotland, and Texas!) and to store our luggage before going over our itinerary and getting ready for the day! We made our way around the area to see some different lookout points and snap some pictures. We were also able to visit an animal refuge shelter that housed a bunch of different kinds of critters (llamas, condours, wild cats, turtles, etc.) and learn about how the animals were saved and the process it takes to release them back into the wild. We fed some baby deer and got to hold a parrot, which was pretty cool! A lot of the wild animals had been kept in cages and captured illegaly, so it was interesting to hear their stories and to learn about the refuge that was giving them a second chance... it really hit home because God is always there to save us and help restore us if we just cry out to him for help. What a beautiful picture!!!
Our tour guide took us a couple more places in the Sacred Valley (including some AMAZING Incan Ruins in Ollantaytambo), and affectionately (we think!) began calling us the Spice Girls and Britney Spears... we are not really sure why, but to hear a grown man call us that was pretty funny every time! We dont have access to a computer with a place to upload photos right now, but hopefully we can get some pictures up either later tonight or tomorrow! Once we are back we may also try to post a bunch of our pictures that we couldnt put up before OR post a link to one of our Facebooks when we have all the pictures uploaded 8)
We took a train over to Aguas Calientes last night after supper, and got checked into our hotel to rest up for our excursion today. Then this morning, we got up at 5 am to get ready to go to Machu Pichu! It was raining a bit this morning, but it didnt bring down our spirits! We treked through some of the ruins on our way to our 7am hike (where we met our OT friend Karen from the MMI trip!) and began to hike up Huaynapicchu. It was absolutely beautiful, though the fog was thick and we werent able to see to the bottom. It took us almost 2 hours to get to the tippy-top, but once we were there we felt very accomplished! (and also very exhausted!) It was a challenging climb, but all 6 of us were able to make it up to the top. Fortunately, Brittany was feeling better today (yesterday she wasnt feeling so hot) and didnt have any problems on the hike. Though it rained on us quite a bit during our journey up the mountain, it was still amazing to see what we could and just be thankful for Gods creation... He is such an amazing artist!!! Again, cant wait to share pictures when we can upload them! We also wanted to give a shout out to last years group and especially Becca... we struggled getting up some of the steeper parts of the climb, and cant fathom doing the same thing with a prosthetic leg. That is absolutely incredible!!!!
We explored the ruins for a while longer before getting ready to head out to catch our bus back to Aguas Calientes. Unfortunately, the guards were strict and though not everyone followed the arrows that were a guide to lead folks through the ruins, the guards made sure we did! We took the roundabout way, but we eventually made it back out to have a snack before catching our bus.
Now we are just hanging out for a few hours before hopping on the train to Cusco (our last stop!), having a rest, and flying back home tomorrow&Tuesday. Thank you so much for reading our blog so far, and we will try to post pictures soon! It has been absolutely amazing to see how God has worked in us and through us during this trip, and all of us have felt his hand in our planned (and unplanned!) adventures. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have had this opportunity to come to Peru and to explore a bit more of Gods creation with 5 amazing friends! Words cant even express how awesome this experience has been!
We felt led to share these verses this afternoon to close our blog entry. Psalms 61 (2 -4) says > ""From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever, and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.""
Adios!
Allie

Midnight Symphony

The last two weeks seem to have flown by, and today we found ourselves at our last full day in the clinic… what a bittersweet day! As always, we saw a plethora of different kinds of people from a few months old to 80 years young, and worked as a team to determine the best way to treat each patient.

 One of my favorite patients of the day was an older gentleman that had been in an accident about a year ago. After the accident he had to get an amputation of an entire leg (a hip disarticulation). Since the accident he had been almost completely dependent on his caregivers; he hadn’t been able to stand up (his daughter had to carry him everywhere), bathe himself, or do many of the things we take for granted each day. Initially he just told us that he wanted a wheelchair so he could have some more freedom, but once we started talking to him and seeing what he could do, we knew that he was capable of functioning at a higher level. Working together with Sara and the OT, we were able to teach him how to transfer with a standard walker from his wheelchair to another chair or bench, give him a reacher to help him put on his clothes, and give him a tub bench so he could take showers instead of just a sponge bath every couple of days. He was very agreeable during our appointment, but I didn’t realize how thankful he was until the very end when he started crying and praising the Lord that he would have the ability to help care for himself now… Even though we didn’t speak the same language, I knew what he was saying before the translator relayed the message. I just felt so blessed in that moment to be here working with people that don’t expect a lot, but are so incredibly grateful for everything they do get. This man really touched me and I was just overwhelmed with the knowledge of how good God is and how amazing it is that he can use such a broken person like me to help other people. I feel so fortunate and so blessed to be in an occupation where I can impact others (and they really impact me as well!). This mans attitude of thankfulness was so refreshing and encouraging to me.

We started packing up this afternoon when we got back from the clinic, since tomorrow is our last day in Arequipa. We didn’t get much time to be sad though, because we went out for an AMAZING dinner with the team at Señor Carbone (a buffet-type steakhouse). It was a great time to just hang out with all of the folks we got to know so well over the last two weeks and celebrate our time together.

We have so much to be thankful for! This experience has been unlike anything I could have imagined, and I have learned so much! God is good all the time, and I feel so fortunate for the gift of his grace and glad for the opportunities he gives to let us serve as his hands and feet. As Psalms 100 says: “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Thanks for your continued support and prayers! :-) We look forward to blogging again with you soon!

 Hasta luego!

 Allie

Mandy hard at work!

Sara, Karen and I with one of our favorite patients of the day.

Heidi, Hans and Hannah looking at something on the floor apparently. Maybe feet?

How we felt tonight after gorging on dinner!

Friends: Me, Heidi, Angela, Katie

More Pics!! Yay!

This is a wheelchair that some patients in Juliaca and Mollendo came in.  They are made by a company in Peru.  Resourceful but not practical!

On top of the hill in Juliaca at the Jesus statue

Today, a little girl wondered into the clinic room.  We aren´t sure who she belonged to, but she came right up to Angela as if they were best buds!

Heidi working with others from the team (Heather, Lady and Katie) on adjusting a wheelchair for a boy with CP exhibiting severe extensor tone.

Mandy stopping for a pic at the entrance of our hostel during our Colca Canyon adventure

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Brittany hard at work making splints for a lady with severe arthritis

It´s Heidi´s birthday today!!  Last week was Allie´s too!

Sara, with another little girl who wondered up without a parent in site.

Allie hard at work on adjusting a wheelchair for a patient.

Just some pics for now so you can see what we are up to.  Also, some have asked about trying to comment on the blog posts.  You should now be able to comment without too much hassle.  Good night!
Heidi and Angela

Worlds, Wheelchairs ad Wonderful treats!

Buenos Noches Amigos,

We have finished day 2, week 2 of the PT clinic here in Arequipa.  Both days have been very busy with administering wheelchairs, fitting braces, eating baked goods, and changing the world of many people.  Lets get to the sweet stuff, the baked goods.  One of the PT's on the team who lives here in Peru has been baking and bringing snacks every day.  Yesterday, it was amazing coffee cake.  Today, it was banana muffins.  Wonder what the last 3 days have in store!  The food we have been eating has been coming from a local restaurant.  While the meals are usually good, they tend to be the same thing of chicken, rice, a potato, and veggies.  Today, we had rice at lunch and dinner.  But, hey, we're in Peru on a missions trip.  At least we have food on the table!!  We have had some opportunities to eat some treats in the plaza.  Mandy enjoyed Burger King yesterday.  Brittany has enjoyed some fresh crepes.  Most of us have enjoyed the ice cream at the local shop.  In case some of you wondered, they didn't have Klondike bars  ;), but the ice cream flavors they had were quite tasty!!

The clinic has been filled with one life after another being changed for God's glory.  While the wheelchair may be a pain to clean or adjust to the patient, it never gets old hearing "gracias" with feeling a handshake and seeing a smile at the end of their session.  The people come with so little.  To be able to give them something to make their quality of life a little better is amazing.  Some patients just need an encouraging word in a time of sadness.  In one case today, we had to tell the mom of a 2 year old that her daughter had developed a form of autism and she may not progress from her current condition.  And sometimes, it's us who needs the encouragement when a patient doesn't seem grateful for their wheelchair or when a patient's past medical history is so overwhelming and we wonder how they are where they are today.  I think we have all experienced a variety of emotions and stories that has changed our perspective on life and PT.

We were able to get some pics up.  The first 2 are from the Colca Canyon that we blogged about last time.  The last 3 were taken in the clinic today.  There was supposed to be a 4th pic of Allie in a room full of patients (imagine her there!) but technical difficulties interceded and we will get that up later.  Between the 6 of us, we will have a boatload of pics that we hope to share on the blog through facebook when we get back to North American internet and more computer connections!

Goodnight family and friends,
Angela

Condors, colca, and canyons galore!

This past weekend we went on a fun-filled bus tour adventure to the colca canyon. We left early Saturday morning to make our journey to another beautiful place in Peru. Our tour guide (Pepe Pedro) was full of fun facts about every historic mark we passed on our way. We learned about the difference between llamas and alpacas (fyi, llamas tails are always up and alpacas tails are always down) :-). We took tons of pictures of the beautiful scenery! When we are able to post pictures (hopefully in the very near future!), you will get to see tons of pictures of the mountains, volcanoes, and wildlife. Everywhere we turn there are fantastic pictures waiting to be snapped!

Our bus driver and tour guide were nice enough to stop frequently for bathroom breaks (for those of us with weak bladders!) and for shopping :-) its so interesting because most of the ladies on the side of the road are selling the same things, but as soon as you walk towards them they will try to engage you and tell you why their product is the best... unfortunately none of us speak Spanish very well,and we don't understand their enthusiastic explanations! We were convinced to take a picture with a 3 day old baby lamb (for one sole!), but Mandy was more excited about petting a stray dog instead of holding the lamb... she loves her stray dogs :-)

After traveling a little further on verrryyyyy bumpy roads, we made it to Chivay to eat our tasty buffet lunch (including alpaca meat, quinoa soup, and other local favorites!). We filled up and then headed out to explore the market for an hour or so before heading to la calera hot springs. As you can probably guess from the name,they were EXTREMELY hot; its heated from the volcanoes! The pool was also around 5 feet deep or a bit more (many of us had to stand on our toes!), so we sure heated up fast! It was a nice time to just relax and hang out before heading back to the hotel to change for dinner.

Our dinner included a band serenading us as well as dancers performing traditional dances. It was all well and good until they asked some of our group members to join in...let's just say one of the dance's included Brittany and our friend Hans laying on the floor with an orange in their hands getting "whipped" by the locals... we had never seen or experienced anything like it (some may never want to experience it again! Haha). It was a very entertaining and interesting evening at say the least!

We then headed to the hotel (which had no heat!) to get some shut eye before getting up again at530 am to begin our Sunday. Today was spent traveling to the cola canyon to see the condors, eating some local cuisine, taking jumping pictures,and heading back to our hotel in Arequipa :-) we ate some dinner and played a few games, and now we're going to head to bed to get ready for another fun filled day in the clinic tomorrow :-)

Thanks for keeping up with our blog! Keep checking in to see whats going on and how God is working while we're herein Peru!!

Blog again with you soon!
Allie, Sara, Angela, Heidi, Mandy and Brittany

Making our way to Mollendo!

Yesterday (Thursday) 3 of the SRU students (Heidi, Allie and Mandy), 3 students from Arcadia, and Erin (one of the PTs, who we affectionately call "Mother Goose" :) ) made the 2- 2.5 hour bus trip to Mollendo, Peru. We filled up the van and took as many wheelchairs as we could fit to give to people in need in the city. The ride was very scenic, and we were excited to be working in a new place with people that were so eager for help!
We split into 3 groups and with the help of several local translators, we were able to fit all of the patients that attended that day with wheelchairs. It was a huge blessing! Some of the patients had no wheelchair or way to get around before we came (many had to be carried everywhere or supported by several people to walk very short distances), and others had "wheelchairs" crafted out of plastic lawn chairs and bicycle tires... The innovation in this country is absolutely amazing!
There were several mix-ups on the way (we could not find all the leg rests to the wheelchairs, certain chairs appeared to be "missing" due to mix-ups in the measurements), but we were able to all come together and fix every loose break and squeaky chair in order to give the folks in Mollendo the best MMI had to offer. Though at times we were very frustrated, it was incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on these people's faces after we got the wheelchairs fitted just for them.
Erin (the PT that was there with us) was actually interviewed 2 times for Peruvian TV stations while we were in Mollendo. A newspaper crew also came to cover the event. We didn't realize it initially, but apparently this event was a major deal and there were even 2 security guards on location with us the entire day to make sure that everything ran smoothly! It was a very interesting experience!
We made one house call to a gentleman that was unable to arrange transportation to the make-shift clinic that day, and it blew our minds to see his living condition. He was living with 2 other people in a very small, cramped house (we only saw one room, there may have been one more). He was elated to receive a wheelchair because before we saw him, he was unable to leave the house... He and his family were ashamed of his condition and did not want him to go out in public. But now that he has a wheelchair he feels more proud and is able to get out of the house. Again, it was such a blessing to be a part of something that was so important for this family! At the end of the day, we were able to take a peek at the Pacific Ocean, then made our way back to Arequipa. It was beautiful; a great ending to a very special day.
Today we worked in the clinic as we had Monday through Wednesday. It was a jam-packed day full of evaluations and wheelchair fittings. Though we were frustrated at times (we didn't realize we would have to be such good mechanics on this trip!), we were able to meet the needs of the folks we worked with today. Some appointments took 30 minutes and others took closer to 2.5 hours, but in the end (we hope!) all of the patients left satisfied. It is encouraging to know that our hard work is appreciated.
One thing that was different about today (other than the fact that we were missing half our team, as they did not return from their trip until about 4 pm this afternoon) was our prayer time at the beginning of the day. Monday through Wednesday we were able to hold a community prayer time together before starting patient appointments. We would gather everyone together (staff, PTs, PT students, patients) and the translator would pray in Spanish, one of us would pray in English, and then we would sing a song together. Unfortunately, we were unable to have that time with the patients this morning, as the owner of the hospital did not find it appropriate for us to pray in the main lobby of the hospital. The staff and PT/PT students were still able to pray, but by ourselves in the clinic. It was still a great time to focus on the Lord and to get ourselves in the right mindset to serve our patients, but it was sad that we were unable to have that time to pray with the patients as well. At this time, we are just praying for the owner of the hospital (as well as everyone we meet) to have open hearts to hear the Gospel. We prayed for each person that we would work with today or come in contact with in any way, and we hope that you will join with us and do the same!
Tomorrow we are headed on another adventure to the Colca Canyon... it is about a 4 hour bus ride, but we are excited to go on another adventure! We would appreciate prayers for safe travels and that no one would get motion sick (we've had a couple folks that haven't been feeling quite up to par!). We may not have internet tomorrow, so if we don't, we will give updates on the trip when we return Sunday afternoon/evening! Hopefully we will be able to post pictures soon as well! It is incredibly beautiful here, and we'd love to share some of the scenery with you :)

Ciao!
Allie

Up... to Juliaca

Buenos Noches!  It is hard to believe that the first week of the PT project is complete.  In the previous blog, Allie and Heidi mentioned us breaking into 2 groups and visiting 2 other cities.  Sara, Brittany and myself went with 4 others from our team and an extra translator to the city of Juliaca.  Juliaca is a 5 hr bus ride from Arequipa.  To save a few extra bucks,  the buses we took did not have any bathrooms.  For some, aka Sara, a 5 hr drive is no problem.  But, for others, not so much.  The bus ride there wasn't too bad and fairly uneventful, unless you can speak spanish and follow along with the soap opera on the tv.

Juliaca is 12,549 ft above sea level; Arequipa lies at 7,661 ft.  The changes in elevation causes headaches and higher heart rates, among other things.  Climbing up the stairs to get into the apartment where we stayed was a chore.. like we just ran a mile.  We arrived after dark so we weren't able to get a good perspective of the city.  I initially said "I feel like we dropped into a remote tribe in the middle of Alaska".  It was cold, slightly colder than Arequipa, everyone was dressed in multiple layers, and many of the roads are not paved.  We will never again complain about the roads in PA or OH.  We were picked up at the bus station from Luis, the priest, who was the pastor at the church where we would distribute the wheelchairs.  We were surprised to hear Shania Twain playing in the car, in English!  It was a little taste of home!  Dinner was prepared for us from the host family we stayed with, friends of Jodee's.  8 of us crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment with 5 other inhabitants: 3 on a bunk bed, 1 on the couch, 4 on "air mattresses" (that had holes) and the last 5 of the family in the main bedroom.  It was quite the slumber party.  Unfortunately, the hot water or heat did not come to the party.  Showers became kind of sparse and blankets became a necessity.

Thursday began with us arriving to the church to distribute wheelchairs.  Most of the chairs were already assigned to patients through previous evaluations, so it was a matter of finding the chair, unwrapping it, adjusting it to the patient, and completing several paperwork forms.  The day went fairly smooth.  Some of the highlights included the awesome lunch prepared by Luis (who called his mom for the recipes and cooked for an army!).  Some patients already had "wheelchairs".  This consisted of either a white lawn chair attached to bicycle wheels or a series of metal bars attached to bicycle wheels that involved using a hand crank to move.  These patients were very happy to have chairs that they could function much better in.  We also had some arrive who were in need of a chair that didn't have one.  For instance, we had one gentlemen who was an amputee and arrived using 2 crutches, or another lady who came in walking on the outsides of her bare feet.  It was so great to see the expression on there faces after they got their wheelchairs.  The best story came from a lady who donated a child's stroller earlier in the day.  Well, another lady with a little girl in need of something for her daughter came in.  We didn't bring any kids chairs with us because we weren't expecting children.  So, the stroller that was donated earlier in the day ended up as the perfect fit for this little girl.  It was so cool watching how God provides at the exact moments.  Unfortunately, towards the end of the day, we had run out of wheelchairs and assistive devices and had to turn a few away.  However, Luis runs a disability program at the church and was able to speak with them on coming back at another time when more chairs could be brought over.  At the end of the day, as if we weren't tired enough or the altitude affecting us :), Jodee took us to see a statue of Jesus at the peak of the city.  We climbed a small "mountain" (about 20 min or so to the top).  Needless to say, we were lacking on O2!  We arrived as the sun was setting so we enjoyed a beautiful sunset overlooking Juliaca and the surrounding mountains.  Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza at the only mall in Juliaca and checked out Peru's version of WalMart, PlazaVea.  Before heading to bed after arriving back at the apartment, we played spoons with our host family (for those unfamiliar with spoons, it is a card game using spoons).  That was quite the event and included lots of laughter!

Then it was Friday and time for the 5 hrs back to Arequipa.  This became a very long bus ride.  One of the other girls in our group became very sick... and with no bathrooms and the driver speaking only spanish, it was a unique situation.  Tip: when traveling in Peru, travel with disposable wipes and toilet paper when one becomes sick and you need to clean up the bus.  Sara was also under the weather since Thursday, probably from the altitude, but not sure.  So, none of us were up to eating lunch on the bus, except Brittany.  We were all too happy to be back in Arequipa and the hotel for hot showers.  Also, tip:  Peruvians are late to everything, except when getting off buses or airplanes.  We weren't even  at the bus station yet and people were already walking to the front of the bus to get off.  When we did park, there was already a line and no one waited for us in the front to get off.  I had a Peruvian rider in the seat next to me by the window.  He was much too eager to get off the bus as he almost landed in my lap trying to get his stuff.

Well, that is the recap of the last 3 days in Juliaca.  Allie, Heidi and Mandy will blog about their time in Mollendo later.  Right now, we are relaxing and playing some games.  Tomorrow, we are scheduled for an overnight tour of the Colca canyons and other places.  Stay tuned for our recap of those events!
Please pray for our health for the rest of the trip and the others on our team.  Several of us, probably half of the team, has come down with some sort of illness.  Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

Angela and Sara (for moral support and added comments :)


*We are sorry for the inconvenience but we are experiencing technical difficulties and are unable to upload pictures at this time.