And the Adventure Begins!

It didn't take long before we had to look for a place to live due to Marco's house not legally belonging to him anymore since he isn't married nor does he have kids living with him. The general sent a letter of eviction so we found a place in Zaguan del Cielo the neighborhood I lived in for 8 months before living with Marco. It is furnished and comfortable but $150 out of each of our pockets for the month. Fortunately, Marco extended his eviction until the 10th of October which will give us time to get legally married in Lima in September and have the house again.

Of course, there is the issue of all the moving of officials happening in October instead of January due to the border line in the ocean coming out that will divide Chile and Peru's water and some beach territory. There is a slight chance Chile could invade if it doesn't work out in their favor. Because of that everyone is moving in advance so everyone is in place and ready if Chile decides to be idiots. Anyway, this means that Marco may be leaving for Lima at the end of October which means I will need a place to live for two months before moving to Lima. I can't leave before the end of the year because I promised to work til the end of the year, I don't want to leave my students, I make decent money, I wouldn't have a job in Lima, and I will be moving there in January anyway. Unfortunately, it means living alone for two months but fortunately, we will have a house in Lima on the villa when I get to Lima because there are tons of people moving to the border and cities such as Puno and Cusco so there will be lots of houses available in Lima.

All of this is contingent upon Marco passing the War School exam and getting in. If he doesn't pass then we will have our house again back on the villa in Cusco and live in Cusco for another year. We will just have to wait and see. Whatever happens it will be an adventure. It already has been! For now, I am alone in an apartment with Pepe for the next three weeks. :(

Engaged!!!!!!!

 

What a marvelous weekend I had! Marco and I went to a really fun birthday party for our friend Emily and she told us all about how she and her boyfriend went to Lares, hot springs, for her actual birthday and that it was wonderful, relaxing and super romantic. I love hot springs so there was no hesitation from me. Marco and I decided that since he was on vacation still and Monday I have no students we could spend the night. I didn't remember my camera but I will tell you all about the experience!

We headed out on Monday afternoon at 1pm and after a few bus rides and crossing a ton of mountain sides we made a 15 minute walk up to the hot springs. It was 4 soles to enter and 40 soles to spend the night in a nice little room that looked out on the springs. We found out that there was not dinner served at the springs so we bought a can of tuna, some soda crackers, an avocado, bananas, and peach juice and made ourselves a dinner. Haha! It was great. After eating we headed down to the pools and enjoyed incredibly hot water. It was WONDERFUL! We didn't get to see any stars but Marco had something in his pocket that shone nice and bright that night. We took a walk around the springs and headed up to a lookout spot. I thought he might propose there but he waited until we got back down to our room and were on the balcony with a bottle of wine. He said (in Spanish) "Before I take any drink of alcohol I want to tell you that I love you with all my heart and I have a one questions for you" He got down on one knee and pulled out a pretty rose red box. "Amy Royse Brown, will you marry me?"

Claro que SI!!!!

I couldn't be happier to say yes to such a wonderful person. He is everything I want in a man and I know that we are going to have a happy and fulfilling life together (with children too!). He gave me a beautiful ring with an 18 karat gold band and we chatted about how he went about everything. He asked both of my parents for my hand and both of them responded to his email with extremely sweet and loving letters. I have amazing parents.


I couldn't wait to share the news and the first person I called was my brother and then my cousin Emy. I also talked to my dad and mom all on skype of course. They were all thrilled and happy to be receiving a phone call. Everyone else got to find out on facebook.

Speaking of facebook, I have never seen more comments or likes on anything I have every put up. It is super fun to see who writes comments and how happy people are. I know I get excited when I see that people are engaged and right now there are tons of people my age getting engaged and married. I guess everyone wants to share the love and I am all for it!!! 

I am currently without a ring because it is being re-sized to fit my finger perfectly. It was a bit big but that's better than being too small. All in all, I am EXTREMELY happy and am already excited to be living with my man and loving life. :)

There will be pictures to come on this post but my internet is super slow right now so it will have to wait til later. Check out my facebook page if you are friends with me to see a pic of the ring if you are interested.

Paseo en el Valle Sagrado

 

What a great Sunday! Marco and I took the entire day to cruise the Sacred Valley starting with Lucre, a little town next to a lagoon known for it's delicious postres (desserts) as well as arroz con pato (rice with duck). We tried both but backwards. We went into the pasteleria to find ourselves surrounded by cow knick knacks (cachivaches is what I would call it in Spanish.) The first thing that came to mind was my second cousin Maggie who I remember loved cows and had tons of cow stuff. One must be very careful when declaring his or her love for an animal because everyone will remember and said person will soon have a room or house full of said animal. Haha, anyway I was thinking about getting something for Marco's mother because she likes cows (she has a real one!). We asked about the stuff and the guy working told us that it was a private collection. Bummer!! Oh well, it was still fun being in there. You would never guess that a little town near Cusco would have a pastry shop filled with cow stuff like you might see in the country in the States. I have a feeling a lot of the stuff is from the states since a lot of it is in English.

The arroz con pato was delicious. We ate at a place called El Tambo and it was beautiful. We ate in the garden and enjoyed the wonderful weather and flora around us while chowing down on a huge plate of duck and rice.

On the topic of things you wouldn't imagine seeing in a pastry shop in Lucre, Peru is a cake called Obama. No joke. It was an Obama cake. Check out the picture. I had to indulge and try out my president in cake form. I have to say I was quite satisfied. It was light and fluffy on one end and I think it had coffee chips in it. Mmm delicious. Who'd a thunk?

After Lucre we made our way to Señor de Huanca to pay our respects and our final stop was in Pisac. We wanted to get some chompas (sweaters) in Pisac because they are cheaper there and there is a ton of variety. I gave my green one to my cousin so I had to get another one. This time it was orange and yellow but the same style with llamas in the middle and a zipper up the middle. Marco wanted a gray one with llamas but ended up getting one that was very swank and looks fantastic on him. It is gray with designs on the collar and wrists. It is a 1/4 zip at the top.

We had to go to the pool. Who goes to Pisac to relax and doesn't go to the pool? I remember the last time we were there they said they were closing for a month or so to renovate and heat the pool. I don't think that the pool is heated but they raised the floor that means the water in general stays warmer from the sun. I did notice some panels on the ceiling though and that might offset the heating of the little Jacuzzi pool in the back. Either way it is nice to have an olympic sized pool that is 4 feet everywhere. Honestly, since there are no diving boards (other than the blocks) there is no reason to have a super deep pool. I helped Marco perfect his freestyle technique. It's not bad but his head could be a bit lower when he lifts it to breath. Swimming for the military means keeping your head above the water most of the time I believe so I don't blame him for wanting to have his head higher than it should be for a good freestyle stroke.

On our way back we stopped for a moment at Christo Blanco to admire the kite flyers. Apparently right now is the time for kites. I think it is cool how kites are popular in so many cultures. It doesn't seem all that entertaining but it is .When we got back to the house we watched American Reunion and shared a Pizza from Chez Maggy. It was a great Sunday.

Fiestas Patrias

Felices Fiestas Patrias was written all over everything last weekend. July 28th marked the 191st anniversary of the independence of Perú from Spain. People get pretty rowdy but I can only imagine how the 200th anniversary is going to be. I will most likely be here to celebrate too!

Anyway, independence day is celebrated much like it is in the States in that there is a parade and people have barbeques and family gatherings. However, the parade happened the day before in Cusco and included all the civil sectors of Cusco meaning police (can't forget the ever necessary transit and tourist police), military, firefighters, water and high mountain rescue teams, ambulances etc. It was a great day and Marco did a wonderful job in the military portion. There is no such thing as a parade like the one in Evanston I saw for the 4th in Peru. It just doesn't happen. See for yourself below.

There is a message from the president on the 28th and that is pretty much it in terms of official celebrations on the actual day of independence. It 2 hours long and is essentially like the president of the United States State of the Union address. The following day, the 29th, there is a huge military parade in which every section of the armed services and police take part. It is pretty cool watching all of them march together. Representatives from Chile and Ecuador militaries  joined as well which is kind of funny to me considering it's not their country but, hey, it's nice to see some friendly gestures especially since Chile and Peru aren't exactly best of friends. Marco and I relaxed as he pointed out the different people he knew. Next year he will definitely be in that parade when we are Lima.

Military marching in Cusco            

  AND.......

A man dressed as a butterfly in Evanston      

I made sure to celebrate in my own way by dressing up in white and red and singing with the Guardians at Ice in the evening of the 28th. It was super fun and the place filled up as soon as we started singing. It was the first time we played with Gabe on his full drum set and while my violin could barely be heard over everything, I was told by my friend Cindy that I sang well. It was a fun night. I was happy that I had the energy because the night before Marco and I went out dancing and to karaoke with friends til the wee hours of the morning. Overall, it was a fantastic fiestas patrias!

Final Concerts

 

July and December are both the craziest months at Qantu. We have all of our final concerts and they all tend to fall within a certain week. Poor Flor has to accompany practically everyone so she is the one who runs around the most crazed of anybody. Fortunately, everything went pretty smoothly all in all.

The first concert I was a part of was the violin concert on the 7th of July. I had one night back in Cusco before the concert. I was really hoping the concert would be scheduled for the following week but availability plays a huge part in when and where we have our concerts. The students did a great job and I was very proud of the work that my students did with Katie while I was away. The all seemed to be in good shape and ready to play. Of course, there are always nerves and little things here and there but I completely understand and I am super proud of all of them. We had a good time.

The chorus and orchestra concert went very well. The kids sang really well; better than they had been in practice on Saturday afternoons. They repertoire included traditional Andean pieces that they kids grow up playing. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that concert.

Finally, I helped with the ensamble concert which included Early Stimulation, Cajon 1 and 2 and Sikuris. It was super fun and it was adorable watching the little itty bitty ones dance around with their mothers in Early Stimulation. They were dressed up in costumes. Two butterflies and a duck!

The last to go were the Sikuri players who did a great job. The group is divided into two groups and one group plays a certain type of sikuri (pan flute) and the other group plays the other type and together they can play all the notes they need to play. I only wish they didn't play in a circle because we say the backs of some of the students instead of their fronts.

4th of July, Seeing people, and Making it Back to Peru

 

It was really great getting home from camp. I was fortunate enough to have my mother pick me up from camp and we had a nice ride down to Urbana Illinois to visit my cousin Kelsey who had been in a car accident the week before and had internal bleeding. She was doing much better but still in a lot of pain. Ugh, internal bleeding is no joke. It was really great to see her. I hadn't seen her in at least 5 years. It's really crazy how fast time flies.

 

The Skokie Sculpture Park Bike Path

During the 4 days I was home I managed to see lots of people including my friends Ben, Lynda, David, and Jessica. I even got to see a movie in a theater! It was Magic Mike, about a stripper played by Channing Tatum. It was fluff but super fun to see with a girlfriend. I mostly did a lot of running around buying things for Marco and myself and making sure that I had everything I needed to take back. Unfortunately, Spirit airlines only allows 40 pounds of luggage and only one checked bag so I ended up leaving a lot of things I would have liked to take along. I did get my other violin back and it has been wonderful not having to take combis with my violin anymore.

I had a great time on the 4th of July. I rode around on my bike running errands first and then I enjoyed the parade with my friend Jess. It was 101 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity and I loved it. I knew that I would be heading back to really cold nights and almost constant cold hands in Cusco so I was soaking it up as much as I could. I was well equipped with my camelbak and my sunscreen, shorts and a tank so I was not complaining! The people in the parade were drenched and the Cavaliers, a marching band that plays in the parade every year, was in the Underarmour without their jackets and plumed hats because of the heat. They had a fire hydrant open in one of the parks along Central Street.

That evening I made my way over to see my friend Lynda in Chicago before heading to a BBQ at a high school friend's parents' place. I saw the fireworks with my good friend David and his girlfriend Anya before finishing my final night with a great conversation with my really good high school friend Chanel. It felt so great chatting with her. She is such an amazing and interesting woman. I am always intrigued by everything she is involved in. She is slowly making her way through her childhood room this summer and cleaning it out which can be quite emotional. I remember going through my room the last time packing everything up before I left for Peru. I have always been good and getting rid of things but it was still a bit emotional not knowing what the future had in store and leaving things behind and getting rid of things that brought about memories. Such is life though no? We can't hold on to everything or there won't be any space for anything new.

 

The McGaw YMCA being represented in the parade

Love this family!

On the way to the airport in Chicago I was in a bit of a daze and sleep deprived from my late conversation the night before but my dad was trying to tell me in his way that he was going to miss me a lot. It didn't really sink in until I got home and found an email that really explained it all. I am beyond grateful that both of my parents want to support me and see me happy even if I am far away. I am so lucky and yet I definitely have that bit of guilt for being so far away. My mother tells me not to feel guilty because I have to live my own life and it would be selfish of her to think that I was going to stay around just for her. Still, they are my parents and they have given me so much and now I am super far away. Thank goodness for the internet though AND skype!

I arrived in Lima at 11pm at night and made way to Marco's cousin's for the night before getting up super early to take my flight to Cusco. Unfortunately, Marco wasn't able to pick me up from the airport due to work but I made my way to the house and greeted Pepe with a big hug. I arranged all the things I got for Marco from the States on the table and when he got home I made sure to give him a big hug and a kiss. It felt so nice being in his arms again and smelling him. Long distance relationships have got to be awful. We only had 7 weeks of being away. I can only imagine what my co-worker has to go through being here for the year and her boyfriend in Iowa. Needless to say, I was a happy camper and so glad to be home. I immediately started work that afternoon and our final concert for violins was the next day. I didn't feel too bad in terms of altitude but I did get a nasty cold a week or so after being back. I am not a huge fan of being cold all the time again (except when being scorched by the insane sun here). I am happy to have my job and my bands and be getting into a healthy routine again of going to the gym and eating lots of quinoa. Life is good and I can't complain!

Girls Trailblazers 2012

 The amazing ladies of Girls Trailblazers A 2012 ready to rock and roll!

Girls Trailblazers was amazing. I was a little nervous about the change from the Upper Peninsula to North Manitou Island and the Big Manistee but once I heard about how awesome both would be I was in. First off, the driving was cut by 2/3 from 900 to 300 miles. We had more time on the trip as opposed to two full days of driving taking two days from being in the wilderness. We also got to take a ferry from Leland Michigan to the island. The Island itself was safer than the backpacking portion of the old trip because the ranger knew where we were staying and the ranger station was never more than 3 miles from us.

We had amazing Bahamas-like beaches to stay on and the weather couldn't have been better. The girls were freaked out by ticks from a ranger on the mainland who obviously didn't know how to deal with 11 and 12 year old girls. Fortunately, none of them got any ticks. Graham got a pretty bad one though and I had to get its head out with a needle. We did that while they were all at the beach because that would've freaked them out more. It also helped that we had a super helpful ranger named Paul who calmed the ladies down a bit. He also helped us plan our route.

On our layover day we checked out an old cemetery that was pretty cool and also a little sad. There was a father and daughter buried together. North Manitou Island used to be a logging island as well as a hub for immigrants on their way into the States. I think the highest population was around 250 people in the late 1800s. There are multiple buildings on the island from the 1920s as well. There are a few privately owned buildings but other than that the island is entirely for backpacking. No cars allowed except for ATVs and a small fire engine.

We thoroughly enjoyed the beach and we also played some hydration games to make sure nobody got cranky. The girls were so content playing mafia most of the time. Graham and I had it so easy. They were a blast and we couldn't have been luckier to have a group of girls that all got along and wanted to hang out with each other. 

 

Our canoeing portion started out magnificently with a huge campsite at Chippewa Landing with a shelter. The bugs weren't too bad either. The other group said they were awful when they were there.

We made out way our to Sharon bridge to start our trip the following morning. We canoed all day and found a place along the river that was up a sand dune but turned out to be pretty nice other than a nasty pile of barbed wire that one of our girls got a bit cut up in. We let the girls swim a bit but the water was cold and one of them suffered from mild hypothermia. We quickly got her some warm clothes and hot water to drink. 

On the second day we were paddling along and all of a sudden a dragonfly landed on my shoulder with a fly in its mouth. He shook it really good and made sure that it was dead and that sucked its insides out. It then continued to munch away for ten minutes!! You can't see it too well in this picture but it was one of the coolest nature moments I have ever experienced. Honestly, I have never seen more wildlife on a river. We saw a deer with its two babies, lots of ducks, AND I saw a bald eagle!

We really couldn't have asked for better weather. We went through so much sunscreen but I would much rather have than then cold and wet campers in the rain. Our second night was supposed to be at a campsite but we missed it so we stayed on the side of the river again in a not too terribly bumpy place. The girls walked up the river and floated down a few times before we got them out to warm them up because that water was quite chilly. Unfortunately, we couldn't have a fire but we did have hot water and hot chocolate! The girls were content. 

When we got to the pull out at Chippewa Landing, the owner graciously allowed us to take tubes and play in the water. The girls made their way up the river and floated down twice. 45 minutes of trudging against the current for a few minutes floating down. They loved it. Later, they got Rick, the owner, and some of the guys who worked there to play mafia. I literally have never seen so many games of mafia played by a group of people in my life. Usually people get sick of it after a few rounds but they played it every day without fail at least 3 times. The girls are pictured above with their heads down waiting to wake up to see who has been killed and who they think the mafia is.

Overall, it was a FANTASTIC trip. I had such a blast with everyone and Graham and I had such a great time listening to the ridiculousness of adolescent girls. I am so glad that I was able to do this trip and be one of the pioneers for a new trailblazers trip that I am sure will be continued into the future. Other than tradition, there is really no reason not to keep the new itinerary as the official trailblazers trip for Camp Echo.