Sorry We´re Slackers!!

Okay, so we admit, it´s been like two weeks, maybe three....since the last time that we have written. We are sorry....but we have been having so much fun, and we hope this blog, filled with stories, rainbows, and love makes up for it.

So...we left off when we were about to start our week of volunteering at a school in Cusco. It was great. The kids were so CUTE! We want to take them all home with us!! We spent our week changing lyrics to popular Latin American pop songs about French Guinea (our assigned topic of the week)..dancing and really just playing around with them. The kids were hilarious, some used our hands for bandaids, kleenexes, and poked us to make sure that yes, we really really are this white! We did some art projects, taught the kids about the solar system and how to say ¨booger¨...all very important things..... We had a great time, and spent a week in beautiful Cusco.

After our week.... we headed to the beach!! We spent 30 hours on a bus to get there, but it was worth it!! Huanchaco is the name.....really an oasis for chilling. Upon arrival, we made a new friend, a traveler... or gypsy, from Argentina. He started talking to us at the bus station, and decided he wanted to hang out with us for a few days...all good. We started our trip afraid of gypsies a little bit, since they sometimes harrass us, hit on us, and try to sell us friendship bracelets.. (don´t get us wrong, we love friendship bracelets!!). It really is only fitting that we now have a new gypsy friend and free friendship bracelets to prove it!! Days were spent realxing on the beach...we even found a place to rent an umbrella as to avoid being turned into a Pollo Broaster! People also use reed boats to fish and we def. had a lot of fun mingling with the locals (there are not too many tourists at this tiny beach, which we loved!!).

We are now back in Cusco with Megan Sides Pike.!!!!! We were so excited that she decided to come down and meet us here. We first spent a few days going to the Sacred Valley to visit the ruins and small towns around Cusco. WE would also like to send a shout out to the colectivo rides we have been taking around the valley (really just buses...but we meet the most awesome people on there....cute babies, sleeping old ladies, and funny old muchachos!!). The Sacred Valley is beautiful!! Mountains for days...green hillsides, and picturesque little pueblitos. We must say though that nothing can compare to Machu Picchu!!

That´s right folks, we made it....!! We started our journey at 5:30 in the morning....we wanted to get an early bus to see the sun rise, but turns out everyone else wanted to as well...so we ended up making it to Machu Picchu about an hour later. It is awesome!! Definitely should be on everyone´s bucket list of things to do!! When we get home we will post tons of pictures (we felt compelled to have a series of very long photo shoots). We also managed to find a tour group that let us join for free!! Since we are the cheapest travelers in South America, we decided to go to Machu Picchu on our own...to find public transportation the entire way there...and then somehow we lucked out in finding a free tour. Our guide was awesome, and we learnt so much!!....Including that everyone else on the tour paid a ton of money!! In addition to learning all of these things, we also learnt that some people still think that Incas live around Machu Picchu....we may be Simpletons (Gama....) but we did however, know this not to be true. Needless to say the tour was great.

After touring the ruins we decided to climb up Waynapicchu, the mountain that sits behind the ruins that is featured in all the postcards. THE BIG ONE. OUr trek was eventful and certainly an adventure. It mostly involves climbing stairs (Incan stairs) for the entire time. The stairs also have water making them very slippery (some guy almost took us out when he tripped on the way down!). THe view of the valley and Machu Picchu is amazing, definitely worth the climb (yes Braidy, you bet we sang it on the way up!).

Now we are back in Cusco for a few days....going to rest up from the adventures of the past few weeks for a couple of days.... Until next time, adventure is out there!