I made a HUGE mistake. A couple of them actually, and I figured I would try and spare you from making the same mistakes in the future. Possibly.
Mistake #1:
It started when I got to the bus station in Lima, heading to Cusco for a couple of weeks. I had thought that since I get motion sickness it would be good to pack my gravol in my daypack, because I'd probably need it. Unfortunately I must have forgotten to actually do that, because the gravol stayed packed in my duffle, underneath the bus - for the whole 24 hour bus ride.
Honestly, the trip could probably be made in half (or less) that time by car, but with such a big bus and so many winding turns through the Andes, we had to go like 15km/hr most of the trip. Actually though, the speed of the bus is displayed for all the passengers to see so we know they're not being unsafe, so we were legitimately travelling at that slow of a speed.
Of course, it wouldn't have been so bad if I had my meds, but even at 15km/hr, the bus constantly winding back and forth...I lasted about 4 hours, when the sun went down - then I started getting mega-nauseous, to the point where I had to unsafe-ly sit on the stairs of the bus watching through the front of it so my
stomach would settle down, while hoping that the bus door was super duper secure when we went around a bend that made me lean against it. But to no avail. About an hour later, for the first time in my whole life, it happened. Yes friends, I threw up in a plastic bag, on the bus that I had to continue sitting in for the next 12 or so hours. And I thank God for the plastic bag, because I only had it because I had thought last minute that I would grab something to eat on the way- good thing, or the whole adventure would have been a lot less pleasant. Fortunately at our next stop a really sweet English girl gave me a gravol - Forever I'll be grateful.
So moral of the story, for the love of Peter, bring your motion sickness meds with you at all times.
Mistake #2:First of all, Cusco is amazing! When I got here late in the afternoon, it had been really chilly and all night it was SO COLD. And if you're walking through it (which I did) it looks just like every other Peruvian city - structures made of brick and mortar, ceramic tiling for roofing, a lot of simple shacks, and food places pretty much anywhere, mostly simple and serving you huge portions for almost no money at all.
But the moment you get here the altitude hits you. Just simply walking down the street you're huffing and puffing and it has less to do with fitness than the ability of your brain to get enough oxygen, so you basically spend the first walk you take practicing your breathing skills. And of course, you have your first cup of Coca tea - made from the coca leaf, and known to help with altitude sickness...and it's actually delicious.
And of course, my hostel is up a hill. So getting there means huffing and puffing like a total noob.
I like this hostel. Unlike the one I stayed at in Lima, this hostel has HOT WATER for showers and a laundry machine! I've never been more
grateful for simple things like that - love your hot showers friends, it's something millions and millions of people don't get! Anyways, I decided to go out and get lost and explore the city. And it was AMAZING. Mostly just a normal city, but when you just get lost you find the gems of the city that no one else does. I love tours and the things they show you, but there is so much other stuff in the city to see! For example, after walking for basically ever I saw these steeples peeking over the buildings in front of me, and I wanted to see the building. Little did I know with all the winding streets and weird layout, it would take me over an hour to actually find it. But when I did, it was worth it! San Sabastian Cathedral is old, and gorgeous (as you can see in the pics) but there was absolutely no one there! A bazillion tourists in this city, and not one anywhere near this place.
Walking back, I took a different route and came across an area that looked like a ruin on the side of the mountain, just on the outskirts of the city. And I saw someone walking on it and I decided I wanted to go. I had to wander a bit to find a way up, then a bit of climbing, but I found my way there! And It wasn't just a ruin, it was a modern day farm as well! Right away I came across a shepherd, who was legitimately sitting there caring for a hurt little sheep - iconic, it being Good Friday tomorrow - it was so wonderful to see something that is so symbolic in the Bible, just a shepherd caring for his sheep. And cows I guess. I thought he would tell me to get out of there and leave his animals alone, but
he just kept telling me to keep climbing! So I followed orders. And found out that the ruins keep going, and going, and going! And the
coolest part was that not a soul was up there, except for the rare occasions I would come across a farm-hand or another shepherd. No tourists, no people...No one. I had the whole ruin basically to myself for some pics, some quiet time, some prayer and some worship - which was SO needed on account of the craziness I've been in the middle of the past week. I'm probably going to see some amazing things still in
the next week on tours and such, but I think what made today so incredibly special was the quiet. Exploring something totally on my own,
with only Jesus to hang out with and show me around. And that's probably what will stay with me the most.
Here's the problem. When I left the hostel today, not a thought crossed my mind about doing any hiking. I left thinking I would be exploring the city, historical areas, yada-yada. And so I'd be in and out of buildings. I also forgot the high-altitude lesson 101 that just because it isn't
hot and humid, doesn't mean the sun won't literally roast you to death. So I, like a dummy, left for the day wearing no hat, no sunscreen, in total ignorance. Until standing up on the side of a big mountain ruin I realize 'oh hey, I'm getting pretty dark, I should head back down'.
By that time though, as we all know, it's way too late and because it took me another 2 hours or so to actually get back to my hostel, with the sun at the highest and strongest point in the sky...Friends, I am roasted. Like a lobster. This isn't even Turks and Caicos Burn, this is 'I'm coming
home without several layers of skin' burn. So pray for me. If I was thinking I would have ripped off one of the leaves of the million giant aloe vera plants that I passed on the way home, but I wasn't really thinking about it. So now I have sun stroke, I'll be sleeping in pain and guzzling water for the next few hours, but on the bright side, I was wearing a longer sleeved tshirt so really it's only my head, face, forearms, chest and upper back that are scorched. And of course, I wouldn't trade my adventures today for anything in the world - I'd just probably put on some sunscreen first :)
Love you guys! Happy Easter weekend and enjoy the pics!
-B. <3
PS. Excuse the crappy formatting. I have not the patience necessary to fit all of the pictures in nicely with my text haha. Maybe next time.