The school was closed for three weeks during Christmas and New Year's, so we decided to do some traveling. We had hoped to fly from Sucre to La Paz, but if the clouds are too low the planes don't go - and they are usually too low. So we took a 12 hour overnight bus. Lydia got sick, and was down for two days in La Paz, so all we were able to do was visit Tiahuanaco. Peter and Ray also went down "the world's most dangerous road" on bicycles.
After another 8 hour bus ride, we stayed in Arica, Chile on the ocean over Christmas. The first beach we visited was absolutely strewn with jellyfish (I tried calling them 'pescados mermalados' but was informed the word is 'medusa' in Spanish). Some of these were huge - 18" in diameter. We were a bit timid about swimming here, though others were in the water, so on Christmas day we went to a different beach - fewer medusas, lovely sand and surf, and I went clamming! Great fun! But we got too much sun - here at the equator - and got a bit burnt.
Another long bus to Arequipa, Peru, where we toured beautiful cathedrals and enjoyed wonderful food - Arequipa claiming to be the 'gastronomic capital' of Peru.
On to Cuzco. (We discovered that a toilet on a bus is not such an advantage - for odoriferous reasons.) Here Lydia and I had great fun doing our "Christmas shopping." Prices are great! Of course we toured Machu Picchu, and on New Year's Eve day Peter, Lydia and I went rafting on the Urubamba river. Yahoo!
From Cuzco to Copacabana back in Bolivia. Lydia was sick again, so she didn't come with us to Isla del Sol on Lago Titicaca. Then she really got sick, from altitude we think, back in La Paz, and had to endure that 12 hour bus again.
When we got out of the taxi in front of our hotel in Sucre (looking a sight!), who should we meet but the Beams! They were vacationing with some friends who happen to work at the school where I am applying to teach next year. We all met for dinner the next evening and had some great fellowship.
Back to business this week - got to study that espanol! Here is the link to the pictures of our trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/raemmans
Friday, January 11, 2008
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