25 October, 2007 Nina
T h e m o u n t a i n s. I feel so deeply rooted, so at peace in the presence of the majestic snow-covered towers looming above, or maybe just beyond the nearest foothills. There exists almost nothing of more earthly beauty to me, than The Mountains. I can think of nothing- not the sea, the sunset, the jungle, or the valley, although emensely saturated with beauty, they do not compare with the mountains. That is why, although expecting rain, wind, and cold, I can not resist their calling. To spend four days in the gut of the Corillera Blanca will be life-giving.
Why do they so penetrate my soul? Why do they reach to the root of my inmost being and validate my exhistance? I do not know these mountains, but they are kindred to one I know, or more deeply, one who knows me. My Rainier. I was born in your valley, I took my first steps at your feet. You, always towering above, never changing, always, always, there. Disapearing for days but always there. You watched me change but you always remain the same. You know those whom I love. And whenever I return to home, be it between months or years, you are there. It is home because you are there. My beloved, beloved Rainier.
May you never grow angry, although fire swells in your belly, may you never show your power. May you always watch over my home, and always, always be there, my B e l o v e d R a i n i e r.
21 October, 2007 Nina
We have been in the mountainous region of the Cordilleras for the past 4 days, and plan to be here at least a week more. It is absolutely gorgeous here! The rest of the Andes that we have travelled through have been beautiful, but not nearly as majestic as these snow-capped peaks reaching over 18,000 feet high! This one in the picture is almost 21,000 feet high!!
The past few days have been spent waking up to fairly clear skies and enjoying breakfast on the rooftop patio of our B&B, with panoramic views of the mountains. By the afternoon, the clouds roll in and the rain pours, with occasional thunder. That's when we build a fire and cozy-up inside. I love this weather and I love the mountains.
Today we are headed out of town to a lodge where we will spend the next 3 days, and then we hope to do some trekking for about 4 days and see even more of the spectacular Cordillera Blancas. We haven't really brought much trekking gear, but we are able to rent stuff here in town. We both only have tennis shoes with us, but I think we will survive. We'll just have to avoid the afternoon downpours as best we can. No cozy lounges with blazing fireplaces out there! If we go, it won't be for another 5 days or so, so we'll keep you updated. For the next 3 days however, we won't have internet access at the mountain lodge. We were supposed to head out there mid-day today, but today is the day of the National Census, so literally everything is closed and taxis aren't even allowed to run until after 6 pm. We had wanted to take a bus and hike part way, but that has certainly not been possible. We are hoping to catch an expensive taxi ride tonight after 6. We'll see.
17 October, 2007: Nina
Wow... this was one of the best days of my life! We spent the whole day with Anthony and it was.. amazing. We arrived at his project site, which is located at a Nazerene Church in his community, and were welcomed by many smiling faces. We went upstairs and around the corner came this young guy with a smile that I recognized from the anual photos I have recieved. The same smile that caught my eye and my heart as I leafed through the photos of kids in need of sponsors, that my sister Andrea had when she volunteered. Anthony! I was able to see that smile every time I caught his eye throughout the rest of the day, he was so happy. We met his friends at the project, which he attends 3 mornings each week. At this project they have classes for the kids, crafts, skills training, lunch, events, and various other special projects that the sponsored kids are involved in. He gave me a little tour and pointed out the classrooms where he has attended since he was 5 years old. He showed us how to make screen printed T-shirts and we recieved two that read ¡Wellcome to Perù!
Everyone at the project was so excited that we were there. They welcomed us with signs and balloons and giggles and kisses. It was evident that the staff really cared about the kids and had a relationship with each one. We gave the couple gifts we had brought and as it turned out, it was the birthday of Anthony´s only sister, Jezabel. We were able to meet her but she was spending her birthday with her mom, so she didn`t accompany us the rest of the day. Anthony showed me a handmade box that contained pictures I had sent him over the years. (In one of them I was only 16, haha!) It also had pictures of him over the years, on special occassions and such. I also got to see some of his files from over the years which contained a picture of him and my sister 7 years ago! Andrea used to work as a volunteer for Compassion, and she made a trip to Peru to visit some of the projects. She got to meet Anthony, who at the time was only 6 years old! He did remember her though. :)
After the project we walked to his house and met his father, Jose, and his little cousin. A few minutes later came his grandmother, who cried while she was thanking us for sponsoring her grandson. We drank Inka Kola and visited for a bit. Anthony´s dad told me he was up at 6 am this morning too excited to sleep. So was I. :)
I forgot to mention... the lady who was accompanying us from Compassion was named Maria. Maria was once a sponsored child in Lima who later went on to Univerisity and now works for Compassion. What a story, it was really amazing to meet her and gave me so much hope for Anthony.
So, we then went to lunch, played cards, and then went bowling! Neither Anthony, Maria, or Lili, a lady from the project who was also with us, had ever been bowling before. We all had a blast laughing and joking and doing our best to get the pins down. I won´t say what our final scores were but Anthony actually did really well! Best of all, he was having sooo much fun! We took lots of photos and printed them out at a Kiosk right away so Anthony could take them home. We spent some time watching the hangliders flying overhead and over the ocean cliffs and then had to say goodbye. That was of course, a bit sad for me, but I left knowing that we will write eachother and now our letters will be that much more meaningful because we really know eachother now.
It was such a beautiful day and the best part of all... I can´t explain. It was the relationship.. it was the 7 years of watching this little boy.. loving this little boy.. and finally seeing who he is.. experiencing the relationship to a deeper level. And sensing that he felt the same.. that he knew me... that he adored me... and now Matthew too. I felt so proud of who he already is, as a person, and the potential he has for the future. He is a really really great kid. I feel so lucky to know him.
I am really, really happy.
15 October, 2007: Nina
Well, we don´t have a lot of news to write about but we are in Lima and internet connections are fast and super cheap! Lima is so much colder than I had hoped! But so far, it´s a much nicer city than I had expected. We are staying in the nicer part of it, but still. Very metropolitan! It is right on the ocean, and the beaches are nice. I might even venture out to get my hair trimmed in one of the chic salons around town. We`ll see...
It`s amazing how quickly we made it down here. The panamerican highway runs along the coast of Peru, so it is smooth and fast compared to the twists, turns, and switchbacks of the Andes. This is a very nice change. We made it from Ecuador to Lima in 18 hours or so, which sounds like a long time, but is actually remarkable for here, considering the distance.
Today we spent the afternoon shopping for Anthony. (my little Peruvian Penpal of 7 years!) We get to meet him in two days and we wanted to have a few gifts for him. We chose a soccer ball, pump, and backpack. We are hoping to spend the whole day with him... maybe go bowling or something! I dont know, what do you do with a 13 yr. old?? I thought it would be a good activity where we can hang out but still talk.. you know.. boys like to have something to do, that`s how they bond. :)
By the way, if the thought of sponsoring a child living in poverty has crossed your mind but you just have`t done it yet... please seriously take a moment and consider the impact this has on a child´s life versus the insignificant cost to you or the 20 minutes it would take to make the initial contact. It has never been simpler.. after reading this you can go directly to Compassion International, which is a fantastic organization and sign up to sponsor a child in need. To you, it is just a small amount of money that you will not even notice, but to a child in poverty it will mean education, food, clothing, and involvement in a community center, and most of all, a relationship with someone somewhere in the world (you!) who actually cares about him. I can´t put in to words what this relationship has meant to me personally. Please, don´t just think about it, do it!
13 October, 2007: Matthew
So, Vilcabamba is a great place to spend your birthday, if not just to hang out. We did manage to spend at least one of our celebrations here, as we had originally had our anniversary scheduled for this cozy little Andean town, before the passport incident. So, not only did I get to spend my birthday in a really spectacular place, but we were able to take an all day horse tour, and it was really awesome. The views just got better and better as we (the horses!) scaled the mountains. At each of the switchbacks I was convinced that we had reached the best point of view, but only to discover that it only became more and more amazing as we continued. The air became so crisp, and as the clouds passed through, you could feel the mist brushing your skin. After riding for about 2 1/2 hours, we let the horses off in a lush pasture while we made some lunch and then started on a little hike. René showed us the cabins that he has on his reserve for overnight expeditions, and also we went to see a couple of waterfalls.
It had been planned to hit the jacuzzi at Jardín Escondido after our ride and then dinner... but as it turns out, there was a water shortage in town that afternoon, and so the process of cleaning, filling and heating the tub just didn´t happen. But, no worries, we were both so tired from our day that I think that we might have been just as glad to hit the sack right away.
So, we made it through another border crossing yesterday, and Nina with a brand-new passport. Peru, as it turns out was one of our original inspirations for making our big journey, so I kind of feel a special fulfillment in having arrived here. Our first real point on the agenda here is to make it to Lima and meet with Anthony. We are really looking forward to that. We are already acknowledging the vast size of this country in comparison to many places we have been since it will include an overnight bus (12-16 hrs) tonight in order to get to Lima. After our meeting with Anthony, however, we don´t have any more deffinate plans, so hopefully it won't include too many more bus rides of that length.
8 October, 2007: Nina
H a p p y B i r t h d a y to Matthew!! We had such a beautiful day today. We went riding on horses in the mountains all day, had a great dinner with some new friends, and are about to go relax in the jacuzzi! We will post pictures soon. Thank you Diney for bringing Matthew into the world 28 years ago!
3 October, 2007: Matthew
Man oh man, how the time does fly... we're already into a new month. We have been away from internet availability for a few days, but I would like to say Happy Anniversary (Oct. 1st) to Heather and Peter Hedman. We love you guys, and your support and friendship to us has be a wonderful gift over the last few years.
As I mentioned, we have been away from internet for a couple of days, but it was well worth the cyber-withdrawel to enjoy the lush scenery and tranquil environment of Punta Ayampe. Don't you know it, this was yet another one of our hosteltrail destinations. Nina is just finishing the writeup as we speak, so I can't share it with you just yet, but it will soon be listed on www.hosteltrail.com under:Ecuador -> Puerto Lopez -> Finca Punta Ayampe. Wow, what an amazing place. This was a beautiful little lodge that felt like you were in the middle of nowhere, but with the conveniece of a cafe downstairs, a birds eye view of the crashing waves 500 meters away, and the bus stop a 5 minute walk further up the hill. We were sad to leave.
Just a brief bit on the newsy side... We had a succesful day at the US Embassy and Nina has a new passport!! Man, it is all fancy too, it's got a colonial piture in the front with part of the national anthom, and then the colors are all bright for the visa pages with glowing red, white, and blue. And close your eyes all of our conspiracy theorists, it has some sort of micro ship in it for purposes that the government might have. I like to simply think that if this one is stolen as well, that we could just get it back, but who knows really.
So, at present we are back in Cuenca and in the morning headed down to Vilcabamba... our plan the last time we were in Cuenca. But hey, we had a great time during our detour including a surprisingly, but remarkably wonderful anniversary for ourselves.