Spring Break Part I

This week marks the start of Spring Break for La Universidad de Chile. We had Spanish class on Monday because that is run through Universidad Catolica. Tuesday was the first class-free day. I went to the gym, washed up, went to do some errands downtown and then made a typical Chilean lunch with my friend Mariluz. It consisted on pan y pebre, arroz primavera, y ensalada chilena. Pan y pebre is bread with chilean salsa made from tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, aji pepper, cilantro, and salt. Arroz primavera is simply white rice with mixed vegetables. Ensalada chilena is tomatoes, onions, hard-boiled egg, cilantro, and salt (very similar ingredients to pebre, but it tastes pretty different because the flavors don´t mix as much).

After lunch I packed my stuff for my 10-day trip to Peru and the north of Chile, ate dinner, and went to bed. I got up at 3am on Wednesday to catch a cab that picked me up, then Leanne, then Katy. We were off to the Santiago airport in style. US 80s hits were playing in the cab and since Leanne and I were in the back seat, we got to see the music videos too!

The three of us met up with Austin, Emily, and Steven at check-in and the family vacation started. We ran into Anna, Aspen, and Tilly at the gate because we were all on the same flight. We knew they were on the flight, so it wasn´t as much of a surprise. We boarded the plane and we were in Lima before we knew it.

We checked out bags into lockers in Lima and headed out on adventures. I was elected to find a cab that would take us to downtown Lima. I knew it was socially acceptable to bargain in Peru, so I started immediately with the cab company. I didn´t get very far because this cab company was owned and operated by the airport, so it was a flat rate. We did, however, get a great cab driver that acted as a tour guide as we made our way from the airport just outside the city to the center. Lima is not the nicest city and there is a lot of wealth disparity. We drove through some very poor neighborhoods with dirt roads and an overall rundown appearance. Many people thought Chile was typical South America and that it wasn´t as modern as it is. Aside from a few cultural differences, the language, and the food, even the most comfortable westerner would feel relaxed and at home in Santiago in terms of what we consider to be necesities and luxuries as well.

We got out of the cab in Plaza de Armas, Lima and headed into La Catedral in which Francisco Pizzaro is buried. Next, we sat outside the government building to watch the changing of the guards. It was a little slow, so we headed to another cathedral (under the order of San Francisco de Asis) that is very well known for its catacombs. We saw thousands of bones from skeletons of people who were buried there. When historians were studying these tombs, they rearranged the bones into interesting formations. Most of the bones that were left were skulls and femurs because they are the heartiest bones in the body and take the longest to decompose. It was surprising to see the bones up close. I would think anything like that in the US would be encased in glass to prevent any human damage, but in Peru, there was one wooden handrail between you and the bones. It was kinda cool.

Next, our family of six split into two groups of three to head to San Isidro, a nice, residential part of Lima. We were using a map in the Fodor´s guide book that was completely insuffiecient. We arrived and were worried the other group that didn´t have a map would never be seen again. We all eventually met up at the entrance of the mud pyramid built by indigenous people that predate the Incas. There, we were able to see one of the most well-preserved mummies on earth. You could see her hair, eyes, and skin (with tattoo).

It was a greusome day between bones and mummies, so we decided to head to the beach. The walk through San Isidro was amazing. The weather was about 65 and breezy. It didn´t really look like a beach town because there were many apartment buildings instead of brightly colored houses like you would see in Valpo or even the Jersey Shore. Before actually making it to the Pacific, we stopped at a Starbucks for a bathroom break. Yes, all Starbucks are almost exactly identical. That´s the point, and as a business philosophy, it´s extremely interesting to me.

We arrived at the coast and started heading further south to a town called Miraflores that is known for its nightlife. It was a lot farther than we expected and after walking for an hour, we decided to split into two groups of three again and get dropped off at the park. Again, we got out of our cabs and didn´t see the other three anywhere. By chance, we were able to meet up again and took in the magnificence that is Miraflores together. The park is gorgeous and we had a good time sitting, chatting, and people watching before getting back into a cab and heading back to the airport.

We got our belongings out of the lockers, staked a claim on a table in the food area and waited 6 hours until 4am when we could check in. Needless to say, it wasn´t the best night sleep we ever got, but we sure could have used it after only sleeping four hours the night before and then wandering around an unfamiliar city for the day. We got on our plane to Cusco at 530am on Thursday and I was asleep before take-off. Such a shame because that´s one of my favorite parts of flying. I woke up just in time for beverage service and weird-tasting muffin, and then went back to sleep. The next time I woke up, we were taxiing to the gate. I missed landing, another one of my favorite parts of flying.

We got out of the airport in Cusco, hopped in a cab to our hostel and immediately went to sleep. I consider that to be day 1 (Wednesday, September 9th at 3am to Thursday, September 10th at approximately 9am).

Bargains from haggling:
Lunch in Lima
Cab to San Isidro
Cab to Miraflores
Cab back to the airport