Wednesday 26th June
Today at the baby orphanage it was assumed that I spoke fluent spanish. This meant that I would be able to translate for some visitors to the orphanage. I surprised myself and was somewhat able to translate (what I wasn't I just guessed and made up). Rarely do I see visitors to the orphanage and so was interested in the older white couple and the two South American young people. I found out that the young girl was adopted by a Norwegian couple from the orphanage, and the boy was also adopted from an orphanage in Ecuador. Her adoptive parents and adoptive brother were touring the orphanage where she spent the first few years of her life. It was so amazing to see such a happy family. As a volunteer, I have welcomed new children and said goodbye to some, but we never know about what happens before or what happens after. All we can do is try and make the children feel loved and be happy. I felt so honoured to be able to meet this family and learn about their story. It takes some truly amazing people to welcome children into their family and treat them as their own, with little to no knowledge of their past. I wish that everyone could see the beauty of these children. It saddens me that already in their short lives, these children have dealt for more than many ever will in their lives. During my time volunteering in Peru I have fallen in love with my babies at the orphanage. I wish that every one of them could have a life full of opportunities, happiness and love.
Paloma And My Babies
Friday 21st June
The day started off completely normally, taking a short 30 minute bus ride to the hospital where the orphanage is. I went to my room and said hello to all 6 of my darling babies, who are 1-2 years old. I give them kisses and hugs and share as much love with them as I can. In 6 short weeks these angels have found a strong place in my heart. But today was different. Today I had to say goodbye to one of my babies from the orphanage. Paloma was lucky enough to be adopted into a wonderful new family. As the mama bathed her, dresses her in her nicest clothes and brushed her small amount of fine hair, I reflected on how much she has grown over the 6 weeks that I have known her. Paloma was moved into my room in the first week I was here. In that time she has learnt to walk, can almost jump and loves to dance. She is such a happy child, rarely crying and always having the biggest smile on her face. I hope that this beautiful child has the opportunity to become an amazing person, full of love, kindness and a sense of belonging. As much as I will miss her beautiful happy face I know that she now has the opportunity to have a better life. Although she does not know it, she and all my other babies have had a massive affect on my life, giving me so much love. They are special children who will bless any family willing to have them.
The day started off completely normally, taking a short 30 minute bus ride to the hospital where the orphanage is. I went to my room and said hello to all 6 of my darling babies, who are 1-2 years old. I give them kisses and hugs and share as much love with them as I can. In 6 short weeks these angels have found a strong place in my heart. But today was different. Today I had to say goodbye to one of my babies from the orphanage. Paloma was lucky enough to be adopted into a wonderful new family. As the mama bathed her, dresses her in her nicest clothes and brushed her small amount of fine hair, I reflected on how much she has grown over the 6 weeks that I have known her. Paloma was moved into my room in the first week I was here. In that time she has learnt to walk, can almost jump and loves to dance. She is such a happy child, rarely crying and always having the biggest smile on her face. I hope that this beautiful child has the opportunity to become an amazing person, full of love, kindness and a sense of belonging. As much as I will miss her beautiful happy face I know that she now has the opportunity to have a better life. Although she does not know it, she and all my other babies have had a massive affect on my life, giving me so much love. They are special children who will bless any family willing to have them.
Eaaaarrthhhhhquaaakkkkeeeeee!!
Tuesday 18th May
What others may consider a dangerous part of life, us foreigners think is fantastic. My first Peruvian earthquake was more of an excitement than anything else. I was a bit taken back by the children running out of my english class as I didn't think my lesson was that boring! It was interesting that many of the other volunteers didn't even feel the quake.
Although it was exciting for me, I did notice some of the children were very shaken up. It made me realise that although that one was a small tremor, bigger ones do occur here and have potentially devastating affects. I guess that growing up in Australia, where close to no earth quakes occur, I can't fully understand what the affects that a big earth quake can have. Australian's grow up learning about bushfires and more recently floods, but rarely does a earth quake have any affect on us. Part of living in another country and continent is learning the different ways of life, and that includes the different types of natural disasters. I guess the best attitude to have to the prospect of a disaster is to be prepared, aware and stay calm.
What others may consider a dangerous part of life, us foreigners think is fantastic. My first Peruvian earthquake was more of an excitement than anything else. I was a bit taken back by the children running out of my english class as I didn't think my lesson was that boring! It was interesting that many of the other volunteers didn't even feel the quake.
Although it was exciting for me, I did notice some of the children were very shaken up. It made me realise that although that one was a small tremor, bigger ones do occur here and have potentially devastating affects. I guess that growing up in Australia, where close to no earth quakes occur, I can't fully understand what the affects that a big earth quake can have. Australian's grow up learning about bushfires and more recently floods, but rarely does a earth quake have any affect on us. Part of living in another country and continent is learning the different ways of life, and that includes the different types of natural disasters. I guess the best attitude to have to the prospect of a disaster is to be prepared, aware and stay calm.
My favourite thing - Food!
A typical meal in the house consists of some kind of potato, a chicken dish, white rice and some salad. I absolutely love it, however I'm not sure how much my body is loving all the carbs! Oh well! When in Rome!
An interesting day with strange experiences.
Thursday 6th June
Although spending 3 hours on a bus a day, traveling to and from work is often less than exciting. However on the rare occasion that something exciting does happen, one must blog about it. So this morning on my bus to work I met a Peruvian man who spoke very good english. He asked me where I was from, where I was going and whether I was enjoying Peru. Finally he got to his stop and just before he got off the bus he asked me if I had tried Maca juice, I said no and he proceeded to give me a jar of juice.
Later when we were at the school, I asked the coordinator if it was ok to drink the juice. He uncertainly replied that it should be fine. My next question was more revealing, "would you drink it?"..."no!". So now I was stuck with a jar of juice. The next option was to try and pawn it off to a kid at the school. A couple of girls walked past and I gave one of them it, although they were very suspicious... As they walked off the coordinator says "She's going to die..." I have to say pawning off my juice was a very interesting experience.
Another interesting thing happened in the house today. Unbeknown to me, American's don't know what Tim Tam's are. To me this seems a foreign concept, and it is sad that they are neglected of this chocolatey heaven. So today one of the Australian girls brought out Tim Tam's for them to try. Of course they all got out their camera's to check out what this strange Australian biscuit was. Of course they loved it!
Just a little side note. I want to wish my friends Amberly and Abby a safe trip home. It was amazing to meet you guys and you have made me laugh on so many occasions. The memories we've made will always stay with me. I hope you have enjoyed your time in Peru and carry this experience with you for the rest of your lives.
Although spending 3 hours on a bus a day, traveling to and from work is often less than exciting. However on the rare occasion that something exciting does happen, one must blog about it. So this morning on my bus to work I met a Peruvian man who spoke very good english. He asked me where I was from, where I was going and whether I was enjoying Peru. Finally he got to his stop and just before he got off the bus he asked me if I had tried Maca juice, I said no and he proceeded to give me a jar of juice.
Later when we were at the school, I asked the coordinator if it was ok to drink the juice. He uncertainly replied that it should be fine. My next question was more revealing, "would you drink it?"..."no!". So now I was stuck with a jar of juice. The next option was to try and pawn it off to a kid at the school. A couple of girls walked past and I gave one of them it, although they were very suspicious... As they walked off the coordinator says "She's going to die..." I have to say pawning off my juice was a very interesting experience.
Another interesting thing happened in the house today. Unbeknown to me, American's don't know what Tim Tam's are. To me this seems a foreign concept, and it is sad that they are neglected of this chocolatey heaven. So today one of the Australian girls brought out Tim Tam's for them to try. Of course they all got out their camera's to check out what this strange Australian biscuit was. Of course they loved it!
Just a little side note. I want to wish my friends Amberly and Abby a safe trip home. It was amazing to meet you guys and you have made me laugh on so many occasions. The memories we've made will always stay with me. I hope you have enjoyed your time in Peru and carry this experience with you for the rest of your lives.
Parque De Las Leyendas - The Peruvian Zoo
Sunday May 9th
Today, in true sunday fun-day style, we took a trip to the zoo. Although the weather wasn't that nice it was great to get out of the house with all the girls and be tourists for a day. The zoo was surprisingly big for an area which is in the middle of suburbia. We saw so many animals and had a wonderful time.
Most of the animals we could name, but we did come across these half rabbit, half kangaroo creatures. I tried to Google what we though was their name when we got home but I must have miss spelt it as there were no results matching what we saw. If anyone can name this animal, it would be much appreciated.
I can say with complete confidence that my favourite animal at the zoo today were the goats. I don't think I have ever seen this many goats before. They were so cute, especially the little baby ones. I was amazed to see how high they can jump. And they are so playful and friendly.
Now while most people go to the zoo to see the animals, sometimes you are lucky enough to come across another more interesting exhibit; the gringos (white people). Blonde hair and pale skin is a fascinating trait according to the Peruvians. At one point when I was looking at the bears, a Peruvian guy with his girlfriend asked me something. I assumed they wanted me to take a photo of them so I went to take their camera, but the guy didn't want a photo with his girlfriend, he wanted a photo of his girlfriend with the strange pale creature with yellow hair and blue eyes. So I proceeded to have my photo taken with this Peruvian guy and his girlfriend, all the while the my other volunteer friends were cracking up laughing. By the end I was a bit embarressed.
I thought the bears were another especially cool exhibit since Australia doesn't really have any bears. This one was particularly funny as it was doing laps around its rock.
Today, in true sunday fun-day style, we took a trip to the zoo. Although the weather wasn't that nice it was great to get out of the house with all the girls and be tourists for a day. The zoo was surprisingly big for an area which is in the middle of suburbia. We saw so many animals and had a wonderful time.
I can say with complete confidence that my favourite animal at the zoo today were the goats. I don't think I have ever seen this many goats before. They were so cute, especially the little baby ones. I was amazed to see how high they can jump. And they are so playful and friendly.
It was also hilarious seeing some animals from home and watching all my Canadian and American friends flock to these animals. The Peruvians also seemed to love the emu's.
Now while most people go to the zoo to see the animals, sometimes you are lucky enough to come across another more interesting exhibit; the gringos (white people). Blonde hair and pale skin is a fascinating trait according to the Peruvians. At one point when I was looking at the bears, a Peruvian guy with his girlfriend asked me something. I assumed they wanted me to take a photo of them so I went to take their camera, but the guy didn't want a photo with his girlfriend, he wanted a photo of his girlfriend with the strange pale creature with yellow hair and blue eyes. So I proceeded to have my photo taken with this Peruvian guy and his girlfriend, all the while the my other volunteer friends were cracking up laughing. By the end I was a bit embarressed.
"We are crazy goat ladies" - Ellyn and I
House life
Saturday May 8th
Yesterday was a stay at home day. I spent a lot of time with my roommates Charlotte and Shonnaugh. Although we did do a lot of sleeping it was nice to just chat to them. It has been a difficult time in the house over the last week. Its is very difficult saying goodbye to old volunteers who have become your good friends, and welcoming new volunteers who you don't know. As much as I love meeting new people, living in a house with all sorts of people can be a challenge. Naturally drama is a constant occurrence, and is dependent on the people living in the house. As much as drama can be exciting in the movies, I think I prefer it being on the big screen. Hopefully as we all become friends and bond we will learn to live with each other a bit more harmoniously.
I had a very enjoyable quiet Saturday night, spending time bonding with some of the girls from the house. I am so glad to have met these girls and am excited for the time I will be spending with them. The promise of new strong friendships is exciting and I know there will be many adventures to come. Although we haven't known each other for long, living with people in a foreign country means you share a lot in a short amount of time, and I have already shared so many laughs, tears and stories with these girls. Of course this was followed by the planning of exercising more and doing more things outside of the house. Who doesn't love a good pact during a girls bonding session? The only thing missing was a block of chocolate and a box of tissues. Of course this bond was solidified by a couple of girls doing a midnight run to Macca's (McDonald's for all you non-aussies reading) and waiting up for them to come home.
Overall is was a surprisingly fun night :) I have much love for my new friends.
Yesterday was a stay at home day. I spent a lot of time with my roommates Charlotte and Shonnaugh. Although we did do a lot of sleeping it was nice to just chat to them. It has been a difficult time in the house over the last week. Its is very difficult saying goodbye to old volunteers who have become your good friends, and welcoming new volunteers who you don't know. As much as I love meeting new people, living in a house with all sorts of people can be a challenge. Naturally drama is a constant occurrence, and is dependent on the people living in the house. As much as drama can be exciting in the movies, I think I prefer it being on the big screen. Hopefully as we all become friends and bond we will learn to live with each other a bit more harmoniously.
I had a very enjoyable quiet Saturday night, spending time bonding with some of the girls from the house. I am so glad to have met these girls and am excited for the time I will be spending with them. The promise of new strong friendships is exciting and I know there will be many adventures to come. Although we haven't known each other for long, living with people in a foreign country means you share a lot in a short amount of time, and I have already shared so many laughs, tears and stories with these girls. Of course this was followed by the planning of exercising more and doing more things outside of the house. Who doesn't love a good pact during a girls bonding session? The only thing missing was a block of chocolate and a box of tissues. Of course this bond was solidified by a couple of girls doing a midnight run to Macca's (McDonald's for all you non-aussies reading) and waiting up for them to come home.
Overall is was a surprisingly fun night :) I have much love for my new friends.
3 weeks, 2 goodbyes, 1 birthday.
Wednesday 5th June
I have been in Peru for about 3 weeks now and have made many good friends, in particular Courtney and my roommate Sam. Monday night saw the end of Courtney's program and her return to the States. It was a sad night to say goodbye to someone who I have become really close with. Courtney was my fellow inner-fatty who would enjoy a icecream sandwich and snickers with me, after a massive dinner. She is quiet but understanding and always looking out for others. I wish I could have had more time to spend with her while she was in Peru and I hope that we will be able to continue to be friends post-Peru.
This evening was another tough night. We celebrated Ellyn's birthday (my fellow Aussie), but also said goodbye to my roommate Sam. For someone that I have become so close with, and who I hoped to share many more memories with, to say farewell was more than difficult. I know that I will miss her terribly and struggled to articulate (possibly due to tears) how sad I was about her leaving. I hope that she continues to be the strong, kind and funny person that she is at home and that one day she will be able to return to Peru to finish the adventure that she started. I know that her presence in the house is sorely missed by myself and others.
I apologise for the sad post, but living with these girls, even if only for 3 weeks, has affected me more than I expected.
I have been in Peru for about 3 weeks now and have made many good friends, in particular Courtney and my roommate Sam. Monday night saw the end of Courtney's program and her return to the States. It was a sad night to say goodbye to someone who I have become really close with. Courtney was my fellow inner-fatty who would enjoy a icecream sandwich and snickers with me, after a massive dinner. She is quiet but understanding and always looking out for others. I wish I could have had more time to spend with her while she was in Peru and I hope that we will be able to continue to be friends post-Peru.
This evening was another tough night. We celebrated Ellyn's birthday (my fellow Aussie), but also said goodbye to my roommate Sam. For someone that I have become so close with, and who I hoped to share many more memories with, to say farewell was more than difficult. I know that I will miss her terribly and struggled to articulate (possibly due to tears) how sad I was about her leaving. I hope that she continues to be the strong, kind and funny person that she is at home and that one day she will be able to return to Peru to finish the adventure that she started. I know that her presence in the house is sorely missed by myself and others.
I apologise for the sad post, but living with these girls, even if only for 3 weeks, has affected me more than I expected.
Huacachina
Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd May
Huacachina is a small desert town located 30mins from Ica and 4.5 hours from Lima. It is a tourist spot known for its sand boarding and dune buggying. At the center of the town is a lagoon, which looks to be a tropical mirage in the middle of a desert.
We spent two nights in Huacachina, and well basically a lot of what happens in Huacachina stays in Huacachina. What I can tell you is that the dune buggying and sand boarding (even though i was super terrified and chickened out on some) was really cool. It is amazing to be able to look around and see nothing but sand. The vastness of nature filled me with a sense of calmness and understanding that there is a bigger picture than just my life.
A warning to all those thinking of sand boarding. Falling hurts, so if possible just don't fall. It has been a week since I went sand boarding and I am still covered in bruises!
Huacachina helped me to build some really strong friendships. I hope that with a little effort, I can maintain these friendships for years to come.
Huacachina is a small desert town located 30mins from Ica and 4.5 hours from Lima. It is a tourist spot known for its sand boarding and dune buggying. At the center of the town is a lagoon, which looks to be a tropical mirage in the middle of a desert.
We spent two nights in Huacachina, and well basically a lot of what happens in Huacachina stays in Huacachina. What I can tell you is that the dune buggying and sand boarding (even though i was super terrified and chickened out on some) was really cool. It is amazing to be able to look around and see nothing but sand. The vastness of nature filled me with a sense of calmness and understanding that there is a bigger picture than just my life.
A warning to all those thinking of sand boarding. Falling hurts, so if possible just don't fall. It has been a week since I went sand boarding and I am still covered in bruises!
Huacachina helped me to build some really strong friendships. I hope that with a little effort, I can maintain these friendships for years to come.
Beach's in Lima
Saturday 20th May
Although it is not quite hot enough to go swimming at the beach since it is currently winter here, it is really nice to just sit on the beach on a sunny day (provided those of a paler skin tone are wearing sunscreen) and read a book. Silvana and I decided that saying in the house all day while others were off teaching was going to be no fun so we packed our things, jumped on a bus for 30mins and enjoyed the sun.
Apart from enjoying the sun, I found it amazing to talk to Silvana, who is Swiss, about all the differences and general life in Switzerland. It's amazing to be able to compare two different ways of life and I love meeting people from all around the world. I think it has to be one of my favourite things about this program, although also one of the toughest. Meeting amazing people, becoming really close with them and then having to say goodbye knowing that you may not see them ever again is so incredibly tough, and something that I did not realise would be such an issue for me prior to coming to Peru. I guess the upside is that if I want to travel to any of their countries, I will have a friendly face to show me around :)
So this is a picture of the beach, which is in the district of La Punta. The stone are a bit uncomfortable and scare me with their potential to break an ankle, but they make an amazing noise when the waves rush in and out. Apart from the beaches, La Punta is also known for its amazing architecture. It is a wonderful place to just stroll around and look at all the beautiful and colourful buildings. So far I think that La Punta is one of my favourite places in Lima.
Although it is not quite hot enough to go swimming at the beach since it is currently winter here, it is really nice to just sit on the beach on a sunny day (provided those of a paler skin tone are wearing sunscreen) and read a book. Silvana and I decided that saying in the house all day while others were off teaching was going to be no fun so we packed our things, jumped on a bus for 30mins and enjoyed the sun.
Apart from enjoying the sun, I found it amazing to talk to Silvana, who is Swiss, about all the differences and general life in Switzerland. It's amazing to be able to compare two different ways of life and I love meeting people from all around the world. I think it has to be one of my favourite things about this program, although also one of the toughest. Meeting amazing people, becoming really close with them and then having to say goodbye knowing that you may not see them ever again is so incredibly tough, and something that I did not realise would be such an issue for me prior to coming to Peru. I guess the upside is that if I want to travel to any of their countries, I will have a friendly face to show me around :)
Touristing
Saturday 18th May
Today all the new volunteers went to Central Lima to the Plaza De Armas, San Francisco Monastery and San Cristobal.
Plaza De Armas is area where the President, Mayor and one of the first churches of Peru are. In the center in a beautiful park.
We also went to the catacombs which were really cool. They must be filled with thousands of bones from hundreds of bodies. It also has a beautiful church.
There are so many beautiful old places in Peru, especially those that have a religious significance. I am so impressed by the maintenance of these places. I hope that I am able to visit many of these places during my stay in Peru.
In other news, not only was this my first touristing experience in Lima, it was also the first time I had a Peruvian churro and all i can say is yum. It was deep fried on the outside (but not dripping with oil) and soft deliciousness on the inside. I can say for certain though, it should not be a treat enjoyed too often!
Today all the new volunteers went to Central Lima to the Plaza De Armas, San Francisco Monastery and San Cristobal.
Plaza De Armas is area where the President, Mayor and one of the first churches of Peru are. In the center in a beautiful park.
 |
| President's House complete with armed guards and a special ceremony for the changing of the guards. |
 |
| Mayor's house |
 |
| San Cristobal |
 |
| San Cristobal Cross |
 |
There are so many beautiful old places in Peru, especially those that have a religious significance. I am so impressed by the maintenance of these places. I hope that I am able to visit many of these places during my stay in Peru.
In other news, not only was this my first touristing experience in Lima, it was also the first time I had a Peruvian churro and all i can say is yum. It was deep fried on the outside (but not dripping with oil) and soft deliciousness on the inside. I can say for certain though, it should not be a treat enjoyed too often!
La Punta
Tuesday 14th May
La Punta is the shelter that Tarpuy Sonqo volunteers at. It is a temporary shelter which houses girls who have been abused, become homeless or entered into prostitution. The girls are aged between 12-17 years old and tend to only stay in this orphanage for 2-4 weeks.
For our orientation we played a name game. The language barrier was difficult as there weren't many good spanish speakers there. I am hoping that my spanish will improve as I go, however because we speak english at home i feel like my progress could be slower.
The girls at La Punta love to dance. They had a dvd of choreography and were able to mimic it. Another thing that they love is volleyball. They have a cord that they hang up in the hall and then play volleyball over it. They are all amazingly good at it and obviously play it a lot. It does sadden me a little that they seem to have become amazing at the things that they do a lot because it suggests to me that they don't get to do much else. They are not allowed to go outside and can have no contact with friends or family.
It does further establish in my mind the reason that we volunteer. I hope that we can bring new ideas and activities to the girls and hopefully brighten their days with our love and support.
Tomorrow I am visiting all the other orphanages on orientation and then on Thursday I am going to the school where volunteers teach English. I am really interested in teaching english since I have seen some of the other volunteers preparing classes, which look like a lot of fun. Hopefully my basic spanish will be sufficient enough for me to communicate during my classes.
La Punta is the shelter that Tarpuy Sonqo volunteers at. It is a temporary shelter which houses girls who have been abused, become homeless or entered into prostitution. The girls are aged between 12-17 years old and tend to only stay in this orphanage for 2-4 weeks.
For our orientation we played a name game. The language barrier was difficult as there weren't many good spanish speakers there. I am hoping that my spanish will improve as I go, however because we speak english at home i feel like my progress could be slower.
The girls at La Punta love to dance. They had a dvd of choreography and were able to mimic it. Another thing that they love is volleyball. They have a cord that they hang up in the hall and then play volleyball over it. They are all amazingly good at it and obviously play it a lot. It does sadden me a little that they seem to have become amazing at the things that they do a lot because it suggests to me that they don't get to do much else. They are not allowed to go outside and can have no contact with friends or family.
It does further establish in my mind the reason that we volunteer. I hope that we can bring new ideas and activities to the girls and hopefully brighten their days with our love and support.
Tomorrow I am visiting all the other orphanages on orientation and then on Thursday I am going to the school where volunteers teach English. I am really interested in teaching english since I have seen some of the other volunteers preparing classes, which look like a lot of fun. Hopefully my basic spanish will be sufficient enough for me to communicate during my classes.
Santiago Airport
3:15AM 14/5 Melbourne time
1:15PM 13/5 Chile time
12:15PM 13/5 Peruvian time
So far it has been a very
interesting experience! The flight to Sydney was fine, although breakfast was a
bit disappointing (yucky muesli, an apple, orange juice and a muffin that was
actually quite nice) Oh and I will warn you now, I am so exhausted and sleep
deprived since I have now been up close to 24 hours, so if my spelling sucks or
I’m not making sense I’m going to blame it on that! Back to my flight to
Sydney… I had a very chatty guy next to me which was good in some ways but bad
in others since it was very early for a sleepy teenager to be awake. Once I
arrived at Sydney I was fine getting the shuttle bus but did freak out a little
at customs! And they took my bottle of water which I hadn’t even opened! I was
very annoyed about that!
After customs I asked someone (yes
dad would be proud of me) to direct me to my gate which I successfully found.
The only annoying thing was that my flight got delayed by about 30mins so
waiting in the lounge was pretty boring, especially with a dauntingly long
flight ahead of you!
My flight from Sydney to Santiago
took a total of 12:30 flying time so really it was like 14 hours if you count
all the waiting and pre take off stuff. Anyway the first 3 hours went pretty
quickly as I watched Argo which was awesome! Highly recommend it, although it
is a bit heavy. I then went to sleep for about 2.5 hours trying to get my body
clock to change to Peruvian time. The next 3 hours sucked! Dinner had already
been served (which was actually my lunch) which came with a really yummy choc
mousse with a layer of caramel on the bottom! It was so good I was close to
asking for another one! So dinner was done, I’d had a nap and the flight was
only half way through. Things were looking grim! Basically I watched another
movie, read a little and went to the bathroom so many times! It was really nice
to get off the plane since my arthritic knees were aching! I’ve done lots of
laps around the airport to stretch my legs (and also to try and stay awake!).
Santiago airport is a whole
different world! Even with my basic understanding of Spanish the language
barrier is huge! They speak so fast! I think I’m going to have to learn how to
say “please slow down!”. Customs was fine, although slight difficulties with
where I was actually meant to go but I made it! Originally I was going to go
straight to the gate that I’m leaving from but my ticket didn’t have it and I
couldn’t find it on the board. So after much searching for someone to ask I
finally asked the Chilean police with sniffer dogs! The guy was really nice and
told me that the gate number hadn’t come out yet. How weird is that! Another
interesting thing has been trying to get food! I was hoping that I would just
be able to pay in US dollars but I had to go to a exchange and get some Chilean
pesos. But the big question was how much do I get?! And the lady wasn’t much
help. Anyway I got an ok amount I think and went and had a muffin at a café.
The waiter was really nice and is clearly used to dealing with non-spanish
speaking people. Paying was also very weird because its all really high digits.
For example my muffin cost 990 pesos, which just didn’t compute in my brain. I
almost gave him a note for 10 times the amount… opps! Hahah.
So that’s all to report for now.
Itinerary
Depart:
From To Flight Departure Terminal
Monday 13 May 13
08:30
Melbourne 09:55 Sydney QF416 1
Monday 13 May 13
10:55
Sydney 09:50 Santiago QF027 1
Monday 13 May 13
14:50
Santiago 17:50 Lima LA632
Return:
From To Flight Departure Terminal
Wed 14 Aug 13
01:35
Lima 06:00
Santiago LA601
Wed 14 Aug 13
13:35
Santiago 17:55 Sydney
(THUR) QF028 International
Thurs 15 Aug 13
19:30
Sydney 21:05 Melbourne QF467 3
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