Geysers

Unfortunately the internet is very very poor here in SPA and dont even try to upload the pictures so you have to wait to see this wonderful landscape - just taken form science fiction film. I havent thought that im a geyser fun but this was impressive. The whole trip was little bit tough: wake up at 4am, 2 hours drive on the bumpy road and -8 C degree at 7am - don't know what was at 4am. The reason was that in the morning at 7am the geysers are most active and the best time to observe them.
The whole landscape and the whole way back was beautiful. Similar to the Bolivian side but no way its too much. When you see all this space and so much fresh air and silence and colours you just dont believe in the beauty of the world. Im so happy to be again on the road.

Hurrraaah! new country new adventure!

After total 17 hours of journey by bus I arrived in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. San Pedro welcomed me with an incredible silence It´s a little, quiet, relaxing place. Full of tourists but the atmosphere is completely different to Peru: nobody´s attacking you in the street with the menus, no beggars, no children in the streets. You can just hang around and nobody bothers you. Although I was very sorry to leave my kids, my college and my friends in Arequipa, and I have to say I got so many cards to say good bye and thank you (about 100 from my kids and they are so so sweet!) and so many blessings like never in my life and I was really moved to get all this kindness and people saying that "I made a difference".
My Peruvian family made a dinner for me and I got a few gifts to remember. All the blessings I received must be enough for the rest of my trip! definitively. Yet I feel happy to have left Peru. I was tired of this country: so crowded, so many beggars and so pushy.

what´s new in Arequipa

My time in Arequipa is close to end and tomorrow I´m leaving Peru. Next stop: Chile.
My volunteering passed so quickly. Unfortunately I lost one week due to the strike in Peru: no transport - stones were thrown on those who dared to move the car. Many shops and businesses were closed. All the tourists got stuck as it wasn´t possible to travel from one town to another and even they closed Machu Pichu! One thing is sure: Peru as a country needs a LOT of time to develop and get anywhere. People´s mentality must change. So except I´m really sorry to leave my kids - I got the cards saying "thank you for you work, you are in our hearts and come back soon, we´re waiting for you" - i´m quite happy to move forward. There´s a lot to say about my experience with volunteering, teaching, kids. I can´t explain the conditions they live and how much they need love and attention, and how much they can move one´s heart and make you think what really matters.

Apart volunteering I went to the Colca Canyon last weekend. Eventually was only me and Fabrizio on our own. He´s not a great adventurer, actually he´s got no idea about trekking, travelling or whatever and I got really pissed off as I felt like I have to be a guide on this trip. trekking was pretty hard. The last 3 hours climbing the canyon was probably the hardest trekking I ever done. The walls of canyon are so high that you can´t really take the picture of it. Then, they make a lot of advertisement about condors which you can see at the Cruz de Condor. OK, we saw 5 condors. Big birds and so what? Not such a big deal. Just to get more tourists. Looks that tourism is the only industry in Peru...

Sorting out gifts and sweets for the kids - my last day.

Lost virginity

Just to say that on Monday I got my first tatoo. Love it!!!
Then I´m very busy with the college: looking for ideas for Arts and English classes which I mainly do. I showed some techinques I remember from my elementary school and kids loved it! They got so involved and enthusiastic about it - we were doing cards for their teachers as today there´s a teacher day in Peru. Apart that I wanna do some advertising for donations of books for a school library and clothes for the kids.
This school is the first school where at the end of the day kids don´t run to go home. Some of them need to be forced to leave school and go home...