Bienviendos a PERU

We have arrived! Sorry for the delay in communication, it has been a bit of a whirlwind tour thus far and this is the first opportunity that we have had to update you all!

We departed sunny southern California on January 3rd in the wee hours of the morning. After a 6 hour flight we landed in Panama City, Panama and were introduced to the humid southern weather that the tropical surroundings had to provide! We shed our jackets very quickly.

After a short tour in the airport we caught our next plane into Guayquil, Ecuador. We made it through customs, threw on our backpacks, and headed 2km towards the bus station. The humidity and heat (80x80) made the journey quite an experience!

Upon purchasing bus tickets for our next adventure we took the opportunity of spare time to experience a bit of the local cuisine. We caught the attention of nearly everyone we passed as we were the only caucasian individuals in the entire station!

Our 12 hour bus ride to Piura, Peru went by rather quickly. Though we did not get much sleep, the experiene was something that we will not soon forget. We were quite excited to arrive in Piura for the opportunity to take a mid morning siesta! We are so greatful to our amigas Elena y Rafael Garcia for their hospitality and lifelong friendship! They have been unbelievable tour guides to northern Peru and are slowly but gently helping us to adjust to the local life!

We have just returned from our visit to Catacaos, Peru where we visited pre-Incan ruins (1700bc) and spent time in their fantastic silver market! The picture to the left documents archeological human remains. It was common practice in this culture to sacrifice young men during times of severe droughts in hopes of pleasing the rain gods. When other tribes attempted to encroach upon their territory, they sacrificed the entire population rather than to share their culture and interact with other populations.

We were also introduced to the Peruvian hairless dogs- which are quite a sight! At least they make for less clean-up! These dogs were also included in the sacrifice practice if the chosen family did not have a son to offer to the gods. The dogs were believed to have greater meaning than humans when offered to the gods.

We are now preparing for our trip into the jungle- the headwaters of the Rio Amazonas! We are very excited to share the experience with you!

We hope that everyone back in the states had a fantastic New Year. Please step outside and take a deep long breath of the cold crisp air for us!

Chau-

Greg & Jess