The next place we stopped was Maras, a town very close to some really cool salt ponds. The main attraction was the salt ponds, which are still owned by different families in the surrounding towns(each fam has about 5). The salt ponds still produce salt, which is exported to other countries and used in Peru as well. The salt comes from a single underground stream, but the all the separate ponds are supplied by different channels. After all the water in each little pond evaporates in about two months time, it’s ready to harvest.

After taking a look from the top, we got to hike our way down the mountain.

It was quite a sight to see!!

The first view was just breath taking!!


All different stages of the process



Irrigation system



Pillars of salt

Staying

For the past couple of months I have been doing a lot of travel to various cities in Peru for different things that needed to get done. My trip to Lima last week was the last trip for a while. I'm so glad to be done with traveling for a while. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy traveling but it will be nice to be in Cusco without so many interruptions for a bit.

My trip to Lima last week was to finish the application process for my residency card for Peru. It was a long day of waiting at the office of immigrations(for all you Marylanders out there, it was kind of like doing anything at the MVA), but.......I am happy to report that I am now a resident of Peru. Yay!!!

Encounters

Ok, so I thought that after living in Cusco for six months now, people in my little neighborhood were finally used to seeing me. I was proved wrong today. I've found it interesting the responses I've received after greeting people on the street from time to time. People usually respond, but other times, it's as if I'm invisible and end up getting no response at all(which is fine I guess.... I am a bit out of place for them?).

Well, today on my way to work I said good morning to this older woman. She immediately started talking to me and then proceeded to touch my hair and remark about the color. And then she started talking about my eyes and how they were the color of the sky. Wow!! I'm used to kids staring or making comments about the gringa, but adults don't usually say anything It just made me laugh for some reason.

I guess it's my every now and then reminder that I'm Cusqueñian....

Looking back....

Well, the time sure has gone by super fast. As of yesterday, I have been in Peru for a year. Yikes!! Its kind of wild to think about how much has gone on this past year, the people I’ve met, the new things I have encountered, the things I have learned, and so much more. There have been lots of fun times, but difficult times as well. Even though there are people from home I dearly miss, I am so thankful to have some dear friends here who have helped keep me sane during this adventure and always seem to keep me smiling. Over all, it’s been a pretty cool adventure and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead as well!!

Here are a few of my favorite firsts in the past year....
-The end results of studying Spanish for 6 months:Abby speaking Spanglish
-Friendships with other missionaries from many different countries
-Getting to know lots of other missionaries and hearing their stories and adventures in missions
-Becoming thoroughly acquainted with the food of Arequipa
-Huge meals at lunch instead of dinner
-Learning Salsa
-Becoming a big fan of some of the popular music here
-Experiencing the World Cup in a Latin American country
-Empanadas
-A visit to one of the Seven World Wonders-Machu Picchu
-Adopting a cat
-Setting up a house
-Living in a place surrounded by HUGE and beautiful mountains
-Eating couy(guinea pig)
-Tunas
-Being involved in a ministry I have been dreaming of working with for the past couple of years
-Playing with children as a part of my job
-Going to the campo(countryside) for ministry
-The absence of a 12 hour work day
-My height is now above average
-Introduction to Burn Notice
-Really cheap produce that tastes so good!!!

Pausa

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a little vacation to Arequipa with my German BFF. It was SOOO nice!! It was great to visit with our Peruvian families, visit some places I’ve really missed, see some of our Peruvian friends, visit the school we studied at, go to some great restaurants, and so much more. . Some of the people we met with knew we were coming and some didn’t (the surprises were really fun!!). In many ways, it felt like I were coming home for a visit. It’s where I started my experience with cross cultural living and so much more. Seeing my Peruvian family was the next best thing to seeing my family in the States. It was nice to catch up with them, share about what life is like for me in Cusco and to hear about what’s going on with them as well. I almost laughed when my Peruvian mom set aside a special plate for me that was different from everyone else's(after a six month battle over portion sizes for me, I finally won!!! My plate had less than everyone else had:)

I was amazed by how much the city has changed in the past six months since I’ve lived there. There are now three more malls, another movie theater, and lots of new restaurants. Yikes!! We did visit the new spots, but really enjoyed going to old favorites. My favorite dog in the park where my friend and I were almost robbed was even there on the Sunday afternoon we went to the park.

Even though I haven’t traveled all that much in Peru,Arequipa has a special place in my heart and is my first love in Peru, so as you can imagine, it was a pretty sweet time.

How Long??

Well, for just about the past year I have been practicing the art of waiting for people(or being the person others are waiting for...). So far, it hasn't really made me crazy. For the most part, I've been alright with it and have looked at it as a lesson in patience. It is nice not to be so rushed and be pushed to be super prompt all the time. It does have it's downsides though....

Well, I was supposed to meet with someone today and as usual, she wasn't there when I arrived at the meeting spot(even though I was late, it was no big deal since that's pretty typical). I was content to just sit and hang out for a bit. Well, after hanging out for an hour, I finally gave up on waiting and called it a day and went on my way to get some other things done for the day. So, I guess an hour is my new limit....