Jesùs en la cruz

I loved the sound of it the moment in entered my mind, while I was touring El Convento de San Francisco (Saint Francis Monastery, for those without Google Translate handy). I had never used the phrase in Spanish nor translated it in my head (again, "Jesus on the cross" for those playing at home), but it's smooth, it's short, it's sweet, and most importantly, it rhymes. It was, without a doubt, meant to be.

So, I have been in Peru for four days now. I've seen some beautiful parts of Lima, I've eaten the foods, I've struggled with fast talking native speakers, and most importantly, I'm starting to get acclimated to my surroundings. Welp, sounds like perfect timing to head out and go to Cusco tomorrow morning, no? :) No, no, I was prepared to only spend a few day here, and they have been filled with more than I anticipated initially. Before I get too far ahead of myself, though, I want to make sure to include one of my favorite memories from the trip thus far. It happened on the plane to Lima, as I had my first experience in first class. Initially, it was great. Comfy chair, lots of leg room, blanket and travel pillow. It seemed like I could get used to this. Then came the parts I wasn't so used to. I felt just like Robbie --->http://vimeo.com/7098769. First came the hot towel. For my hands? My face? My underarm? As I took a quick glance around, my mind immediately shot to that "Wedding Singer" clip, and I began to dab at my face so as to feel like I knew what I was doing, when in fact I had no desire to moisten my face with a warm rag at all. Then the meal. Since it was a little past midnight, I felt it odd that they would be serving dinner. I was a little hungry, so when the stewardess came around taking meal orders, I decided to ask what the price was, expecting to be greatly disappointed in the high cost. She looked at me as though I had just asked if I could fly the plane and proceeded to tell me that it was, of course, free. As was the wine that I kindly objected a few times. Apart from all of that, most comfortable flight of my life. Which is kinda like saying the tastiest slug ever, but nonetheless, not bad.
In these last few days, I have gotten the opportunity to really explore Lima and have been received with nothing but hospitality and kindness. Many people, whom prior to this trip I either hardly knew or didn't know altogether, have extendeda helping hand in making me feel at home and get accustomed to the style of life here. A friend of the family, Jhonny,and his mother, Silvia, picked me up from the airport and delivered me to my hostel, making sure that if I needed anything that all I had to do was call. The first night, I was invited over for a father's day get-together at the house of my aunt's cousin, Guiseppe (his actual name is Rodolfo, but I'm partial to his nickname), and hada little fun getting there, taking the "scenic route" and experiencing the streets of Lima for the first time. Note: police officers in Lima aren't necessarily the best authority on directions. It ended up being a fun night and I got to know some great people.

Monday was a day full of visiting some of the finer sights and buildings here. I spent with my aunt, Magaly, and her awesome son, little Jorgito, in Central Lima in an area called Plaza de Armas, which is essentially their town square. Taking the bus (or micro) there was an experience in itself, as driving regulations and etiquette isn't quite the same here. Everything is go-go-go and there's a certain urgency to get from A to B with as little delay as possible. The Plaza de Armas was beautiful, filled with buildings and cathedrals that are hundreds of years old and full of history. Each building is intricately constructed and molded with such care, it makes for an absolute masterpiece of a square. This is where we toured El Convento deSan Francisco, a storied Catholic church which includes a catacomb, or underground storage for body burial that supposedly connects to other churches. With no disrespect, I got to see a bunch of bones and skulls, which made for an interesting afternoon.

That evening with spent with Guiseppe and his wife, first in another division of Lima called Miraflores, which has been the most commercialized and includes an outdoor shoppingcenter and many large hotels. From there we went to Barranco, a separate division where we dined on some of Peru's finest eats and drinks: anticuchos (shish kabobs), pisco sour (a deliciously dangerous drink), Inca Cola (a purely delicious drink), and picarones (deep-fried sweet potato donuts covered in syrup). If I lose any weight while in Peru, as was my original plan, it will be a miracle! The next day it was back to Miraflores to walk around a bit more with my stepsister, Andrea, and then taking a taxi to what I have read is one of the more popular tourist attractions in Lima, Museo Larco. It is a museum of pre-Columbian art spanning 40,000 years of Incan history, as well as various other civilizations as well. I would never call myself a connoisseur of art by any means, but I can appreciate some fine designs and paintings rolled in with a little history. Probably my favorite pieces were in the battle exhibit. As I looked at the armor and weapons, I couldn't help but picture the battles for land and pride that took place during that era. Another memorable exhibit for all the wrong reasons was the "Erotic Gallery", filled with pottery displaying, very...um...illustrated? depictions of love making and the like. Apparently it is quite the popular gallery according to the museum. I guess it takes a verymature mind to appreciate art sometimes.

This was my last night here in Lima before headed to Cusco for a month. I spent it re-packing and watching Las Diarias de Motocicleta, based on the early years of the life of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, as he embarked on a soul-searching trip with his friend from Argentina up to Venezuela. It was an insightful film showing another side to the man whom many have come to know or hear about in a different light. I felt it was only appropriate as a good chunk of the movie takes place throughout Peru, in both Lima and Cusco. It was, in some ways, reflective of my journey here, and my longing to respect and understand the culture and people, while lending my hands to help. It further ignited my heart's desire to pull more out of this trip than just beautiful pictures and funny stories. If you haven't seen the film, I'd definitely recommend it to anybody who appreciates a love of people and decrease of division. There is a great scene where the two men descend the Incan Trail up towards Macchu Picchu and gaze upon all of God's beauty and the ancient civilization built by man and...well I'll just let you check it out yourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvU6FAj70zk

Expect an update soon from Cusco! Until then, I'll leave you with a depiction of true Peruvian ingenuity :) Dios te bendiga!

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." -C.S. Lewis

Hence the name of this blog. Allowing this idea to sink in hits me hard, trying to understand the magnitude that this reality contains. My identity has much less to do with with my physical appearance and structure than it does what truly lies beyond my broad shoulders and my bulky thighs and my flat feet - a completely alive soul! Which then begs the question, for what am I truly living for? When I make decisions and life choices, am I more concerned about the "me" that is walking and moving on this Earth for an average of about 70-80 years? Or the soul that will go on living forever? I'd like to say the latter, but that is not always the case. As important as it is to feed and take care of our bodies, it is infinitely important that we also feed and care for our souls.

I always told myself I wouldn't start a blog until two things were fulfilled: I had something enlightening and/or insightful to share, and in addition, I had the time and the drive to carry it out fairly regularly. Well, let's hope both of those prove to be true! The main reason I am starting this blog at this time, though, is because I am embarking on a two month trip to Peru. I wanted to journal and take pictures, documenting as much as I can of what I experience while I am down there. And I felt like it was something that was worth sharing with family and friends, as it happens and while it's fresh in my mind. I hope to be able to share with everyone the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and every feeling that makes up Peru. Some of the main focuses of this trip include the following:

1) To practice spanish. I will be staying with a host family the first month in Cusco while taking language classes and volunteering with a group called Proyecto Peru. Fully immersing myself in the culture and the language is the only way I believe I'll be able to conquer my stubbornness and be forced to speak Spanish y solamente Español :) 


2) To experience life in a foreign country. In the last 20 years, the longest I have been outside of the U.S. at once is 6 days. I have developed a certain norm of living that I am determined to break. I have been blessed with a loving family that has supported me my entire life, and I truly believe that God has put me in that position to give to those who have less. This seems like a great point to thank my parents, because even this trip itself was primarily funded by my mom and dad, because they want to allow me to experience life in its fullest, and have been put in a position to do so. They have blessed me in ways that I am forever grateful, and they know that of course one day I plan on returning the many loans I have been provided with :) So I want to get a glimpse into life in a developing country, see the other side where the grass doesn't always appear to be greener, and try and help in whatever ways I can lend my services.

3) To travel and experience adventure with loved ones. I get the awesome chance to get to return to my roots, Peru, the country in which my mom was born and raised. And the best part is that I get the opportunity to do it with her as well as my sister, and even my sister's boyfriend Matty for a couple weeks. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

I am beginning to understand how much this adventure has the ability to grow me up. This is the most independent thing I have undergone, stretching my comfort zone and allowing me to, in some ways, fend for myself. I understand Peru isn't as safe as the calm, quiet, suburban Salem, OR which I have grown up around. Before giving it to much of pre-judgment, I am ready to experience it and find out for myself. Flight leaves in a few hours, sure hope Peru is ready for me :)