You don't know how to carve a pumpkin?! and our Caral adventure

      Ok. So I almost forgot that Sunday was Halloween, because it's just not really celebrated here. People go out and dance and party but nobody dresses up or carves pumpkins! So I taught my host family how to carve pumpkins for their first time in their lives. I kept them pretty simple this year haha but it was super fun. We put the lids on crooked on purpose so that when the candles were lit it looked like they had little sombreros on :P Then at 9pm I went to Maritte (the host hermana of Laetitia)'s birthday party with the other AFS people. We didn't stay very long though because the next day we all got up at 5am to go to Caral; and what an adventure that was!

      I woke up at 5am and hopped into the shower to have 30 seconds of freezing water before the water ran out. Good thing I hadn't put shampoo in yet! Turns out there was no running water at all. Cool. Anyways. Then I made myself a foraged breakfast of crackers and water (there is never food in the house except at meal times) and Zoraida came to get me at 6am to take me to the bus station where we met up with Johanna, Clemens, Jose, Louise, Laetitia, Emily, Ondine and Mona. Then, instead of the bus leaving at 6:30 how it was supposed to, it left at 7:30am. (Peruvian tiempo) It was a fairly unexciting 5 hour drive towards Lima to a city that I never actually learned or heard the name of. Then we found out that it would be another 1 1/2hr drive in a squishy van (double up lap-buddies!) to the ruins of the ancient city of Caral. The drive was super slow and bumpy and dusty but awesome, because it felt like we were in the National Geographic version of Peru. I didn't manage to get any pictures out the window though because we were SUPER cramped. We drove up through huge grey mountains and past fields and fields of green corn crops and farmers and women dressed traditionally in colourful Peruvian wool shawls and skirts and such. We passed a herd of sheep and donkeys pulling wooden carts and little shacks and loose roosters and chickens running around the road. It was so green! The first green we've really seen actually; it felt like we were in a Peruvian jungle of some sort! Then we finally arrived at dusty, sandy, deserted tourist attraction Caral.

     There were a bunch of hippies selling BEAUTIFUL handmade art in little huts outside the ruins but I hadn't thought to bring very much money with me. Some of it was overpriced (for soles, but still super cheap!) but I wish I'd been able to buy a necklace. There were beautiful carved stones clasped by bent and woven metal designs in traditional Peruvian patterns and earrings and yeah. Then we went on a guided tour (in spanish) throughout the extremely deteriorated ruins of Caral, a city over 5000 years old and one of the oldest in all of South America! Apparently it was a city of very peaceful people who had pyramids and rituals and a theatre type place for musical and artsy gatherings (there was 50 some flutes found) that one day just got up and left. Nobody knows why they decided to move, because there are no signs of war or fighting. Super cool.
     Then afterwards, because we had an extra hour, I went and got my hair braided super funky in this waxed string stuff by one of the hippies. It's basically a colourful hemp bracelet with small coloured stones and tree seeds and crystals woven around a long, thin braid of my hair. I got to choose the colours, the stones and the design, and then sat there for half an hour while we talked and he made it. I really like it! And the string is waxed so it can last 3 months or longer if you like. (I could also TRY to take it out earlier, but it would be super difficult.) He was a super cool guy and I let him help me choose what to put in it because he was telling me that in their culture this certain tree seed keeps away fear, and this stone signifies power, and stuff like that. I don't believe it, but it's cool for the cultural aspect. They were all complimenting my tye-dye shirt that I was wearing hahaha. I love moments when I get to have interesting conversations with different people of different lifestyles and such. Everyone else got bored waiting for me and went running on sand dunes (which I also wish I could have done!) but it was awesome. 15 soles, maybe a tad expensive, but I liked him and our conversations so yeah :)

      Then the adventure began. After our bumpy ride back to the bus station, we found out that we had to wait one hour for the next bus with available seats. We paid for our 10 tickets and then went and bought the most delicious pollo y papas fritas I've had so far, and it was so cheap! I don't know how, but most delicious potatoes I've ever eaten! Or can remember eating, as there's been a lot of potatoes. Anyways. Then we ruuuushed back to be there on time for the so called 6pm bus, and played Uno while we waited until after 7:30 for the bus to arrive. (Peru time.) Then, as we waited to load the already mostly full bus (from Lima, heading to Chimbote), we were told that it was full and there was no seats for us. Great. Then we waited another 45ish minutes for another bus to come, but were told that it was kinda hopeless that another bus would come and have 10 seats for us. So, we got our money back and wandered around trying to find another way home. Then Jose told us all to squish into this tiny FIVE SEATER car and that this guy was going to drive us to another city (1 1/2 hours away) and that we would find a bus to take from there. So with the driver, 2 in the passenger seat, four in the back 3 seats and 3 in the back facing behind us with me laying at their feet, we made our way to Chimbote. He had to take out the spare tire and tye it onto the windshield wiper so that the back door/trunk would close with the four of us in the back. Oh my.
       After only about 15minutes of squished uncomfortable crampedness, we arrived at road construction. Now it was pitch black out and we had to stop every 20-30minutes because of road construction. There were no pilot cars. Just another way to double our trip time. At one of the stops Mona and I got out and had a sprinting race down the line of cars to stretch our legs. We were looked at like crazy foreigners, running and giggling in the dark. Then we climbed back in and shut the door and continued on our way. After about 10 minutes, at one of our regular "Mia, sit up and see if the tire's still there" checks, the tire was NOT still attached to the car. I guess it was a super important tire, because he turned around (without signals or lights or anything safe like that on the dark, busy highway) and we proceded to look for the missing tire. I was beginning to think we'd never make it home. (and to think Jose had said it was a 3hr drive and we'd be home at 9pm) However, we couldn't find the tire. We also didn't find a car crash though, so at least nobody behind us had run into it. After awhile he gave up and we turned around again. Then we hit a huge bump that caused my whole horizontal body to fly up 5 inches and smack down on some peoples' feet because our driver had suddenly decided to turn off the highway onto a little dust trail. We were all very confused until the dust trail led to a little shack that was hiding some barely visible car headlights. Then our driver and the driver of the other vehicle got out and started shoving eachother. It almost led to a fight! Apparently, the other driver was in the vehicle behind us, and had nearly hit our fallen tire, and then picked it up and didn't want to give it back to our driver. Eventually, we got the tire back. Hurray. The whole incident taught him nothing though, because he re-tied the tire on the windshield wiper and off we went again. This time the back trunk REALLY wasn't closed that well, because after feeling a cold draft, I figured out that I could wiggle my fingers out the bottom of the door. Hurray. Then we had tire checks more often but the four of us in the back decided to lie the second time the tire was gone. We figured we would just pay the guy for a new tire. Ayayayaiii!
      Two hours away from Chimbote we stopped at a gas station and got out of the car (those of us in the trunk after waiting for the police to pass by) where we yet again tried waiting for passing buses to have seats. Not sure why we ditched the car. Anyways. Mona, Zoraida and I got a ride in the front with the driver of a bus and made it home to Chimbote by 12:30am. The others had to wait until midnight to leave the gas station! Mona and I got to leave first because we're not 18 and our families have stricter curfews. For once, maybe a good thing! But I was enjoying our continually "improving" adventure :D I was veeeryy overtired by the time I got to the house where Soledad was the only one awake and the mother and father were absent.

      Slept in til almost 11am today and obviously did not make it to colegio. Woke up and my cough is 100x worse. Yay! Now I have to phone the colegio and ask for permission so that tomorrow I can go with Nancy to get my package before lunchtime. Wish me luuuuuck!