Semana Santa and Surf Lessons!



Procession during Semana Santa

In many Latin American and European countries, the week before Easter, called Samana Santa (Holy Week) is often more celebrated than Easter day itself.  This was definitely the case in Peru!  Starting with the Sunday before at Palm Sunday Mass, the priest described parade after parade that would occur in the upcoming week.  Thursday and Friday before Easter are considered National Holidays, so most businesses were shut down as the people flocked to the coastal towns to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather and fabulous festivals.  The most interesting part, however, is that on Easter Sunday itself, most businesses opened back up and resumed life as usual! 

The parades were amazing to see, with gorgeous displays of the Crucifix, huge marching bands, incense, and people following the procession as they walked for miles.  One specific procession walked over 15 miles, from one end of Trujillo to the other.  On Easter Sunday, my family and I went to the Cathedral in Trujillo for mass.  40 minutes later, the mass was over (if you have EVER been to a Catholic holiday mass, or any mass for that matter, you will know this is not normal!) and life continued as any other normal day.  It was a change from the celebrations that I am used to! 


Sunset in Huanchaco, Peru

Since Amber was able to get the Thursday and Friday before Easter off of work, we went to Huanchaco, a town 25 minutes by car from Trujillo.  It is well known to be a surfer's paradise.  Amber has recently become an avid surfer, so she convinced myself and her friend Kathleen to take surfing lessons.  One more fabulous thing about Peru:  it's affordable, if not downright cheap.  A two-hour surfboard lesson, wetsuit and surfboard rental coast only s/35, or about $12.  After learning, in Spanish, that I am a "goofy" (a universal word!) and how to balance on the board on land (not as easy as it sounds when the instructor is pushing you back and forth to mimic waves!) we headed out into the ocean!  First wave came... and I caught it!  Second wave came.... success again!  By the third wave, I thought I was a pro!  It was 4th through 35th waves that got a little ugly.  :)  Let's just make this fact known:  Surfing IS NOT as easy as it looks.  However, equally as true:  Surfing IS as fun as it looks!  Although I swallowed gallons of delicious sea water and attracted many stares as a ridiculously horrible Gringa surfer, it was a fabulous first experience surfing!  Next weekend we are going to another well-known surfing destination in Peru, so hopefully I can try it again!



Picarones in Peru

After a fun day of surfing, we were starving.  Peruvian street food deserves an entire blog post of it's own, so I won't go into too much detail.  Amber, Kathleen and I shared some amazing Peruvian delicacies called Picarones.  Picarones are essentially deep fried dough made from squash and sweet potato. It is served in a doughnut form and covered with a syrup made from chancaca (solidified molasses- way yummier than it sounds).  If you aren't drooling, you should be.  They are perfectly brown and crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside.  Topped with the sweet sauce, you forget that you are on earth for a few moments and drown in deliciousness.  Mmm... A perfect end to a semi-successful day at the beach!

Trujillo, Peru: Combi rides and one sweaty Gringa!

After 10 long days of unforgettable adventures, we ventured to the Northern coast of Peru. It is here, in Trujillo, that my sister lives and volunteers as a physical therapist. We all felt immediate relief to be staying somewhere for more than a couple of days! Traveling is exhausting, and living out of a suitcase can get very smelly :) We are staying at a hotel two blocks away from the beautiful Cathedral and Plaza de Armas, which has been the perpetual host to parades and celebrations since it is Semana Santa, or Holy Week.

Combi in Peru

On our second day in Trujillo, my gringo family and I got on a Combi and took the journey to Amber's house in La Esparanza, a suburb 20 minutes outside of Trujillo. A Combi is a privately-owned "mini-bus" (think old VW van) that transports passengers along specific routes. They are generally filled past capacity and it is not uncommon to see roosters, infants, and bags of produce overflowing from within. They are also more affordable than taxis and buses, generally costing less than 1 sole ($0.33) and a safer alternative to a taxi. Safer in the in sense that robberies are less common... the ride, on the other hand, is a whole other story. The Combis race from one street corner to the next, swerving in and out of "lanes" with passengers holding on for dear life (forget the concept of seatbelts or carseats here!). Sudden stops are to be expected as is speeding off before new passengers have got both feet into the vehicle!

After a safe arrival to La Esparanza, we met Amber's host family, who is absolutely wonderful! They take such good care of my sister. We met many aunts and cousins and enjoyed a huge lunch consisting of roasted chicken, rice, carrot & beet salad, choclo (huge corn = my favorite thing in Peru!), and Chicha Morada, a delcious juice made from Purple corn. It was truly one of my favorite meals I have had here. After hours of visiting, my Spanish skills were officially exhausted and we headed back to our hotel.

Trujillo is close to two major archaeological sites of pre-Columbian monuments: Chan Chan, the Chimu city considered to be the largest adobe city in the ancient world, and the temples of the Sun (the largest adobe pyramid in Peru) and Moon. We took a tour to Chan Chan which turned out to be a great photography experience, but not the best edcuational one. Unfortunately, our guide did not speak English very well and what he did speak, we could not understand. Therefore, I found myself standing close to the nearby children's fieldtrip which was conducted in Spanish and precisely at my Spanish level! :). From my fieldtrip, I learned that the city of Chan Chan covers an area of approximately 12.5 square miles and it is estimated that over 30,000 people lived in the city. The adobe city was built by the Chimor (the kingdom of the Chimú), a civilization which grew out of the earlier Moche civilization. The adobe city was such a drastic contrast from the bustling city of Trujillo, a mere 20 minutes away.

A favorite part to my arrival in Trujillo is being able to run again! You all know how much I love a good run. :) Given the knowledge from my prior blogs about Peruvian drivers, it's safe to say running on the streets is not the wisest idea. I did it my first day here, but after a few too many close encounters with taxis, I decided to look at Amber's gym. They offer spin classes, weights (thinking of you, Riley!) and have treadmills, so I decided to sign up for the remaining month I'm here.

First lesson learned at the gym: Bring a towel. There is a belief here that any sort of cold draft can cause a cold, so all the windows are closed and there is not a fan to be found. So, after 7 miles on the treadmill in 85+ degrees I'm pretty sure I looked like a wet dog, dripping profusely out of every pore. The same belief goes for cold beverages, therefore most bottled water is served at room temperature.

Second lesson learned while at the gym: Do not run on the treadmill during rush hour traffic. The treadmills are lined up against the front of the building with floor to ceiling glass directly in front of the machines. It literally feels like a museum display case with me, the sweaty Gringa, on exhibit for every passerby's pleasure. Three lanes of traffic were stopped for an average of 2 minutes per car directly in front of my treadmill. This meant 2 painfully long minutes of "running-man" imitations, blatant pointing, hysterical laughing, and many baffled stares. Needless to say, that was the longest run of my life. :)

Our week has been filled with more fun and there are many more stories to come... Thinking of you all!!