Day 1 (Thurs November 24th) - Michelle

Blaine and I found out the night before that because continental airlines didn't think we had enough time between flights that we had to leave 2.5 hours before our scheduled flight. We were 'muy preacupado' very worried about making it to the airport, because I hadn't quite finished packing. By some miracle we were en route with Doug, who was dropping us off when we realized we were missing a bag. We were almost to the airport when we had to crazily turn around and head back home. We hauled butt back to the airport, said our goodbyes to Doug and somehow made it in enough time to be checked it. The flight was from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Houston, Texas and then from Houston we flew into Peru. For a flight that took a total of 7.5 hours with a layover in Houston for 3 hours, everything went by really fast. When we arrived at the airport in Lima, Peru Blaine and I were excited, nervous (at least I was because, I haven't practiced my Spanish in 3 years) and at the same time looking forward to seeing my VERY extended family. Getting off the plane was an experience in itself. Blaine immediately said to me, "Peru has a smell." Not a stinky smell, but a very distinct one and I agreed with him. I noticed the smell before when I had visited Peru. We headed to immigration first and when that whole ordeal was done with we went and grabbed our bags. After this, we walked over to customs and were told to push a button. This button turns 'red' for stop 'your bags will be checked' and then 'green' for 'go ahead and move forward.' Blaine pushed the button and we were stopped. 'No bueno' but we were lucky and it didn't take that long. When we finished with customs we appeared in the arrival area and skimmed the crowd for my cousin Carito, because of the change of flight and limited time earlier that day we were not able to communicate well with my family as to the flight we would be on. We crossed our fingers and hoped that they had access to the emails we had sent out to them. Once again we got lucky and I heard a soft voice call my name. It was so great to see my cousin! She is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. She greeted us happily and immediately was trying to practice her English and talk to Blaine. Apparently, 6 flights had come in all around the same time so the airport was packed and there was nowhere close for my cousin to park. Once we figured everything out and left the airport we were on our way to my Aunt Adita's house in Surco. We arrived really late, but Adita was very excited to meet Blaine and see me again. This is the end of this entry, b/c Blaine and I basically passed out and went to sleep.On a sidenote: Blaine thought that the city streets were 'better paved' than the ones in Oklahoma City.

Day 2 (Friday November 25th) -Michelle

The sun rises in Peru around 4:30 am and doesn't let up. Remember, it is technically the summer time here. Blaine and I got up around 8am and had breakfast with my family. This consisted of many 'besos y abrazos' (hugs and kisses) as well as "Buenas Dias!"(Good mornings!) We came down stairs and immediately saw my Great Aunt: Tia Beatrice. She is the cutest little old lady and is about 87 years old. I introduced Blaine as 'mi esposo' my husband and told her his name. She looked confused and tried to pronounce it, but all she could say was 'Bien' which means good. She kept asking Adita to help her pronounce his name, but unfortunately she just wasn't able to grasp saying it.

I caught up with my aunt some and was surprised that I had retained more Spanish than I thought. Adita, at first she spoke in Spanish really fast (mostly because she was excited) and then realized that she should talk in English for Blaine. We sat down to eat a typical Peruvian 'desayuno' (breakfast), which, in my family includes bread, butter, sandwich meat, cheese, avocado and lots of drinks. We first start out with 'bolda' an old family recipe that is considered to be good for one's health. It is like a tea and I don't like the taste very much, but Blaine was ok with it. Next we drank some fresh squeezed orange juice and then as we eat our meal, my Tia brings us some hot milk w/tea in it. That is a total of 3 glasses of liquids! By the time you are done drinking all these, you don't even want to eat. Adita and my Tia were very concerned about Blaine having a sufficient amount of food to eat. They kept pushing him to eat more and more.

After breakfast we headed to the 'Gold Museum' in Surco. This museum was particularly interesting because it showed a lot of Peru's history and how the Pre- Incan civilization lived and what they wore. My favorite part of the museum were the mummy's and shrunken heads. Blaine's favorite part, were the masks that the Chiefs of the tribe would wear. We spent about 2 hours there, while Adita went to go visit her dad, my Tio David. When Blaine and I finished our visit to the Gold Museum, Adita picked us up and we caught a taxi to go pick up my Tia.

Most traveling in Peru is done by taxi, combis or micro buses. This cost anywhere from 5 soles to 15($2- $5.50), depending on where you are going and this is also dependent on your bargaining skills. The trouble with these modes of transportation is the fact that the drivers immediately recognized Blaine as a 'gringo' and want to charge more b/c they suspect he has money since he is an American.Once we got everyone, we headed to Miraflores for 'Almuerzo' (lunch) where there is the hustle and bustle of Peruvians going about their daily lives. It's very much like New York in that aspect. Miraflores is the very touristy upscale area, where most touristas spend their time in Lima.

Anyway, Adita and my Tia Beatrice decided to take us to this popular, but small restaurant that serves vegetarian Peruvian food. I think my family was scared that Blaine and I would get food poisoning and they wanted to 'gently introduce' us to the cuisine.When lunch was eaten (everything was delicious) we left for Baranco. Baranco is this old part of Lima that has some interesting sights to see and is the 'most perserved' in regards to the way it looks. We got to see some 'markets' and visit this gazebo type thing on a ledge looking out towards the sunset. It was quite beautiful and we had some cheesy Peruvian singers come serenade us.

Next, we went back to Adita's house and got ready for my cousin Carito to come pick us up for dinner. This was all done on 'peruvian time' I don't know if it's all Peruvians or just my family, but they are notoriously late for everything and anything. Carito came and got us and then we drove (in her car) to my aunt Laura's place. My aunt Laura is my mom's sister and Carito's mom. I did not have the opportunity to meet her the last time I was in Peru, so this time she invited Blaine and I up to her place to say hello. It was a very emotional introduction, b/c my Aunt Laura and Uncle Hugo had not seen me since I was a baby. Following this family reunion, we went to get my other cousins wife and daughter (Monica and Flabia) Monica is married to my cousin Olgito who is Carito's brother. In addition, Ceasar (Carito's husband) and Natayla Carito's daughter came along. It was a full family affair and they desired to go to Larcomar. Larcomar is a pretty popular outdoor mall, within the miraflores district, that has activities to do and restaurants to eat at. There is a combination of fast food, ice cream shops and nice sit down places. They even have a Hello Kitty store there, although I wouldn't recommend buying anything there because the prices are really high. Blaine and I ended up eating around 10pm with the family. In typical Peruvian fashion dinner is really late. Peruvian breakfasts are considered to be really small and light, lunch is the MOST important meal of the day and dinner varies. This was a culture shock to Blaine who is not use to eating so late. However, that being said the food was to his liking so all was well. Once we finished dinner, we were taken home and Blaine and I crashed again. We were exhausted from all that we did and saw in one day.

Day 3 (Saturday November 26th) - Blaine

The day started off early again.We woke up around 7:30 and had the typical breakfast and a lot of nice conversation with Adita and Tia Beatrice.Our first stop this day was to be the Palacio de Gobierno, or Palace of Government.Like the traditional arrangement of Spanish settled cities.The city government was located on the plaza de Armas, across from the church, and the wealthiest citizens on the other two sides.We had reservations for the tour at 10am, and barely made it!There was a long line where we go through security before we can enter.The tour was in Spanish, but Adita translated as much as possible.The palace is expansive, but we only were allowed to see 4 rooms.The rooms had extremely high ceilings, with ornate woodwork.One of the rooms was modeled after the hall of mirrors at Versailles.There was also the room where foreign dignitaries are hosted for special dinners, and a smaller room(still large) for more private dinners and press conferences. It should be noted that the palace is still used today, and that it has been rebuilt several times due to earthquakes.

After the Palace we walked around the Plaza de Armas and Adita gave us some history lessons about Francisco Pizzaro, the dude who founded Peru.After that we hopped over to the San Francisco church, which is nearby and looked around there a bit.Of course Michelle found some touristy shops selling various Peruvian wares on the way too. We couldn't spend much time there as we had to make our way back to the government palace where the daily changing of the guards occurs at noon.Like any changing of the guards they were wearing traditional outfits and performed precise maneuvers to display their training.Although this changing of the guard seemed to be more flamboyant than others I have seen, and involved around 40 soldiers I would say.

The next stop was a free walking guided tour, which is usually led by an expat from some English speaking country.In this instance it was a Canadian girl in her early 20's who just moved here 7 months ago.These tours are throughout Europe and now they are in South America!It was already 12:30 at this point and I was starving.We decided to meet up with Adita at 1:30 and then grab lunch.Although the tour was nice Adita was filled with more information and the personalized service was superior.

Finally we were off to lunch!We were all starving.Peruvian lunch is the most important meal of the day, and is usually much later than a typical American lunch.We went to a place recommended to Adita, just across from the palace.A place frequented by all the government officials.It was great.I had a dish with a combination of fried and sautéed seafood, Michelle had the Lomo Saltado of course and Adita had an omelet with rice.My dish was wonderful.Adita also bought us a round of pisco sours, the famous Peruvian(not Chilean) drink.While delicilicious it was muy fuerte(strong)!You could tell that the clientele was mostly locals, which was a good sign.It was also not in any of the guidebooks I had read so I think we may have found a hidden gem.

After lunch I was ready for a siesta, but we had to press on!Next up were the catacombs back at the San Francisco Church. Michelle was most excited to see these.In catholic religion in olden days the body needed to be buried in a holy place for the soul to go to heaven.So consequently you have a bunch of people buried under this church/monastery.The tour actually consisted of the monastery and the catacombs. As the Spanish were occupied by the Moors for around 700 years (don't quote me on this), many of the aritectural aspects of Spanish style is actually taken from the moors/arabs.In one corridor was a dome made of wood with star shaped patterns.I have never seen anything like this and it was quite impressive.They didn't allow photos, so you will have to go see it for yourself JThere was also a library and many old frescos and paintings throughout the monastery.Adita and I stayed outside the catacombs, while Michelle went in.From what I gather there were a bunch of skulls and bones and stuff.

Lastly, we walked to the santo domingo church where there was a wedding taking place.They actually had the brides lined up.As one was leaving another was entering. We felt weird about interrupting it but Adita told us that the church is 'ALWAYS' open, and it is expected to have people coming and going. We had to quickly cross the aisle to get to the museum area before the bride came down the aisle.As we only had 30 minutes before the museum closed we decided to call it a day as far as sightseeing goes.

That night the whole family was supposed to get together with Michelle's cousins Taty y Rome. It was Taty's birthday. We were going to go to a anticuchos (cow heart) restaurant, and then go to a Pena, which is a kind of variety show with comedy and traditional dancing and then the audience also dances.As the evening progressed the time for anticuchos kept getting pushed back, and then cancelled, and the time to go to the pena kept getting pushed back. Around 11pm we finally decided to call it a night and call off the pena on our end.It wasn't going to end until 3am and Michelle and I were exhausted. I think this lack of attention to time and staying out late is commonplace in Peru and practically every other country in the world besides the US.

After this we talked with Adita and Junior for a bit and something strange happened.We got our second wind!Junior was hungry and we also wanted to get a late night treat.So we went on a hunt for something tasty.The neighborhood where Adita and Junior live is called Surco, and it is pretty safe and quiet.After 15 minutues or so we ended up stopping by a little hole in the wall restaurant grabbing some fruit juices, well Junior got 2 sandwiches, then walked home and went to bed.

Day 4 (Sunday November 27th)- Michelle

Blaine and I slept in until 10 am, we were still so tired from the night before. When we got up, we had breakfast with my Great Aunt Beatrice and Adita. After breakfast we got ready to head out with my cousin Carito. My Aunt Laura had invited us for lunch at her place.I didn't know that my aunt was such an amazing cook! (During this trip, I have had an opportunity to get to know her better) For years, her and my mom had some sort of 'falling out' and I don't remember her much. Last time I was in Peru, she did not want to see me b/c it was a way of getting back at my mom. However, Laura realized that this was not the best way to handle things and wanted to see me this time. Three years ago, even though my feelings were hurt and I didn't understand all that had elapsed between her and my mom, I wrote her a letter in Spanish saying that I had no hard feelings, that I wished the best for her and that I hoped one day we would meet.She was very emotional when she greeted Blaine and I for the second time this week. She apologized for the past and wanted to make amends. She is actually a very sweet and funny lady. I really enjoyed her company and getting to meet her very 'laid back' husband (my uncle) Hugo. He was exactly how my family depicted him.

Anyway, my aunt made us a HUGE meal! There was papa rellina for an appetizer (potatoes with vegetables in this sauce) and then pollo con arroz (chicken and rice in this other creamy sauce) that was cooked to perfection! For dessert, we had green jello, peaches and apple pie. What was funny about this whole experience was that my family assumed that b/c Blaine was American and so tall that he needed to eat double the amount that everyone else was eating. They kept telling him to eat more and more.

After lunch was over we continued to talk and laugh. My family asked me lots of questions and they also, were excited to get to know Blaine. We ended up moving to the living room and hanging out talking some more. My grandmother (Mommy Olga) brought her albums for me to look at. It was nice getting to go back into time and see my mom at a young age, it was even more interesting to see many pictures of my half sister growing up, since I didn't know much about her life. At one point my aunt placed my grandfather (Papi Pancho's) guitar unto Blaine. She asked if he could play and even though he couldn't, she insisted on taking pictures of him with the guitar. (My grandfather passed away when I was about 1 years old, at that time my mom took me to Peru to see him, but of course I don't remember) Next, my cousin's daughter Natayla and my other cousin's daughter Flabia performed a short skit for Blaine and I. This skit was done to show us, 'important Peruvian' individuals. For example they acted out a boxing scene and a singing scene. Even though Blaine and I didn't understand everything (sometimes it's harder for me to understand kids b/c they talk so darn fast) it was hilarious to watch. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and headed to have ice cream with my cousin Carito and her husband Ceasar. We ended up walking around Miraflores and had a chance to check out the artisan crafts and paintings. This part was especially fun, because we ended up purchasing two paintings: One little one that Blaine picked out and one GIANT one that I picked out. I can't wait to put them in frames and hang them in our house back home.

Day 5 (Monday November 28th) - Michelle

Today was supposed to be the last full day of our stay in Lima.After we got up and had breakfast, we went to visit michelle's Tio David in the hospital. Tio David had a stroke around a year ago and is in a very nice nursing home where he has constant supervision by a nurse, and is just across a courtyard from a hospital.

After visiting Tio David we went to Puccallayna, which are the largest ruins in Lima.The incans used stone, while the pre incans of the coastal regions used adobe bricks to build their buildings, as access to stone was nearly impossible.This was a massively large complex.Until recently they used it as a dirt bike track, as it was covered with dirt and they didn't know what was underneath.To this day they are still excavating and think it will take another 30 years to complete the project.It is pretty amazing that with today's technology major earthquakes do extensive damage to buildings, but the early people who built this structure developed a way where the bricks shift as the earth shifts, and the structure remains intact.

After Puccallayna we had lunch at Carito's. Her maid Isabel cooked the food, which was a green rice and chicken dish with a salad consisting of onions some other stuff I cant remember, that had been soaking in lime juice.Michelle and I believe that salad was the reason that we would eventually be sick later that day and the next day. For desert was the famous lucuma ice cream that is so popular in Lima, but harder to find outside of Lima, and impossible to find in the United States. As is custom we rested for 2 hours after lunch just talking and trying to use the internet to check our work emails and our regular emails. For some reason there are many "Indian Markets" in Lima. Well, we stopped by one that was close to Carittos places for a little bit to find some presents. When we realized prices weren't any better than what we found elsewhere we decided to just continue to the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera which has a huge collection of pottery that was pre-columbian pottery. It was pretty amazing what types of designs they were able to accomplish with clay. The rest of the museum has an extensive collection of cultural artifacts from different civilizations.The museum was very well organized and had everything in English and Spanish.We really ran out of time here, as this was the nicest museum we had been in so far, and they were closing up. We did have time to visit the side museum, which they are most notably known for.It houses the worlds largest collection of 'erotic' pottery. The museum was actually in an old mansion that a famous family had once lived in.

After we were kicked out we went to Adita's house, dinner was ordered for us but by this time our stomachs were very upset with us and Blaine and I were interchangeably heading to the bathroom. We ate the food though to be polite. Then we went to bed as we needed to be at the airport 2 hours before the flight left, which was at 11pm.