Catching Up

Bah. Sorry I am such a fail blogger guys. There is so much that has happened that I dont even know what to write about. I think I am going to just try and catch up the last month this week a little each day so bear with me :)

First Putre. About three weeks ago I went with the program to Putre. Its a little pueblo about two hours away from Arica way way up in the mountains. We were given coca leaves to chew (the stuff you can make into cocaine) because it gives you energy and cures altitude sickness. It basically is a staple at the breakfast table there. You can either just chew it or make it into tea. Putre is so peaceeful, especially after Arica. Not many people are out during the middle of the day. Walking around felt like a ghost town. (A very pretty ghost town). There are mountains all around the town and one afternoon some friends and I hike a little way up to be able to overlook the town. With the view we felt like we were in the end of "the sound of music". While we were walking up there were herders bringing their cows and sheep from grazing for the day. The view was beautiful and I have decided at some point that I have to go back there.

We had classes while we were up there. Probably my favorite classes that I have had so far in my life. Two Aymaran women who use tradicional medicine talked with us. With looked at (and smelled) all the herbs they had (that they get from the fields and such surrounding Putre). One women uses masages as major part of her healing. She demonstrated using us and our various ailments (altitude sickness, sore knees and wrists...the mantaray bite). Everyone that she demonstrated on felt a whole lot better. It was very interesting and all that she did made a lot of sense. The other woman was a tradicional partera (like a midwife but more involved). She started by showing up all the different herbs that women have to take during their pregnancy...and all the different things that can induce labor (such as ground up fox skulls) and told us about the tradicions surrounding Aymaran births. (For example, the placenta is thought to be a second child and is given a burial outside the home. Also, the father gets to hold the baby first and is the one to name it). She gave us a demonstration (using my friend Karman) of what they do when the baby is breach. Basically the woman lays on a large piece of fabric that is folded like a triangle. Then two people, One on either side, rock her in different directions kind of forcefully. Those Aymaran woman were small but very very strong...and they said it works very well! The whole day was very very interesting and exciting.

Also in Putre I...

-asisted in smuggling hotel blanket outside to gaze at the stars (it´s freeeezing at night).
-played in a soccer game with some local Aymaran women
-sent postcards at the postoffice which is located in a local woman´s livingroom
-ate alpaca (not so happy about this as I am still trying to be a vegetarian)
-visited another local pueblo, Belin (Spanish word for Bethlahem) and visited the school of 7 students
-went in a hot spring!!! Very hot!
-Saw a volcano
-met some very nice British people who were traveling through
- drank hot chocolate (very unlike american hot chocolate...basically hot milk with chunks of chocolate bar in it).

Sorry no pictures in this one...visit my facebook page for those. Story on why another time.

So that was Putre. :) :) :) Amazing and one more reason on my list of why I probably wont be coming back. Love to all!!
Laura