Take a Peak -- Here's Peru!

Well, Peru was absolutely fantastic! I loved speaking in Spanish all the time (the locals even thought that I speak well -- initially I would tell people that I only know a little bit of Spanish since I haven't practiced it for 11 years, but soon they'd tell me that I know a lot and speak it well, so I guess I'll take that as a compliment!). The Amazon jungle was amazing and I learned a lot of interesting pieces of information. The Inca ruins were also incredible, and it's unbelievable how they were able to build such brilliant cities with granite rocks.

I wish I could be back in Peru now! I don't want to get in the mode of thinking what it'd be like to live in another country, but Peru sure looks like it'd be great: lovely people, wonderful food, and a genuine atmosphere that seems to invite happiness. Well, it's something to think about for way off in the future. For now, I still like Ireland.

You can have a look at a few pictures (down below after the "facts I thought were cool"). I'll gather an album soon, but for now at least you can have a taste of what I experienced.

Thought I'd share some interesting facts that I thought were cool:
- In the rain forest, there are Snake Trees, which are sensitive to parasites, and if it feels like it's being attacked by one, it will shed all it's brown bark and underneath is a beautiful, shiny, moist, green bark (which later turns brown again). It amazes me that it's able to do this.

- Giant River Otters are at the top of the food chain and love to eat baby alligators for dessert if they can find one! There can also only be one family in a lake at a time, they're very territorial (so siblings must vacate to a new lake when they feel they're old enough to start their own family and hope that another otter makes his/her way to the same lake).

- There's such a thing as Garlic Trees! Very strange...!

- Alligator's eyes glow red in the dark when a flashlight is shined on them.

- In Machu Picchu, 80% of the ruins are original work of the Incas. Only 20% is restored. That's impressive!

- Salt mines in Peru date back to pre-Inca times, and are still operating today via a natural spring that continuously runs from the depths of inside the earth (my hat blew off my head and landed in the very salty water here, but luckily our guide was able to retrieve it for me -- it still tastes like salt now!)

- Squirrel Monkeys are the coolest little creatures and scramble like crazy by the hundreds across the branches of the trees.

- The people of the Amazon believe that eating vegetables causes laziness (some monkeys, sloths, etc). Leaves and plants are so easily available that they think it promotes lack of motivation and so practice a virtually carnivorous diet.

- Ceviche is a meal that consists of white fish that is "cooked" in lime juice. Actually, the lime juice is poured on the fish and the acid "cooks" the fish. It is absolutely delicious, and that's saying something since I don't like Sushi!!