Lunahuaná

Okaaaay, so I promised to write an update about my weekend in Lunahuaná so here it comes!  Saturday morning I woke up at 6:00am in order to be in Miraflores  by 7:45, although I overestimated the amount of time I would spend on the micro because at such an early time in the morning, traffic is unusually light (rush hour in Lima begins later than in Chicago).  When we arrived at our destination, we checked into our hotel, which had a bunch of peacocks roaming about, and headed out for some canotaje (rafting).  The river was not very high, so the rapids were only class 1, which is the lowest on the scale, so not super intense but it was still fun.  Halfway down the river, we pulled over our rafts and got out for some swimming.  It was great to just sit and let the current pull you downstream, although trying to get back upstream was challenging because the whole bottom was rocky and the rocks were covered in a slimy grass substance.  After lunch, we visited some wineries and a bee farm.  I never really liked honey before but we got to try three different kinds and I actually liked the one that came from peaches and apples.  From the wineries, we visited the "casa encantada," which is a house that people think is haunted because an Italian family lived there and one day the children were found dead and the parents just disappeared completely with no trace of their bodies.  I was amused because many girls in my group were freaking out and some people refused to go into the house, but I thought it seemed like it would be a nice house if it were painted and furnished...haha.  In the evening I played a little Dutch Blitz and just chatted with friends.  Sunday morning I awoke bright and early for a hike. Before long we came to the river and had to cross one at a time in using a little platform that hung from a cable.  It took forever for all of us to get across, but it was fun.  After crossing the river we hiked uphill a bit into the mountains, which meant a great view of the river and surrounding farmland.  After a much-needed breakfast, we broke up into two groups for horseback riding and cycling.  I chose the cycling because I wanted the exercise :-)  The bicycle that I started out on was completely the wrong size for me so I had to switch with my friend Sydney but even still it was not the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden.  And this was the most intense biking I have ever done!  First we had to go uphill on a big road, but then we turned off onto these rough, rocky, dusty paths that were really narrow, with a wall on one side and a little stream on the other side.  Many times I had to stop and walk because I thought I was going to fall into the stream if I kept riding.  Still, I definitely enjoyed the ride, even with my butt hurting from the super hard seat and my legs pedaling twice as many times as they would on my bike at home.  In the afternoon, I was supposed to do four-wheeling, but I decided that I would rather sit by the pool and soak in some rays.  I do not regret this decision at all!  It was so wonderful to just relax and the sun and enjoy being far away from the eternally gray skies of Lima.  Overall it was a wonderful weekend!  I really want to post some pictures, but I can't seem to get them off of my memory card, soooo I will have to post them later.