Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Two weeks from today I will be heading back to Grand Rapids, Michigan after being away from home for nearly 7 months. Where did the time go? If you have been following these blogs from the beginning you will know just how much has happened as I traveled from Seattle, to Alaska, to Hawaii, and finally to Lima, Peru. I knew God was going to do big things, and he has. But, God always works in ways that you could never imagine. I have been so blessed through the relationships I have formed and the experiences that have stretched me and taught me a little more about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in this world.

As I wrap-up here at A Rocha Peru, I am working to finish my project proposal for the lomas conservation project. It has been a challenge to integrate our initial assessment studies, meetings with local stakeholders, and literature research in such a short amount of time. I feel like at this point I know just about everything there is to know about the lomas. The most exciting part of this project will be over the next year as A Rocha secures funding and begins implementation. But, it has been fun to be part of the project's inception. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to come back and see everything in action.

Yes, I am one of the warriors.

Last week I traveled along the Peruvian coast to see a little more of the country before leaving. I visited my co-worker Ramon in Trujillo (Northern Peru) and did a little sightseeing with him. We went to some of the pre-Incan ruins in the area and even traveled a little farther north to Chiclayo. Every little trip was an adventure because the transportation is less than direct. And, that is putting it kindly.   But, we feasted well, saw some beautiful sunsets along the Pacific, and now have a greater appreciation for 1,800 year-old Mochican art. 

Ramon and the kids cleaning-up

At the end of the week we traveled south of Lima to Ica where I visited A Rocha's reforestation project in the Huarango dry forest. They are in their last phase and have 4,000 more trees to plant in local communities before February as it is summer here. We visited one of the neighborhoods where Ramon has worked most intensively to assess the progress. They have a community center there which local children come to plant trees, clean-up garbage and hear about what it means to take care of creation for Jesus. And, let me tell you, those children were so precious!

Most of this week has been filled with work to make up for my time spent away but, since today was feriado or holiday, the whole family went to a festival sponsored by the church. There was food, games, and entertainment for the nearly 3,000 members wandering around the plaza. One of the "fun" games is to pay the "police" to throw someone in "jail." Then the incarcerated have to wait until someone bails them out. I think a picture in this case is worth a 100 words. I was thrown in jail 3 times! Poor gringa. 

The next time I update will probably be when I have touched back down in the U.S. Then, I will being seeing many of you very soon! 

A Day Full of Gracias

I suppose it is a sort of "rite of passage" for a woman to take on the Thanksgiving feast. And, admittedly, I have usually have just enjoyed the fruits of the labor of my mother, aunts, and grandmother. This is usually because I am busy watching the Packer's game in the other room. But, as November 24th slowly approached here in Lima, Peru, I realized just how far away I was from roasted turkey and gravy. Usually if we use a tablespoon of butter to make our soup, we are really being generous. I thought, however, that although no one here really knows about or probably cares about El Dia de Accion de Gracias, I might be able to show through a labor of love, how thankful I was for my Peruvian family by cooking them "the feast." Because after all, Thanksgiving is a time for sharing a meal with loved ones, to celebrate and to fellowship.  

Our Fresh Chicken!!

I mentioned the idea to Amparo and she said she was game. Great! All I had to do now is find recipes that I could actually tackle here with the right ingredients and then find them at the market. Early Thursday morning Amparo and I headed out to the open air market (which I love) to find the freshest fruits, vegetables and meats you can get. We were pretty much at a loss for finding a turkey, it just isn't the season here apparently, but we did find a nice plump (and very, very, fresh) chicken. We carried our overflowing bags back to the house and unloaded the goods. 

All the Ingredients

What was on the menu?? Roasted chicken, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans and corn, squash and apple pie for dessert. The mixed blessing of it not actually being a  recognized holiday here was that we weren't going to eat the meal until 8:30pm when everyone was home for work. This meant that I could watch the entire Packer's game (!) which I found on some obscure channel in Peru before preparing the meal.  This also meant that I would be eating a TON right before bed. Like I said, mixed blessing.

Basting the chicken.

I began by dressing the chicken. Which first meant we had to clean it really, really, well. We also had to dry our spices on the stove, because they are all fresh here. We put the prepared chicken in the oven (which is only the second time we have used it) and let it cook for nearly 3 hours. Don't worry, it came out really moist. Then Amparo and I worked for the next few hours to make sure everything was ready to go when the chicken was done. Boiling the potatoes, making our own bread crumbs, chopping up the veggies, and using a lot of butter. I think Amparo's eyes just got wider every time I used another stick of butter. I think it is the American equivalent to Aji (chili) here. 

Everyone getting ready to enjoy

My grandmother who lives below us let us borrow her little electric oven so we could cook things a little faster and also came up to help us mash and chop. Improvisation was the name of the game but, when it was all said and done, I was happy with what I smelled cooking away on the stove top. Ronald came home from work around 8:00pm and Amparo and I worked to make sure everything was hot. My grandparents and aunt came up for dinner bearing gifts of apple pie and of Chica Morada, one of the best drinks in Peru and a perfect accompaniment to our meal.

A yummy success! 

We were ready to eat well, to laugh well, and to love well. True, we certainly did not need an American holiday to do that, but, it was an opportunity for me to say thank you in a small way to the people I love and who have treated me as one of their own. We went around the table and each gave thanks to God for something in our lives. It was beautiful to listen to their words of praise to an ever faithful God, no matter the circumstance. We literally stuffed ourselves and everyone had seconds! When my grandpa asked for more because it was muy rico, I knew I had done alright. 


We finished at 11pm and I was more than ready for bed. Full of food and tired from a day full of shopping and cooking. But, it was totally worth it. I think I really understand now why there are usually five busy women in the kitchen! 

New Dance Moves & Questionable Cookies

Well, life moves along here and I have recently come to grips with the fact that I have only 5 precious weeks left here! Hard to believe that almost 6 months ago I was starting out on this multifaceted adventure with no idea how many blessing God would bring into my life. As the days pass ever more quickly, I am learning how to live more fully in the present and soak-up all that my Peruvian family has yet to teach me. But, it is going to be very hard to leave them.

A glimpse into my typical week here would show a never-ending supply of things to do. But, really, what is new?

I am working to finish the lomas project proposal for A Rocha Peru and building long-term contacts for the organization. Last week, my supervisor and host-mom, Amparo, were at a university presentation about a new lomas project started by a student group. Afterwards, we met their supporting professor and he invited us to a meeting with the Municipality of Lima that he was going to right then. We were definitely in the right place at the right time. We were able to gain the support of the local government for our lomas project and this is huge! A Rocha Peru was asked to be part of their technical support group and we met other interested stakeholders at the meeting. I had a chance to talk about the work we were doing and where I thought the Municipality could be of most help. Thank goodness I had been doing a little research!

I have been recently thinking how much I would love to come back to Peru while in Graduate school to do some additional research/implementation on this project. Who knows? It very well could happen. I really have been privileged to work with A Rocha during the formative "baby steps" of the project and learn about all the falls and smiles that are part of learning how to walk. Perhaps, I can also be around when the walking turns to running.

In other news, I have been learning how to dance the Marinera with my "aunt" Cielo. Slowly but surely I say. It is fun and we have quite a few laughs while doing it. Apparently, it is all about how well you can flirt....instead of the language of the hand fan, it is the language of the handkerchief. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. I suppose it will depend if I can convince someone to be my dance partner or not ;)

Tonight I tried to make cookies for the first time since coming to Peru. It is hit and miss with ingredients here so I thought I would use the recipe on the back of the Spanish Quaker Oats package. I followed the instructions with a few improvisations and inexact measurements but the dough appeared to look normal. We never use the oven here because it cost too much to heat up, so we borrowed a little electric oven to bake them. It was while baking them at some unknown temperature that I decided they looked funny and did not smell like my mother's delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

However, I put them all on a plate and hoped I would be judged to harshly for the results. It was quite to my surprise, therefore, when Esteban came bursting into my room to tell me, "Congratulations Rachel, your cookies are a success, I LOVE them." I think I will count it as a success if it makes him happy. And, I am quite content to let him eat them all.

Adventures

It may have been a misnomer to call my vacation "mini" but I did cram a lot of good stuff into a short amount of time. Usually the HNGR interns get one week to vacation and take a break from work so I took mine with my friends Erica and Sara who are also interning in Peru. We also traveled with one of my Peruvian friends, Miriam, who acted as a sort of guide for us. Peru is an absolutely beautiful country with so many diverse ecosystems and cultures. And, since I planned most of our trip, I made sure to see as much of it as I could. 

We started our trip by flying to Puerto Maldonado which is the jungle in eastern Peru. It was 95 degrees Fahrenheit when we landed and was super humid! This was quite a change of environment from the 60 degree weather we had been having in Lima. We hopped on a boat and traveled four hours down the Madre de Dios river until we reached a small stream leading to Lago Valencia, an oxbow lake adjacent to the river. From that point we were engulfed in the wild and were the only ones staying in this small "lodge" on the lake. We saw many birds, including bright green parrots, and enjoyed learning about all the medicinal plants from the locals. At night, the jungle was alive with sounds and, thanks to the mosquito net surrounding my bed, the very cool (and large) insects left me to sleep in peace.  

After a day and a half in la selva we traveled 12 hours west to Cusco, an Andean town situated among the mountains. Historically, it was the center of all Incan activity and is surrounded by ancient ruins. The city is also full of old Spanish colonial buildings from the fifteenth century. Although the fall of the Incan empire and destruction of their  culture was related to Spanish invasion, the infusion of these two cultures in Cusco creates an enchanting mountain village. The streets are lined with Quechua-speaking women and their herbs, which they gathered from their fields, are displayed on brightly colored blankets. The cathedral bells toll in the early morning calling the villagers to mass. And, only 20 minutes away by van, are the ruins of the Incan city of Pisac nestled among the mountain slopes. 

Obviously, one cannot go to Cusco without also going to the mother of all Incan ruins; Machu Picchu. It was as great as all the hype made it out to be. We got up at 5am to take the first bus up to the top of the verdant cliffs and watched the sun slowly shed light on the ancient city as it rose over the mountains. It was a beautiful morning and since we beat the crowds, it was peaceful and quiet. We then climbed up Huanupicchu (the large mountain behind me in the classic pic of Machu Picchu) and looked out over the ruins from the highest point of the trail. It was quite the hike and was intensified by the fact that our bodies had not acclimated to the altitude yet. But, the view was totally worth the effort!

We spent one more day in Cusco before heading to Puno, a small town situated on Lago Titicaca. This lake is the highest in the world at 13,000 feet and is shared with Boliva. We traveled across this vast lake to visit two different islands. The community of the Uros have constructed floating islands make from peat and dried vegetation. It was fascinating to see how they have innovatively created their homes from natural materials and have weathered storms and substantial rain. We stayed overnight with a peasant family on the second island and ate delicious food. The father Juan reminded me so much of one of the Alaskan Elders I met this summer. He told about his struggles as a cultural minority, the slow disappearance of his native language among the youth, and the adverse effects of climate change in his community. We live in a big world but we can be so very connected through the stories and experiences of daily life. 

The stars that night were brilliant and we saw the Southern Cross and a particularly bright Jupiter. We returned to Puno in the morning and I had Trucha for lunch - the famous Titicaca fish. We got back to Lima this morning after flying out from Juliaca and were tired but very content. What a trip! This is a brief overview, and of course there is much more to tell, but suffice it to say I have fallen even more in love with this beautiful country. 

Tomorrow it is back to work and my nose is to the ground as I finish out my last two months here. How fast the time has flown by! I am looking forward to it but it will be busy. Who knows what other adventures may be around the corner.... 

A Wheaton Visitor

I am long overdue for a blog update but a short one is going to have to do for now because I am leaving tomorrow for a mini-vacation (more to come on that next week!). Last weekend Dr. Toly, one of my professors at Wheaton, came for an advisory visit and I had a great time showing him around Lima. We were able to see the Lomas of Villa Maria where I work, spend a day around the city with my family, go to my church Sunday morning, and have a delicious seafood lunch with my supervisor and co-worker at A Rocha.

Dr. Toly also helped me define my Independent Study which is essentially writing a report/proposal for an interdisciplinary conservation project in the urban lomas of Lima. It will involve a mesh of researching, writing, and synthesizing as I consider existing data and devise a methodology to engage and empower local stakeholders. The implications of a successful project here are huge and the potential benefits for the surrounding communities and ecosystem health make it all the more exciting. 

 

Here are a handful of pictures from the weekend:

Esteban enjoying El Parque de los Aguas or the "Water" Park

My beautiful family. 

A very cool church in downtown Lima. 

My co-worker Jose Luis and I at the lomas of Villa Maria

Dr. Toly and I with our super excited taxi-chollo driver.
Apparently being from Chicago made us really cool.
I also might note here that he is the one that asked us for a photo. 

My supervisor Sarah-Lan and Jose Luis at the market for lunch. 

This is looking out at San Cristobal (the former loma) and
what is left of the highly contaminated Rimac river by the
time it gets to Lima. 

La Pachamanca

Usually, I dislike it when people here ask me the question: What is your favorite Peruvian dish? This is partly because I like a lot of the food here and partly because I can never remember the Spanish names for most of the dishes. But, after my taste-bud-exploding experience yesterday, I now secretly hope everyone will ask me the question so I can excitedly tell them: Pachamanca!!!


The origins of this meal is Pre-Incan and it is very popular in the Andes. It is a lot of work to make it but, as we say here in Peru, vale la pena (totally worth it!) The saddest part about this photo/video diary is that you cannot smell or taste anything. And that is truly a travesty. My best advice to you is that you make friends with a Peruvian mountain man and invite him over for dinner so he can bring this deliciousness to your table.


Let us begin at the very beginning:

Esteban is smiling because he knows the joys of
Pachamanca yet to come.
So, you might as well start smiling too! 

In the kitchen we begin by preparing the hormitas. We will
make sweet ones and cheesy ones and fold the husk in either
a roll or a triangle depending on what kind it is.

They look kind of like a tamal and, of course, since the
women taught me their technique, I can teach you too.
Tip: don't get too greedy and overstuff them because
then all the dough will get squashed on the rocks....

You were probably wondering what kind of rocks I was
talking about... well, here is our "oven." You better make sure
you are ready to sweat because these rocks are hot!!

After the rocks have been heated by the fire for 45 minutes
and are hot enough to be white in color, with we will remove
them one by one. We then have to clean out the ashes and
prepare the hole for our food. Be careful - these rocks
are so hot that some of them are breaking/shattering.

Now we begin to layer our food. First the potatoes and yuca.
You may want to get a good pair of gloves. Ronald's were
nearly 20 years old and had more holes than material. His
hands were not too happy about that. 

We add a few more stones and then the meat rubbed
in a herb and chile sauce! Yes, it will cook all the way through.  

Keep adding stones and food! This time the hormitas and the bananas.
We'll also add more husks around the sides to keep steam from escaping.

Our last layer will be the abea beans. They are the test
because if they are done, everything below them
is cooked too. But really, my abuelita (grandmother)
is the real judge. If she says they are done, they are done.
Also, you need to add more herbs around the
side to prevent the heat from escaping.

Time to cover it up and let her cook! Pass
the banana leaves please...

And, the plastic covering....

And, the dirt.... grab a shovel!

We add a cross for effect and then we wait.
Like Esteban, I am sure you are waiting with eager expectation.  

An hour and a half later(!),we are ready to unbury our prize.
Slowly now, we don't want to get dirt in our food...

Dig in but don't burn yourself - we need to separate
all the food according to type while avoiding the
still crazy hot rocks.

Don't worry. I am helping too.
Also, this is a good time to sample the goods :)

This is the heaping plate of food I was given.
And, I am really happy about it. Yum, yum, yum. 

Not a Dichotomy

From the top of the lomas you can hear a constant hum like a swarm of mosquitoes during summer or like feedback from a static-prone microphone. It is always in the background. At times the noise seems deafening, overbearing and even annoying because you can't escape it. Other times, it fades into the background as your mind focuses on the burrowing owl perched on the rock or the white begonias rising out of the crevices. As I hike miles around these biological islands my initial response is either to ignore or to become annoyed by the honking, loud music, and tire squeals that breaks the natural hum of chattering birds and buzzing bees. Similarly, my natural reaction when I look down over the thousands of casitas enshrouded in a dirty brown haze of contamination and smog is to feel unsettled and even sometimes angry. This "city" and center of hustle and bustle seems so absurdly different from the lomas' nearly invisible trail which takes its pilgrims through fields of wildflowers and up verdant slopes. 

While I think some of these reactions are justified, there is a danger here if we create a dichotomy of place and space - that is to believe that to be in the "wilderness" an purely idyllic existence and to be in the "city" is rather uncouth. Interestingly enough, I am sure there are many people that would reverse those descriptions quite readily. However, I think a Biblical perspective forces us to look as the New Jerusalem as a place when man and the rest of creation live in a restored and harmonious existence. The perceived tension and conflict between these two "worlds" is eliminated because our relationships are perfected through Jesus' reconciliatory work on the cross. All of the created order is free to worship their Creator together unhindered by sin and brokenness. In this we see the end of the story which gives us hope to faithfully pursue his Kingdom in the present. And, I think there are lessons to be learned here for both the city-dweller and those of us who are more prone to prefer "no-man's land" because we cannot escape each other :)  In fact, I think Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said being a disciple meant BOTH loving our neighbor and keeping and serving his creation. 

We need to serve God by keeping his earth. The lomas for example, are not just full of animals, plants, and birds but are home to the Peruvian Desert Fox, the Tabaco tree and the Mountain Parakeet. Each species has a name with its own unique preferences for habitat and food. Together they make up a complex web of life which was created to have its own natural ebb and flow. While humans are a part of this creation, they are also set apart for the purpose of serving and keeping the creation which God had declared good and valuable. There is a responsibility involved here that unfortunately we haven't always fulfilled. Although "the high mountains belong to the wild goats" as the psalmist says in Psalm 104, we also have the opportunity to simply enjoy the world Jesus has made by truly understanding and appreciating its diversity. And, trust me, the more you learn to appreciate creation, the more you will want to protect it - not just because it is full of marvels but also because it is an act of worship and obedience to its Creator. You might also begin to realize how inextricably linked your existence is to the natural world. Next time you sit down to eat your dinner or drive your car to the store, think about where all of this "stuff" came from. It all had to come from somewhere (and I don't mean the shelf) and it is all going somewhere whether to the landfill, the atmosphere, or, as is common here, the street. Ultimately, protecting creation forces us to confront own role in over-consumption, environmental destruction, and waste which harms people and the whole created order. 

We need to serve God by loving his people. This brings me back to the beginning of this post. If you listen carefully to the constant drone of the city, the sounds become a little more distinguishable. There is the honking of the convis as they wildly weave their way through the crowded streets. There is the swooning of the Peruvian men when an unfortunate gringa tries to make her way though the the market. There is the chorus of barking dogs who let you know that you are not welcome in their territory. There are the cries of women who have been beat by their abusive and machismo husbands. But, there are also the voices of the faithful singing praises to their God, the laughter of a little child playing peek-a-boo with a new friend, and the sizzling of cheese-filled taquenos on the kitchen stove. I have heard all of these sounds and am more keenly of the beauty and brokenness of the City of Lima. Attached to these sounds are faces, names, stories and context. The city provides an opportunity for community and for people to be in relationship. It is a place where both the best and worst of man is somehow boldly exposed. 

But just as we need Jesus to help us restore a right relationship with creation, we also need his help to heal our relationships with each other. We are called to confront systems of injustice, poverty, and neglect because they are not part of the kingdom of God. As we slowly begin to pour out compassion for those who are in greatest need, we will realize our own faults, our own contribution to the warped economic and social systems which fuel these problems and that loving people and taking care of Creation are systematically and intricately connected.  And, since more than 60% of the world's population now lives in cities, it seems like we will increasingly have to figure out how to do live out this dual mandate in an urban context. The loma ecosystems and the surrounding communities epitomizes this challenge for me. 

The video is a panorama view from the top of the lomas of Villa Maria. 

If you listen, you can hear both birds chirping on the hills and cars down in the valley. 

The Biological Island

I want to try and tell you about a trip I took to the Lomas in Villa Maria last weekend. Pictures don't really capture the beauty and brokenness of this place but I left these lomas feeling a strong pull to work here during the next few months. That works out well since Jose Luis and I have plans to visit this Loma, and one very similar to it, 6 times before Dr. Toly comes for my Advisory Visit in mid-October. 


Hiking around Villa Maria was an adventure. We ended up climbing 1,600ft in elevation on the one super sunny (and hot) day of the month and I am not sure exactly how much ground we covered but rest assured that our guide found the most obscure and steep pathways for us to climb. Additionally, while we were only supposed to spend three hours scoping out the land, we were gone for six hours and nearly hiked the entire perimeter of this "biological island." It was great exercise though! 


Jose Luis says that this ecosystem seems to be on the verge of no recovery and when you compare it to the lush, healthy, and protected lomas of Lachay, you realize how much stress and destruction it has undergone. These particular lomas could be considered an "island" biologically because other than a few of the bird species, much of the wildlife cannot travel to other lomas to mix-up their gene pool. On top of the ecological challenges, there is the basic fact that people are living in the lomas. Some of the most impoverished communities have started to build their small homes up on the top of the slopes instead of in the valley because of urban sprawl and because the land is cheaper. Most of these people have no basic services such as water or electricity and do not even own a land title. As you can imagine, any successful conservation project here would require a very comprehensive approach involving the communities, municipalities, outside organizations, and biological management. 

Well, that being said, I think we should go on a hike! Please remember to wear good shoes and to bring enough water - you never know where this guide might take you....

This is one of the valley communities in Villa Maria. We will take our taxi
to the end of this street and then find our "path" into the lomas.

Look - it is a coati! While he "belongs" to one of the men in the town,
he does not belong here in the lomas. He would be much happier in the jungle.
Wish we could smuggle him out with us... 

Up we go in the hills. We will probably have to stop multiple
times for the man in the red shirt. He has identified himself
as a "tourist" and takes photos at every turn.

Our guide just said that this is one of the guardians
of the lomas - can you see his face??

Wow, check out the hillside! All the purple is wildflowers.

Let's take a breather (because we just climbed a
virtually vertical slope) and enjoy the view. The guide
says that this is an especially wet season and that
often the hills are not this green. Lucky us!

We just reached the top of the ridge and found this! Is that
a road!? Are those houses on the hillside? Yep. The guide
says that these people have built their homes here without
permission but it was probably the only place they could afford.  

Wait, are those small square buildings dotting the
 hillside really houses? Yes. Let's keep walking along this
pathway - there seems to be a great lookout point ahead... 

OH NO!!! Can it be? More houses. Why, it is practically
 a city! Imagine that. I wonder what this means for
the future of the lomas?

Ah there I am - thanks for taking my photo.
Remind me not to wear so many layers next
time. With so little cloud cover up here I am
burning up!

Pretty right? Beware of these little yellow flowers.
They are Ortiga Negra and if you brush up against them,
you will get thousands of tiny prickers in your clothes
and your skin. And, it will burn for a few minutes. I
may be speaking from experience here...

Don't move! Its a Lagartija de Lomas - he really likes
the rocky zones here. 

What's that? You want to walk on that sandy road
way over there? Okay, if you insist...

Hmm I think it is even hotter up here...
The guide just said this is an illegal road. It is also
pretty destructive to the lomas. Wonder how
they got away with that?

This is probably one of the wettest areas of the lomas
when there is substantial fog. It is also a prime habitat for
small mammals. 

Wow, you really like to take the long road don't you?
We seemed to have slowly transitioned from
green vegetation back into the desert. 

Look there are even cactus here! Jose Luis says that
the majority of the vegetation usually occurs on the slopes facing
southwest due to the direction the trade winds blow the fog
here from the ocean.  The GPS says we are at 3,100ft!  

Okay, this is probably not the best time to take my
picture considering we are trying to make our descent
down these unstable slopes.
But, sure, I will smile for the camera. I mean, I am having fun!
Aren't you!? 

Alright, down we go. Just find a couple of footholds for
your boots and you will be just fine. You did bring
boots like I told you, right? 

This is our guide and that is Villa Maria behind him
just in case you forgot where we were headed.
I know you are probably hungry because we didn't
really eat lunch and it is almost 5pm but, don't worry
- only another hour or two to go!

I mean who thinks about being hungry when
this is their view.  

Trust me, the best way to get down is to slide like you
were skiing. 

Nice job! We made it back to the road. Now we
will just have to walk until we run into a taxi.

Nice find! A taxi chollo. He will take us into town
were we can find another taxi back to Matellini.

No, you're right, he doesn't belong here either. He would
much prefer the Andes Mts where it is cooler.

One final look at the lomas as we leave Villa Maria.

What did you think of our hike?