Mariposa

While we were in California I think I visited the town of Mariposa about three times. I love the looks of this little town because it so accurately captures the look of the "Old West." It's got that old gold rush feel and I love the way it makes me feel transported back in time. And the beautiful scenery around the area isn't bad either.

It was a perfect place to visit while Coco was in town because he recently had started to become a little obsessed with cowboy things and perfecting his cowboy accent. So on one of my trips out there I picked him up a cowboy hat and when we went to Maripos together he made sure to wear it the entire time. But he only added authenticity to the ambiance of the town.

Mariposa is filled with antique stores, art galleries, and charming restaraunts.

But my favorite place to visit is definetely a little store called "Chocolate Soup." It's a cute little store inside an old family house. The old wooden floors make the loudest creeking noise and you can see the blurry waves of the old glass in the windows. The place make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Here's what it looks like from the outside.

And here's a little of what the store feels like inside.

While we were there, we also made sure to visit the old Courthouse. It claims to be the oldest operating Courthourse west of the Mississippi! Oh my goodnesss. So we explored it thoroughly.

I always enjoy my time in Mariposa, and I think the cowboy loved it too.

Broken and Blogless

Most of you know that Coco and I are back in Peru as of now. California totally spoiled us during our trip and now we find ourselves happy to be back in Peru but missing tons of comforts and loved ones from Peru. We may be feeling this way because we have alot of down time right now. I have the next two weeks for vacation and then I start my new job at an English Institute here. I´m also going to be teaching English at a preschool as well. I´ll be really busy when all of that starts in February.

As for Coco, well, he´s a bit broken right now. It´s summer here in Peru and while we were in Lima we went to the beach for a little relaxation with some friends. And although Coco is an experienced surfer, he was taken surprise by a wave when he was just playing around, and the wave thrashed him onto the shore with an unexpected amount of force. He ended up breaking his left clavicle. Luckily he did not need surgery, but he only has the use of one arm for a few months while he wears a sling. He will eventually have to go through physical therapy and slowly return to normal. But sadly he cannot fly until about May, that´s probably the worst part. He´s keeping his spirits up, but that´s probably because he has an excellent full time nurse...wink wink. Well, we are just taking it day by day.

We´re also having some computer problems. Coco´s computer is being fixed and mine refuses to function in this humidity. So you´re going to notice alot less blogging until Coco´s computer is back in our loving arms. But I´m not finished blogging about our time in California, so you can expect more pictures from California. And eventually I´ll get back to blogging about life in Peru. I hope you all don´t mind. We miss you all and it was great to see you. Besitos!

It's Still a Little Fallish

I heard that this fall in Oakhurst was rich with vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds all over town. I may have missed the peak of the fall colors but there is still a few reminders of fall in the area.

Passing Time in Lima

Before coming to California I spent about ten days in Lima. I was there participate in a teacher's training seminar for a franchise English institute that I would like to work for. The ICPNA Institute will be coming to Iquitos in January and I'm waiting to hear about my performance in the seminar to see if they plan to hire me. So...keep your fingers crossed.
But in the midst of that training Coco was there for a few days and we found some time to enjoy Lima together. One night we met some family at the Marriot for "tea time" where there was a spread of little Peruvian treats and hors d'oeuvres. It was so delicious and the dining room was filled with beautiful lilies.

We spent a day with Erica and Oscar in Larcomar.

Tia Laura took us to an old exclusive Criolla Club in Lima. In this little place there were Traditional Peruvian dancers and Folk Singers. It was all beautiful and made us feel like we had been transported back in time.

The next night she took us to a similar club where there was a dinner and a show. The food was excellent and the show was a great performance by a Peruvian singer who sang songs from Peru, Mexico, and the U.S. Then Coco went back to Iquitos and I spent the next week in training, and now I'm here enjoying California.