Huacacacachina!

Hola!
Ok, we just got back and I am very tired but I am going to write this all down now because I do not want to get so behind again!
Well, friday we had Spanish in the morning, and we had our first test... it was oral, and at the end Rosario said ´excellenté!´ so I think things are going well! However, I seem to only grasp concepts a week after we learned them hah which is good, because it means that I have grasped something, but bad, because I am a week behind! Oh well, overall it´s going really well.
Lupe made pesto for lunch which is unreal good, but we had to eat in a hurry because after lunch we had to catch our bus to Huacachina. It´s a little Oasis town in Ica (another city in Peru). Peru is divided up kind of strangely, because they don´t have provinces or states, just cities, which are then divided up into districts. But if we were comparing it to Canada, the cities would be provinces and the districts would be cities (for example, Ica is 5 hours away from Lima, and Huacachina is one of it´s districts I believe).
The bus ride was kind of funny, because there was this woman sitting right in front of us who would yell out random words, and we think they were snack names because everytime vendor would run to her (there are vendors on all of the busses, selling sandwiches, drinks, candy, etc.)... but they funny thing is she would not turn around and look at them when she was yelling... she just kept looking forward into space and would yell these words (and it sounded a lot like´Monica´). It made for an interesting ride.
We got to Huacachina (pronounced Wok-a-chee-nah) at around 8:00 friday night, and checked into our hostal with Carlos. The place was really busy this weekend, so we couldn´t stay in the dorm rooms as planned, and Carlos put Kelsey and I in a pretty much honeymoon suite haha. Jess and Celine had one too, and Kent was in a similar room but he called it his penthouse. Really, it was a honeymoon suite for one. haha. Anyways, we decided to head down to the restaurant right beside our hostal for a nighttime snack, and it was unreal. The most laidback place you have ever seen. And there were wandering animals, haha, three dogs and a kitten that just roamed the place, it was hilarious (and one of the dogs was hairless). Like, they would go into the kitchen, into the bathrooms (which were unreal by the way, they had stones inside you could climb) etc. Anyways, we ordered pizza which was the best thing I´ve ever tasted in my life, and met some people from Tenessee along with a girl who was constantly making the Zoolander face, and had tattooed on eyebrows. She was Kent´s fav.
Saturday we woke up at 8, and got to see the real Huacachina. Since it was dark when we came, we couldn´t tell the intensity of the sorrounding sand dunes. If you don´t know (I didn´t) Huacachina is this little natural Oasis completely sorrounded by sand dunes as high as sky scrapers. Completely sorrounded, like, you see them everywhere, and they are so high, and so beautiful. It´s unreal.
So at 10 we had to meet our dune buggy tour in front of the hostal´s offices, and we hoped in a dune buggy along with four other girls and a driver named Alfredo (we´ve become pretty tight) and headed for the dunes. He just drove us around, up hills, down hills, it was like a huge scary rollercoaster ride, and he was going the speed of light haha. Anyways, we buggied for about an hour and then he broke out the sandboards. Basically it´s snowboarding, but on sand dunes. Very fun. The first time, we went down on our bellies... but the second I was feeling dangerous and went down on my feet (not very many girls would do it! I did, and Celine did, and then Kelsey did... and maybe one other girl) anyways, I was actually doing really good, until the bottom... if anyone has ever seen me ski, they know that I just go superfast until I reach the bottom. My sandboarding technique is similar... so when I wiped out at the bottom I had been going pretty fast haha, which may have been the cause of my rolling over a hundred times and coming up (uninjured, don´t worry mom) with sand EVERYWHERE. In my nose. In my ears. In my hair. In my belly button. I was wearing a shirt, how did it get in my belly button? No idea. Oh, and my sunglasses were somewhere about six feet behind me. Anyways, it was fun and the next time I went on my feet my wipeout was not nearly as bad haha.
After sandboarding, we duny buggied back to our hostal and discovered the little pool outside. The weather in Ica is not like Peru, it´s pretty much a desert and therefore very hot and wonderful! We relaxed by the pool until 3, when it was time for our wine tour. We toured three vineyeards, seeing the grapes and learning the process and getting a few samples along the way. I think I´m even delopping a taste for it! Crazy Peru... Anyways, the real story here was our taxi driver. His name is Williams (plural) and he loooved the 80s rock. We sang along to Total Eclipse of the Heart, Eye of the Tiger, Heaven, Young Hearts, and more on the way there and back... and he didn´t know the English words but made funny sounds to sing along... and danced along. At a gas station, he even got out and did a little routine for us! He was unbelievably funny.
Post Williams, we met up for supper (pizza again... seriously, you have to try it there. It´s unreal. And we proabably ate them out of chocolate cake hahaha) with some people we had met from Tenesse and Michigan, and hung out all night at the crazy restaurant place where the tourists seem to be... Huacachina is a very touristy spot, and mostly Isrealies.
Sunday was our day of rest and we hung out by the pool, and explored the oasis. It´s so weird, and weird that it´s just a natural occurance. I´ll put pictures up ASAP. We ate lunch at the cutest restaurant in the world, and they were very funny because they were kind of slow getting Celine her food, so they kept bringing her fre stuff, first a shot of creme de menth (random much?), and then a salad. The owner was soo nice, and then we played jenga at the restaurant. After we met a crazy vendor named Alberto, and perused a few little crafty shops... and a vendor made me a free necklaces that means luck and energy, because we had a good chat! In Spanish! Alllllright!
Before bed Sunday night, we wantd a little snack, so Kels and I headed for one last visit to the restaurant beside our hostal. By now, the place had cleared out quite a bit and it was clear that they are busiest on weekends. Anyways, I was feeling random so I ordered a hotdog and tea (coca tea is huge in Peru, and really good). The tea was cool, because they gave me a cup of hot water, and a plate of leaves. The hot dog never came. Kelsey ate, Kent, Celine, and Jess showed up, ordered, ate, and still I had no hotdog (apologies for my comma abuse). Finally the waiter came, and told me it would be soon, and I said ´that´s ok, just give me a peice of cake for every minute I wait´ (jokingly of course, we were on good terms with the staff there)... or at least that´s what I meant to say. I confuse Spanish and French sometimes, so I really asked him for cats! haha! Anyways, my hotdog came... and it was a weiner cut in half on a hamburger bun! Weird weird...
Well, monday we woke up and headed back to Lima (reluctantly). Huacachina may have been the coolest place I have ever visited, and if any of you want to see it, let me know and we´ll go together. Deal?

Ok, so I have been compilling a little list of all of the funny mistakes we make in Spanish, I hope you enjoy it:

Caitlin -
Meant to say: Can I pay you now?
But really said: Can I punch you now?

Meant to say: For every minute I wait, you can give me cake!
But really said: For every minute I wait, you can give me cat!

Meant to say: Can I have a piece of cake please?
But really said: Can I have a heavy of cake please?

Kelsey -
Meant to say: Umm... maybe
But really said: Umm... cheese

Jess -
Meant to say: I´m scared!
But really said: I´m [poop]

Celine:
Meant to say: In the morning, I put makeup on
But really said: In the morning, I put butter on