¡Bienvenido!

flutterbykat

Bumblebees DO sting!   It's carpenter bees that don't
The way you can tell the difference(because they look VERY similar) is that Carpenter bees have a shinier abdomen - therefore if he has a fuzzy abdomen then that's when you don't f w/them, even though you shoudln't f w/them anyway because THAT'S WHY THEY STING YOU!
p.s. - to anyone I told that they don't sting I'm sorry - hope you didn't get stung!
 

hahahhaha....ok sorry, but I'm loving this Entomology thing!   I've never loved "class" so much!  Sometimes the professor or the textbook can still manage to make it boring but even when it is it's still so interesting!   Today at Umstead there were butterflies EVERYWHERE!!! They were so gorgeous...granted, they were all gettin' it on but gorgeous nonetheless.  I actually saw quite a few cool insects out there today...I need to count but I'm pretty sure I have enough bugs for my collection which is good b/c I hate killing them ()    Also my "paradise" (my fave spot on Company Mill Trail in Umstead) was GORGEOUS today b/c of the rain - who's swimming w/me there this weekend????

I'm pretty excited because I have a few ent. classes left and next semester I'm also taking kingdom of fungi which shoudl be super fun.  I also get to bring bugs back from Perú which is awesome (I may have already said that in a post but oh well)!!!!

So also I saw Ben FOlds the other night w/Cara and Emily (thanks to Jeg - you rock!!!!!)  and I had a BLAST!   That was an incredible show to say the least.  I know I;'ve been all " Ben Folds sucks alone I miss BFF" and I do miss them.  You have to understand that he went from him on piano, Darren Jesse on drums, Robert Sledge on bass, which was an awesome combo. to him on piano, random dude on drums and random dude on bass.   It just took me a while to overcome the hurt I suppose.   ANYWAY the point is the concert was amazing and I'm so glad Igot to see it!!!!   It was my first "formal" concert - as in it was at the BTI center and people were sitting and there were SOOO many people!  (he's come so far since I was a fan!) ....but I of course stood and danced most the time which I'm sure pissed osme people off but whatever I paid $35 too buddy!!!  Also the acoustics were incredible in there (obviously) !

Ben Folds rocks my face off

OK so the real reason I'm posting (haahahah) is to giv eyou a little look into my itenerary for Peru since I may not be able to talk to people when I'm gone.  I got the packet today from Sir Speedy and read it so fast and got so excited (hence my long hike in Umstead today)

Ok so you can stop reading here if you want - but if you care what I'll be doing in Perú or what the Inca Trail's gonna be like, then read on. . . . .

5/25 - arrive in Lima - stay in Miraflores Colón hotel for 2 nights

5/26 - orientation/change of currency/welcome lunch/free afternoon

527 - Morning flight to Cusco (11,500ft. above sea level) - drive to Urubamba - stay a couple nights to acclimate to altitudes

5/28 - Morning tour to Pisac ruins/church and market/Restaurante Alhambra/free afternoon/stay in Urubamba

5/29 - Morning visit to Ollantaytambo Inca ruins and town/1 hour hike/Picnic in plains of Maras/Ruins of Moray and town of Chinchero/return to Cusco

5/30 - Morning visit to La Catedral/free afternoon

5/31 - Either 3-4hour horseride to ruins of Sacsayhuaman or Morning visit to Coricancha (Temple of the Sun) w/visits to Museo de Arte Precolombino y Museo de Arte Religioso

6/1 - Do whichever activity didn't do the day before ^^^^

6/2 - Free day in Cusco to prepare for Inca Trail

6/3 - Begin Inca Trail - Bus to 9,000 ft., 5 hours hiking (7.5miles) to Wayllabamba camp (9,840ft)

6/4 - 2nd day of Inca Trail (hardest day) - Warmiwañuscca peak (13,776ft.) (means Dead Woman's Pass (3-4 hours ascent {5.5miles}; 1 hour descent) Camp at Pacaymayu (12,000ft.)

6/5 - 5-6hour hike (5.5miles) to Phuyupatamarca camp (11,939ft.)

6/6 - 6 hour hike (8.1miles) to Machu Picchu (7,872ft.) - visit thermal baths (woo!)

6/7 - Guided visit to Machu Picchu/lunch in Restaurante Pueblo Viejo in Aguas Calientes - arriv ein Cusco 8:30pm

6/8 - Free day in Cusco

6/9 - Morning flight to Lima - meet Host family

6/10 and 6/11 - Free days in Lima

6/12 - Classes begin     
6/13-6/16 - Classes (w/free afternoons/evenings)

6/17 - Guided visit to Lima:  La Plaza Mayor, La Catedral, Convento de San Francisco, Museo Larco Herrera

6/18 - free day
6/19-6/22 - Classes (w/free afternoons/evenings)

6/23 - Trip to Ica - visit Ocuaje winery where wine and pisco (famous liquor of Perú are produced

6/24 - Day to rest in Ocucaje - 1 hour ride in a dune buggy to sand desert w/sandboarding and visit to 8.5mill. year old fossil site

6/25 - Leave for National Reserve of Paracas - boat trip to Ballestas Islands, dinner w/Afro-Peruvian music

6/26 - Visit Hotel-Hacienda San José/Spanish Colonial architecture - return to Lima

6/27- 6/30 - Classes (w/free afternoons/evenings)

7/1-7/2 - free weekend

7/3-7/4 - Classes
7/5 - classes end . . . . farewell lunch ()
7/6 - free day, arrive in Raleigh 11:22am

WHEW!   Needless to say, now that it's in writing I am STOKED!!!!  
If you read the whole entry I owe you a hug!

WOO!
~Kat

flutterbykat

OMG 37 days til Peru...I can't WAIT!  I must say though I'm a little scared - they've successfully scared me out of wanting to even breathe when I'm down there but I'm sure that'll pass . . . . I can't even talk about it I'm too excited - so, next topic!

I went home this weekend and (as always) had a BLAST!  I love love LOVE my family!  We had a huge feast which was delish, I went fishing w/my Dad, hung out w/my mom and played w/the dogs by the lake and in the kiddie pool, went on my first solo canoe ride, painted eggs, drank Washington Apples (Jess and Lindsey know allllll about them - yum!) and YuengLing, hung out w/sister, etc.  Needless to say I just heart my family entirely too much - I'm the luckiest person alive!

So also I got my camera!   I bought it for Peru and bought a memory card which holds 500 pictures .....I'm determined to fill it up! hahahha

- ok so I just tried to do it and I can't figure it out....anyone have any suggestions or can help me?  Or know of a (PRIVATE) website where I can put pictures up (for peru too?)?

So now I reckon I'ma try to put them in my gallery (we'll see how this goes) so you shoudl check it out.

Happy Easter everyone!
much love,
K*Rah

flutterbykat

I've taken a lover . . . .

VEGETABLES!

I'm sure I've told all of you about 203948320948 times about how I got that HORRIBLE sinus infection (beginning of this year) and coudln't taste for about 5 days (it may have been 6....geez I don't even remember).  Anyway, I tried EVERYTHING, spent about $100 if not more on random medicines, and even tried a home remedy of tomato juice with garlic and tobasco sauce (among other ingredients).   The home remedy didn't work, but was the only thing I coudl taste in days so that was fun.....so I just sucked it up and continued to drink nothing but tea and cranberry juice.  I am convinced that those are the things that cured me - and ever since then, things have been different . . .


You see, I never liked cranberries, cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, NOTHING, so I drank it for the health benefits when I coudn't taste b/c I knew it tasted like a$$.   HOWEVER - after I was cured all I coudl think about was cranberry juice!  Ever since then I drink it always and crave it every second of my life.   (although I must say I'm a bit spoiled in the sense that it has to be 100% juice otherwise it tastes too bitter/fake)  This part was somewhat irrelevant I suppose....

Irregardlessly - Since the Cranberry Outbreak '06 my taste buds have changed.  My sister says that happens to women at different points in their life, and I believe her!   I've always been the salad maker at home and always would put red onions, tomatoes, all that crap in there but just pick out the actual salad for myself b/c it was all so gross.  Lately though, I can't get enough vegetables!!!!!!!!!    I'm still wary of mushrooms and slightly wary of tomatoes (it's the texture, really...it has to be perfect).  But seriously though, I can't get enough!!!!!!!!   I just ate a salad w/broccoli, carrots, TONS of red onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes and it was DELISH!!!!

My next step is to get my dad's salsa recipe b/c it's the only salsa I'll eat and if you come have some your life will be changed.


OMG VEGETABLES!!!!!

ok that's all - b'bye!

much love and good luck on exams everyone!
Kat 








p.s. school is hard and I only have 29 days til Peru!!!!!!!!!!!