Tourist Visas and Spanish Tests

And just like that, the first leg of our South American journey is coming to a close. I’m trying not to be too sentimental about it – I know there’s a lot of trip left – but I don’t like the idea of any of this ending. I still have a moment of panic every morning before I open my eyes that maybe I dreamed all of this. But no, we’re still here, on this great adventure together, and tomorrow we’re off to explore the ancient city of Cusco.

Cusco (or Cuzco) sits high in the Peruvian Andes at 11,152 ft, a challenging altitude for those coming directly from Lima’s sea level (like us). It served as the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th to 16th century when the Spanish invaded, and was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983. Cusco means “navel of the world” in Quechua, the indigenous language of the Inca Empire which is still spoken by an astounding 8 million people throughout the Andes. Today, Cusco is known as the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley beyond, making it arguably the most popular tourist destination in Peru.

Honestly, Cusco wasn’t the highest priority on our list of cities due to the potential crowds and tourist trappings, but we adjusted our itinerary once Bolivia’s La Paz became unsafe for travelers. We’ve also had concerns over how long we can stay in this country, and decided we better experience Machu Picchu while we have the chance. All of our research indicated that Americans can stay in Peru on a tourist visa for 183 days per year, more than enough for our 150 day trip. However, we were given a 90 day visa at customs and firmly told that was now the maximum, despite our attempts to protest in broken Spanish. Feeling helpless, we left with a 90 day stamp in our passports, hoping we could figure it out later.

Once in Lima, further research and a lack of guidance made our hearts sink even more, and our big dream of exploring all regions of Peru began to shrink. Charlie found recent posts from other travelers stating the visa limits had changed, and the tactic of crossing into another country and back to “renew” a visa was dicey at best. Reluctantly, we started planning a torturous visit to the migrations office to plead our case; the risk being they could deny us on a whim. If that failed, our plan was to make the most of our time in Peru, then spend more time in another Spanish-speaking South American country, but finding somewhere stable that fit our travel budget was proving much harder than expected. Still, we did our best to stay positive.

Then, Charlie saved the day. Apparently, where most non Spanish-speaking travelers get stuck is in deciphering and following the fine print instructions on the tedious migrations website. Charlie found an option to extend a tourist visa, but it only seemed to apply to South Americans. Down the rabbit hole he went, collecting as much information from travel message boards and blogs as he could, most of which saying requests were denied. It took hours, but somehow he managed to translate and jump through enough red tape to get us an 89 day extension (90 day requests get denied – a common mistake), all for the cost of 11.7 soles (less than $4), which had to be paid in advance to a national bank to register us in the system (another often overlooked detail). My hero.

We are beginning the next chapter of our adventure with the weight of uncertainly lifted from our minds. And as it turns out, this is exactly when we should be hiking to Machu Picchu. It’s the rainy season, but in December we stand the chance of constant drizzle versus the guarantee of downpour later in the season. There should also be less hikers on the trail. Truthfully, I have no idea what we’re in for, but I’m preparing myself for an intense 5 day challenge that includes a lot of mud and mosquitos, with a once in a lifetime reward at the end. Stay tuned for pics and impressions of this great world wonder, and I’ll see you on the other side…

Funny story of the week: We have officially completed 4 weeks of Spanish school, Monday through Friday, with only 2 days off (including today to pack up for Cusco). My head is stuffed with new vocabulary and an array of tenses from which to choose, each with very specific rules. In Charlie’s words, “Spanish class has chewed us up and spit us out.” I couldn’t agree more. He is much stronger in conversing (where it really counts), and my strengths are in pronunciation, reading and writing. I’m fine when I can think at my own pace, but put me on the spot and I choke.

Case in point: last week we had a written Spanish exam and I aced it (Charlie only missed 1). Our teacher, Fabri, must have been impressed and told the other teachers, because one of them congratulated me in the hallway. I stared back at her like a deer in the headlights. I’d barely caught the word “examen” and had no idea she was referring to the one I’d just taken. My brain seized up – as it always does when I fail to understand a sentence the first time – preventing any rational thought. She repeated her congrats a few more times as I stood there clueless, red-faced and ashamed. Finally, just as the elevator doors were closing she gave me a look of pity and said in English, “congratulations on your Spanish exam.” Yeah, I’m really killing it.

On my mind this week: The first month of our trip has flown by and I keep wishing I could slow down time. I knew before this started I would never want it to end, but that mentality is making the days pass even faster and adding a layer of unnecessary anxiety. And so, I’m trying to practice what I know – that the best way to appreciate something is to be present in the moment it’s happening – not worrying about how long it will last or wondering why it took so long to get here. I also know that gratitude is the fastest way back to the present – and I have no shortage of things to be thankful for.