Sendero Luminoso

So before I tell you about yesterday, I have to show you something that I forgot to show you on Friday from the markets!  This is probably the best thing I've ever seen...

Aren't those the coolest outfits ever?!  I want one! :)  Not only is the Cookie Monster costume awesome, but look..it's a Cuy costume, too!!  Now, I really need to find room in my suitcase for that on the way home!  Just kidding..kind of

Yesterday morning, I walked to Tonisha's to meet her so that we could micro together to El Museo de la Nación.  The museum (the actual building) was different then what I museums are usually like.  It actually used to be a Ministry of Fishery (or something like that), but then there were problems with over-fishing so they didn't need a ministry anymore and the building was turned into a museum.

Pottery

Ponchos

This was part of a painting that was at the Museo,
clearly the traffic in Lima has always been crazy!!!!

Some of the next pictures are from the part of the museum that gets the most attention.  It contains a series of photographs from what is known as the "Years of Terrorism" in Peru.  The Sendero Luminoso (the Shining Path) is a communist organization (or to the government it is known as a terrorist organization) which was lead by Abimael Guzmán, a professor from a university.  For 20 years, the Shining Path tried to scare their beliefs into people with brutal violence.  The killed thousands of innocent people who chose to not follow the Shining Path.  The whole time I was looking at the pictures from these years, they reminded me of pictures from the Holocaust as well.





For the first time in history the Peruvian government distributed
guns to the people of the highlands so that they could
defend themselves against the people of the Shining Path.

This boy was a member of the Shining Path and he is seen here
celebrating the birthday of their leader, Guzmán.  It really makes me
wonder where this man is now because he would only
be in his thirties right now, which just kind of scares me.
I wonder what his beliefs are now.

 Since the government distributed weapons, the Shining Path was driven out of the highlands and they headed for Lima.  The next picture is from a bombing that happened on Tarata Street in Miraflores, Lima (close to where I live).  It happened on July 16, 1992 and it was one of the last attacks of the Shining Path because Guzmán was captured in September of that year.  Today, there is still violence which occurs that is related to this organization, but not near as severe as the two decades of terrorism.  There were many gruesome pictures in the museum that just turned my and all my classmates' stomachs. It was definitely a shoking thing to learn about, but I'm glad I did.

This was a cool view out of one of the windows of the museum.
I'm pretty sure it is the district of San Luis.

 After the museum Tonisha and I decided to walk home...

On a path walking home.

 Let's just say, it wasn't close..and we knew that going into it!  It took us about two hours and it was a 6.5 mile walk!  It was great!  It was kind of chilly out, though, it would have been even better had it been a little warmer. 

Tarata Street bombing memorial

On the walk home, once I had dropped Tonisha off at her house, I stopped by the Tarata Street bombing memorial, since I had just seen pictures from the actual event.  There's usually water in it and it is well lit at night, and as you can see behind it, right now there are flowers sitting on the memorial.

When I got home, I "started" to do my homework, but remember I just bought nine movies so to add on to the two I watched last night, I watched three more!  Whoops!  I would probably suggest all the movies I've watched which include..Agua para Elefantes, Se dice de mí, El Cisne Negro, No me quites a mi novio, and La última canción...in other words..Water for Elephants, Easy A, Black Swan, Something Borrowed, and The Last Song.

After my ridiculous movie watching afternoon/evening, I met up with four people from my program at Café Z and we just sat there and chatted.  I had some amazing panqueques (pancakes) and chocolate caliente (hot chocolate).  The good food and good conversation was the perfect way to end my night, but of course I still have homework..but none of it is for Monday, so no worries!