moonwildflower

This trip makes Continent number 6. One left, and that would be Antarctica. We'll try and make it around Christmas.
My family tries to make one big trip a year. Dad wanted to see the Amazon. I convinced him that Machu Picchu would make for a much better trip. They plan on closing it in a few years anyway.
The trip began with a few flights that went through Dallas and Miami, with us landing in Lima at 6am. Now, I can't sleep on a plane, so that meant it was a really long night. To make matters worse, our rooms weren't ready till 8am. To pass the time, we got to sample a Peruvian breakfast. Very European. One thing that continually surprised me was how the nicest hotels were in the worst parts of town. If you weren't looking for them, you would walk right past them.

This fact also meant that some of the views were less than spectacular. But that didn't matter. I just wanted to sleep. After a good nap, we walked downtown and samples a Peruvian dessert that can only be described as sweet potato doughnuts. Very enjoyable.
The next day, we went back to the Lima airport to catch a plane to Juliaca via Cuzco. Flying over the mountains was amazing. Juliaca was...interesting to say the least. Lets just say that I can use the city for inspiration for post apocalyptic images. It was in horrible shape. Thankfully, we met up with our tour guide who drove us an hour south to Puno, the town on lake Titicaca.

We spent the night at yet another hidden hotel, then ventured downtown to grab some food. The tour to the Lake the next day began with a short bus ride to the harbor. There had to be at least 20 small boats in the area, all ready to carry passengers. After crusing for about 20 min, our first stop was the floating islands of Uros, created entirely out of reeds. They only last so long (I want to say 20 years? might be wrong), before they have to be reharvested and stuck back together. It was really fun to walk on the surfaces of the islands. Much like being on a water bed.

The guide said that there are a large amount of islands on the lake, the number escapes me at the moment. Might be around 800 to 1000.  They also use the reeds to construct their boats, huts and random animals shapes. Also in the lake, was an island called Tequile. It took an hours to sail there, then another 30 min to walk up the steps to get to the town. Being at such a high altitude, around 12,500 feet above sea level, it was really hard to climb those steps. We were greeted by an amazing lunch and lots of information regarding the culture of the island's people. The boat ride back took three hours. Seems we had boarded the slowest boat. Lucky us. I'm not very good with boat rides. Motion sickness is a problem of mine. And I was still dealing with altitude sickness. When I had first arrived in Peru, I drank some of the Coca tea. It's supposed to help you with altitude sickness. I should have drank more. That night was the worst headache of my life. I could feel my heart beat in my back. It didn't help that our hotel room didn't have any windows and was more like a tomb than anything else.

The next day, we boarded a large tour bus for a nine hour bus ride back to Cuzco. I was asleep for a good portion of the beginning. As stated before, I had a really bad night. To add to everything else, seems I had eatten something that wasn't agreeing with me. I awoke breifly to view the highest point in the Scared Valley before passing out again. Halfway through, we stopped at a large gathering of ruins. The picture shows what is thought to be a temple. The Inca trail passes right by it. The trail is a long path that transveresed the entire Inca empire. They had runners that went along it, taking censes. Unfortunitly, we only got to spend 40 min there before reboarding the bus. There were several more stops that day, including lunch, before we arrived at Cuzco.
Let me say something about driving in Peru. They don't seem to have any laws when it comes to driving. Each driver has his hands the horn at all times. There are no lane lines to really speak off. And pedestrains have no rights. None. I saw so many people almost get ran over. You couldn't pay me enough to drive in the courtry. Now you can imagine what is would be like sitting on a bus as it makes it way downtown Cuzco.
The next day was a city tour of Cuzco which ended with me riding on my back upon the laps of my family in a taxi, in Cuzco.... Not fun.

That little adventure actually happened right after we had seen a dinner show. It was a buffet style setting. And they had Guinea Pig. Myself and several others tried to try it. Tried....
It was really chewy. Not very enjoyable. I Like Alpaca better.
Back to the show: every couple min, dancers dressed in amazing costumes came out and performed. One routine that was really amusing involved the dancers trying to light a scrap of paper a flame that hung from each other's belts. At the end, they invited people from the crowd to participate. As always, a loud, drunk American man got pulled up and made an ass of his self. It was horrible.

The last and most important portion of our trip began with a four hour train ride north. There is no other way to get to Machu Picchu. There are no roads really. The view was amazing. Just amazing. Snow capped mountians and rushing water on each side.

I was very surprised by the new town. Sure, Aqua Caliente is a tourist town. But it was the most beautiful part of the country. And the warmest. I was unprepared for the increase in temperature. It was actually jungle. While there I got a few bug bites. Here's hopping I don't have malaria, or even worse, a bot-fly. I've started a two week period of pills just in case.
This city stretched along the river. Halfway through town, the remnants of the recent flood were visible. Mud still coated portions. Our hotel was the second to the last in the town. The sound of river was a welcome distraction in the night.

No. This is not the Nat Geo picture. I took it myself. We got up early that morning and boarded a bus for the 20 min ride up the mountain. In a zip zag pattern. Remember how they drive? Yeah....
It was worth it. So worth it. We had an English speaking guide for the five of us. He took us all over the city, lasting for two hours. We didn't get to go to the tip of the mountain pictured in  the photo. Only 400 people are allowed a day and we missed the deadline.

To make up for that, my brother and I decided to climb the actual mountain Machu Picchu. The city is just called that becuase no one knows it's real name. The hike up began okay. After about 40 min, Carl had left me behind to race some other guys up the mountain top. He had our water too....
It got pretty hard. I run and swim and work out a lot. But this was one of the most physically exhausting things I've ever done. I had to stop for breath every 100 meters. Carl made it to the top in 56 min. It might have been an hour and 20 min for me. I lost count.

But I made it. There was a flag at the top, of which I got a picture. However, the most interesting sight was this guy, just chilling on the edge of the drop off. After snapping what I hope wasn't his last picture, I made my way back down. It was so much easier. I didn't run out of breath once. My legs are still sore though. We had to ride the train back to Cuzco right after that, spend another night in the same hotel, then get up early to catch a plane back to Lima. Where we had to wait 8 hours for our next flight. But we made it home. I have never been so happy to see the US. I really liked Peru, but it made me thankful to live in Texas. I have to say I missed milk the most.

With the special problems class done, I can again focus on personal projects. Up first, an entry to the Halo Evolutions contest. I picked one of the first stories from the book. Can't recall the name at the moment, but it has to do with Covies that take over a UNSC ship and a very interesting AI. The scene I picked was right at the end where the AI announces the destruction of the vessel in 5:00, then announces that the countdown wasn't needed and blows it up right then and there. The Elite didn't like her little joke.
I decided to do straight black and white with this one, beginning with a scanned in drawing and inking in photoshop. Very interesting. I don't do it often enough.  Still got a bit of tightening to do on it. Just need to get it turned in by the 15th.

Well, we didn't finish yesterday. But we still have time. Kat gave me permission to post some of the WIP pics here of what we've been doing.

Other than the Special problems class I'm doing, I've got my eye on a few art contests that are coming up, including the Halo Evolutions contest. I'm thinking about illustrating the story with the spartan III's and the Elites. Particularly the ending scene where one of the Elites has his energy sword in the Spartan's face plate and the Spartan has his finger on a detonator. Seems very epic.
As for prop building, I've been helping my friend in the construction of her own Silent Hill outfit. She's picked the Closer. And it's been going very well. We should be done by Monday at the least. I'll post WIP pics after she debuts it at Anime Expo. She's so luckly. lol
And I might be starting another secret cosplay with a friend from the 405th. We each have our own special skills that we are offering to complete this porject. A small hint here: No one else has done this before. We should be the first.

But it's for a friend this time.
And it's Star Wars.

Even though I have loved Chrono Trigger for years, this is the first piece of fan art I have ever created from the series. Ever.
And I really don't know why.
It was still a good test of photoshop on my new laptop before I start any school assingments. My wacom tablet doesn't want to work the same way as before and I'm having to find all my favorite brushes again.
Took about 3 hours of coloring and cleaning up. I really like how I managed to give it a watercolor look, akin to how the original art work looked in the guide book. lol I'm not sure how I did it though. It was one of those time where it just happened.

And I'm okay with it.
Really.
Okay. I was a bit disapointed and mad when I first heard the news. What did these other girls have that I didn't? Were they chosen just because they lived in the area and didn't need plane tickets? Was it the boob size???
After half an hour of sulking, I've realized that I'm okay. The viewers made their opinions known and I just didn't fit the bill. This won't stop me from getting to E3. Hopefully, by next year, I'll be working at a game company and I'll be sent. As a legitimate game designer. And when I walk past the G4 booth, I will smirk and say that I tried out for that position, but didn't make it.
At least I'll have all next week to work on my school work and freelance concept art now.
Good luck to the final three!

After many years of providing me with the computing power I've needed, my old laptop can be put to rest. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't even run a small photoshop file on it at any resolution higher than 300. And the fan was on all the time. This new laptop is so quiet, it scares me.
Still feeling scared about the G4 contest. I wish that they would have announced it monday, as planned. Friends talked me into getting my hair done, just in case.
Been working on personal art inbetween class stuff and cosplay. I started on a piece from Chrono Trigger....

Just got back from A-kon 21 in Dallas. I really didn't think that I'd get to go to that con this year. Just a week before the con, my Dad told me to try and get a room. He'd pay for it. Sweet! Managed to snag a room for the two nights and shared it with my brother and Kuno. It was kinda lonely with just the three of us. I'm so used of at least seven people being in a room.
For cosplays, I took my armor, Skeik and my new Lurker. It was more of a test run for the Lurker than anything else. I still need to do some work on the transition of the hand pieces and the head piece onto the bodysuit to make it look better. Overall though, people were creeped out and that's all I wanted.
Got to meet alot of 405thers I didn't know, among a host of old con friends. Somehow, we got to go to the cosplay contest too. Not to enter, unfortunitly. Just to watch. The winner was an older woman who had created one of the wise mage creatures from The Dark Crystal. It was amazing. She deserved to win. I'll post pics when I can find them.
And.... I'm starting more work on my other cosplays now. Hope to have a bunch done by Afest... Oh! Remember the Ikkicion convention where my cosplay group won Best in Show and we didn't really get anything? Seems we might get free badges! Very exciting news.
On to art news... I'm starting work on my Special Problems class. All that will be in another blog on my site. And I'm doing personal stuff along with an upcoming Halo contest. Lots to do.

...did I think that I would make it to the semi-finals of the G4 E3 Booth Babe contest. Me vs 15 other gamer girls for the chance to go to E3 as a booth babe..... Wow. My head is still spinning. When the commercial for the contest comes on G4, I feel odd.
When Kat and Nicole helped me film the entry last week, it was a quick job done with little thought as to what I was going to say. After reading some of the viewer's comments, I'm sure that I could have spoken more about other games. But Halo is one of my favorites, and that is what came to mind.  Some have even said that I didn't build my helmet ( which I wore in the video ). A lot of the comments are really nice and supportive, with a few that are just too mean to repeat.
I'll know next friday, the 6th, who has made it to the top three.
Fingers crossed everyone. 
Here's the link to the site if anyone wants to vote for me. You have to have a membership to vote, but it only takes a few seconds to get one. 
http://g4tv.com/e3boothbabe