Road Trip 1: Panamericana Lima to Nazca

At the airport, we picked up our rental car from Alamo - we got a really good deal via Car Del Mar. After extensively checking the vehicle for scratches, dents and bump, the engine did not start. So we asked for a replacement and repeated the process. Entering and leaving the roundabout in front of the airport proved challenging - we made it to our hotel still before the dusk.

Heidi, the car and Chris

The next morning, the next challenge presented itself to us - it took us some time to enter the Panamericana. To leave Lima cost us two hours by then we rolled, first at the coast to south. We even experienced a brand new part of the Panamericana that was just opened a month earlier and neither in our GPS nor in Google Maps. There we found a brand new rest area with good toilets and simple, good food - Boulevard del Carmen. We passed Pisco and went through Ica where we fueled up the car. Then through the dessert with a bit a of sandstorm. 

We anxiously waited for a sign for the „Lineas de Nazca“ and then stopped to take pictures. The lines are carved into the dessert and form all kinds of abstract and figurative pictures. A bit further down the road, was a tower and parking to see the three Nazca lines that are right next to the Panamericana: the hands, the tree and the alcatraz. 

the tree

Bus stop at the Nazca lines

Within another 20-30 min, we reached the town of Nazca and easily found our Hotel Algeria that had a pool and a bit of a view from the roof top. 

Hotel Alegria

We explored the town, withdrew money for our tour in Cusco and had a big dinner. Green spaghetti with prawns for me. Back at the hotel, I used the pool before we called it a night.

sunset over Nazca

Colibri Nazca Lines Bus Stop

Regional Alumni Congress Peru

Heidi and I arrived after a long flight from Munich via Madrid in Lima.

Heidi & Chris at Munich Airport

in the sky above Peru

The first day, we relaxed, went to eat ice-cream and got a SIM card. In the evening, we joined the other delegates at the Welcome Cocktail.

German Delegation

We took part in the pre-tour On Sunday and saw a dance and horse-dancing show while we enjoyed Peruvian dishes. I liked Ceviche which is fish with lemon and onions.  After the show, we went to a ethnical market in Lima. As it was the start of trip we postponed any serious shopping. 

Cultural Dances

Roxana and Karina showed us and Lya the Larcomar mall near the ocean and we experienced a fantastic sunset and dinner. 

Sunset in Lima

Girls Night in Larcomar

On Monday, we did not fly as planned to Piura in the north due to the heavy rains in the past weeks, our hotel was under water, the roads partly washed away and the area under state of emergency. The organizing committee did an amazing job and got us into El Pueblo about an hour east of Lima and also a holiday resort with little houses and several pools.  

Pool in El Pueblo

In the afternoon, the official agenda started. The next days, we spent discussing the state of the organisation in Latin America, personal development and how to make a positive impact on society. 

In the evenings, we had Karaoke, Peruvian night and White Party. Many showed their excellence in signing not only at the Karaoke night. 

Live Band playing all the Latin favorite songs

On Thursday, we returned back to Lima and the bus dropped us off at the airport and we had a final round of goodbyes.

First time in Africa - Ivory Coast

Mid of March, I set out to see a new continent - Africa. 

I boarded a plane to Paris where I met two Africans - Oumar from Senegal (& US) and Abdo from Egypt. Together we boarded another Air France flight to Ivory Coast in West Africa. 

Abidjan 

In the evening, we arrived in the capital Abidjan. First, we presented our eVisa pre-registration, gave fingerprints and got a photo taken before we received our visa stamp in our passports. After leaving our luggage in our rooms, we went to a street food market where I had grilled fish and banana (planté). 

On the way to the city

On Thursday, Ny showed me around the sights of Abidjan: St. Paul's Cathedral, a handicraft market, a groceries market in Treichville and a little ferry trip on the lagoon. 

St. Paul's Cathedral

Lagoon

The conference took place in a Christian meeting centre. As one of two non-Africans participating in the Regional Alumni Congress, it was a pleasure for me working with people from 8 African countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.

Everybody was very engaged and we talked a lot about programmes that would facilitate a better Africa in the framework of "Inspire - Engage - Influence". I'm sure to see some of those put into action later this year.

On Saturday, I chaired the legislative session and first election of the AIESEC Alumni Africa 

After street food and fast food the previous days, we went to a really nice restaurant on Saturday evening for the gala dinner with music, a tasty buffet and a lot of dancing. 

On Sunday, I got an African braids and we finished the conference in the afternoon. 

On the way home, I spent Monday working in the IHS Markit office in Paris and caught a flight home in the evening.

The last skiing days on the Reiteralm

The last skiing days of the season started badly with rain on Thursday, so we finished after lunch and changed from the snow to the hot water of the jacuzzi. In the evening, we had our yearly lodge party a day earlier than planned. 

Reiteralm

wind blowing uphill

The second day turned out colder, so rain turned to snow and we could ski longer. We finished the day at the Herzlalm - an Après-Ski bar just on the other side of our slope. Great fun and afterwards only a short way home and to the bed:-).

If it's cold outside, light a fire.

Opening the eyes to sunlight on Saturday brought a smile on everybody's face and drove out also the morning grouches way faster than the days before. 

a beautiful morning

The racing team was reunited and enlarged and speeded from the Reiteralm to Hauser Kaibling. The more sun, the longer the queue, so we tried to find less crowded places and had some fun in the snow park before doing the World Cup slope in Schladming that was in good condition considering the weather of the previous days. 

all the racers, boarders, pleasure skiers, jacuzzi/sauna fans, sun worshippers

We finished the day with dinner on the Hochalm and went down by sleighs. 

The sleighs are ready and a new race is to come.

Sunday, Victor and I went to the Steinplatte/ Waidring. A nice little skiing area. Some parts are really flat, however there are also some black slopes. We enjoyed our last ski day there in the sun.

Waidring/ Steinplatte