Tour de Cusco

Buenas from Peru!!

Peru is a dynamic country. It is evident that it is very poor and is learning to thrive on its natural wonders. But what has struck me most about the country is the beauty of the Peruvian people. Every local I have met here has been more than willing to help with any questions or issues we might have. A prime example is when we went out dancing one night, one of my housemate, Meg, set her jacket down on a stool, because it was getting rather hot inside. After dancing for a while and meeting a Peruvian we decided to move on. We looked and looked and looked for her jacket, but couldn't find it anywhere. I mentioned this to my new Peruvian dance buddy and he grabbed my hand and brought me down the stairs to a coat check. He had seen Meg set down her coat and felt uneasy about leaving it there so he checked it for us.

On top of their kindness they all have a natural beauty. I have really found that within the indigenous, and their eyes specifically. Their eyes have so much character to them. Looking into them you can tell that they have worked hard all their lives and still have amazing optimism about what each day holds. They also have this little sparkle when they find something enjoyable, it reminds me of my Dad's special sparkle.

So far we have just been busy exploring the city and getting our bearings. I'm too cheap to invest in any of the city tours, let alone paying for a Taxi daily, so we do a lot of walking. Depending where you  are that can be a bit overwhelming because everyone is trying to sell trips to Machu Picchu or Puno. Soon enough I'll need that, but for now it is fun seeing all the different types of markets, parks, and hangouts.

I love the people I live with, we all come from totally different places (South Africa, New York, Brazil, Kazikstan) so we all feed of of each other to learn more about the world. Right now I am learning a new Africaan word a day. My favorite so far is KOK which is an expression like poopy or shitty. The diversity is great, it is just hard because our only common language in English so sometimes I get confused as to how I should respond. It does get me good practice at the markets communicating for them!

The meals in home-stay have been fantastic so far. Peru is the home of the potato so every meal includas a bit of potato. For the most part they are served differently: mashed, stuffed, or baked. Our house Mom, Patricia and her helper Toti are great cooks are really know how to mix it up. They are both very sweet and inviting in and out of the kitchen. Toti is probably my favorite Peruvian so far. She stands about 4'6'' and speaks the native language of Peru, Quechua, as well as broken Spanish with a lot of hand gestures. She gets super excited about the best things, I just love coming home to her smile!

Despite my content with my housing set up I may be looking to relocated to somewhere where I can easily walk to class without it taking an hour or the chance of wandering off path. It is a big pain having to pay for a Taxi everyday, I much prefer the fresh air anyways.

As for the reason I´m here: Class started today and I really feel that I will like it. It is going to prove to be intensive, but I think my class will make it worth it. I have already found some classmates, in the few short hours we spent together, that want to go on hiking and biking adventures. Get out of the city and see the beautiful countryside of Peru for what it is worth!