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My time here in Peru is flying by; I can't believe I only have a week left before moving on to Ecuador. The last couple of weeks have been pretty great.
First and foremost, all the students who were stuck at Machu Pichhu are back safe and sound.They ended up being stuck for five days as that's how long it took to evacuate everyone.Most of the area has dried out a bit, and the rebuilding of homes, businesses etc. has begun.The outlying homes on the hills were hit the worst.The school I'm attending is located in the heart of the city and fared much better, however, we still had homes ruined on our street.Whereas Cusco is functioning somewhat normally again, electricity and water is readily available Aguas Calientes/Macchu Picchu is not.I'm so glad I'd already visited Machu Picchu because it's supposedly going to be closed off for up to two months for rebuilding and repairs.
Spanish class is going pretty well.The best way I can explain my progression in class is such: 1st week- elementary school Spanish2nd week- high school Spanish3rd week- college Spanish and this week is going to be full on intense Spanish….the program here at Amauta is rather fast paced.I feel as though I take two steps forward and one step back for the most part but by the end of last week I noticed a huge difference from when I first arrived.It's a double-edged sword being at the school because the common language for all is English because of the varying Spanish levels so the Spanish can quickly go to the wayside at times but it's comforting being in a place where you can take a break from the Spanish from time to time. Thus I think my Spanish will improve even quicker when I'm in Ecuador working and living with people who only speak Spanish.
I continue to enjoy all of the new and different extracurricular activities the school offers.I had my second round of Peruvian pan flute lessons which went quite well.I wouldn't say I'm ready to go pro just yet but I can almost play TWO songs!Regardless, all of us students had a great time playing and laughing with one another.I also tried a new class this week: salsa dancing!Oh, my goodness, salsaing, is a.) a fabulous workout and b.) rather difficult.The instructor taught us the five basic steps of salsa, being someone who thinks I'm a pretty fly dancer (got all my moves from my fab aunts J) I was having a hard time keeping up at first.And I'm not sure I fully worked out the whole dance as the instructor offered to have me come into his school for more lessons…not sure if I was being hit on or if I was just that bad.Again, it was a fantastic hour and a half of great fun!They love to get their dance on in Cusco; I think I've danced more in the last three weeks than I have in the last year.One of our teachers organized a dinner for our group last week as well.We went to a lovely restaurant, with a great band, and had a really nice evening.Everyone in the group tried the Peruvian delicacy; cuy AKA guinea pig!As disgusting as I thought it, I did try A bite, not awful but way to salty and I'd never eat it again!
As I'd mentioned in my last blog, we were encouraged not to travel last week due to all the floods so I spent majority of my time outside of class/studying touring and exploring more of Cusco.Museums, walks, hikes, dinners, dancing etc. There are roughly twenty of us that have been in school together the last few weeks so there's always someone willing to go on an adventure.Yesterday for example, myself and another decided we wanted to hike one of the mountains in Cusco.We weren't exactly where to go so we had a taxi drop us off "by the mountain"..kind of.We did a bob and weave up, and around a few neighborhoods while getting many lovely looks and comments such as "you know this isn't the way to Macchu Picchu" and "where are you two going". Apparently Ethan and I looked a bit over prepared for our hike (we found this to be very true when finally on the mountain the locals were wearing sandals J).We end up finding/making a trail up to the top where there is a replica/gravesite for the black Jesus.Twas a great hike with a beautiful view from the top! I've loved spending so much time in Cusco but am ready to go away for the weekend before shipping out.
Random Information about Cusco
*Shockingly not everyone in Cusco knows "Spanish", the indigenous people speak Quechua.
*The Quechua's use a coca leaf salt combo to clean their teeth. They believe the coca leaf has many medicinal properties.
*Cusco likes their fiestas, it feels as though there are constant celebrations; more religious holidays and celebrations than I even knew existed, harvest time, public holidays, you name it they celebrate it. And celebrate they do, almost every day I've been here there is singing, music/bands, chants, church bells and fireworks to be heard.
*As one might guess there is a lot of "soccer"/futbol played here, however, I was invited for the first time ever to a ping pong club?!?
*Discotecas are big, I told someone that discotecas and nightclubs are the essentially the same thing in the US to which I received a weird look. It turns out the "nightclubs" here contain poles J…won't make that mistake again.
*The average monthly salary of someone in Cusco is around 1200 soles or $400.
*There is a surplus of dogs running all over this town! There quite annoying and are barking up a storm all the time!
*The vendors, oh the vendors..the plaza and/or the main markets are intense! Sadly, many of the vendors are young children. These kids become salespeople at a very young age.
*At many of the major attractions in and around town children are dressed in traditional garb, and then ask for money if you want to take a picture. Whereas the Quechua's wear traditional clothing all of the time.
*The mass routine at church is done quite differently than what I'm used to..people stand and sit at random times, they don't go in any sort of order up to communion—it's as though they sit around until they feel "ready" to go up to communion, they do back to back masses in which half the church stayed for at least two masses, people are walking all over the cathedral during mass, twas a very different experience but interesting none the less and the cathedral is incredibly gorgeous.
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