This week has been a proper week of work. I have been working with a tough wee class of 4 boys. It is a very different experience when it isnt your class, you dont know the kids yet, you dont know exactly what they are saying to you or whether they make sense in their own language, you cant communicate properly with the staff and they are worried you cant cope with the behaviour :-/ Challenge! I tried to reassure them that we have kids with very similar behaviour. So it was tough and it took a few days to get to grips with it. They are doing lots of good things but they dont have the time, resources or people to talk to that might help. They also have huge cultural barriers from mainstream education as well as society. By Thurs we were on to resource making to try to give them some strategies and materials to help. It wasnt till our last day that we managed to have a conversation, with the two teachers i was with, translated by a Spanish volunteer, that i finally felt like we might be helping! But that moment was great :)

Other than work this week I have been into Cusco quite a bit, wandering the little streets, taking a public bus, practising my Spanish, visiting one or two museums and eating :) Food in general isnt too great here. Dry bread for breakfast, lots of potatoes and many fried chicken places that i wouldnt go near :-/ A bit wary after our bad experience :( We have found a nice little place for lunch near the school, across from the airport, Boing Appetite :D and it has wifi and two good courses for £1.50 :D There is also a really good pizzaria at the end of our street which has come in handy By the end of the week we found a couple of nice places to eat in the centre too.

On Thurs night we had a wee night out. Me, Linda, Nicole and Ian, a young American volunteer. We went for a nicer dinner, walked round and went to Muse, a live music venue. Thurs is circus night and Calline and Celeste came because a lot of their friends were there. It took forever to get started but great people watching. Lots of dreadlocks, baggy clothes and Celeste filling us in on the insider gossip. The acts were a mixed bag but good fun :)

Friday, we did a lot of work on resources! It was touch and go but the girls eventually decided to go out to salsa. We missed the lesson in one of the clubs so we danced a bit, feeling a tad old, although Nicole did end up on the bar, and then ee headed back to Muse. I had a fantastic night! Dancing with a great old guy, a couple of beginners and a tall American. Lots of fun :)

On Saturday us 4 volunteers decided to take a horse riding trip up the back of Cusco in the hills and down to one of the Inca ruins. Very different to riding in any way back home. Health and safety doesnt exist out here. Our guide tutted when some of us said we had no experience, no helmets or safety brief, just hoisted up and off we went as the horses, who knew where they were going to be fair, jostled for position in the line. I was excited to be riding without a lead rope :) Next thing i know my horse is jostling, im over the shoulder and the ground is coming to meet me :-/ Turns out my horse bucked and threw me off :-/ A bit sore and winded but as they say about horses and getting straight back on :-/ Of course my horse was in a lead rope the whole time but never mind lol We also got to stop and explore the caves and tunnels in the rocks, clamber over stepping stones in an underground river and disturb a meditation group taking goodness knows what as well as a mountain rescue training operation. Lots going on. At night we finished off some work bits and pieces to leave for Nicole next week and went back to the flat where Celestes friends had come to stay and were cooking up a storm and drunking tequilla. So we drank a new pisco drink, ate, chatted and listened to Celeste and her friend singing (semi professionals at one time or another) and went to bed after midnight. Up at 4am to go to the jungle :-/