Cuzco
Well I'm beginning to understand the routes of all the different mini-buses that almost everyone in this city uses to get around. For example, to get to work in San Geronimo I have to walk to the bottom of the hill and catch a Chaska. To get to the city, I can take any but different ones will drop me in different parts. To get to my house, I can take a Colombia or Andina from Avenida de la Cultura or a Huerto or Cristo Blanco or a couple of others from Avenida del Sol. Huerto will take me to the massive Mercado Molini also where they sell everything from bikinis to kettles and hi-fi gear to sweets and roast guinea pig. Also, it's taken me four days to realize that a Botica is actually how they call a Farmacia here.
Yesterday I had breakfast with Dina and then went to the centre. I checked out a place for learning Quechua, they said yes they taught it, so I will go back on Monday. A lot of the mothers where I work speak Quechua as a first language, and it's huge here so it would be great if I knew something. Then I went to this wicked bakery with Janine, my Swiss friend, she is brilliant. After I went to the Fairplay office -where they organized my homestay- to ask where I can take dance classes here -I have decided that I finally have to do something about my lack of salsa- and stayed and talked Peruvian versus Western culture, and personal philosophies for ages with John. Went home and had lunch, and then went to work where they told me that actually I don't work the weekends. I went back to the centre and bought a peruvian chip for my mobile and lounged around a bit. I came back home and was chilling in my room when Felix knocked at my door. He lives in the room next to me and asked if I wanted to go see a bit of Cuzco with him. So we went to the centre, and to Molini, and around. It was really sweet of him, he said we can go visit some ruins together if I want. After dinner I went to the centre. Felix didn't want to come but I met up with Janine again and Florence (France) and we went somewhere and they ate. After we went to Km 0 -my third time there already-, it's this bar with awesome live music that's a mix of a lot of modern spanish stuff and some folklore from here and some english stuff too that everyone knows the words too. I already know the names and have the numbers of some of the staff haha. We met up with an english guy, Neil, that Janine knew and his aussie friend whose name I've forgotton though I talked to him for about an hour. And also German (Argentina) who is travelling a bit with Florence. Also there was a peruvian guy Luis who we'd met before, and we started talking to these medicos from the States - Boris who's a surgeon, Cheryl and a crazy blonde doctor girl. After, some of us went to a night club where it was a really cool mix of tourists and peruvians, and danced for a while then I went home at 3ish cos I'd pretty much lost my voice and my throat was caning -I'm a bit sick. Awesome night.
Today Dina and I went to Cathedral Merced for a little bit after breakfast. Came back and wandered a little, read and chilled until lunch. After lunch I washed two of my three jumpers and then slept for ages, then was dinner, and then I wandered again around this neighborhood. They have been playing musica cusqueña for ages in the square behind the house, and whole lot of people are gathered there in the dark and cold with the music. I don't know why. I found out that within 3 minutes walk of my house there are 5 internet cafes. Tomorrow I hope I can start knitting a scarf with the alpaca wool I bought in Chile. I bought a crochet needle there too, but I can't actually crochet.
Home is like a refuge now. I love having my things spread out and that I can take a siesta and no that no one else will come knocking on the door in the middle of it. The room has big windows and a desk and a big mirror, and it's lovely and warm. It's nice too talking to Dina and Marcelito and the other guys who work and live there. It feels homey. I really like the work at Mantay too. Normally for the afternoons it's me and another girl or two with up to 10 kids under the age of three. I'm getting good at folding nappies, one way for the babies and another for the bigger kids. And man, it's tiring. Kids just don't stop. And they never sleep all at once. But it's great too. And I'm learning. And I feel good here in Cuzco, at home and at work, and I already have people who are kindof friends. I am going to go rockclimbing next weekend with Luis probably. Even though a whole lot of them are just travelling and will leave, it's still enough to enjoy going out here. If I start dance and Quechua classes I will be really busy. The only thing that would be even nicer, would be if Ale would come already. But, I have no idea when he will, and I'm beginning to doubt him just the slightest. But, that's ok, and I'm happy anyway.
Yesterday I had breakfast with Dina and then went to the centre. I checked out a place for learning Quechua, they said yes they taught it, so I will go back on Monday. A lot of the mothers where I work speak Quechua as a first language, and it's huge here so it would be great if I knew something. Then I went to this wicked bakery with Janine, my Swiss friend, she is brilliant. After I went to the Fairplay office -where they organized my homestay- to ask where I can take dance classes here -I have decided that I finally have to do something about my lack of salsa- and stayed and talked Peruvian versus Western culture, and personal philosophies for ages with John. Went home and had lunch, and then went to work where they told me that actually I don't work the weekends. I went back to the centre and bought a peruvian chip for my mobile and lounged around a bit. I came back home and was chilling in my room when Felix knocked at my door. He lives in the room next to me and asked if I wanted to go see a bit of Cuzco with him. So we went to the centre, and to Molini, and around. It was really sweet of him, he said we can go visit some ruins together if I want. After dinner I went to the centre. Felix didn't want to come but I met up with Janine again and Florence (France) and we went somewhere and they ate. After we went to Km 0 -my third time there already-, it's this bar with awesome live music that's a mix of a lot of modern spanish stuff and some folklore from here and some english stuff too that everyone knows the words too. I already know the names and have the numbers of some of the staff haha. We met up with an english guy, Neil, that Janine knew and his aussie friend whose name I've forgotton though I talked to him for about an hour. And also German (Argentina) who is travelling a bit with Florence. Also there was a peruvian guy Luis who we'd met before, and we started talking to these medicos from the States - Boris who's a surgeon, Cheryl and a crazy blonde doctor girl. After, some of us went to a night club where it was a really cool mix of tourists and peruvians, and danced for a while then I went home at 3ish cos I'd pretty much lost my voice and my throat was caning -I'm a bit sick. Awesome night.
Today Dina and I went to Cathedral Merced for a little bit after breakfast. Came back and wandered a little, read and chilled until lunch. After lunch I washed two of my three jumpers and then slept for ages, then was dinner, and then I wandered again around this neighborhood. They have been playing musica cusqueña for ages in the square behind the house, and whole lot of people are gathered there in the dark and cold with the music. I don't know why. I found out that within 3 minutes walk of my house there are 5 internet cafes. Tomorrow I hope I can start knitting a scarf with the alpaca wool I bought in Chile. I bought a crochet needle there too, but I can't actually crochet.
Home is like a refuge now. I love having my things spread out and that I can take a siesta and no that no one else will come knocking on the door in the middle of it. The room has big windows and a desk and a big mirror, and it's lovely and warm. It's nice too talking to Dina and Marcelito and the other guys who work and live there. It feels homey. I really like the work at Mantay too. Normally for the afternoons it's me and another girl or two with up to 10 kids under the age of three. I'm getting good at folding nappies, one way for the babies and another for the bigger kids. And man, it's tiring. Kids just don't stop. And they never sleep all at once. But it's great too. And I'm learning. And I feel good here in Cuzco, at home and at work, and I already have people who are kindof friends. I am going to go rockclimbing next weekend with Luis probably. Even though a whole lot of them are just travelling and will leave, it's still enough to enjoy going out here. If I start dance and Quechua classes I will be really busy. The only thing that would be even nicer, would be if Ale would come already. But, I have no idea when he will, and I'm beginning to doubt him just the slightest. But, that's ok, and I'm happy anyway.