Let´s play how many peruanos we can fit in one cambi

Cambis are those taxi-vans I´ve been talking about. Essentially, they are just vans with the seats taken out and small rows and bars to hold onto on the ceiling instead. Today, I played how many peruanos can we fit in one cambi, oh and don´t forget the tall, white girl too. Twenty-five. Yup, you read correctly, twenty-five. Most are sitting in seats, but some are standing, holding onto the bars. I try and get a seat as fast as possible because I don´t quite fit standing like the peruanos. They drive like downtown L.A., well maybe worse. I´ve learned to just forget about it and look at the sights out the window. Don´t worry mom, granny, and grandma. I´ve yet to see an accident or a car with a dent in it. I´m fine, don´t worry. It´s part of the experience. After class today, I started walking to la plaza, when I saw this cute little cafe, so I went in. They had alfajores! As of now, my life is complete. I had the best dark hot chocolate I have ever had and this alfajor that my mouth is watering for right now. Guess how much I paid? 4 soles. That´s not even $1.50. Life is good. I only spend $1/day on cambis and internet for 2 hours. I´m going to have to add $1.50 to that now that I found this cafe. Last night, Ivan (my host dad) made crepes with dulce de leche. No matter what Americans say, dulce de leche is nothing like carmel. It´s SO much better! There are some foods that I´m not that big a fan of, but overall it´s really incredible. I´ve decided to blog as much as possible, because I don´t write in my journal like I´m supposed to. I´ll print this off someday and put it in a journal. So you don´t have to read it, it´s mainly for my benefit.

Sittin on the Steps of Cusco

Today, I found my spot.You know how you find those spots every once in a while and you just know that you´re going to come back everyday because it´s perfect for you. It´s a place where all good and deep thinking comes to pass. Well, luck came upon me today and I found one, on the steps of el centro. It´s a very touristy area, but I can´t help it, it just fits me. My steps face a plaza with a large fountain in the center and are surrounded by massive cathedrals. I could sit and read and write all day there, but unfortunately today I had to get back to the house so Milagros, my host mom, could feed me massive amounts of food. It´s like she thinks I have never eaten before. I feel bad because I never can finish my food and everyone else practically licks their plates clean. I love my host family. I wish you could all meet them. They like to call me by my full name, Rebecca Elizabeth, or sometimes just Elizabeth, which I have to admit, I kind of like. Last night they taught me a new card game and I got slaughtered. I don´t think I have ever done that bad at cards. I´ll make a comeback tonight. It surprises me sometimes how much people watch t.v. down here. It´s always on whenever I come into the room. They watch some american shows, like CSI, with spanish subtitles, which I like because I actually can understand what´s going on. My program is going really well. My head still hurts trying to communicate with people, but it will come out of nowhere. I know it. I took the taxi-van today by myself, which I have to admit was a little scary, because I had to remember where to go. It was fine though, they were very helpful.

#1 Rule in Cusco for safety:    cars don´t stop.... ever 

Other than that, I feel very safe. It surprised me a little because everyone warned me to be so so careful, which I am (mom), but it´s not scary at all. Everyone is too nice.

This is Centro Tinku, where I study everyday. They have a beautiful golden retriever there named Curi (gold in Queche), she´s my favorite thing about Centro Tinku.

 

The Church of San Francisco, just one block from Centro Tinku. 

 This is what the streets of central cusco look like. They are very steep and I find myself huffing and puffing like I´m 100 pounds heavier because of the altitude (11,000 ft!!!)

Told you there were stray dogs everywhere.

The fountain in el centro and the city. There´s another church, they´re everywhere. You can barely make it out, but there´s a huge cross at the top of that hill.

Technically, this is the only cathedral in cusco, the rest are all just churches. (just churches, ha!)

My favorite church in cusco, conveniently located ten steps away from the cathedral.

More of el centro. I had to put this one in for Mom. Aren´t those flowers gorgeous?

My steps. It´s right in front of the cathedral.

Toto... we´re not in Kansas anymore

I am on a plane to Peru, by myself. Am I crazy? I think I am. I´ve never been outside of the country, let alone by myself. Someone should institutionalize me. I step off the plane and land in San Salvador. Then board another and arrive in Bogota. My ticket has no gate number, greeaat. Now I actually have to try and communicate with people. I ask one lady and she tells me to go to another gate. I wait in a line, to be told this is not the right gate. I wander the airport a little more and go back to the first gate I went to which apparantely is the correct one now. I board and finally arrive two hours later in Peru. ¡Por Ultimo! Worst part of the trip by far, Lima Airport. It´s really nice, but I have to wait around for ten hours in the middle of the night. Everyone is really nice, except I can´t understand them. I am lost in translation. I feel like that guy in Best Two Years when he says, I did not learn that language in the MTC. The plane trip to Cusco is beautiful. I will never forget the way the Andes mountains looked in the sun. I look over the city and just feel it. I know I will fall in love with this place. It was all worth it. I´m not crazy. I am greeted by two short ladies (naturally) that are literally jumping up and down to see me. It is my host mom and my program director. They are so sweet and kind to me. Luckily, I understand about 60% of what they say so I can communicate. They take me to the house and my room is about twice the size of my one at home and I have a queen sized bed all to myself. Ahhhh, a bed is the only thing I want at the moment. After sleeping for two hours, I´m still so tired, but so excited to be here. My host mom feeds me a delicious meal including everything made with lactose-free milk. he tells me over and over that it doesn´t have any lactose. We later go on an adventure to the supermercado down the street. It´s hard to explain the smells in cusco. I guess you´ll just have to come here yourself to experience it. The people are poor here, but they don´t realize it. They don´t think about what they don´t have. Yet as citizens of the United States, we think about what we don´t have all the time. I sleep for almost twelve hours that night and still feel like I´m about to fall over. The day is new and I have my first day of two weeks of language classes. My host mom takes me to Centro Tinko on a taxi-like bus. You should have seen me on that bus. 6´1 and almost bent half way when standing. It was great. I was laughing to myself the entire time. Sometimes I forget how tall and white I actually am, until I see someone staring at me for a good minute or so. Centro Tinko is a beautiful building. The people are so nice to me. I´m greeted as if I am a friend that they hve not seen in years. I feel as if all the people here are my best friends. Vivian, my program director, teaches me a little and then shows me around the city. The cathedrals are breath-taking. I forgot my camera t the house, but will bring it next time. The streets are filled with so many people and lots of stray dogs. I love it in el centro, I would spend all my time there if I could. After I finish my classes, I come home to lunch with my host family. The father is already home from work at one, but goes back at three. Why don´t we have siesta in the U.S.? They are the best. Astrid, the two-year old little girl, is my new best friend. She LOVES the Disney Princess stickers I gave her. She follows me around everywhere and gives me big kisses and hugs everytime she sees me. I miss some things from the U.S., mostly my family, but as of now my heart belongs to cusco.