I started my traveling from Las Cruces at 7:00 a.m., left El Paso around 10:30 a.m., arrived in Houston around 1:00 p.m. and had lunch at the airport and people watched for a while. My flight to Lima was at 4:00 p.m. and I arrived around midnight Peru time (two hour difference). Then I went through customs which did not take too long but I waited a good 45 minutes to get my bags. I flew 15 plus times last year so I cannot help but compare airline companies. In my experience, one thing airplanes always have is a crying baby. On my seven hour flight to Lima I sat next to two very unhappy children. Luckily, between the babies and I was a very kind Peruvian woman who I would like to think of as my Peruvian guardian angel. She kept me sane on the flight and helped me navigate through the Lima airport. She even stayed with me overnight in the airport while I waited for my 5:00 a.m. flight to Cusco. Luckily, she was fluent in both English and Spanish so she filled in the language gap at the airport. We decided that, after being woken up by a rude stewardess and crying children on the plane and then airport workers moving our seats to clean floors and install light bulbs, and then the airport repeatedly announcing that they were going to be having fire drills, we were just not meant to get any sleep. So, we kept each other company and kept each other’s spirits up.
Day 2: Cusco and No Sleep
I arrived in Cusco around 6:30 a.m. By the time I got there and met my host mom I was completely exhausted and had totally lost any comprehension of Spanish. When my host mom picked me up at the airport I could not help but blankly stare at her when she spit out a handful of Spanish greetings. After 24 hours of no sleep, my first day in Cusco was rough. Luckily, the host family completely understood and despite the hugely apparent language barrier I made it through. It also helped having the kids around who made the awkward silences less noticeable. I took the children a game of Go Fish which, after no sleep, I mistakenly turned into a matching game. It actually turned out to be in my favor because we now have two games to play.
My host family consists of the father Ruben who is a tour guide, the mother Maria who stays at home, their daughter Elizabeth and her daughter Valeria who is six and is teaching me a ton of Spanish. Their daughter-in-law Rocio and her son Alejandro also live with them. Like, most of the houses in Cusco we live in a multi-story house probably because everything in built up and down hills. Upon arriving to Cusco I was amazed at the mountains, the greenery, and the houses which are built all the way up and over the mountains.
My host family consists of the father Ruben who is a tour guide, the mother Maria who stays at home, their daughter Elizabeth and her daughter Valeria who is six and is teaching me a ton of Spanish. Their daughter-in-law Rocio and her son Alejandro also live with them. Like, most of the houses in Cusco we live in a multi-story house probably because everything in built up and down hills. Upon arriving to Cusco I was amazed at the mountains, the greenery, and the houses which are built all the way up and over the mountains.
Day 3: The Exploration Begins
My second day in Cusco went a whole lot smoother. I learned that my breakfasts would mostly consist of bread with my choice of butter, jam or cream cheese, fruit juice, and tea. My host mom learned that I love plátanos (bananas) so she started giving me a banana to. My lunches consist of some kind of sopa to start out with and lemonade. I do not typically like lemonade but the lemonade my host family makes is really good. After soup, one of the family members brings out the main dish which usually contains a meat with either rice, beans, other vegetables, pasta, and most likely some kind of potato. Peru is said to have thousands of kinds of potatoes but I am unsure of the number because it is never the same when people talk about potatoes here… but there is A LOT.
After lunch with my family, my host mom directed me to the tourist part of the city Plaza de Armas. I only had to ask about three different people where it was after that. On my way I stopped to exchange my money and luckily knew enough Spanish to know that the guy was trying to jip me out of about a hundred Soles. I learned to go to the bank for money after that. The plaza is surrounded by churches, vendors, restaurants (even a KFC and Starbucks), hotels, hostels, discotecas, and natives walking around selling souvenirs. I wandered around for a while and through Spanglish explained to several vendors that I was just looking. I decided that, in order to get by at the plaza, a person only really needs to know “No, Gracias” or “Solo mirando”. As I was taking a picture of one of the many cathedrals a random, what I soon learned, Spanish, Peruvian, Incan flute player came up and asked if I wanted a picture taken. He quickly realized that I knew very little Spanish so he switched to Spanglish. We talked awhile about the Peruvian mentality and the city. I left before it got dark because I did not want to walk home in the dark on my first day of exploration. As it is, and as I was explaining to my German friend, the guys here are very forward about their intentions with whistles and besos.
After lunch with my family, my host mom directed me to the tourist part of the city Plaza de Armas. I only had to ask about three different people where it was after that. On my way I stopped to exchange my money and luckily knew enough Spanish to know that the guy was trying to jip me out of about a hundred Soles. I learned to go to the bank for money after that. The plaza is surrounded by churches, vendors, restaurants (even a KFC and Starbucks), hotels, hostels, discotecas, and natives walking around selling souvenirs. I wandered around for a while and through Spanglish explained to several vendors that I was just looking. I decided that, in order to get by at the plaza, a person only really needs to know “No, Gracias” or “Solo mirando”. As I was taking a picture of one of the many cathedrals a random, what I soon learned, Spanish, Peruvian, Incan flute player came up and asked if I wanted a picture taken. He quickly realized that I knew very little Spanish so he switched to Spanglish. We talked awhile about the Peruvian mentality and the city. I left before it got dark because I did not want to walk home in the dark on my first day of exploration. As it is, and as I was explaining to my German friend, the guys here are very forward about their intentions with whistles and besos.
Day 4 – More Exploration and Family Time
On Sunday I ate breakfast and then went to the Plaza de Armas to see Peru’s flags which my host mom told me are raised every Sunday. I saw the flags and wandered around a little bit. Then my flute playing friend found me and we went to the San Blas market where we got frescas. I ordered mango and pina and we worked on a cross-word puzzle to improve my Spanish and his English. Then we wandered past his house where he grabbed his flauta and I watched the people in the plaza. After that he took me to the San Blas lookout where I could see the whole city! He tried to teach me how to play the flute which I failed miserably at. As we were walking we ran into same natives in native wear so I stopped and took pictures with them. When I went to tip them the complained but I did not have any more change. I am learning that people are very persistent around here.
After that we headed back to the Plaza de Armas and he played the flute along the way. I had to head back to my family’s house for lunch. On the way back I went by the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. In leaving the church I saw a little girl and then a man peeing in the street. It made me once again realize how different the culture is here. So many things are acceptable here that are not acceptable in the states. For example, the pedestrians here definitely do not have the right away. When I first arrived I thought that the drivers were insane but I am learning that they are just very aggressive. Also, they are not just honking to honk but rather as a warning.
I had lunch with my host family and I am guessing Maria’s relatives. For lunch we had some typical native food consisting of dehydrated potatoes which were a bit different, pork, red stuffed bell peppers which had ground beef and pees with some kind of hard cheese on top, and tamal which, unlike tamales, were sweet and had raisins. I tried to eat as much as I could not to be rude and because everyone else was eating everything on their plates but it was way too much food. Peruvians have one big meal a day, lunch, and a very small dinner which is usually very similar to breakfast. They explained that the altitude makes it hard to digest the food. My friend, Helen, from Holland and I have a running joke that you can blame just about anything on the altitude here.
I stayed quiet most of the meal because I could not understand most of what was being said although I could understand the context somewhat. Admittedly, it was an awkward lunch but I enjoyed seeing the whole family interact with each other. Sometimes not being able to respond is like being mute because I feel like I cannot communicate. Luckily, in just a week I feel a lot more comfortable around Spanish. I am finding that I can understand a whole lot more than I can speak but my Spanish is improving quickly.
After that we headed back to the Plaza de Armas and he played the flute along the way. I had to head back to my family’s house for lunch. On the way back I went by the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. In leaving the church I saw a little girl and then a man peeing in the street. It made me once again realize how different the culture is here. So many things are acceptable here that are not acceptable in the states. For example, the pedestrians here definitely do not have the right away. When I first arrived I thought that the drivers were insane but I am learning that they are just very aggressive. Also, they are not just honking to honk but rather as a warning.
I had lunch with my host family and I am guessing Maria’s relatives. For lunch we had some typical native food consisting of dehydrated potatoes which were a bit different, pork, red stuffed bell peppers which had ground beef and pees with some kind of hard cheese on top, and tamal which, unlike tamales, were sweet and had raisins. I tried to eat as much as I could not to be rude and because everyone else was eating everything on their plates but it was way too much food. Peruvians have one big meal a day, lunch, and a very small dinner which is usually very similar to breakfast. They explained that the altitude makes it hard to digest the food. My friend, Helen, from Holland and I have a running joke that you can blame just about anything on the altitude here.
I stayed quiet most of the meal because I could not understand most of what was being said although I could understand the context somewhat. Admittedly, it was an awkward lunch but I enjoyed seeing the whole family interact with each other. Sometimes not being able to respond is like being mute because I feel like I cannot communicate. Luckily, in just a week I feel a lot more comfortable around Spanish. I am finding that I can understand a whole lot more than I can speak but my Spanish is improving quickly.
Day 5 – Escuela
On Monday my host mom walked me to the school which is about a thirty minute walk, up and down hills, at a steady to fast pace. When I got there I was directed upstairs to take a placement test. I did fine on the first page of the written part but not so good on the speaking part. There were five other girls at my orientation, all from Europe. After our tests we sat through an orientation about the city and living with hosts families. Then we went on a quick tour of the touristy places near the school. After the tour we went back to the school for a little while to finish the orientation and then on to lunch. We went to Cusqueñitas which was traditional cusquenian food. I shared Ceviche which is a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of cold lemony fish with onions and peppers. On the side was some roasted corn and sweet potato. I also tried Chicha for the first time. The other girls shared the Chicha Maron but I got the Chicha Blanca (Corporeal) which came in a huge glass meant for more than one person. It kind of tasted like Pina Colada from Roberto’s, while the other one tasted like grape juice. We all got to see Cuy for the first time. We also got to see some dancers dressed in colorful native costumes.
Afterwards, we headed back to the school because Marylou, Helen, (both from Holland) and I started classes with our profesora Evelyn. The classes are so good but tiring at the same time. Trying to learn Spanish is exhausting! All of the classes are taught completely in Spanish so sometimes it is hard to follow along. Luckily, the teachers understand and are willing to help as long as we show that we are trying. I have had two teachers so far and they were both very patient. I like having a small class because we are able to stop the teacher at any point and ask them to explain.
Afterwards, we headed back to the school because Marylou, Helen, (both from Holland) and I started classes with our profesora Evelyn. The classes are so good but tiring at the same time. Trying to learn Spanish is exhausting! All of the classes are taught completely in Spanish so sometimes it is hard to follow along. Luckily, the teachers understand and are willing to help as long as we show that we are trying. I have had two teachers so far and they were both very patient. I like having a small class because we are able to stop the teacher at any point and ask them to explain.
Day 7 – La Gira y Escuela
The first week my classes were in the afternoon from 2:30 – 6:30 so I was not able to take part in any of the activities that the school had but I was able to go on a short morning tour. In order to visit many of the locations around here we have to have a Boleto Turístico which gives tourists a ten day window of access to seventeen different locations in and around Cusco. Nele, my German friend, and I went to Chincheros, Maras y Moray. The night before the tour I had not gotten much sleep because the street dogs in Cusco bark most of the night. I asked my host mom about the dogs and she said that in Peru there are many street dogs but Cusco has the most. On our way to Chinchero I counted 60 plus street dogs and questionably owned dogs. On one of my days walking around the city I saw a group of about 10 dogs running through the streets. So far, the dogs here seem friendly and to the Cusquenians they are just another part of life. There is one dog that lives on my street that greets me every time I come and go from my house.
At Chincheros we watched as the Peruvian women taught us how they clean, dye, and make various things using alpaca fur. They also gave us Coca tea which is said to cure altitude sickness and just about anything else. Then, they encouraged us to buy their goods which were very beautiful and colorful. Next we went to Moray which are Incan ruins consisting of four groups of terraces representing the four original Incan states. We learned that the Incas built the terraces at different levels which represented different climates. The ones at the bottom are hottest while the levels at the top are colder. On a later tour I learned that the terraces also prevented landslides during the rainy season and allow for continued plantation. In the middle of the top of the biggest group of terraces there was the remains of a store house for different seeds and grains. We also learned that the Spanish had no reason to destroy these ruins because there was no sign of gold which is what the Spanish were primarily after. After Moray we went to Maras and learned about the salt mines which, at that point my Spanish translator was turning off and the tour guide was speaking less English, but from my understanding the Incas had a system of knowing when the salt was ready for use because of the color of the clay. They used it for medicines, foods, and dyes and to give to their animals.
At Chincheros we watched as the Peruvian women taught us how they clean, dye, and make various things using alpaca fur. They also gave us Coca tea which is said to cure altitude sickness and just about anything else. Then, they encouraged us to buy their goods which were very beautiful and colorful. Next we went to Moray which are Incan ruins consisting of four groups of terraces representing the four original Incan states. We learned that the Incas built the terraces at different levels which represented different climates. The ones at the bottom are hottest while the levels at the top are colder. On a later tour I learned that the terraces also prevented landslides during the rainy season and allow for continued plantation. In the middle of the top of the biggest group of terraces there was the remains of a store house for different seeds and grains. We also learned that the Spanish had no reason to destroy these ruins because there was no sign of gold which is what the Spanish were primarily after. After Moray we went to Maras and learned about the salt mines which, at that point my Spanish translator was turning off and the tour guide was speaking less English, but from my understanding the Incas had a system of knowing when the salt was ready for use because of the color of the clay. They used it for medicines, foods, and dyes and to give to their animals.
Days 9 - 11 Amigos y Las Giras
On Friday night I joined some of the people from the school for “pancakes” which are our version of crepes. We spent most of the night playing games and learning about each other. The next day I met Nele for a tour of the city. We went to the Circuito Religioso Cusco Basilica Catedral, Qorikancha, Saqsayhuaman, Q’eneqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, and an alpaca store where we were taught about “baby vs. maybe” kinds of fur or real versus fake alpaca fur. By the end of the tour, all of the other tourists knew Nele and I because we somehow always found a way to be last on the bus. Either we would get caught up taking pictures or talking to the natives.
The next day we went on another tour to the Sacred Valley or Valle Sagrado through the same company so most of the tourists on the bus were the same. On the tour we went to El Mercado de Pisac where we learned about jewelry making in the Valley. We also had fun haggling in the market until we realized that we were supposed to be at the bus so we started running back. We were determined not to be last again. The whole day it had been raining so water was gathering in all of the tarps over the stalls. On the way back to the bus one of the vendors emptied their tarp just as Nele was running under it so she was drenched but we still made it back to the bus right on time! Next we went to the Pisac Ruins. Then, we had lunch at Urubamba where we tried traditional Peruvian food which consisted of lots of different kinds of potatoes and corns. We also tried Cuy (guinea pig) for the first time which was ok and thankfully was just the meat and not the whole body. I still had a hard time eating it because I kept picturing little guinea pigs running around. After lunch we went to Ollantaytambo and a different cloth making place in Chinchero where we once again received Coca tea and had a lesson on making clothes out of alpaca fur. I also learned that the skirts that the Quechua people wear represent where they are from while the hats represent whether they are married or not. Then, we headed back to Cusco. On the way back the guide asked me out for drinks were I kindly declined (just another example of how forward the guys are here).
At each of the locations on the tours we learned about the Incan history and how the Spanish had come in and taken over the Inca’s land. The most basic way to explain the Spanish invasion, via the tour explanations, was that the Spanish came into the land and were welcomed by the Incas because they looked like gods because of their mustaches and build. The Spanish then lived with the Incas and learned about their land and customs. The Spanish, being Catholic, did not like the Inca’s religious practices so they tried to convert the Incas. The Spanish also learned of their riches so they allied with the Inca’s enemies who were willing to help the Spanish because they wanted freedom from the Incan Empire. This is how only 180 some Spanish were able to take over such a vast empire. In many cases, the Spanish kept the Inca’s layout of towns and ruins and converted them into their own colonies. In many of the buildings in central Cusco the Spanish took apart the Inca’s buildings and used the stones to build their own colony or the Spanish would just use the bases of the Inca’s buildings and finish them on their own. Therefore, in some of the buildings you can still see the very perfect Incan stone structures. On one of the tours I learned that they did not use mortar because they carved the stones so that they fit together kind of like Legos.
The next day we went on another tour to the Sacred Valley or Valle Sagrado through the same company so most of the tourists on the bus were the same. On the tour we went to El Mercado de Pisac where we learned about jewelry making in the Valley. We also had fun haggling in the market until we realized that we were supposed to be at the bus so we started running back. We were determined not to be last again. The whole day it had been raining so water was gathering in all of the tarps over the stalls. On the way back to the bus one of the vendors emptied their tarp just as Nele was running under it so she was drenched but we still made it back to the bus right on time! Next we went to the Pisac Ruins. Then, we had lunch at Urubamba where we tried traditional Peruvian food which consisted of lots of different kinds of potatoes and corns. We also tried Cuy (guinea pig) for the first time which was ok and thankfully was just the meat and not the whole body. I still had a hard time eating it because I kept picturing little guinea pigs running around. After lunch we went to Ollantaytambo and a different cloth making place in Chinchero where we once again received Coca tea and had a lesson on making clothes out of alpaca fur. I also learned that the skirts that the Quechua people wear represent where they are from while the hats represent whether they are married or not. Then, we headed back to Cusco. On the way back the guide asked me out for drinks were I kindly declined (just another example of how forward the guys are here).
At each of the locations on the tours we learned about the Incan history and how the Spanish had come in and taken over the Inca’s land. The most basic way to explain the Spanish invasion, via the tour explanations, was that the Spanish came into the land and were welcomed by the Incas because they looked like gods because of their mustaches and build. The Spanish then lived with the Incas and learned about their land and customs. The Spanish, being Catholic, did not like the Inca’s religious practices so they tried to convert the Incas. The Spanish also learned of their riches so they allied with the Inca’s enemies who were willing to help the Spanish because they wanted freedom from the Incan Empire. This is how only 180 some Spanish were able to take over such a vast empire. In many cases, the Spanish kept the Inca’s layout of towns and ruins and converted them into their own colonies. In many of the buildings in central Cusco the Spanish took apart the Inca’s buildings and used the stones to build their own colony or the Spanish would just use the bases of the Inca’s buildings and finish them on their own. Therefore, in some of the buildings you can still see the very perfect Incan stone structures. On one of the tours I learned that they did not use mortar because they carved the stones so that they fit together kind of like Legos.