Long Time No Write

Since my recent travels my life has been busy, and in my opinion, not quite as eventful as it has been over the past four months. Over the past month I have been conducting my independent study project. As some of you may know I have been interested in women's education in developing countries for a really long time. Also, over the past year, as an in state Vermont student, I have recognized the current issue of youth migrating from rural to urban areas. So, after stressfully revising my proposal, I ended up doing my study at IESP Pukllasunchis, a teaching institute here in Cusco. Pukllasunchis is an education association that does research and has a K-12 school that incorporates indigenous cultural aspects within an intercultural bilingual curriculum. Two years ago Pukllasunchis founded IESP Pukllasunchis to help train indigenous men and women to become intercultural bilingual teachers. The majority of the students come from rural communities and speak Quechua as their first language. For my field work I interviewed six indigenous women on why they wanted to become teachers, they're experiences living in the city, and they're thoughts on how to improve the Peruvian education system for indigenous women. Through my interviews I found out that all of the women had encountered cases of discrimination in the education system due to their indigenous identities. Also, the majority of their teachers only spoke Spanish so, since the students spoke Quechua as their native language and could only understand a limited amount of Spanish when they were in elementary school, the amount of information obtained int he classroom was limited. They all encountered difficult situations when living in the city of Cusco, like trying to pay for their education and living prices and the lack of support systems, the majority told me that they want to return to their communities after finishing their studies. Despite having difficulties they told me that IESP formed a support network for them while living in Cusco. I'd also like to mention that the majority of the students are young, single mothers. They told me that they chose to come to IESP because there was a nursery to take care of their children and that the class schedule,  5-9 PM, helped them to work in the morning and study in the evenings. Also, since the majoiryt of the students were barely making enough money to survive IESP allowed the students to pay the amounts that they were able (if they made 320 soles a month then they could pay 50 soles, since they were paying for mostly living costs).  Despite their difficult situations all of my interviews wanted to change the education system by incorporating cultural elements and inspiring their students with kindness. They also believed whole heartedly that their communities could improve if more women could gain access to education. Honestly, every time I left my interviews I felt incredibly empowered and hopeful for the future.
I'm now upon my final week here in Cusco. My semester here in Peru has certainly had its ups and downs but my experience at IESP Pukllasunchis confirmed how I want to become a teacher amongst disadvantaged populations, whether that be in Colombia or the Sustainability Academy in Burlington, VT.

Hiking Along that Ribbon of Ridgeline

It's honestly been hard for me to find forms of exercise that really get me psyched here in Peru. When I run around my neighborhood I don't exactly have a pristine view of the sierra hills and I am so scared of a dog biting me (I have made a scene so many times of yelling at dogs, telling them to "Regresa a casa"). When it's gross out or feeling traumatized by rabid dogs I do a strength work outs, but that still doesn't cut out. So the next cheapest option is hiking! What's awesome about Cusco is that there isn't a lot of sprawl, which means that there is still lots of open meadows and ruins left for exploring.

Just a few blocks from my house is a park. Actually, I don't know really what to call it. It's nothing close to what I'd call a park. In fact it's what you would put under the category of a community owned parcel of land. Throughout the "park" are little vegetable gardens and LOTS of downhill mountain biking trails. After going through a patch of forest (I've noticed that Peru does not have too many trees, I mean compared to Vermont) you get to these ruins called Pukamarka (or something like that). It's probably one of the best, well deserved views of the entire city of the Cusco and the surrounding valley.

Right before leaving for Lake Titicaca, about three weeks ago, a few people from my program went to a cave called Chacan, also known as the Cave of the Devil. We started at the Plaza de Armas in Cusco and kept going up right past the ruins of Sacseyhuaman and took a left into a small village and kept on going (in the village I thought that I was going to get killed by a llama because it was staring us down really hard. (No spit though!)

Right after getting back from our Lake Titicaca trip a crew (and eating the typical 12 course holy Thursday meal) of people from my program went on a trip up Rainbow Mountain, part of the same range of Ausangate, the third highest mountain in Peru. Since we were going with a guide company so we had to get up early (3 AM but it was fine. Apparently everyone in Peru gets wiped three times in Peru on Holy Friday so I got to escape that) but I ended up getting stuck in my host family's corridor for a solid half an hour and woke up everyone. Just a typical Louisa Jerome incident. Anyway, I wasn't the only one to be stuck between doors. Since we got there late we wended up not going in the main bus with everyone but in the personal car of the owner of the guide company. That was interesting but I could not sleep at all during the ride. We got to the trailhead of Rainbow Mountain at around 9 and there were so many people. So many people that there was a traffic jam of people because some people were scared of getting there feet just a tid bit muddy (no joke, there was squealing going on!) So there ended up being a tour guide but because I'm a bull in a china shop (that's what my parents tell me all the time) I decided it would be perfectly fine for me to walk right through shin deep mud. I got our guide really upset but my feet dried in a timely manner (what'er!) The walk after our first incline (where all the mud was) as through a beautiful meadow with lots of llamas for about two miles.

           

Then things just started getting steep. Our end point was at 16,500 feet so the incline was getting hella crazy, along with my breathing abilities. To get to the top I used my nordic racing mentality strategy- pace and looking ahead at the countless false summits, which if actually works! I did get to the top eventually but the crowds were crazy! I literally felt like I was in Mecca during Ramadan but in South America. The thing about Rainbow Mountain is that it is a new tourist attraction and all due to climate change. Up until three years ago the range was completely covered by snow but then it melted and people found out that, well, it looked like a Rainbow Mountain.
                                            
The area is also considered to be a holy sight for the locals, so at any moment they could cancel all of the tourism. They still make a profit, though, through renting horses to the folks that are having difficulties making it to the summit. Anyway, I had a really solid time and got my much needed endorphin rush. When we were descending the crowds seemed to vanish and all that was left in the meadows were locals riding horses to herd their llamas and sheep. It was quite a sight to see.

Afterwards we had a late lunch and then four of us (we signed up for an overnight trip) headed on a four hour ride to the other side of Ausangate. We weren't given a lot of concrete conversation and actually were told that the ride was going to be two and a half hours but yeah know, want to keep everyone on the edge of your seat. When the two and a half hours were up we were told that it was going to be another two hours. That freaked us out a bit because it was dark and we honestly had no idea where we were (I thought that we were going to die but I knocked some sense into me. Both of the guides that were with us had little kids and wives waiting for us at home, so the likeliness that they wanted to kidnap a group of four American girls was pretty low). The worst part of the whole trip was riding on a rural dirt road for forty minutes but we got to our hostel safe an sound.

A rainbow after climbing Rainbow Mountain

When we woke up in the morning we were surprised to be surrounded by beautiful snow covered peaks in every direction. The other girls in my group were pretty pooped so they hung out in the nearby thermal bathes while I hiked up to some lakes on the side of Ausaungate with our guide, Cliver. It was a solid one on one experience because I was able to learn things about the valley we were hiking in (apparently during the Peruvian-Chilean war there was a battle at the mouth of the valley) or just Peruvian culture (we talked about being possessed by the devil and how Fujimori did good and bad things (all things considered his grandfather helped campaign for him in the 1980s)). Overall I was pretty content with our trip but I don't think that I'd want to go on another guided trip. Much rather would take a risk in taking public transportation from here on out!

I've got around five weeks left here in Cusco and am bound to do more hiking and adventuring. Next week I study my Independent Study Project and will be focusing on the relationship between migration and education amongst indigenous youth.

I ate guinea pig if anyone was wondering (call me inhumane but I liked it!)

Anyway hope you are doing well and enjoying April in the States (definitely missing it right now!)

Way Down South Where Quinoa Grows

I just got back from my last excursion with SIT which consisted of going to Lake Titicaca, Colca Canon, and Arequipa. Overall it was the best one we've had!
On Tuesday we took a bust from Cusco to Puno. On the way we took two stops, first at a pre-Inca ruin called Raqchi, the second was Pukara (got there really late because we got a flat tire (didn't mind because I made a pretty rockin' flower crown)) where there was another pre-Incan ruin but because we got there so late we could only go to the museum.

Pukara

On Wednesday we left early in the morning and went to the famous floating island of Uros (speak Amayra).

Afterwards we went to Taquille where we stayed with host families for three nights. My family was made up of three people. Our guide Cecilio, was my host father, my host mother, Thelma, stayed at home and they had a 9 year old son named Reuben, who became my best friend.

My Taquillean Family

That afternoon I went on a long walk with Reuben to the top of the island where there was an old Incan ruin that apparently used to be an jail (they would bring prisoners all of the way form Lima).
Reuben, for being 9, was the best guide that I could have, and also was just incredibly adorable (acted kind of like an old man). He asked me a lot of questions about the US and I ended up singing the national anthem to him, incredibly off key.

That evening I went with my host family to singing practice for Easter. All of the Catholic masses are in Spanish except for Christmas and Easter, when its in Quechua. There are six communities in Taquille and each one gathers to perform their songs in front of the entire island community.
On Thursday I ended up sleeping for 12 hours (I was super exhausted and did not have any distractions). That morning I walked to a beach on the other side of the island with my host father and learned a lot about the community while on the walk, like that the people there share tasks like building paths.

I also learned about the marriage process on the island- its for five days and the couple can not touch each other or anything- their godfathers need to feed them by the spoonful. One night all of the guests dance for the entire night but the newly weds have to stare at each other for the entire night without touching each other, they just have to stare into each others eyes. That afternoon I went to help feed my families sheep with my host mother and Reuben. It was beautiful. In the evening Reuben and I played cards until we nearly passed out.
On Friday Thelma taught me how to weave. Definitely was difficult but I got used to it after, well, 3 hours. In the afternoon I played cards with Reuben for four hours and learned that he was a super big cheater but it laughed a lot so it was fine. That evening Cecilio invited all our neighbors that were hosting students to learn some traditional

On Saturday we left Taquille. I was crying for a solid hour after saying good bye to Cecilio, Thelma, and Reuben. All things considered when you are walking down a beautiful stone staircase to a beautiful lack and you turn around and tell your friend Reuben how sad you are to leave and have him say that he is just as sad of course you're going to tear up. We went back to Puno and had the rest of the evening free. Went to a cool outdoor market and then had a really crazy grocery store adventure in the afternoon.
On Sunday we went to Colca Canyon which is famous for its condors and for being twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. When we arrived we went to some thermal bathes. It was fun but I can only soak in hot water for no more than two hours.

El Misti

On Monday we went to the Cruz de la Condor which is a viewpoint at the top of the canyon where you can see condors flying over you. It was quite an adventure because our bus got stuck because the road was so steep. We sat around for about an hour but I made the best of my situation by making flower crowns and singing The Lumineers to myself. After a while we had to get a collective bus with locals (some of the passengers took pictures of us, what'er). We drove a few hours afterward to Arequipa, a beautiful colonial city (and the second largest city in Peru) in Southern Peru.

On Tuesday we had class in the morning. In the afternoon I went to El Convento de Santa Cantalina by myself which was amazing. I twas literally a small city within a the large historic center of Cusco.

While in the convent I kept on remembering walking around Sevilla and Cordoba with my friends Claudia and Gabriella three years ago. Definitely had some bittersweet emotions going on.
Overall this trip was the best by far and I feel like it's just going to get better from here on out!

Where the Grass is Always Greener (and It Better Stay That Way)!

I have felt that this past month has been a hectic month so I've been trying to count my blessings every night before I go to sleep so that I can appreciated every moment that I have here. I think that this is especially important since I have the opportunities to go to some amazing places, including last week's trip to the Amazon.
Even though I wasn't wearing any green on St. Patrick's Day I did leave dry Cusco for the green, hot and humid Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios, the Peruvian Amazon. We had a really long delay because of the rains that are occurring in the Lima and Northern Peru. When we got to Puerto Maldonado we rested until our five o'clock lecture.
On Saturday morning we had a lecture and then went to the FENAMAD headquarters (an organization that defends the rights of indigenous groups in Madre de Dios). While there we got to meet the president of all the indigenous groups in Mare de Dios. Experiences like this make me feel like I picked the right study abroad program. I know that if I directly enrolled into a Peruvian university I would just be another tourist without any cool connections. Speaking of which that afternoon we had one of my favorite lectures of the semester, on none other than bilingual education. Our lecturer was actually an advisor in the Peruvian Ministry of Education and the main motivator for EIB (the bilingual education program, which includes 43 different dialects). Education has always gotten me psyched so one could imagine how glowing I was leaving our classroom.

An Amazonian Sunset

Sunday we took a 2.5 hour boat ride to Palma Real, a community of 500 indigenous people. We met with the president of the community, which was an interesting experience. To meet him we went to to the community house and were surrounded by almost all of the women and children in the community (was a bit hard to hear the president speak because children were running around and screaming). After our meeting we learned how to make arrows, clothes made out of tree trunks (can't remember what it's called) and ayamari (grass roof weaving).

Me learning how to do ayamari

The highlight of the whole experience was playing with children from the community. I love kids but I think sometimes they're a reflection of the community. Throughout my week I was so impressed by by how the children could still keep themselves entertained with whatever they had, like making structures out of leaves and rocks and pretending tables were cars. I could also see the effects of globalization amongst them. Were really interested in wearing our baseball hats and sunglasses.
Monday we walked 45 minutes on a muddy trail (was the perfect dose of adventure for me) to Lago Sandoval. When we got their we took two canoes and went around the perimeter to see wildlife, like howler monkeys.

Lago Sandoval- we went swimming later! It was that hot!

Tuesday we went to Infierno where we first met with the president and then went to the elementary school where we paired up with students and drew aspects of our American and Peruvian lives (also played a pretty epic game of soccer). In the afternoon we did more activities, where we learned how to make jewelry, fans, and baskets.The next two nights we stayed in a cool, minimalist nature lodge, about a 20 minute walk from Infierno.

Basket weaving

Wednesday morning we divided up into four groups and went to different chakras, or plots of farming land. My group picked rice with a couple for three hours, which was probably one of the hardest things that I have done (lots of bugs and humidity. IDK I thought I was a lot more rugged but whatever!). In the evening we went on crocodile tour (saw two, one the size of a hand and the other that was six feet long), which was pretty cool, but we got stuck on a rock!

Rice on rice on rice

Thursday morning we went to a shamanic center and learned all about the different types of herbal plants. Something interesting that we learned was that the center has become somewhat of a resort so that it can compete with other foreign tourist companies with lodges in the area.
Overall, despite the heat, bugs, and other factors I had to keep on telling myself to make myself the best of my experience in the Amazon because lord knows if I have no idea when I'll be able to go back!

Peruvians Live for It- Comida

Three weeks. That's how long it takes me to get settled! With being settled I'm discovering that I have more free time than I anticipated and, being the daughter of Brian Jerome, I definitely do not see myself laying around. The goal is try to do something new every afternoon here on out! (All things considered I was spending this afternoon writing a paper, in Spanish).
Anyway, I'd like to focus this blogpost on the thing that keeps all going and glues cultures together- food. Here in Peru I have never encountered such an interesting array of food and eating mannerisms. First meal of the day is breakfast. My host mother has been really good at introducing me to different foods. Thus far I've had bread (the bread here looks like a thicker, chewier version of a pita) accompanied by either chicken, cheese eggs, or avocado (my personal favorite. Also I can't say that I can easily have a locally grown avocado in Vermont).

Pan cusqueño

I drink a lot of fluids during breakfast, which including tea, coffee, and juice. Since the majority of the coffee is exported from Peru there isn't a lot left for the rest of the population, so it comes in a thick concentrate (like an espresso). The tea is also pretty strong, so for both you have to add a lot of hot water. I still think it's just crazy!
Juice is the third essential component of breakfast. I've had everything from tuna (cactus fruit/ personal favorite), tastes a lot like watermelon) to quinoa (tasted like liquid applesauce) to leche con platanos (literally a banana smoothie).

Tunas

At school I usually drink five cups of tea so that I can pay attention but I'm starting to think that it might be a good idea to get some knitting materials. In the middle of the school day Julia, my program's rural home stay coordinator (we're going to stay on one of the floating reed villages on Lake Titicaca in a few weeks), gets us some sort of snack like chicken sandwiches. choclo con queso (corn of the cob with cheese), or cake, especially if it's somebodies birthday! There are also a lot of enticing snacks always being sold on the street by local women, like fruit, cake, churros, and juices.

Choclo con queso

Lunch, just like Spain, is the biggest meal of the day and consists of two courses. The first is some sort of caldo, a Peruvian broth soup that consists of anything from chicken to noodles to beef, along with assorted spices. The past few things that I have had for the second course has been arroz con seca (rice with some sort of spiced sauce), fried trout (my favorite), chicken all of which is served with some sort of refresco, like purple corn juice or honey lemon tea.

Chicha morada/ purple corn juice

Dinner is usually just a little snack at around 7 or 8, which I don't mind because at that point I feel like I've already finished an eating marathon.
To spice things up there are quite a few interesting food mannerisms here in Peru. First, whenever anyone leaves the table you have to say 'provecho', which translates to 'excuse me'. Also, whenever you eat anything that's heavy or fatty, like meat, you're supposed to take a shot of whiskey. When I went to Calca with my family we had a dish with seventeen ingredients and very fatty, so I was forced by family to take a swig of family (the Jeromes just drink tea, with the occasional touch of honey). Also, when I was in Machu Pichu I ordered chicharrones, fried chicken, which was served with a shot of rum right in the middle. There also into drinking hot drinks after drink whole milk (like when we had hot chocolate last week) because they say that you won't fall asleep without doing so.
There you have it! A short, vague synopsis of Peruvian cuisine! Definitely need to learn the names of more dishes but I'll make sure to incorporate them in my future blog posts!

Cheers and may you find some yummy grub this week!

Ruins and Roads

Before my week gets incredibly crazy I thought that it'd be best for me to do a post NOW! First up, transportation! There are four ways to get around this rugged country: mototaxi, bus, combi, and taxi (cars and planes are boring and obvious!). A mototaxi is a motorbike with metal walls surrounding the bike, making it look like a little bubble, with a bench in the back for three people to sit in.While in Pisaq we took a mototaxi to a restaurant and it was terrifying. I've gotten to like them but when I was in it it was dark and all of a sudden we turned on to a beaten up dirt road going way fast than I anticipated. When riding in these contraptions you need to constantly be holding the door shut, especially if you are squeezed in the back. I've almost fallen out a few times!
When going to Calca last Sunday we took a combi, which is like a collective minivan that drops people off at different stops. Nothing too special except when you're driving plays Ellie Goulding the whole ride.

Plaza de Armas at its finest

Buses here in Cusco are quite something. For me to go to the city center it's only S 0.70, or US 0.15. There's no technological system in the bus so there usually is a man standing by the door yelling out which stops are coming up. You're also supposed to give them your money when you're getting off of the bus. I've learned to give my money a few minutes before my stop so that I can get my change, instead of me rushing out and handing the bus attendant 5 soles.
This week we started classes. I have Spanish, History, and Research Methods. It's pretty intense but we only have five weeks of traditional classroom instruction, since the last few weeks is when we conduct our independent study. Class times vary from week to week but I usually have lunch at my house around 1:30, which is the biggest meal of the day (I will try to have a later post dedicated to Peruvian food). I try to keep my afternoons busy, considering that I'm in Cusco for such a short period of time. This past week I went to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Qorikancha, and Saqsehuaman (all followed by my homework! Don't worry!)

Saqsehuaman (or however you spell it! Quechua wasn't a written language in the first place!)

We only had three days of class this week since we went on four night excursion through the Sacred Valley. Thursday we went to Chincero, Moray, Calca and Ollantaytambo. Chincero is this town known for it's textiles and famous for a church that was built on top of some ruins. It was really something! I could have spent hours looking at all of the intricate details and the paintings from the Cusco School.

Why it was so hard to soak it all in!

Moray is believed to have been an agricultural laboratory, with each terrace having a different plant with different attributes (they knew about genetic modification before Europe. They also didn't even use the wheel!) After Moray we went to Calca where there is a new museum about all of the Peruvian civilizations leading up to the Incas. It was super interesting and interactive, considering that after every room there was a diorama of what life was like for each corresponding civilization.

Moray

In the late afternoon we arrived to Ollantaytambo, which is one of the main towns where tourists stay before taking the train to Machu Pichu. There are also some amazing ruins there, which were also the location of one of the few Incan victories against the Spanish.
The Friday morning we went to a non-profit called the Sacred Valley Project. This organization tries to improve the accessibility of secondary education for girls living in rural villages by providing them room and board (without this they would have to walk three hours in each direction to go to school). For those that know me well you could only imagine how stoked I was after hearing one of the workers talk about the project. Definitely am going to try to do my independent study with them!
Afterwards we went to an indigenous community called Huilloq. The main objective for our visit was to observe and take notes, as if we were anthropologists. I was really surprised how different the community was, even though it was a 35 minute drive from Ollantaytambo. The majority of the people were still wearing traditional clothes and spoke Quechua in place of Spanish. I've never done an observation like this and definitely learned that I need to prepare myself better for these experiences but due to my inexperience I ended up throwing colored powder and water balloons with a group of little boys.

The after shot of playing with the locals

In the afternoon we went to the Ollantaytambo ruins. If you are going to Machu Pichu I would highly recommend going here beforehand. Ollantay is huge yet aesthetically pleasing. If you walk to the top you can find a wooden door which will lead you up to a path to the top of a mountain where there is (at least it looks like it) an old religious temple, where you can overlook all of the ruins, town, and valley. Really incredible!

The vista from the top of Ollantaytambo

Saturday morning we got up at 5 AM so that we could get the train to Machu Pichu. The train ride was two hours and had picturesque mountain views. We got to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Pichu Pueblo, we got a bus to Machu Pichu, which brought us up a steep, curvy road. Machu Pichu looks just like the photos, but those don't even do it justice. Located in the middle of a circular valley Machu Pichu has beautiful views in every direction. After a 2.5 hour tour I was dumbstruck with how advanced the Inca were, through there advanced systems of astronomy and engineering, all without having a written language or using the wheel! In the afternoon we walked to the Puerta del Sol, or Intipunku, which is the first place on the Inca Trail where you can see all of Machu Pichu. The sun also goes right through it in the afternoon of the winter solstice (June 21st).

A picture of Machu Pichu by yours truly

I'm really enjoying my time here in Peru and even though I've been cramming my first two weeks here I look forward to see what else this country has to offer!

Cheers!

Louisa

Literally a Peruvian Crash Course

Ok! I've got fifteen minutes to write this thing before heading to the Sacred Valley with my host family for a Carnaval celebration. I've been here in Peru for a week and can't believe how packed it has been. First off, I knew right from the plane that I picked the right country for study abroad. I was talking with the stewardess (in Spanish) about which taxi I should take to my hotel. All of a sudden the Peruvian woman sitting next to me said that her daughter could drive me. The hotel ended up being right across the street from international arrivals but the fact that this woman was so hospitable to a young "gringa" stranger was fairly impressive.
My flight was on Saturday and I met the rest of my SIT: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization study abroad group on Sunday. We're all from different parts of the United States but are all like minded individuals (lets face it, only a few 20 something year olds really want to study indigenous groups in Peru's rugged landscape!)
Sunday was spent getting rested and familiar with the Lima's Miraflores neighborhood. After lunch a big group of us decided to go to the beach. Even though Lima is right on the coast the city is at 5,000 feet in elevation, so the walk was pretty much going up and down Mount Philo, but next to an interstate. When we got to the beach we had to cross a four lane highway which was an adventure within itself. Pedestrians are not given the right of way in South America so a few of us almost became a roadkill delicacy.

The beach was definitely worth it, even if there was a four lane highway impeding us!

Monday we went to Comunidad Shipiba de Cantagallo, an indigenous community outside of Lima that was removed from its homeland in the Amazon due to government enforcement. It was definitely like nothing I had experienced before. Since the Shipiba had to drop everything in leave the community definitely had a makeshift feel. Some people leaved in four walled tarp shelters while others lived in simple plywood huts. Even though the Native Americans in the United States have a had a sad history there still is a Department of Native American Affairs to defend indigenous rights but that doesn't even exist here in Peru. We've only skimmed what it is like to be an indigenous Peruvian but from what I can understand they are mere objects that subject to obey any government demand.

After visiting the community we went to Lima's Chinatown where I probably had one of my biggest meals since Thanksgiving (the food just came on coming!) Afterwards we had a tour of the Congreso del Gobierno. Our tour guide took a hundred photos of us (got a bit a tiring) but while there I was surprised how low key the security was to enter the government building (I brought a whole liter of water). What'er!

We were all trying to pose freely after having posed for our tour guide.

Following the government we went to the African Peruvian Museum. This was interesting because African history seems to be better documented better in Peru than the US and there Peru seems to be a much more racial mixed culture (Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and indigenous peoples).
Tuesday we left for Cusco at 5 AM! When we landed I started feeling light headed but I fought it because I'm a rugged chick. We took an hour bus ride to Pisaq where we stayed at a hotel called the Royal Inka. While there my arm muscles started spazzing, which I thought was because I had done push-ups the day before and the lack of oxygen, but then I started feeling flushed. Long story short I got altitude sickness. The worst of it was when an indigenous man came from the Amazon to lead us in an offering to Pachimama, or Mother Earth. If I wasn't feeling so sick I would have had my eyes glued but right then all I could do was lie on the ground and gaze at the offering.

This photo was taken while lying down, but lets face it, I had to stay attentive somehow!

Wednesday was a crash course for us to learn how to be awesome, yet cautious, university students studying abroad in a foreign country.
Thursday we did a drop off, which was when we divided into five different groups and received an destination and an assignment to accomplish at that site. My group was assigned to Taray where we were supposed to find a place called Casa Glopal. The receptionist at our hotel said that Taray was only a 30 minute walk. After 10 minutes we asked a storekeeper who told us that it was 40 minutes. The rest of the trip ended up being like this, until we arrived at Taray but none of us could complain since we were laughing so much and taking in the scenery.

Sample of our interesting walk

When we got to Taray we asked a tax driver where we could find Casa Glopal. He pointed in a general direction and we followed. In reality we were directionless so we asked a woman, also named Luisa, and she told us that Casa Glopal had a white roof. We kept on walking until we got to an hacienda. When we entered ten huge, barking dogs came running towards us. I though I was going to die! Thankfully the owner came out and pointed us in the right direction (we had to retrace our foot steps). After an hour and a half of walking we ended up finding Casa Glopal, which ended up being a spiritual community that had been founded in India but moved to the Sacred Valley due to it's sacred powers.

Casa Glopal and my friend Shiva Sham (the toddler with the stick) who really like showing me edible plants

Friday we went to the Pisaq ruins. Since they were on top of a mountain I definitely felt like I was doing Level 4 intervals at a Level 1 pace. On the way back down I channeled my inner Outing Club leader by teaching people how to properly walk down a mountain through lining up one's nose, knees, and toes. It ended up being a really fun walk down! Lots of singing and laughs had by all!
In the afternoon I met my host family, which consists of six members- Marina (the mother), Redy (the father), Manuel (son/chef (has a restaurant out of the house every Saturday), Pamela (daughter and is currently finishing her masters in economics), and Gabriel (son/psychologist in an elementary school). They're really nice and everywhere they introduce me as their daughter!

Pisaq

There you have it! I hope this entertained you so way during your day! More is yet to come!