Thanks for all the great ideas of things to do with the kids! I will definitely be using some of those. Music class went very well this past week. I'm trying to mostly do songs in Spanish and occasionally throw in a simple English song or some English words here and there. I never thought I would like working with this age group, but it really is fun because you have to be constantly moving and enthusiastic. We start every day singing "Buenos Dias" or "Good Morning" in English and Spanish. The best song so far was Open the Eyes of my Heart in Spanish (Abre mis Ojos). We did motions together and some of the boys just yell the words when I asked them to sing louder. Since in Spanish they use Do, Re, Mi. . . rather than the note names, I am slowly teaching them the scale with different games and activities. The director is also letting me use her guitar every day, something which really catches the kids attention. We are also going to start teaching some English lessons and active games outside this week.
I am slowly learning more about my students and their backgrounds. One girl arrives first every day with her Grandmother who said they have to walk an hour each day to get to school. I also found out that another girl sleeps outside every night. A lot of our students come with older siblings or walk a long way all by themselves. My favorite part of the day is when the students wash their hands and brush their teeth. It is incredibly chaotic since they are all fighting for the soap and the tiny bit of water I can give them from the big water jug. (There is no running water, and we cannot drink the water here) Then when we pass out their toothbrushes, they brush furiously and check with me several times until I say their teeth are white enough =) Then everyone rushes for the bucket at the same time, spitting all over their clothes and each other's hair.
Yesterday, we travelled to the Sacred Valley, or the ruins of Ollantaytambo. I'll try to put pictures up soon since it was absolutely gorgeous! We drove for about an hour through the mountains, and arrived in the Sacred Valley where we had a tour up the gigantic Incan ruins. The architecture is absolutely breathtaking, built in the side of the mountain with gigantic rocks and no mortor. All of the Incan ruins in Cusco are built with such smoothly cut stones and fitted together in such a way that they never had to put anything in between them. The stones are gigantic, often the size of a man or bigger. It is a mystery how the Incans actually moved these stones. Since the Incans worshipped gods of the earth, mountains, and sun, these ruins are facing the direction that the sun rises each day.
On the way back, we stopped in a weaving community called Chinchero where the women dressed in the traditional colorful dresses demonstrated how they dye thread and weave the cloth of Alpaccas, LLamas, and sheep. All of the cloth, sweaters, scarfs, etc. was hand dyed and hand woven. Then they brought out a roasted guinea pig, still whole so you could see its face, on a plate with an apple in its mouth! I tried just a tiny little piece (sorry Liz and Justin). It tasted like chicken except for the thought that it was actually guinea pig- which makes me a little sick.
Thanks for the wonderful comments! I'll try to post again soon when I have time :)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Teaching at Helping Hands
Hola!
Yesterday morning I finally found out what I'll be doing here for the rest of the summer. My friend Alexandra and I met with our director for Helping Hands yesterday morning, having no idea what we would be teaching, what age kids we were going to work with or when we would begin. I'm getting used to communication problems as well as going into every day having no idea what will happen or where I will end up.
Talking to the director, who like everyone else speaks only Spanish,we found out that I will be teaching music, and she will be doing sports or physical activity every day with 4 and 5 year olds at the school. I have now been to the school for 2 days, and everything about it is quite an experience!!
Every day we have to ride a bus for half an hour to las Joyas, or (slums?)/ poorest area. Sometimes the buses are more like vans that speed and weave through traffic coming in the opposite direction, even when you think there is no possible way it can get through, or slamming to a stop within an inch of the car in front of it.
We get off the bus and have a 10 minute hike and climb to the school, which is near the top of one of the mountains. First we walk through a narrow street with dirty houses and people in the streets. Today as we were walking there, cows, chickens, pigs, and a lot of sheep crossed our path. The worst part about this walk is that there are dozens of stray dogs in the streets and near the houses. We were terrified the first day when they started growling and fighting each other. To get to the school we have to climb up a really steep and narrow dirt path in the side of the mountain. By the time we get to the top I'm always exhausted, but since we are near the top of one of the mountains, the view is absolutely gorgeous! Here. like so many other places in Peru, I am just amazed by the beauty of God's creation in the breathtaking mountains and sky that I am surrounded by daily. There are also small houses build on the side fo the mountain or right up against the edges of cliffs.
I was really surprised at how small the school is. It is two very small rooms, built of cement bricks. Outside of the school, adobe bricks are laying out to dry for some other project they are going to build (I think a green house?) There are no bathrooms at the school, or anywhere close, although they are beginning to build them now. I really hope they are finished before I leave this summer! About 20 adorable four and five year old chidlren attend the school right now from 9-12 in the morning. I don't know a lot yet about their families, except that they are all very poor, with dirty clothes, hands, and often dry peeling skin from the sun. Today I began my first music lesson with some help from Alex. I taught all in Spanish, and although my grammar was probably terrible, they could at least understand me. We sang some simple songs in Spanish and a little in English and practiced saying everyone's names with rhythm (clapping and hitting the desk). I taught the 4 and 5 year olds separately for an hour each, which was way too long to keep their attention! My voice is soar from singing and talking so loudly and I am exhausted from trying to keep them from running around the room or fighting while we sing :). I have never worked with this age before, so I would appreciate any ideas of simple games for music or English, or anything to keep them active and participating. Although the teaching is exhausting, I love the children and am looking forward to just learning form them, hopefully teaching them something, and loving them each day.
After lessons, another volunteer from England that will be leaving tomorrow, showed us how she has been teaching the children to brush their teeth every day and wash their hands- things they definitely never do at home. Alex and I are going to continue this, as well as take over teaching some of the English lessons. We are going to alternate days of teaching music and sports. For sports, we have a tiny little dirt square to use and need to come up with easy, active games for the chidlren.
Even though some parts of my time here so far, like my first day teaching, have been incredibly overwhelming and discouraging, God has been showing His grace over and over. Rachel and I went out for coffee last night and had a wonderful time talking about life, God, and all we are learning here. It really is amazing how much Christ-like love we are receiving from our host family. Especially our host mother and father who have spent hours showing us the city, teaching us Spanish, and just sharing their lives with us, as well as watching them interact so well with their children. I have really seen through them, that loving others is the way to true joy. I reallize that I am so incredibly blessed to be here, especially when I look at the sad lives that these chidlren at the school live. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers as I continue to learn so much every day!
Thanks for the comments the other day, I do like hearing feedback if you are reading this :)
Adios!
1 John 4:12
Yesterday morning I finally found out what I'll be doing here for the rest of the summer. My friend Alexandra and I met with our director for Helping Hands yesterday morning, having no idea what we would be teaching, what age kids we were going to work with or when we would begin. I'm getting used to communication problems as well as going into every day having no idea what will happen or where I will end up.
Talking to the director, who like everyone else speaks only Spanish,we found out that I will be teaching music, and she will be doing sports or physical activity every day with 4 and 5 year olds at the school. I have now been to the school for 2 days, and everything about it is quite an experience!!
Every day we have to ride a bus for half an hour to las Joyas, or (slums?)/ poorest area. Sometimes the buses are more like vans that speed and weave through traffic coming in the opposite direction, even when you think there is no possible way it can get through, or slamming to a stop within an inch of the car in front of it.
We get off the bus and have a 10 minute hike and climb to the school, which is near the top of one of the mountains. First we walk through a narrow street with dirty houses and people in the streets. Today as we were walking there, cows, chickens, pigs, and a lot of sheep crossed our path. The worst part about this walk is that there are dozens of stray dogs in the streets and near the houses. We were terrified the first day when they started growling and fighting each other. To get to the school we have to climb up a really steep and narrow dirt path in the side of the mountain. By the time we get to the top I'm always exhausted, but since we are near the top of one of the mountains, the view is absolutely gorgeous! Here. like so many other places in Peru, I am just amazed by the beauty of God's creation in the breathtaking mountains and sky that I am surrounded by daily. There are also small houses build on the side fo the mountain or right up against the edges of cliffs.
I was really surprised at how small the school is. It is two very small rooms, built of cement bricks. Outside of the school, adobe bricks are laying out to dry for some other project they are going to build (I think a green house?) There are no bathrooms at the school, or anywhere close, although they are beginning to build them now. I really hope they are finished before I leave this summer! About 20 adorable four and five year old chidlren attend the school right now from 9-12 in the morning. I don't know a lot yet about their families, except that they are all very poor, with dirty clothes, hands, and often dry peeling skin from the sun. Today I began my first music lesson with some help from Alex. I taught all in Spanish, and although my grammar was probably terrible, they could at least understand me. We sang some simple songs in Spanish and a little in English and practiced saying everyone's names with rhythm (clapping and hitting the desk). I taught the 4 and 5 year olds separately for an hour each, which was way too long to keep their attention! My voice is soar from singing and talking so loudly and I am exhausted from trying to keep them from running around the room or fighting while we sing :). I have never worked with this age before, so I would appreciate any ideas of simple games for music or English, or anything to keep them active and participating. Although the teaching is exhausting, I love the children and am looking forward to just learning form them, hopefully teaching them something, and loving them each day.
After lessons, another volunteer from England that will be leaving tomorrow, showed us how she has been teaching the children to brush their teeth every day and wash their hands- things they definitely never do at home. Alex and I are going to continue this, as well as take over teaching some of the English lessons. We are going to alternate days of teaching music and sports. For sports, we have a tiny little dirt square to use and need to come up with easy, active games for the chidlren.
Even though some parts of my time here so far, like my first day teaching, have been incredibly overwhelming and discouraging, God has been showing His grace over and over. Rachel and I went out for coffee last night and had a wonderful time talking about life, God, and all we are learning here. It really is amazing how much Christ-like love we are receiving from our host family. Especially our host mother and father who have spent hours showing us the city, teaching us Spanish, and just sharing their lives with us, as well as watching them interact so well with their children. I have really seen through them, that loving others is the way to true joy. I reallize that I am so incredibly blessed to be here, especially when I look at the sad lives that these chidlren at the school live. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers as I continue to learn so much every day!
Thanks for the comments the other day, I do like hearing feedback if you are reading this :)
Adios!
1 John 4:12
Sunday, May 23, 2010
First week in Cuzco
Hola! Today I have been in Peru for one week. Every day is so full even though I haven't started work yet!
A typical day here with my host grandparents begins with a large breakfast of bread, fruit jelly, fresh squeezed juice,
cheese and meat. Grandma spends half the time in the kitchen cooking and serving us before she sits down.
My Grandpa always tells me that I need to choose music to play in the cd player so we can
have music all day long. Our Grandparents chatter away in Spanish all through breakfast teaching us about all the different Cuzquenian foods we are trying. They also love hearing about my family. Today I told my Grandfather about how we have a family reunion in Montana every five years for my Grandmother who had 17 brothers and sisters. He thought it was so wonderful and said maybe someday he can put that in one of the books he is writing. He has already had several books published and writes a lot of poetry as well. Grandpa is so sweet and is very concerned for our safety and health. During meals he offers more and more food and anytime we are out anywhere we have to call him to tell him where we are and when we will be back (so he can be tranquilo). After breakfast yesterday, I played one of my Grandma's guitars and she taught me how (I think in all of Latin America)they use Do, Re, Mi. . . instead of CDEF.
We eat lunch here at 2 or 3 or sometimes later. Often lots of relatives come over to eat lunch and chatter away loudly in spanish.
When we are eating a meal or doing anything, and someone new comes in, they walk around the entire group and
give a kiss on the right cheek. Two nights so far we have gone over to my grandparents nephew's house next door to play music.
I can't believe I thought I could get away without practicing much violin this summer! They love listening to me play violin,even the kids who can sit for hours just listening. Miguel (their nephew) plays keyboard and I accompany on whichever songs I know. He plays all different types of music- classical, American, movie music, Peruvian. He also printed off a lot of music from the internet for me to learn- some Paganini, Bach, Tchaikovsky.
Yesterday a friend of my Grandma's, Juan Carlos came over with his violin. He plays everything by ear. Yesterday, he took us to a music school that uses the Suzuki method.
We sat in on two classes where the children played together- violin, guitar, and piano. Then they all played Zampona on some Cuzquenian songs
Today was the anniversary of the District of Wanchaq, where we live. There was a huge parade that passed right outside of my bedroom window
and lasted for over 4 hours. The whole family and lots of relatives came over and went on the balcony outside my room to watch the parade.
I cannot believe the brightly colored, fancy costumes that we saw as well as all the different traditional Latin American dances!
Even the musicians danced as they walked down the street. After the parade we had a huge lunch with all of the relatives. We were talking about
how in other countries people eat dogs, and then they all started laughing when we said that in the U.S. we have guinea pigs as pets
but here people eat them! Another thing that I forgot to add to my first post is that our Grandfather cleans all the floors with gasoline.
Especially my room smells very strongly of gasoline.
Tomorrow I will meet my director and go to my work site. I still don't know any more details then before i left, except
that I have to take a bus, with the other ISA volunteer to the poorer neighborhoods outside of the city.
I am going to go to church now with our host mother and siblings. Hasta Luego!
A typical day here with my host grandparents begins with a large breakfast of bread, fruit jelly, fresh squeezed juice,
cheese and meat. Grandma spends half the time in the kitchen cooking and serving us before she sits down.
My Grandpa always tells me that I need to choose music to play in the cd player so we can
have music all day long. Our Grandparents chatter away in Spanish all through breakfast teaching us about all the different Cuzquenian foods we are trying. They also love hearing about my family. Today I told my Grandfather about how we have a family reunion in Montana every five years for my Grandmother who had 17 brothers and sisters. He thought it was so wonderful and said maybe someday he can put that in one of the books he is writing. He has already had several books published and writes a lot of poetry as well. Grandpa is so sweet and is very concerned for our safety and health. During meals he offers more and more food and anytime we are out anywhere we have to call him to tell him where we are and when we will be back (so he can be tranquilo). After breakfast yesterday, I played one of my Grandma's guitars and she taught me how (I think in all of Latin America)they use Do, Re, Mi. . . instead of CDEF.
We eat lunch here at 2 or 3 or sometimes later. Often lots of relatives come over to eat lunch and chatter away loudly in spanish.
When we are eating a meal or doing anything, and someone new comes in, they walk around the entire group and
give a kiss on the right cheek. Two nights so far we have gone over to my grandparents nephew's house next door to play music.
I can't believe I thought I could get away without practicing much violin this summer! They love listening to me play violin,even the kids who can sit for hours just listening. Miguel (their nephew) plays keyboard and I accompany on whichever songs I know. He plays all different types of music- classical, American, movie music, Peruvian. He also printed off a lot of music from the internet for me to learn- some Paganini, Bach, Tchaikovsky.
Yesterday a friend of my Grandma's, Juan Carlos came over with his violin. He plays everything by ear. Yesterday, he took us to a music school that uses the Suzuki method.
We sat in on two classes where the children played together- violin, guitar, and piano. Then they all played Zampona on some Cuzquenian songs
Today was the anniversary of the District of Wanchaq, where we live. There was a huge parade that passed right outside of my bedroom window
and lasted for over 4 hours. The whole family and lots of relatives came over and went on the balcony outside my room to watch the parade.
I cannot believe the brightly colored, fancy costumes that we saw as well as all the different traditional Latin American dances!
Even the musicians danced as they walked down the street. After the parade we had a huge lunch with all of the relatives. We were talking about
how in other countries people eat dogs, and then they all started laughing when we said that in the U.S. we have guinea pigs as pets
but here people eat them! Another thing that I forgot to add to my first post is that our Grandfather cleans all the floors with gasoline.
Especially my room smells very strongly of gasoline.
Tomorrow I will meet my director and go to my work site. I still don't know any more details then before i left, except
that I have to take a bus, with the other ISA volunteer to the poorer neighborhoods outside of the city.
I am going to go to church now with our host mother and siblings. Hasta Luego!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The magical city of Cuzco
Hola mis amigos en los Estados Unidos! I am here in the lovely, magical city of Cuzco. I have had such a full and wonderful day here! We left Lima this morning at 3 a.m. and flew into Cuzco over the Andes mountains while the sun was rising. Tan linda! My grandmother and host mother met us at the airport greeting us with the traditional peruvian friendliness and welcoming. Grandma took us back in a taxi chattering away in Spanish the whole time to us and to the Taxi driver that she had just met. The city is so beautiful, right in the middle of the Andes, with cobblestone streets, and beautiful architecture.
My new friend from Grand Rapids MI, Rachel and I, are living with 2 grandparents, a mother, and her two wonderful chidren- Lucia who is 7 and Alejandro who is 14. The family could not be more perfect for both of us! Our mother is a Christian (not Catholic like the majority of the people here) and wants to take Rachel and I to her church next Sunday. Noone in the family speaks English, so I have been speaking Spanish all day long, and I am amazed at how much we can communicate and understand. Our house is beautiful- very traditional with walls painted bright blue, green, pink, etc, and with Spanish art, plants, and pictures covering the walls. My window overlooks the city, I can see the stars, mountains, and hear the activity on the street below all from my bed. The best thing of all about our family is that they love music! Grandma plays guitar and sings- apparently all over Cuzco with different groups, and she is so excited to incorporate my violin in the music.
She is una romantica and believes that music is the only reason she is looks as young as she does. She also plans to take us out dancing. Grandpa is a poet, who loves to take daily walks to Sacsayhuaman (an Inca ruin outside of Cuzco). He is also a classical music guru and owns cds and movies of every major composer! (pirated of course and sold cheap on the streets of Cuzco)
Grandma and Grandpa were so excited that I brought my violin and already have plans to have their friends over to play Peruvian music with me. Already today we have listened to the Tchaikovsky violin concerto, Brahms and Mozart.
Rachel and I ate breakfast and Mate de Coca to help adjust to the altitude with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma chatters away in Spanish and is so concerned for our
health by feeding us lots of wonderful food- like tropical fruits, jelly, juices, bread from Cuzco, and so much more. We had to rest for several hours so we don't
get sick from the altitude and then we had lunch with siblings, host mother, grandparents, and their nephew, a pianist who loves music and violin as much as the rest of the family.
After lunch, we rode a bus to the ISA site to meet with the other students and walk around Cuzco. The city is so beautiful, it is unbelievable! I will put pictures up as soon as possible.
The Plaza de Armas, or main square is breathtaking with the beautiful architecture of the Cathedrals, Andes surrounding, and brick roads. While in the Plaza, and everywhere else on the streets, people come up to us constantly trying to sell things. The saddest part is the children selling dolls and candy or in the supermarket begging for candy. There is a lot of poverty in Cuzco and I am sure we will see a lot more in the next several days, especially when I start work on Monday.
After walking around Cuzco, Rachel and I met our mother and picked up our sister, Lucia from gymnastics. We walked again to the Plaza de Armas and played with Lucia for awhile. She has the most energy I have ever seen in a little girl
doing cartwheels and handstands in the center of the square and telling crazy jokes in Spanish. Our mother walked us around many streets in Cuzco made with the Inca stones and telling us many details about the city.
I apologize if this post is a little disorganized- I really need to go to bed so I don't get sick tomorrow. We are some of the only students in the group not yet affected by the altitude. I'm sure it is because our families wonderful care and the Mate de Coca. =) Also, I don't know if anyone is reading this because noone has commented!
Hasta Luego!
My new friend from Grand Rapids MI, Rachel and I, are living with 2 grandparents, a mother, and her two wonderful chidren- Lucia who is 7 and Alejandro who is 14. The family could not be more perfect for both of us! Our mother is a Christian (not Catholic like the majority of the people here) and wants to take Rachel and I to her church next Sunday. Noone in the family speaks English, so I have been speaking Spanish all day long, and I am amazed at how much we can communicate and understand. Our house is beautiful- very traditional with walls painted bright blue, green, pink, etc, and with Spanish art, plants, and pictures covering the walls. My window overlooks the city, I can see the stars, mountains, and hear the activity on the street below all from my bed. The best thing of all about our family is that they love music! Grandma plays guitar and sings- apparently all over Cuzco with different groups, and she is so excited to incorporate my violin in the music.
She is una romantica and believes that music is the only reason she is looks as young as she does. She also plans to take us out dancing. Grandpa is a poet, who loves to take daily walks to Sacsayhuaman (an Inca ruin outside of Cuzco). He is also a classical music guru and owns cds and movies of every major composer! (pirated of course and sold cheap on the streets of Cuzco)
Grandma and Grandpa were so excited that I brought my violin and already have plans to have their friends over to play Peruvian music with me. Already today we have listened to the Tchaikovsky violin concerto, Brahms and Mozart.
Rachel and I ate breakfast and Mate de Coca to help adjust to the altitude with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma chatters away in Spanish and is so concerned for our
health by feeding us lots of wonderful food- like tropical fruits, jelly, juices, bread from Cuzco, and so much more. We had to rest for several hours so we don't
get sick from the altitude and then we had lunch with siblings, host mother, grandparents, and their nephew, a pianist who loves music and violin as much as the rest of the family.
After lunch, we rode a bus to the ISA site to meet with the other students and walk around Cuzco. The city is so beautiful, it is unbelievable! I will put pictures up as soon as possible.
The Plaza de Armas, or main square is breathtaking with the beautiful architecture of the Cathedrals, Andes surrounding, and brick roads. While in the Plaza, and everywhere else on the streets, people come up to us constantly trying to sell things. The saddest part is the children selling dolls and candy or in the supermarket begging for candy. There is a lot of poverty in Cuzco and I am sure we will see a lot more in the next several days, especially when I start work on Monday.
After walking around Cuzco, Rachel and I met our mother and picked up our sister, Lucia from gymnastics. We walked again to the Plaza de Armas and played with Lucia for awhile. She has the most energy I have ever seen in a little girl
doing cartwheels and handstands in the center of the square and telling crazy jokes in Spanish. Our mother walked us around many streets in Cuzco made with the Inca stones and telling us many details about the city.
I apologize if this post is a little disorganized- I really need to go to bed so I don't get sick tomorrow. We are some of the only students in the group not yet affected by the altitude. I'm sure it is because our families wonderful care and the Mate de Coca. =) Also, I don't know if anyone is reading this because noone has commented!
Hasta Luego!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Lima Tour
Hola hola!
I woke up yesterday, my first morning here in Lima Peru, to the honking, racing cars outside our hotel window in Lima. Streets and traffic here are just like Santo Domingo, DR. No rules, honk at everything, and cars that have all been in multiple accidents. Students from our program were already in a taxi accident in the 5 minute drive to our first site! Lima is a huge city with about 9 million people! The skies are apparently always this whitish grayish color, the air pretty thick with pollution, and the buildings are tall, crowded and often run down, except for in the nicer parts of town where you can see the beautiful architecture, cathedrals, and some nicer office buildings, banks, casinos, etc.
Yesterday morning we went to the Inca ruins- "Huaca Pucllana"- an ancient temple built in the 5th century A.D. to the sea and land gods. The ruins were only discovered 30 years ago. Our guide said that he played soccer on top of them as a boy thinking that it was just a giant clay and mud hill. The temple was built out of mud and clay bricks- a lot of the original bricks are still there and currently being uncovered. They have found over 50 young girls and children that were ancient sacrifices to the gods. Our guide said they probably sacrificed them since they were the most valuable members of society. We also saw some pottery they would have made just to destroy again as sacrifices to the gods. Although the sky is always overcast and gray in Lima, it never rains. Otherwise, ruins like we saw today would be completely destroyed!
We saw some Peruvian national dogs at the site. They were completely hairless and brown except for fuz around the ears. Also, llamas, ducks, and guinea pigs in cages before they will be cooked into some traditional Peruvian dishes! Actually, guinea pig is a very common. It is called Cuy because of the sound they make "cuy cuy cuy".
After lunch we walked around the city for awhile and then walked as a group to the coast. It was so beautiful! We climbed down a really long steep stairway on a beautiful cliff overlooking the ocean surrounded by ivy and lush green tropical plants. On our way, we stopped at the famous, "El Parque del Amor" - "The Park of love" with a giant statue of a couple kissing. Then I climbed down on the rocks and put my feet in the Pacific Ocean where lots of Peruvians were surfing.
We went to dinner at Junius- a pretty touristy restaurant with a delicious buffet of Peruvian food. I tried duck for the first time as well as Chicho Morado- made from purple corn and fruit. During dinner they played Peruvian music and had dancers in the bright traditional costumes from different parts of Peru perform.
Today we went on a 3 hour Mirabus tour of the city. The architecture is really beautiful in some parts, combining Arabic, Spanish, and some French traditions. We stopped at el Catedral de San Fransisco de Asisi. The most fascinating part was going down into the Catacombs to see the tombs where hundreds of bodies had been buried and the bones and skulls are still displayed. While we were at the Cathedral, school children came flocking up to us with their notebooks open, asking us to sign our names and getting in pictures.
A few of us found a nice restaurant in downtown Lima for lunch. The menu was very confusing, and after our friend assured us that “Chafita” was some sort of fried rice, I ordered that and something that turned out to be beef heart (another confusing long name). The Chafita looked like another beef and potato dish. Several of us tried it and were shocked at the squishy strong taste. After a few mixed up translations and conversations with the waitress and table near us, we discovered that it was really beef lung cooked in chicken blood. I will never order Chafita again and definitely don’t recommend it!!!
Although I have enjoyed our time in Lima, I am ready to go to Cuzco, meet my host family, and start teaching on Monday! I feel a little bit too much like an American tourist right now and can’t wait to really be immersed in the culture and Spanish. We will leave tomorrow for Cuzco at 3:30 a.m. and spend some time when we get there resting for awhile to get used to the 11-12,000 feet altitude!
Sorry this ended up being such a long first post! I would always appreciate comments and questions.
Adios!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Leaving in 4 days!
I will be leaving on Sunday, May 16 for my 12 week stay in Peru. The first three days, our group of ISA students and volunteer workers will stay in Lima, touring the city. Then we will all fly to Cusco, where I will be staying for the rest of my 12 weeks, teaching music and English at Helping Hands- http://www.helpinghandscusco.org/english/index.asp. While in Cusco, we will also take a 2 day excursion to Machu Picchu, 1 day to el Valle Sagrado, and 2 days to Puno/ Lake Titicaca.
Here's a some info on Cusco, pasted from: http://www.aboutcusco.com/cusco/eng/cities02.asp
Cusco, located in southern Peru, is a city with perhaps the most beautiful views in the world. It is surrounded by six mountains, some more than 6,000 meters high, as well as being the oldest city in the western hemisphere and the cradle of the ancient Inca civilization. And, of course, it is known all over the world for its proximity to the amazing archaeological ruins of Machu Picchu.
With a area of 76,225 km2, the district of Cusco is bordered on the north side by the district of Ucayali, on the south side by Arequipa and Puno, on the east side by Madre de Dios and on the west side by Apurímac, Ayacucho and Junín.
At present, after the redistribution of the districts in 1988, Cusco forms, together with the districts of Madre de Dios and a part of Apurímac, the region of the Incas.
Cusco, consist of 105 districts and 13 provinces, which are Acomayo, Anta, Calca, Canas, Canchis, La Convención, Cusco, Chumbivilcas, Espinar, Paruro, Paucartambo, Quispicanchis and Urubamba. Cusco, La Convención, Canchis, Quispicanchis and Chumbivilcas are the most populous.
The city of Cusco is located in the western part of the valley of the river Watanay, at a height of 3,350 meters and is considered one of the highest cities of the world.
It is located at 13º 30'45'' south latitude and at 71º 58'33'' west longitude from the meridian of Greenwich and is one of the most important and historically significant cities in Peru.
With a area of 76,225 km2, the district of Cusco is bordered on the north side by the district of Ucayali, on the south side by Arequipa and Puno, on the east side by Madre de Dios and on the west side by Apurímac, Ayacucho and Junín.At present, after the redistribution of the districts in 1988, Cusco forms, together with the districts of Madre de Dios and a part of Apurímac, the region of the Incas.
Cusco, consist of 105 districts and 13 provinces, which are Acomayo, Anta, Calca, Canas, Canchis, La Convención, Cusco, Chumbivilcas, Espinar, Paruro, Paucartambo, Quispicanchis and Urubamba. Cusco, La Convención, Canchis, Quispicanchis and Chumbivilcas are the most populous.
The city of Cusco is located in the western part of the valley of the river Watanay, at a height of 3,350 meters and is considered one of the highest cities of the world.It is located at 13º 30'45'' south latitude and at 71º 58'33'' west longitude from the meridian of Greenwich and is one of the most important and historically significant cities in Peru.
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