So here I am, in Cusco. Que Bueno. I arrived at 8AM on Tuesday and after dropping my things off at my home stay, went straight to language school. I only lasted two hours, however, before the altitude started to get to me. So around 11 AM I went home, to ¨shower¨ and sleep. Oh my, I think I have never taken such a short shower, maybe a minute and a half because the water is, how do you say, less than warm? When the weather is also less than warm (around 50 degree with no central heating... or any heating at all) one can get very cold! So in and out and I was down for the count. My host mom, brother and sister, kept saying mate de coca, mate de coca. So that is what I drank all day and slept. Although I maybe drank a little too much coca because I had some crazy dreams that night... wow.
A few things about my experience in Cusco so far... so let me explain I am staying with a host family through the school I am attending. A little language school where I have private lessons four hours a day which are all in Spanish and when I don´t understand something is a mix between charades and pictionary depending on the teacher. Pretty awesome. Also, the website said that after the first 48 hours, my host family would no longer speak English to me so that I would learn more quickly. Ah yes, what they didn´t mention is that they would not speak English to me because they do not know English. yes. The daughter and son are fairly good, but the mom with whom I have the most contact, speaks only Spanish and Quechua. I love life.
Yet I am saved! Because also in my home stay is a delightful gal named Katy, so she helps me a bit because she arrived awhile before me and also, already knew Spanish. Although it is very much helping my language learning with all this practice.... todos dias yo hablas espanol.
Crazy how much has happened in only 4 days!! I´m not sure at this point how long I will stay in Cuzco, or if I will travel to some beaches north of Lima and stay with my friends there a bit longer. The world is my oyster...
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Top Ten of my first 48 hours in Lima
So it was a little bit of a challenge to access my blog to write a new post because I forgot my password and all the help pages were in Spanish.... yup. but good thing, I am now fluent! so I understand it all and the problem is solved... or I learned the word for ¨language¨in Spanish and could change it to English! Que Bueno! I thought it would be great and succinct to make a top ten list of my first experience in Lima, Peru.... I hope it conveys what a fanfreakingtastic time I had there. I wonder how you say that in Spanish?
10. Every dog is wearing a little sweater because they ¨can´t handle the weather¨yup. Even Felipe´s Rottweiler sports a nice plaid number.
9. Humongous, 30 foot statue of two people making out in the Parques de Amor.
8. That staute is pretty hilarious, but really, on a serious note... I love how couples walk together here, the guy with his arm all the way around his girlfriend´s shoulder like they could just melt into each other... and sometimes do... in public, much to my surprise...
7. Seeing live jazz music at a fantastic little cafe in Miaflores and finding at the end of my first day I smiled and laughed so much my face was sore! I love how mi amigos de Peru love to joke around... all the time... so great!
6. Appreciating God´s little miracles, like my whim to buy another pair of underwear at the airport in Seattle, and the airline giving out toothbrushes... wonderful when upon my arrival in Lima I discovered that my luggage decided to take another 36 hours to arrive to Peru.
5. So along with that, the great affirmation that we can survive on much less than thought.. I had originally packed very light, but turns out, even that extra pair of socks was not necessary (Though I am happy to have them now!)
4. Pisco sours and long conversations about the history of Peru, about modern Peru and a variety of topics with Felipe, Andrea and Ivan.
3. Long walks along the boardwalk in Miaflores, and writing with the sound of the ocean as my I-Pod.
2. Sunday! My first day in Lima was a Sunday and we lounged around all day, slept some, talked with Felipe´s mom and had Sunday Lunch with his family. His grandparents are adorable. All bundled up from the cold we had a Sunday feast! and then slept some more... a proper Sabbath.
1. Chocolate Caliente! I really believe that if Heaven were a beverage, then it might be chocolate caliente. maybe. just maybe. This ambrosia greeted Felipe and I on Sunday morning, and I think that it was so delicious because it was made with love by his so generous and caring mother.
So that is the top ten for the first 48 hours. Yes I lost my luggage, but it returned! Yes, I stayed with a random guy from the couchsurfers website, and it turned out amazingly. His mom says that I always have a house in Lima! Such hospitality, such warmth. I would say from arriving at the airport in a country where I don´t know the language with nothing but my purse, things worked themselves out quite well! There is so much goodness in the world, a good portion of it was shared with me in Lima, Peru.
10. Every dog is wearing a little sweater because they ¨can´t handle the weather¨yup. Even Felipe´s Rottweiler sports a nice plaid number.
9. Humongous, 30 foot statue of two people making out in the Parques de Amor.
8. That staute is pretty hilarious, but really, on a serious note... I love how couples walk together here, the guy with his arm all the way around his girlfriend´s shoulder like they could just melt into each other... and sometimes do... in public, much to my surprise...
7. Seeing live jazz music at a fantastic little cafe in Miaflores and finding at the end of my first day I smiled and laughed so much my face was sore! I love how mi amigos de Peru love to joke around... all the time... so great!
6. Appreciating God´s little miracles, like my whim to buy another pair of underwear at the airport in Seattle, and the airline giving out toothbrushes... wonderful when upon my arrival in Lima I discovered that my luggage decided to take another 36 hours to arrive to Peru.
5. So along with that, the great affirmation that we can survive on much less than thought.. I had originally packed very light, but turns out, even that extra pair of socks was not necessary (Though I am happy to have them now!)
4. Pisco sours and long conversations about the history of Peru, about modern Peru and a variety of topics with Felipe, Andrea and Ivan.
3. Long walks along the boardwalk in Miaflores, and writing with the sound of the ocean as my I-Pod.
2. Sunday! My first day in Lima was a Sunday and we lounged around all day, slept some, talked with Felipe´s mom and had Sunday Lunch with his family. His grandparents are adorable. All bundled up from the cold we had a Sunday feast! and then slept some more... a proper Sabbath.
1. Chocolate Caliente! I really believe that if Heaven were a beverage, then it might be chocolate caliente. maybe. just maybe. This ambrosia greeted Felipe and I on Sunday morning, and I think that it was so delicious because it was made with love by his so generous and caring mother.
So that is the top ten for the first 48 hours. Yes I lost my luggage, but it returned! Yes, I stayed with a random guy from the couchsurfers website, and it turned out amazingly. His mom says that I always have a house in Lima! Such hospitality, such warmth. I would say from arriving at the airport in a country where I don´t know the language with nothing but my purse, things worked themselves out quite well! There is so much goodness in the world, a good portion of it was shared with me in Lima, Peru.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Buenos Dias Peru!
Aww.... the much awaited adventure is here! I flew into Lima, Peru on Saturday night... late. My first experience with Peru was to wait patiently for my luggage... I Yes, I was tired, yes I wanted to make sure that my ride didn´t leave me, yes yes yes. si. Perdo, After all the luggage spun around the turnstile, I couldn´t help but notice that my lightly packed 25 pound bag was no where in sight! Turns out because my morning flight was delayed, thus leaving me a half an hour to sprint from one end of the Atlanta airport to another, my backpack was not as sprightly as I, and was not transferred as quickly. Next time I travel, two Starbucks, one for me and one for my pack. yes.
So there I was, in the Lima airport, with my purse, and that´s about it. Filing for lost luggage and hoping that Felipe, the random couchsurfer that I contacted to stay with in Lima hadn´t abandoned me for making him wait over an hour... and also, wasn´t a psycho like some people thought her might be....
Today! Monday! I am so far from the initial stress of arriving in the country, it seems like a really bad joke, the kind I might tell without remembering the punch line. My luggage arrived this morning. Hoorah! Turns out, God does provide. Felipe and his friends and family are amazingly generous and kind... and so funny. More details in the upcoming post ädventures with a Peruvian Sunday Dinner¨ and ¨I like Pisco Sours and Jazz¨But for now, I am a bit tired still. We go to bed very late in Peru... but before I sign off... if any of you would like to receive a postcard of sorts form this beautiful country, please, kindly email me your mailing address.
Muchas Gracias mi amigos y famila.
So there I was, in the Lima airport, with my purse, and that´s about it. Filing for lost luggage and hoping that Felipe, the random couchsurfer that I contacted to stay with in Lima hadn´t abandoned me for making him wait over an hour... and also, wasn´t a psycho like some people thought her might be....
Today! Monday! I am so far from the initial stress of arriving in the country, it seems like a really bad joke, the kind I might tell without remembering the punch line. My luggage arrived this morning. Hoorah! Turns out, God does provide. Felipe and his friends and family are amazingly generous and kind... and so funny. More details in the upcoming post ädventures with a Peruvian Sunday Dinner¨ and ¨I like Pisco Sours and Jazz¨But for now, I am a bit tired still. We go to bed very late in Peru... but before I sign off... if any of you would like to receive a postcard of sorts form this beautiful country, please, kindly email me your mailing address.
Muchas Gracias mi amigos y famila.
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