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Ariel and I
My room mate in Cusco! Cusco was like a random love affair. I was instantly attracted, to its beauty and decided to stay for a while. The buildings are colonial, the balconies are blue, the churches are intricate, the streets are built from huge smooth inca stones and the fountains flow between green flowery plazas. I have never been in such a pretty city. I walked around gazing with pleasure and swatting away the offers of postcards, paintings, massage, waxing, facials, shoe shining, spanish classes, inca dolls etc etc. Here's where I find out my new friend talks too much - Cusco is a city revolving around tourists and its tiring. A month later I woke up in the morning to find we had nothing to say to each other and that being pretty isn't enough. I left suddenly, desperate to be far away, but I had so many beautiful days there and made so many cool friends.
At first I moved to a hostel overrun with Israelis, I am not exaggerating to say until my friends from camp Ambue Ari joined me, one of whom was Canadian, I was the only non Israeli present in the whole hostel. Most of them were nice people.
Aldea Yanapay Restaurant
Love the balconies in Cusco The ones in my room weren't. They barged in with all their friends smoking cigarettes and joints in my room without asking me, I woke up, it was past midnight....We had words. When they started playing music the next night when I was sick at midnight again, we had some more words. I am sure they wanted to get far away from the grumpy Aussie, but I was PISSED OFF and didn't hold back.
I went for a long walk to see the ruins out of town which were beautiful. I was feeling a little lonesome, but the sun was shining and the road was down hill and I couldn´t complain about much. At this moment a dog with a sqashed boxer face, scarred and drooling, eyes red and crossed started running after me. I admit my heart sped up, he looked more than a little rabid and I haven´t had my shots. I tried to keep my distance, but he was persistant. He wanted to be my friend. Eventually I accepted his presence and named him Buttface, on account of how he was adorably UGLY! I was very happy for Buttface´s presence later when i tried to take a
short cut through the hills and was met with a gang of vicious snarling farm dogs. Buttface saw them off no problems and by now we were firm amigos. The second last ruins were amazing, like a trolls palace hewn into the rock hillside, they were full of dark underground tunnels. The final ruins Sacchawuman (Sexy Woman) were the most impressive with huge beautiful stones creating giant smooth walls. The walls used to be even higher but the Spanish got their grubby hands on them and used the stones to build their Cathedral. Buttface attracted alot of attention from the other tourists who tried to call him but he didn´t leave my side at all, I felt so loved!! The guard on the site looked annoyed about having such a mangy dog running around, but I denied he was mine and the guard could do anything to stop him running free with me up and down ancient Inca steps and through doorways of the Moon!! He left me as I made my way into the town, which is good because I´m not sure he would have been welcome in my youth hostel! But I loved to have his random affections
Yo Whiteface
Me and Clara, one of my favourite kids at the school, she was deaf and couldn´t speak so well, but so funny and loving! and it made my heart smile for days.
One day in the plaza I was lying on the grass reading the National Geo in Spanish with the help of my dictionary. I was accosted by three shoe shine boys. Senorita Shoe clean Senorita. I tried to swat them away but they lay down beside me on the grass and asked if i would buy them a ball. Well of course I could. So off we trouped to the buy a pelota for the boys. On the way they informed me that there is a big football game in the stadium, Lima vs Cusco. Only four soles each Senorita. Well by now William, Franco, Emmerson and Juan have charmed me sufficiently that i can´t say no to much. I agree to accompany them to the game, buy their tickets and I don´t know what else! First we went to a park with the biggest slide I have ever seen where the boys play football and I draw with a tiny little dude by my side. Then we troop off to the stadium where we watch an exciting game of soccer!! The players are rough, the crowd is passionate, the police are
Vino
Me enjoying a drop numerous and the boys eyes sparkle. At half time, they treat me to rice and eggs, rapidly and roughly served by a woman with her hands grabbing handfuls of rice, egg and salad and shoving it on our plates. I attract alot of attention from the crowd, there are no other Gringos in sight. The boys were very nervous about my Mochilla (bag) and formed a convoy of protection around me wherever I went! Cusco lost the match, the Lima team wasn´t about to win quietly. They strip off their Tshirts and make lewd gestures to the crowd who begins to throw rubbish at them. The police try and use their shields to deflect the missiles. The Lima team makes several laps around the field really rubbing the Cusconians faces in their loss. The crowd gets mad. We watched until the team finally, protected by the police, leaves the field. It was a cool random day and what I really love about travelling!
I started working at Aldea Yanapay a great project started by a young Peruvian called Yuri. He has a fun restaurant full of colours and toys which raises money for the project. I liked the project,
With Yuri
This is the Peruvian guy who started the amazing project. I love Cusco, so I decided to stay for a month and move into the volunteer house.
My friends, Talia and Hogar, come back into town from a trip to Machuu Pichuu and it was so good to have mates again. We swan around Cusco, choosing some groovy hand made llama skin boots for Talia and eating Mexican food. We go into a terrible nightclub and befriend a young American who is about to marry a Peruvian guy. The next evening Talia cooks us a knock out dinner, I buy some lushious wine and then we head out to a pub in San Blas where after the musicians finish, to my envy and delight, my friends borrow their instruments for an impromptu jam session on stage!!! After this we went to a full moon trance party way above the city.
It was wild to get into some trance, I went to get beer and met an artesania who i had met the day before and he painted my face with spirals and glitter. Some of the guys from my project were there too and of course hundreds of Israelis, including some of those rude guys from my room, one of
Elena and Rasmus
Cool Radical Hetronormal Danish Couple whom tried to chat me up and I had the pleasure of reminding him who I was, heh heh fun.
The city lay way below, sparkling orange in the shape of a Puma, the fat full moon rolling around above our heads, a bonfire blazing in the middle. We found an Inca bridge with Puma heads and missing planks and trembling I crossed it. We danced till dawn, went and got a big breakfast and then I moved into the volunteer house
My flatmate has the name of a mermaid, the smile of an angel and a sense of mischief of an imp. Her name is Ariel Sommer and she is wearing a Bob Dylan t-shirt, so of course we are friends straight away.
For the next four weeks I work at the school in the afternoons. In the mornings I take Spanish classes, prepare to try and teach about Buddah in spanish to hyperactive six year olds, Indulge in the many cool cafes around the city, including one of my favourites called Mundo Hemp where all the food includes hemp seed and they make the best teas in the world!
The kids are supercool, so much good energy. I
Hanging with the boys
Me and the shoe shine boys in the park settled into a happy routine and time flew like a falcon, whoosh, then it was gone.
Just before I left I went with some friends to try San Pedro Cactus in the hills above Cusco but that´s a whole other story.
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