Lake Titicaca/Puno, amazing hostels and parasites

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Okay so it's been two.5 weeks since my last entry.. I get more and more lazy with this I know.
Anyway, so the most interesting things that have happened in the last 2.5 weeks have been, firstly that I got a parasite about 2 weeks ago. Felt like shit one morning and was hauled to the doctor by one of the Projects Abroad people at around noon. Turned out I had a parasite so was given some pills and a massive bottle of oral hydration stuff with " strawberry flavour" - tasted so disgusting, especially when i was already pretty nauseous.

Friday 6 of us took the 6 hr night bus to Puno which is in the north, right by Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Half of it is Peruvian, the other half Bolivian.
Bus ride was pretty good, tho cold .. Peruvians really dont believe in heating!
Felt like shit the first day when we were there, but did manage to visit lake titicaca and a few of the islands there - we visited the Uros, which are floating islands. They're made entirely of reed (or whatever its called) and it's really weird walking on them as you feel like you might go straight through a lot of the time.
We went to Puno for the carnival there which is pretty famous. It's huge - everyone dressed up, bands in the streets everywhere with people dancing in front and after them.
Also, the carnival involved throwing water and foam (bought in spray bottles) at everyone.. especially us gringitas were very tempting!
Sunday we also went to the stadium where there was a lot of dancing and music and chaos. But it was good.. It was boiling hot tho.. despite the fact that everyone had told us that Puno was known for being super cold and that it was supposed to rain for 4 days consecutively. What a load of bull.. :)

We took the 6 hr bus home again monday evening, and I realised in Cusco that I'd forgotten my hiking boots at our hostel.. was totally bummed but luckily my host mum managed to get a hold of the sister of a friend who lives in puno and get her to pick up my boots and send them to cusco somehow, where my host brother has picked them up! and it only cost me 15 soles !
But yea, we got to Cusco at 5 am, had breakfast at this fancy hotel (it was the only place open and it was semi cheap) and then took the bus directly to work in Chinchero.
Afterwards we were all super tired so after our workshop at the office which we have every tuesday where we plan the following week, i went straight to bed. So tired!

Wednesday we had pub quiz again , and this time we went out in Urubamba afterwards! Very interesting! Not a lot of people out on a wednesday night but we had a lot of fun and it's become a tradition now.

We had to work saturday in Calca - helping a psychologist (or a student on her final year, 30 years old) with a bunch of kids whose houses were ruined in the floods. We paper mached balloons to make masks -- went alright but the psycho (who is a bitch, bossing us around, doing no work herself and expecting us to spend all our free time doing work for her) is so annoying.
The kids are adorable though.
We're working this saturday again.. most of us complained when we got a piece of paper from Tim (desk officer - SS more like) saying we were to work all of next week, excluding sunday. We're entitled to weekends off which they seem to have forgotten.
It's especially stupid when monday all we're doing is "playday with some kids in Yucay". Seems like they've not been able to think of anything for us to do and just made up random stuff..
anyway! things are alright now.
I've finally got my next placement sorted - will be working at a day-care center in Yucay. 10 mins from Urubamaba. At first they put me on as a teachers assistent - but i know what teachers assistants end up doing - they end up teaching!

We spent saturday night in Cuzco at this new hostel we found which is amazing. Cheap and we get free internet, free breakfast, HOT showers and proper beds! Also, the drinks are big and cheap and the bartenders are all gringos which is really nice (being able to have a proper conversation with them and getting the drink you actually ordered). So we're going back this saturday and the whole of next weekend as well :)

This monday we all went out (again) as it was Mirjam, one of the volunteers, last night - so of course we had to "celebrate". Twas a lot of fun! Also, we went out this wednesday of course, according to custom, and we had a lot of fun as well.

Friday Adria, another volunteer from the US, and I went for our first hike. We hiked up the mountain "behind" my house. It was so steep and super hard but we did pretty well and it was nice getting proper "I want to die/I want to puke" exercise again! We're gonna try to make it a weekly thing.. training for Machu Picchu!

Yesterday we had our last day at the summer school in Chinchero so we had a little "fiesta" for the kids with crackers and cola (just to rot their teeth a little bit more than they already are) and had a lot of fun. I'm gonna miss some of them so much! They are the most adorable kids in the world - tho one of them (Beissie) I will not miss as the is the most annoying and (sorry but) stupid kid in the world! Tried to teach her 1-20 for 4 weeks and nothing.. she still cant point out number 7 or number 15.
Also, she's just plain annoying.

So yea, that's the "short" version of what I've done the last few weeks.
Oh also managed to lose my USB - forgot it at the internet cafe and the woman *cough always pissed of idiot * at the desk "hasnt seen it" -- am at another one now as I'm tired of people who hate their jobs and take it out on their customers.
Also, this one has skype! Tho is looks like I'm supposed to bring my own headseat..

xx tis all for now, ciao as the peruvians say

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