i am in love with this place

---

hola amigos!

cuzco is just so damn cool. i walk around and it hits me that this place is unlike any other and i love it for that.

yesterday was the really important and huge incan holiday of inti raymi and celebrations started wedensday morning and ended late last night. there have been outrageous, colorful, loud, incredible parades for over 24 hours with different groups and places around the city represented in traditional clothing, playing their specific music, and doing traditional dances. there was even a dance off in the plaza de armas of traditional incan dances. all of the towns and schools prepare their own march and it was saweeet. it was crazy busy and more people packed into one street than i have ever seen in my entire life.

on thursday- the offical day of inti raymi- the ceremony started on avenida de sol at la quorycancha, a sacred temple, then moved to the plaza to renact this hunt and the story of inti raymi which i´m still fuzzy on but it has to do with 15 incans, the sun, and a llama...maybe. then we trecked up sacsay womaan (pronounced sexy woman... when i first heard it i thought it was the name of a club) to these ruins where they sacrifice a llama and rip its heart out. yeah. unfortunately (or not so unfortunately cuz the llamas are so cute) there were too many people so i couldn´t see the actual slaughter, but i saw plenty of baked guinea pigs which was oh so appealing.

to back track a bit i had my first day of volunteering on tuesday afternoon and it was quite an experience. this tiny, freezing cold room held about 30 kids and 6 volunteers and we helped these adorable kids with their homework, played with them, held them, and fed them. but before i made it to my placement, which is up a few alleys and incredibly high up, i was scared for my life or mostly for my wallet. i had to pass through this group of 10 little kids, which they always warn you about because they distract you then steal all your stuff, and 3 teenage boys who all shouted ¨gringa sola! gringa sola!¨which basically translates to ¨oh little white girl all alone! she´s all alone!¨ and i would have run away until i realized they were standing next to my project and i stood their freaking out cuz i was early and there were no other adults there. awesome. but i survived and became friends with the kids later. they are so freaking cute. one girl, maria, i was helping with her homework and couldn´t understand something she said in spanish and i told her my spanish is not perfect and that i was sorry. she then took my hand and was like ¨no, no tu espanol es perfecta.¨ it was so sweet. all the kids just want to hug you and play with you and everything was pretty chaotic and disorganized but i really enjoyed my time there.

so in total i´m loving it here. i´ve mastered taking cabs by myself and finding my way around and have yet to take a combi alone ( a little van that is like a bus but so packed with people that passengers stand and stick their heads out the windows for more space), but i am feeling fearless and might try this afternoon. tomorrow i´m exploring san blas, a really artsy neighborhood, and taking salsa lessons. i am so excited!

hasta luego y con amor,
emily

---