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Published: June 13th 2007
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Hey!
Well i´m all the way in Cusco, Peru now. That 11 hour flight from Madrid to Lima was long, but thank the Lord for sleep masks and travel pillows - slept most of the way, waking up only to eat the plastic food.
Didn´t get to see Lima, apart as I arrived in the evening, and it was dark, and had to catch the 6.40am flight the following morning to Cusco. First impressions of Lima - COLD! Its their winter now. I always take note of infrastructure, and was pleasantly surprised by the nice clean roads and orderly-ish traffic. A far cry from Kathmandu.
Flight to Cusco is amazing, flying over the snow capped Andes range. Was met by a rep from ELIM, the association I am with for the next few weeks. At 3400m above sea level, you really feel the altitude. My heart pounded madly as soon as I got out of the airport. And it is COLD! But sunny so I don´t mind. So grateful for my fleeces and Nepal woolly hat.
They showed me my room - I am staying at a girl´s children´s home which has an apartment block tied
Cusco
My lovely bedroom to it for volunteers. I have a whole 3 bed apartment to myself, and it is luxury compared to Nepal (sorry for the constant comparisons, but bear with me!). The only problem is that noone speaks English - so glad now I took that 10 week Spanish course before I left - those long sleepy evenings were worth it. The director, the only one who speaks Egnlsih is in Switzerland, - typical. At times I do feel quite isolated, trying to express myself in Italian and limited Spanish but I tell myself it will be good in the long run. There are no English volunteers and I am on the outskirts of Cusco, a bus or taxi ride away. I have to call my parents or Sanj just to speak English and they do notice - I don´t shut up!
Because of the language thing, I don´t quite know what is going on or is expected of me - I also don´t know if I´m supposed to be eating with the children and the mother. I don´t think I am, but they always offer me grub so I accept - feel a bit cheeky though.
But that is
Cusco
Me and Carla in cusco city the beauty of the smaller ´charities´(hate that word) - I could have gone with a big org, like Cross Cultural, where everything is on an itinerary, but I prefer this way as you see where your money is going to - and it´s not on the expensive administrative overheads.
Anyway, it turns out that I teach at the boys´ home in the afternoon, and the girls´ after that - it´s very laid back, and it will be up to me to get some kind of proper routine going on.. The home I´m staying with fosters 10 little girls, whose parents are either too poor to look after them, or are not in good situations. The ´mother´is just lovely - so warm and kind. Again I compare with Nepal, where I got the impression that us volunteers are seen as cash cows, but here is a different vibe. And the kids - again so well behaved and loving - some of them just hold and kiss me. Unlike the kids in Nepal, they do have the individual love and attention and it really shows. I just wish I had a better grasp of Spanish.
Cusco is very developed and
Cusco
Main square there are times I miss the basics, the absence of cars and even the squat holes! I´ve already got lost, coming home from Cusco yesterday - I asked for ´Marriscal Gamarra´, the name of our road, and the taxi man took me to another district, which is called ´Marriscal Gamarra on the other side of town. Had to get another taxi and the help of some lovely locals to get me back to my hood! But I love getting lost (obviously not too long) - it´s the only way you get a feel for the place.
Oh and the dogs in Nepal must have inderstood my wrath towards them. Our ´home´has one resident dog, pretty harmless, except for his random screamings during the night. And there is one really vicious guard dog mongrel type thing opposite our home - scares the shit out of me - really big and looks like he would and could eat you alive. Luckily havent come face to face with it yet.
Cusco centre is just beautiful - it has the old Spanish colonial feel to it. The main Catherdral is so imposing and gracious - took 100 years to make, and built
Cusco
One of the many little side streets on Inca foundations. Haven´t explored it properly yet but intend to do so once I get my bearings. Some people stay here for months, there is so much to do - as an adrenaline junkie, I am so excited - I intend on doing white water rafting, horse riding, a 4 day jungle trek…and salsa! I have also enrolled in a Spanish school - there are loads in Cusco - 4 hours a day intensive lessons in a group, with activites every day - at least then I will meet some fellow travellers! Not that there is anything wrong with the Peruvians - in fact there are two lovely girls in my block, one Costa Rican and one Peruvian who are taking me under their wing - they speak English like Sanj speaks French.
Peruvians have a certain look, certainly the ones in Cusco. Most of them are mestizo, i.e. of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent. Although I´m brown, I would not pass as a Peruvian - oh and Bollywood even makes it here! They love our Ash and Sharuk - viva la Bollywood!
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reema
non-member comment
looks rely clean that girl called carla is rely pretty hope u hv a fun time ther and ur spanish improves