Blogs from Cusco, Peru, South America - page 6

Sunday, 24 May 70 days down, 37 to go Today, like the past nine Sundays, nobody is allowed to leave their home, except for emergency medical care. Friday President Vizcarra announced that there would be some modifications starting Monday, with more businesses allowed to open. But let’s be clear, Peru is still under a State of Emergency, with mandatory quarantine, restricted movement and curfew. Tomorrow the rules of the game will change yet again and I am so very happy about the allowance for people to go outside for something other than food and pharmacy. Businesses like veterinarians and dentists will be allowed to open, as well as plumbing and hardware stores. People will now be allowed to drive their own cars to the grocery store. From what I hear, all of these are allowed in ... read more

Sunday, 3 May, 2020 49 days down, 7 more to go (I hope) Today I made my website live! www.heatherjasper.com As with any piece of writing, I wouldn’t call it done, but I had to set myself a deadline to be done enough at some point. It’s been a good creative project to keep me busy and I’ll continue to work on it, especially since I have at least another week of sitting at home. This time, surely, they’ll relax some of the restrictions next Monday. I’ve thought that before. I hate getting my hopes up every time. Back to the url=https://rpp.pe/peru/actualidad/coronavirus-peru-dejo-de-emitir-16-millones-de-toneladas-de-co2-covid-19-cuarentena-contaminacion-noticia-1262760uplifting environmental news, in Peru we have recorded the biggest drop in air pollution. I try to focus on the Pachamama getting a fresh breath of air. I’m trying so hard to stay positive. Even ... read more

Sunday, 19 April, 2020 35 days down, 7 more to go I’ve been looking forward to today all week! My housemates and I have been planning a picnic on the roof today. I chose Sunday because we’re not allowed to leave the house and I wanted to have something to look forward to. Yesterday and Friday it rained and hailed, so I was delighted to see bright sunshine this morning. Both of my housemates went to the mall yesterday to buy picnic treats. They came home with a proper baguette, brie, olives, sparkling wine and a lot more. I bought focaccia from a neighbor who has been baking to supplement her income, beer and made a black bean and mango salad this morning. It wasn’t warm enough to put on swimsuits and pretend that we were ... read more

Sunday, 5 April, 2020 Even though I can only see a sliver of the park and street from my windows, that sliver includes two park benches. These past three weeks, I’ve only seen one person sit there. After last week’s scolding on Monday, I haven’t tried going to the park again. Also, after seeing the cops on my walk last Monday, I haven’t tried going on any walks and certainly not up to the Temple of the Moon. I think that the first couple weeks I was partly in disbelief. I suspect that’s something a lot of people around the world are experiencing. The cops wouldn’t really arrest me for going on a walk, would they? It can't really be illegal for me to sit alone in the park, can it? Machu Picchu’s not really closed, ... read more

Sunday, 22 March, 2020 Today I slept in till 8, which is late for me. I made a pot of coffee and a fruit smoothie and sat down in my home office to watch the birds in the trees outside my second floor window. I posted a couple things on Instagram, checked my emails and Facebook and WhatsApp. I Facetimed with Mom. All of the technology that we rely on, that I hope will help keep me sane during the quarantine. I’ve been watching live concerts on Instagram most evenings. Even that virtual connection, since it’s in real time, helps. They’re each home alone, isolated physically but playing music to keep the connection with their fans. Between songs, the main singer for the band Las Cafeteras from LA says that she is trying to reframe the ... read more