Festejando Un Pocito...

Dearest Readers,

What an activity-filled 36 hours it's been! Let me fill y'all in before I forget what I've been up to!

Yesterday (Friday) was our second day of water filter work with the PITT students. We expected the day to be much like Thursday, a day full of hard work alongside a whole bunch of community members. However, upon our arrival, we learned that most of the community members wouldn't be helping us, as they were only mandated to assist on the first day. (I don't mean to say that they went off gallivanting, but rather that they probably had other responsibilities to tend to--farm work and such). Having only 15 workers as opposed to 50+ definitely made things move a bit slower. On the positive side, it was nice to realize how much progress we'd made on day one, and to be able to add to that. Much of Friday was spent connecting PVC tubing and ensuring that it would fit in the canal we had dug without having to bend too much (which would put stress on the joints). Since we wouldn't actually be installing the tubing until Monday, there wasn't actully a whole lot of work that could be done, so the day was rather more social than our first day of work had been.



Amid the socializing, the PITT ladies (of whom there are four) gave me a helpful lesson on types of engineers. For those of you who are as clueless as me, here are the basics. Civil engineers work with structures like bridges and highways and canals and stuff. Electrical engineers work with things like the innards of our television sets. Biomedical engineers are at the top of the taxonomic engineering hierarchy, and work with pharmaceutical products and artificial limbs and such. Finally, the under-appreciated industrial engineers are often referred to as "imagineers," and they are the "idea people" who often move into management positions and come up with great ideas to make life easier and then delegate people to execute them. The PITT students are a mix of different types of engineers, so they all approach our project with a slightly different perspective. It's interesting to watch.

In order to get the PVC tubes out of the place where they were stored, we had to push my dear friend Maria through a window because the community's president was MIA and the door was padlocked. While I felt bad for Maria for having to contort her body repeatedly to get through a rather tiny window, it was also pretty hysterical, especially because Lalo, one of my ProWorld colleagues, had to serve as her ottoman as she climbed in and out. A very entertaining process.

We actually ended up finishing our day's work earlier than expected, so 8 of the 10 PITT students and myself decided to take a quick hike up to the top of one of the mountains close to the community. While it wasn't a particularly long or steep hike, it was still quite difficult because of the altitude. Even a seemingly insignificant increase in altitude here results in much more difficulty breathing. I was coughing by the time I came back down because it had been hard to take in deep breaths. Despite that, the view was BEAUTIFUL, and I am continually impressed with the PITT kids for not only their hard work, but also their optimism and their appreciation for the beauty of this place. Many of them seem to have wisdom that goes beyond their 20 or 21 years. What a view we had at the top of that mountain! The sky was ridiculously blue and there were snow-capped peaks in the distance, and we had climbed high enough that there was no evidence of human existence beyond our simple presence. When we got to the very top of the peak, I suggested that we sing something. The Whitmans and friends always sing "God Bless America" on top of the Adirondack peaks that we climb, and I suppose I was feeling nostalgic. Mateo, one of the typically more quiet PITT volunteers, slowly began to sing, "Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low," and soon the nine of us were all belting out the famous words of Marvin Gaye and Tammy Tyrell. It was pretty awesome.

Coming down the mountain was much easier and faster than going up, especially as the air grew thicker and more satisfying. I led the way down, and received the most wonderful welcome at the foot of the mountain--a smiling Analee yelling "Sarita!" I had wondered if she would remember me after we'd become buddies the day before, and she had, and I have concluded that there are few feelings better than that of a joyful child running into your arms! Another great day in el campo, with the added bonus of no additional sunburn on the buttocks or anywhere else!

Since we got back to Cusco early, I took advantage of an extra few hours to walk home down the Avenida del Sol. I got myself an ice cream cone (half coconut, half chocolate) and then wandered through two different artisan markets. I ended up buying a very snazzy headband with a cool, Andean pattern on it as well as an awesomely beautiful belt. I was particularly excited about the belt because my dear friend Jayme (Hello there, Mistress Ewak!) has this awesome belt that I've wanted to steal for approximately five years, and now I have one that I like just as much as hers! A very worthwhile purchase!

After going home and showering, Laura and I headed to the Centro de Bartolome de las Casas, an Andean culture and Spanish language learning center in downtown Cusco. There, we met the (also cleanly showered) PITT kids for a lecture by the man who is in charge of Machu Picchu. I'm pretty sure the guy's a big deal, and he shared some images of Machu Picchu as it was prior to its discovery as compared to its appearance today, and talked about some of the challenges faced by the people who care for and help to preserve the ruins. The PITT students will be going there tomorrow, so it was good for them to get a bit of background. After the lecture, Laura, Maria, and I went to Lauren's house, where we planned to make ourselves dinner. Lauren had bought chicken and veggies at the market, so we made a stir fry, seasoned it with fresh ginger and soy sauce, and served it over quinoa. Maria kindly supplied a bottle of Malbec, and we were sit with a nice meal. After we'd eaten, Lauren's novio, John Paul, showed up along with two of his friends, all Cuzquenos. We had quite a few laughs trying to converse with each other in a crazy form of Spanglish. There was another guy at the house who was originally from Lima, and all the guys were arguing over whether Limenos or Cuzquenos where easier to understand. While Laura and Maria voted for the Cuzquenos, I voted for the Limeno. We concluded that this was due to the fact that Laura and Maria had been in Cusco longer and become accustomed to the Cusco style of speaking, whereas I was more accustomed to Castellano Spanish, which is more in line with the way someone from Lima would speak. After a spirited hour of conversation, we headed to the Plaza de las Armas where I was to go out "festejando" for my first time in Cusco. (Verb of the day = festejar = to party)

As most of my readers know, I am a party ANIMAL. Bwahahaha just kidding. Going out and partying has never been quite my scene, so I can't say that I typically look forward to staying out late in smelly bar-like environments. However, I was actually sort of excited about seeing what it was like to go out in Cusco, especially because of the salsa culture. While I can't claim any sort of expertise, I very much enjoy salsa dancing, and was excited at the prospect. As we walked to the Plaza, I ended up walking with one Peruvian guy whose name I think was William(?). He was very nice, and we had a friendly yet oh-so-cliche conversation about the weather as we walked to our destination. The first place we went to was called Mythology (Mitologia), and when we walked in, we were given a ticket for a free drink--just like that. No cover fee, a free bag check, and a free drink. Insanity. When we got inside, there were quite a few couples already salsa dancing with impressive skill. William asked me to dance, and he was a very sweet leader in spite of my lack of moves. I actually think that our awkwardness as dance partners was due only in part to my nervousness. I'm pretty sure that he didn't have a ton of rhythm, which kind of threw me off. The whole experience was pretty awkward since I didn't really know William very much at all. Dancing seems to me to be such an intimate thing that I feel much more comfortable when I am friends with my partner...otherwise, I tend to look at my feet and not into the eyes of my dance partner! That said, William was fun enough, and we just danced to one song together before I made my escape. Unfortunately, I didn't escape far enough, and Mr. Not-So-Sober, another of the guys we had met earlier, came over and insisted that I dance with him. He was a much more touchy-feely dancer, and seemed to be entirely unaware of my distaste for both his alcohol-breath and his attempts to swing me backward and pull me in close to him. I was very glad when that dance was over! I'm starting to think that I might be more cut out for waltzing or square dancing or something...heh.

Pretty quickly, Laura, Maria, and I decided to leave the guys we had met and go in search of the PITT students. It wasn't a difficult search--it turned out that they were right next door, and very adorably salsa dancing with each other like old pros! Mateo ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough" singer) actually had quite a few salsa moves learnt by the time we found everyone, so he was fun to watch. Freehart Freehart found himself a Peruvian dance partner, and Ryan had the shoulder shimmy down quite nicely. By the time we arrived, the salsa dancing hours were just ending, and the place turned into more of an American-style club with lots of popular dance music and strobe lighting. Usually, this is the point at which I am wont to leave, but I was actually having kind of a good time dancing with everyone, so I decided to stay for a while. I definitely continue to dislike bars and clubs simply because my ears hurt for hours afterward and I can't hear what anyone says and everyone has alcohol breath, however it was really nice to be with the PITT students and my ProWorld friends in a different sort of environment, and to just kind of let go and move around a bit! While it'll definitely be a while before I go out again, I'm glad that I went and had the experience, and I plan on making my entrance earlier next time so that I can partake in the salsa hours, which I prefer to the later hours when I have to actually come up with my own movements. :-)

I enjoyed sleeping in this morning after getting back somewhat late last night, and it was nice to have nothing pressing to wake up for. I did get myself together around eleven or so, because I wanted to find the Saturday market that I had been told took place in my neighborhood. It didn't take me very much searching to find said market, and it was AWESOME. I was definitely THE only white person there, which actually felt pretty awesome. I like finding places in Cusco that are off the beaten bath and not strewn with tourists. The market was huge, and every kind of vegetable, fruit, grain, and flower seemed to be there. Being the only rubia (blond) in the crowd, there were a few times when children would tug on their parents' sleeve and point at me, saying "Mama, una gringita!" which basically means, "Mom, look! It's a white girl!" I just smiled and walked through the aisles and aisles of produce, eventually buying some potatoes, some green beans, some oranges, a bulb of garlic, some wheat bread, and a half-kilo of lentils. All this for under $4! I also bought a bouquet of flowers for just one sole (about 40 cents) to brighten up our kitchen. It was a very successful market trip, and I'm going to try and make it there every Saturday now that I know where it is! I'm hoping that by the end of my time in Cusco, I'll have befriended certain vendors who will give me special bargains!

After my trip to the market, I returned home to put away my purchases. I then straightened up my room, and departed again, this time for a stroll to the Plaza de San Blas. I like the San Blas area of the city because it has an older, more colonial feel to it. The streets are very narrow and full of charming shops, and the plaza isn't as busy as the more centralized ones, where the tourists are everywhere and people approach me trying to sell me everything and anything! On my way to the Plaza, I stopped at an artisan shop, where I saw a BEAUTIFUL scarf hanging above the entrance. I didn't end up buying the scarf this time, but I did befriend the shop owner, whose name is Asunta. When she learned that I was here as a volunteer, she even gave me an adorable little pin to thank me for what I do! It was so nice, and I'm going to try and remember her location so that I can buy gifts there before I leave Peru.

My next distraction was a beautiful, 17th-century home called the "Palacio Arzobispal," of the "Palace of the Archbishop." The structure now serves as a museum of religious art as well as the office of Cusco's archbishop. I decided to pay the entrance fee, and was very glad that I did because the palace was BEAUTIFUL. The entrance fee included little headphones and an audio guide that played in different areas of the museum. It was interesting to actually see elements of the "Cusco School," which is the name given to the art form that came to exist when the Spanish came to Peru and fused their culture with that of the Andean people. Most of the art in the palace featured Catholic/Christian religious figures, but with distinctively Andean traits, as evidenced in styles of dress and artistic techniques. The art was diverse and beautiful, and a life-sized depiction of Christ on the cross was particularly moving to see. The palace itself was beautiful even without the addition of the art, and I loved its structure--essentially, a square with a beautiful courtyard and fountain in the center. It reminded me of some of the monastery gardens I had seen in Spain and Portugal. While very unlikely, if I am ever in a position in which I need to design myself a house, I think I will give it a structure that resembles the Palacio Arzobispol, though obviously on a much more budget-friendly scale! :-)



On my way to San Blas, I also stopped at an adorable bakery, where I bought a pie de pera (a miniature pear pie) that was super delicious. I then enjoyed lunch at an American-run cafe on the plaza whose proceeds all go to charitable works in the Cusco area, and then sat and basked in the sunshine on the Plaza San Blas while Andean music played and people milled about shopping and eating and enjoying the lovely day.

I only recently got back to my apartment, and am finally enjoying some time to rest! My eyes are having trouble staying open after such a busy week! I took some pictures of my apartment today, which I will post in a bit!

Hasta pronto!