Quickquick update

Back in Cusco. Machu Picchu was beautiful. Cuy was not as awful as it could have been. Leave tonight for a whirlwind tour of Puno/Lake Titicaca and Arequipa. More about these adventures in detail later; just want to say a quick hello and I am fine (besides the fact that I could happily sleep for about 2 months straight).

Cuyday

Yesterday I finished TEFL. Today I am kicked out of my house, and am eating cuy for lunch, God help me. Tomorrow I leave for Machu Picchu... then Puno/Lake Titicaca... then Arequipa... then back to Cusco for one more day before heading down to Chile. I'll be out of commission technology-wise for most of the rest of the month, but don't worry, I'll either be on a bus, in a hostel, or shivering on an island. Photos to come (of the cuy as well... it is very important that I share this adventure (nightmare?) with you all).

Goodbye, Teacher

Despite the fact that I still have two days of class, I am a fully-certified TEFL teacher! I finished my last paper yesterday, in time to get my certificate printed by our "graduation" (aka open bar party) last night. 

As happy as I am (hint: very) to have completed the stressful parts of this program, last week was, in retrospect, quite lovely. The 6:30 AM walks through Cusco, my wonderful class, and many, many Spanglish conversations. I will miss this little city.

Here is my daily journey: Arcopata to Avenida El Sol.

 

 

My class after our last lesson. I swear that they were all smiling 3 seconds before this photo was taken.

A la escuela con mis amigas Yuli y Evangelina. We met for a few Spanish-speaking dates last week, and they were very patient with me. I promise they were also happier than they appear.

I'm kicked out of my house on Wednesday, but I'm enjoying a bit of a breather before then. Here are some things I'm grateful for right now:

1. Naps and the leisure time to take them.

2. Sleeping in until 7! 

3. Icy showers turning hot at the end.

4. Warm coca brownies, ice cream, lattes, good books, and the afternoon sun in the San Blas market (my yesterday afternoon).

I am trying to figure out my tour and travel plans between Wednesday and my sojourn down to Chile. I'll let you know the itinerary when I have it finalized, but I can guarantee that it will be wonderful and exhausting.

Do you know Amy Winehouse?

Two days of practical teaching down! It’s going really well, despite the fact that my class is at 7AM in my school’s freezing basement. Today we talked about forming questions using to be and do. My favorite moment:

Me: Hippolito, sentence with do.
Hippolito: Do you know Amy Winehouse?
Me: Haha, good! Do you know Amy Winehouse?
Hippolito: She is a famous singer with a good sound.
Me: Yes, but do you know her?
Hippolito: (sadly) No, Teacher.

Today in class we celebrated our trainer Phil’s birthday.

  

My wonderful TEFL class. The woman in the white shirt is Sabrina, our main trainer.

Backtracking a little. Here are some photos from last week. Nobody I asked knew the reason behind this parade, nor did anybody really seem to care—this stuff seems to happen at least biweekly here.

Obligatory:

And here you go, Dad: me in my Peruvian hat. The pictures of me eating cuy will have to wait… although it will happen, I promise.

And now the big news (that most of you already know). I will be moving in October to Viña del Mar, Chile, to live and work with my wonderful cousin Jaimie and her family. I am very, very excited!

Two new Incas

One week of practical teaching and many papers and lesson plans stand between me and a TEFL certificate! I had no idea I would love this program so much, or even that I would enjoy teaching. But I do, and twice already I've been stopped on the street by shouts of ¡Hola, teacher! It's a wonderful feeling. 

As promised, here is a photo recap of the Sacred Valley.

More from Písac:

 

Moving on to Urubamba. Sorry for the awkward formatting; for some reason these photos won't center.

Andes!

Incan profile in the mountain: 

 

Incan Sun Temple, left unfinished thanks to the Spanish invasion:

 

En route to Chinchero:

 

At Chincero.

 

Coca tea!

Dyeing and weaving alpaca.

 

 

Dinner!

Goodnight, Sacred Valley.

I have a few more pictures I want to share from a parade that chased me home one afternoon last week, but that will have to wait for another day. I'm off to drop off my resume at schools around town. Once I have an actual post-TEFL plan, I'll let you all know, but it's very up in the air at the moment. Which is half terrifying and half exhilarating. Maybe more than half terrifying.

Happy Oktoberfest! Drink a boot for me. Although apparently there's a German restaurant in San Blas; I may have to check it out this weekend.

You buy, lady

The Sacred Valley is beautiful. In case you were wondering. Besides being generally amazing, it's really nice to be able to put Cusco in context. It takes so freaking long to upload pictures on here, but I'll get on it soon. Here's a preview--some things I saw yesterday:

1. Many, many, many women in traditional dress.
2. Many, many, many craft markets, and so many pushy salesladies (of course).
3. Many, many, many ruins and Incan terraces.
4. Snow-capped Andes.
5. A demonstration of alpaca wool spinning and dyeing.

Here's a teaser: Christine and me at the Písac ruins:

In case you'd forgotten how tall I am.

More to come!

Photo catch up

La Fiesta de Santa Rosa de Lima in Plaze de Armas.

My house has seen a fair amount of turnover lately. Here, La Casa Arcopata says goodbye to Amina, our Tunisian housemate.

Grandpa and Uncle Joe, these ones are for you--Cusco's own antique car show.

Poor quality photo of housemate Sharon with Samira, the daughter of one the the house staff members. We had a salsa party last night and little Samira was shaking it as best as a one-year-old can. 

Chocolate samples in the Coca Shop, where I went this morning. Yes, some of them contained coca. No, coca is not the same as cocaine.

Patrick and Christine on the steps of the cathedral, enjoying delicious coca brownies and cookies.

Tomorrow, Christine and I are saying a temporary farewell to TEFL stress and hopping a bus tour of the Sacred Valley. So many photos of Incan ruins to come.

Also, believe it or not, my program is almost half over. Which means I'm almost half of a certified TEFL teacher. Yikes.

I'm having a fantastic time but I do miss you all (I don't know who all is reading this, but odds are that if you are, I miss you).

Sutiymi Kayla. Minnesotamantan kani.

I had an hour-long Quechua lesson today. That is all I remember.

My TEFL program is getting crazycrazycrazy. I have a bunch of pictures to upload but can't take the time tonight. Just want to let you know in case I fail to contact you or update this...I'm okay and am most likely either in the classroom or shivering in my bed doing homework. (It's COLD.)

I've been here for (slightly over) a week. Here are a few things I've learned:

1. You cannot ever, ever drink enough (thoroughly boiled) water.
2. Every meal is a good meal for potatoes. (Did you know the potato originated in Peru? I'm sensing a theme in my livings abroad; first Ireland, now this...)
3. Sunscreen is the best invention in the history of the world.
4. If you aren't honked at at least once per day while crossing a street, you're doing it wrong.
5. Hot showers are a precious, precious thing. When you get them, cherish them, briefly. Then get the hell out so your housemates don't hate you.
6. It's okay to say "¡Mi español es terrible!"10 times per day.
7. Toilet paper goes in the bin by the toilet. Not in the toilet. This one was very difficult for me.
8. You will be cold. And then you will be hot. And then you will be freezing. This can happen in the span of ten minutes. Don't worry about it.

 I think that I'm slowly getting the feel of this city. Although I don't think I can properly say that until I (1) go out salsa dancing and (2) own a sweater, poncho, hat, or any other alpaca knitwear.

In other news:

Monday was La Fiesta de Santa Rosa de Lima, the patron saint of Peru. It's a national holiday so we didn't have class. Instead, I grabbed coffee with a program-mate on a balcony overlooking Plaza de Armas and watched the procession. Pictures to come!

It seems like there are fiestas or processions or protests every other day in Cusco. I was in a taxi Saturday night and Avenida El Sol, one of the main thoroughfares, was completely closed off and occupied by a marching band and dancers in costume. I asked the driver what was going on. Rough translation of his response: "Who cares?"

Goals for this week/weekend: finish homework. Start final projects. Teach stellar lesson tomorrow. Avoid parasites and whatever housemates are sick with. Job search. Stay warm. Buy poncho.

Happy September!