Peru: Spanish Intensive and Cultural Immersion

The end of a fantastic trip.  Very sad, though I look forward to my education classes that start… ah! Monday!First of all, I would like to thank the people of Peru for their hospitality, and for never robbing, or trying to rob me.  I had virtually no, none, zilch, nada problems with regard to personal safety or the safety of my belongings.  My Lonely Planet guidebook initially had me distrusting everything, but their warnings were overstated, and I learned that pretty fast.I would like to thank everyone involved at Fairplay in Cuzco, especially John, Nayut, and Carmen.  I would like to thank Lake Titikaka for being so enchanting, and thank God for waiting to dump rain on Peru until after I left Machu Picchu.  I really did get lucky.And now, in these final moments before I rush back to my hostel where my bag is being stored, grab one more quick shower and head to the airport, where are my thoughts concerning all that has just transpired(question mark)I am grateful.  It is absurd that my college is intelligent enough to award credit for such an academic adventure.  Every traveler that I told my circumstances to was in awe that I get the opportunity to go to college at such a unique place.  Thank you Prescott College.Peru differs from India and Nepal in that it feels much less exotic, and the culture seems closer to the United States than in Asia.  I could live in Peru, and judging by what Ive heard about the need for English teachers, I just might at some point.I am invigorated to go back home, and complete my teaching degree.  My Spanish has improved a lot, and I will continue my attempt to grasp the language once I return to the US.Thank you to everyone who followed along on the blog, I apologize for the lack of entries for the week or so that I was on the beach.  This is a big, beautiful world we live in, and I feel blessed for the opportunity to meander about it.Cheers.Salud.

And thus it has become my last day in Peru.  Muy trieste.I would like to write some grand opus testifying to my experience, but alas, the day is short, and this computer at my hostal is free and communal, so I cannot take up too much time.  Alas, ten short hours until I must depart for the airport.Lima isnt so bad, just another big city.  Much nicer than Delhi.I will leave you with this, on my last correspondence from abroad.  Traveling is dandy, enriching and dream fulfilling.  But what we do with these experiences when we return to our home countries, that is the true test of all that we have learned abroad.  To be courteous respectful and cautious in ones own country, and not to only behave that way while traveling, is the goal.There will be a narrative account of this entire trip available soon, something Im going to complete for class.Off to enjoy my last day in Lima!  Cheers!  Ciao!  Thanks to everyone for reading!John

 Sadly... spanish classes in Peru have come to an end, after 56 hours of instruction.  Pictured at left is Carmen, my Practica teacher, who led me around the city and helped ... [Continue reading this entry]

Arriving yesterday, I did not realize the impact the heavy rains over the weekend had on the entire country.  Thousands of people have seen their homes washed away, Cuzco was without piped-in water for a few days, and thousands were ... [Continue reading this entry]

And so it began.  On Monday morning I made my way to the dock in Puno, scouting for any boat that would take me to the islands in the world´s highest navigable lake.  ... [Continue reading this entry]

For weeks my Practica teacher Carmen has been raving about ¨Sexy Woman¨, a monument high in the hills of Cuzco.  We ventured there Friday morning, and I realized my interpretation of the location had been misinterpreted.  Behold, ¨Sexy Woman¨: [Continue reading this entry]

If anyone was previously curious about what roast guinea pig looks like... there you go.  It was all over the giant party in San Sebastian, the neighborhood where I lived for two weeks before moving ... [Continue reading this entry]

When I returned to my homestay after Machu Picchu, Manchi, the grandmother of the house, seemed outside her usual jovial self, and preoccupied with things outside the family home, and even outside of Cuzco.  It is my understanding that her ... [Continue reading this entry]

I was out the door by 5 a.m.  I opted to walk; out of the canyon and into the hills to Machu Picchu.  A beautiful climb that I may have underestimated.   I walked a fast ... [Continue reading this entry]

 

Last night my traveling party and I went to Santa Teresa´s famous hotsprings.  It was like something out of a James Bond movie, with a cabana atmospher and olympic-sized hotspring pools.  Pool chairs ... [Continue reading this entry]