Peru: Spanish Intensive and Cultural Immersion

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 stranded in the area around Machu Picchu with an ever dwindling supply of food and water.All day, and yesterday, helicopters have been flying overhead in Cuzco, rescuing stranded tourists from the area around Machu Picchu.  Apparently, the cash machines ran out of money as they could not be refilled from other cities, and people were running out of money to buy food and water.  I believe most of the tourists have been airlifted out, though I suspect a few remainl.  However, stranded tourists are the least of the problems created by the flooding.Thousands of people have lost their homes, and there was a large donation drive set up in the Plaza de Armas all day today.  From what I´ve gathered, these people have lost everything, and the things most desired are tents and sleeping bags to shelter the now homeless families.  ¨We are the world¨by Michael Jackson and company echoed through the square all day, and when I arrived to donate a large case of bottled water, I received applause from all those volunteering.  It was encouraging to see many tourists bring armfuls of donations to help the masses affected by the flooding.This is the situation.  Moving on…My intention is to move on from Cuzco in the next few days, however every time I peruse flights to Lima I get terrified and shift my attention to something else.  I have been in and out of Cuzco for nearly a month, and I am charmed extremely by this city.  Walking past ancient churches and through cobblestone streets on a daily basis is an experience I have not had before, and it is invigorating and inspiring.  I am curious to explore the north of Peru, for it has pre-Inca ruins that are nearly as inspring as Machu Picchu.  The Incas ruled Peru for about 100 years, the pre-Incan Wari Indians ruled the area for over 1000 years.  Their ruins are intriguing.My last day of classes are tomorrow, where my teachers have warned me in advance of a crying spell that will most likely come over them.  I do not know when I shall leave Cuzco, as it is terribly difficult, but the time will most likely come sometime next week.Stay tuned.

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.  I jumped on board with a mix of tourists and locals, and we started our journey towards the horizon.   Lake Titikaka has recently been named to the ¨New 7 Natural Wonders of the World, a fact that was promenaded throughout posters on our boat.  The first island on our tour was Isla Flotante, literally meaning: The Floating Island.  Which is exactly what it is.The houses are made of the same thing the island is: incredibly buoyant reeds called turturo, which have been laid down in the lake to make the island float.  The reeds on the bottom continuously rot, so new reeds are applied often.  My fascination with alternative architecture (remember the yurt) was peaked at the innovation from these island dwellers.  From boats to houses to kindling to toys, the turturo reeds are utilized  for everything.We continued on for the three hour journey to Isla Amantani, where we would all be spending the night.  As we neared the harbor, The Captain of our humble ship came and sat down next to me, inquiring if I had a family to stay with for the night.  I replied I did not, and The Captain invited me to stay with his family, all meals included, for around $8.  Honored, I obliged.Three other travelers were staying with The Captain as well, all of us almost exactly the same age.  A  couple (Chilean and French), a German girl, and me.  Once off the boat we all loaded our packs and followed The Captain´s wife through the cobblestone paths to her house.  Isla Amantani is a giant garden dotted with homes.  There are no cars, only well constructed cobblestone paths throughout the entire island.  Most, if not all, the food is grown on the island, and it makes for quite the landscape.When we settled into the house, we were served a delicous lunch of soup, fresh fish, potatoes, and rice.  Shortly after we began our hike to the ruins.The cobblestone was easily followed as it meandered up the hill out of the center of town.  Esteban (from Chile) continuously asked locals for directions in any case just to make conversation.  An incredibly nice guy, he even helped a woman carry a large bag full of clothes that she was walking to sell at the ruins.  (Picture below)We marveled at the view at the top of the hill for about an hour, and then the afternoon air began to get very cold.  A series of vendors had lined up along the path by then, and in my frenzied state of cold, I bought a ridiculous Alpaca sweater.  A bit flashy, it kept me incredibly warm, and afforded me multiple compliments from passing tourists.  Sadly, I do not have a picture.  The view from the top of the ruins: (one view, at least)

After the hike was another delicious dinner, and shortly after dinner was a party in town.  All the other tourists´came dressed up in local attire, and the four of us had the only family who didn´t insist we come to the party dressed up.  I was a bit relieved, most of them were out of costume by the end of the night.  The clothes did seem a bit difficult to dance in.

It was raining heavily once the party wrapped up, and the four of us walked a hurried pace back to The Captain´s house, getting lost a few times on the way (most of the houses didn´t have electricity, and the path was incredibly dark).

The next day included a trip to another island, Isla Taquile.  The Island did not look like much from the dock, but alas, it was even more beautiful than Amantani, which was hard to beat.  Unfortunately, do to this fact, I did not bring my camera, but imagine the pictures above with better weather and a more vibrant shade of blue from Lake Titikaka.  I encourage you to scout the internet for photos of this island, it is incredibly beautiful.

In any case, I am back on the mainland, in the port city of Puno.  My bus back to Cuzco leaves at 6am tomorrow, and tomorrow evening I have my third Clase de Cocinar at Fairplay, which is always a blast, something I cannot miss.  John has told me this specific class is special, where the teachers each cook a three course meal, competing against one another.

Thursday and Friday shall be my last days of spanish classes at Fairplay.  I do plan to play volleyball on Saturday as a kind of last hurrah, it is very sad and hard to leave the community at the school.

Monday I plan to fly to Lima and then explore the North of Peru, all the while compiling my portfolio for this course.

All is very well, more to come! Ciao!

 

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]