Peru: Spanish Intensive and Cultural Immersion

I´m not quite so sure anecdotas is actually a word… but you get the point…  (anecdotes).

 Last night eight of my fellow students and I sat around the dining room table and helped prepare chiles stuffed with beef, carrots, potatoes, fried with maza harina.  Delicious.  It was really  nice to cook and eat and talk with fellow travelers, and made some friends that currently attend the school.  The teachers were there as well, all single mothers, and for four hours we cooked, laughed, and talked in both english and spanish.  A very good time.

 For the anecdotes… My utmost appreciation to the people of Peru, who have been nothing but gracious in all my interactions.  In fact, there have been a few times I could have easily overpaid (thinking my internet cost eighty cents instead of forty) but the Peruvians never let me do it.  When realizing I didn´t know the price, they fished in their pocket for the correct change.  Such things didn´t happen in India. 

My lonely planet had me worried about crime, declaring Peru the least safe country in South America, and Cusco the most dangerous city in Peru.  I have had virtually no problems, have taken taxis at night, and have not once felt unsafe.  Everyone I have encountered is friendly, and has a sense of humor that always lightens the mood.

The family I´m staying with has accomodated me beautifully, putting me in their best 3rd floor room with views of the entire city (video and pictures to come in the next few days).  My tw0 teachers at fairplay are excellent at what they do, and have a genuine concern for me learning the language. 

For the first day or two in Peru, I would give my name as Juan, but not put enough emphasis on the J.  My host family thought my name was ¨one¨ for at least three meals.  I now overly-emphasize the once elusive J.

 Anywho… I´m nearly late for dinner, luckily this internet cafe is just down the street from my accomodation.  I am most certainly the only gringo in here.  Ciao.

Ah, traveling.  What a chance to experience rich culture, new cuisine, interesting people, and dramatic landscapes that assumedly will enrich your life and your character forever.  But, you have to get their first.

From SF I flew to Houston where I had a four hour layover, and did what I probably would have done had I not traveled yesterday: watch a football game.  A pleasant way to pass time in the airport.  Arriving in Lima at midnight, I took my bag upstairs to the foodcourt, put my hat over my eyes (it´s coming in handy already), and attempted to go to sleep in the airport, which was noisy and busy all night.

I was scheduled for a 10 o´clock flight to Cuzco, but sleeping on the floor lost it´s charm quick, and so at 4 o´clock I asked the airline to put me on the earlier flight, which they did.  They charge dme $25 to save four hours in the Lima airport.  Deal.

Cusco is at nearly 10,000 feet, and coming off the plane I expected some grandiose loss of air through my lungs in the transfer from plane to land, but no such thing happened.  In fact, the altitude is hardly apparent at all, and climbing the cobblestone steps to my hotel was a breeze.  I arrived looking for a room at 7:30am, but the hotel was full.  The gracious owner led me upstairs and plopped me down on the couch.  ¨Rest.¨ She said,  and let me sleep while her guests checked out.

And so here I am.  Reveling in the glory of what feels like an international-class city, both for it´s beauty and it´s culture.  Shingled-rooftop houses scatter nearly every angle and every inch of the surrounding hillside, but the city retains a relaxed pace that I didn´t expect for a city of 350,000.

The search for a Spanish school begins!