My last day in South America

Well, it really has been a wild ride, one that I will never forget. Saturday night when I left on the bus I cried for about two hours thinking about all the things I would miss about living here. Number one, Aidan. He became my best friend after I jumped into his bed naked and he refused me. Most people would say, "why the heck would you ever talk to him again?!" but if you knew him you would know why. That little part of my heart I left in Cusco...that was him. For some reason we didn't get together in the way a backpacker might have a fling. We grew something special together and I know that we will meet again.

Number two but a really close second, Christie, my Aussie. Heck, if it wasn't for her I would probably still be sleeping in my room at The Point wasting my time away. Those hostels are great but sometimes you just get stuck there because they offer all the luxuries home would and you never get to really see the city you stay in. Plus I have all these great memories with her like screaming at Peter from the TV room to bring us CHOCOLATE!!! Plus there was the time that she and I were depressed about Moose leaving but then we found some chocolate marshmellows on a street stand and became instantly happy. :) And if it were not for Christie then I never would have met Damian, her latin lover and my great friend as well. He really helped me practice my Spanish because he barely spoke any English at all! I will really miss her friendship up close but I'm trying to talk her into coming to NYC!!!

Third will be all my other Peruvian friends like Karina, Vanessa and Julia. They are the one's that make Cusco bright and if they ever leave then that will be a cloudy day in history for that city. I'm really going to miss walking down into the Plaza and seeing people that I came to know. That's when you know you really live in a place, when business owners, residents and tourists alike recognize you and seek you out on the busy street to say hello. I'll also really miss all of my day to day habits. I'll miss Christie or Aidan waking my lazy ass up to go get s/1.50 egg and cheese sandwiches from Epi that were made even better by the fact that she let up keep our own mayo and salsa golf at her stand because we were such regulars. I'll miss fresh juice that costs less than a dollar from Rena and fighting with my friends just before which juice lady we would go to. I'll miss making up silly songs about the market and thinking up ways to make the best music video for "My jugo brings all the boys to the yard"!

And I can never forget those day trips to little pueblos like Pisac where I found my most favorite piece of jewelry I will ever own. It's a medium sized silver ring that has a leave on one side and what looks like a hibiscus flower on the other encircling a beautiful oval mother of pearl stone. It's also where I took my favorite picture in all of SA when I went with Christie. Where else will you see an old indigenous couple pushing each other around in an old sales cart! Calca is a tranquil pueblo just outside of Pisac where Aidan and I discovered a pair of scissor stuck in a giant cactus fruit plant that grew to tall for it's surrounding wall. I would reccomend anyone who needs a day away from the hustle and bustle of Cusco to take that trip. Then there's Ollyatatombo where Moose and I first went through to get to Machu Picchu. We had amazing food at the cutest restaurant...I can still smell that delicious burrito!! And the last time I went with Aidan and saw a baby money being carried around on a small black dogs back...or finally saw the giant Inca face on the side of a cliff which I never would have seen had he not shown me. Those collectivos that we took to these places were so damn cheap, less than a dollar, and they took us to places that seemed worlds away from Cusco. But I was always glad to go back home...

So, as I mentally plan to leave this wonderous and glorious place I've called home for the last four months I'd like to say a toast that will start with my first memory and I'm sure will end in tears.

Here's to blessings I found in Toronto and passing through customs.
Here's to Casa Ana II Hostel and 22 hour bus rides with Cruz del Sur.
Here's to internet cafes and meeting up with a great friend. (Love you Moose)
Here's to finding The Point and getting a job!
Here's to hott Argentinian men...even though they are just to quick in the sack.
Here's to my favorite Aussie and CHOCOLATE.
Here's to Paddy's and friday nights at the hostel where I lived for three months.
Here's to happy hours and Moose-a-looses. :)
Here's to Pervi, Bogus, Kemical and Calamity.
Here's to having to say goodbye and not wanting to let go.
Here's to Sid, you cunt, and baby English.
Here's to the Irish and fuckin llamas. LOL
Here's to potential cuddle buddies and always good friends.
Here's to being too drunk and seeing him again...what was I thinking?!
Here's to Karina, Vanessa and Julia...I LOVE YOU GIRLS!!
Here's to Epi and Rena in the morning.
Here's to pseudo boyfriends and Loki in my last week.
Here's to thank God I never got any parasites and never drinking the tap water.
Here's to love, the way we find it and putting my money on fate.
Here's to being broke and having to depend on friends.
Here's to missing family at home and family you know you gained in SA.
Here's to Cusco, my home and hopefully your plans in the future!

Although I haven't explored even more than 2% of Peru I know it's the best city in all of South America...but then again, maybe I'm just partial. :)

Amor

I think I might have fallen in love, not just with Cusco but an Irishman. Too bad he also happens to be my best South American friend. Here´s to fate, eh?!

Home in a week and a half. Back to reality, work and responsibility. Atleast I´ll be spending some quality time with my nephew.

It´s Cusco day today. There have been festivals all week and tonight there will be fireworks in Plaza de Armas!!!!

I have only s/45 left to my name...let´s hope that Epi will last me for the next few days.

In the home stretch

So, I have only two more weeks left and you can bet I´m going to be living it up until then. Once I moved out of The Point I got a little place of my own on Calle Atatud close to Plaza de Armas. Although not perfect it does suite me well. My room is right on the courtyard but doesn´t get much sunlight. It has two twin beds, nightstands and a quaint little chair. My favorite parts are the Klimt prints on the wall and my leopard print bedspread! LOL It does have a kitchen but the water doesn´t run all day. The only times I can take a hot shower are between 7-9 in the evening...if then. I tried to jump in there tonight but a fuse kept blowing in the building and turning the water freezing cold instantly. Boo. I can´t complain though. It is a place of my own and I don´t have to worry about sharing with four other people. I do miss the people I worked with at The Point but that´s probably it. Guess I´m getting to old to live in a dorm. :)

I´ve been to Pisac twice since I moved out and to the market here in Cusco everyday. I´m also almost done gift shopping which I can tell because my wallet keeps getting smaller. I still have to go and extend my visa for Peru and have no idea if I´ll be fined for going over. Oops. I´ve been much to busy with my new boy to even worry about that too much though. After a couple one night stands it´s nice to have someone to stick around for a bit, even if it´s only for a week and a half. His name is Phil and he´s super sweet...too sweet I keep telling him. Tall, handsom, smart and sweet, what more can a girl ask for in a Peruvian fling?!

One more thing to be extra excited about...my two friends Parvi and Sidney are coming to visit this weekend!!! I cannot wait until they get here. It will be so nice to have very familiar faces around. And it won´t hurt that we´ll get the best room in my hostel for sunlight!

When times get tough...HAVE A YARD SALE!!!

So, a lot has changed since I last blogged. I stopped being so homesick and started looking for a new job. Why, you ask? Once I got back from Machu Picchu I was on top of the world for a while. I was buying gifts for my fam, taking myself out to nice places to eat and generally being irresponsible with my funds. Then doom struck...I lost my job at Paddy's. Gary, the owner, claimed that immigration had been in earlier that day and asked too many questions. There were only two of us gringos working and Aidan happened to be the other. Gary claimed that he could cover Aidan by saying he was a realative because he has an Irish passport. BULLSHIT of course but what the hell could I say, it's his business. So I promptly went across the plaza to a new place that my friend Juan was opening, The Lek. I was there for about a week when I realized that it just was not going to work out. They paid me half as much as Paddy's and half the time I had to fight to even get my full wage. I never knew how good I actually had it at Paddy's.

So here I am, broke and with bills to pay at my hostel. But those who know me best know what I do under finacial stress...YARD SALE!!! I'm selling my laptop to the first buyer to pay for the rest of my stay. I remember soundly saying back home that I was fully prepared for this moment and frankly, I am. :)

In the meantime I'm having fun not having to work outside of the hostel. I get to actually go crazy a bit and party more, which my mother really doesn't like but I am enjoying immensly! This past friday's Pirate party was a success and debauchery reins! Yay!!

Homesickness

Ever had those days on vacation when you woke up and thought "I really miss home today"? I'm having one of those days. For some reason I woke up in a bad attitude and all I really would like to be doing is sitting at home with my family watching a movie or two. Hopefully tomorrow will be better...

MACHU PICCHU!

Finally, after months of working and waiting for the right time Moose and I made it to Machu Picchu! We began our journey on Monday, May 4th at a local bus stop here in Cusco around 9 a.m. We took a decent sized bus to a small town called Urubamba for s/3.50 where we hoped on an even smaller local bus called a comvi to Ollantaytambo for only s/1.20! We didn't even have a proper seat on that bus, just a piece of a seat on the side of the bus with tons of local and indigenous people! Still, we arrived alive to Ollantaytambo and starving. I had the best burrito I've had so far in South America. After, of course, Moose and I bought our train tickets to Aguas Calientes for 7 that night. He had been there before and knew a woman who owned a hostel nearby. So for 4 hours he and I napped and watched movies there until it was time to get on board the train. It's kinda hard to sleep on a backpackers train considering the small seats but somehow I napped a bit. Once we got to Aguas Calientes we found a reccomended hostel called Hostel El Mirador for s/15.00 each. It was pretty nice but smelled kinda like mold in our room. Moose and I couldn't sleep and for about 2 hours stayed up reading and talking until we decided it was time we tryed to get some rest before we had to be up in 4 hours.

The alarm rang waaaay to early for my liking but nonetheless we got up and got ready to head out to Machu Picchu. It was pitch black and both of us were exhausted but we continued onward. After walking outside the town and asking a couple of people if this was the way I asked Moose what time it was...turns out his phone was an hour behind!!! We had gotten up an hour early and were now going to hike 2 hours in the dark with only Moose's cellphone light!!! I wanted to actually see where I was going so I convinced Moose to have a seat at the bus depot until the sun came up but luckily some other hikers with flashlights came along and we joined the trek once again with two frenchies and one Canadian. It wasn't long before we realized what exactly we had gotten ourselves into. After crossing a bridge over the river that flowed through Aguas Calientes and into the jungle it was only up from there...and by up I mean UP UP UP UP UP. The road to Machu Picchu winds up to the top and the trek to Machu Picchu passes every twist and turn except it was steps we had to climp, not the road. After two hours of constant hiking, stopping and resting, losing and gaining trekking partners we finally made it to the top of the mountain at 6 a.m.!!!

The night before I had packed on bottle of water, one apple and a granola bar. We drank half the bottle before we got to the top and after reaching the top I had a breakfast of an apple while Moose munched on half the granola bar...we saved the rest for later assuming that we'd be able to purchase more water and food in a bit. But we didn't stop to rest for long because we went straight to the line to hike Waynapicchu which was supossed to have the absolute best view of Machu Picchu for below. So lucky numbers 36 and 37 waited for 30 minutes until Waynapicchu opened at 7 a.m. to begin our real jouney!

Let me start this paragraph by saying, and I quote..."WE WERE NOT PREPARED"! Hiking up to the top of Waynapicchu must have taken us an hour and a half atleast. And again, by up I mean UP UP UP. The Incans must have been the fittest race that ever lived. I tryed to imagine having to walk that trek everyday and it absolutely amazed me! As well as just the shear height of what we were climbing was the fact that the only thing beside us was a straight drop down the side of Waynapicchu. Scary, to say the least. After reaching the top and getting some amazing photos (which you can see on myspace and facebook) we debated on whether to hike back down at the moment or continue on to the Grand Cavern. I thought we should just go back down because I didn't think I'd have enough money for the train back and thought we should walk to tracks, which would take about 6 hours. Moose wanted to continue on and after convincing me we started treking again. It took us about two hours hiking downward to reach the Grand Cavern and Temple of the Moon. Who knew it would be just as exhausting walking down steps as it would be walking up?! On the way down we had to climb down ladders made of wood and hang on for dear life while suspended over the side with only a rope to keep us company. The Cavern and Temple were really still being worked on so they were not worth the trek in our opinion. Perhaps in a couple of months they will be fully prepared to view in all their glory. Anyways, after viewing those ruins we found out that it was another hour or so upward to get to the intersection where we would begin back to Machu Picchu...UPWARD, AGAIN?! AHHHHHH

We were totally out of water and food so we were thirsty and starving to death. Luckily we met a nice couple who gave us some spare gatorade and water but that too soon ran out way before we even reached the intersection. At one point we finally got to walk downward but my pace was tortise style because I really couldn't feel my legs. I was so weak. There were amazing views and wonderous hikes tho. Who else can say they hike up Incan trails under slabs of mountain on stairs made of stone? And making it to the intersection was a glorious moment even though we still had an hour more to make it back to Machu Picchu. When we got to the entrance of Waynapicchu I was more than exhausted...that mountain had thoroughly kicked my ass. After 5 hours of hiking up and down all I wanted to do was lay down in the grass and rest a bit. And so we did! lol

We didn't really go through Machu Picchu...only what was close to the EXIT! :) Architect doesn't even begin to describe what the Incans were. Their water systems still worked! And their houses had windows and doors, proper windows and doors. It was beautiful and had I not been so tired I would have been able to appreciate it even more than I already do. Another cool thing was that there were llamas everywhere! I got some pretty awesome pics so definitely check them out. At the end Moose and I sat down to a 8 soles ice cream cone because the only other options for real food were 30 dollar buffets or 25 soles hamburgers...not happening on our budget. We took the bus down as we were not going to be able to make it by foot and had a big meal in Aguas Calientes. After that we bought our tickets for 6 that evening on the backpackers train and had a nice nap in the grass outside the train station. We attemped to sleep on the train but I kept getting a neck cramp and Moose never sleeps anyways. When we got off the train we caught another small bus to Cusco for about s/7.00 and on which I was not able to sleep on for the thought of a hot shower and good sleep. All in all it was a well worth jouney and one I will never forget. I really enjoyed my time with Moose especailly since he might be leaving soon. I highly reccommend visiting this wonder of the world!!

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

So my stay here in Cusco has been a blast so far. Originally I was planning to move north pretty soon but I think my plans have changed. I really enjoy this city and just don't want to leave. I have many friends here, Peruvian and foreign, who I would just miss too terribly. First there's Karina, my sista from another mista. She is awesome to work with (at Paddy's) and even more fun to party with. She took me to this outside market today...the real black market...where I found to decent long sleeve shirts, one wallet, two Citizen watches and some handmade wooden spoons for me ma all for s/37.oo (or $12.00)!! Amazing and well worth the 6 a.m. trip. Then there's Aiden. The Irishman who I have a crush on. Not the hottest lightbulb but funny as hell. His family owns a sheep farm in the North of Ireland and I've made him promise that he'll let me work there one day. If you're a close friend you know that I've definitely expressed an interest in owning a sheep farm in Ireland eventually...weird I know but one of my dreams. Aiden, Moose and I often walk Harriet (Aiden's boss' dog) around the city. Not on purpose of course but we just happen to see him in the Plaza sometimes. Then there's the nights out. Fun nights at IncaTeam, my favorite club, where I know the owner. Coco's always good for a kiss on the cheek and a free cube libre! Finally, but not lastly, there is my extended family at Point. Ma, who's the chef and the sweetest woman in Cusco, always knows how I like my Triple Peruvian Sandwiches. Maria, Ben's wife and dominant female, makes sure we're taken care of always. Boris, who is always partying hard and Ben who trys to control him. And the tons of little lady's like Melly, Carmen and Sayda who make the bar run smoothly. Then there is mi corazon, Victor, who helps me around the city when I need someone who speaks better Spanish than me.

Speaking of Spanish, I'm learning quite well. My two little Moleskines I brought with me are filling up quickly with Spanish frases and words. My friend's at Paddy's, Vanessa, Pamela, Julia, Judith and Karina only speak to me in Spanish most of the time so I can practice more. My wish is to come back fluent but I don't know if that can happen in only two more weeks. We'll see.

I'm also getting more culture in here. Monday Moose and I are trekking to Machu Picchu. So excited!!! Don't know how we're gonna get there but we'll make it. We're gonna spend the night and come back on Tuesday just in case we can't get in on Monday. Then it's back to work as usual. I think one of us is going to take the bar managerial job here if they'll pay us enough. If that happens Moose and I will find an apartment to rent. Living at The Point is fun but dorms suck after a while!! Besides the markets, like the real black market and Pisac, the silver market, we've been horseback riding. That was interesting. We got up really early and took a taxi up to the Cristo Blanco where they have serveral corals and picked out some horses. We had a guide that took us up to Temple de Luna and back. Moose's horse kept pooping and farting the whole way! lol Then he tryed to bite the other two horses on the trek...bad little bastard. :) My horse was pretty gentle but I made the mistake of asking the guide to make him go a little faster. He took off for about ten minutes on a rampage across a feild. Luckily I stayed on! That was the most fun I'd had in a while and I'm planning to go back on Saturday afternoon with some different friends. I also wanna go white water rafting but it's kinda expensive. Might be able to get a discount through the hostel. Hopefully some friends of mine from the U.S. are coming in June and we can go together!!

Cienciano, El Molino and Inka Team

My apologies to all of my adoring fans for not writing sooner than now. I've been much to busy working and playing...just kidding...except for the working part. This week I've had to work a lot at Paddy's because Moose got stuck in the Sacred Valley due to a bus strike. And I don't mean just any kind of bus strike. Apparently there are no laws reguarding what constitutes a lawful strike so in this case, when the farmers found out that Peru was trying to privatize water they freaked and set up all kinds of road blocks. If anything comes close to the blocks they throw giant Inka sized rocks at them. Moose said it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Wish I could have been there!

I've just been staying within the confines of the hostel whish works perfectly for my piggy bank. Literally, I have a piggy bank made out of a Gloria juice box. It works because I can't ever get into it unless I cut it open. Perfect! I've managed to save quite a bit...even when I go out. Although my piggy bank has nothing to do with me never spending money when I go out. Peter and I have perfected the art of free drinks in Cusco. We are now friends with several of the owners including Coco, owner of IncaTeam. Everytime we see him it's a kiss on the cheek and a free cubelibre!!! Wahoo. Some of my favorite clubs are Mythology, which begins as a salsa club then the later it gets turns into a DJ club, Mama Africa, which is by far the smallest but most intimate, and Roots, the biggest and probably Moose's favorite club because it's where all the girls from Lima go to party when they're in town. All in all we have a great system and I love to dance so it works out perfectly.

As far as culture goes my Spanish is improving drastically. I can have proper conversations with my friends from here in Cusco, although there are a lot of questions involved!, and can understand native speakers when the order from me at Paddy's. I'm having a blast there and love working with Karina, my now Peruvian sista! I also went to a local soccer match here in Cusco. The team is called Cienciano and they were pretty good. The soccer stadium is huge but the day I went it was empty. Moose said it was because the other team they were playing wasn't very good. I wouldn't know it by watching them play because the freakin game ended with a 0-0 score. See, that's why I don't watch futbal because it's so darn disappointing. How can a game end with no clear winner. The only great thing about that game was buying the tickets. There was this tiny hole in the wall that no one would have noticed had it now been for the crowd of people standing around it. That, my friends, is a Peruvian sized ticket booth. It was so funny I had to take pictures! For your viewing pleasure please visit my myspace!

Now it's off to El Molino, the black market here in Cusco. Peter wants to buy some more bootleg DVDs. It's a huge market here. The last DVD I watched was Revolutionary Road and "Property of Paramount FOR SCREENING PURPOSES ONLY" kept popping up at the bottom of the screen! lol They are pretty good though. And DVDs are not the only thing you can buy at El Molino. They have knock offs of just about every famous name brand like NIKE, Volcum and D&G! Time to shop!!!

Sad news, good news and travel plans

Well, I didn't get the job at ICPNA. I understand them not wanting to take me on and risk getting caught. Frankly, if I get caught working without a work visa I'll get kicked out of Peru and won't be allowed to come back. But I'm not worried, foreigners work here in Cusco all the time without a visa. Also, my friend Christie got fired from the hostel as bar manager. They won't even let her work as a bartender. She pissed someone off and they want her gone. I'm really sad about that because Moose, Peter and I love working with her here at The Point. But everything happens for a reason. Now she'll be able to trek to Macchu Picchu and go to Puno to see Lake Titicaca. She's happier I think. She was becoming miserable with all the responsibility they were putting on her and the only extra thing she got that we don't is an extra meal a day. Oh, and Jaun Jose, the chef here left because he has some kind of stomach aliment. He's got to go to Lima for treatment. I'm really going to miss him, he was such a great guy and fun to work with.

So, I went yesterday to Paddy's, where Moose works and got a job there working three or four nights a week. It's the highest Irish Pub in the world, altitude wise of course. I won't make as much money as I would have at ICPNA but I'll make enough to keep traveling. Speaking of traveling...Moose and I have some tentative plans. We're thinking at the end of April we'll head up to Mancora, Peru. It's a beach town and we're ready for some warmer weather! We'll probably stay there for about two weeks then head north to Equador and eventually over to Columbia. Things could change of course but that's where we stand so far.

Fingers crossed

I went by ICPNA today and it's on shaky ground as to whether I'll actually have a job there on Monday. They're still having problems with work visas and everything. So, I'm still on hold until Friday when I hope I'll be guaranteed a job for next Monday! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

El Dorado

Well, the streets and structures are not covered in gold anymore (thanks to the Spainards, of course) but Cusco still has quite a few treasures to offer. First, let me say that I freakin love the street food here. My favorite is the grilled meat you can find with a potato on top of the skew, especially the chicken and sausage together...YUM. And of course there is also the catus fruit that I recently learned I could not take home with me because I would get pricked with microscopic needles and therefore had to let the vedor peel it for me while I ate it right there on the street. In addition to the legitamate vendors there are tons of kids that sell anything from chicklets to tiny postcards (yes, I bought one) to the people who come out of the clubs at night. They are so convincing!

I also love how Cusco is like NYC. At any time during the day or night you can get a taxi, no problem. There are tiny taxi´s that are cheap (s/2.50 anywhere in the city) and larger ones that are like stationwagons for s/3.00 anywhere in the city. The city buses are more like big astro vans that people cram into and they have no particular route. You just have to know that if you get on the bus labeled ¨Batman¨ where you´ll end up next. There isn´t good coffee around like NYC but I did have cafe con helado (coffee and ice cream) a while ago and if was divine!

As well as food, a ride and tiny postcards they advertise massages on the street for s/20.00! I had to get one and was not totally disappointed. It wasn´t quite an hour like they promised but I would say that a 45 minute massage for $6.30 was well worth it. I´ve also gotten my nose pierece for s/50.00. Now, you may say, ¨Christa, whey in the heck would you wait to go to a third world country to get your nose pierced¨ but I look at it this way, I didn´t want one till I got here! So now I have a tiny little blue gem in my nose as a souvenir from Peru.

The people here are golden as well. For instance there are all those who I work with here at The Point. They are local and sweet as sugar. I guess it doesn´t hurt that they think I´m pretty sweet too. :) My colleauges at ICPNA are also really cool. I´m observing a new class with a teacher who is doing an exchange from Arizona. And I´m loving that I´m getting Spanish lessons from Nelida. She gave me a proper Spanish workbook to complete from a minor level. We´re meetin again this Sunday to catch up since we haven´t been able to meet prior. She´s got a busy schedule with teaching, school and work. I´m going to have to cram though because I´ve been beaten by this cold I have for the past couple days. I think I´m finally getting over it but I still have an aweful cough that sounds way worse than it is.

Is it possible to O.D. on Vitamin C???

So I've had a cold for the past three days and it sucks. Especially when I have to work in a bar where people smoke like chimneys! I've been drinking coca tea and water with EmergenC packets constantly but I've been warned that too much could be a bad thing...so I guess I'll have to go and get some actual drugs for my cold. boo. I've also cut my right hand yesterday while washing dishes. Apparently Cusqenian dishware isn't that durable and they often break under the pression of other dishes in the sink. No matter, now I don't have wash them for a bit. :)
There is a new girl at the bar now, Laura, who is from Canada. She worked at The Point in Lima for a bit. I don't know if she's going to work out though, she's quite used to the way things were run in Lima and we're a bit more organized and run like a proper bar. We'll see.
I've been observing classes at ICPNA for these last three days and am liking it so far. The only problem I have is that I keep getting so sleepy while observing. lol I don't know how the students handle it! Also, the teachers there can't be the greatest inspiration. One teacher has an exentric way of waving his hands about, it looks like he's always flapping his ring and pinky fingers through the air. Another teacher reminds me of my neighbor from Tennessee in the 90's. They're all really nice, just much different that any other teachers I've ever had.
It's quite fun being in the classes with the students though. In one class there are two Fabrizio's, probably around 14/15 who think they're Rico Suave's. When I left yesterday they both blew me a kiss. And to think I might be their teacher! In my favorite class, the junior class, all the kids say "good afternoon, Christa" when I walk in. Love it!
Side note about the city. I think the whole of Cusco was built with marble streets. I know it's not really marble but I can't help but slip around while I'm walking almost everyday. And I know it's not just me, I've seen the locals slip to. And I'm now thinking fully in soles, not dollars. I haggle with the street vendors for s/ .30 centamos, or 10 cents! It sounds silly but when you live here and get used to how much things should costs you can't help but stand your ground and not be taken advantage of like a gringo! lol

ICPNA

I observed my first class at ICPNA (Instituto Cultural Peruan Norteamericano) where I´ll be ¨volunteering¨ next month. I can´t wait to start on April 6th. The classrooms are quite small. Mine had only 8 students, all between the ages of 9 and 10. I´ll be working with students that age on comprehension, pronounciation and how to use what they learn during conversation. We teach from workbooks and require the students to pass set examinations but I think other than that I´ll be set free as to how I want to go about teaching the students I have. Which is awesome cause if you know me you know I love kids and I love to have fun with kids. If I can teach them something along the way...even more awesome. Weird side note, I just noticed today that Amparo, the director, is missing her left arm. I know, weird, but something I thought I should mention.

Life here in Cusco is coming along swimmingly. I´m well settled (if you don´t count the fact that I´ve already had to change bunks to accomodate reservations) here at The Point. All of the staff now know who I am and although I know all of them I am still learning their names. lol I´ve also already had some interests. In particular a very nice, hot guy from Argentina named Claudio. He´s travelling with his five friends, all of whom I now consider my friends, around South America. By the way, when I say hot, I mean HOT! (please refer to photos on MySpace) Before I had to move rooms they were my roommates in Crazy Bitch. Now I´m in Miski Wawa (which means ¨sweet baby¨). I really hope I don´t have to move again anytime soon.

I´m by myself for now as Moose has gone to Puno where he has to pick up his new passport. No worries though, I´ve many friends in Cusco and at The Point. I´m also gaining a pretty full plate. Tomorrow I meet up with Nellida, a teacher at ICPNA, around 9a.m. so we can help each other out with languages and then I´m off to observe more classes until I have to be at work at the bar. Hopefully Litzy and I will be able to go out this weekend and she can show me the good spots for learning Salsa and where to drink. My dancing partner, Jenny, is gone to travel around more so I´ve got to find someone who loves to dance as much as she does! And there is always Nico, a really sweet Columbian American guy who is staying here at The Point. He also used to live in Crazy Bitch with us.

Well, I´m gone for now but check in with me later as I´m sure I´ll have more tales to tell!

Sacsaywaman

Yesterday I went to some ruins called Sacsaywaman...or Sexy Woman as it's known by all the locals! It was the second most important structure in all of the Incan Empire. The giant construction was used as housing for the high priests and warriors of Cusco, which was the Incan capitol during that time. It was said that it was 15 meters high and that the Incan's were not finished with it! Only 20% remains today to be seen but if you can imagine a sturcture that spans many miles, encompassing many temples and building including the temple of the moon where the queen and the essence of women in general were worshipped and celebrated. It blew my mind for sure. When the Spanish arrived they almost completely destroyed Sacsaywaman and took over Cusco. Even though they tryed to destroy all representations of what the Incan's worshipped there remains three that they were unable to recongnize within the stones themselves. One is the guinnea pig, another is the llama and the last is the puma. The entire structure of Sacsaywaman represents a puma head and the body is represented by the village below. Of course, today you can't really spot the body of the puma because the village has since grown into a major city but I was told that Avineda del Sol was once the tail of the puma which is still there today.

There were three major animals that were very important to the Inca's then. They were the condor which represented the upper part of the atmosphere or "heaven". The condor also represented force. The puma represented the earth itself or this world and war or power. Last, but certainly not least was the snake which represented the underworld and wisdom. Everytime you see an ancient structer here you see the three levels of the condor, puma and snake. Even by altars there were three tiered steps. Sacsaywaman itself was built on this basis of three layers.

It was amazing to see and unimaginable all in one. I hope that Macchu Picchu is just as amazing as it's the only Incan structure that was both finished and not destroyed by the Spanish. My boss said that if I get enough people together I can join a treck for free! All I would have to pay would be the entrance fee which is about s/122.00...or $60.00 USD. How amazing would that be?!

Found A Place To Stay!

Hello again. Good news, I found a place to stay at The Point Hostel here in Cusco. In exchange for accomodations, breakfast, lunch, dinner and internet I´m working in their bar four nights a week. This is a deal I absolutely couldn´t beat! The Point is really cool. Their logo is ¨A backpackers hostel by backpackers¨, or something like that. They are also known as ¨The Party Hostel¨and so a lot of people are always here whether they are staying or just visiting the bar. I don´t mind it so much. This is my second night and I´m pretty happy. My bed is super comfy and my roommates go out a lot so I kinda have the room to myself. It´s kinda like dorm style and my room has 10 bunks. Each room has a different name and my room´s name is ´Crazy Bitch¨. lol The ironic thing is...I´m the only girl in my room so far! lmao! I´ve already made a few friends. It´s quite easy here because there are so many foreigners who speak English. Although I don´t have to use my Spanish alot it is improving. I´ve learned very important frases like ¨Yo ya tengo¨and ¨Soy muy pobre, soy de Mexico¨! Just kidding. I really haved learned a little bit more and am continuing to learn everyday, especially since alot of my friends here speak both Spanish and English.
Tomorrow I´m going to ICPNA to meet up with Litzy, my local friend. She´s going to try to get me a job there teaching or something so I can earn some soles while I´m here. Cross your fingers everyone cause I really could use the extra dinero!
Today I hiked some ruins called Sacsaywaman but that story is for another day. I´m sunburned and pooped. Chao.

Cusco

So I've arrived in Cusco safe and with all of my things! Yay!! My trip here was interesting. Cruz del Sur was probably the fleshest (new Austrailian word meaning posh) transportation I could have taken instead of a plane. It had deeply reclining chairs, a tiny pillow but super nice blanket and it provided dinner, which was some sort of egg thing with rice a beef empananda and a chocolate and vanilla cake piece. We also got breakfast the next morning (if that's what you would call it) which was a ham sandwich and another cake piece. The food wasn't horrible but I am glad I packed an extra banana and ritz crackers for the ride. Speaking of the ride, it was...different. For the first few hours we were still leaving the city and passing through tiny "villages" as well as a ton of abandoned shacks and buildings. I had to wonder what had happened to all of these once homes and businesses. Almost all of the grafiti I saw on these were of Fujimori and Keiko...public figures that had been banished from the country because of coruption and hate crimes. Once we started ascending the Andes I started getting a little headache from the altitude. It was easily cured by some Alieve and sleep. Sleep...huh...

Sleep was virtually impossible. Imagine riding up and down on an extremely curvy road with loads of pot holes. Now imagine riding on the road for 19 hours. Now imagine trying to sleep on that ride. You get my drift. With all of the comforts provided by Cruz del Sur the ride itself was incredibly difficult. We were riding through altitudes higher than 4,000 meters in the Andes. Furthermore, the road itself was dangerous. To give you an idea, I could look out the window and see directly down into the valley below. I only saw maybe ten total guard rails the whole trip. And besides all that, it really is a one vehicle road but somehow we managed to stay on the road and let people pass without fault. I only had one scare. After I finally got to sleep at one moment the next thing I knew I was jerked to the left and things were falling from the compartments above. I honestly thought we were going to tip...it freaked me out but the other passangers didn't even wake! However, the view in the morning was astounding. I could see miles and miles of mountaintops which were either covered in clouds or snow. It really took my breathe away. About an hour outside of Cusco we stopped for a bathroom break (our toilets on the bus now smelled horrible) in a small village. I paid s/ .50 for some toilet paper and the service of getting new water to flush my toilet by a boy of about 6. I also was able to stand and take some pictures of the surrounding villages climbing up the sides of the mountains. Amazing.

When I arrived I didn't see Moose so I got a bite to eat and walked around the corner to email him. It didn't take long before he popped in a picked me up from the cafe itself! I was so glad to see a familiar face. We took a taxi to San Blas Plaza where his friend is staying. She generously offered to let me stay with her in her hostel for the night so that I could get some rest. I never got sick to my stomach from the altitude but I certainly had a nice headache for most of the day and was exhausted. I must have taken a three hour nap! Then we headed out in celebration of my arrival. I got to see where Moose works as a bartender. It's called "Patty's Irish Pub", the highest Irish Pub in the world! :) I might get a job there as well but I met this woman on the bus that works at IPNA, a rather large international school that has a lot of English teachers. I'll probably go there tomorrow to see if it's possible for me to teach English instead of working at the pub. Apparently I'll be making more than expected beause unfortunately foreigners get paid much more than locals. I can expect to make alteast s/45 a day which is like $15. I can live off of this wage comfortably here in Cusco.

It rained alot last night and so it was pretty cold this morning. I'm having to wear pants, a sweater and tennis shoes. Luckily I got a hot shower and breakfast this morning at Casa del Gringo II. This afternoon I'm going with Moose to find an apartment or hostel that is cheap enough for both of us to stay in. Looks like we're both on the same budget. I want to write so much more but I'm so overwhelmed. I think I'll have to wait a bit and process before letting the world know just how amazing and beautiful this city is.

Safe in Lima

I began my journey yesterday with the wonderful wakeup call of a Chic-Fil-A chicken busicuit and a Starbucks latte courtesey of my great friend Sophie. She graciously drove me to the Art Center MARTA station where I caught the train to the airport. Upon arrival I checked my bag and attempted to deposit a last minute check...not so lucky. Looks like I´ll have to send it back to my mother so she can deposit it for me. No worries though. I made my flight to Toronto which was smooth and got to explore the airport there. I grubbed on a Coyote Jack´s burger and chocolate milk before my flight. After walking around a bit I´ve come to the conclusion that the Toronto airport is the nicest airport I´ve ever been it. It really is amazingly clean and very art friendly!

My flight to Lima was 8 hours, 3 of which I slept and the rest I dined on odd tasting chicken with mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, a weird diced potato salad and chocolate mouse with a little ball of chocolate cake in the middle. I watched ¨The Secret Life of Bees¨ and ¨The Duchess¨. Right before my flight landed we were given a ham and cheese sandwich, pasta salad and cookie. I was grateful for the snack but it gave me a tummy ache.

Back in Toronto I had met a girl, Stacy, who was travelling throughout South America teaching English. When I told her my plan to stay in the airport until the morning where I would attempt to catch a taxi to my bus station she advised against it and offered to let me share her ride and room at her reserved hostel. After I actually landed and became overwhelmed with all of the people there I agreed! We took a taxi to Casa Ana where I had a wonderful nights rest and shower. The owner of the hostel went this morning to get my bus ticket and fed me breakfast! I´ll be leaving soon to Cuzco by way of the Cruz del Sur bus line. After leaving at 3:30 this afternoon my bus has one stop in Ica and arrives in Cuzco at 10:30a.m. tomorrow morning where I´ll meet my travel partner, Moose. I know what you´re thinking...a 19 hour bus ride?! We´ll see...