Cuzco Buzz

I have been in Cuzco now for a little over a week and it has been a buzz of activity. Volunteering, exploring the many tourist attractions around this area, and going out to eat, drink, and dance.

I am here until mid April volunteering with Aldea Yanapay. The organization seems really unique and I have been happy with my experience so far. Yanapay runs a school, a restaurant, and a hostel for volunteers. There are around 15 other volunteers mainly around my age and from the North America or Europe. I work 5 days a week at the school, which is actually a type of after school program, open from 3 to 6:30 and Saturday mornings. It has been perfect timing because the program is just winding up again with the start of the new school year (summer is just ending on this side of the world). There are about 50 children that attend, although Yuri, the director, hopes to recruit 20 more. I am working with the older children. From 3 to 5 I work in the homework area, helping those children complete various assignments. There is also an art area but I am one of the few volunteers right now who speaks spanish (at least enough to get by) so I have been put in the more challenging area. Then at 5 we break into other small groups according to age and I teach an english class. I have been getting by alright, making up small games and activities.

I have also purchased a tourist ticket which gives you admission into various museums and ruins in and around Cuzco. This area is full of Inca ruins, Machu Picchu being the most famous. I will have to make it there at some point, perhaps next weekend. So far I went on two nice day trips, one to Pisaq and one to Ollotantambo. They were both cute small towns, one with a large outdoor craft and food market. From there we went on day hikes up the mountain side and among the large stone walls. The weather has been very nice during the day, with strong hot sun, although it get really cold at night. You always have to have a ton of layers cause a breeze or cloud can change everything.

This week has also been Semana Santa, and there have been tons of festivities surrounding the Easter holiday. Several nights there were large processions through the streets. Ash Friday is the largest day of the celebration here. Me and a friend happened to be invited by a local to come to his family´s holiday meal. It is traditionally 12 platos, courses, although ours wasn´t quite to that scale. His family live about an hour outside Quito and are farmers, although some work in tourist related jobs. It was a unique experience and we were able to see how traditional people live. The mother was very welcoming, however I was a little uncomfortable with what my place was there. We ate a type of corn on the cob with cheese plate, a baked apple dish, a vegetable soup, and fish with a beat salad and potatoes. It was fairly informal and there were many kids running around, some of whom only spoke Quechua, the native language. After the+ meal the boy we originally met and his brother, who were both in their late teens and interested in trying to become tour guides, took us on a nice walk around in the beautiful mountainside and pointed out various plants they grew. In the end we bought a few handycrafts at higher prices than you find in the markets, but that were hand made by this family and I guess in a way it was in exchange for the whole experience.