Christy at Corpus Christi.

I've only been here a month and this is probably the 5th or 6th celebration since I got here. It was for sure the largest. From what I can gather, churches from all around Cusco proceed into the center of town with their saints and then today, they marched around the square with music and lots of incense. It brought back memories of Holy Week in Guatemala. The Plaza de Armas was completely full of people. People were wearing their finest outfits and the sun was really shining.

I also tried a special plate called Chiriuchu, which has guinea pig, which is called cuy, fish roe, chicken, cheese, vegetables, corn bread and corn. It was an experience for sure. This is the second time I've had cuy. The first time was in Ecuador. The Peuvians have been telling me how much more delicious they prepare it, NOT. Since this is the most expensive dish they serve, I think I've had my fill.

A dream come true MACHU PICHU

What can I say, Machu Pichu was like a dream. I was lucky to tag along with two student friends I've made from Australia. The days leading up to the trip were a little gray with intermittent sprinkles, but the day we got there the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

We started last Sunday by going to Chincheros, which has a big Sunday market and some pretty amazing ruins. We then caught the bus and then another to get to Ollaytaytambo.  There was a huge 4 day festival going on, so when we got there, there were people dancing in the square in the moat colorful and varied costumes you've ever seen.  The partying and music went into the wee hours and right when I started to fall asleep, I was woken up by the rooster.  The town was quaint and authentic with huge ruins on the mountain right behind.

The next day we took the Inca Rail to Agua Calientes, the neon, touristy town which is the staring point for Machu Pichu. Everyone knows your name, everything is overpriced and the hot springs werent that hot, but who really cares, you're about to see Machu Pichu.

Unless you feel like walking, which I didn't, you can take a bus up to the ruins.  The earlier you get there the better because it gets really crowded. After you walk up the hill and see the postcard picture of Machu Pichu, you're completely awestruck. It's just grand and beautiful.  Machu Pichu is famous for lots of reasons, but its the most intact Incan ruin because the Spainiards never found it. The architecture is amazing and complicated and you're left wondering how they did it.  The narration in the brochure gives some credit to Hiram Bingham, the "rediscoverer" of Machu Pichu, but first notes others who found it first.

I spent lots of time, sitting and staring down at the site, with llamas eating grass all around me. I didn't take a ton of pictures, because of course my battery would completely die the day before. My fiend did lend me her camera and snapped some good shots which I'll post soon.

Xo

Christy

Living like a Peruvian

Had my first real Peruvian ceviche.  It's supposed to be a good hangover cure, which turned out to be true. It was a little too spicy for me, but I still really enjoyed the experience.  Last night I went with the two brothers in my house to their cousin's house for a drink, which ended up being 5.  I've been trying to say yes if I'm asked to do anything, so even though I had to wake up at 7a for Spanish class, I went with them to a Peruvian discoteca and danced into the wee hours of the morning.  When I finally fell asleep at 4a, I had to wake back up.  The lack of sleep did nothing for my memory retention and spanish pronunciation in class today.

Next week my school is hosting a 12 person group of American teenagers.  It seems like a good opportunity to take a break from things.  I've decided to go to Machu Pichu next week with some school friends.  I'm leaving on Sunday and starting off in Chincheros and then on to Ollyataytambo

for the night.  I'll be climbing and experiencing the marvel of Machu Pichu on Tuesday all day and then coming back on Wed.  I've wanted to go my entire life and can't believe that I get the chance. 

Lots of Ruins this weekend

I took a couple of side trips this weekend. Peru sells this Tourist ticket which is really the only way to get entry into some ruins. Its kind of pricey and is valid for 10 days, so when you get it, you need to start making use of it.

Yesterday I went to visit Tipon and Pikillacta. Tipon is an Incan site with long ledges they think the Incans used to grow and harvest different things. Its about an hour from Cusco, but they didn't live there. Pikillacta is a pre Incan site. The Waray people lived there and built an entire city. The architecture is really different. Archaeologists live at both sites because there is still so much they don't know and are still trying to discover.

Pisac was the highlight though. Makes me wonder why you would go anywhere else. Its probably the precursor to Machu Pichu. Its high in the mountains. I hired a driver to take me to the top which took 20 minutes. Walking would have taken hours. It was incredible. They don't know that much but they think it was a hiding place for Pachacutec from the Spainards. It was incredible and pretty windy up there. They also have a pretty incredible Sunday market there.

Tomorrow I start week 2 of Spanish school and start volunteering in their after school program. I'll post more about that soon.

xo
Christy

Drinking like a Peruvian

Well I must be over my altitude issues because I drank the two most well known drinks in Peru without losing my lunch. On one of the tours with some of my other student friends we went to a hole-in-the-wall, literally an actual hole serving something called Chicha. I've seen it all over South America, but had never drank it. It's made with fermented yellow corn. You'll see it fermenting in the red trash can. Local people get really drunk off of this stuff, which is a bad thing. It costs a half of one sole, which is the equivalent of probably $.03 cents. It also comes in a big gulp size glass. I'm sorry to say that I really liked it.

I also had a Pisco Sour. I'm also sorry to say I liked this too. It tastes a little like a margarita. It's mixed with a raw egg to to get that nice white froth on the top. It's not supposed to give you a hang over, so I'll let you know tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'm going on a day trip to some of the ruins.
Xo
Christy

Incan Temple and Catholic Church in one

Today I went to visit the Qoricancha Incan Temple which is also the Santo Domingo Church. When The Spaniards conquered Peru, they took the temple as their own. They didn't tear down the structure, but built right on top of it. They did however ransack all of the gold and silver artifacts and melted it all down. There were precious stones inlaid in the stone which were chiseled out when the Spainiards left.

During the major earthquake in the 1600's, all of the Spanish architecture crumbled, the Incan structure was the only structure left standing. You might have heard that the Incans didn't use mortar to hold the stones together. The interior stones had crevices cut in them so the stones could connect together. No one knows exactly how the Incans did it. The temple is estimated to have taken 35 years to construct.

Baile in Cusco

I took my first Peruvian salsa class tonight. I figured, how hard could it be? I used to be a dancer and just took a salsa class last year with Tim. On both sides of the hemisphere I get in trouble for leading. It was hard though, though English wasnt super necessary for picking up the steps. It was the most activity I've had since getting here and also since spraining my ankle. It was really fun though. I might even buy the 10 pack.

I went with a new friend from school who is also traveling alone. She's a Chinese born Australian. She's a little more backpackerie than I am though. She packed just like Noah, two of everything, including underwear. I also packed for two, but that was two weeks of clean clothes, which was probaby too much.

Tomorrow I might try to go to one of the ruins, just outside the city.

Xo
Christy

First day of school, again

I hear that you can burn calories just by challenging your brain to do or learn something different. If that's true, I must have burned 1000 calories today in my first Spanish class. It was haaaard. There are only two levels. I'm not a beginner (if you've ever witnessed my awesome negotiating skills), but I'm also not very advanced. The beginning took me to 4th grade Spanish class. Me llamo Christy, yo soy de Los Estados Unidos... There were people there from all over the world- Aussies, Brits, Canadians and one German. People of all ages too. The teachers are super nice. I picked this school because the founder turns the profits back into a school for underpriveldged Peruvian children.

All for now, I need to go and study so I can correctly conjugate my verbs.
Xo
Christy

The end to altitude sickness and my new family

So its been 3 straight days of having a dull headache, a weird appetite and feeling winded after walking 5 steps, but with the help of a nearby pharmacy, I hope that I'm beginning to feel better. Altitude sickness is not for the faint of heart. I dont know how people who go straight to Machu Pichu do it.

Before meeting with the family I'll be staying with as part of my school, I went to the main plaza to watch a parade. They love to celebrate here. Everyone wears different and beautiful costumes. I'm not sure if it's for the different parishes or if it represents the different peoples. I especially loved the little boy in the black hairy costume and mask. The weather is pretty good right now, so it shouldn't have been that hot buried in all that wool.

My nuevo familia picked me up and brought me to their big house about 40 mins from the school. They seem really nice, but the commute is far, though just a cheap taxi away. They have a live in housekeeper and the daughter in law who lives here is in labor and probably having her second son as we speak, so the house is quiet. There's an older Canadian couple here as well. We'll also be in school together. It's nice speaking English. They'll be here another week, so I hope they'll adopt me as family until they leave. Since the first time I've ever really traveled alone, I'm noticing how quickly people come in and out of your life.

I start school tomorrow...
xo
Christy

Lots of new hiking boots

So this is my second day in Cusco and I see how much I'm going to love it here. I'm glad I decided to come straight here instead of staying in Lima longer which was loud and stinky (just like home).  In Cusco, the skies are blue and the temperature was a perfect 75 degrees. There are flowers everywhere and the streets in the central part (where I'm staying)  are clean.  There are enough tourists, but its not overrun yet.

I spoke too soon about the effects of the altitude. I've had a dull headache since I got here and now a sunburn thanks to my lily white, NE skin.  Today I think I'll take it easy. There's a festival at all the churches called Velacuy Cruce, celebrating the cross with lots of bangs and noise making going on.  After that I think I'll go get a $12 massage to ease my weary body and aching head.

People are testing my Spanish every minute. I haven't had one full conversation in English since I got here.  Who knows what I've been missing when people talk to me. I just smile and nod my head.