The Hasties in South America: Our first week in Cusco

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Our first week in Cusco

We have now been in Cusco, Peru for about one week. We have spent that time seeing the sites, sampling the food, meeting new people and learning more Spanish. Great sites have included Sacsayhuaman, a very impressive Inca site just above the city; the Museo Inka, with a great collection of information and displays about pre-Spanish Peruvian history; and the Qoricancha, where a Spanish convent was constructed literally on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun.

People we’ve met include our wonderful Spanish teacher, Fernando del Alamo; the Vance family who are coincidentally also in the midst of an extended tour of South America and living in Cusco for the next several months; a guide and archeology student named Israel who helped us explore the Museo Inka and Sacsayhuaman; and Sandy and Sandra who run DESEA and who we will be assisting between March and June.

We have enjoyed a combination of cooking in our apartment and lots of great Peruvian food in a variety of restaurants and cafes. A typical lunch in a café or restaurant here costs between 8 and 15 soles (about $3 - $5) per person and tends to include at least two courses (and sometimes 3 or 4), such as a salad, soup, main course and sometimes a desert and/or beverage. So far, all the food has been very tasty and the people serving it have been uniformly pleasant and welcoming.

Our Spanish is coming along with the help of Fernando, although we still have a ways to go. We’ve spent about 4 hours each day at it this week, plus a bit of homework each night.

This weekend, we will go visit several more Inca sites and friends in the nearby towns of Piscac, Lamay and Calca. So we’re keeping busy, learning a lot and enjoying our new temporary home. We are also definitely experiencing Peru’s rainy season. It has rained almost every day we’ve been here (helps keep us from being too homesick). We got quite drenched during today’s travels but given the surrounding beauty and everything else we experienced, the downpours didn’t dampen our spirits (or at least not for long).

Matt

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Great Links

Please check out the links above to find out more about two organizations that have been instrumental in making our trip happen and in providing meaningful volunteer opportunities. Green Empowerment, based in Portland, Oregon provides renewable energy and water systems that alleviate poverty and improve the environment, working with partnering groups throughout the world. DESEA Peru, the organization with which Matt volunteers, is based in the town of Lamay in the Sacred Valley of the Incas near Cusco. DESEA builds and places biosand water filters in small rural communities near the Sacred Valley and trains residents in their use. DESEA also runs a community health program program which includes bi-weekly health clinics in rural communities; training of two trained community health workers in each community; and on-going education for families, community groups, and schools in water filter operation, hygiene and sanitation practices, nutrition, and community health.

We've also provided a link to Kusi Kawsay, the school our girls attend in Pisac, Peru. Kusi Kawsay is a Waldorf model school, teaching a full range of subjects and with an emphasis on indigenous culture, history and arts. Like other Waldorf schools, it places a high priority on practical, hands-on activities. In this case, that includes weaving, painting and other arts, along with more traditional academic subjects.