February is way too short

Last day of February was a good one!! Four other girls and I (two from the family house and two I knew from the other house) went rafting about an hour out of Cusco and it was so fun. Actually met two girls from Winnipeg who were doing it too! We did a two hour raft in rapids class 3-5, so like there were some pretty big guys. A couple people bailed HAHA but I am glad to say I did not. However I still got absolutely soaked. We were then served lunch when returned to like 'base camp' haha I guess you could say. Such a good lunch and it was a beautiful day out too. We were lucky! Needless to say it was a complete gong show and I am sore from paddling on one side. The protests on wednesday ended up being pretty intense but very controlled. Basically it was a mountain community that stopped all transportation into Cusco and then also the main street in Cusco. They wanted to bring to everyone's attention the fact that they don't get enough support from the government. It was completely fine they stayed where they were supposed to stay and everything and it was like pre planned... there is another one on monday too apparently haha something to do with the fact that trains will not run.  So some unlucky travellers might get stuck at Machu Picchu for an extra day.. SHOOT. 

At the project we are trying to do more constructive stuff with the kids, like the other day everyone's drawing had to incorporate their hand in some way... so some kids made their hand into animals or just drew them normal, etc. and we also played a little bit of american football on friday too. Well by 'played' I mean passed around and played duck duck goose with the little guys. They are just so funny. One mini tried to steal my gum out of my mouth the other day. 

Tomoorrow is some other kind of carnavale with dancing and music and outfits and such so I am meeting a girl from my project and this Norwegian girl I met last night for breakfast and then we are going to check it out. AND we are going to attempt to go to the soccer game tomorrow afternoon! It is a big one, Cusco vs Lima, a big rivalry. I am pretty excited about that. Who knows if we'll get tickets though its supposed to be pretty big!!

Some Photos

 This is a shot of the Market San Pedro.. the big one near the Plaza de Armas. It has absolutely everything imaginable!!
 The three musketeers... these little guys are so adorable and just run around causing trouble.
 Little minis playing with practice cones while the older kids had a scrimmage.
 The community where I volunteer! The is the view looking north from the soccer field.

  First day of painting with the kids! I am helping Mijael paint he is like 3 so his motor control is still a work in progress... Luis on the left is just hilarious.

day number 10

Can´t believe I´ve been here for ten days.. seems like it´s been WAAAY longer! Yesterday at volunteering basically we cleaned up from the carnavale on Sunday, and then did some painting. I am so choked because I got paint on my raincoat and if it doesn´t come out I will throw something. I am going through clothes like no tomorrow because I wear either one and a half or two outfits a day, depending on how muddy the field is. Ridiculous. I totally don´t mind though as I founf out that laundry can be done at the family house!! SCORE. The kids were absolutely ridiculous yesterday throwing paint and chalk dust instead of water, I was like IT WAS OVER YESTERDAY STOP IT!! I wish I knew how to scold in Spanish cause like I am pretty useless in a stiuation like that if I can´t hahaha its kinda funny actually. Today was a normal day at the school, played some soccer, tried to salvage the last of my white shirts but ended up getting kicked with the muddy ball so no dice. I also got my pants SOAKED when I was sitting on the ground because Wilbert started crying (by the was that´s the first time I´ve seen anyone of them upset so far), he was playing with lego and there weren´t any sets of wheels left for his constrcution. I basically didn´t know how to say anything in Spanish so I built a lego bridge over his leg and then he was like SWEET!! And all was solved. THAT is problem solving right there. However the person who sat on my wet seat on the bus cause my butt was so muddy must´ve been like UM WHAT HAPPENED HERE? Ah well tough luck for them. I hope it was a dentist in white scrubs or something. After soccer we just did some puzzles and then were told not to come to volunteering tomorrow because there is going to be a protest and it will be ´dangerous´. Well WHY´D you tell me that. Now I want to see. So we are meeting at Maximo Nivel, the school where I take Spanish, in the morning to create a PowerPoint about the project!! For a number of reasons!! But basically to promote their needs and see if they can get some support! (Ormies and Dad, and anyone else who is interested, I am going to talk to the coordinator today to see what I can organize. Cause I can´t just do it on my own) Hopefully I´ll have more news later this week! Anyways things are still good, food is really good, I am still not brave enough to try ´cuy´which is cooked guinea pig. Local delicacy. Don´t even talk to me about it. Maybe if someone blindfolded me and told me it was an alpaca steak or something...

first week down

Week one has been a success. I feel as if I have been here for about a month already though. It's hard to believe that I left calgary last weekend! It has been good, something different everyday. Today was the last day of the carnavale. Basically celebrating today consisted of a day long water fight between males and females. I got attacked at the bus stop personally but was strategically wearing shorts and my rain coat. HAHA I must've looked so ridiculous about five boys just came and poured water on me. I was also wet from walking to the bus stop, were us pedestrians got bombarded with water balloons. Friday was a typical day at the project, played some football, went and did some painting, english, and puzzles with the really little guys. We went to the market "Supermercato San Pedro" for Spanish class to learn the names of fruits and vegetaable. I am hopeless with that. For example, apples and mansanas. LIKE WHAT IS THAT? And plums are some ridiculous long word but I don't remember it. Walked around the market for about an hour, they have absolutely everything there, including full pigs right next the baby toques. The pig and meat section was a little tough to get through. Don't think I'd ever buy meat from there. They also had cheese at the market, but it's not like real cheese. I don't know what it is but it has no taste. I am going to eat an entire block of swiss when I get home. On the way home from school I hit up the movie store once again. I just love it. Saturday I woke up at 9:30 hooray for a sleep in! Had a nice breakfast, took my laundry in, walked to the market and bought some things (then ran out of money). Bumped into Phil at the market (it is really strange running into someone you know here... he called me name three times before I actually turned around) So we walked around for a couple of hours just looking at the different parts of Cusco. Ww climbed up pretty high and got some nice views of the city. We looked through the tourist area, where you HAD to keep walking otherwise you were attacked by salespeople. Headed home after we sat down in the Plaza de Armas for a rest, and then ran into FIONA! It was so weird. Went and bought a mirror with her because her apartment has no mirror. After that I ran home to drop my stuff off and change, then we met back at school and headed to a restaurant called Jack's Cafe for dinner, Basically a break from peruvian food. I had a BLT and it was probably the best thing in the world. It was fantastic. There were 10 year old boys in the cafe trying to sell paintings, and had definitely mastered their sales strategies. He came to our table and was like "Hey where you from? Canada? Capital is Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper..." AND then "Oh Australia? Capital Canberra, lots of Kangaroos, fires right now.." haha it was hilarious. I did not buy anything however. Definitely Jack's was a good place to go for a break from exotic foods. THEY HAD HUMMUS!!!! I was so excited. And French Toast!! Breakfast will have to be there sometime! Today I went up to the community I volunteer in to see what was going on in terms of celebration. I couldn't find anyone except some kids so I just played with them for a while. Came back to the new house that I moved to today in time for dinner and possibly a game of scattergories this evening :)

festivale de los compadres

Thursday number one in Peru and I have some time on the internet since we were asked to stay out of the house until after 5:30 because my house mother teaches a cooking class at the house, and is only allowed to have one person staying at a time, and she has 4! HAHA so basically I am an illegal refugee/tenant. No worries though a bunch of people are leaving this weekend so I am being moved into the volunteer house where I perhaps will make some friends? Maybe? Too bad cause I do like the people I am staying with now! Anyways, today was day number 4 volunteering, and it happened to be the 'festivale de los compadres' which basically is the festival of the godfathers. Very interesting,

 everyone is honored here. There are so manbrations and I was definitely woken up by fireworks (yes fireworks) at 5 t

his morning. Like WOW. There is another 'carnavale' on sunday that Fiona fom my project and I are going to attend. Basically consists of a giant water fight males vs females. Totally wearing my rain pants SUIT. Volunteering is really good, the kids are soooooo soooo cute and so funny. They just love everything. And my Spanish.. well that's another story h

aha. I can understand it ok I just can't think of words on my own. I'm totally tied up in French! Hopefully another week will help. This weekend I am stayi

ng in Cusco, going to do a little exploring

 here, there is a half day city tour. Then on Sunday, the festivale. Then week number two. I hope to go to Puno next weekend and then maybe Lima for a couple days, then Machupicchu some time.. I have to book some things!! I am working with three other volunteers (one leaves this week it was kind of a crossover) Fiona from Sydney, Phil from Colorado, Stephanie from France. They are all super nice, its too bad Stephanie leaves this week! Both her and Phil are very proficient at Spanish and can sometimes translate for me ! ALSO found a movie store where dvd's are sold for 4 soles which is basically 1.50.. I totally bought slumdog millionaire, yeah tell me about it. There is every movie imaginable. If you have any requests, let me know and I'll see what I can do :)

FUTBOL with the peruvians

Started the week off with my orientation yesterday morning at a beautiful 10:15am, which was basically a powerpoint about Maximo Nivel (the organization down here) and some facts and tips about living in Cusco. Met the other volunteers who started the same time as me, met Christina and Abdul from Toronto, they're actually on reading week from Ryerson and came all the way down here for ONE WEEK! Wow. There is another Canadian as well, from Edmonton, she is in my Spanish class with me because we are both basic 1 meaning no idea what's going on. Except it is so similar to french, for example today I went to the market (aka grocery store) with a girl from my project, Fiona, and i bought corn nuts and chocolate (YES HUGE PURCHASE)  and the cashier said 'tres y caurenta' which is 3.40 but i gave her 14 because tres=treize.. you know. Great. I also found out the WiFi password from Paula and Paul who were still at the school. (They are tow other students at maximo) I also yesterday met Meryl from Holland (also living with us) who has been here for one month and is here for four more! Walked home from school, stopped at one of the many markets on the way home and did a little shopping! Everything is so colourful it’s amazing!! Last night Paul and I went to play soccer however it started to rain on our way there… and the ‘field’ which is basically pavement in a mini stadium, was closed, so we came home. Definitely watched high school musical on a black market dvd with Meryl and her two friends Meryl and Sophie (they are Dutch and holy the language is so interesting)! 

This morning was an eraly one, we visited our 

project at 8 so we had to meet at school at 7:45am! Fiona, Phil and I are working at a little school/community centre in a little community above Cusco. It's called 'futbol project' because basically soccer is integrated into their curriculum. Right now it's kinda extra schooling because their school yaer doesn't start until March. IT WAS SO FUN! The kids are so adorable, we played soccer for like 2 hours, it was so slippery cause it rained last night and of course I don't have my cleats so I slipped everywhere, and needless to say my jeans are SOOO muddy!! We play soccer from 8:3

0-9:30, have 'juegos' (basically just life skills.. manners..) from 10-11, and then have English/Drawing and Painting from 11-12. Then it's back home for lunch, then to school for Spanish!! Busy busy! I am definitely going to sleep well tonight!! I did not bring my camera today but I will have to and show you pictures of the 

kids!!! Also these pictures are just from my first day in Cusco. Enjoy :)

Dos Cerveza, Por Favor

Sooo that is basically all I know in Spanish so far, besides NO GRACIAS because when i went for a walk in Cusco this afternoon i got hassled by SO many people selling things and it was hard not to buy. Revesible toques, paintings, sweet bags, carvings, among other things. Anyways, I arrived in Cusco this morning at about 930, was met by someone who accompied me to my accomidation which was great. The taxis are insane, actually all drivers are insane, its like there is not lanes people just weave all over the place. Also i have seen multiple member families on TINY little scooters, like dad driving, mom on the back holding a kid and another kid on her back WOW THAT´S SAFE!!! I am staying in a house wiht this woman named Marina and two young adults who may or may not be her children, I have no idea. She speaks minimal English and I speak very minimal Spanish. So lots of gesturing. She wrote out a route on my map for me to the main square, the Plaza de Armas, so I walked there today and saw some sights. I took a few side roads to a sweet vantage point over the city and took lots os pictures already! Also there are dogs everywhere! they are cute and I feel bad! I´m sorry about the grammar in here the shift button is sticking kinda like my space bar. Oh someone brought a dog into the internet cafe. I am heading back to my ´house´ because it is kinda getting dark! Dinner time soon! Then some research on trips for me! Orientation tomorrow, wish me luck!!

Travel day almost over!

Finally! I have almost arrived at my destination (Cuzco) after 19 and a half hours travel time. Phew! My flight from Calgary to New York was easy peasy, a nice four and a half hour jaunt. I arrived in New York with plenty of time to take the AirTrain the wrong direction, get off one stop later, and turn right back around. Finding the check in counter for my LAN flight to Lima was quite the challenge, however I was still in the U.S. so the signs were in English, thank goodness. My LAN flight from New York was GREAT it somehow went by super fast (it was 8 hours) there was movies, video games, tv, TWO meals, huge leg room, however everyone spoke spanish. I luckily was sitting beside a girl from New York who was visiting family in Lima, so she was very fluent in both languages and translated for me :) Arriving in Lima was quite something. it was extremely foggy so we couldn't see the ground until about four seconds before we landed. As soon as I stepped off the plane I started SWEATING. It is so humid and about 20 degrees compared to minus 14 when I left Calgary! I am okay now that I am sitting and don't have all my bags though. One more flight, almost there!!!