Fully acclimated!

Sights like this now seem normal and I believe I have fully recovered from the elevation, dehydration, exhaustion and poops and am fully back to my true energized self. It honestly has been quite the adjustment mentally and physically... much more then I had expected.

Here are some things I suggest being ready for if you ever plan on coming to Peru:
- remember toilet paper MUST be thrown in wastebasket not flushed
- constant hydration is a MUST
- DO NOT under any circumstance, no matter who argues with you, drink the water...
- begin eating the local food in small portions to adjust your gut
- pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way under any circumstances...anywhere
- wash you hands constantly
- walk slowly or the elevation will kick your butt
- always confirm with the taxi he is charging 2 soles(65 cents) before getting in
- memorize your address in Spanish
- always barter for a better price
- be prepared to constantly say the phrase "NO Gracias"
- be aware street parades or local fiestas happen daily
- remember when opening anything with carbonation that 11,000 ft increases the pressure and if you are not careful you will be wearing it!

The past 3 days have been chalk full. Even though I took my time and had to have some hours of recovery I still managed to pack my days quite full. I began my basic Spanish Class on Tuesday and it is already kicking my butt! No English is spoken and we are already, after only 3 days, writing sentences and spelling words. I would say 70% of the time I have no idea what he is saying but through constant charades we eventually figure it out. We only have 3 people in the class so it almost works out to be a private session. It is quite amazing to walk around a city and have absolutely no idea what people are saying...especially when they are only 4 years old! But I am determined to have a grasp of the language by the time I get back to the States!

Wednesday night I once again caught up with Marty, John and Manuel to hear about their Matchu Pitchu and other mountain explorations. They are so inspiring and adventurous I can not believe what they saw and jumped into! I am so pleased to have met them. John has by now returned to the States but I will hopefully be seeing Marty again on Sunday to hear her jungle adventure and possibly visit a remote orphanage.

On Thursday I visited two potential projects to work on my remaining time here. Although San Judas Orphanage is a wonderful place to be and the girls make your heart melt I feel because they are government funded, have several more volunteers and are better equipt then other hard to reach locations my skills might be best elsewhere. It is a difficult choice to make but I truly feel it is the right decision.

Eliza, my project coordinator, was so kind to take me to 2 potential projects so that I could see if either appealed to me. I was blown away by one particular project and believe if all logistic can be worked out I will begin there on Monday ...it is about a 30 minute bus ride and a 15 minute walk straight up various stairs, a dirt road and a scrample up a hill. It is a Community Center in a small shantytown on the outskirts of Cusco. There are about 20 to 60 kids that come after school to do homework and be taken care of while they wait for their parents or siblings to return home. Because it is so difficult to get to it is in DESPERATE need of help. It will be a difficult and somewhat sketchy trek, but I am up for it and my project coordinator has insured me that we will find the safest and best way for me to get there.

Now here is a low down on the trek...when I say a bus goes up there...I think I need to clarify. The buses here are privately owned mini vans that cost 60 soles (20 cents)per ride, they are packed to the gills and are all pretty much on their last legs, puttering along held together by tape or random car parts. They literally zoom along, open the door and you either QUICKLY jump in or out.

OK now back to the trek, first I would take one of these combies (as they are called) to the end of the line (seeing the road literally ends)...from there I trek up a large staircase passing goats, lambs, lama, cows, many a dog and a few chickens. When at the top of the stairs I climb a long dirt road until I reach a winding steep path (if you can call it that). At the top of that scrabble is a lone building with several children of all ages running around! You can´t help feeling welcome as you are immediately greeted with hugs, kisses and huge smiles. Now, let me just make a quick side note... every child I have met is either sick, has a runny nose or is absolutely filthy...but honestly you don´t care and you can´t let that stop their affections as their hugs and kisses are not only part of their culture but where the basis of their trust begins...this is where the "constantly wash your hands" lesson comes in.

I will say when I got to the top of that hill I felt in my gut that this was it...this is where I was suppose to be. After meeting everyone, looking around the facilities and speaking with the woman who runs the community center I was sold. I was also thrilled to find out that they are interested in me teaching English and/or Theatre to the kids. There is another volunteer who speaks Spanish and English so that will hopefully help make the adventure a bit easier, but I wont meet her until Monday.









After my adventurous hike and rewarding find I returned to the family house and was pleased to find out that my friend Sarah Holden´s parents are back in Cusco from their Machtu Pitchu hike and want to have dinner (it is a total coincidence that they chose to come to Cusco at the same time I did). Their timing couldn't be better as I will admit I am a bit homesick and familiar faces will be a blessing. That night Jack, Nancy and I had a lovely pizza dinner at a local restaurant, delightful conversation and familiar sentiments. The entire evening filled me with a sense of peace and calm...and I think it is exactly what I needed!

Friday came and I couldn't´t believe that I had been here a week! I had a great day in Spanish Class and zoomed off for my last day at San Judas. It was a wonderful day with the girls. I assisted some of the younger girls with their washing and was educated on the CORRECT way to hand scrub your clothes...










These girls are so resourceful and independent it is sometimes hard to break them from their routine...but eventually a bubble fight ensued and they were once again giggling 4 year olds. Once wash was finished and we dried out I assisted with a tea party and a rather heated game of balloon volleyball. I have to go back for a visit one of these weekends and give the girls copies of the pictures I have taken. They were in awe of the short movie I took of them...I am unsure if they had ever seen themselves in a live action film.

Friday night was pretty eventless as the kids absolutely wore me out. Unfortunately with the weekend coming the family house morphed into a frat like atmosphere and I, uninterested in the mentality of the 20 to 25 year old crowd, buried my nose in a book and some Spanish TV until I was able to go to sleep.