Here is a brief update on what happened in the short amount of time I have been here:
Thurs. Sept. 13
Woke up at 5:30am and departed for Minneapolis airport for a 10:30am flight to Miami.
Arrived in Miami mid afternoon for a god awful long layover where I amused myself with wondering around in shops, sitting in the sun and watching a movie (Stranger then Fiction - good flick - written by a guy I went to school with).
Friday, Sept. 14
2:30am flight FINALLY leaves from Miami to Lima after various delays. Full, huge flight! I meet a lovely woman named Marty who is traveling to Cusco for her 60th Birthday present to herself...little do I know the part she will wind up playing in my travel plans over the next few days....6:30am I arrive in Lima and glide through customs without a hitch. Say my goodbyes to Marty (exchanging numbers) and continue to wait for my much delayed flight to Cusco. 11:30am depart Lima to Cusco fall fast asleep for a short time but quickly wake to the smell of fresh coffee...and what do I see out my window but the most breathtaking mountains I have EVER seen in my life staring back at me. I don´t even know how to describe them. Finally, we arrive and land on a tiny, tiny landing strip. The air was thin, dry, cool and fresh -nothing like the robust smells of NYC. My car awaits with name affixed and I am whisked off to my assignment. A tour of the facilities where i will volunteer, take Spanish lessons and finally live. The family house is a modest house about a 25 minute walk from the center of Cusco. There are various volunteers from all over the world who have come here each for their own reason and searches. Good people, good conversations...but I am dead tired and can´t even retain their names. I am now heading onto 20 hours very little sleep...Same day 2:30pm. I am about to drop my head on the pillow when I am notified I have a phone call...how strange I think. I get on the phone and it is Marty from the plan ride. She asks if I would like to join her, her friend John and the son of the family she is staying with for a drive around Cusco. I immediately say yes! How could I say no. I swallow down some cups of Coca tea which gives me the kick I need (seeing I am exhausted and still adjusting to the 14,000 ft altitude change) and head off. I couldn't´t have asked for a more personal and fantastic look into the lifestyle of Cusco. I finally arrive back at the Family Home with an invite to join Marty, John, Manuel and his father Daniel the next day at 8am for a drive to the Sacred Valley - which of course I said YES too. I eat and crash by 8pm, dead to the world!
Saturday 8:00am
Refreshed, fed and totally thrilled to be here I rush out the door, my new housemates looking on wondering how I managed to fall into such an awesome situation...Manuel picks me up on the dot and I am taken to his family´s house where I meet all 12 who live there. It is John´s birthday and they have made a lovely cake for him and we sing happy Birthday in English and in Spanish, we eat the cake, drink some awesome cocoa and take off in the car for the next adventure. That day we drove though some of the most beautiful and amazing landscape I have ever seen -the pictures below don´t do it justice. The whole time we were educated in the ruins, artifacts, rituals and customs of the ancient Incas by Daniel. Awesome information sprinkled with his poignant and well thought out personal opinions. I couldn't´t have wished for a more spectacular day. I didn´t arrive back at the family house until 8pm and again ate and crashed.
Well there you have it a catch up to today! Whew, was worried about getting that all out. Today I wondered around the streets of Cusco looking and listening. Tomorrow I get my orphanage assignment and take my Spanish placement test. I am sure in the next day or so there will be so much more to share. Please enjoy the pictures below!
A corner of the main square in Cusco:
The open air, tin roof market where everyone in Cusco buys their goods:
Weavers at a textile festival:
Marty and Rosa (Daniels wife:
The Inca ruins Saccsayhuaman (pronounced sexy woman):
A part of the Sacred Valley where all the Inca ruins are located:
Me with various woman from Pisaq - Note the hats, every tribe or family wears a different variation for recognition of their group:
The ruins outside of Pisaq:
The next three photo´s were all at the ruins of Ollantaytambo:
A hill that I can see when I walk out the door of my family house:
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