Gringos

This past week has been busy sorry about the lack of posts...here's the past five days.

Tuesday we started classes at the CBC. We started with an orientation and met the director of the school...we had a tour of the school and of its other buildings (hotel, campesino, etc.). We ran into a little festival of indigenous people that were all dressed up, making speeches, and drinking chicha (a corn beer). Even though we were the only gringos (white people) we still got served some and it was pretty tasty. I'm taking two classes, a art/history/culture class and a grammar/conversation class. Both seem like they'll be alright...a lot of homework, but I can understand my professors fairly well which is always a good thing. We will have classes about three times a week, all day, except for a two hour break at 1 to go home eat lunch, and siesta (I LOVE the siestas!). Later that night Kelli and I heard some music outside of our house, which our family told us was a little festival for the neighborhood. Of course we decided to check it out and as soon as we got to the neighborhood plaza we realized that we were the ONLY white people/tourists there. It was really cool though...everyone was dressed up and there were alot of different bands playing, as well as a lot of drunk old peruvian ladies...quite a scene.

Wednesday we were supposed to have class in the morning but it was canceled because there was a protest. The city of Cusco is trying to privitize the water, but obviously the public doesn't want that so everyone was out in the streets, burning tires, carrying signs, and chanting. It was pretty neat to see. Before the strike, three of us went on a run around a stadium that is close to our house. It went ok, but the altitude definitely messes with the body's ability to take in oxygen. The little boy that lives in our house insisted that he come with us; he rode his scooter while we ran (he is one of the most annoying 12 year olds that I have met). We had classes in the afternoon and at night so we didn't get back to our house until 7ish, which was just enough time to eat dinner, and do all of our homework (and of course fit in a trip to the supermercado and the internet cafe).

Thursday we had our culture class in the morning and went to a museum (el museo de arte precolombino). It was pretty interesting, there was a lot of clay pots, plates, vessels, sculptures, and other wood carvings as well. We then had our grammar class, lunch/siesta, then convo class (in which all we did was talked in spanish about the disotecas). The group decided to walk around the Plaza after class and get some really good icecream(kind of like gelato). While we were walking around we saw an Irish Pub that looked like fun...so two others and I decided we were going to do an Irish Car Bomb. We go in, look at the menu and find the Coche Bomba (which literally means car bomb). Next to this written on the menu, though, is "don't ask." We figured that meant that if you're in an Irish bar you shouldn't have to ask what a car bomb is....apparently we were mistaken. We order them, the bartender pulls out three champaign flutes and immediately starts filling them with all different kinds of alcohol....at least six....he then lights it on fire, adds more alcohol, and then a tiny, tiny bit of pineapple juice. Worst drink ever...basically liquid fire. Needless to say, we learned our lesson about the Coche Bomba...never again. At home later that night, we hung out with El Gato (this is a term of endearment for the grandpa that everyone calls him because he doesn't eat much and prowls around the house), listened to some music, and chatted a little which was nice.

Friday we had a project in Chachan again...we built some more stoves. At my house there was a boy that looked like he was at least 13 years old but he said that he was only in the third grade...definitely showed us that up in the indigineous communities school is hard to come by. We built a pretty sweet stove and the house that we were in had more guinea pigs and some chickens (check out the pics). After we finished all the work, the community made us Huatia with Aji sauce....its potatoes that they cook in a mound of dirt and hot ash....they were actually quite tasty (but again not the most sanitary). We went for another run at night and it wasn't too bad...the breathing was more back to normal(I guess I'm getting aclimated!)

Today we went to the town of Raqchi. We actually were not in the town at all though, because we hiked down the side of a mountain in order to dig a water canal so that the people of the town could water their crops. The climb down was crazy...super steep and on the edge of this huge mountain. We dug with pickaxes and shovels and it was really, really hard work (especially with the altitude). The view was super pretty though! Tonight we are all going out to the discoteca that my professor recommended because we finally have a free day tomorrow and can sleep in!

Random facts:
My shower is fixed...I get shocked at least two times for every shower.
There are stray dogs everywhere...one took a snag of Kelli's lunch while we were walking to the ProPeru office the other morning.
The pastries and cake here are amazing! (They will be my downfall.)

More pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/arnberger.sarah/May27?authkey=Gv1sRgCMOY5ty28reI_gE#
http://picasaweb.google.com/arnberger.sarah/May29?authkey=Gv1sRgCOyfh6qgiNblHA#
http://picasaweb.google.com/arnberger.sarah/May30?authkey=Gv1sRgCNan9aTRivrRfw#