Peru #11: Altitude Adjustment

The elevation in Cusco is a crazy 11,000+ feet!  To put that into perspective, the elevation in Colorado Springs (where I used to live) is roughly 6,000 feet and the top of Pikes Peak is at 14,115 feet.

Looking down on Cusco.

Leading up to this trip, I was very nervous about how the altitude would affect me.  So, I did the smart thing and obtained altitude sickness pills, Diamox, from a travel clinic prior to my trip.  I was instructed to take the first pill 12 hours before my arrival in Cusco, and to continue taking one pill every 12 hours until they were gone.  I believe there were around 8 to 10 pills total.  I must say, the pills worked for me.  I did feel very tired my first few days here, but that always happens when I travel, so I can't necessarily blame that on the altitude.  I also had some shortness of breath when climbing stairs, so that probably was a direct affect of the altitude.  I did not however feel nauseous or experience headaches, which is what I was especially worried about.

Peru #10: Mamá Mia

Just like in the US, Sunday May 10th was Mother's Day here in Peru.  There is a lot to say regarding this holiday, and mothers in Cusco in general, so here goes.

One of the first things that I noticed after arriving here was that mothers seem to take their children everywhere with them.  I came to realize (after looking at the women's faces) that most of these women are not actually the mothers, but the grandmothers or even great-grandmothers.  I also learned that teenage pregnancy is a problem here, so that is part of the reason why many children are looked after by other relatives.

Strollers are extremely uncommon here.  I would say of all the babies and toddlers I have seen, less than 5% have been in strollers.  This means that children are either hand held, forced to walk, or carried on the women's backs in traditional blankets.

This is a rare sight in Cusco.

Peru #9: Driving Me Crazy

I mainly posted this photo because I like the mural. 

Transportation here in Cusco is peculiar enough that it deserves its own post.  It is very cheap and easy to travel by bus and taxi.  (I've already talked about the bus system so I won't go into that too much in this post.)  Whenever you need a taxi, there is always one nearby.  And whenever you don't need a taxi, there are always one hundred nearby.  (While standing near a road or waiting for a bus, you will be honked at by nearly every taxi that passes by, which becomes very annoying very fast.)  Pretty much any car here is a taxi.  Some are official taxis, which are marked by signs on the top of the car roof.  Most however are unofficial/semiofficial taxis, which are marked by red and white stickers on the doors of the car.

Peru #8: It's a Wonder

When I told people I was going to Cusco, Peru, the very first thing most people asked me was whether I was going to visit Machu Picchu.  (In case you aren't aware of what it is, Machu Picchu is a "lost" Incan city from the 1400s that was rediscovered to the outside world in 1911.  A few years ago, it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.)  My response was, "I guess so, since I'll be so close."  So, as you tell, I was ecstatic about this opportunity.

Seriously though, I was excited about the chance to visit Machu Picchu, but it was never high on my travel priority list, partly because I had no desire to EVER do the five-day Inca Trail hike to get there.  Thankfully, there are many other ways to get there, ranging from expensive to cheap, and easy to full-on ordeals.  Of course, the way I ended up getting there was a full-on ordeal.

Peru #7: Estudiante and Profesora

My new schedule started this past Monday.  My Spanish class is now from 9am to 11am Monday through Friday.  There are four students in my class - one guy from Washington, DC, one girl around my age from Minnesota/NYC, and one younger girl from Manchester, England.  Our teacher is a Peruvian named Robert, and he seems to be in his mid to late 20s.  He is a great teacher and makes the classes very fun, allowing us to joke around a lot (in Spanish and English.)  All of us seem to be at similar levels with our knowledge and mastering of Spanish, so it has been a great fit for all of us so far.

View from my new classroom, on the third floor.  There is actually a green bird (loro) that is a pet that hangs out at the house across the way.

Peru #6: It´s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

My home-stay in Cusco is located in a part of town known as Wanchaq, and in is in the Villa Periodista neighborhood.  We live on the third floor of a five-floor building.  I have called the home an apartment in a previous post, but I guess condominium would be more appropriate since the unit is owned not rented.  The building is located at the end of a small dead end street.  (Dead end streets seem to be pretty common here.)

At the beginning of our street. 

Peru #5: Ch-ch-ch-changes

I hadn't even been in Cusco for a week, and already there were many changes happening.

Peru #4: Volver

On Tuesday (last week), I still hadn't heard anything about my missing suitcase.  I did some searching via the United Airlines website and found out that my suitcase supposedly arrived in Cusco the previous day.  I had a (very friendly) staff member at my school help me make calls to find out for sure.  She first called the United Airlines number at Lima airport, and they stated that my bag arrived in Cusco that day and was sent via LAN Airlines.  (This confused me because I flew Avianca, not LAN, to Cusco, and LAN is not even in the same airline network as United.)  She then called the LAN Airlines phone number at Cusco airport, and they confirmed that my suitcase was there.  Yay!  They also confirmed that I would have to come to the airport to get it, as baggage delivery service was not an option.  Boo!

Peru #3: El autobús y más

For my second day of school, it was time for my roommates and I to learn how to ride the bus.  For the route that runs by our house, we have to ride the El Zorro bus.  The buses here have unique names and often cartoon figures on the windows to help distinguish one bus route from another.  Some of the other names I recall seeing are Batman, Chaska (star), Arco Iris (rainbow.)

El Zorro! 

Peru #2: First Day of School

On Monday morning, neither my roommates nor I wanted to wake up.  We had to get up very early to be at the school at 7am.  After getting ready and having a quick breakfast of pineapple juice, bread, and jam, the three of us took a taxi to school.

The school, Maximo Nivel, is located in the middle building.  (This picture was actually taken the following day.)  If you look closely, you can see words and pictures etched into the side of the mountains.

After arriving, we were placed in a room with all of the other new students, which only included the American boy I met the previous day.  We were given an orientation about the school and the local area.  Then it was test time!

Peru #1: Journey and Arrival

My journey down to Cusco went basically as planned, with a few surprises along the way.