Back on Track

For some reason, my last three blog posts were deleted when I first logged onto the internet in Peru.  They must have had the gringo-proof settings on in full force.  I found a way to get this blog back and running, and I'm excited to recount the most notable parts of my two-month stay in Urubamba so far.

A fountain in downtown Cusco

A view of the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, one of the most "touristy" areas in the Sacred Valley

Above is a picture of a statue on top of a peak in Cusco at sunset.

We arrived in Urubamba, a small village in the Sacred Valley of Peru, on Friday night.  The small van packed full of anxious volunteers spilled out into the ProPeru office, and we waited nervously to meet our homestay families.  Luckily, my family was the first family to arrive at the office, so the nerve-racking wait quickly turned into an exciting cross-cultural banter.

Dulia Acuna and her six year old daughter, Allison, live about two miles away from the ProPeru office on the river bank in Urubamba.  In addition to Allison and Dulia, I'm living with Dave, a rising junior at Duke.

We've enjoyed amazing meals so far from Dulia, including fresh fruit and coca tea for breakfast and arroz con pollo for dinner.  The days have been filled with exploring with Urubamba, hanging out with my younger sister Allison, hiking the surrounding peaks, and relaxing in the beautiful Plaza de Armas.

On Sunday, we visited the Incan grounds known as Moray, as well as the incredible salt mines of Urubamba.

Picture above is Moray.  This was taken from a ledge about 100 meters above the center-most ring in the grass field.  The Incans used these ground to supposedly experiment with different agricultural techniques because each level represent a unique "microclima."  Essentially, each layer of the concentric circles picture above is about 8 feet high, therefore creating a change in temperature from layer to layer.  Some attribute the variety of fruits and vegetables in the Sacred Valley (over 3000 kinds of potatoes) to the innovative agricultural techniques employed by the Incans.

We traveled from Moray to the salt mines, winding down easily the scariest one-lane road I've ever been on.  Yes mom, worse than Pelham lane on my way to hockey practice in the snow.  Here's the view!

 Today, we got a very detailed orientation on our work projects down here.  I'll be teaching three 5th grade classes at "La Escuela 711" in Urubamba, focusing on environmental awareness and the english language.  We'll be teaching for three hours a day, three days a week.  The other two days, I'll be working in a green house, growing local plants in order to sell them in the Urubamba market.  Besides teaching and working in the market, I'll have spanish class every day from 7pm-830pm.  Unlike my experiences in high school, this class will run four days a week for 90 minutes and be 1-on-1.  My first class is tonight, and I'm excited to note how quickly my Spanish improves- can't wait to shed the gringo title!

Next week, we're hiking to a glacier on a peak in a neighboring village, called Chicon.  The hike takes two days, and because I still need to adjust to the altitude, I'm going for a quick afternoon hike now!

I have more email access than I anticipated, and a quick hello is always appreciated!