This just in: Mrs. Kach and Meg Kach are coming in hot on Urubamba in a couple weeks. I'm pumped to share my experiences with the one's who have made it possible in the first place. Also, shout-out to my obnoxious brother for arriving back state-side. Don't pretend he's matured at all from his European adventures, just note the increased hair gel and marginal dress style. That'll be all on that note.
It's been a pretty routine week since we got back from the glacier hike, but a few moments definitely stand out for a variety of reasons.
1) This week and next week are "sports week" at the 711 school. Not completely dissimilar to the golden days of Cider Mill field day, sports week involves inter-class volleyball and soccer games, refereed by the teachers. There are some definite glimpses of Misty May and Landon Donavon out here, but the real action for me was playing marbles with one of my fifth grade students on the blacktop. He taught me how to play, proceeded to kick my ass, and graciously gifted me his most colorful marble. Safe to say this little interaction made my day.
2) Say goodbye to bed bugs! After getting gnawed at for a couple weeks thinking my host mom couldn't do anything about it, I was pleasantly surprised when I walked home to some new bedding and my host mom hoisting a can of some heavy-duty solution. I salute you, Mrs. Coming Through in the Clutch Exterminator Mom.
3) Hannah, David, Emily, and I are supervised on the farm by a 24 year-old guy from Urubamba named Ameriko. He's the absolute man, and we've recently begun to learn a little something extra in the field. Before lunch on Wednesday, he brought out a pen and paper and began to teach us numbers and basic phrases in Quechua, a traditional Peruvian language typically spoken in the field. I'm killin' it with the new dialect when it comes to flirting with sixty year-old women in the market who speak Quechua, rather than Spanish. "pisca tomatitos noka munami" really got them warming up ("I want five tomatoes," or so i hope!).
4) Comida Chifa is truly epic. It's essentially Peruvian Chinese food, but it encompasses all that is right in the world. Last night, we went to Dinno's Comida Chifa as a group of volunteers. I got a chicken dish that almost lived up to the one and only Sandwedge. Best part, a full entree and a beer rounded out to about 15 soles, or 6 USD. Right on.
5) It's crunch time in Peruvian politics. On Sunday June 5, Peru will hold its presidential election. The race is currently between Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori, but politics aside, what I find most interesting is the Peruvian exercise of voting itself. First of all, it's mandatory to vote, and all citizens must throw a finger print down on their ballot. Secondly, political propaganda is everywhere: from flags on the roofs of mototaxis to spray painted murals on the sides of houses, name and platform recognition in Peruvian politics are huge, especially in the Sacred Valley where many voters vote based on familiarity or comfort with a certain name rather than on complete comprehension of the politician's goals. Lastly, Peru is offically "seco" from Friday morning-Sunday night, meaning the sale of alcohol is prohibited, presumably to limit intoxicated voting and subsequent celebrations or riots. Pretty interesting to note the differences in the Peruvian and American political arenas, but one thing's for sure, there's certainly work to be done here for the needy.
Tomorrow, I'll be on the farm again, then probably headed off to Cusco to enjoy the city for the night. A few of us are planning a bike trip around the Sacred Valley on Saturday, and I'm psyched to finally have a weekend down here without so much structure.
Over and out,
Chris
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