Hello from Cuzco!

And the adventure continues...it has been a little while since I posted and I am finally finding time to get some pictures up. Currently, I am in Cuzco, about to begin my volunteer placement tomorrow (it was supposed to start Monday, however the past 2 days have been some sort of holiday. a celebration about a battle btwn Chile and Peru, which aparently Peru lost. don't really understand holidays in this country...) Over the weekend I moved into a house that the school ownes and uses to house volunteers. It is MASSIVE. A mansion, particularly compared to Peruvian standards. I hosted a dinner party there on Sunday. I've been missing the hominess of 654 Jamestown, so it was a great introducion to my new place.

Yesterday a few friends and I went white water rafting down a river 2 hours south of Cusco. It was SUPER fun, but rediculously cold. I'm still thawing out today. I know, I'm from MN and should be able to handle things like that. Well, it was tough. But great fun, nontheless (though my friend Daphna might feel differently...the cold was a bit much for her Israeli blood).

So, that is the short update! I have a bunch of good friends that I've made through the Spanish school, some of whom are on their way soon to continue their travels, and others who will be staying to do volunteer work as well. It is a great community of really interesting people, all from different backgrounds.

I hope all is well with all of you! Please continue sending email updates. I love to hear!

laura

Quick update

Hello all!

It has been a little bit since I wrote and I wanted to post a little update. Things are going well in Cusco. I am just finishing my 4th week of Spanish school and feeling a bit overwhelmed, trying to get all of the tenses straight. I have learned a ton, but now need to go out and make sure that I practice all that I have learned. Isn't that the challenge we all have!

I start my first volunteer job on Monday. It is at the Centro de Salud Beleu Pampa here in Cusco. Tomorrow I will go there for a meeting, so I'm sure I'll have a better idea of it all after that. I am excited, and of course a bit nervous. I had some private medical Spanish lessions last week, so I now have at least a working vocabulary. I'll keep you posted on how things go!

I have done a bunch of exploring in the Sacred Valley over the past 2 weeks. I will post pics soon, I promise! Things are quite well here, busy and filled with amazing friends, both travelers and Peruvians. I am certainly lucky to have met some incredible folks, who have all eased my transition to life in Peru.

I recently got a cell phone, upon which I can receive texts and calls. The number from the states is (011-51-84-991-6036). Call if you would like. Otherwise, please keep the emails coming! It is so great to open up my mail to news from home and the people I care about.

Hasta pronto,

laura

Pics from ruins...

This is the Pisac ruins, where Incas lived in the Sacred Valley, south of Machu Picchu.

A friend, Bert, and I on yet another hike.
BIG rocks at Sacsayhuaman ruins outside of Cusco.

Amazing ruins.

More to come soon. Thanks for all the emails - I'm back in Cuzco for now, studying hard!

ciao,

laura

Some pics of the hike

We started hiking in the valley...this is part way up. The entire hike was 1200 meters. Wow!
A view looking toward Cuzco from the top.
The little pueblo in the valley is Pisac.

On the way down...very tired. These are the salt mines we saw on Tues. Really beautiful, like nothing I'd seen. The salty water comes from the mountains and each family keeps one square, where they divert the water. After about a month, the water has evaporated and they can harvest the salt.

A week in Taray

Hola amigos! I have changed locations for the time being. My Spanish school has a location outside of Cuzco that you can choose to study at for a week. It is in a tiny town called Taray, outside of Pisac (a larger, more well-known town). It is right in the heart of the Sacred Valley, just a bit south from Machu Piccu. We arrived on Sunday and will be here until Sat. My classes are in the afternoon (4-8), which means I get the whole morning to explore. Yesterday, I summited the peak that is just outside of Taray - more than 1000 meters of climbing in about 7 hours! It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done and today my legs are barely working. But it was amazing. When I return to Cuzco I`ll upload pics to share.

I am loving being in the mountains. The Sacred Valley is breath-taking and filled with unbelievable Inca ruins everywhere. Today we will head to some local salt mines and Th to some old archeological ruins close by.

This experience continues to be incredibly rich. I am learning Spanish at a great pace and feel confident about using it more and more. The other travelers I have met are great, mostly from Europe, Canada, and Australia. Everyone seems to enjoy getting out and seeing and doing as much as possible, which is great for me. It is wonderful to be surrounded by people who are also thinking a lot and enjoy sharing their thoughts and reflections as we experience this country and culture.

I hope all of you are well in your corners of the world. Thank you for the messages...it is energizing to get little glimpses into your lives. It makes me feel not quite so far away. I do carry all of your energies with me, and for that I am incredibly thankful.

Now in Cuzco

Old Spanish church in La Plaza de Armas.
This is a view of the market just down the street of my house.
La Plaza de Armas, right in central Cuzco. About 2 blocks from my school.
Looking out over the rooftops from one of my new favorite spots, South American Explorers clubhouse.

And more...

Their cure little place...clearly, Benj is still enjoying the morning lounge.
View of Huascaran

And more views from their cute little pueblito, Musho. Pretty amazing.