Mis Primeros Momentos (My First Moments)

Hi everyone,

So I got to Peru Wednesday morning... They weren´t kidding about this altitude sickness business, even with popping Western pills and drinking large amounts of the native solution: coca leaves, which is this tea that helps settle your headache. After informing my parents that I was drinking it in massive consumption, my mother wrote back expressing her concern that coca leaves is connected to cocaine, and that I should be careful because she doesn´t want me coming home addicted to anything. Hehe. Don´t worry, I don´t need it anymore as the sickness is pretty much waring off.

Anyway, my host family consists of 4 women. There´s Ruby, 13, Dagny, 26, and Karem, the one who works for A Broader View (the organization I´m going through), and is somewhere in her 30´s, and they´re all sisters. Their mother is Glenis. She has immense Jewish mother tendencies, and they are all warm and welcoming. I spent my first day laying down and getting acclimated, unpacking, and eating with the family. They can´t get over that I only eat certain types of meat, and they couldn´t believe that I don´t eat gelatin, this being discovered after Karem offered me some jello.

This morning, my second day, I got up and Glenis made me a wonderful smoothie consisting of papaya, apples, milk, and honey, and then I decided to explore the Plaza de Armas, basically the center and hot spot of Cusco. Trying not to look too touristy, I used my map and asked to help me get around. First I went to see the Catedral, which is basically one of Peru´s most famous buildings.It was built in 1550 and shows how the Catholics pretty much imposed on the Incans. I also saw the Museo de Historia Natural, the Museum of Natural Art, which holds a bunch of plants, bugs, and rocks from Cusco, and models (and jars of dead) animals. I also made my way to the Museo de Arte Religioso, the Museum of Religious Art. It used to be this Incan palace, and then became the house of the archbishop. At the Plaza de Armas, the people were very friendly, and it was neat to use my Spanish to help me get around.

On Monday, I start Spanish lessons and my work in the orphanage. Until then I´m just resting up and hopefully I´ll be meeting with the other volunteers, several girls from all over the world.

I have a ton more pictures to put up of my host home and the Plaza de Armas, but for some reason it won´t let me load anymore. Advice appreciated, just post a comment.

I forgot to mention, no one in this house speaks English, except Karem speaks a limited amount. So, I need to constantly speak Spanish, which is a really good thing. I´ve made some hilarious, as according to this household, mistakes, including talking about my pet hair, Pumba, who is very big and is from Belgium. They got a kick out of that one.

Missin´everyone,

Avra