Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Peru, Day 3: 12 hours in Qosqo

First of all, "Qosqo" is the Quechua spelling of "Cuzco." Second, my headache is entirely gone, and if I don't have any respiratory issues tonight, I think I'll start working out again in the morning. And third, in some more entirely too personal news, my face is as red as a tomato and feels as warm as someone with a fever of 102. I am neither sunburned, sick, nor drunk. I do not understand this phenomena, but I'm not complaining because it's keeping me warm in this heatless room.

This morning I found both a bank from which to withdraw soles, a store from which to buy an international calling card, a landline on which to call, and the international entrance code with which to call the US. (It's 001, cause we're number 1, apparently.) I successfully cancelled my card that thankfully had no new transactions on it, called my Mom, watched the Inti Raymi ceremony in the Plaza, bought a beautiful bag for 15 soles (approximately $5.50), found a wonderful cafe with internet, pastries, native bread, and a TV a short and gorgeous walk from the school, ate alpaca - at least that's what the ladies told me it was - from a street vendor, took myself out to dinner, watched two World Cup matches, found a market with clothes and fruit where there were no tourists (that means it's cheap because it's where the residents shop), met several new friends, studied Spanish for class tomorrow, and saw my first rocky, snowy, Andean peak. All in less than 12 hours.

Travelling in a country where I speak the language is truly thrilling! There is A LOT going on around me that I can't catch, but when people talk to me or I need to ask questions, or if I just want to make new friends at the school who don't speak English, my Spanish is definitely sufficient. And it's only going to get better!

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