I can’t believe it’s been nearly a week already since I arrived in Cusco! The first glimpse I caught of the town was quite a stunning view from the plane: a sea of red roofs nestled in lush green mountains, spreading out and up. Our plane descended right into the city and landed at a tiny airport. After having to wait in a very short line (a real pleasure after the endless queues at the airport in Santiago), my stay here started off with some great news: I was accorded 183 days at the passport control! This means I can stay in Peru for at least half a year :). We’ll see where fate and my wanderlust will lead me after that…
Upon leaving the airport, I was greeted by a heavy downpour which then turned into hail. I must say, the weather has been, on occasions, a challenge for me. After enduring the heat in Chile, I find myself shivering or waking up with cold feet from time to time – the houses here don’t have heating. Oh, and tap water isn’t drinkable, either. This was easier for me to get accustomed to, as we had to use bottled water in Chile as well. Here we simply boil the water before drinking it (though I could buy water bottles, I prefer avoiding unnecessary waste – it’s doable, given that I’m not living in a big household). My stomach hasn’t complained yet :).
Apart from minor inconveniences that just need some getting used to, I’ve settled in fairly well in my new home. Surprisingly, I haven’t felt much of the effects of the high altitude (ascending directly from just under 600 to over 3400 meters above sea level is quite a leap). It might be partly due to the large amounts of coca tea my host mum insisted on brewing for me… She’s an amazing, really sweet, chatty person. Thanks to her, I’ve learnt to orientate myself in the busy hustle of the city, got to know which bus to take (though I still get confused at times) and what prices are acceptable for a taxi ride (seems they like to rip off foreigners here – just like most touristic destinations).
For the past few days, I’ve been savouring the delicious, cheap food (lots of vegetarian options here!), checking out various cute cafés, visiting yoga lessons – they always attract many foreigners, but I’ve found that it is interesting to meet other travellers and listen to their stories. There are also local markets to discover, offering piles of fresh fruit, some of which I didn’t know or hadn’t tasted before: granadillas, chirimoya, camu camu etc. And now and then the clouds part and I get to enjoy a sunny moment, always a highlight!
As school only starts beginning of March, I’ve got this week off to travel a bit before the planning of the school year starts. Together with Anna, another volunteer, we will go on a short trip to the rainforest (with emphasis on rain, as we’re in the middle of the Peruvian «temporada de lluvias»), where we will stay in a treehouse and hopefully observe nature at its finest (meaning as well that we most probably won’t have much of an internet signal – looking forward to some real time off :D).
Well, that’s it for now, I’ll be back with updates sometime after the jungle trip. ¡Cuídense y hasta pronto!
Sounds really like great fun you’re having! I enjoy reading; keep it coming.
As you know, although there’s potable water here, we still tend to buy too much bottled water, leaving so much to the recycling industry, which by the way, to my mind, is the only adequate thing Switzerland does for the environment. Much more work to be done to change consumers’ ways.
It’s maddening to think that we drink out of bottles here when what comes from the tap is mostly fresh water, and all strictly controlled.
Thanks :). Yes, you’re absolutely right – being here makes me appreciate all the more the excellent tap water quality we have in Switzerland. I just hope more of our fellow citizens will realise this and eventually stop buying bottled water – reusable bottles are a lot more stylish anyway :D.