Day 4 - Breath Deep

Ooops! This is gonna be quick as I (Ted) was unable to get a wireless connection until this morning.

Bev and Guy taking pictures of their new friends Zane and Leila

So day 4 was moving day! We got up early, got in cabs and headed out to the Lima airport early. Onto the plane for what proved and exciting flight in Cusco and the start of the mountain portion of the trip.

Why exciting? Well, Cusco is in a bowl in the mountains. And to get to the runway, one takes a VERY steep left hand turn to dip down into the bowl. Some of us enjoyed its. Others not so much. The latter of these opinions was perhaps summarized best by Jennifer's phrase regarding the need to have her stomach as a checked bag because it wasn't going to be accompanying you. Not even singing of "Soft Kitty" (the song that Sheldon and Penny sing on The Big Bang Theory) was sufficiently calming.

And Cusco! We were met by Puma, who will be our guide in the mountains, bright sun and cleaner, thinner air. The latter especially had an affect. In preparation for the altitude of Cusco most of the group had taken medication. I hadn't and I won't lie, the range of response to the drug was kind of funny to watch. Tingly was describe. There were some vacant deep stares. Arriving in Cusco, I wonder how many felt it was useful (a lot of the group has abandoned the medication as they found they were affected by the altitude regardless). The altitude affect was mild for most, describing some grogginess. Some had more troubles than others. It is too bad that its affect can't be well predicted (fitness doesn't help only time). The affects of the altitude has also proved to give us some of the funnier moments on the trip (stay tuned..I don't think I will have time to upload the video today).

Susan making friends and shopping

Puma took us to the Inca fortress Sasywyman (that is an incorrect spelling but I am coming up against time barriers to get this post done). Then it was to the Sun Temple upon which the Spanairds built a monestary. Curiously in earthquakes it is the monastery that crumbles while the Incan walls hardly move. As we left the sun disappeared and we were all surprised at how quickly the temperature cooled.

One of the things that the group has noticed and found interesting I think is the number of street vendors who are fairly insistent. I wonder how many of us are growing tired of the chant "Amigo, amigo!"

We are on the move again today. Sacred Valley and Aquas Calientes today. The Machu Picchu tomorrow. Whether I will get to post in the next couple of days I am not sure.....but stay tuned as some of the most exciting parts of the trip are about to occur.

Los Chicos de la Calle y su Musica

Pleases forgive the camera work and bad sound (acoustics and microphone on camera) but I think they sound pretty good!

Day 3 - Sleep, Economics and Music

Ted here! Geez I realize that as I write "sleep" and "economics" together that many of you will think going to our economics lecture and sleep perhaps happened at the same time (okay perhaps they did). Lets go to the morning to explain.

It was a chance to sleep in as the group wasn't getting together until the afternoon. Some went off and enjoyed the ruins down the road from the hotels, others chose to explore the city by foot (perhaps more exploration than was expected as they "re-found" themselves on the map and then eventually back to the hotel). All sorts of different individual experiences that I was privileged to hear about!

For me the morning was about getting as healthy as possible with rest (the scratch in my throat turned into a full on fever which seemed to break at about 10am this morning).

On with the day! We grabbed cabs and went to the offices of Hernando de Soto's Institute for Liberty and Democracy. There we met Jess's friend Gabriel Arrisueno. He told us about the impacts of regulations (or lack of) in informal economies and how they are related to the inability of people to escape poverty. For me at least it helped put into context what we had seen in Vista Alegre (I think that I have finally spelled that correctly). We then had a brief presentation from his colleague Vanessa Banchero about her work with Anyak in getting scholarships and providing support to kids whom otherwise would not be able to attend university.

Ted and his two instructors

Donna rockin' out Peruvian style

It was then onto another meeting with Luz and her merry band of street kids / musicians. We had the chance to listen to them play. They then taught us individually to play instruments. Again, a chance to experience a part of Peru that most people only see from the outside. In talking with some of the group, we commented on how these kids (boys/men mostly between the ages of 17 and 22)  acted very much like our students / other Canadian kids their age! From being able to speak their language with them I can tell you that they TALK very much like our NAIT students. However, most of them already have one child they were trying to support (if not more or at least more on the way). They had held two sessions to decide whom would come meet with us, ultimately choosing those with the best combination of musicianship and financial need.

Everyone Together!

 Some members of our group seemed to be stuck between how to "pay" them...would it be all right? Should it be through Luz?  Many wanted to give more beyond the donation that was incorporated into the cost of the trip here. I would be curious to hear people's opinions on this. I felt myself stuck in the middle of competing thoughts and idealogies as to what would be best. I don't think I was the only one that didn't know quite what was best.

Making our way through the rush hour traffic (pedestrian and automobile), we again saw the drastic change between the culture of the streets and the the culture of the more well off at the nearby mall. There we enjoyed dinner at a french-esque restaurant. Some even opted for ice cream afterwards!

Now, most of us are at the hotel, getting ready for an early flight to Cusco and the beginning of our time in the mountains!!

Learning Spanish - Would You Go to This Hospital?

Day 2 - Open Air Busses and Underground Cemetaries

Paul while on the city tour

Hello folks this is Ted! What a time to come down with a cold/flu (scratchy throat and fever so we will see how this turns out......and no I didn't catch scurvy). I have decided to call it an earlier night tonight and have decided to relax and write in the blog while I have a chance!

I didn't get as much of a chance to expand on the visit to Vista Allegre yesterday. I will leave it until later perhaps so I can get down what we did today first. I do want to say two things. First, thanks to Susan for posting a great picture of the view looking back from Vista Allegre. Second, to say that I almost feel embarrassed to give my opinions on it and have them stand as some sort of objective testimonial. Especially considering the range of experiences with that sort of poverty amongst the group members (okay I guess I am talking about it). I mean we range of experiences from Jess, whoou had lived and worked in these conditions for years, to other members of the group who were travelling not only outside of North America for the first time but perhaps making the harder journey outside of their comfort zone. If anyone of the group has a chance to added to this or do their own post with whatever reflections you had it would be great.

Unfortunately the only photos I have of us with the kids are Jess's and they are in RAW format....hope to get them downsizde to post here.

For me, it is something that I have seen and experienced before but am never "used to". Entering progressively poorer and poorer neighbourhoods I began to feel less and less comfortable. Again having some experience I was able to use rational thought to recognize that there wasn't really anything to be scared of. The group was amazing though. I did get the sense that there was some trepidation amongst people as we got off the bus. Not only because of the physical aspect (the stairs were STEEP) but the emotional one as well. I had to commend people because everyone seemed to make a conscious decision to go experience it. I think everyone was reassured by the appearance of local social worker and neighbourhood "guide" Luz, but I could be wrong. Regardless, most breathed a physical and emotional sigh of relief when we got to the top to see school age children waving flags and awaiting our arrival.

Again, I hesitate to generalize or speak for others. One of the comments that did seem universal was the hesitance of the group to take pictures out of respect for the people who live there. I think many in our group struggled with what was okay to do. Again, the group needs to be commended on their sensitivity. And it is a sensitive issue. Ironically, most of the kids seem to want to have their pictures taken and certainly Luz wanted the rest of the world to know what life was like there. She and the other school "mother" Blanca (who loans out one of the two rooms of her house as the local school) kept inviting us back, inviting us to come work there. To the extent that people's minds were completely changed about the conditions of poverty I am not sure. But conversations on the bus seemed to reflect that most of us were (oops I accidentally put werent the firt time) thinking about what we had seen and felt. I am sure that your friends/family whose trip you are reading along with will have their own stories and perspectives! Would LOVE to hear from those of you in the group who would like to post yours here.

So today! First was the National Museum. We had a guided tour of some of the pre-Cololmbian artifacts of the people whom lived there. Then, most went to the 6th floor of the museum where there was an exhibit regarding the "Shining Path" uprisings that saw tens of thousands killed. Again, a lot of questions from the group (these are an inquisitive bunch). It was a confusing time and was hard for me as an outsider to sort out who was fighting against whom and why. Others in the group expressed the same.

|City Hall in the Plaza de Armas

Gerta and Susan in the Plaza de Armas

Lunch and then the city tour! we saw pre-Incan ruins, went to the main plaza, and walked through the underground cemetery of the Franciscan cathedral. No photos allowed. and who would want to. Interesting that the excavated bones of those buried beneath had been displayed for tourism purposes. Back on the bus (but not before buying gum from the street kids) and to the Larcomar mall. We had to bid good-bye to our Habla guides Alberto, Roce and Pati and people went in different directions to enjoy dinner.

And tomorrow? Well, again a chance to mingle with some of the local street musicians...why do I think that we aren't going to just be spectators? Then Tuesday it will be off to Cusco on our way to Machu Picchu!

Peru 1 - Wow are Actucally Here

This will be a short update as we are getting ready to hop on the bus for the city tour and the NaTIONAL MUESEUM.A fun start to the trip! We started off our day a little tired (some from having arrived late into Lima, others from spending a  night late out in Lima)

First Spanish lessons....and our first 'word of the day'. Guy, in his group asking the teach how to say '%$#t out of luck! Some good laughs and good sketches.

Some time to show and garden in the market followed. Then to lunch!

We had a great lunch before going off to Vista Alegre visiting, the informal school run by Luz and Blanc in one of the squatter neighbourhoods. Just about everyone had to buy a treasure made by these kids.

On the way back, Jennifer came up with the second phrase of the day 'shrubbery'. How a Monte Python reference made it in I am not sure.....

A meal then a wander through San Isidrio to overlook the tide rolling in and have the evening ocean air sooth us. Early nights for most (I think although faces on the bus might tell a different story)...Hope to have pictures up of Vista Alegre soon!