Arequipa: La Ciudad Blanca

Happy New Year, everyone! August first marked the first day of the new year, according to the Andean calendar. We celebrated with confetti and kisses all around at work that afternoon.

Anyway, as you know, a few weeks ago I went to Arequipa (I’m gonna be lazy and use shorthand from now on...Arkpa=Arequipa). After a full night on the bus, which was surprisingly comfortable and relaxing, I was greeted by my abuela (my dad's mom) Carmencita, who lives in the city, and la Lucia, who had flown in the day before. As Fernando works for an airlines company, his family can fly for free...his biological family, that is.

I spent the first day sleeping, and later chatting with a whole bunch of new family members... always fun to do in a foreign language. Finally at night, Fernando flew in from Lima after his work week ended there. We (Carmencita, la Lu, tío Pepe, and I) went to pick him up at the airport, then took a quick tour of the city at night, including a stop for salchipapas (cut up hot dogs and french fries, smothered in much too many condiments...quite tasty!) 

La Plaza de Armas, Arequipa

We spent the rest of the next three days together doing a mix of touristy things (for me) and family things (for, well, everyone). There were several great lookout points with incredible views of this AMAZING city, we enjoyed some delicious, loooong, relaxing lunches, and even went to a mall. It was actually a pretty cool experience to see a Peruvian mall (although not much different than those in the States) as Cusco definitely does not have one.

Fernando took me to a convent right downtown (no, not to get rid of me). It is for cloistered nuns, meaning the ladies do not leave the grounds once they enter. They have very limited contact with the outside world, such as their family (see Mom, it could be worse...). 'So really, Amy, why did you visit a convent?' It is actually one of Arkpa’s tourist attractions. We got to see about 70% (the rest is still in use by the monjas) and it was like a city within the city. The rooms were all set up like they used to be way-back-when (very basic) and the alleys made up a labyrinth of brightly painted walls and pots of flowers.

Fernando and I touring the convent of Santa Catalina

The more family-oriented experiences in Arkpa included a very long chat over coffee with Fernando one morning, playing on the roof with Lu and Carmen’s dog, and FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY watching the last Harry Potter (sinful, I know, to have waited a whole year, but better late than never...yeah? And better in Spanish...?)

Two disappointments of the trip included: 1. not getting to go to the famous Colca Canyon because the bus we were scheduled to take there broke down the night before, too late to make arrangements through another company, and it was my last day in the city; and 2. not getting to see my Arkpa friends whom Shauna and I met at Lake Titicaca. We tried, but our schedules never lined up right. It’s okay though....facebook saves the day again! I still talk to the boys quite a bit, felizmente.

The let-downs could never outweigh the awesomeness of the trip though. The city is probably my favorite big city I ever have been to. Period. I have been blessed to see a lot of big cities from Seattle to NYC to Paris, and while Arkpa isn’t Paris-huge, it definitely beats it, in my personal opinion. Now, by this point I have become very partial to my new country, so you may just have to come to Arkpa to decide for yourself. Until then, here are some reasons it is such a cool place:

El Misti

• It is shadowed by three volcanoes, sleepily occupying the entire background of the city, meaning that there is almost always a white-capped giant in the pictures you take here. The most famous and stereotypically volcano-like in appearance is the elegant Misti, but Chichani and Pichu Pichu are not to be taken for granted either. Majestic. All of them.

• And while I might say that the city is shadowed by these giants, the city was by no means dark. In fact, the climate is amazing there. It was sunny every day and warm, warm, warm! It felt wonderful to finally be hot during the day, and to not need a coat at night. Also, the palms all over the city make it feel like the ocean is less than the two hour distance away. ¡Rrrrico!

• Modernity! This city is much more modern than my own here in Perú, as demonstrated by the presence of both malls and movie theaters. Its very clear European influence also makes it feel more modern than the Incan Empire Capital I call home. In some of the really cool plazas that are all over the city, I felt more like I was in Spain than Perú.

La Lu and I in the Plaza

• Perhaps the most unique part about this city is that smack dab in the middle of it all - city blocks, honking cars and combis, tall buildings and bright lights - there were farm fields. Big ones and small ones alike, some agricultural, some full of livestock...all over the city. It was so bizarre and yet so cool. This is a big reason I fell in love with Arkpa. A part of me belongs in the city, but my heart is country...so why not have both?! What a great idea! Hopefully you can kind of get an idea from these pictures.

Don´t be fooled by the volcano, the farm fields and the cows...you are still in the city

• Finally, the whiteness (and I’m strictly talking the color of the buildings...). The city is known as La Ciudad Blanca, or the white city, as a good amount of its buildings are made from volcanic material, which is white when it hardens. So from the white-capped volcanoes to the plaza square, it is all white. (Unless it is painted in some fun, bright colors, as many are, making Cusco seem a little brown and drab in comparison. Not to worry, though, I am still a Cusqueña through and through.)

El Misti, looking over his Ciudad Blanca

Overall, what an incredible experience! I am so thankful I got to see this awesome city (in a fairly localized fashion) to give me yet another idea of what is Perú. The diversity in both the cities and people here is really spectacular. 

¡Te amo, Perú!

Long Overdue Life Updates

Okay, so it’s finally time for a more concrete update on my life these past few weeks.  Let´s go back a ways...

Julio´s book presentation was a success, I´d say.  I was so proud of my lindo abuelo up there on stage.  After, I celebrated with my family and two wonderful friends, Shauna and Yoshi, and with some wine and pizza.  Una noche bonita.

As an aside: At the dinner, a friend of the family gave me perhaps the best compliment of my life.  She told me that I seemed very Latina, for I have the smile and spirit of Latinas...I´m telling you, I belong here...

Shauna and I spent the weekend/week doing everything on our to-do list, ranging from mass in La Compañía to shopping in San Pedro to jugo, anticuchos, y picarones in the Plaza to going out one last night together.  So much fun, although bittersweet.

I went to Arequipa, my new favorite big city.  Details on this fun trip in the next post.  The day I returned was a sad one because I had to say goodbye to my darling mejor amiga, la Shaunacita.  She is now safely back in the States, and not a day has passed since that I haven´t wanted to text her, chat with her at work, go out to explore the city together, etc.  Thank goodness for facebook, right?

Both trying to stay positive, just moments before Shauna left  the city

Since then I have been spending time with my family, watching movies with them and taking my sister to the Plaza and the fair and whatnot. However, they all went to Lima for the whole week because the kids are on vacation, so with just me and the abuelos at home, it´s been pretty quiet and lonely. I´m learning that I don´t handle loneliness too well.

I went up to Cristo Blanco a few times to catch a breathtaking glimpse of my gorgeous city.  My friend from work took me on a tour of her university here.  This grand tour even included a stop at the zoo on their grounds.  Very cool.  Also, I´ve spent some time in cafes on the Plaza just watching the world go by and taking it all in, trying to believe that I am actually here, in Perú, living a Cusqueñan life.  I am the luckiest person alive.

The view of Cusco from Cristo Blanco

The Big Guy

Me, Cintya, Yessi and Juve...my partners in crime:)

I have been to a few parrilladas these past few days.  One was with a friend and his work buddies, and the other with my friends from work.  (That one was particularly fun because we spent hours after just running around this gorgeous, sleepy little town outside of Cusco, dancing, laughing, and taking silly group pictures...as seen in the rest of this post.  I´ve been so blessed with such a loving and fun work family.)  So what is a parrillada, you ask?  A cook-out!  Any kind of meat you could want, yummy bread, salad, Cusqueña, so so good!  And with Perú´s Independence Day this weekend, it was time to celebrate.  (Seriously, between Corpus Christi, Cusco´s Mes Jubilar, and now las fiestas patrias, I came here in the right season!)


Believe it or not, I have been working among all this fun too!  We have been given many more tasks in these past few weeks at APORVIDHA, which I love.  Here´s a sampling of what us volunteers have been working on:

• research possible international funding resources and send petitioning emails to these groups and organizations
• translate miscellaneous materials from English to Spanish for office use
• read laws written in Spanish regarding the rights of indigenous pueblos, then create images and make other suggestions as to how to make these laws easier to understand for non-Spanish-speakers (ie the Quechua-speaking indigenous, to whom the laws pertain)
• research laws from other countries, such as New Zealand, that protect indigenous populations and translate them to Spanish so the office and various other lawyers and organizations can have good examples of such laws
• read and take notes on various materials to prepare presentations and projects on miscellaneous topics
• continue to attend meetings and events as they happen (last week we had a meeting that was half in Spanish and half in Quechua, which was pretty exciting!)

Needless to say, we have been pleasantly busy.  The atmosphere in the office continues to be light and fun, with everyone in good spirits.  My work friends are becoming more and more like my good friends, and they continue to inspire me with their passion and energy.  I am so thankful for this opportunity to work for social justice in this capacity, and so perfectly pleased with my decision to come to Perú and to work at APORVIDHA!

Anyway, these are the details of this cholita who has been missing in action these few weeks. Again, sorry for my silence.  ¡Cuidense y nos vemos!

Felices Fiestas Patrias a mi Lindo País

Hola amigos!  Let me start with an apology for my silence lately.  My computer has decided it’d prefer not to turn on and work has been wonderfully busy so I don’t have the time I used to there to update you all on life.  Also, to the MANY of you whom I owe an email, facebook message, or Skype date, its coming ASAP, I promise...

Oh and I need to give a shout-out to my beloved país, el Perú.  Tomorrow is Independence Day here.  ¡Felices fiestas patrias a todos en el rojo y blanco!

Okay, post time: I wrote this one on paper first, and later am typing it out on the computer, but let’s say I’m still with my pen and paper in the Plaza de Tupac Amaru, not 3 blocks from my home.  I’m soaking in the rich sun (or tomando el sol, as they say here) and listening to a radio station that plays huayno, music very typical of the Peruvian cielos, or mountains.  Full of  Peruvian pride, the songs often give shout-outs to various cities, especially Cusco, and to cusqueñitas like myself:)  I am sitting on a bench full of cusqueños who are all at least three times my age, many in traditional clothes.  Like me, they are tomando el sol and watching the world pass by...well, some are sleeping (I’m telling you, the sun is so rico here!).  About a half an hour ago the plaza was crazy - full of people sporting their Cienciano red, after what I presume was a successful fútbol game for the Cusco team in the stadium only a block or two away.  People ran to the statue of Tupac and his caballo in the center of the plaza for some sort of celebratory rally and pick-up trucks with way too many people in the bed drove around the square with speakers blasting music and the passengers blaring horns.  So exciting!

Now the plaza has calmed down and there is a certain sense of Sunday afternoon peace.  Teenage friends, old men, and families are gathered all over - the benches, the grass, caminando -  and the beauty of it is that no one seems to be hurried or rushed.  Everyone is simply enjoying the moment, taking in the sun, the fresh breeze, the company, the afternoon.  It just seems right, you know? Why must we always be moving, working, being productive?  Anyone who knows me knows I am the queen of to-do lists and that I can’t rest easy until I have crossed something off that list.  It is not a character trait that I am proud of and the people here have taught me, by example, how to really value the moment, to take a breath and realize the treasure this day is.  I pray that I can bring a bit of this back with me to the States.

Also, people here are so much more relaxed about an assortment of things.  The best way to explain what I mean is by example, I think.  Anywhere you go, you can buy food or tea from women who clearly made them in their homes.  In the States, this would require special permits and Health Department checks, but it’s so common here.  Kids roam a lot more freely here, without parents worrying about what happens if they fall or get lost.  There is not the tight reign on them like back home.  You can drink in the streets (obviously within reason) without a problem.  Like I mentioned earlier, there are unmarked holes and other obstacles the size of Texas in the sidewalks that would most definitely draw legal problems and headline news back home.  No soap or hot water in the bathrooms?  Cool it, kid.  You will be fine, I promise.  Oh and people share food, drinks, silverware, etc much more freely without worrying about spreading germs.  I don’t know how to explain what I am trying to say, but everything here is just so much more relaxed.  People do not freak out about cosas q pasan and, as a result, in my humble opinion, the atmosphere is so much more calm and enjoyable.  Why be so tense worrying about things that could happen when you could just live life as it happens?  Again, a lesson I am learning from la linda gente acá.  

And I probably sound like a broken record by now, but the people are so warm and friendly.  It is incredibly easy to make friends here because in general, the people are open and amable.  Whether a sister or a stranger, everyone is ‘linda’, ‘mamacita’, ‘amiga’ and so on.  I have had the best conversations with taxistas, store clerks, friends of friends of friends, and other strangers-turned-acquaintances.  Granted, I realize some of this friendliness is because I am clearly a tourist, or because I am buying something from their store, etc, but it is still very different than the States.  Something very beautiful.

I am suddenly struck with frustration because I thought I would have the words to explain just what it is that has made me fall hopelessly in love with the culture here.  I’d hoped to paint a picture for those of you back home of what it is like to spend a day in the life here...but now that my pen is against the paper, words just don’t seem to work.  My description is by no means doing justice to the feeling that I’ve had here for the past two months now.  In fact, I’m not convinced that I will ever find the right words.  It is a feeling, an ambiance, a sense of siblinghood, a breath of fresh mountain air...something that fills my chest until my heart beats happier.  

¡Viva el Perú!

Mi Familia Cusqueña

So I suppose at about a month and a half in, it’s probably time that you meet the family. Let me start by saying that I have the sweetest family in the world (besides my biological family, of course!)

I’ll begin with my abuelos. The kids call them nonno and nonna, as my abuelo has Italian roots. When I first arrived, Julio, my grandpa, took me under his wing as if I were his own little girl. He was the one to first walk me to places like the office, the Plaza, etc. On those walks we got to know each other better (even though he has to stop walking in order to talk - I’ve learned to allow extra time whenever walking with sweet Julio). He’s always the one telling me never to take a taxi alone, be careful when walking after dark, and abrigate bien!, and he worries about what time I will be home, whom I’m going out with, and so on. Imagine the stereotypical old man with a classy sweater, a fedora hat, and a bit of an old man slur (making his Spanish nearly impossible to understand at times) and you’ve got my dulce nonno. Lately he has been preoccupied with the presentation of his book. That’s right, my grandpa’s a writer. Most of his books (there are many) have been collections of his poetry, but this one, which he has been working on for years, is a novel/autobiography about his family and his life. It is finally in print and the big presentation is tonight!  It’s practically all he has been talking about over the past few weeks, understandably so, and I am so excited for him! Mi abuelo, el escritor famoso!  

Julio, Lu and Caro, hanging out on Father's Day

His lovely wife, Caroline, is more of a young soul. She’s in love with music, so songs are always blasting from the radio or her laptop (and I mean blasting). In fact, she will be playing the guitar and singing as part of the presentation of Julio’s book. On the weekends, it's not uncommon for her to go out dancing with her friends and return about the time I do from the discos. She loves her laptop, and talks to her family and friends on Skype every night. An amazing cook, she spends her mornings preparing a yummy lunch for the family every day. Her mind seems to be in a lot of places at once, making it a bit difficult to keep up sometimes, but she is ‘a woman for others’, quick to compliment everyone and to serve others, making sure her family is happy.

My momma’s name is Erica, and she is a sweetheart. She always wants to make sure that I am healthy and happy, and helps me to better understand the cultures and customs of Cusco. She has spent a few months in the US, so she understands the difficulties that language and cultural barriers can throw my way, and for this I am so thankful. Unfortunately her job in construction administration takes her to work very early and keeps her there very late, and often she is in the office on the weekends as well, so I spend the least amount of time with her, but always enjoy the time we do get together.

Papa and me in San Blas, Cusco

Fernando is my dad, and he is a pile of smiles. Always happy and chatty, Fernando and I probably get along the best. We are always teasing each other, and when we get the chance, we like to dance the night away in the living room: he is teaching me to salsa! (Thankfully he is full of patience...these hips are by no means Latina.) He too, spent about six months in the States and knows a good amount of English, which makes the communication that much more fun because we can tease each other in Spanglish. It is also nice because when I am at a loss for Spanish vocabulary, I can explain myself in English and he’ll teach me the words in Spanish. It’s cheating a bit, I know, but sometimes it’s a comfort to have that option. Papi works in Lima, so he spends from 5 to 10 days at a time in the city and then flies home for about 4 days in a row. The downside of this is that there is a dad-dry-spell, but the silver lining is that when he is home, he doesn’t have to work so he spends the entire time just hanging out with his kids, which is a blast.

Ale and me at Corpus Christi

Speaking of the kids, Alejandro is my teenage brother and best friend in the house. He is a typical teen in a lot of ways (goes out with his friends, plays the guitar, eats a lot, sometimes acts like he is too cool to be seen with the family, etc.) but he is one of the sweetest teenage boys I’ve met. Ale is always making sure his parents are happy, and he takes really good care of his little sister. Sure, he picks on her and is definitely the stronger of the two, but overall he demonstrates that protective, loving characteristic of big brothers. It’s quite adorable. He and I also pick on each other a lot, both with words and the playful swing of the arm. My favorite nights are those when Ale and I stay up late chatting late while the rest of the house is asleep.

Finally there is Lucia (Luc, Lucy, Lu, mi hermanita...). She is a nine-year-old bucket of energy that never slows down until her head hits the pillow at night. Always talking, telling stories and jokes, and singing, you can hear the girl coming from miles away. She loves her gymnastics: the whole house is her gymnasium and her preferred method of transportation is cartwheeling. She was the quickest to warm up to me, and we now have our own handshake (jealous?). She LOVES that she knows more Spanish than me and I appreciate the constant corrections from mi mejor maestra... until I find out that something she told me is, in fact, incorrect.

Can't beat a face like this:)

Although Lu can be pesky and quite the instigator, she absolutely adores her brother. It's quite endearing, and sometimes when I watch the two of them interact, I feel like I’m watching home videos of my brothers and I, some 12 years ago. Like I used to, Lucia just longs for the attention of her big brother, but sometimes this translates into her being pretty annoying. She can be whiny and very much in his face, and sometimes, like my brothers did, he can get annoyed and react with perhaps too strong of force. She is feisty, though, and fights back, usually resulting in her getting more hurt and upset, and a few times there have been tears. It’s unbelievable how much I can relate, which helps because I can talk to her after and explain how it is with big brothers. At the end of the day, Ale clearly cares deeply about his pesky little sister, and she greatly looks up to him. It’s an adorable relationship, one which is fun for me to watch play out and think about my own loving and protective big brothers in the States.

Altogether, I really feel like I am part of this family. They love me and care for me as if I was their own, and I feel the same about them. I am so comfortable around them and in my home. It’s the perfect match and I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, loving Cusqueñan family!   

The Trio

La locura al lago: Loving the Lake

What a weekend it was!  As you already know, Shauna and I went on a whirlwind tour of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.  Cool, huh?

One of the Uros Islands

We started Thursday night on an overnight bus ride to Puno.  (It was great that we had the trip to look forward to, because on Thursday we had to say goodbye to our American friends who had been taking classes in Cusco, and are now back in the States.  We hated to see them go!)  After the trip, from about 5am to 7am, we got to sleep in a real bed at the house of the travel agency we went through, and then we made our way to board the boat that would show us the islands over the next 36 hours or so.


First we went to the Uros Islands, which are the famous floating islands on the lake.  That’s right, these man-made islands have to be anchored down so they don’t float to Bolivia (after all, as one indigenous man on the island joked with us, they don’t have passports or visas!).  So basically what happens is a group of the indigenous population there gets together (usually about 6-10 families who are either related or close friends) and decides they want to create their own island.  And that’s exactly what they do.  Made of essentially dirt and straw, the people construct an island and then the straw houses that sit on them.  Then these 6 to 10 families live there together, with one of members acting as president.  Most of their money comes from tourism, from people like me oohing and ahhing over their floating lifestyle, and as could be expected, most of their money is spent on their Mercedes Benz.  Okay, so that’s not so true, but they did joke about their Mercedes Benz, which is what they called their elaborate canoes made of straw.  We got to take a ride in one of these majestic creations.  Suave!

A Mercedes Benz of Lake Titicaca, the famous totora reed boats

Next we took a three hour ride (back in a motor boat) to the next island, Amantani.  Try as I might, I could not keep my eyes open (nor could my travel companions) so we dozed in and out of amazing views of the gorgeous lake.  At Amantani we split into small groups to eat at our homestays, so Shauna and two other girls from our volunteer program and I ate soup, potatoes and cheese with our temporary mom.  Luckily she spoke Spanish (in addition to her native Quechua) so we were able to converse while eating.

The moon over one of the clay houses on Amantani

The view from my bedroom door!  Buenos dias, Lake Titicaca and the Andes!

The evening was spent climbing to the top of Pachatata, a mountain that was breathtaking in more than one ways.  On the way up, Shauna and I shared our pain and inability to breath with some of the others in our weekend travel group.  What started as some silly complaining about the climb (“taxi!?”), turned into great new friendships and a weekend of laughter.  Our new friends were in a large group of design students from Arequipa, another part of Peru, and were on a weekend’s trip with their professors.  As they had gone through the same travel agency as us, we were with the same tour guide, on the same boat and experiencing the same fun as they were, so beginning with that breathtaking sunset over the lake together, we were attached at the hips with our new buddies, Jose and Frank (or Frankito, as we called him).

We made it to the top! Jose (el payaso), me, Shauna, and Frankito on Pachatata

In our traditional skirts and ponchos:)

That night we dressed up in the traditional clothes our host moms gave us and met in a main town hall building.  We danced and laughed, but were pretty exhausted so after about an hour we returned home and fell fast asleep in our cozy, clay homes.  It was chilly, but quiet and peaceful, the night air was fresh and the stars were plentiful (all unlike life back here in the city).  And under our five alpaca blankets, we slept like babies.

Dancing!

The following morning, after warm coffee and breakfast, we said goodbye to our sweet mom and boarded the boat once again, this time being sure to claim the top so that we could soak in the sun, fresh air, and incredible views.  We hopped over to another island, where we, yet again, struggled to reach the top, stopping to take pictures along the way, half because we wanted to record the views and memories, and half because we needed an excuse to take a break and breath (did I mention that at about 12,500 feet it is even higher than Cusco...meaning there is even less air to share?!).

  

Frankito, beautiful camera in hand

 At the top we ate at a restaurant in the little plaza and then made our way down the other side, where our boat was waiting for us.  The whole day was spent with the Arequipañan boys, from more “complaining” about the hike, to taking in the views (with their really pretty cameras...as they are all design student, they each had cameras that left me very celosa), to hanging out in the sun on the top of the boat for the whole three hour trip back to the mainland.  There we parted ways, and Shauna and I did what we do best: explore.  While Puno is a cool city, it made me realize the many ways in which Cusco is a very rich city in comparison to others in Peru (this is largely due to the high levels of tourism in Cusco, as it is a hotspot for those hiking the Incan Trail and/or visiting Machu Picchu).  

Just hanging out with the boys on the boat

Titanic!

Some of the indigenous islanders fishing

Some empanadas and one pizza later, we met up with Jose and Frankito to say goodbye and then it was back to the bus for us.  We hated to leave our new friends, and we definitely were not ready to leave the lake, but on the bus I realized that I had kind of missed Cusco over the three short days, and that going back really felt like going home.  It was a comforting feeling.

So remember Machu Picchu and how I practically spent more time raving about the people than the World Marvel itself?  Well it has happened again.  I went to a beautiful, unique lake that I absolutely fell in love with, yet looking back on the weekend, I think my favorite part was making new friends.  I’m sure this does not surprise anyone who knows me, but this whole experience reaffirms how much I thrive on relationships and meeting people.  There’s just something so beautiful about it, and it gives me a sense of energy that I can’t explain, but that keeps me going.  Thankfully experiences like these validate my choice to become a sociologist, and reassure me that I am headed down the right path in the field of social work.  I am so grateful for this chance I have to fully experience another culture and to meet so many amazing people!