On Wednesday I had to work in the afternoon, right after I posted my last blog. So from 2 pm until 8 pm I was responsible for answering the door at Healing House, answering calls, making appointments, and doing small chores. Wednesday was very quiet, it seemed as if everyone was out of the house doing something. It was gorgeous out but started to turn gray around 3 pm. There were only two other people with me at the house for a couple of hours; Selene from Canada was studying for her yoga teacher certification in the kitchen and Julia from South Africa was creating a flyer for her full moon fire ceremony that would happen on Friday. Julia told me a worker was trying to get into the other house, the one that I live in, so I went to unlock the door for him but it was stuck. After trying both locks multiple times I went inside to get a different set of keys. I left my keys in the main house while trying to open the other house for the second time and I even asked Selene for help as Julia went to make copies of her flyer down the street. We could not let this poor man in for the life of us and it started to rain and then hail. It can be 45-55 degrees outside and hail because the clouds form so high up over the freezing mountains. We communicated to this man that we were locked out and he left. Then we tried to get back into the main house and realized neither of us had a key for it. So for about ten minutes we stood outside in the hail waiting for someone to come by with a key because no one was home, and people are ALWAYS home. Selene eventually had to go back to yoga training so I was left to wait with one of the ladies that came to teach a class until Julia arrived back from the printer. It was a great learning experience!
Working door duty all day I had no need to go back to Casa Verde, where we had been locked out. It turns out that someone had slammed the door really hard to shut it and the lock pin dropped, securing the door from the inside without a way to unlock it from the outside. The only way to unlock it would have been to climb over the wall to get into the house but there was a large gap that would have been impossible to jump. It was only me and David though that were sleeping in Casa Verde that night, so our other option was to set up camp in the yoga salon at the main house or sleep in someone's room if they had an extra bed. Fortunately, our neighbors got home at around 9:45 pm and let David climb the wall separating the two homes to unlock our door from the inside. It all worked out but the door has some permanent damage from us pushing on it so hard trying to get in.
On Thursday I also had door duty but this time I had the morning shift from 8 am until 2 pm. It was gorgeous out again so I spent my first few hours in the sun reading and cuddling with Chucky the cat. After I finished my book I spent some time in the garden under Julia's advisement. Pruning back some flowers, picking peppers, and adding to the compost I think I will begin to develop a green thumb while I am here!
It is also one of my responsibilities to buy things for the house when people come by selling them, especially flowers if the ones we have are dying. On Thursday they needed to be replaced so I bought 20 Soles worth of flowers to have put into the large glass pickling jars we use as vases. I emptied the old flowers and salvaged what I could of them, making a nice decoration for my room here!
After I was off of work I went to el Mercado San Pedro with Alex and Selene to get some oats, clementines, apples, and bananas for some cookies we were making that night. I also had my first large grocery store experience here at Orion. It is just like a normal grocery store in the states, but a bit smaller and the ketchup is in pouches instead of a bottle, weird. Oh and by the way, a bag of Chex Mix costs 13 Soles, about $5. Apparently it is a rare commodity and American delicacy here, making it easy to upcharge the American's who are the only people that buy it. Anyways, I got some tomato sauce, also in a pouch, more butter, pasta, pineapple juice, toilet paper, and Champagne because there is always a reason to celebrate in Cusco.
We trekked back to the house and those last 30 steps or so to the house are killer, but we made it. I unpacked my food and headed to a little tienda for some eggs, a Twix, and a MilkyWay because I haven't had candy since arriving and I wanted to treat myself. Then I happily watched Ship Wrecked while eating my chocolate bars and crashed because I was so tired and I had felt really weird that evening.
Friday morning Alex and I both had the day off so we decided to take a day trip to Urubamba and see some Inca ruins as well as the salt mines. We had planned on leaving at 9:30 am, with buses leaving every few minutes or so. The night before though I had many unsettling dreams and did not sleep well. So I slept in accidentally and we left by 10:30, which was fine because we took a great taxi to the bus station and the driver told us we could get a mini van to Urubamba, which would be faster for only a few more Soles. Taking the opportunity for quicker transit we payed 6 Soles for the mini van only having to wait 3 minutes to get on, also bringing 9 other people to Urubamba.
We were going to Urubamba as a means to get to Moray and Maras where our sites were. The man sitting next to me in the van smelled like salami, and I couldn't tell if I really hated it or not. But about 45 minutes into the hour and a half drive we were pulled over for a security check. Everyone had to give their ID's for documentation and it is not safe to travel with your actual passport, so normally I have a copy with me but I did not that day. Instead I gave the officer my Florida ID and Alex gave him her Michigan ID and we were fine. About 20 minutes from Urubamba we passed the exit for Moray and we realized we had to go down into Urubamba before we could go to Moray.
Under the impression that we could get a bus to Moray from Urubamba for 1 Sol, we looked for the bus station but no bus route of the sort existed. So Alex and I found a taxi that said he could take us for 90 Soles, which we thought was ridiculous. Bartering it down to 80 Soles and trying to communicate in strict Spanish we later learned it was so expensive because he would drive us to Moray, wait and hour while we looked at the ruins, then drive us to Maras and wait an hour while we saw the salt mines, then drive us back to Urubamba. Finally we relented and accepted the plan, eventually recognizing that it was a good deal having no guide or not booking through a travel agency. Our driver's name was Oscar and he was very young and kind. With all of this forced independence while traveling and communicating with others, my Spanish is improving very quickly!
It cost me 10 Soles to enter Moray and Alex 5 because she had gotten a student card at a travel agency back home. At Moray we saw the Inca agricultural ruins and were able to hike down into them. We had packed a lunch so we ate at the bottom of the ruins and it was awesome. The terracing was used to create a 15º difference between the top and bottom terraces to facilitate different plant growth. It also makes for a great picture.
Then we drove 30 minutes to Maras where they have the salt mines and literally all there is are the mines. It cost us 7 Soles each to enter and it was gorgeous. We were able to climb down into the mines as well, walking along the small paths. I also tasted some of the salt, risking a parasite in the water to taste this glorious substance. Totally worth it and satisfying, though I have yet to experience a parasite here, knock on wood. Anyone that really knows me knows that I LOVE salt. I put it on everything and was happy to stand in it, taste it, write my name in it, and be surrounded by it. We spent about 30 minutes exploring the salt then 30 minutes shopping at the tiendas at the top of the mines. I got a Peruvian flag bracelet, a leather notebook that is beautiful, and two bags of salt from the mines. One bag was first class salt without impurities and the second back was second class but had more natural minerals.
Heading back to Urubamba our driver saw the goofy side of me because I was so happy and comforted by good vibes. Descending into Urubamba I was blasting some Kenny Chesney and just appreciating the opportunities I'd been presented that day. We got to the bus station, each paid Oscar 40 Soles, then immediately hopped onto a bus to Cusco, which took us two and half hours but only cost 4 soles. The bus was packed when we got on and people were already standing so the driver told the teenage boys in the back to stand up for Alex and I to sit. I felt bad for making the boys move but appreciated the kindness towards tourists.
Once we made it back to Cusco we had to get a taxi to our neighborhood of San Blas during rush hour, and that was very difficult. After about 10 minutes we finally found a driver that was willing to take us for 6 Soles and we made our way back just in time for Julia's fire ceremony in honor of the super moon. I got out of the taxi and had to carry wood down our street to the house for the ceremony, full of energy because of my awesome day but quickly drained because of all of the climbing and altitude changes. So I skipped out on the ceremony, made some easy scrambled eggs, then came back to my room to warm up and watch The Young Victoria on Netflix and fall asleep right after.
Saturdays we host a kid's program for locals from 2 pm until 4 pm. This morning I agreed to take part of Alex's shift so she could go to the arts market before she leaves next Saturday. During this time I created a PowerPoint for the kids, showcasing facts about the Amazon rainforest, pictures and sounds of animals, and making them aware of it's diminishing size. Afterwards I answered the door for some Cusqueños that were with an American they were hosting and got his contact because he is doing a study abroad program from Georgia and wanted to get to know other people in the area. Sometimes I forget there are other American's my age in Cusco just studying from the states. Then I took a shower and got ready for the kid's program.
For the first 30 minutes we do yoga with the kids to calm them down and normally the boys choose to sit outside because yoga is "girly". Today we included some movements that resembled animals and other physical aspects of the rainforest to keep the theme going. Then I did my PowerPoint presentation with all 12 kids attentive the entire time, they especially loved the pictures and sounds I had included. After my presentation Sylvia and Gian Carlo taught them the In the Jungle song and they sang that while I got my mask craft ready for them. The plan was to have them draw their favorite Amazon animal and wear the masks. It went over surprisingly well and the boys even got into it, many of them drawing tigers as a show of manliness and strength. The girls stuck with butterflies. It just goes to show you how gender roles start so early in life, thank you multicultural film. After the successful craft we had a snack of cookies similar to Nilla cookies with caramel in between with coconut shavings on the edges accompanied by apple juice. The kids really enjoyed the program and I think it was very successful compared to some most recently.
After the program I played with some German Shepard mix puppies and went to some tiendas with Kaki, the girl from Chicago, to get bread, more eggs, and snacks for our girls night tonight where I fully plan on putting Pride and Prejudice on the projector. Alex also made a lentil Sloppy Joe as a substitute for meat and it was actually quite tasty. I have had a great day so far and every time I have felt truly happy in the past few days I give thanks and emanate gratitude for the opportunities I have had, the people I am with, and the good vibes.
I often think my generation and those before me don't take enough time to be grateful for what we have or what we experience, too easily getting caught up in the small problems and discomforts of life. I encourage you all to be thankful for the small things in the coming days and see how it improves your daily interactions and mindset. Gratitude is powerful and has the capacity to change your vibrations to a more positive level. Try it! I am thankful for all of my readers and supporters out there, you are all wonderful! Happy Memorial Day weekend back to the states; stay safe and remember to give thanks!
the salt mines look so cool! and i love the rainforest kids day you did, keep those creative thoughts flowing!
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