I now know why Cusco, Peru is such a tourist attraction. This place, also known as ¨the belly button of the world,¨ is truly wonderful. We arrived here on Sunday, after a 9 hour bus ride, exhausted, yet really excited to explore.
The Hostel
This week we stayed at a hostel named ¨Mama Cusco.¨ The name is self-explanatory. Papa and Mama Cusco run this cute, little hostel and treat all of their guests as though they are their children. Every time we saw Mama Cusco she greeted us in full on baby talk saying, ¨Ohhhh! Mi amor!!! ¿Como estas?¨ Although it was a little irritating having a hostel owner tell me that I need to make my bed every day, it was nice having a family atmosphere.
The hostel had many other wonderful assets as well. Within it, there was a small restaurant with a wide variety of food. We all took advantage of it. Some students even tried alpaca and cuy (guinea pig)! I also really enjoyed the view from the rooftop. It was the perfect place to spend my mornings. Although, my most favorite part of staying at Mama Cusco´s was the location. We were a five minute walk from the stunning Plaza de Armas. The plaza in Cusco is beautiful, and at night, accompanied by the full moon, it was simply breathtaking.
The Classes
The main focus of our week in Cusco was Spanish classes. We had the awesome opportunity to take classes at one of the best, and most unique, Spanish schools in Peru. It is called FairServices. Not only does the school deliver top-notch Spanish classes, but they are also a non-profit. Read more about it here.
Every morning at 10:00AM we walked to the school to have two hours of grammar classes. All of these classes had two students from our group and one teacher. At noon, we had a break for 3 hours, followed by practice classes. For our practice classes we had four students from our group and two teachers. From 3:00-7:00PM we explored different cultural sites in and around Cusco. Each group alternated between days at Saqsaywaman (otherwise known as Sexy Woman), a zoo (if you can really call it that), the San Pedro Market, and the cemetery. Our group also went to the Chocolate Museum, in which I had the best hot chocolate ever.
On Thursday, instead of exploring the city, we made sweet and savory tamales together. They were not my favorite, but it was a fun experience. We also had a hilarious salsa class on Friday, followed by a late night at a discoteca with our teachers. Looking back on our week at FairServices, it was incredible, and I know for sure that my Spanish improved substantially.
The Food
For my Portland State University Course, the Geography and Globalization of Food, I read the book Food Rules. This book consists of 64 guidelines to having a healthy, balanced diet. After reading this book, I decided that I wanted to challenge myself to follow the rules for one week. On top of that, I also began reading The China Study, which made me want to try veganism for the week, along with the rules. I was not 100% successful, but I was vegetarian for the whole week and vegan 90% of the time. At the Spanish school we had access to a kitchen for lunch, which made following the rules much easier. Eating out, while trying to be a vegan, is not an easy task, much respect for those who do.
While I do not plan to become a vegan or vegetarian in my everyday life, this week, and both books, has made me want to consume less animal protein. There are so many delicious fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in this world that it is not necessary to consume meat and dairy at every meal, or every day. I hope that when I go home I will remember this. I am excited to try some vegan recipes in my own kitchen. Look out Mom and Dad!
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I think I can confirm that thus far Cusco is my favorite place that we have visited. Our hostel, Spanish school, and the delicious food are only a few of the wonderful highlights of this city. I am so glad that for the rest of the trip we will be in and out of Cusco. There are so many things to do, eat, and buy here. I am really looking forward to purchasing gifts for my family and friends!
This coming week we will be heading to the Amazon. I am still not sure how I feel about celebrating my birthday in the middle of nowhere, without my family, but I sincerely hope it is a good week full of new, hopefully positive, experiences. If it isn´t the best, I will just have to remember that we get to come back to the belly button of the world soon!
Adios!
Madeleine
PS: Happy almost birthday to my sweet momma! I cannot believe that this will be the first time in my 19 years of life that we will not be able to celebrate our (shared) birthday together. I love you and cannot wait to see you in just a few more weeks!
