Cake

I feel like I´ve been here a couple weeks rather than five days, mostly because I´ve learned so much since I´ve gotten here. The first night after meeting my host family and eating dinner with the other students, Brittany invited Amy and I out to meet some of her friends at the Plaza de Armas (the center of the city, very pretty but also very touristy). Amy declined because she was exhausted (we don´t all turn into sleeping machines on planes, haha) but I decided to go. Brittany showed me how to catch a cab, including how to tell which ones are legit (they typically have lit advertisements on the top and radios inside) and which ones are random people just perusing around in cars...apparently many tourists fall for these fake taxis and end up getting robbed. :S Anyhoo, we made it to the Plaza just fine. The Plaza de Armas is this square in the middle of Cusco that is encompassed in shops, restaurants and bars, and a very old and impressive cathedral and church (Brittany says they´re different somehow). In the center is a fountain that changes colors at night and is surrounded by lawns and rainbow flags (apparently these represent the Inca empire, even though they look similar enough to gay pride flags to make my heart feel a bit happier). The Plaza is teeming with tourists...Brittany and I ran into two small groups of English-speaking people she knew while we were waiting for the friends she was supposed to meet...everyone ended up knowing each other, so we all decided to go out together. It seems like it could be a nice community to be a part of...everyone seems very open and friendly and has lots of interesting traveling experience/advice...if I end up taking any trips Amy can´t go on then I could totally find someone else to go with! The whole night reminded me of a night in Dunedin, which was very comforting and exciting. :) Brittany and I left the others a bit early though...she wanted cake rather than alcohol and I didn´t want to be drinking before I had adjusted to the altitude...Cusco is at 11,000 feet! Luckily I haven´t had any issues breathing, but many people say they feel like they´re constantly walking uphill and breathing hard even when they´re sitting down. Amy and I also had some minor headache/stomachache problems (I totally thought I had contracted some evil diarrhea-inducing pathogen haha) and general fatigue but no major issues...apparently extreme altitude sickness can be serious and even fatal. :S Anyhoo, Brittany and I went out to a little restaurant and ate cake...it was probably the sweetest cake I have ever had and probably gave me diabetes, haha. Then we went home and I got to sleep foreeeeeeeever...it was so nice. The next morning (or afternoon, rather), Amy and I walked to the Plaza and saw it during the daytime. We wandered through shops and marketplaces and were accosted by Peruvian salespeople wanting to "giving ladies good price." Somehow we refrained from buying anything and ended up back in the cake place...I thought Amy could use some sweets, haha. Then we walked home before dark, and I was very proud of myself for memorizing the route from my delirious taxi ride the night before. It´s a very interesting walk because you wander through nontouristy Cusco, which is completely different than touristy Cusco...the roads are surrounded by hole-in-the-wall streets and businesses made from an odd conglomeration of plaster, wood planks, and sheet metal...it makes me think about how lucky I am that I was raised in a house with a sturdy frame and a roof that doesn´t leak. Anyhoo, more on that later...I have to be going now. Bye!

Cusco, Peru