Hello!!!!
Well, I figured time has gone on long enough without writing a blog, so here I am again. I have a few interesting stories for your personal reading pleasure. Some are hilarious, some are sad and some a pretty darn exciting. So here goes....
Stacey and the Bede
This particular incedent occurred before embarking on the Inca Trail to Machupicchu. Our travel company had booked us into this ridiculously fancy hotel in Lima, even though we would barely be spending a night there (our flight for Cusco was at 5 or 6am). Upon entering our bathroom, Stacey and I found a bede. I hope you all know what a bede is...some big toilet looking thing for washing your parts after you poo or whatever. Something I imagine must be fairly uncomfortable. I soon left the bathroom to explore the rest of the room, when all of a sudden I hear the rush of water and ¨AHH!¨ a scream coming from the bathroom. Only imaging what Stacey could have done, I rush in and see her screaming with laughter, her face and the front of her shirt soaked with water. Yup, Stacey squirted her face with the bede. We were rolling around laughing, unable to control ourselves for a good 5 or 10 minutes. The kicker was when the bellhop brought our luggage in, and upon seeing us laughing in the bathroom and Stacey`s shirt front soaked, gave us the strangest look and left laughing, probably just a little confused.
A Strange Spot to Pop A Squat
After having our lovely encounter with Chicha (as Stacey explained in the previous blog), we were wandering back to the main Plaza de Armas in Cusco, when we encountered a fairly strange sight. We were crossing the street, when there on the street corner for the entire city of Cusco to see, was a little girl of no more than 4 or 5 years, taking the most ginormous poo. I don`t mean to sound crude, but that girl must have a diet of bran muffins because that was a poo to be proud of. The best part was the mother in the background, not scolding her daughter, but instead yelling at her to hurry up. Ah....to be so free.
Dancing or Aerobics Class??
Stacey and I had been in Cusco for about a week taking Spanish classes with a company called Fair Play. We were getting a little stir crazy, so we decided to go out dancing. We went to the Plaza de Armas and embarked on our search for a club by the name of Mama Africa. First off, people here are more than glad to give you directions, but they are terrible at it. We must have walked back and forth across the plaza 3 or 4 times, all the while being handed flyers by different people wanting you to go to their club. Finally, a man with a flyer for Mama Africa came our way and we gladly took it. Then, all of a sudden we were surrounded by about 10 guys all from different clubs, and we got separated, with Stacey heading towards Mama Africa and me heading off in the opposite direction. Realizing this, I broke free and caught up with Stace where we were promptly shoved into the club and up the stairs.
After a while of dancing, Stace and I started dancing with a pair of brothers from Chile. It was all fun and games until my dance partner seemed to have the need to do a bit of aerobics, and started to do squats, dragging me down with him. I don`t know what he was trying to do, but after about 5 or 6 squats I gave Stacey ¨the eye¨, and we escaped to the bar. I spent the rest of the night avoiding the Squatter. I mean I`m a terrible dancer...but I believe I finally found someone worse. Yahoo!
I saw him the next day near a museum, wearing a BRIGHT yellow rain poncho. Poor boy.
Fair Play
On a more serious note, I want to explain the workings of Fair Play (our language school) and how great it is for the women who work there.
Developed a little more than a year ago, Fair Play is an NGO that employs single mothers to teach Spanish to foreigners. John, the man who runs the organization with his wife Fanny, explained to us that before they were teachers, these women were in extreme poverty, suffering from depression, barely able to scrape by and feed their children. They earned around 200 soles a month, which is roughly about 65 dollars. If they needed to buy something, they would have to borrow money. When they went to pay it back at the end of the month, they would have to pay almost 60% interest. Needless to say, they were in a rough place. With Fair Play, they now earn a decent amount of money, and I have to say whenever I see any of the teachers, there is always a beaming smile present on their faces.
We have learned that many other Spanish schools pay their teachers terrible wages, and charge their students much more for classes.
We definitely found a great school to learn Spanish, and even though I personally still am terrible at it, I have learned a ton!
Well, I figured time has gone on long enough without writing a blog, so here I am again. I have a few interesting stories for your personal reading pleasure. Some are hilarious, some are sad and some a pretty darn exciting. So here goes....
Stacey and the Bede
This particular incedent occurred before embarking on the Inca Trail to Machupicchu. Our travel company had booked us into this ridiculously fancy hotel in Lima, even though we would barely be spending a night there (our flight for Cusco was at 5 or 6am). Upon entering our bathroom, Stacey and I found a bede. I hope you all know what a bede is...some big toilet looking thing for washing your parts after you poo or whatever. Something I imagine must be fairly uncomfortable. I soon left the bathroom to explore the rest of the room, when all of a sudden I hear the rush of water and ¨AHH!¨ a scream coming from the bathroom. Only imaging what Stacey could have done, I rush in and see her screaming with laughter, her face and the front of her shirt soaked with water. Yup, Stacey squirted her face with the bede. We were rolling around laughing, unable to control ourselves for a good 5 or 10 minutes. The kicker was when the bellhop brought our luggage in, and upon seeing us laughing in the bathroom and Stacey`s shirt front soaked, gave us the strangest look and left laughing, probably just a little confused.
A Strange Spot to Pop A Squat
After having our lovely encounter with Chicha (as Stacey explained in the previous blog), we were wandering back to the main Plaza de Armas in Cusco, when we encountered a fairly strange sight. We were crossing the street, when there on the street corner for the entire city of Cusco to see, was a little girl of no more than 4 or 5 years, taking the most ginormous poo. I don`t mean to sound crude, but that girl must have a diet of bran muffins because that was a poo to be proud of. The best part was the mother in the background, not scolding her daughter, but instead yelling at her to hurry up. Ah....to be so free.
Dancing or Aerobics Class??
Stacey and I had been in Cusco for about a week taking Spanish classes with a company called Fair Play. We were getting a little stir crazy, so we decided to go out dancing. We went to the Plaza de Armas and embarked on our search for a club by the name of Mama Africa. First off, people here are more than glad to give you directions, but they are terrible at it. We must have walked back and forth across the plaza 3 or 4 times, all the while being handed flyers by different people wanting you to go to their club. Finally, a man with a flyer for Mama Africa came our way and we gladly took it. Then, all of a sudden we were surrounded by about 10 guys all from different clubs, and we got separated, with Stacey heading towards Mama Africa and me heading off in the opposite direction. Realizing this, I broke free and caught up with Stace where we were promptly shoved into the club and up the stairs.
After a while of dancing, Stace and I started dancing with a pair of brothers from Chile. It was all fun and games until my dance partner seemed to have the need to do a bit of aerobics, and started to do squats, dragging me down with him. I don`t know what he was trying to do, but after about 5 or 6 squats I gave Stacey ¨the eye¨, and we escaped to the bar. I spent the rest of the night avoiding the Squatter. I mean I`m a terrible dancer...but I believe I finally found someone worse. Yahoo!
I saw him the next day near a museum, wearing a BRIGHT yellow rain poncho. Poor boy.
Fair Play
On a more serious note, I want to explain the workings of Fair Play (our language school) and how great it is for the women who work there.
Developed a little more than a year ago, Fair Play is an NGO that employs single mothers to teach Spanish to foreigners. John, the man who runs the organization with his wife Fanny, explained to us that before they were teachers, these women were in extreme poverty, suffering from depression, barely able to scrape by and feed their children. They earned around 200 soles a month, which is roughly about 65 dollars. If they needed to buy something, they would have to borrow money. When they went to pay it back at the end of the month, they would have to pay almost 60% interest. Needless to say, they were in a rough place. With Fair Play, they now earn a decent amount of money, and I have to say whenever I see any of the teachers, there is always a beaming smile present on their faces.
We have learned that many other Spanish schools pay their teachers terrible wages, and charge their students much more for classes.
We definitely found a great school to learn Spanish, and even though I personally still am terrible at it, I have learned a ton!
My practise teacher, Nayut, is second from the left in the back row, and my grammer teacher, Carmen, is second from the left in the front row. Stacey`s practice teacher, Lourdes, is third from the left in the back row, and her grammar teacher, Gioviana, is the last one of the right in the front row!!
Teachers Know How to Party
I never thought it was possible, but our teachers party way harder than we do. A few days ago, all the teachers at Fair Play planned a suprise birthday party for John, their employer. When Stacey and I got to the office where the party was to be held, all the lights were out and the women were all giggling like little girls, unable to contain their excitement. Anytime anyone spoke above a whisper, they were loudly hushed, a round of giggles following. When John finally arrived, and everyone finished laughing, the music was turned on full blast and dancing ensued. The only time we stopped dancing was to give John his gifts and to sing him Happy Birthday, and stuff his face into a cake. They danced until 4 in the morning. I spent the last hour and a half sleeping on the couch, completly worn out from dancing and more than a little drunk from the Cuba Libre (rum and coke) that was constantly being shoved down my throat by an extremely intoxicated woman. You seriously had to run away from her if you didn`t want anything more to drink. She would not take no for an answer! On the way home, 5 of us shoved into the back of a taxi (tiny tiny taxi!) and then stumbled up to bed. I have to say that during grammar classes the next morning, both Carmen (my teacher) and I could barely hide our yawns.
Well... that´s all for now. Stacey and I are leaving Cusco on September 26th, where we are flying to Lima, then hopping on a bus up north to Huaraz. We`ll then make our way back up to Cuenca, Ecuador for some climbing!!!
I miss you all, and hope you`re smilin!!
Much love,
Vikki
Teachers Know How to Party
I never thought it was possible, but our teachers party way harder than we do. A few days ago, all the teachers at Fair Play planned a suprise birthday party for John, their employer. When Stacey and I got to the office where the party was to be held, all the lights were out and the women were all giggling like little girls, unable to contain their excitement. Anytime anyone spoke above a whisper, they were loudly hushed, a round of giggles following. When John finally arrived, and everyone finished laughing, the music was turned on full blast and dancing ensued. The only time we stopped dancing was to give John his gifts and to sing him Happy Birthday, and stuff his face into a cake. They danced until 4 in the morning. I spent the last hour and a half sleeping on the couch, completly worn out from dancing and more than a little drunk from the Cuba Libre (rum and coke) that was constantly being shoved down my throat by an extremely intoxicated woman. You seriously had to run away from her if you didn`t want anything more to drink. She would not take no for an answer! On the way home, 5 of us shoved into the back of a taxi (tiny tiny taxi!) and then stumbled up to bed. I have to say that during grammar classes the next morning, both Carmen (my teacher) and I could barely hide our yawns.
Well... that´s all for now. Stacey and I are leaving Cusco on September 26th, where we are flying to Lima, then hopping on a bus up north to Huaraz. We`ll then make our way back up to Cuenca, Ecuador for some climbing!!!
I miss you all, and hope you`re smilin!!
Much love,
Vikki
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