September 28, 2009
I feel like so much happens everyday that I am here. It is hard to put into words the kind of beauty I experience everyday. I am kicking myself for forgetting to bring my journal to the internet cafe with me so I could give some details. I'll do my best...
Yesterday, I took a bus to a place called the Sacred Valley, which is the area of land that surrounds Cusco. There are many towns and villages within 2 or 3 hours by bus and I decided to visit Pisac, a town with a population of 100 families, and a giant market on Sundays. Peruvian markets leave me breathless- the depth of color and variety that is sold in these markets just astounds me and I have a tough time not buying everything. One of my favorite things to do at these markets is chat with the vendors. They sit all day in their outdoor shops and just hang, coaxing "Senoritas" and "Caballeros" alike to exmaine their goods. Frequently, the children of the vendors are nearby, whether playing with a ball under the table or slung on the backs of their mothers. These children are absolutely gorgeous, and although many of them look as though they have endured a lot for being so young, they continue to possess a certain sparkle in their eyes. They are just lovely and I enjoy spending time with them. In my final minutes at the market, while chatting with a boy who was flicking rocks with a plastic spoon, the father of the boy came up to me and asked if I was married and if I was Catholic, and he announced promptly that he'd like me to return the next weekend so we could go to the church with his father and get married. Sadly, I had to refuse the request, seeing as I wasn't Catholic. haha. (my first attempt at blog humor-how'd I do?)
Quick pause- have to announce that Whole New World, the Aladdin theme song, just came on in the internet cafe- how precious!
I left the market feeling refreshed and find my way to the crazy rambling bus that would take me home to Cusco. None of the buses are labeled, and you must find them by listening to hear if someone is calling out, Cusco, Cusco!!!! Luckily, I got a seat next to a sleeping hombre, but the Quechua woman who got on after me wasn't so lucky, so she used my shoulder as a pillow. Oddly enough, I find the closeness comforting. There's no wriggling to get free from someone- you just are where you are and you must be content with that. I quite adore this state of just being- whether its kissing a cheek when you meet a new person or sharing a shoulder with a Quechua woman on the bus.
Today was a glorious day! My best yet- I have to admit that I have had some feelings of being lonely, but today really helped me get back on track and take it all in. Cusco is a "small" town, 300, 000 people, including the surrounding Sacred Valley. However, the downtown itself is this wonder that was built by the Incas way back when. There are GIANT stones that create the walls and the plazas and no one really knows how the Incas, without any help frm machinery, built the town with 2000+ lb rocks. There are two main Plazas: the Plaza de Armas (the main Plaza downtown that has surrounding restaurants and cafes) and the Plaza de San Blas (a Plaza up the hill that is the artesan center and has markets every weekend). There are other places to go, but these plazas and the streets in between are theost popular places to go. Anyway, on my little break from my Spanish classes, I ran into the son of the family I lived with 4 years ago! I was so excited and immediately Neto invited me for lunch. Not two minutes later as I was walking back into class, I ran into his mother, Dina, my host mom from 4 years ago. This family hosts so many students, but for some reason, they both recognized me and meeting back with them was magical.
Although I had this amazing morning, I have to admit that my favorite part of the day happened just 2 hours ago. After I left Dina's house, I headed back to the Plaza de San Blas to meet someone I had met yesterday for a movie. She never came and so I just took in the sights around me. Since the Plaza is on top of a hill, you can see part of the city and the changing colors of the night. I just sat there, watching these children play on the fountain, and this young girl came to me to sell me a hat or doll. She just came and sat down next to me, which is unusual for vendors once they know you are not interested in buying something. She started asking me questions, and we ended up chatting for awhile until another little girl, Dayana, came up to me as well. The girls were so sweet and we just chatted, watching the sun set. After a while, I asked if the girls had eaten and both said no, so I offered them something to eat. Dayana ran to tell her brother she was going (she's 5) and he came with us as well. We bought some pastries and we sat in the Plaza enjoying the night. Dayana told me that she was learning to write, and so she wrote me her name in print and then in cursive, followed by Rodrigo and Natalia. I am looking forward to seeing my friends again soon. 
It's getting late so I must retire to my quarters, to my nighttime routine of headlamp, journal, Lonesome Dove, and Bush Baby.
Sweet dreams to all from Peru.
