Ramblings.

You know what bothers me? The fact that I cannot access the ¨at¨ sign on a keyboard down here. Oh yes, it is there. There is a pretty little picture of it on next to the number 2, but when I hit shift? Oh no. It does NOT appear. So, what does this mean for me. Well..... I can't access this blog, or my facebook, or type in people's email addresses to send them emails without having to actually google the words 'at sign', copy it, and paste it to every page I try to log in to. Now, you may say, "Mary.... Come on now.... That's not asking too much!" and you know what I say in return? THEN WHY IS IT ON THE KEYBOARD TAUNTING ME?!?!?!?! Wow. That was special.

In relevant other news:

Spent the weekend in Cusco. It was fun, but not normal fun for Cusco as I was trying desperately to recover from this horrible cold and the giardia that have invaded my intenstinal area.

I have made a discovery about myself though... I SUCK at pool. And by that, I really mean, SUCK. Unfortunately, this is not something I can blame on the altitude, I don't think. I used to be able to hold my own, but now? It's just painfully embarrassing! Blech. Must practice.

I have also discovered the joys of playing the card game that was show-cased in Inglorious Basterds. The one where you write down the name of someone famous and then everyone puts a card on their forehead and you have to guess who you are through yes or no questions. I love it!

I swear I will post pictures in my next entry....

Ciao y besos.
Maria

ANTONIOOOOOOOO

I've fallen in love. The surprising thing is? He's four. BUT he's the DARNDEST CUTEST child I have EVER seen in my life!! Antonio walks around with a fishing hat on his head and has the most frustrated/depressed expression on his face at all times. He comes up to my knee (in heighth) and absolutely DESPISES me. Probably because I follow him around everywhere he goes because I ADORE him and his angry little facial expressions. I am definitely going to include a picture of him in the next post so that you all can experience his amazing-ness.

Still happy as a clam-ita. How are you all doing?

Ciao y besos.
Profe Maria!

El Fin De Semana

After working at school on Friday, and hammering it up on the guitar - leaving my fingers sore for a few days...., the Kiya survivors and I went to Cusco for a night of extravanganzas! We went to this unbelievable restaurant called Fallen Angel for a certainly expensive, yet delicious meal. The theme is (naturally) Heaven and Hell and you eat over bathtubs that have been converted into fish tanks. There are couches with heart pillows and leopard print seats, baby angels hanging from the ceiling, and the most interesting are the bathrooms... The men´s is filled with cracked mirrors providing a spooky and gloomy atmosphere, but not quite as scary as the women´s which is wired through with barbed wired and thorny flowers - topped off with blood red walls and flourescent lighting. QUITE the experience! We then visited a few clubs and had salsa lessons. Alex and I won a game of pool without getting a SINGLE ball into the pockets (Becky and Andrea knocked that 8 ball in...thankfully!)

I´ve introduced alfajores and tres leches cake into the lives of the other volunteers and they seem to be quite content with them. Wait, content is the understatement of the year.

Interesting Note:

Apparently 15 year old peruvian boys think the most funny thing in the world is throwing bottles of coca-cola onto gringas. Those gringas being me, as I am finishing an excrutiating 2 hour hike up to the small community of Pumawanka. I certainly thought so.

ciao y besos.
Maria

ARAÑA!!!

Just came back from a 2 hour hike through the ruins of Ollantaytambo and upward over the mountain (hahaha. oh cleverness...). It was definitely strenous...there is nothing like hiking at this altitude! The view was gorgeous and there will cetainly be photos posted once I get my act together. Saw a tarantula up there...¨SPECIALLLLLLLL¨ is all I have to say to that.

'Bout to head out for some lunch and then grocery shopping! BESOS

SOPLA SOPLA!!

This has certainly been a fulfilling (if not exhausting) first week in Peru. I've become fully acquainted with Arcoiris (the Rainbow Center - a school for special needs children in Urubamba) and absolutely ADORE all of the children there. I had the unique opportunity to assist in the physiotherapy of infants with cerebral palsy yesterday which, of course, was amazing... It is so obvious that these babies and toddlers carry so much stress and anxiety in their lives stemming from being unable to move properly and communicate their needs. Before Kiya Survivors (NGO based in the UK) offered physiotherapy and classes for these children (for FREE - I might add), their lives were short as they wasted away in filthy huts with parents who have absolutely no idea what to do with a child that cannot function on their own. After physiotherapy, Alex, AC, Becky, and I entertained the children, and ourselves!, with bubble blowing!! It was quite the afternoon - filled with much sunshine and laughter...literally.

Other than a few fights with my front door, my phone breaking mysteriously and then being told by the peruvian phone company that the phone was indeed broken (ummm....thank you? wait, why did I come in here in the first place??) and that the only solution to my problem was to PURCHASE a new one..., and the close battle to the death between a scorpion and me (i am sorry to report the scorpion is not around to tell his side of the story), this week has been an INCREDIBLE reentry back into the Peruvian culture.

Ciao y besos

¿La Vida Relajada?

just wrote a long entry and it got deleted. might try again tomorrow when i am not exhausted.

I'm BAAAAAACCCCKKKKK!!!

Wow. Back in Urubamba. It feels like I haven't left except for the fact that the countryside is BEAUTIFUL. The rainy season had just begun in the last weeks of my adventure and everything was still brown and dead and barren after 7 months of the dry season. Now, as the rainy season is coming to an end (leaving much destruction in the Sacred Valley, as house were swept away in the flooding Urubamba river), Peru looks like a grassy paradise. Beautiful patches of yellow and purple flowers decorate the greenery. From the mountains to the valleys, it's all very Heidi-esk. Today I am donning a pastel-colored, flowy dress, and am constantly fighting hthe urge to braid my hair with flowers and go running through the hills singing (naturally) ¨the hills are alivvvvveeeeee with the sound of music!!!!¨

I am utterly radiant with happiness despite the fact that I am clearly being affected by the altitude. Oh, and remind me to get some earplugs because the dogs that bark outside my window at night are slightly annoying - scratch that - VERY ANNOYING.

Well, I am off to do some shopping for food and other necessities.

Ciao y besos.
Mariiaaaa