Week 1: Initiation/ Acclimation

A little background: I like birds, and I'm keen on improving my Spanish. When talking with Berry grads, I often hear that their one regret is having missed the opportunity to study abroad. Well, why not kill three birds with one stone?

So away I go to Perú!

In the summer of 2015, my family and I visited Costa Rica. A good introduction to Latin America, it only fueled my desire to explore more of the wonders of Central and South America. I mean South America is freaking huge! Best to start early.

My last day in the states was August 31st. I'm not sure if having a pipe burst and flood the kitchen was the best travel omen, but oh well.

Pre-Peruvian Exposure with Nash (Photo by Traci Moss)

Reference Shot-I don't intend to cut my hair on this three-month trip (Photo by Traci Moss)

So Dad shuttled me to the the immense Atlanta Airport to arrive for my afternoon flight. I left for Fort Lauderdale and then connected to my flight to Lima. I would like to declare that this was an uneventful, pleasant commute, but sometimes I don't travel well. My main mistake was to watch the 140 minute (they have to choose long movies) onslaught of pop culture and visual trickery called Ready Player One (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiK2fhOY0nE). After this, I dozed off for a while.

Then I woke up feeling pretty hot and nauseous. -sofocado- I quickly skirted past the man in the aisle seat and headed for the bathroom. My intention was to splash some cold water on my face, but this luxury is not available on commercial flights. It was either scalding hot water or nothing. As my vision began to fail me, I exited the bathroom and informed the attendant that I wasn't feeling well.

Then I hit the deck. I wasn't really unconscious, as I could hear the flight attendant exclaiming NO NO NO! But they fixed me up good with some juice and an ice pack, and I made it to Lima in one piece.

Baptism by Fuego

On to Lima. The best way that I can explain Lima is by forwarding you to this Spongebob episode: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0769428/

The Atlanta airport may be busy, but at least it is adequately sized. The Lima airport, on the other hand, is like entering an undersized popcorn machine. It's now 10 o'clock. I pick up my bag, exchange USD to Soles, and re-check my bag. I've got 7 hours to kill. I'm pretty hungry, so I make my way to the food court and peruse my options. Yeah, there's a McDonalds, a KFC, and a Pizza Hut, but my thinking is that I should eat like a Peruano since I've made it to Perú. I go with "La Lucha Sangucheria Criolla." I mention that I've never tried Peruvian cuisine and am instructed to go with the Chicharrón. It wasn't a plate of pork rinds; it was a sandwich with meat, cheese, and onions. I enjoyed it, but was later informed by my host family that it was a risk to jump right in.

La Comida Peruana (del Aeropuerto)

With that sorted, I hurried up and found somewhere to sit. Several airport workers told me that I could not go through security until at most 2 hours before my flight. Although that seemed odd, I later found out why. So I had 5 hours to sleep. I followed suit and staked out a place on the floor next to a wall (there were no chairs). Lots of people were doing the same, some more prepared than others. Finally 3 am came, and I passed through security to the gates. Although there were chairs here, the room was definitely at capacity (that's why they try to keep you out as long as possible!). In the meantime, I entered a dreamlike trance: one of those where your head rises and falls on its own accord, and you're slightly aware of what's going on.

Finally, I hopped on the short flight and spent my time sleeping. When I awoke, we were descending, and it was daytime again. I looked out over the valley and took it all in. The hillsides were adorned with beautiful adobe homes that complemented the exposed hillsides. Gardens were clustered in neat squares. Man, it was a beautiful sight. I hadn't experienced anything quite like it, but Arizona is kinda similar.

Upon landing, I collected my luggage and headed outside. (If you want to know more about my airport experiences (I can't imagine why), check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGe265pwvU).

Cusco: First Looks on the Ground

Outside I met an International Studies Abroad rep and rode with two other students as we were dropped off at our homestays. Once I arrived, I was greeted by la familia Presa-Pompilla. We had corresponded over email, and they are such great people. They've hosted many students over the past 10 years, even up to 6 at a time. The father, Jesús, is very animated. He's a pastor and he can shred on the acoustic guitar as well as the charango, a traditional Andean instrument with 10 strings (it looks like a more involved mandolin). He is constantly whistling. I must mention that the Spanish world for whistle is very pretty: silbar. Whistle is a cool word too, of course. The mother, Empe, is a Spanish teacher (thank the Lord), and she is very personable. Their youngest daughter, Ammi, also lives in the house. It's nice to be able to converse with someone close to my age as well as my host parents. All are great conversationalists, and man do they know how to bless a meal. They immediately offered me "un mate de coca," which is a tea made from the leaves of the coca plant. From there, they knew exactly how to instruct me on my first day.

Their instructions, which I followed with great care, were to rest. As a result, Saturday was a blur. As I mentioned before, I am intent on finding birds. I did see one new one (lifer) before descending into a cavernous deep sleep.

Mi bolsa nueva: A rare selfie

Sunday

Sunday was okay. Orientation day. A necessary evil. I woke up and rode one of the many bus lines with Ammi to the ISA office. More on buses later: it doesn't come easy. She dropped me off at the office where all of the students were oriented until lunchtime. After lunch, we reunited for a tour of the city. It was a nice introduction to El Centro Histórico de Cusco. This is the most historically rich part of the city. It was founded by the Inca, who laid the city out in the shape of a Puma.

We commuted in two small tour buses. Ours was fully equipped with a mic and sound system-the perfect karaoke setup. Our tour guide, Valentín, was extremely charismatic and passionate. As he gave us a brief Quechua lesson, we introduced ourselves. Before I could say my name he realized that I was in fact Luka Modric, a Croatian soccer player (modric croatia). Peruvians are very aware of celebrities, especially athletes. Well, Modric stuck. I think it's the hair and the squirrelliness. 

Our first stop was a temple named Qorikancha. Many Peruvians speak Quechua in addition to Spanish. It is an indigenous language that is quite distinct from Spanish, and the name of this temple bears testament to its essence. The interesting thing about Qorikancha is it's rich archaeological heritage. This temple contains pre-Incan, Incan, colonial, and modern forms of construction (though none compares to the exactness and foresight of the Inca). Valentín brought along a tape measure to demonstrate the precision of Incan construction.

Plaza en Qorikancha: The Dome was built when the temple was converted into a church

I enjoyed looking at the structure and the colonial artwork, but as soon as I ventured out to the garden, I was captivated. Cusco is so dry, and here is this oasis! What a contrast.

El jardín

Jardín: Otra Vista

From Qorikancha we scaled the mountains in the bus to get a better view of the historic district (probably should not have sat in the back). We arrived at Saqsaywaman as evening descended. I've never seen so many kites in my life. Every Cusqueño y Cusqueña was spending the afternoon on this windy prominence. I have no idea why I did not take a photo of the kites, but it was like nothing I've ever seen. Un cielo lleno de cometas. We posed for a few group photos near el Cristo Blanco- a Rioesque statue of Jesus overlooking Cusco. 

La Vista en Saqsaywaman

We needed to make one more stop before the light failed us, so we descended the mountain, crossing the Inca Trail. At dusk, we arrived at La Plaza de Armas. Two sentinel cathedrals contributed to the colonial atmosphere. Interestingly, KFC and McDonalds also graced the scene, but they weren't overly garish. 

La Plaza de Armas

Incan Warrior

Here I was fortunate to receive free hugs (abrazos gratis) on two occasions. As taps sounded at the day's end, soldiers took down the nation's colors. Twilight in La Plaza de Armas is pretty special. We departed as the evening chorus of Rufous-collared Sparrows began to fade.

El fin del día

Three lifers today.

Monday

Talk about hitting the ground running. Well, kinda. Monday wasn't too hard. I slept in for a while and headed to a class at midday. My energy seemed to be returning on Monday; I felt more capable. Upon returning from ISA, I was finally able to look for some birds around the neighborhood. A river (albeit small and full of trash) runs close to the house, and birds are concentrated in the little riparian strip. I was out for 45 minutes. Overhead, a Mountain Caracara graced the sky with its presence. Along the river, flashy Blue-and-yellow Tanagers moved from tree to tree. Unfortunately I couldn't take any photos, though many opportunities presented themselves. My lens is hard to miss, and it wouldn't be the best idea to flaunt it. I'll have opportunities to take some shots in more natural settings.

From walk near airport

Now for some observations from the perspective of a foreigner. 

1. While we are accustomed to cold drinks, tea included, it is customary for Peruvians to drink warm or hot drinks with their meals, especially teas. I explained sweet tea to my host family, and they were surprised by the fact that I drink tea with ice.

2. It's a good thing that the drinks are warm because it's pretty cold here. The air is thin, and if the sun isn't shining on you, it's chilly! The homes here (and the school) do not have heat or A/C, so it's pretty cold inside. I dress like I'm facing the winter, even inside. This idea appeals to me. Even though I don't like the cold, why fight nature? Hay que adaptar. This trend of environmental tolerance extends to travel in cars and buses. These vehicles are equipped, but Peruvians do not seem to use these functions around town.

3. Peruvians have a good handle on pop culture of the US. On Sunday evening, Anthony (one son of my host parents) and his wife Gabriella, came over to visit. Man they showed me up. I did not know several of their contemporary references.

4. D O G S. There are a s*&@ton of feral dogs here. It's amazing how variable they are! They don't look like feral dogs in the US (pit bulls come to mind). These dogs are fluffy and kind of cute. But they're not your friend. We saw an intense showdown in La Plaza de Armas. Some of them wear jackets that some good samaritan had the courage to bestow them with.

5. Children here are very independent. The best image that I can summon is the days of Huck Finn. They ride the bus, walk around, and just generally go about their business.

6. This is a good segway for bus discussion. I had no idea that public transit would be such a learning curve. Not only is there a suite of vocabulary for this part of life in Perú, one has to be both aware and assertive. For my first couple of rides, Ammi accompanied me and showed me the ropes. The local bus is called el Zorro, or the fox, but there are many companies. Buses are fast, and the attendants, or cobradores, are constantly calling out, hanging off of the bus, and trying to manage the flow of people in and out of the vehicle. I like to think of them as auctioneers. And summoning a bus is different from hailing a cab. I can't decide if you making a pointing motion and shake your hand or you do more of a limp Jim Morrison pose. Or maybe it's more like doing the worm with your hand. You pay upon exit, which can be pretty hectic when the bus is already trying to depart.

Key words include baja, sube, paradero, cobrador, and atrás. And of course you have to learn place names. In most cases, you are responsible for calling out your stop when you get near.

Have mercy, been waiting on the bus all day: Notice the cobradora hanging out of the door

4 lifers today.

Tuesday

I really don't have much to say about Tuesday. It's my longest day in terms of classes, so I couldn't do much else. It was however, my first attempt at riding the bus alone. Practice makes perfect. Everything seemed so straightforward when I rode with Ammi. The bus wasn't crowded, there was no need to yell, etc. Well, I wasn't the only person heading to Avenida de la Cultura at 7am. Standing room only. While seated, it's easy to orient yourself. I wasn't seated. Although I knew we had reached Avenida de la Cultura, I wasn't sure exactly where we were. But then we starting making some turns, and I knew that I had blown it. So I asked one of the kids going to school if we had passed Manuel Prado, and she said oh yeah; it's way back there. I got off ASAP and started running towards ISA. It was 7:28. I was winded and had to switch between walking and running (my first attempt at running here). Fortunately I was only 5 minutes late, and the class had yet to start. 

Later on I went to the mall to buy a cheap phone. That way I don't have to worry about losing track of my iPhone. The store, Claro, made a visit Verizon look like an arduous SAT course. I had a prepaid phone within 15 minutes.

My New Burner: Untraceable (except I had to present my passport for purchase)

0 life birds....School.....

Wednesday

Like Monday, Wednesday is an easy day. While waiting for the bus, I watched in awe as a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle soared overhead.

One interesting thing that happened today was getting pulled over my a motorcycle cop in el Zorro. It sounded like he was complaining about the door being open while in transit. The stop only lasted for 3 minutes.

Later I had class.

In the evening, we had an ISA activity. Another one of those icebreaker type things. Some students from universities in Cusco came to converse, and we played games.

Afterwards, my host family picked me up from the school, and we headed to Jesus Sr.'s (the oldest son of my host parents) birthday party. As we walked up to the door, I could hear Peruvian pop blasting. Walking in, I was surprised to see so many people in attendance. All were intently watching and encouraging two dancing children.

It was a night of dancing, singing, eating, playing games, eating, and celebrating. There's no doubt that it took a lot of planning and preparation to make this party a success. Activities did not cease. The first game that we played was pretty funny. One person picks a word, and two teams have to compete to see who knows more songs with that word. And of course you have to sing them. Needless to say I wasn't much help to my team (we ended up losing anyway).

After dinner, three different derivations of happy birthday were sung with the accompaniment of live music from the patriarchs of the families.

Both Jesus Sr.'s family (who I am staying with) and Jesus' wife's (Amauta) family were in attendance.  I've never experienced a family gathering quite like this, not even for a milestone birthday. And this wasn't a milestone birthday, but it was occasion to unite as a family. This closeness of family is something that I had hoped to experience in Perú. It was really special to be a part of this gathering of family, where kinship and good clean fun were all that anyone was looking for.

Finally people started to head out. By midnight the party had reached its conclusion.

Por Empe: "En el cumpleaños de Jesús hijo. John bienvenido a nuestra familia, Dios te bendiga grandemente."

One new bird today.

Thursday

Thursday I felt like a hundred dollars. My morning commute did bring mediocre looks at a preening Spot-winged Pigeon.

Other than classes, not much went on. One anecdote from today's class involves Peruvian energy. I was surprised and impressed to learn that Perú's energy is almost 100% sustainable. A striking 60% of their energy comes from hydroelectric power. And I'm not talking the abominable, monstrous dams that tame the majestic rivers of the American west. Apparently Peruvian rivers are so fast-flowing and energy-packed that only a small portion of a river's flow is diverted to turn a turbine.

The remaining 40% comes from solar and wind power. Can you imagine!? Hardly any combustion-driven power production. As far as I know, coal plants are mostly reserved for emergency supply.

I went to bed real early Thursday. Things seem to have caught up with me.

Solo un lifer.

Friday

I had a few classes Friday, and later tried my luck at Plaza de Armas. I went out last night...

But first, another interesting anecdote from class today. In Anthropology, we learned about the Incan method of recording information, the Khipu. Incans did not have a written language, so they went with another means of keeping a record and disseminating information. They adopted and popularized the Khipu, which is a collection of strings sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Worn like necklaces, Khipus were highly complex and required years of training to master. The length, position, color, types of knots, and placement of knots translated to numbers, censuses, narratives, records, etc. A tremendous amount of data was stored in these unusual textile productions.

Now back to the 21st century: I joined a few ISA students for a nice dinner where I tried my first Pisco Sour. As we ate, we were captivated by a three-person live band (guitar, drums, and flute). The group performed traditional Andean music as well as some Peruvian adaptations to songs like Imagine by John Lennon.

Later, dancers came in and impressed us all. Some of us were even called upon for a brief moment in the spotlight. I was compelled to buy a cd to remember my time in Cusco.

To be used during Alpaca rides or journeys of self-exploration

From here, we met up with pretty much every other ISA student and headed to a bar. Our large group conspicuously monopolized 46.47% of the entire bar. I had a pretty good time here drinking and chatting. After a while, I split off with a smaller group of students to satisfy our primal need to consume Waffle House. Well, I certainly haven't seen any Waffle House signs. So we settled for a classier Peruvian version of Waffle House: a nice pizzeria. 

After we dined, the night seemed to be drawing to a conclusion, so I hailed a taxi and made my way home. I was asleep just after midnight.

Not a lifer...

Saturday

Another day of ISA events. Today, we were to be educated on the use of public transportation. So we crammed into several random buses and made our way to the San Pedro Market, a formidable collection of vendors of food, clothes, knick-knacks, fireworks, and everything else under the sun.

Mercado de átras

Todo el queso

¡Frutas!

We sampled bread and chocolate as we got an insider's tour of the place. From here, we walked on down to Plaza San Fransisco, to enjoy some rolled ice cream as a group. An important part of today's activity was to become oriented. The historic district is full of beautiful Plazas, shops, and cathedrals, but navigating between them requires some practice. So we walked on down to our old stomping grounds, the Plaza de Armas. Here, we received some more advice and historical jewels. We were advised not to go down a specific alleyway. Interestingly enough, we had trampled up and down that alleyway just the night before.

We were then given the choice to stay or ride the bus back. I stayed with a group and enjoyed lunch overlooking a pretty plaza whose name is unknown to me.

From there, I headed home. On the bus ride, two musicians serenaded the patrons with captivating original tunes. What a cool form of entertainment: live music during public transit.

People frequently hop on buses to pitch products, ask for money, etc. Many are Venezuelans who left their country behind in hopes of a better life.

I can't recall what the afternoon brought; it must not have been very eventful.

Ningunos lifers.

Sunday 

Sunday was pretty jam packed; pretty eventful.

It started with a visit to church with my host family. I experienced a morning of worship characterized by live music. Drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, and keyboards laid down the rhythms for some modern worship.

My host father, Jesús, delivered a rousing sermon calling members of the congregation to action.

The congregation was very welcoming. As it turns out, many of them were family members that I had met at Jesús Sr.'s birthday on Wednesday night. Actually, I had met every member of the band.

Sunday was a day of family. We crammed into Jesús' SUV and headed back home. There was an hour to kill before heading to lunch, and my host family encouraged me to walk around and look for birds.

So I did just that. Heading east down the river, I got looks at some familiar species. Foraging in the Willows were some striking male Hooded Siskins. A little ways down, I finally nailed down the Ground-Doves that I had been seeing in passing. Bare-faced Ground-Dove: a striking small dove with colorful plumage that an Incan would approve of. As I headed towards the airport, I passed some kids playing soccer in the street. In the States, Sunday is one of my least favorite days. In Perú, it may be my favorite.

It felt nice to get outside and get some sun on my skin. Lately, I've felt increasingly trapped inside.

My watch has been acting up lately. It can't seem to decide on what day of the week it is. For a while, I was intent on correcting it, but I finally realized that it was in vain. Not just because it's clearly broken, but because time ain't the same here anyway. The American rush and obsession of promptness cannot be found in Cusco. In fact, this region is known for "La Hora Peruana." Although someone may agree to an event at a specified time, there is plenty of cushion.

Despite my musing on the relaxed attitudes towards time here, I made it back to the house in time to head to lunch with the family. As we headed to their favored chicken spot, a White-collared Swift blazed across the Sierra sky.

Lunchtime. Chicken, french fries, and lemonade. Everyone cheered on the Peruvian soccer team as they faced Germany. Unfortunately, the Germans had their way.

After returning home, some of us headed to the zoo. Had I realized we were going so far out in the country, I would have brought my bins! Finally, the Perú that I have been yearning to be a part of. El Campo. Mountains rose on either size of the highway in a manner that challenged the grandeur of West Texas.

Whoa

This was no concrete enclosure for the gawking of city folks. This zoo was uniquely situated on a hillside, with scenic panoramic views. A sensational mix of fierce wind and intermittent rain made the experience all the more surreal. We perused the collection of captive Peruvian natives as we scaled the colina. As evening matured, animals became impressively active and accommodating. A Variable Hawk circled in the infinite sky above. Meanwhile, a passing Falcon spooked a group of Passerines from the Alpaca enclosure.

From the hillside

Por Empe: "Felices con el tucán al lado." 

Por Empe: "Disfrutando un día bonito con John, Jesús, Joshua, Amautita, y Empe en el zoológico de Tipón en Cusco."

Por Empe: "Intentando mirar a los pumas."

Andean Goose: a bird I hope to see soon in the wild

Mono tontoso

Tigerillo

Dusk to twilight. A striking spectrum of earth tones was adorned on the opposite hillside. Sparsely vegetated hills, verdant drainages, geometric garden plots, and warm adobe houses comprised the perfect live mural.

Me queda sin palabras

We were then corralled into a small building where we were afforded photo ops with a cooperative Hedgehog. Next, we were treated to ice-cream sandwiches and a lesson on carnivorous plants.

Por Empe: "Papá Jesús parece un niño con un helado en su mano."

Por Empe: "Con el erizo africano."

Por Empe: "Feliz como un niño con su mascota."

Time to go. A quick stop to purchase some local bread and then back west.

Flocks of unidentified Ibis flew to unknown roosts as we parted ways with the countryside.

My first exposure to the wildness of the Peruvian Sierra. I'll be back...

Back home. Sunday night brings more family collectiveness. We enjoyed the exhaustive efforts of Pixar productions as we sipped our hot chocolate and dipped our bread.

A tranquil Sunday and a hint of what is to come in the not-too-distant future.

Tres lifers today!

I'm sure my future posts will be much shorter. There's just so much to write about because everything is new!

Lifer Total, Week 1: 13

Some Parting Reflections from Week 1:

Cusco may be considered a small city on a spatial scale, but it is jam-packed with people. Although the urban life is fascinating and energizing, I am looking forward to escaping from the labyrinthine locus of Cusco.

Food, goods, services are cheap here. And everything is for sale. Walking in El Centro Histórico can be overwhelming: stores are packed with items, and street vendors cruise nearby. I've yet to summon the gaul to do some legitimate shopping.

Andean Spanish is smooth and sweet. People here do not speak very rapidly, and the only slang that I have heard is the word "cheverre," which means cool. Cusco is an ideal location to be immersed.

I'm not gonna lie: week one had its ups and downs. It was a tough week. But it's almost impossible to face such stark changes without feeling any kick-back.

Sorry for the tardiness of this post... I had the account just how I wanted it until I closed the tab and found that only Saturday to Wednesday was saved. So I had to reconstruct as best as I could, but the content is mostly unchanged.