Saqsaywaman

Before our group of 11 went off to Urumbamba we stayed in Cuzco (a larger city about an hour away from Urumbamba) with the 9 Cuzco volunteers and visited various ruins in the area, the most impressive being Saqsaywaman, which have been said to be anything from an Incan fortress to a temple, although the temple hypothesis has garnered the most evidence. From above, the ruins are zigzagged, a tribute to lightning.

Before we got to the ruins we happened upon a grizzled farmer and his pack of llamas, which he allowed us to photograph as he stood off to the side. We hiked through the ruins, many of us gasping for air at the smallest incline as we have yet to acclimate to the altitude. It wasn't until we reached the foot of the giant walls that we realized the magnitude of what the Incas had done... huge boulders that towered over the tallest in our group, each perfectly aligned with the next, each stone's protrusion snuggly set into another's indentation.






The day before the ruins we visited the enormous, alabaster Jesus that watches over Cuzco, his arms stretched wide as if embracing the city. At his feet vendors sold alpaca hats, dark stone miniatures of the statue, and Incan crosses. There was also a woman with a llama (possibly an alpaca, I have yet to gain enough experience with the two to tell the difference) who encouraged our group to take pictures with her. This has happened countless times in our week here- Peruvian women in traditional garb canvassing the plaza for gringos who want a culturally “authentic” picture, older women sitting perceptively next to ruins, spinning alpaca fur into yarn. What seemed at first to be a kind gesture towards foreigners revealed itself to be a practice in entrepreneurship- after a picture is taken the women will ask for money for their efforts.




However breathtaking any of the ruins or monuments, the view of the mountains as well as Cuzco nestled in the valley is indisputably the most beautiful part of the trip thus far.

Posted by Brynne Sekerak

Peruvian Politics

From what I've gleamed from my host family, the next few years of Peruvian politics will be a bit rough. The current president has done a good job, raising the country's economic state, but presidential terms only last 5 years, and the election is this June 5th. The two candidates are Keiko and Ollanta. Choosing between the both is described as choosing between the lesser of two evils (los dos son malo y malo). Keiko is the daughter of a past dictator of Peru, who is currently banished from the country. If elected, she has clearly said that she's going to let her father back into the country, so who knows. Ollanta is described as a Hugo Chavez-like character. Thus, no one in Peru really knows who to vote for, and unfortunately, voting is mandatory here. Elections are on June 5th, so we'll see how the country reacts.


Posted by David Chou

Customs (what to do in Peru)

Now that I've been in Peru for a few days, I feel like I can comment on a few customs here that differ from the US.

• In greetings, there are two different customs. When greeting guy to guy, you shake hands, as per usual. When greeting a woman, regardless of your gender, you kiss their right cheek. When entering a room full of people, it's customary to greet everyone in the room, otherwise it's rude. 
• In eating, if people are served before you, it's customary for them to start eating immediately, otherwise it's considered rude to the chef. 
• In using el baño, you have to put used toilet paper into the trashbin instead of the toilet - I don't think the septic system can handle it. 
• In speaking, Peruvians tend to use "cutesy Spanish" quite a bit. This means that they add an "-ito" or "-ita" to lots of words, which basically means little (word).  For instance, "perro" is dog, and "perrito" is little dog.  Usually meant in an affectionate manner.
• In habits, at least what I've experienced from my host family, if there's a situation in which you can't really do much, you kinda shrug your shoulders and say "oof-e" 
• In traffic customs, you do not get the right of way. If you get in the way of a car, the car will accelerate, instead of slowing down. Thus, crossing the streets in Cuzco is kind of like frogger - cross the streets when it's clear, and hope no one will clip you.

Posted by David Chou

Live from New York!

So here I am, sitting in JFK airport for eight whole hours, waiting to get onto a flight to Lima, Peru! I think all of us at JFK are all excited to see what's going to happen, and to just experience Peruvian life and culture! Personally, I'm a little nervous about the work we're going to do with ProPeru, and what the community's reception to us will be. As part of the environmental education group in Urubamba, I wonder if the community will accept the knowledge that we are trying to impart on them, or just reject it in favor of pre-existing customs. Regardless, I think that it's going to be a great experience, and from what I've heard, the community is pretty warm and accepting to Americans (I'm somewhat interested to see what the response to Asians will be). Since this is just a pre-Peru post, I'll keep it short, and in the future, I'll be focusing on my experiences with the culture, the people, and the food of Peru. I currently plan to photo-document just about everything I can, and there will be a slideshow going up on the site once I start taking pictures. For now, that's it! Peru in 10 hours.


Posted by David Chou