Day 21- Cuzco

(view from our gorgeous school)

Today was our first day of classes at Amauta School in Cuzco. I woke up around 7am to get ready and had breakfast at 7:30 (bread and jam and fresh juice). Kris had been suffering from a cold and mild fever, so instead of walking to school, which takes about 20 minutes, we took a cab for 3 soles. Class is from 8:30-12:30 everyday, and I'm with Kris, Yiannis, Priscilla and Kim. I like the way they are set up here much better than in Lima: 8:30-10:20, we have conversation and a tiny bit of grammar; 10:40-11:35, we have just grammar; and 11:35-12:30 we have culture.

After our classes ended, Kris and I took a cab home to eat lunch. Our costs cover two meals per day; breakfast is always included, and everyday we choose whether we want lunch or dinner at home based on our activities. 

Because we had a welcome dinner included in the cost of Amauta School, we naturally chose lunch. We had more chicken soup, followed by a dish of rice, beef and vegetables. And tea. Lots of tea here and at the school, 1. because it helps with altitude sickness and 2. because it keeps us warm.

June is the beginning of winter here in Cuzco, and while it's very hot if you're directly in the sun, it's freezing indoors. Think double or triple layers, tennis shoes instead of sandals, and, for many people in my group, gloves, hats and scarves.

After lunch, which is always served at 1:30 in our house, I read a little bit of my Lima history book then took a nap for just under 2 hours. I woke up and talked to Kris, who was feeling pretty bad and had no appetite, so I went to dinner without her. 

We went to a charming restaurant reserved for basically all the newbies at the school. Although we were supposed to mix and mingle, our group pretty much stuck together. The restaurant was great and served salad, lomo saltado (definitely one of my favorite dishes, or platos, here) and ice cream. It wouldn't be a Peruvian meal without pisco sours included, and I also ordered a Cuzqueña, my favorite beer here.

I sat by some pretty cool folks and had fun, then decided to go out to a hookah bar with 10 other people afterwards. I'd smoked hookah before, but only at friends' houses, and for 15 soles for the entire table to smoke (the equivalent of just over 5 bucks), I couldn't say no. We ordered mixed fruit shisha and Rosanna and I got another pisco sour with the happy hour deal.

Another cool thing about the hookah bar was the music they played. There was a live band that covered Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Beatles and more. I really liked the atmosphere of the place, but I was pretty tired around 11:30, so Rosanna and I took a cab home together since she lives right by me.
One last but very important event today: election results. Ollanta won by about 2%. My families in both Cuzco and Lima are very worried by this news. While this election, like most others, involved choosing the lesser of two evils, I fear for the dictator leadership in a country that has won my heart. We will see how the next five years shapes out; only time will tell, I guess.