Day 31- Cuzco

After class today, I decided to head to a bagel café that some others had recommended. Natalie, Kris, Rachel and I walked over after class. I ordered a teriyaki chicken salad, onion bagel with hummus and a chocolate banana shake. Again, I’ve been suffering from a severe lack of veggies and fruit, so this was really fresh and satisfying. We saw a group of girls at the next table over eating a cake that we hadn’t seen on the menu, so we asked them what it was and learned they were eating a hot chocolate cake. It looked delicious, so we split one. It was seriously one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever had; it was really moist and rich, with vanilla ice cream on the side. As much as I wished I had ordered my own piece, we were about to meet up with some other people at the ChocoMuseo, since they wanted to see the museum and we wanted more sweets. While they looked around, I got my free sample of chocolate husk tea and ordered strawberry fondue. I realized they sold a bag of the chocolate husks for 12 soles and bought it as a nice treat for when I come home.

We took a cab to meet up with a bunch of others at the black market (Mercado Molino). I didn’t know quite what to expect; I thought it would be a smallish shopping center with some knockoffs of name brands. It turned out to be huge, with everything imaginable: food, sneakers, backpacks, alcohol, electronics and, as I had heard, DVDs. I didn’t have much money on me at all (I had to go to the ATM), which was a mixed blessing because I wanted to buy everything. I knew that the black market sold copies of DVDs and CDs, but I thought it was all just a scam. However, they had TVs there and were happy to play the movies/music for you. I was really impressed by the quality.

I bought 3 DVDs for 3 soles each: Amelie, The Boy With the Striped Pajamas, and 127 Hours. This whole trip, I’ve been concerned about losing some of my Spanish when I go back to the States. Once I saw the movies, though, I realized I could use this as an activity to practice my skills. I specifically looked for films that I could watch in Spanish with Spanish subtitles. I’m going to make sure to do different things to keep my language skills up to par, and this is definitely a fun one.

Aaaand afterwards, Kris and I needed to go home to drop off our purchases and get ready. I then needed to go to the school (where Kris stayed for our activity at 6:45) so I could get my backpack and laundry (the school here does it for free), since we were all planning to go out later. I then took another cab home to drop everything off, and back to the school I went. I missed the first few minutes of Diarios de Motocicleta, but didn't miss any important plot lines. Unfortunately, Monica ordered a few pizzas for us as a treat, and I did miss that since it went really quickly.

The "Motorcycle Diaries" is based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution, when he was 23. In 1952, medical student Che, known as Fuser to his friends and later better known as 'Ernesto Che Guevara,' embarks on a journey with his 29-year-old biochemist friend Alberto Granado, postponing his last semester of med school. He and Alberto, better known as Mial, embark on a four month, 8,000 km long motorcycle trip throughout South America, starting from their home in Buenos Aires. They set out to see the things they've only read about, and to finish their adventure on Mial's 30th birthday in Venezuela. They encounter many difficulties with a severe lack of money, motorcycle problems and more. But they meet a couple of Communists in the Chilean desert, eventually leading to an extended visit to the San Pablo Leper Colony in the Perúvian Amazon Basin. The adventures they have and the impact they make on leper patients profoundly affects what each will want to do with his life and the bond each has with the other. The movie was fantastic, and some people here who had seen it in previous Spanish classes said it was one of their favorites. We left with plans to meet up with Monica at a discoteca called Mama Africa at 10pm.

First, we needed some food to tie us over, so I headed out with Vinny, Tyler, Rachel, Leslie and others to a Canadian bar beforehand for drinks (mojitos) and food (I ordered a baked potato with veggie chili). We played some card games and had a good time, then met up with everyone at the discoteca. We stayed there for an hour or so and danced, but there weren’t too many people since Peruvians don't get the night started until later. We went walking around the Plaza area when we got a slip for a free drink at Inca Team, another discoteca near our school that was so discreet from the outside that we'd never noticed it. I stopped drinking after my free rum and coke but had a great time there... first, there were more people; second, they played more American music, which is obviously easier for us to dance to than the salsa music at Mama Africa. Eventually, it was so crowded that I basically kept bumping into either a wall or a couple that was dancing. While I wanted to stay, I figured I should go home and get some rest, so I headed out with Kris and Amy. I went right to bed, catching some rest for another adventurous day.