Cusco: Semana 3

One good thing about a really religious country are the holidays! There was no school on Monday porque it was the day of the Immaculate Conception. They had a little mass within the housing community and a procession after with the statue. Then we were all waiting around for whatever and i thought the lady handed me coke but it was rum and coke. Rum and coke at 11 am on a holy day, why not? We had lunch after and after that I went to one last Inka structure because my tourist ticket expired that day. I went with Fiorella to Saqsaywaman which is pretty much pronounced sexy women. It was very similar to all the rest. But when we got back, the dancing and drinking had begun, all the celebrators of the holy day were drunk and dancing all around. It was pretty funny, it just seemed kind of ironic that they do not drink that much because they are more conservative than most but on the religious holidays it is appropriate to get wasted! fine by me though! The next day I had a new teacher who was very nice but oh so boring. After class I had many errands to do and then atthe night time we had "cooking class" which was more of me watching everyone cook. But we ate locro de zapallo which was absolutely delicious. It was a puree of squash with cheese and corn and onions and it was one of my favorite peruvian foods so far I think. Wednesday was a lazy day but i did saltar soga with Renzo. We jumped rope for a really long time and I was actually sore the next day. Quite agood workout! Thursday after class I went to the gym and then Ygor and I went to a school to play with some children...it was an afterschool program for the kids whose parents work on the streets. I thought I had seen poor, but these kids were a new level. We all know that kids are dirty and I have done my fair share of babysitting, but these kids clothes had been worn for a week in a row and one of the little girls had no underwear on and smelled like she had definitely wet her pants. All new eye opening experiences, but kids are still the same kids no matter what they are wearing. When I went home I had some dinner and it was the first dinner that I simply could not eat. It was some mash of corn and cheese and really gross. But I was sooo hungry since I had worked out and played with kids all day so I had to ask for something else cuz I simply was hungry and couldnt eat it. I felt very rude but fio didnt care, and also she didn´t make it so it didnt really matter.

Friday was quite a day. I had my very last test ever and I got a 97%! yay! They had some lunch for me and I finally got my package from dad and conor. It was really exciting to get it and i was so excited. After I went on a tour of the Inka Museum with Mauricio who is the brother of Fiorella, the nephew of mi madre. I went with Mauricio and Rencito on the tour and then after I wanted to go to the post office because I still was waiting for my package from Melanie. At this point I had been to the post office about 4 times, so I knew to come between 545 and 6 to talk to the post man. I saw the post man and he told me that he tried to drop it off at 2 but no one was there. Of course no one was there. I think I told him 10 times that the school closes at 1. But my package was in customs. I went to customs with my post man and the lady at customs told me that it was not the hour, I need to come back monday. I tried to explain that I am leaving the country on Sunday so there is really no other time than now to pick up my package. She said she didn´t care, it was not her problem. I simply tried to tell her again and ask her what there was to do since I was leaving the country and she told me that I need to come back monday. She obviously did not give two ##### if I got my package or not. She probably wanted my wonderful gift! Then I was so frustrated after going to the stupid post office so many times that I started crying and said it is my birthday present and I just want my package. And she said that she shouldn´´t even be there at that hour and what would I do if she wasnt there. ANd I said, well with luck, you are here, and fortunately you can help me since you stayed a little later than normal. She didnt look up but she went and got my package. THen she wanted my passport. Well, obvi I dont carry my passport around with me in this dangerous country, so I showed her my liscence, my student id and told her that I could show her more documents with my name on it. She and the man behind the counter said no that is not good enough. I said can I run back home and get my passport and be back in 10 minutes. No, I am going to leave in 5 minutes. So I am standing there. waiting. they give me no options of what I can do to get this package. So i grab the package and run as fast as i can out of the room. But, I had to open a door which slowed me down and when I got outside I was trying to look for a taxi and then the watch man grabbed me and took my package away! I screamed at him and told him it was my package and he still took it. Everyone was staring and I still didn´t get my package. I have never encountered such a bitchy heartless woman in my life and I hope I never do again. Mauricio and Renzo came out after and were like what just went on?? It was really funny and we went back to the house and I told the family and mi tia told me that she is friends with the administrator so I probably could have gotten my package that way. Lol well I wasn´t quite thinking straight at the time. The next day we went back and she tried to help us but didn´t have the key and she called the man that was in the customs who was also really mean and he said that he would not come help anyone who would behave in such a manner as i had the day before. All too funny, so I had to go get a letter of power or something of that manner, thats at least how it translates from spanish but I think it is something else, saying the Fiorella could pick up the package for me. Then I had to get it notarized, then I had to make a copy of my passport and leave money for her to send it to me in Lima. What a hassle. ALl because of the bitchy lady.

That night we went out for mi despedida and I asked to go to Rodrigo´s again where they had pollo a la broaster which is the best fried chicken in the world. So we had that for dinner and then went out with Fiorella´s friends to a bar for this girls birthday. Then we went to a club which was much different than any of the rest of the clubs since it was for peruanos instead of tourists. I liked it a lot better by the looks of it but then there were only high school aged kids in the bar! It was crowded with youngins. It is still so weird for me to see young people at clubs drinking since I could never do that when I was in high school. So, I left kind of early, wasn´t really feeling it, plus I had to get up early and pack. The next day I was off to Lima after breakfast and had to say goodbye to my wonderful family. They were simply the best and could not have asked for better. It was the first family that I actually felt a part of the family and would feel more than comfortable coming back to visit them or tell friends to go visit them when they go to Peru. I really hope to return one day and see them.