Monday, October 18, 2010

A Few Things About Cusco

I don't have too much to update you all on so I figure I might as well talk about the differences I have noticed since living in Peru.

1. It is so dry here. My nose is in a perpetual state of crustiness. Gross right? All I need is a humidifier. I tend to wake up with a a dry mouth as well. My godsend is chapstick and lotion here. Hallelujah.

2. Two seasons are kind of lame. I miss the colors of the fall. Hell, I miss trees. There are none here. It has started raining a lot here and apparently it doesn't end until March. I chose the perfect time to come and work here. I get to spend the majority of my time here soaked and chilly. I might have to get back to camp next summer just to get some warmth and humidity. I never thought I would say that I miss humidity. Haha.

3. Bread stores or panaderias are not as common here as they were in Ecuador and it makes me kind of sad. Don't get me wrong, I can still find plenty of bread but it's not as readily available as it was there. At the same time, it is probably a good thing since I would usually eat the sweet bread products that make you fat eventually. :P

4. Usually companies that sell the same thing try to set up shop in different parts of town so as to get different clients. Here, it is the opposite. If you sell musical instruments, you sell them alongside everyone else who sells instruments/motorcycles/keys/plastic containers etc. It makes is very easy for the consumer but it can't be smart for the seller.

5. There is no such thing as a cinema here. It sucks. What's worse is I have no DVD player and my computer doesn't work so I am limited to watching what is on HBO or cinemax. I should be outside or reading more anyway.

6. I miss baths. I miss really hot water is more like it. My shower is warm at best. I guess I just need to travel to the hot springs nearby.

7. I don't know when I will wear shorts again. It's never quite warm enough for them.

That's about it for now. I am sure I will come up with more as time progresses. Things are good though. There is a Halloween party next weekend at Maximo and I have to come up with a costume. I am thinking about going as a crayon. It's pretty simple and I just need to find clothes of a similar color, make a cone hat and tape a crayola sign on my stomach.

Besos y Abrazos!

3 comments:

  1. 3. Right. However, Cusco boasts Hornos (ovens) where you can get the popular pan Huaro. There is one on calle nueva alta fourth block. No signs but neighbors know.

    5. No cinemas, but cineclubs: Acupari (german school), Alliance Française, Pukllasunchis behind the Temple of the sun. Also: Cusco Wasinchis on calle nueva alta block 4, and the one in the cultural center in San Blas on calle alta near the san blas main square. Good movies, by the way!

    6. Believe it or not, some houses for rents do not have showers, just a bathroom with a hole on the ground or a toilet. If shower, do not expect warm water. Just cold almost frozen water. I am talking about rooms for locals. Things change a lit bit for foreigners who can afford to pay much more.

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  2. The lack of hot water - consider that in the States you can even buy a dishwasher that pre-heats the water for the darned dishes!

    My body is always warmer than the norm, so I would probably love the dry cool weather there. The rainy months wouldn't be bad as long as you could count on at least some sunny hours each day, and I think you said that is the case.

    I think you are in the area of tropical easterly winds - bringing humidity over the mountains from Amazonia to give you rain, but leaving the lowlands of the coast bone dry.

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  3. You got it Dad! I think you should make a visit here to see how it is for yourself. Roger is thinking about coming in January. You in? It won't be as crazy with tourists at that time but we could make it to Machu Picchu.

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