Krista conducting business with the "nut and dried fruit Lady" at the San Pedro Market
Sitting in the backseat of the taxi, headed down the valley towards Isabel’s violin lesson, I closed my eyes and let the wind blow in my face through the open window. There were big puffy clouds around, but the sun was nevertheless making its way onto the thighs of my black jeans, heating them so much that it felt like I was leaning against a woodstove -- another reminder that we are living much closer to the sun here in Cusco. Cusco is, after all, home to the Temple of the Sun and home to the Inca, the children of the sun.
We have had no problem getting used to the primarily warm weather down here. But it’s taking us some time to remember that we are living in the high mountain environment where changes in the weather are severe and happen quickly, without warning. As we walked back towards the Avenida de Cultura from Isabel’s lesson, we were pelted with hail forcing us to seek refuge under a garage awning. Once again the adult in charge (me) had left home without any of the many rain-protection items we own. Luckily we grabbed a cab before the skies completely opened up, which they most certainly did. Our cab had but one functioning windshield wiper which, combined with the fog accumulating on the windows, had me thinking that maybe this was it. What an inglorious way to go out. Luckily my morbid daydream was just that, and we made it back safely to San Blas Plaza.
Peruvian para-troopers during Sunday's political/military parade in the Plaza de Armas
We spent last weekend doing domestic activities. Krista and I actually sat down and watched an entire movie together. It was all about a 39 year old woman struggling with the fact that she was adopted and wanting so badly to have her own, biological child. How ironic that this is the movie I randomly grabbed from the "movie lady" outside the Mega Supermarket as I rushed by to do a grocery shop. Adoption is likely going to be the focus of Krista's work here in Peru, so it made for some good conversation.
More soldiers, these of the terrestrial (and suspicious) variety
We also hosted our first dinner guest here in Peru, Jean-Jacques Decoster, proprietor and director of the language school we first stayed at, Centro Tinku. It was great to have a guest! It made us look at our apartment more as a home than a flat we are squatting in. Jean Jacques brought his golden retriever, K'ori, along. It was nice for all of us to have a dog in our lives again, even if just for an evening meal. He also brought what must have been 70% of all the ice cream in Cusco. And since our freezer doesn't really work we fought hard to ingest it all before it shifted phase.
Poor Sophia and Krista were both feeling under the weather with belly aches, and Sophia actually vomited all over her bed in the middle of Saturday night. You have got love the laundry service on days like this... Happily she is starting to eat again and is characteristically full of energy. Krista is rebounding a bit more slowly, but appears to be rebounding all the same.
I have been talking with all my "Spanish teachers" (a.k.a. cab drivers) about the upcoming fiesta on October 31st, and it sounds pretty amazing. While we North Americans are wandering about in clever outfits hording stale candy on a chilly fall night, Peruvians are partying with their dead relatives at the cemetery. I hope to get a good taste of Dia de los Muertos on Saturday, and Dia de los Vivos on Sunday.
Hordes on the Plaza, Sunday morning
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