Livin' on Cusco Time

Yesterday was a good day. We played AWANA games with the kids at the school (AWANA's is a church program for kids and we brought some of the game supplies to Peru with us). The kids loved playing the games and I enjoyed watching as the the third graders very carefully practiced the three legged race by tying shoe laces together, the "jefes" among the children loudly and persistently instructed the others, and the four year olds simply dragged around a rope for tug of war. After playing, we all piled into a van and serpentined up small dusty roads clinging to the side of the Andes. We drove along these hair-pin roads high into the mountains to see an old mountain resort from the 20's that had fallen into disrepair. The resort was breathtaking, and the views magical. Being there was like stepping back in time. With its pillars, seclusion, and whiskey bottles left from the workers, the resort felt like something from a Hemingway novel, though that may change as local missionaries are working to turn it into a Christian resort. We continued for a while longer to visit a small town high in the mountains. It was hard to believe that people could live and that a city could thrive in such seclusion-yet the little stores and children playing soccer on the plaza seemed to prove they could.

Today I gained a clearer understanding of the meaning of the phrase"Peru Time". We woke up early to catch a bus back to Cusco around 10:o0, the ride back to town is about an hour and a half generally so we planned to get lunch and tour the city. We waited at the orphanage until about 1:30 when, greeted by the cheers from our entire team, the bus arrived. We then set out for our journey. After about two miles the driver got out to putter on the axle-probably not a terribly good start to a drive through the Andes. We then continued to drive quite slowly (probably due to the problem with the axle), stopping several times to brake for traffic blocks, a common happening due to the huge chunks of the highway that have been washed away during the rainy season. Finally, around 5 we made it to Cusco! I love it here, the hostel is very neat and homey, its owners kind, and the cafe downstairs looks like it will be fun to work in. The hostel is located on a plaza in the touristy section of Cusco. Mrs. Dyer, one of the missionaries we are working with says it is the more bohemian section of town, and Ben and I are looking forward to checking it out. Cusco seems to be an interesting beautiful city, with tiny twisting roads, fresh markets, and red brick homes. I am sure I will love living here.

Pictures of the city, hostel, and Machu Pichu to follow.