First Week Impressions...

This week we:
Started our volunteering
Explored the city
Got sick
Got hair raps by Peruvian hippies/ watched and translated for the other girls
Started Spanish classes
Went to Machu Picchu
Celebrated Gretchen's Birthday
Started Conversation partner meetings
Went to the black market... and much much more.

What do we think so far??
Well, today this is Cora writing so I can only speak for myself, but so far I love Cusco. Our house mates are amazing, so is everyone else we have met. I really enjoy our volunteer project, I am working in a small preschool as a teachers assistant with 2-4 year olds. They are from the slums and very poor. I feel as if I am a good help to the teacher with the children as well as helping her with her English. The children behave much differently then children I have worked with in the past so it is a learning experience for me as well. I have taught them many songs as well so far thanks to Lydia as well as to my random knowledge of children's songs in Spanish.
Im terms of my Spanish conversation practice as well as Spanish classes, they are both going very well. Both my conversation partners are really nice and my Spanish class is very helpful. Señora Ester is funny and I like her teaching style. The only down side is that we like our house mates so much that we rarely have to speak Spanish, hopefully we can change that.
This week I am going in search of a guitar, guitar lessons, and a Andean dance group. The girls and I are going to try to find clothes with western clothes that are not covered in llamas, and go to yoga class. I am contemplating connecting my phone, even though I am enjoying not having it, as well as joining the gym in order to take classes because it is so cheep here. Caitlin might go into the jungle with some of our housemates next week, but I had my first and last jungle trek in Bolivia, so I will stay behind. I am planning on going to a different church mass every week in order visit them without paying. I am jumping head first into the culture here, so I have decided that that justifies my going to church without being Catholic.
So far, that is a snap shot of our week. I will write more about Machu Picchu when we put the pictures up because I think it deserves its own entry. In terms of the sickness I mentioned earlier poor Caitlin has been sick almost the entire time we have been here and I got a bit sick today, but not to worry, it is nothing to serious. So far the only change in our well being is that we can eat very little due to that altitude, and we are developing British accents and Ausie slang by being around our foreign housemates!
All and all everything is going smoothly and I hope you all enjoy reading about our trip as much as I enjoy writing.
Well, thats it for today,
Cora

Better Late Than Never

Although our trip has begun, we thought it would be a good idea to post our full itinerary so that everyone can get a sense of the complete path we are taking.

Caitlin and Cora's Gap year itinerary 2010-2011:
September 16 2010- Leave SFO for Cusco, Peru, Arrive Sept. 17
September 20- November 13 - Volunteering in an Orphanage (arranged by program IVHQ)
November 15-December 21 - Traveling though Peru, visiting major cities, and sight seeing
December 22- Leave Lima, Peru for Florianopolis, Brazil
January 3- January 28- Portuguese school ( Step One Idiomas)
January 30- Leave Florianopolis for Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
January 30-March 13- Living in Salvador, Hopefully taking classes to get our TEFL Certificate
March 14- Leaving Salvador to go to Santiago, Chile
March 15-May 15 (Cora), June 15 (Caitlin) - Living in Chile visiting people, and teaching English

As of today, September 18th, we have arrived in Cusco and are living in a volunteer house. Our 13 hour flight went very smoothly, and felt extremely long, but in comparison the the Australian's 24 hour flight, it seems very reasonable.  We have been taking it easy so far in order to adjust to the time time difference (2 hours ahead) as well as the altitude. We have about 15 roommates, some from the US, others from Europe and Australia, everyone is very nice and welcoming. Cusco is quaint and easy to navigate, a good starting place for us. The weather is Bi Polar and similar to Berkeley (cold nights and mornings, and hot days.) The program has many activities to for us as well. So far we are enjoying ourselves, except for Caitlin's cold. We start our volunteer placement and Spanish classes Monday, so we are waiting to find out, what the rest of our 2 months here has in store for us.
We will keep you all updated!

The First Step

Tomorrow is the big day. At 1:10 pm, we leave San Francisco to fly to Cusco, Peru. Hopefully Jacob from Maximo Nivel, will be there to great us when we arrive at 6:30 in the morning! Wish us luck!!