Dia 59 en el Imperio Inca

Right now I should be on a bus to Ollantaytambo with Maggie, but the weather in New York didn´t cooperate and she´s been delayed a day which bums me out. This week felt really busy and was kind of exhausting but in a good way I suppose. First of all, last Sunday was Carnaval and it was so much fun. First, we ( a group of 17 of us) threw water balloons off of Pat´s balcony at passerby on Los Pavitos until the police were called (oops). Then we took taxis to Huaracondo where Pat´s family has a house and where we engaged in water warfare with the children there with Pat´s house as our fortress. Lechon and tamales were served for lunch, though I sadly couldn´t partake in the pork so soon after having typhoid (I finished my antibiotics yesterday and am pretty much eating normally again-yay!). I did, however, eat a very small piece of pig brain, which surprisingly, didn´t taste too bad. It was a very slimy and had a squishy consistency though. Andy and Trey ate the eyes. After lunch we ventured out into the plaza where we got soaked and then found a really nice pool and jumped in fully clothed. We played some chicken and Marco Polo, and then I froze the rest of the day afterwards because I hadn´t brought a change of clothes.

Monday, after school, even though it was rainy, I went on a hike with Dan, Wilder, and Tom. I really enjoyed it and I was proud of my lungs for cooperating. It was pretty steep in some parts and because my actual tennis shoes were still wet from the Carnaval festivites, I was wearing my Converses which have no traction. Because of the rain, the hill was pretty muddy, so admittedly without the boys pulling me a few times I might not have made it up. We went through San Blas and up the hill to Christo Blanco, which was pretty neat because I hadn´t been up to that area before. On Tuesday I walked around for a while with Matteo, which was fun. We went to the two molinos, the second of which had some gross cow parts much like the San Pedro market. Then we bought beer, plantain chips, and chocolate and ate them in the park by my house. Later we went for fondue with a lot of French speaking students and we spoke predominantly in Spanish together and I felt proud that I was able to have real conversations in a new language. Wednesday we had salsa class and then went to the volunteer house where Patrick had made us delicious soup (which I managed to pour all over my lap) and I drank slightly too much wine. Thursday we placed second and third in the pub quiz, respectively. And yesterday I got my hair cut finally. It´s a lot shorter than it´s been in a long time, but I think I like it.

Hopefully Maggie will arrive on time tomorrow and then we will have three days together. We´ll do Machu Picchu Monday and I definitely want to go to Tipòn and eat cuy. Then Tuesday, I will fly to Lima and Trujillo for the rest of my spring break. I´m really excited about the prospect of warm weather and a beach. Can´t believe tomorrow is March. I´m at my half way point now màs o menos.

Hasta luego,

Ashley