Showing posts with label Cusco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cusco. Show all posts

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Farewell Cusco

As a note, this post is not meant to be in Spanish! A computer I was using when I wrote it changed it automatically. As soon as I figure out how to translate it back I will.

Yo lo he hecho! He abandonado la nave. Cortar los lazos sueltos. Tuve que salir del agujero cómoda que había pasó tres semanas acariciando dentro y salgo de mi familia anfitriona, mi hermana de acogida, y mi rutina de voluntariado atrás.

Para compadecer mi última noche Sarah y yo nos fuimos de nuevo a la cafetería en la Avenida El Sol, Amorino, ya que, en mi opinión, el mejor pastel en Cusco. El personal puede ser hosco, pero 6,50 soles para una gran parte del pastel más rico y muy bien húmeda de chocolate nunca no se puede argumentar con. 

Luego nos fuimos a Mama Africa para nuestra segunda ronda de salsa y un poco de boogie de después. Es todavía muy bien. 

Luego la mañana de ayer fue mi último adiós a mis padres de acogida. Lo hice ahogar un poco, pero mantuve la compostura. Labio superior rígido y todo eso. En cierto modo me alegro mucho de que yo estaba triste por dejar, porque significaba que tenía un buen tiempo. Si yo estaba feliz de salir, eso no dice mucho durante las tres semanas que estuve allí. 

Pero yo estaba, y estoy, muy contentos de estar en el camino de nuevo. Y es casi como si esta es la primera vez que 'en el camino' adecuadamente solo, porque incluso cuando estaba volando en solitario antes, siempre tuve Milena que vendrá en una semana, o como voluntario en 10 días. Ahora sólo me y América del Sur para el próximo mes. En serio, no puedo creer que tengo poco menos de cuatro semanas a la izquierda aquí antes de que Nueva Zelanda. Hay un montón de Perú, Chile y Bolivia dejó de ver en ese momento! 

Mi viaje en autobús a donde estoy ahora, Puno, fue bastante tranquilo. Ellos nos filmaron cuando abordamos, que estoy suponiendo es que los registros de seguridad en lugar de una serie de tomas falsas hilarante. Fui con la compañía de autobuses Julsa, porque yo quería hacer el viaje en la luz del día, para disminuir el riesgo de accidentes de tráfico, que no son poco comunes en los Andes. La  compañía de autobuses regulares que los extranjeros se revierten en el Perú es Cruz Del Sur, debido a su buen historial de seguridad, pero sólo hizo un bus nocturno a Puno. 

Dejó a sólo 20 minutos de retraso, y sólo tuvo que parar una vez que el conductor fijar la escotilla claraboya que había soplado abierto. Esto provocó una disputa entre él y algunos pasajeros, que no creo que yo he entendido, aunque mi español era perfecto. 

El viaje duró poco más de siete horas, y nos llevó más arriba en las montañas (tomé una enfermedad píldora altitud por si acaso, como Puno se encuentra a 3.800 metros sobre el nivel del mar, 400 metros más alto que el Cusco). Había un poco de un gran escenario, cuando no estábamos de ser lanzado de un lado a otro por las carreteras sinuosas. Ellos no estaban muy mal en realidad. Me esperaba un paseo mucho más irregular. 

Había dos puntos de vista que más me impresionó. Uno era de un solo balanceo colina iluminada por los rayos del sol, mientras que la llanura que conduce a ella y todas las montañas de los alrededores fueron cubiertos en la sombra, como si alguien se había olvidado de convertir sus interruptores. Comenzó a llover de una nube delante de la colina iluminada, creando un arco iris que se extendía por la llanura al lado del autobús. 

Y más tarde, una vez que ya era de noche, comenzó a irrumpir en el horizonte. Era la primera vez que he visto una tormenta donde no ha llovido por encima, sólo en la distancia. Pude ver el flash relámpagos, revelando la nube en forma de yunque sentado amenazadoramente sobre las colinas. Muy por el espectáculo! 

Sufrí un poco de mal de altura, pero sólo un dolor de cabeza persistente y hormigueo, especialmente durante la noche. Pero creo que ahora estoy bien. Les digo que cuando regrese al nivel del mar que ejecutaré maratones en mi sueño. 

Esta mañana hice mi bus de Puno a Arequipa para el sábado, porque Puno es aburrido. Tan simple como. La única razón para estar aquí es para el Lago Titicaca, que voy a salir en un tour de mañana. 

Esta tarde fue en un viaje (40 soles) a Sillustani, una sepultura de tierra en las afueras de Inca de Puno. Estaba bien, como lugares de interés van, pero nada que destacar. Había un poco de información interesante acerca de los incas sin embargo. Perú está tan orgulloso de su historia inca, se puede oír cada vez que los mencionan. 

En el camino a Sillustani hubo algunas buenas vistas de las tierras agrícolas, sembradas de hierba pirámides y llamas pastando. Pero creo que el lago es lo que atrae a la gente a monótonos Puno. Hasta ahora, el punto culminante de mi presencia aquí es un acuerdo de ocho soles la hora del almuerzo me encontré en un pequeño restaurante junto a la Plaza de Armas. Así que espero que mi visita a las islas mañana cambia eso. Wow mí, Titicaca! 

Saturday, 12 April 2014

Conservation Volunteering with Maximo Nivel - Zoo Project, Cusco, Peru

I finished my two-week placement on Friday, and I'm sad to be going! It's been a great couple of weeks, so I thought I'd dedicate a post to what it was like and what I did.

When I was researching volunteer placements I found it all quite stressful. There were so many options of types of placement, location, which charity to go with etc. Of course you do have to be careful that you choose a reputable charity to go with, or reputable company, but applying to the charity directly will always be better, and most likely cheaper. 

Applying 

I found Máximo Nivel online and applied to their conservation projects. I was also accepted by two other charities/ companies, but I liked the look of Maximo the most. I later found out that one company I'd applied to, IVHQ, places volunteers with Maximo anyway, so I was glad I went with them directly. I found several negative reviews of IVHQ which is what swayed me away from accepting the offer. 

I received an email from Maximo asking which conservation project I was most interested in. This surprised me because I thought there would only be one. One of the only criticisms I have is that the website wasn't completely clear on some things. The information was emailed to me once I'd applied, but it would have been useful to have it upfront. 

There was a choice between an Andean village project, a jungle conservation project and an animal conservation zoo project. I slept on it and decided to go with the zoo project. It was conservation but without being plonked in the middle of the Amazon. The negative reviews of other charities had shaken my confidence a bit, if I'm completely honest, but seeing how Maximo operates, I'm sure the jungle would have been fine. 

Background Check 

Maximo Nivel require a criminal background check prior to your start date. For UK citizens, this doesn't mean you have to fill in an entire Criminal Records Bureau check. You need to send off an ACRO-SAR form, which you can print off online. If unsure about anything, give your local police station a call and they will probably put you through to the Data Protection department and they can talk you through it. 

It costs £10, which you need to include in the envelope, most likely in cheque form. Cash is not accepted. That includes the cost of postage back to you. 

They are legally obligated to get the background check back to you within 40 calendar days (not working days). But this is from the date the local office receives your form, not the central office you post it to. For me there was a difference of five days, and they email you the date the local office received it. 

For me I had exactly 41 calendar data from the date of receipt and when I was due to start volunteering. This was kind of terrifying, just in case something went wrong, but it arrived with a week to spare, and my dad scanned it in and emailed it to me. It was going to happen! 

The Máximo Nivel Experience

I paid in advance (because you have to) and my two weeks cost me US$815, which included for me: 

Airport/ bus station pick-up
Orientation 
Escort to the project on the first day 
The project itself 
Accommodation from the Sunday before you start your project until the Saturday after you finish (in my case just one day either side) 
Two or three meals a day, depending on the family 
Daily Spanish classes (either one-hour private lessons or two-hour group lessons) 
Weekly two-hour salsa classes 

So as volunteering goes, I think this is a good deal. Especially with the Spanish classes. They were a big draw for me. Of course you can find free volunteering placements, that don't include food or accommodation, so that's also an option. But they are much harder to find, especially from overseas in my experience. 

With the accommodation, I went for the option that didn't cost any extra, which was a shared room (although no one booked the other bed in my room, so it was basically a private twin room!) in a homestay. You can pay extra for a private room or to be in their Family House, which is a bit like student accommodation in set-up. 

And the staff. Oh they are fantastic. And genuine. Genuinely nice and willing to help. I didn't feel any of my questions were a burden, and I will miss them. They even gave me an extra Spanish lesson for free because there had been a few mix ups with my classroom and I'd lost some time. I thought that was especially good of them. 

The Zoo Project 

So, what did I actually do for two weeks? 

The zoo is in Cusco, conveniently a ten-minute walk from my homestay house. It's within the grounds of the university. It cares for injured animals that wouldn't survive in the wild. 

I was expecting it to be quite small, with lots of empty cages. And it wasn't huge. But they had so many animals. Here are some of my favourites - condors, an iguana, parrots, macaws, turtles, owls, vultures, eagles, deer, an ostrich, bears, monkeys, a free-roaming llama, foxes, a puma, tayras, coatís, and one eternally surprised spider monkey. So quite a collection! 

I was put on the morning shift - 8am til 12pm, Monday to Friday. And my day would generally consist of: 

Taking the animals who were inside during the night back to their enclosures. The best part of doing this was pushing a wheelbarrow full of turtles to their cage. And whenever I would pick one up its flippers would go crazy like it was trying to fly. I liked the turtles a lot. The iguana was great too. Picking him up he'd cling to my chest and I'd have to unpick each claw from my jumper when it was time to set him down on his rock. 

Washing off the boxes and cages the animals had been in. 

On alternate days we'd clean the food preparation surface and sweep and wash the floor. 

Preparing the fruit and bread to feed the animals. 

Feeding the animals and emptying their old food and water containers. 

Playing with the llama. I decided he was called Sebastian. (I also later found out he was a she). 

Generally cleaning and sweeping leaves. 

Cleaning the animals' enclosures. And shaking hands with the spider monkeys. 

One day I assisted with giving some of the animals their vaccinations, which was slightly intense, but interesting. 

It was good because I wasn't just a poo-sweeping slave there, I would do the same jobs as the employees and help them out. 

And that would normally bring me to the end of my shift. I'm not going to lie, the interesting parts were when I was dealing with the animals directly, and the cleaning and sweeping could be a bit dull. (Bring rubber gloves for the cleaning, and wear waterproof boots or shoes). But they didn't mind me listening to my iPod so that was fine really. They also have the radio on in the food room, and once the owner asked me what music I like and then put a salsa radio station on. Amazing. 

The owner speaks a little English, mainly key words. And the other employers speak just Spanish. This is great for immersion, but could be slightly stressful at times. There would be a language barrier with whatever placement you do though. 

And after that I'd return home for lunch, do my Spanish homework and then go to the Maximo Nivel HQ on Avenida El Sol for my lesson. Then the evenings and weekends were my own. 

The homestay 

By the time I leave on Wednesday I'll have been in this house for three weeks. And it's been great. Of course the homestay was slightly nerve-racking before I arrived, in case they turned out to be horrible. But I struck gold. 

They are a retired couple called Leonor and Mario. The kind of retired couple who when they look at each other you can still see the love there. And you can feel the love towards you as well. The meals are beautifully prepared and delicious. All with fresh fruit juice, and sometimes with homemade yoghurt and fruits for dessert. 

The house is a 20-minute walk from the Maximo Nivel HQ and a 25-30-minute walk to the main square in the historical centre, Plaza de Armas. 

Mario even took me to buy my train tickets and entrance tickets to Machu Picchu. They used to live in Aguas Calientes, so they know the drill about how to get there. 

They also operate as a hotel, and are on Expedia, booking.com and other websites under Panaka Casa Hospedaje. I'm sure you'd get the same warm welcome as I did if you stayed with them.  

The only thing that is a slight shame is that I pay Maximo US$22.50 per day for the homestay, and Leonor told me this evening that they receive US$10 per person per day. So I'm not sure where the other half of that goes...

Overall 

My overriding feeling, with three nights left in Cusco, is that Máximo Nivel has made my time here. I will miss my host parents, the zoo, and the city. And of course my sister from another mister, Sarah, who is in the same homestay as me. Leonor and Mario even said that we look like brother and sister.  

I know volunteering is a big decision, whether it's part of a bigger trip or the primary reason for going abroad. I'm not saying Máximo Nivel is the only option, but in my opinion, it's a damn good one. 

Mama Africa, Cusco

Last night my host sister Sarah and I wanted to go out for a dance. A bit of a boogie. We'd seen Mama Africa during the day, as it's on the main square of Cusco - Plaza de Armas.

And it was absolutely perfect. There are free salsa classes every night from opening at 9pm til 11pm, and then the party continues. We went and practised our salsa moves for a bit and then went to the bar below it. They were both free entry. 

Once we were suitably cocktailed up we headed back to Mama Africa, and with each delightfully cheesy flash of the strobe lights came another classic. The music was commercial, so if that's not your thing you might want to look farther afield. For me it was the perfect blend of Latin music, in both English and Spanish, a bit of raggaeton and cumbia, and Western pop. 

Everything, from the slight haze of cigarette smoke clinging to the laserlight-ridden ceiling above the people dancing on the bar, to the guy walking round pouring spirits into people's mouths, made for a great party. 

Cusco is a big party town. If you have time to make the most of it, I heartily recommend Mama Africa for a good shimmy. 

Mama Africa. Portal de Panes 109 3th Floor, Portal de Panes 109, Cusco 08002, Peru

Thursday, 10 April 2014

Home.

Someone asked me the other day where I live, and I very nearly replied "Cusco".

Lots of people say that home is wherever they lay their bag, but I never thought I would feel that way. And in a way I don't. The UK is my home, but I've found that I quickly get attached to wherever I am at any particular moment. I suppose I get attached to any semblance of familiarity I can find, because when you're only in a city for a couple of days familiarity can be hard to come by. 

My house in the UK is in the process of being sold, and all my possessions are in boxes ready to go into storage for when I come back. So technically I'm homeless. 

Being in Cusco for two weeks now makes it longest I've been in one place on this trip. And as I'm living with a host family, having a private room and home cooked meals, and having a routine of volunteering and studying, I'm not surprised I almost replied "Cusco". 

Yesterday was my 25th birthday, and today is my housemate Sarah's 19th. Milena, Sarah and I went to Paddy's, the world's highest Irish pub, for some British-ish food two nights ago, and ended up dancing to iPod music in Plaza de Armas while a Peruvian shoeshine boy clapped along. We know how to celebrate. 

Our host parents gave us both a card with lovely messages written on them at lunch today, and they thanked us for being part of the family. I was moved, to say the least. I've put the card with my others that my family gave me to open yesterday before I left the UK seven weeks ago. 

Everyday they seem delighted to see me, and my host mum calls out "Happy day!" when I leave in the mornings. They also charmingly pronounce Miles 'Mee-less' and my other housemate Gage's name 'Gay'. 

Cusco itself is a very nice city, and I enjoy living here. I'm getting used to the casual walk down the road being an intense cardio workout; the local school playing the Lambada at unearthly hours, leaving me with On The Floor stuck in my head all morning; and I'm even getting used to those dreadful wide-brimmed bowler hats that women here insist on wearing. The only thing that still gets me is the drivers' honking. Honking when there's no one else on the road. Not a fan... 

I've paid for a few extra nights here at my homestay, up to Wednesday, because it cost US$22.50 for my accommodation and all my meals per day, which I think will save me money. Not to mention I get to keep my private room and my "family" for a bit longer. But eventually I will have to cut loose and become a traveller again. On Sunday I'll only have one month left in South America, which is both scary and exciting. 

I do miss home. I miss my friends and my family. But I don't miss the life I'd have there right now. As my friend Ali wrote in my leaving card: 

"If you're ever feeling down or missing home, take a step back and look at where you are and all the fantastic things you're doing". 

Monday, 31 March 2014

Oh Happy Day

I started volunteering this morning, with a three-hour shift at the animal conservation centre. It was hard work, but it was so cool. They have so many animals! I was really surprised how big it was. I went into some of the safer cages to feed clean and feed the animals, which was great.

And before that shift, I got up early with my host father and we went to buy tickets for Machu Picchu, so that's happening! This weekend Milena and I are staying in Aguas Calientes overnight and going up to Machu Picchu early on Sunday morning. I'm so excited. And it's my 25th birthday the following Wednesday, so what better birthday present to myself is there than a visit to one of the most iconic places in the world? 

And the good times continued with my first Spanish lesson this afternoon, which are included in the volunteering fee. I opted for private lessons, because when given the choice between group lessons or a private lesson where the focus is on your individual needs, what are you going to choose? 

It was a real confidence-boost. The teacher, Roberth, seemed impressed when I said that I'd got to where I am through self study. But I want to be better. So this evening I came back with fresh enthusiasm for Spanish study and did my homework. Gotta love those verbs. 

It's nice to have a routine, even if that routine does involve getting up at 6.45. And I'm very happy with my host family and the other volunteers I'm living with. Tomorrow night I'm going to a salsa class (free provided by the charity I'm working with) and then I've read that there's a place nearby that does good fish and chips. Cue drool. So that's getting a visit after we salsa our feet sore. I used to do salsa at home so it'll be nice to rekindle that old flame. As a disappointing addition, we went to find the Real McCoy British restaurant, and it closed down a few months ago. Wasted drool. 

I'm building a nice life for myself here in Cusco. It's just a shame that in two weeks I'll be back in the road and it'll just be a memory. I'll enjoy it while I have it. 

Sunday, 30 March 2014

Cusco, the City in the Clouds

I arrived in Cusco (Cuzco in Spanish) on Thursday morning. I'm here for two weeks of volunteering, which starts tomorrow, and for sightseeing. Cusco is the closest big city to Machu Picchu, so has quite a large tourist population.

The thing about Cusco is that it's in the mountains. And I mean, high in the mountains. At an ear-popping 3,400 metres above sea level, it's easily the highest I've been in my life. It also means that altitude sickness can be an issue for many visitors to this fine city (which is so much nicer than Lima by the way). 

First off, altitude sickness can be fatal, so it's a fun bugger. There are some horrible possible symptoms, including fainting, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, insomnia, death... You know. 

So it's recommended not to fly here from sea level, but to gradually acclimatise as you ascend. This didn't work with my schedule, so unfortunately I had to fly. And I have to say, I have been fine so far. I did take precautions though. I bought some Sorojchi altitude sickness pills in Lima and took my first one on the plane. A box of 20 pills cost 40 soles. I also drank two cups of coca tea (mate de coca) at Lima airport. They sell it for 3.50 soles. The locals drink it to stave off the effects of altitude. I also drank a lot of water, because the headache associated with el mal de altura can be caused in large part by dehydration. 

When the plane opened its doors and I made my way out I had the oddest sensation. I felt like I, and everyone around me, was moving in slow motion. My legs were heavy, as if I were wading through treacle. And I was a bit lightheaded. The air was noticeably different. 

But within a few hours I felt relatively normal, but very tired. I slept very well on Thursday night. 

I think I've pretty much acclimatised to the thin air now, without too much heartache. But walking is hard work, especially uphill. I get out of breath very quickly. 

But I tell you what, it's worth it for the views. Cusco was built when its founder decided he had found 'the naval of the world'. It's nestled in an Andean valley surrounded on all sides by rolling mountains, and snow-capped peaks stand sentinel at one end of the city. You can see the mountains wherever you can see the sky in Cusco, which is lovely. 




The climate is really nice here too (at least it is at the moment, as the last clutches of rainy season lose their grip). The days are warm, but the sun is really intense so it feels much hotter than it is. And the nights are quite cool, if not cold. It's the best of both worlds, because you get the pleasant weather without the uncomfortable sweaty nights. 

This morning my housemate Sarah (I'm doing a homestay for the next two weeks, with an incredibly sweet retired couple) and I took a minibus to Pisac. Pisac is a small village about a 45 minute drive from Cusco. We went to the huge market they have there on Sundays and spent the morning wandering through the alleyways perusing the souvenirs, jewellery, alpaca hats, dolls and food. I ticked two Peru essentials off my list - I bought a bracelet and an alpaca hat. My excuse for the hat is that I'm going to autumnal New Zealand soon, and I'm going to need a warm hat. And for 10 soles, who can argue with the Peruvian price? 

And now I'm going to go to sleep (lack of oxygen, you know...) and get up early to try and book train tickets for Milena and I to go to Machu Picchu next weekend. (Milena is currently in Bolivia after we went our separate ways in Argentina but her flight to the US leaves Cusco next week so we're going to the big MP together before she leaves). 

Then I've got my first morning volunteering at the animal conservation centre, so fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!