What a Lovely City

I have been here for about a week and a half and I have absolutely loved it. Cuzco is an incredible city with lots of history but also lots to do.

So the first couple days here were spent in a hostel as I tired to figure everything out with the school and volunteering. Last thursday I went to salsa lessons with the school to try and meet some people which was really chill. Salsa was fun and I got to know a lot of the San Blas kids (San Blas is the school I am in). Friday I didnt have much to do so I just toured around the city. Ended up sitting at a bar just chatting it up with the bartenders (Yes, it was in spanish and i understood most of it). After about 2 hours of just hanging out talking, the manager must have heard that I was around for a while and liked me because he offered me a job as a bartender at a discoteca. Wasnt sure if he was lying or not but sure enough, last saturday, I learned how to bartend. It was quite an experience but really enjoyed myself. Hope to continue doing it twice or so a week for the rest of my time here.

Saturday I also moved in with my host family. They are super sweet grandparents who have two of their married daughters living in the house. They have a nice house and I have a comfortable bed with my own bathroom so that is pretty sweet. There is an elderly couple also staying at the house and studying at the school from Sacramento so its nice to hear some english every once in a while. I am planning on sticking with this family for at least this month and maybe the rest of the time here in Cuzco.

My interviews last friday were a little disappointing at first because they both seemed to be what i wanted. I had a follow up interview with a doctor at the hospital on Monday and he informed me that there was no work for me at the hospital but he did have a friend at a clinic who needed help. So i met with him on Tuesday and talked about what I will be doing. Sounds like I will be doing exactly what I wanted (taking vitals, dressing wounds, other stuff they need) so I am super happy to start that on this coming Monday. As for the Children´s clinic, it did not turn out like i wanted. I am helping autistic kids in a day care. It is a very mentally challenging position as all of these kids are in wheelchairs and most of them can not speak, just mumble. For most of the time there I walk them around outside and help feed them. I plan to do this twice or three times a week depending on my schedule. First day was very tough but the second day was quite inspiring as the kids got to know me and I started to see how to entertain them and make them laugh. So as of now, I am really excited about the work I will be doing here in Cuzco.

I havent had much time to get to exploring all of the cool stuff in and around Cuzco. Most of my time has been spent just getting to know the city and trying to meet people. I hope to get out and see the sights in the next week or two and hopefully book my Machu Picchu trip soon (probably going in late April). Hope all is well back at home and I cant believe I am almost half way through with my trip. Before you know it, I will be home sharing all my stories and experiences