Jumping Right In!

Hi everyone!

I've been recruited to take a crack at posting on the blog. This doesn't come nearly as easily for me as it does for Sarah. I'm mostly a two-finger typer, but here goes.

Things are going well for us here in Cusco. I've been busy running some errands, getting some things for the apartment, like towels, toilet paper, laudry detergent, a kettle, a water dispenser, etc. Also, I have been simply getting things figured out. For example, making arrangements to have the phone connected, getting copies of keys made, discovering the best places to eat and buy things we need or want,etc. It takes time because I like to check out all of the options, not to mention I'm cheap.

Also, it's best to immerse ourselves in the culture and live as similarly to Peruvians as we can. This has always been my approach because it offers the most opportunities to truly experience the culture. Maybe it's not the easiest way to go about things, but it definitely keeps things interesting. You never know for sure what lies around the corner. Of course, we don't take unnecessary risks and there's only so much comfort I'm willing to sacrifice. So don't get the wrong idea. By the way, if you want our phone number email me at zotkov24@yahoo.com.

Two women at Maximo Nivel have helped us out a lot. One of the ladies even lent us a water dispenser and another offered to lend us her iron. I can't say enough about the staff here. Another lady, Heidy (pronounced Head-ee), has invited Sarah and I to her parents' house in the country. She is super sweet. It looks like we'll try guinea pig for the first time there.

This last week Sarah started her TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and is already swamped with work. She is handling it well however. We are both also taking Spanish classes, an hour a day.

On Thursday, I went to an orphanage for boys in a town about an hour away. It's actually more like a detention/foster center for displaced or dilenquent street kids. The police run it, but they do little more than make sure the kids stay there. It is a safe haven, but the children need much more than that. I, like volunteers in the past, will go to try to add some structure and teach the kids skills which they will need once they leave, i.e. turn 18. There is a volunteer who lives and works there. I hope that he can help me get started.

I also substituted for an English teacher at another center for street kids in Cusco on Thursday. I taught two hour long classes. The kids are very sweet and well-behaved for the most part. Most of the students are very low, but they have learned a bit. English will help them to interact with tourists. It is a big business here in Cusco.

Also, I've been searching out another apartment because we are thinking of staying at least another month in Cusco. We are hoping to find a cheaper place that is just as nice as the one we are in now. There are a couple of people who work here who have been helping me out a lot with the phone and apartment hunting in particular. They make the phone calls in order to get the true Peruvian price. If I called they'd peg me for a foreigner right away and consequently want more money.

Anyway, that's all for now. We're still working on adding more photos, but haven't had much time to do it yet.

So long from Cusco!