Updates

Wednesday: Mariska came back to Pisac after two weeks of traveling with her boyfriend to pack up her stuff and say goodbye.  I sat and talked with her for two hours about her travels to the Amazon and doing the Inca trail - they both sound great!  Mariska said that she loved doing the Inca trail, even though it was hard (they had to walk 8 hours a day and the second day was all up hill) but was not as impressed with Machu Picchu as some of the other ruins we saw, mostly because it is so touristy.

            Wednesday night, Mariska, her boyfriend, Fortunata, Ricardo, Judith, and I gathered around the table to celebrate Mariska’s time here and say goodbye.  Fortunata had made her special hot chocolate and bought a cake that said “Feliz Viaje Mariska” (Happy Travels).  Fortunata said a prayer like she does before almost every meal, but this time it was giving thanks for Mariska’s time here, wishing her safe travels home, a nice reunion with her family, and a merry Christmas - it ended in a loud round of applause started by Fortunata.

            It was nice to celebrate Mariska’s goodbye with Ricardo and Judith, however the circumstances under which they were there were not the best - Ricardo was hit by a car in Cusco on Monday and didn’t seem to be doing too bad, just a scraped elbow and a slightly bruised leg.  However, starting Wednesday and since then his leg has been hurting more and more, so bad that he now has to walk with a cane.  Luckily Judith is a doctor so she has been visiting frequently.  Ricardo usually goes back to Cusco for the night (the family has a house there too) but since Wednesday he has been staying in Pisac because of the pain in his leg.  It’s sad and I am hoping he feels better soon!

Thursday: The whole group from the night before plus Chaska joined for breakfast of more hot chocolate and cake and, this time, popcorn.  After breakfast, it was really time to say goodbye to Mariska.  Even though she has been gone for the past two weeks, at least her stuff has been here.  It is very weird that she is not in Peru anymore!

Friday: I had a good day at school, but as soon as I got home I started feeling really sick and felt progressively worse throughout the afternoon and evening.  I told Fortunata I was too sick to eat dinner.  She tried to convince me that it was a really delicious dinner and I should eat something, but when I started to cry she told me to go and rest and that Judith was coming to the house later to see Ricardo so she would check on me too.

            Around 8:30, Judith and Fortunata knocked on my door.  Judith kneaded my stomach, asked me various questions (which I hope I answered correctly but I am not sure that I did because it was especially hard to speak in Spanish when I felt that miserable), and looked at what medicine I had.  She said she would go out and buy me some medicine (or would I rather have an injection? NO, I said) and be back soon.  20 minutes later she came back with a mystery white tablet that I took with some tea that was overly sugary and tasted disgusting.  Fortunata came in too and she and Judith decided that I had too much hot chocolate on Wednesday and Thursday, who knows if that’s right because I have had it a bunch of other times and have been fine but I can’t think of anything else that would make me sick.  Fortunata said she would be back at 10:00 with more medicine for me.  I figured that would mean 10:00 Peruvian time, so I went to sleep.  I was right and Fortunata knocked on my door at 11:30 with Chaska.  Fortunata gave me more medicine and Chaska put a carpet on my floor.  It was great to have all of these people look after me.

Saturday: In the morning Fortunata brought me another mystery pill and Norma brought me tea.  I felt sick all day, but started feeling better around lunch time so Fortunata made me some chicken noodle soup and tea.  I spent all day, except for lunch and dinner, in bed.  I slept a lot and luckily I have a good book.

Sunday:  I felt like a new person today.  During breakfast Fortunata invited me to come with her and Chaska to Calca to see more traditional dances.  An hour after breakfast, the three of us went to get a bus, taxi, or collectivo to Calca.  First Fortunata asked a taxi to take us and he even offered us a good price, until he realized that his keys were locked in his car.  Then we tried to get on a bus, but it was so full that not even one more person could get on.  Next a collectivo pulled up, which we were able to squeeze into.  I was able to sit on the very edge of a seat.  It was fine until we got to Lamay, a town ten minutes from Calca and no one got out, but they squeezed at least 10 more people into the van.  I couldn’t even turn my head it was so crowded.  As people piled in, Fortunata said, “Nosotros somos personas no somos animales” (we are people not animals).  This was a perfect way to describe it, it felt like (and smelled like) it was a crowded van full of animals.

            I was very thankful when the collectivo pulled up in Calca and we were able to get out.  All of a sudden, I realized that the three of us were marching in the parade with others from Pisac holding the Virgin del Carmen float (the Virgen del Carmen is specific to Pisac - each town has their own Saint).  We walked throughout the streets of Calca with other people holding small saints or candles and people in traditional costumes dancing in front of us and behind us.  Only once did I notice someone point me out to her friend and whisper something about the “Gringo.“  I can’t blame them, though.  I was the only white person in the parade and at least a head taller than most people.

            After an hour and a half of walking, we got to the plaza and found seats on benches that had been brought outside from the church.  Then a lengthy traditional Catholic service began.  It was very cool.  I liked being able to pick out words that I now know in Spanish and connect them to my religious studies knowledge (I am so glad that I am a religious studies major!) so that I could get an idea of what was being said and done.  There was a lot of singing, especially about the body and blood of Christ when communion was passed out.  One line that was repeated frequently in Spanish was something like “Jesus is our blood, Jesus is our body, Jesus is our life, Jesus is our love.”  It was so interesting to be in the midst of this big outdoor service - there must have been more than 1,000 people there.  The celebration was for Calca’s 475^th anniversary!

            After the service, we met Judith and the four of us went to a typical Peruvian restaurant for lunch.  Restaurants that Peruvians tend to eat at have a two sided menu - the choices are chicken, trout, carne, pork, or a mixed plate and whatever sides they have (usually potatoes, rice, and noodles).  The other side of the menu has your choice of drinks - coca cola, inca cola, beer, or tea.

            After lunch we got on a crowded bus back to Pisac and now I am relaxing and preparing activities for my class tomorrow.