Cusco

Here we are stuck in Cusco. But we are making the best of it. It has been raining pretty much everyday and today has been a deluge. So I (Tony) started a Facebook account, finally. I guess its okay haha. So if you have a profile, look me up. I'll try to convince Anna to start one too. I´ve also had some free time because Anna is taking a Spanish course in the afternoons. The school is up and coming in Cusco. It is called Fairplay Peru, and it is a non-profit that employs local Cusqueña single mothers at a fair wage to teach Spanish to foreigners. Pretty cool. There is a great sense of community and the other night, we attended a cooking class where we learned how to make papa rellena. Highly recommended. Oh, and there are a lot of foreigners here.

The reason why we are stuck is because of a road-block and riots that have been going on to the south, in a little town called Sicuani. Here is a link to the only English-language article about it that I could find, if you are interested. Apparently there is some resistance to the constrution of a hydroelectric plant as the chief complaint. But people down here, especially the campesinos, the country people, have plenty of reasons to be disgruntled and they aren´t afraid to show it. Much of Peru´s population lives a traditional lifestyle in the hills, farming in small communities and speaking Quechua, the language of the Incas. But, a friend told us that when they want their voices to be heard about something, there is pretty much no stopping them. These strikes and road-blocks are pretty much a weekly occurence, from what we hear. The government on many levels is riddled with corruption, infrastructure is in tatters, and the economy here is worse off than many of Peru´s neighbors. On top of all this, the Sendero Luminoso, the Shining Path, is making a violent resurgence in southern Peru.

So, for what its worth, in the mornings this week, we have been volunteering at a local comissaria, or police station of sorts, in the Santiago district of Cusco, that takes in children that have been abandoned, have run away from home, have been abused in some way, or have been getting involved in some minor crimes, like stealing or using drugs. The kids range in age from 0 to 17 years and may stay in this detention, which is basically one-room with bunk beds and spare mattresses, for weeks or months until their situation is resolved. We did what we could to help, taught a little English and math, took the kids out to run around and play ball in a nearby court. The organization that arranges this is called Aldea Yanapay, which is interested in keeping volunteering free, as it should be. I don't know if anybody who is reading this has looked into international volunteering opportunities, but there are many agencies out there now trying to make a profit off placing volunteers with organizations that may need them. If you ever find yourself in Cusco, look them up.

In any case, we are hanging in there, and hoping that these conflicts will be resolved so we can figure out where we are going to go next.

Much love,
Tony