My friend Harry from Markham College arranged for me to visit Tikapata school in Huayoccary in the Sacred Valley. It is about 20 minutes from Calca and 10km before Urubamba. It reminded me a bit of both the Green School in Bali and the Montessorri school that I attended in primary school. It is in a beautiful setting, the kids are all happy and they get to plan their projects and have a say in decision making in the school. Continue reading
Tikapata School in Huayoccary
Filed under Cusco, Service Projects
Moray: Inca circlular ruins
I never carry much money with me in case of being robbed. For the same reason I never carry any credit or bank cards, unless I am actually going to the bank. There is the risk of running short and this is what nearly happened to me on my trip to Moray! After my excursion to Pisac yesterday (see previous blog – Pisac is amazing!), I found myself with a ticket to see other sites which was included in my entry to the Piscac ruins, so I got up early, jumped in a mototaxi to the bus terminal (which cost me one sole) and jumped on a minivan to Urubamba (1.5 S/.) Initially there were only 3 people in the minivan that back home would be a standard 9 seater. Here they are filled with 3 x 2 seaters in the back plus a bench seat at the very rear for 4, and a long thin side bench, plus a bench behind the driver’s and front passengers’ seats. So a 9 seater becomes a 19 seater.
Filed under Peru, Places of historical interest
The wonderful Castilla family in Calca
I have been so fortunate to have met a wonderful family here in Calca who wanted to help me with my Spanish in return for me helping them with their English. The parents are Miriam and Juan and their two children Rodrigo, 12 and Stephanye, 18. Stephanye studies Economics at university in Cusco and returns home on weekends. Juan has taken early retirement from his banking job and Rodrigo goes to school here in Calca. He is very cute, very serious in his studies and learns flute from Valerio – hence the contact.
It is so heartwarming to meet these people and spend time with them. They are so happy and Juan is a joker who keeps everyone laughing. He and Miriam seem like newly weds and Juan is obviously enjoying having so much time to spend with his family. They have a menagerie and he breeds roosters (and I am not brave enough to ask what for as I know I wont like the answer). I am not sure how many dogs they have, but two are particularly friendly and playful. I have also seen several cats. Yesterday I discovered some cows around the back of the house.
Our language sessions have been really funny as my Spanish is pretty hopeless, although I am beginning to understand more and more. It helps that people speak far more clearly here than in Lima. The family’s English is also pretty funny as they can understand a lot when written down but they don’t understand my English pronunciation and I don’t understand theirs! Spending this time with them has made me realize just how stupid the English language is! There is just far too much inconsistency! I now have renewed admiration for all speakers of English as a second + language. I keep coming across more and more ridiculous elements that I was unaware of, as I attempt to assist the family in their spoken English. At least in Spanish the pronunciation is consistent, (which barely makes up for the verb conjugations!)
On one day the family took me for a drive to Urco, which is practically next door to Calca. There was a round structure on a hill that was used by the Incas to store grain. Next to this was a field of flowers. I will let my photos tell the rest.
Filed under Cusco
Beautiful Calca
I am in Calca for a music course in Andean Music (more on the course in a separate post). Calca is the capital town of the Calca province in the district of Cusco. (Why does Peru confuse everything by having capital cities and towns with the same name as their district or province?).
Calca (the town) has about 8000 residents and lies in the Sacred Valley, about 22 kms from Cusco (40 -50 minutes on the bus or in a minivan) and at an elevation of 2928 metres. The drive is beautiful as you descend down the mountain from Cusco into the Sacred Valley and past Pisac.
As you enter Calca you are greeted by this magnificent creature!
Las Palmas: Shanty Town
Las Palmas is a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima that is a stark reminder of the harsh reality of Peru’s extremities of socio-economic disparity. The community has over 300 families but does not have a water or electricity supply. Water is bought in on trucks, and electricity wired in from neighbouring communities, resulting in the actual cost of water and electricity being much higher than in wealthy areas such as Miraflores. Continue reading
Filed under Lima, Service Projects
Great River Amazon Raft Race 2012
No time to write about this right now, as off on another adventure. Here is a short video thanking people who so kindly sponsored me.
All donations will go towards helping ACRES establish the first Wildlife Rescue and Education Centre in Lao PDR. The centre will mainly house bears rescued from bear farms. Continue reading
Filed under ADVENTURES, My Videos, Service Projects
Vallanaraju: mi primera montaña en la cordillera blanca
Fue difícil entender que en realidad había llegado hasta la cima. Definitivamente es una de las pruebas físicas más difíciles que he enfrentado. Tomando en cuenta que la temporada para escalar estaba por terminar, y después de haber estado a 4000 m. el fin de semana anterior en Huayhuash. decidí que si iba a escalar una montaña, tenía que ser en ese momento. Inclusive después de haber participado en la caminata (o senderismo) en Huayhuash y haber obtenido un poco de práctica, mis músculos y mi corazón hicieron un ejercicio maratónico.
Filed under ADVENTURES, Peru