Beer factory, test, and cooking lessons

So today we woke up early to go to a tour of the beer factory, yeah I said early. Our tour started at like 9 am, AM. It was pretty interesting though. First brewery tour I took that actually takes me into the factory, Guinness and Heineken just did a superficial tour with out the real factory machines. I saw how they made the beer and packaged it in a real hardhat! Too bad I couldn't take pictures for you to see. They gave me a beer but too bad I had a test in like 10 minutes and my teacher was standing there watching all of us like an eagle. So I took some sips but kept my head for my test, the altitude reduces your tolerance a bunch, so I didn't risk it. We went straight to school from there. I was not ready for that test especially since she last minute made it an individual oral exam over some specific topic we had learned. She would call on you and then give you a topic to talk about, it was nerve wrecking, all the kids in class were watching. I was not a fan. Oh well it finished and we ran home and got ready for our cooking lessons. They weren't actually cooking lessons. It was basically this guy cooking and talking to us about it while he made a couple of kids cut onions. I was disappointed. The salad was fabulous though. Corn (which are nothing like USA corn, huge and pasty, so good), cheese, olives, onions, tomatoes, green flat bean things, and lime with salt. Best thing ever. Nikita wanted to leave before they cooked the steak, so Nikita, Sarah and I started the worst taxi ride ever. We told him to take us to the flea market and we got to where he said it was but Nikita forgot her sunglasses at the cooking place and we had to go back. While Nikita was getting her glasses, he asked Sarah if we were lesbians. Awkward. We then rode back to where this guy "thought" we wanted to go. NOT THE FLEA MARKET. Before he would let us out though he charged us triple the price since we went back and forth. Too bad we were in the wrong place. Instead we were in a weird part of town that I didn't know and some guy tried to hit on Nikita. Finally we asked some lady where the flea market was and she told us to get a taxi. So we did and finally got there without problems. Nikita wanted to buy some jackets for her and other people. Haggling is so awkward. I helped her by telling the lady we pay this price or we leave. Haha finally got it at the price Nikita wanted. Now we are home and have to go to start a project at the coffee shop. No fun. Tonight salsa again and tomorrow rain forest!

Raqchi, Andahuaylillas, Tipon, Huaro

 Raqchi

 Normal building for living

 Inciacan town

 Wall 

 Making hard potatoes for powder

 Rock pattern outside Huaro

 Huaro

 Huaro, this is the one with hell murals

 Andahuaylillas, Sistine chapel of the Americas, too bad I couldn't get pics of the inside

 After hiking

 Moon

 Angela

 Water that makes you fertile or kills you

I waited on Nikita to get ready to go and we were off to get together with the other students. It was a hour and forty-five minute bus ride. I napped a little bit, but kind of drooled on myself, I know attractive. haha we went to an ancient Incaican town and saw the temple of Wiracocha, their great organizer. It was mostly broken but it is pretty impressive that some of it survived these many years. Then we went to our first catholic church, it was kind of smaller. It was nice on the inside but super cold, we were able to take pictures, too, which is impossible with churches. After that we went to a park to have lunch, potatoes in a yellow sauce with some fruit and candy. It was pretty good. Then we went inside another church with hell murals everywhere. There was a demon sticking a poker up someones butt and one riding a person like a horse with a bridle and everything. Pretty ridiculous. Too bad I couldn't take pictures. Then we went to another church which was supposed to be the Sistine chapel of the Americas. Everything was really extravagant and with gold. Lots of gold. It was really cold inside all of the churches though. I was freezing. Afterwards we got back on the bus and I thought we were done for the day. NOPE! Instead there was a 30 minute hike up the side of the mountain to look at some Incan made irrigation systems. Pretty ingenious. Also pretty. The water supposedly either makes you really fertile or kills you. Not good. The hike up was terrible. I was super cold since I didn't know we were hiking and didn't bring my better jacket. I couldn't feel my hands. I was also super tired since it was already 5 pm and we had been around. Oh well it looked really pretty and was fun hanging out with friends. We also had our paper canceled which was super awesome. When we got home I skyped mom. When I was done Nikita and I were hungry so we asked our host mom for food and she took us to the pizza place that her sons own. She asked us what we wanted to drink and we said water. She did not like that response and got us sangria instead, best sangria of my life. Also made me super sleep and I needed to study, not a good combo. We finally tore ourselves away from my host mom and her group of friends who were talking about Exes to go do some work. I feel asleep like right when we got home. Good job, Marcia.

Profesora Marcia

 Board with our wonderful teachings

 Volleyball

 Our kids, the boys in the front jumped in 

 Nikita with the girls

 Sandhya with the girls

They were getting tired of pictures haha 

Salsa night was really fun even though I was so sick. I feel a lot better now. Yesterday Nikita woke up super late so we got to class late. Walked in during a presentation but the class was broken into groups and people were talking about a certain topic with each group, one of the groups contained the teacher. I did my group presentation also. I thought I was going to have a heart attack and die the first two groups I did. While presenting I stopped breathing a couple of times and my heart was running away from me. I need to work on this anxiety that I have about failing. haha after I did the group with the teacher I was fine though. I sweat so much. After that we had a quiz that I failed but they gave us cake which always makes me feel better. =] Then we went to teach children English! Nikita, Sandhya, and I have 8 twelve year old girls. They are super sweet and love us, at least that's how I feel since they were grabbing my hand and asking me a bunch of questions. It was pretty fun we taught them the parts of the body. They asked us for homework! I must be a good teacher. Then we went home and worked on our papers which were due last night. Nikita and I went to Sandhya and Neha's house. It was really fun to be in a group and hang out, didn't help with the work though. Afterwards Nikita and I were so hungry we stopped and got some spaghetti, not as good as mom's. =[ This morning I tried to study for my other quiz, which I still did badly on, I am just not good at the tests that she makes. They are different than what I am used to. Also I miss MATHHHHH and SCIENCE. I need something with numberssssss, history is not my thing. I feel down some stairs today and busted my butt. I am ok though. Afterwards we went to teach the kids again. Today we taught them food items, days of the week, months, and some basic family connections. We also quizzed them over parts of the body, ears and hands were the only words they forgot. Then we played volleyball for a while. Today is the last day we are teaching them though. They were really sad. Naysha bought us chocolate, so sweet. When we were trying to leave though some drunk guy tried to hug us while we were hugging the girls, very awkward. We just got home and ate a huge lunch since it was around 4 pm when we got back and we hadn't eaten lunch. Now we are doing laundry! haha

Soccer Game and Salsa

 Market next to the staduim

 Before the game

 Just got on the field

 Nikita messing with my camera 

SO today we woke up later than usual, at 8 am, oh my gosh! We had to get ready and go to the hospital for our yellow fever vaccination, they only do them in the morning sadly. So Nikita and I took our showers and ate breakfast and were off. It was only like a 10 minute walk from our house. We actually almost missed the hospital since when Nikita found it on the computer, it said we were supposed to go down a side road, the side road was the hospital entrance. Haha we were kind of confused the whole time and didn't know where we were supposed to go or do. We went to one window they told us to go to another, then they told us to go to another but accidentally printed Nikita's slip wrong, so we had to go back, then pay, then go back, then go to the vaccination room. We went down the wrong hall, then we went down the right hall but the wrong room. Finally we made it, it was the pediatric center. Surrounding us were a bunch of little kids and babies getting their vaccinations. There was this one kid who really didn't like us and stared us down with a really mean face the whole time. Finally it was our turn after about 40 minutes! Nikita accidentally punched herself in the face and gave herself a bloody lip while trying to make it so the doctor could get to her arm, don't ask me how I have no idea. It took like 5 minutes and than we went home and got ready for the soccer game. We showed up 30 minutes early, walked around this huge marketplace for a while and then met up with our group. When we got there we realized since we had skipped the second half of class the day before that we were the only ones without our tickets and the girl with the tickets was no where to be seen. This guy felt sick and gave Nikita his ticket. Then Eddie, the coordinator of our program, said he would  wait for the other girl. Going in there was a bunch of roasting meat everywhere! Gross. We got a pretty good seat and got strawberry slushies. It was a good game, I didn't take pictures while they were playing though, sorry! Cusco won! We were all excited and jumped around. Then Nikita and I went to an italian restaurant. I tried to get spinach ravioli but they didn't have it. =[ I got some spaghetti with garlic sauce but it was really gross. I felt gross. I might have a bacteria, I am waiting until tomorrow though to be for sure. Then we got together with some other kids for our group project, which it was nice to hang out with other people, not that Nikita isn't great! Haha We are supposed to go Salsa dancing in like 30 minutes though, so I should get ready!

Market time and sickness

 Gaint installation in front of the market of artisans

 Cuy from before, Nikita took this picture

Angry looking llama

So today started off lazy since we didn't have class until 10 am. I woke up with a really dry mouth from my stuff nose though. After eating breakfast we went to school and took a quiz. I finished my paper that is due on Monday since I have my final project proposal and my presentation over chapter 13 due on Monday also. Afterwards we had a consultation with our teacher about what our final project would be about, we decided on cultural patrimony, who has the rights to own cultural property, some one who buys it, the government, or the culture it belongs to. It will be interest to work on for the next couple of weeks. Then Nikita and I went on an adventure in the hail! Yes I said hail, we had tons of it today, rather strange. We went looking for this vegetarian restaurant in a back alley in Peru. I have my father's excellent navigation skills so I was able to find our way there after a taxi driver dropped us of on the wrong street. I got this really tasty veggie burger made out of beans. It had guacamole, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on the burger too. There were these weird french fries that are kind of like the crispy things you get at chinese places that came with more guacamole. Then we walked down the street and stopped at a fancy chocolate bar where we got tiny chocolates. They were delicious. We went to this huge market with a bunch of other girls to look for presents for our families and friends. I got my mom a sweater and my dad a vest. It was really fun and we walked around forever. I also got to work on my bargaining skills. I started to feel really bad though, like my stomach was being twisted into knots. Finally we got a taxi home and right when we got in the door I went straight to the bathroom. Something in that sandwich was not settling well with my stomach. I stayed in there for a while and when I got out my host mom made me drink chamomile tea. Then I went to the store downstairs and bought alka seltzer and a sprite. I was feeling really bad. Also my host mom told me she could have gotten the things I bought for half the price, guess my bargaining skills need some work. I thought I had done so well too. haha oh well. I got in bed and skyped Jamie and talked with guy Jamie on facebook. Then I did some reading for class and now I am about to go to bed since I have to have my yellow fever shot tomorrow.   

Tarea Tarea Tarea

The past couple days nothing has really been happening. Monday after school I watched TV with my roommate and studied for a quiz, which didn't even end up happening. Then on Tuesday I went to the cathedral del Cusco after class! It was really pretty inside with large gold painted wooden altars. There were so many statues of the saints, Jesus, and Mary. I saw clothing that the archbishop wore and old paintings. Too bad we weren't allowed to take pictures. Mami would have loved to have seen it. I knelt at the big altar and prayed for Mami. I also lit a candle for Prince, our dog that died right before I left. Afterwards we went to the super market and I got some cookies, ones with lucuma cream and others with chocolate. Then we had to go home and watch a movie to write a paper about it. This one was Madeinusa, it was rather strange. I didn't really like it. I had to study again for a test which did happen today. I woke up feeling more sick then before, I have been sick all week so far. It is not a pleasant experience. Class was about the meaning behind paintings in colonial time and how they were used to submit the indigenous people to the Spanish way of thinking. At the same time though the indigenous people were putting secret symbols relating to their culture in the paintings too. It was pretty interesting. We got broken into groups for chapter presentations and for our final projects. Finally had that quiz but the second half is going to happen tomorrow. Lunch today was really good! We had kidney beans with salsa on top with rice and chicken in cilantro and for dessert we had flan! I was really happy with it. Now I just finished watching another movie, Teta Asustada, and should start writing the paper on it. Tomorrow we are supposed to go to the market so my post will be more fun! I am also supposed to get my yellow fever vaccination... 

Parque de Papas

Showing all the varieties of potatoes

How they cultivate them

Guinea pig... Funny story

Talking about medicinal uses of herbs

Skills, making a llama

     Woke up sick this morning, no fun. Nikita and I were off to a late start so we just had to make a jelly and cheese sandwich and go. Carola made us gulp down some orange juice, I love fresh orange juice. =] After running to the pick up spot we waited for another 15 minutes, the bus was running late too. Then it was another long bus ride to another excursion. This one was to the potato park. The park isn't really a park, it is a huge development that the cusqueñas have made to preserve the diversity of the potato since industries now a days are only looking for uniformity to make french fries with. It is incredible how many different types of potatoes there are! They are extremely proud of their potatoes and love the work they are doing. You can tell by how passionate they were when talking about their efforts. After looking at the way they cultivate the potatoes and all the different potatoes they had at the moment, we went on another ride to a part of the park next to a lake where a festival was happening, we walked around and looked at all the animals and stuff we could buy. At one point they let someone hold a guinea pig but made them hold him by the neck, this poor guinea pig was passed around the entire group basically. When Nikita was holding him he looked kid of strange, then she handed him to me... Nikita took a picture, but then I noticed that he was acting kind of weird, instead of wiggling and moving about it was more like he was twitching... So I put him down and yeah he was DEAD! Super dead, he had the dead twitches. I took a picture with a dead guinea pig!!! No wonder he seemed floppy in Nikita's hands, I thought she was just holding him wrong, no dead, D-E-A-D, dead. The market people started laughing at us because we were freaking out! They poked him and wiggled him, but he was definitely dead, so they hid him under the blanket. I have no idea if he was just scared to death or when one of the kids just killed him on accident, but it was not a fun experience. Finally we decided we should scurry away from the crime scene before it got to terrible to handle. Not a good experience. Afterwards we got on the bus and the bus driver put a box of live guinea pigs in the undercarriage! Not a good day for guinea pigs. We then went and learned about herbs and saw a lady weaving. We had lunch at a buffet which was pretty good and then hung out for a while. The end of the day was pretty relaxing. When we got home Nikita and I found out we finally got internet and proceeded to talk with people. Then we went to a pizza place which was pretty good. When we got back I went to sleep because I was tired and sick. I had nightmares of dead guinea pigs...