Monday September 7 to Friday September 11 - Peru Week 4

So was my last full week in Peru and next week I only have two days in the classroom before heading out to Europe on Thursday morning. In some ways I am sad but in other ways I am ready to move on. I have liked the people I have met here and the places I have gone and I would not trade the experience, but it has been a rather hard place for me too. The culture is very different and things do not work like they would in the U.S. I'll go more into this in another post.

Urubamba's main church off the Plaza de Armas

For the most part things this week have returned to normal at the school, that is to say it is still a bit crazy but not anything like what last week was like. The teachers did not have any meetings during class time so I was not stuck babysitting 750 students alone at the school. But I still have to wonder as on Wednesday they announced it would only be a half day and that there would be no school on Thursday for a “day of rest” for the students. Frankly the teachers all went to lunch on Wednesday and were drinking some so I think it was more a day after rest for them than the students, but whatever. It is what it is.

I did go to lunch with the teachers, which was nice for them to invite me, and it was interesting with a lot of food and a band that played what I would call Peruvian Polka music. Afterwards we had another social with Projects Abroad, which involved playing soccer but fortunately for me, after two 1 liter beers and a huge slab of pork, that was a little bit gross to look at, I fortunately did not need to play as they had enough players. My roommate, Ian, on the other hand would probably have been better off sitting it out too as he twisted his ankle or something.  This is the 4th or 5th time he has had a problem while I have been here and I feel really bad for him. The guy totally loves being in Peru but I am not so sure that Peru feels the same way. It is not a party until something gets broken and true enough we broke a window at the school we were playing soccer at just as things were wrapping up.

For a long time I thought APU was a local soccer team as these adds are everywhere, as it turns out it is a political party for the family I am staying with, of which the uncle used to be mayor of Urubamba.

Several volunteers left the previous week so it was nice to see a lot of new ones here this week and afterwards we went off to have a beer at a place I wish I knew about weeks ago. There are really no bars in Urubamba but as it turns out there is a private one in somebody’s house. Somewhat like a speakeasy and you have to know it is there, otherwise it is just another door on the street. And they brew their own beer! Very cool and I hung out with a couple of the volunteers for a few, making my total beer intake for the day more than I normally drink in a month back home.

Thursday was a day off and other than to go into the office I spent most of the day catching up on things and more or less taking it easy.

The street market in Urubamba where you buy vegetables, fruit, bread, and what looks like long grass? Not the smoking kind.

Usually Friday is an off day for me but I actually worked at another school with my professor since I had “a day of rest” on Thursday. It was a private school and not a part of my project but it was interesting to compare. The school is much smaller with no more than 20 in a class, where as General Ollanta has over 30 in every class, and the kids seem better behaved overall. But the school is also an active construction site and the classes are full of dirt and dust that get into your lungs and eyes. Totally an unhealthy environment for kids to be learning in and I am glad I am not there every day. Ollanta may be a mad house but it is not full of construction dust.

Friday night I am taking the family out to dinner as a thank you for putting me up in their house.