First Week in Peru!

It's official, I have lived in Peru for a whole week! Every day I get to try something new, or see something that I haven't seen before. Flying in at around 11,000 feet to Cusco was slightly overwhelming. But the effects of the altitude resided after we dropped to a cool 9,700 feet after travelling down the windy mountain road to Pisac. We stayed at our study center for the first night to acclimate to the altitude and were treated to some delicious locally made pizza for dinner!

The next afternoon we were introduced to our host family! Pictured above are my host siblings Fabio, Juan Pedro, and Tirza. They made me feel so welcome and at home even thousands of miles away from Pennsylvania. At first it was difficult to communicate and remember everything from my Spanish classes, but it has gotten easier because we constantly hear and use the language. Peruvian accents are also probably the easiest to understand out of all the Spanish speaking countries, making the language transition easier. 

 Soon we began classes. Classes consist of about 2 hours of learning about practical language skills to use such as new vocab and different phrases, as well as reading spanish literature or watching a cooking show! Followed by a community conversation with locals in Pisac to help us learn more about the local culture. In between classes we have a break complete with hot tea (a Peruvian staple), some galletas, and naranjas. I think I have drank more tea here than I have in my entire life, then again I'm not upset about it. Coca te has become one of my favorites because it has helped with altitude sickness.

New Foods!

A big part of diving into Peruvian culture is definitely the food. Peruvians LOVE food, and love to cook it. Breakfast is a smaller portion. My favorite meal is hot milk mixed with a spoonful of instant Columbian coffee and 2 spoonfuls of sugar, along with 2 fried eggs and bread with butter. Simple, but delicious and filling!  Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, usually consisting of rice, vegetables, potatoes, and meat. While dinner is lighter, or leftovers from lunch. 

Daily Adventures

​ ​

So far, my first week here has been great. I can't wait to learn more about the culture here and become more fluent in Spanish, with my awesome roommate Jenny! See you next week!