El Paro (The strike)
I left my house yesterday at 7:30 in the morning to start my long walk to school knowing there would be no transportation, and when I reached the main street that runs through Cusco, Avenida de la Cultura, I was still surprised by what I saw...the usually busy and loud street with taxis and combis rushing by and honking their horns was quiet. Instead, there was a calm, steady flow of people walking in the direction of the Plaza de Armas. It was remarkable to see so many people coolly walking towards their destinations, and it seemed it was their manifestation of solidarity in the strike.

(Really briefly - the strike was against a law recently written, that if passed, would allow for private investment in places such as Machu Pichu; something the people feel in Cusco would destroy the world heritage site, and they would not see any of the economic benefits.)

It was about an hour’s walk to school (all UPHILL). The demonstration had not started, but along the way there were tires burning in the streets, and large stones to block any vehicles from driving in the streets. No taxi dared to drive any later than eight in the morning or near the Plaza de Armas, because if they were seen, the people would throw rocks at them.

Hundreds of people circled the plaza de Armas carrying signs saying things such as “Cusco is not for sale.” It was a crazy sight to see so many persons from all parts of society walking side by side and circling the plaza. We could hear the noise and shouting from our classrooms. It seemed the whole of Cusco was out to make their voices heard; and they were, because all over the news that evening and this morning were reports about the strike. There was little or no violence and the strike died down about one, but if the congress continues to move ahead with passing the law there will be another strike next week.

A usual day in Cusco
To get to school in the morning, I usually go by ¨Combi, ¨ and it seems crazy to me now, but they tell me it’s a circus in Lima…so I am really glad to be getting the experience. The Combi is their main bus system, but it’s actually a van that will carry 20+ persons at times! It’s much cheaper than taking a taxi, but it can get pretty crowded with people standing bent over because there aren’t any seats. It’s also really hard to get off if you’re stuck in the corner!

At night I often take a taxi home with a friend from the school, and we’ve been taught which ones are the safe ones to take - there are a lot of drivers in the city that taxi persons but are not registered with the town council and can be very dangerous for tourists.

Home
The family that I am living with does not own the home I am staying in. It is a large house with several rooms, and simply furnished. The head of the household, Patricia, recently divorced from her husband. She is the caretaker of the home and earns extra money by renting the rooms to students or visitors like me. Her son and his fiancée stay in one of the rooms when he comes home for the weekends, and her ex-husband’s brother (Juan), who was recently divorced from his wife, also lives in the house. He was kicked out of his home and had no place to go, so Patricia offered him a place to stay. They are really good friends and are a riot when they are together!

I eat all of my meals with the family, and over breakfast, lunch and dinner I am learning a lot about Peruvian life. It’s nearing dinner now, so I need to get going, but the next time I’m on I’ll share with you some of their recipes, ones that will make your mouth water and others that might make your stomach turn. =)

Katie