We had a bit of fun with these two...As we sat soaking in some rays at the Plaza and taking in a bit of local festivities, we just couldn’t help but notice this couple. No joke…matching shoes to boot.
We wrapped it all up. Three weeks of Spanish done and gone. The last week was ridiculously busy. I finished up my language project for SIT (does that mean I’m done?). Carrie and I scrambled to see all the museums we could and prepare for our trek to Machu Picchu (we leave tomorrow at 5:30 am!!) All told, I think we are in a good place to bounce around South America for another 3 months. Both of us had hoped our vocabulary would be stronger than it is, but we’ll be practicing and reviewing as we go along.
This whole experience has made me think a lot about language; the doors it opens and the barriers it creates. Specifically, you begin to understand how difficult it can be to express yourself. Carrie and I both lamented how our thought processes were disrupted because we had a very minimal vocabulary mix to choose from. Many times only a fraction of what we wanted to communicate was transmitted. Non-verbal communication obviously played a significant role, but even then, there are only so many thoughts you can get across. For me, it was a practical incarnation of the ideas discussed by Paulo Freire… the role language plays in the liberation of oppressed peoples. I can not even begin to imagine the intricate barriers language poses for those with no power. Here in Cusco, I can see the vast differences in opportunity and power when differentiating between those who only speak Quechua (the native language of the region), Spanish and English.
Thursday night, Carrie went out with some peeps for dinner and dancing (poor Chad was left sulking at home scrambling to finish his project…boo-hoo). Carrie, two girls from Germany, a girl from Iceland and a dashing man from England took in dinner with several professors at a chill café called Troamundos overlooking the Plaza de Armas (They have fantastic coffees and a chilled-out atmosphere). After that they took in some tango and live music.
Friday, I was finally a dude on the loose, no more projects!!! The same gang (minus the striking English chap…Carrie was sad, yes) all went out for drinks and some late night dancing. (pic Carrie and Lilja). Here Carrie and Lilja share a moment. We actually hope to meet up with Lilja in Buenos Ares sometime in April. We had some time to chat politics and travels. It’s interesting…Carrie and I have in numerous occasions found ourselves in the awkward situation of clarifying our political/social beliefs…specifically, making the stark difference between the people and the policies of the U.S. Frankly, it has been a bit embarrassing. Many we have met hold a lackluster opinion of the states…more specifically of our economic/military policies and brash arrogance and ethnocentrism (perceived or real). How do you defend the decision of our home country to move forward with a new generation of nuclear weapon technology (as the U.S. regrettably and ridiculously did on Friday) when some you are conversing with don’t even have a military…higher education is a right and is predominately paid for…health care is a right and provided to all its citizens?? But alas, we toasted to peaceful days ahead and took delight in the opportunity to converse and learn.
Saturday, Charrie took it easy, sleeping in a bit and venturing to another museum in the afternoon, The Church of Santo Domingo
(also the Incan Temple of the Sun). This was by far our favorite museum visited thus far. It detailed the Incan worship of the Sun and stars, had some striking, well-preserved Incan walls and artwork and also included hundreds of Spanish/Catholic artifacts and paintings. Outside, the remains of the grand Incan walls made for a spectacular view and also contained a brilliant garden and terrace. (pic of Carrie)
Sunday, we had a fantoobilly little trek back to Pisac. Here, Carrie does some business with a local artisan. Although it rained most of the time, we had a blast chatting with the local venders and watching the whole market unfold while eating lunch from a small café.
We wrapped it all up. Three weeks of Spanish done and gone. The last week was ridiculously busy. I finished up my language project for SIT (does that mean I’m done?). Carrie and I scrambled to see all the museums we could and prepare for our trek to Machu Picchu (we leave tomorrow at 5:30 am!!) All told, I think we are in a good place to bounce around South America for another 3 months. Both of us had hoped our vocabulary would be stronger than it is, but we’ll be practicing and reviewing as we go along.
This whole experience has made me think a lot about language; the doors it opens and the barriers it creates. Specifically, you begin to understand how difficult it can be to express yourself. Carrie and I both lamented how our thought processes were disrupted because we had a very minimal vocabulary mix to choose from. Many times only a fraction of what we wanted to communicate was transmitted. Non-verbal communication obviously played a significant role, but even then, there are only so many thoughts you can get across. For me, it was a practical incarnation of the ideas discussed by Paulo Freire… the role language plays in the liberation of oppressed peoples. I can not even begin to imagine the intricate barriers language poses for those with no power. Here in Cusco, I can see the vast differences in opportunity and power when differentiating between those who only speak Quechua (the native language of the region), Spanish and English.
Thursday night, Carrie went out with some peeps for dinner and dancing (poor Chad was left sulking at home scrambling to finish his project…boo-hoo). Carrie, two girls from Germany, a girl from Iceland and a dashing man from England took in dinner with several professors at a chill café called Troamundos overlooking the Plaza de Armas (They have fantastic coffees and a chilled-out atmosphere). After that they took in some tango and live music.
Friday, I was finally a dude on the loose, no more projects!!! The same gang (minus the striking English chap…Carrie was sad, yes) all went out for drinks and some late night dancing. (pic Carrie and Lilja). Here Carrie and Lilja share a moment. We actually hope to meet up with Lilja in Buenos Ares sometime in April. We had some time to chat politics and travels. It’s interesting…Carrie and I have in numerous occasions found ourselves in the awkward situation of clarifying our political/social beliefs…specifically, making the stark difference between the people and the policies of the U.S. Frankly, it has been a bit embarrassing. Many we have met hold a lackluster opinion of the states…more specifically of our economic/military policies and brash arrogance and ethnocentrism (perceived or real). How do you defend the decision of our home country to move forward with a new generation of nuclear weapon technology (as the U.S. regrettably and ridiculously did on Friday) when some you are conversing with don’t even have a military…higher education is a right and is predominately paid for…health care is a right and provided to all its citizens?? But alas, we toasted to peaceful days ahead and took delight in the opportunity to converse and learn.
Saturday, Charrie took it easy, sleeping in a bit and venturing to another museum in the afternoon, The Church of Santo Domingo
(also the Incan Temple of the Sun). This was by far our favorite museum visited thus far. It detailed the Incan worship of the Sun and stars, had some striking, well-preserved Incan walls and artwork and also included hundreds of Spanish/Catholic artifacts and paintings. Outside, the remains of the grand Incan walls made for a spectacular view and also contained a brilliant garden and terrace. (pic of Carrie)
Sunday, we had a fantoobilly little trek back to Pisac. Here, Carrie does some business with a local artisan. Although it rained most of the time, we had a blast chatting with the local venders and watching the whole market unfold while eating lunch from a small café.
Monday,we finally made it to the Inca Museum and roamed around thousands of years of history. The museum actually took you through pre-Incan cultures dating back to 5000 B.C. The artifacts allowed you to see with a bit more precision how the Incan empire expanded and grew to a population of nearly 9 million at its height. Additionally, there was some great information on how the Inca’s experimented with the creation of differing varieties of crops in very diverse climates. The museum had an exception collection of qiru puyñu (glass pitchers), ceramics and artwork/gifts to the gods.
So…Tuesday (about 8 hours from now) we leave for Machu Picchu. We are really stoaked about the trip, regardless of if it rains. We hope to have a good assortment of pics to share upon our return on Saturday. Admittedly, we are both also looking forward to the 4th night in Aguas Calientes. We decided to treat ourselves and stay in a little suite with a balcony overlooking the town and a Jacuzzi. Totally gringo yes, but hell after 4 days and a peak altitude of nearly 14,000 ft., we’re game. The whole process of locating a reputable, trekking agency has really made me think about the whole notion of being a “tourists.” There are so many decisions that can be made and each one has an impact on the people, local economy and politics. For instance, the other night we were chatting with our host parents about the policy changes that have taken place over the last few years in Machu Picchu and the Incan Trail. In 2001, the government made it mandatory that all hikers must hire a private, licensed trekking agency to oversee all hikes, and limit the amount of hikers on the trail (this is mainly due to studies showing that there were so many people hiking the trail and visiting, that there could be concern for a major landslide to occur, devastating the fragile ruins). Additionally, prices to see the famed Incan ruins have jumped dramatically since then. Currently, the government is talking about raising the fee just to see the ruins to approximately $100 per person!! Obviously, most Perúvians would have a difficult time affording this...spit, most people would? It begs to question the impact tourism has on the local economies and what an individual tourists can do to lesson the adverse impacts of tourism (pricing locals and indigenous peoples out of many economic choices, infrastructure stress, cultural shifts) and increase the positive (global learning and sharing, economic advancement and opportunities, advancements in infrastructure).
Snap, I’ve got to call it quitzees. Be well peeps. We’ll touch base again before we head further east…passing over the Andes and visiting the Lake Titicaca area.
!Hasta Lluego!
Charrie
So…Tuesday (about 8 hours from now) we leave for Machu Picchu. We are really stoaked about the trip, regardless of if it rains. We hope to have a good assortment of pics to share upon our return on Saturday. Admittedly, we are both also looking forward to the 4th night in Aguas Calientes. We decided to treat ourselves and stay in a little suite with a balcony overlooking the town and a Jacuzzi. Totally gringo yes, but hell after 4 days and a peak altitude of nearly 14,000 ft., we’re game. The whole process of locating a reputable, trekking agency has really made me think about the whole notion of being a “tourists.” There are so many decisions that can be made and each one has an impact on the people, local economy and politics. For instance, the other night we were chatting with our host parents about the policy changes that have taken place over the last few years in Machu Picchu and the Incan Trail. In 2001, the government made it mandatory that all hikers must hire a private, licensed trekking agency to oversee all hikes, and limit the amount of hikers on the trail (this is mainly due to studies showing that there were so many people hiking the trail and visiting, that there could be concern for a major landslide to occur, devastating the fragile ruins). Additionally, prices to see the famed Incan ruins have jumped dramatically since then. Currently, the government is talking about raising the fee just to see the ruins to approximately $100 per person!! Obviously, most Perúvians would have a difficult time affording this...spit, most people would? It begs to question the impact tourism has on the local economies and what an individual tourists can do to lesson the adverse impacts of tourism (pricing locals and indigenous peoples out of many economic choices, infrastructure stress, cultural shifts) and increase the positive (global learning and sharing, economic advancement and opportunities, advancements in infrastructure).
Snap, I’ve got to call it quitzees. Be well peeps. We’ll touch base again before we head further east…passing over the Andes and visiting the Lake Titicaca area.
!Hasta Lluego!
Charrie
Here's a pic of the fam...We'll miss you Judy and Ciro!!!
2 comments:
Whats up kids? I’m really enjoying reading the blog, keep it up. I guess I’m living vicariously through you because I don’t really get to do much traveling except to San Antonio (an industrial port that smells like dead fish… has some good highs schools though). Did I mention that I’m working my ass off these days? Still very interesting work though, are you two sure you don’t want English teaching jobs this summer? I don’t know when I’ll have the time to write a Capstone unless I quit my job.
So when are you kids going to show up in Chile? Are you headed to Argentina first? I hope you are planning to hang out with us for at least a while. I will be spending the last two weeks in March in Santiago just for your info.
Stay in touch, enjoy yourselves, and keep blogging.
Oh yea, I almost forgot, the picture of those tourists was hilarious! I’ve done it too, but hopefully I never looked quite that ridiculous. Ok, I’ll get off my high-horse now, but it does raise some questions about the exploitation of indigenous cultures.
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