Arequipa, Peru

So the second half of the week in Cusco, Peru, was just as fun as the first. We learned how to make a typical Peruvian dish, Rocoto Relleno, stuffed peppers and how to SALSA, which I was so good at I caused all of the volunteers hanging around watching our lessons to laugh hysterically and leave the area. Whatevs, it was fun. Our host family is fun to live with, but less emotionally attached to all of us because they have so many kids come through the school and stay with them. Every morning at 8 I get a lovely wakeup call of ¨CHICOS... DESAYUNOOOO!¨ (Kids, breakfast), from our loving and ever understanding host mom. When we asked if we could have lunch an hour earlier than usual because we had to get to school earlier, she gave us a nice ¨No.¨ Eh-kay. She does make us some great lunches of rice and veggies every day, a treat after the potatoes day in and day out in Achupallas.
Spanish classes are going well too, learning the basics in a practical way that never was taught to me before. We have two hours of grammer lessons and two of practical lessons- just walking around the city and talking with our teachers. My proffessor has taken me to several markets in order to fufill my daily craving for jugo de pina (pineapple juice). I NEVER liked pineapple in the states, and now if I don´t get it on the daily, I´m pissed. The fruit here is so delicious.
The girls and I have decided to find the most fattening treat available in Cusco- so far, we´ve found some awesome carrot cake at Jacks, Waffles and oreo cake at The Meeting Place, and crepes at Papillion. But we´ve supplemented that with a yoga class at the Healing House, even though the teacher was sick and the substitute thought an hour of child´s pose was a good idea...
After an awesome night out on the town on Friday night, Seth, Katie, Kai, Lizzy, Ivy, Grant, and myself all went clubbing and danced till the early hours of the morning, we packed up on Saturday and headed to Arequipa on an overnight bus. The bus was actually so comfortable- reclining seats, a light dinner and drinks (tea and soda, don´t go thinking the program changed their rules, although we can always hope right?), and a movie. However, it broke down for about two hours on the side of the road at 1AM, and the guy in front of me decided to take the opportunity to blast music from his phone and then proceeded to start snoring loudly. Once the bus started moving again, it was quite an adventure trying to get back to sleep. I´ll be honest here, I definitely tried kicking his seat several times in order to make him shift and not snore anymore. It didn´t work...
Arequipa is beautiful though, and we´ve had a great time here. The girls took a lazy two days- chilling in cafes and around the Plaza de Armas. Last night we found an English version of THE HUNGER GAMES which Max, Lizzy, Eli, Ivy, Grant, Megan, Katie, and I went to go see. After thinking I´d have to wait till May to see it, those who know how I excited I was for the movie will understand my level of hyperactivity when I found this theather.
Tomorrow we´re heading to the beach on the coast of Peru to get our tan on. I´m too excited, we´ve been in cold weather for so long.
Ciao!
Emily