Cusco: My last week

Maria Magdelena and Yaqueline

Sophie went travelling in Bolivia this week so it was only Jenny and I volunteering at Chinchaysuyo. I'm glad that I've been at the same placement for the whole month because now I know all the girl's names and most of the boys in my class, and a few from Jenny's class, and I know their personalities too. I've picked up so much language that I'm able to talk to them a bit and know how to control their fights and tantrums, who likes singing what songs, who likes playing certain things, etc. It's such an ego boost when I arrive in the morning and see them sprinting across the playground shouting 'Senorita Yessssica!' and then latching onto my arms and legs.
Nadin

It's been all about Navidad (Christmas) this week at Kinder; colouring in pictures of the sagrada familia and the star and the wise men and singing christmas carols. For some reason the whole of Jenny's younger class moved into our classroom this week so it's more chaotic than usual with the littlies in there too, usually just wandering around or staring into space in their own worlds. Our main job most days is pencil sharpening and stopping fights over pencils and admiring interesting colour choices on their pictures. One little boy will colour everything in blue, every day. Analyse that.
Johan and Rosa Luz
Carlos

Had my last Spanish lesson on Tuesday, because Wednesday was a public holiday to celebrate the conception of Jesus. I moved out of my homestay on Wednesday morning after giving Yoni a blackmarket copy of 'Australia' the movie as a thankyou present and moved up into Loki hostel to stay with Flick who was visiting for a few days!

It was so great to see her and hear about how the volunteering was going in Lima. Lots of differences like she goes to different placements every day including baby day care, orphanages, special needs orphanages, and a Girls Home, and does some contruction work as well. She has saved up and fundraised lots of money at home and said how amazingly far it has stretched: something like $1500 Australian has built a new room, put a new roof on another room, bought about 600 presents for all the kids at the different places and funded lots of outings as well.

But some similarities as well like we both never drink anything in the mornings because the toilets are so gross at our placements we'd rather deal with a headache than use them, and we've both gotten addicted to a chocolate bar called Sublime. I couldn't afford my 3 soles a day Snickers habit so downgraded to the 1 sole Sublime, and now will never go back!

She came with me to my last day of placement on Thursday, and I loved showing her the school and the kids and the mud. They really struggled with her name though.. calling her something like 'Liss-e-chee' instead of Felicity. The kids were taught some really cute traditional dancing ( I got lots of videos) then we were stuck inside because it was raining so hard.. and they went loco. Boys jumping up and down on the tables, girls fighting over us and our cameras and our hands and our laps. Then outside in the mud for a bit, then it was time to go! I'll really miss a couple of the kids, and will always wonder what they will grow up to be and do.
Miss these chiciditas a lot!

Two of Flick's friends from Lima were also at Loki hostel and we did lots of shopping at San Pedro and the Artesans market and El Molino for DVDs and CDs, then went out that night with Haley, Sarah and Shayda and their housemates to a couple of clubs because it was Sarah's last night in Cusco. The clubs included places where we could pour our own drinks, request any songs we like (including Spice Girls!) and dance on the bar to the croatian americano dance! Big night.
Jess, Flick, me and Dani

On Friday Flick, her friends Jessica and Dani and myself went horseriding in the Sacred Valley to the north of Cusco. Not having much horsey experience i got a very 'gentle' horse who was just plain unsociable; hanging about 100metres behind all the others, stopping to eat whenever he wanted, and when we finally caught up to the others he'd stand facing the other way so I couldn't see them! It was drizzling rain and freezing cold in the misty valleys and hills, we could see down onto Cusco, saw llamas and pigs in the fields, and saw the Temple of the Moon which is a really sacred place of 'good pachamama energy' (mother earth.) Then dinner out and watched a couple of episodes of Dexter in the tv room before bed. They left about 7am this morning to head back to Lima!
Dani, Flick & I with Sublime chocolate

Today I'm just doing last minute shopping and printing plane tickets and things and saying goodbye to this city! I'm off early tomorrow morning for Melbourne via Lima, Buenos Aires and Auckland. It's gonna take me 5 days; I get home on Thursday and can't wait to see family and Abi and friends and my own bed and vegemite and nice bread and toilets where you can flush the paper and no more rice!!