So, I turned 24, and then I got on a plane for Peru.
Vacation!
I originally planned a hike from ocean to ocean hike in
Panama but it fell through for various reasons. While planning it, I asked a
family friend what suggestions he had for hiking and he mentioned he was
heading to Peru to hike and that was that, I bought my ticket shortly
thereafter.
I gave myself two lazy days to acclimate to the altitude in
Cusco. During this time I roamed the city and took pictures. I also have a side
story I wrote about the joys of speaking the language while traveling.
Speaking the Language
In 2011, I headed to South East Asia for two months of
backpacking. Before heading off, I was looking at travel quotes one day and
quickly fell in love with "Traveling is like speaking with men of
different centuries." One small kink in the quote, I couldn't speak to
these men whose native languages included Thai and Vietnamese. I realized
quickly upon arrival, and for the next two months, that I would have to rely on
Pictionary, charades, pointing, and other means of communication that would
make me appear as if I hadn't evolved the ability to speak yet.
Although I faced this amazing obstacle, for the most part I
was able to enjoy myself while traveling. However, I was unable to delve deeper
than superficial relationships with the locals that I met. How amazing the
times I stopped to ask some men for directions and they invited me for drinks
and food or the time I was invited to meet a book seller's family would have
been if I could have spoken with them.
I got a second opportunity to speak with men of different
centuries but this time, I had a grasp of the language, Spanish. Panama has
been an amazing opportunity to improve my grasp of the language, and although
there are many great examples in Panama, I believe an example while traveling
in Peru would suit this article well.
Panama isn't known for their cold
weather so I was unable to fully prepare for my trip to Peru before boarding
the plane. To remedy this I made a list of items to purchase: gloves, scarf,
hat, and thick socks. A friend of mine
told me to take the first days in Cusco slow to adjust to the altitude so I
took this opportunity to explore the city and try and cross off my to-buy list.
My general method for conquering
cities is to head out without direction, going whichever way seems most
interesting. After walking for some time with sporadic turns here and there, I
found myself in a clothing market. I found a booth with some clothing that
appealed to me and proceeded to chat while looking at clothing.
The conversation started off slowly,
with the lady assuming I didn't really speak Spanish. However, as we continued
to talk, she realized I spoke a descent bit, and the conversation took off.
Eventually we ended up discussing her major and she told me she was studying
tourism. She'd be heading off in a few days with an Archeology professor to
check out some ruins and she invited me along. The total cost? $4. I
contemplated the offer but sadly realized that I already had plans that day.
As disappointed as I was after
having the encounter, I was also excited. My chat hadn't occurred by chance, it
was based in the fact that I could speak the language! This was the first
encounter, but it wouldn't be the last. There will be many more men of
different centuries to converse with and treasures to uncover.
Pictures!
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| For less than $2, a 3 course meal. These were absolutely amazing and everywhere in Cusco. |
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| This was the walk up to my hostel for the first few days. The altitude of Cusco and stairs made for a rather rough walk. |
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| There were beautiful stone buildings throughout the city like this. |
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| View of Cusco |
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| Stray dogs were much healthier in Cusco than in Panama. |
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| An aspect of city design carried over from the Incas. These are the rain drainage systems throughout the city. |
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