Cuzco 1

Letter of 22 February 2012

We arrived in a rainy Cuzco the day before yesterday, slightly late, extremely tired – not only from the 24 hours or more of travelling but from the horror of getting ready to go.  We were picked up from the airport and taken to a rather gloomy but clean and cheap hostal which is run by three brothers, one of whom works with our one contact in Cuzco. 

At first the boys were rather pleased with themselves because they did not feel the effects of the altitude which we had warned them about.  But then tiredness and hunger set in, for Titus at least, and he complained after an hour in the hostal “I hate living in Peru” and “I don’t know anyone in Cuzco”.   Zu’s spirits were lifted by the sight of a humming bird on some fuchsia in the garden of the hostal.  He had to get his camera out immediately, ready to snap the next one that should visit.

Later we walked towards the centre to find an early supper.  Zu was looking so hard for humming birds that he soon stepped in some dog shit.  However, he was rewarded with the sight of one of the long-tailed varieties – thrilled.  We had spaghetti bolognese for supper which filled a hole but was somewhat testing; the cook had decided to ladle a good deal of sugar into the sauce.

We all longed for that first night’s sleep but it ended up being quite farcical. By 7.30 we were all fast asleep.  At 1.30 (6.30 in England) I was up and found the door to our bathroom had somehow got locked. I ended up having to pee in a water bottle. A little later Titus – who was sharing with me – was up and peeing into the thermos.  We then read Tintin.  Next door Martha and Zu’s loo was blocked and Zu was having to pee in the shower.  By now I had the most awful headache from the altitude and while popping pills was hatching plans to descend to the Urubamba valley almost as soon as it was daylight.

Of course I was the only one of the four of us who was suffering.  Zu and Titus, even after a bad night, were full of bounce.  I had a mate de coca with breakfast which did not make me feel a jot better and we headed into town to the Plaza de Armas.  I don’t think the boys were very impressed which makes me wonder what they were expecting. But they enjoyed the Inca walls and the pack of about ten dogs which was roaming freely through the square and the traffic.  I bought aspirin and we went for a drink in a bar overlooking the square.  The boys have discovered fresh pineapple juice which suits us and them.  I had another much stronger mate de coca which, combined with the aspirin, seemed to buck me up no end. However, by now I found I had a frog in my throat and could hardly speak.

First day, first cafe

Over our drink we decided to descend to Pisac in the Urubamba Valley, arguing to ourselves that the boys would enjoy the swimming pool in the hotel and we would  all be much better rested. On the way we stopped to look at two houses for rent with Paulina, who works with our contact, Rob. The first was in a very grotty area and was rather depressing inside. The second was in a quiet street but again rather gloomy, even though it was being freshly painted.  But it quickly became apparent that the housing choice is going to be difficult.  The school, it turns out,  is half an hour from the centre of Cuzco in a southern suburb. Do we want to be out there or between the two? And will we have to take an unfurnished house and buy everything for it?

The rain followed us down to Pisac but I immediately felt better in the thicker air.  We rushed to the hotel pool before it closed at 4.00.  It was impressive – ‘Olympic size’ and inside a sort of greenhouse – but the water was very cold and the boys didn’t last long in it.  But it didn’t matter much. The hotel, an old estancia, had bouganvillia and fuchsias growing all round it and as soon as the rain stopped  Zu was stalking humming birds with his camera while Titus ran along the little paths and got in his way.

After an early supper – more spag bol for the boys, this time without sugar – we had a delicious long sleep.  We woke to a sunny day, had a big breakfast and decided to walk up to the Inca ruins above Pisac.  Titus was initially very grumpy about this but was soon racing along saying how wonderful it all was.  We loved the climb – about 2,000 feet – through the old terraces and the ruins, when we got there, were very impressive. We tried to feed the boys with information to take back to history and geography lessons but Zu was easily distracted by little American kestrels which seemed to be everywhere.  We all enjoyed being out and about and Martha and I were enchanted by the Alpine feel of this particular part of the valley.

Ruins? American Kestrels!

 

The only problem with this outing was that we had set off prepared to be cold and wet, but it was very hot and sunny.  We all got badly burnt, particularly Zu round the face and neck. Martha, who feels that protection against sunburn is a mum’s responsibility, is very ashamed of herself.  To do her justice, the boys have never been badly burnt before.

Two more from Pisac

We are now back in Cuzco which is much more pleasant and lively when it is not cold and raining.  However, our excursion to the Sacred Valley got us both asking whether we have made the right choice.  Do we want an urban five months?  Or should we abandon our first plan and decamp to the valley, find a house and see if we can get the boys into a local school down there?

Later...

Prospects have improved a little.  Yesterday we asked one of the three brothers to take us on a tour of the residential districts and then out to the school. (He turns out to be a lecturer in psychiatry at the private University here.) There are some pleasant pockets of housing but they tend to be small.  There are also some parks in the residential areas but they too are on a small scale and seem to be well used. (One of our worries is where the boys will burn up energy).

We arrived at the school to find that there was a teacher training day in progress.  The school, I should say, looks unfinished like many buildings in Cuzco but is right on the outskirts with great views of the hills. The headmistress and staff could not have been more welcoming. It seems they are quite used to non-Spanish speakers starting there. The boys immediately explored the play area while we filled in registration forms.  The only disappointment came when Titus asked how many children there would be in the school – 320.  This is three times the size of their school in Monmouth which has a more indoor and outdoor space.

Later in the day we went to investigate football training for Zu.  We had been directed to a pitch in the grounds of an old monastery and found a group of children playing a match.  We talked to some of the parents and then the wife of the coach – again very welcoming.  Zu can start training on Friday afternoon.  Later I rang another contact I had been given through a chance encounter with a coach in Pisac – the English Soccer School.   He too was most welcoming – Zu can start on Friday morning.  Zu’s spirits were noticeably lifted.