Peru Diary 2

  Yesterday I arrived at about 7:30am. I checked in and spent most of the day sleeping and acclimating. My US teacher, Ana, took me to dinner at a restaurant just down the hill called "Jacks", and it is yummy. 

We are in the heart of the old city of Cusco, in the San Blas district on Cuesto San Blas street. All the buildings here are built on ancient Inka foundations which were then built on top of in the 16-1700s when the Spanish were here. Our pension is funky in a really good way. It reminds me a lot of Pension Pertschy in Vienna: crooked hallways, thick walls, tiled floors and the lobby used to be the courtyard. It's been glassed over, but not by much; it's somewhat drafty but there are propane heaters to keep us warm :-) My room is on the second floor and has a skylight, so I woke up pretty early this morning with the sun. It rained and rained last night and the sound was very comforting. 

I was a *very* wise boy to book my flights a couple of days in advance of our travels: I am strangely lightheaded at moments and sort of queasy in the morning until I get a little food and coffee in me. Yesterday the moment I emerged from the airport after getting my luggage and into the cordoned-off parking area where people greet their loved ones, Rodolfo, Adolfo's younger brother and business partner in their trekking business spotted me and waved, "Jeffrey!"  It was immediate, and I wondered if Ana had given him a picture of me. But no: she'd told him I look like Santa Claus. I've been asked twice now on the street if I'm Santa Claus :-)

The people here are tiny: I tower over them, which is kind of fun but strange. They are unfailingly kind and friendly and radiate a sweetness that I really wish I could import back home. Our hotel is right next to a painter in the Cusco School, and his teeninsy shop is *filled* with beautiful oils in the Renaissance style of many different varieties of Mary and the Angels. Apparently the Spanish taught painting as a way of communicating with the Quechua-speaking people here about Christianity. If I can get a picture, there is a fresco at a nearby church with a reproduction of the Last Supper, and in the middle of the table is roast Guinea Pig, a ceremonial necessity here. Of *course* Jesus had roast Guinea Pig at his final meal! To say that these paintings are incredibly well-done (even today) and luminous is a total understatement. 

Here are some links about the Cusco School of painters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco_School

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopo_Archangels

Apparently the inclusion of so many different Archangels (a lot of whom I've never even heard of, and I've done a lot of reading about them) dates back to the syncretic practice of including "the winged dieties that pre-date the Spanish" when the local Cusco School painters were creating their works. 

This is a really cool place. And very, very high. 

I'm glad I still have two whole more days to settle in before we begin our travels. My fellow students, both teachers, arrive tomorrow. They did not have the luxury of more days off since they are basically begging this time away from their districts. As soon as I can clear off my phone a bit, I'll post pictures :-)

Love,

Jeffrey