Yesterday we woke up super early (we left the hotel at 5:30am!) & headed to the Lima airport to fly to Cusco! Our flight was delayed for an hour, so we sat at the hotel from about 7:00 am until 10:30 am...quite awhile! The flight was only 45 minutes, though, and they actually served food, which was nice.
Once we arrived in Cusco we were welcomed by Paola & Ruben (aka Poncho), our host & guide while in Cusco. We were taken to Hogar de las Estrellas...a hotel and home for children with special needs located in downtown Cusco. Hogar de las Estrellas is wonderful (minus the lack of heat and hot water...but it's all good! :) They brought us a heater for each floor, so it is great now!) and the view off the balcony is absolutely astounding. There really aren't words. Hogar de las Estrellas overlooks all of downtown Cusco & has a beautiful view of all of the mountains surrounding the city. I thought the view in San Bartolo was beautiful, but this is majestic. However, the only problem is the altitude. Unfortunately, the altitude change was not my friend & I felt ill all night last night. Luckily, I am feeling much better now & made it through the day feeling decent! Due to the possibility of altitude sickness, we all spent the day resting & taking it easy.
However, today was jam packed! We started out the day at the Chincheros, an old Incan sight where the Spaniards had come in to build a church (the story is rather gruesome & sad for the Incan people, but the view of the mountains was wonderful!). Then, we took another drive up the mountain to Moray, another Incan sight where they built different circular levels in order to plant different crops at separate temperatures. Finally, our last trip was to Masal Sal, where the people in the town collect salt to sell, in the midst of the mountains.
After we toured, we went to Mosoq Ronay, a home for children who were formerly homeless. We ate lunch with the children and spent the day with them! They were so awesome! I love the way the people run Mosoq Ronay. They have a system set up that allows for each of the children to learn how to sew & bake. Then, they sell the products in order to keep the home running. It is so well kept & the children seemed so happy and well-educated. In fact, I hung out with a 14-year-old girl named Kantu & she asked me questions in English & I responded in Spanish. It was great. :) Plus, since the children are taught different trades it gives them more opportunities for success after they leave the house in finding jobs. And, since they are required to attend school and have connections at the home, they are often able to study at the university in Cusco!
Basically, I love Cusco...muchos. Also, I love the children of Peru...they are SOOO sweet & great. And I have learned so much Spanish since being here! I'm trying to take in as much as I can. Well...until tomorrow...ciao!
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