September 2010 to January 2011: Renovating the sidewalk on Avenida el Sol in front of the Qorikancha to Garcilaso. This consisted of ripping up the old sidewalk, putting in a new one, adding colorful fences to the boulevard and installing new lights. I’d guess this would normally take about a month or two to do. I will give them that they had to put in pretty designs into the sidewalk with bricks.

September 2010 (probably before) to present day: The Marriott construction on calle Ruinas. It’s an entire hotel and it’s not expected to open until July of August of this year. That’s almost 2 years to build a hotel. Is that normal? It’s a private construction company too.

July 2011 to present day: sewage and water system re-working in Lucrepata (where I teach violin) that consisted of ripping up the roads and sidewalks with mud covering everything for 4 months. They have laid cement for the sidewalks and roads but are now putting in rocks cut into pieces as the final top layer to the street. It might have a quant look but it’s just going to be another bumpy road that will need constant upkeep. The pictures included in this post are from Lucrepata.

I could name at least 5 more but that gives you an idea.

There is one construction job that surprised me and it was the repaving of the road Recoleta above the Cusqueña beer factory. It took them less than a month to get the road paved (with beautiful black asphalt that is nice and smooth) and put in trash cans, speed bumps, and bus stops with rain covers. I was thoroughly impressed and I was also not surprised to find out it was a private company that was hired to do it.

Most people attribute the inefficiency to the municipality and lack of good leadership including myself. There was a case not too long ago where there was construction being done on avenida de la Cultura. They left huge holes on the side of the road and work just seemed to stop. There was outcry from the people. It was dangerous! Another thing is that when it rains really hard, the holes fill up with water and if buses are stopping to let people off there are bound to be accidents. Unfortunately, there were.

It is important to remember that the Municipality is not the only organization to blame for construction problems. A little over a month ago there was a case involving a private company decided to end a contract that had them constructing a school here in Cusco. They left the school in a half constructed mess and as of late it is still sitting there with no construction being done. It seems to be an endless bureaucratic mess and the people are not happy. They protested a few weeks ago. http://issuu.com/diariodelcusco/docs/diario27mar12

A day never goes by when I don’t see some type of road work or construction being done in Cusco and while the actual project time may be slow, the introduction of new projects will never be. Patience is what it is all about.

A direct donation of $1 will be given to Save the Children by Reckitt Benckiser for every picture the winner can persuade people they meet along the way to upload off them onto the Experience of a Lifetime website. People at home can also get involved in supporting the participants by uploading pictures too. One lucky person who uploads a picture will also win $1,500 in the Reckitt Benckiser spectator lottery.

You can also track the winners and follow their progress as they trek around the world via a GPD device linked to the Experience of a Lifetime website. The website has a dedicated section for each winner where they will be blogging about their experience, posting snaps and uploading videos – www.experienceRB.com

Of course, there is a ton of stuff that I have not picked up on because I don’t roll with every type of person in Peru but I have picked up a few things that I think are fun and different and could be helpful to a potential traveler.

1. The diminutive. Everywhere you go you will constantly hear “mamacita” or “papcito”. Vendors especially love using the words mama and papa when they are addressing their customers. Some people find it really annoying. I have come to love it and I use it when addressing the vendors now. “Mamacita, cuanto cuesta un kilo de tomate?” They respond very nicely and I think they enjoy that I am embracing the term. Other diminutives that are used often are “acacito” which means “right here”, “cerquita” – very close, and “chiquititos” – little ones, often used when referring to children. Now, the last one is the most hilarious to me because pequeño means small and chiquito means very small so adding an “ito” to the end makes the word literally mean very very small ones.  Finally, it is common to hear names with the diminutive. I went to the dentist and the secretary/dental assistant called me Amycita (Eh-mi-si-tah). I rolled with it. She was just trying to make me feel more comfortable. Honestly, you will hear an “ito” or “ita” added to almost any word possible. Try it out! It’s quite fun.
2. Yes or Yes. The term “si o si” is often used and it literally means yes or yes when referring to something that is going to happen no matter what. “Tenemos que terminar el trabajo hoy dia, si o si.” We have to finish the work today no matter what. I like to think that this would translate well into  “no buts about it!”
3. Money. The Peruvian Nuevo Sol is the official money of Peru but there is a lot of slang used to refer to it just like there is green and bucks in the States. “Luca” is used to refer to the sol. “Tengo diez lucas.” I have ten soles. Of course, going back to the diminutive you will probably hear “Tengo diez luquitas.” “China” and “plata” are other words that refer to money as a whole. “No tengo china.”
4. One more song! A word that I learned recently that I had never heard before was “yapa”. I play in a band and we had just finished a set. The audience members were yelling out “Una yapita más!”. I am sure you have guessed that yapa means another song.
   
5. Child. Now, I am not sure if this is just a Peruvian thing or if it is used in other countries too but I heard the word “chivolo” used when referring to a child or a young person. I remember having a discussion with some Peruvian friends asking them if they knew the origin. I pulled something out of no where explaining how I thought it came about. A chivo is a goat and the offspring of a goat is a kid which is used to refer to children in English. Therefore, a chivo’s kid is a chivolo! Haha! Who knows what the real origin is but I like to think my way is pretty clever.
   
6. Cutting words down. This is a common thing that happens in any language and it’s not just in Peru that you will hear the shortening of words. I know that Chileans are known for cutting off their words at the end of sentences. What I often hear are words like “por favor” please, shortened to “porfis” and “tranquilo” calm, shortened to “tranqui”. A Cusqueñan friend of mine said when she heard one of my bandmates (who is American) use the term “San Sebas” to refer to the district San Sebastian, she knew he had spent quite some time in Cusco.
   
7.  Adding words. Not only are words cut down, sometimes an extra word is added to sentences. Mexicans use the word “weh” at the end of sentences and Peruvians (and I hear it more often with serranos, people from the Andes of Peru) use the word “pe” or “pues”. There is no translation to English. I liken it to using the word like in a sentence when is doesn’t belong. “I’m like so happy that I like live in Peru.”
8. Friends.  There are multiple words that I have heard referring to close friends. Some of them include “causa”, “pata”, “chochera”, and “yunta”. The most common that I have heard is pata but any of them are acceptable when referring to a close friend. If someone is just a friend or someone you know you would use the word “conocido”. Another word I like that refers to a group of friends or even just a group of people (and sometimes a big group of dogs) is “mancha”. “Qué tal mancha!” What a group!

 I know this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you have been to Peru or are living in Peru, what is some slang that you hear or use?

As someone who went to Colca Canyon 5 months before, I was quite interested in the story at the time it was unfolding. However, after a while it got repetitive and until Ciro was found everything was hear say. I couldn’t let it ruin my thoughts on the canyon. It is always sad to see someone found dead after being declared missing for such a long time (6 months) but the canyon is a dangerous place. It’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States and nature doesn’t care who it takes lives from, it’s just a part of the cycle. I didn’t do the Colca Canyon trek but I did get to experience the profoundness of the beautiful and perilous canyon in November of 2010.

It was quite a trip finding a tour that wasn’t ridiculously expensive. My friends and I thought about going on the trek but we only had a few days so we decided to go on the traditional tour by car. Our trip only cost S./65 but it didn’t include any meals. I think it was a decent price. I highly recommend going to multiple tour agencies before saying yes to one.  You don’t get a good idea for how much a tour should cost until you have gone to at least 3 agencies. I think we went to about 10 before deciding on one.

The car trip to Colca Canyon takes you through the countryside of Arequipa including the national reserve where vicuñas are protected. It was awesome seeing so many of the deer like creatures. They are super cute and apparently, their fur is the most luxurious and expensive of all the cameloids, which include guanacos, llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas.

TAXIS: ¿Cuanto cuesta irme a _(fill in the blank)___?” This is what you should always ask before getting into any taxi especially in Peru. Now, it is widely understood that a cab fare around the centro should only cost 3 soles maximum but once you get outside the main neighborhoods, the prices goes up a sol or two. A cab ride, even to the farthest neighborhood should only cost 6 soles maximum. As a resident of Cusco for over a year and half now I feel like I have a good grasp on how to deal with taxi drivers. Here is my advice:

1. Always ask how much the cab ride is going to cost before you get inside the taxi with the phrase “¿Cuanto cuesta irme a _______?”

2. Try and use exact change. It’s a lot harder for a taxi driver to argue with you when you give him the exact amount of what the cab ride should cost (3 soles around the center of town.)

3. If you do have a bill make sure to ask if the driver has sencillo or change. “¿Tienes sencillo para diez (10) o viente (20)?” If he doesn’t, find another taxi.

4. Argue for the correct fair if you know enough Spanish. My typical rant after getting a ridiculous gringo price is as follows: “Por favor, es bastante alto. Solo quiero ir a _fill in blank___ y no debe costar tanto.” If he continues to go with the price I continue with the following: “Si yo fuera peruana, me cobrarias tanto? Como va a robarme? Yo vivo aca.” Now, if this doesn’t work I say adios and wait for the next taxi to come my way. One of the great things about Cusco is that a taxi is more common than a privately owned car.

5. If you are going out late at night make sure to call a taxi. I like Taxi Turismo or Taxi Express in Cusco. Make sure to tell them exactly where you are and when they ask for your name give them one that is super easy for them to pronounce like Maria, Elena, Sara, Jose, Juan, o Marco. I can’t even tell you how many times they get my name wrong. The other night was the first time Taxi Express got it right. It was a joyous occasion.

6. In terms of safety, many people will tell you not to take a Tico (the type of car in the picture above) unless it has a sign above it and it is a radio taxi. Forget how they are more or a less a metal box with no protection if you get into an accident. You are more than welcome to only take radio taxis or station wagons, but if you are in a rush and it’s during the day, I wouldn’t worry too much about taking a Tico. Just in case, you can always make a note to look for the license plate number painted on the inside of the car door and for the sticker of license from the municipality in the front window. However, if you are coming out of a club at 3am in the morning I wouldn’t take anything other than a radio taxi. There are tons of them in the plaza de armas late at night.

7. Expect to pay a bit more late at night. I usually pay 5 soles maximum to get home from the Plaza de Armas late at night. The taxi drivers are working late hours and it is a small increase to pay to get home safely.

8. No matter how long you live in Peru, if you are a foreigner, you will always be treated as a foreigner by taxi drivers. Not every driver will be unfair but many will assume you are just a passing tourist and don’t know any better, which is why I hope this blog entry will help anyone who may be coming to Peru and specifically Cusco. I was once given the price of 15 soles to get from my friends house back to my place. I let the driver have it and when he didn’t back down I said “let me out, you are a thief”. It’s important to stick up for oneself and no one deserves to be played by any taxi driver.

COMBIS: If you are looking to get a feel for how most Cusqueñans get around, I would highly recommend getting on a combi and going for a cramped and bumpy (but cheap!) ride. I would also recommend it to anyone who is planning on living here a while. Although taxis are pretty cheap, they do add up. It will only cost you 60 or 70 centimos to take a combi and you can take one almost anywhere. If anything you can just get a kick out of riding a combi called Batman or White Christ (Cristo Blanco). The only problem is, there is no guide that you can buy to help you out like the GuiaT in Buenos Aires.  You just have to ask the cobrador, the person who opens the door and asks for your money, if the combi is going where you want to go. If you have the time, you can just hop on one and take it until it loops back around to where you started. Now, if you are a tall person you might not want to deal with the space problems, or lack thereof. If you are lucky you will pick up a combi like the one below which is made for people above the height of 4 feet.

However, most look like this, a minivan with a slightly (and only slightly) higher ceiling.

Once you get on a combi it is not required that you pay right away. You can go a whole ride until you get off without paying your fare. If the cobrador calls out “pasajes, pasajes” that means you should get your coins out to pay. You don’t get a ticket like you would in Lima so you hope that the cobrador remembers who you are and that you paid. If you are a foreigner, you will have no problem being remembered.

In order to get off, you must say “baja” when the cobrador calls out the street or the area where they are going to stop. Sometimes the cobrador will not call out the stop and you will have to call out “baja” so that he knows to have the driver stop. Make sure to speak up.

Finally, if you are going for a joy ride on a combi, don’t go between the hours of 6 and 9am, 12-2pm and 6pm-8pm. Those are the rush hours and combis tend to be packed.

The great thing about Cusco is that it is not that big and if you do get lost, you are no more than 20 minutes away by taxi from your hotel or home. Happy traveling!

Since you are already a reader of this blog, we are going to drop a hint to better your chances of winning. This year we are placing a special emphasis on the Google+ Social Network so don’t for get to +1 us. Anyone who forgets to do this will not be considered for the grand prize. Good luck to everyone, we believe you have a 1 in 1,000 chance of winning which are pretty awesome odds so don’t forget to enter. Good luck to everyone. Contest Ends on February 29th, 2012.

• Church of San Francisco
• Church of Santo Domingo
• Church of San Pedro

Francisco Pizarro, founder of Lima

I sat down in Plaza Mayor observing the beauty of Lima and its people. I saw many people with their friends or family, as well as other tourists exploring the sites. There was a lot of bustling going on in the streets and plenty of street vendors trying to earn a little money. Yet, when I sat down I felt reminded of my travels in Europe and began ruminating about how the symbolism of this colonial architecture could impact the general Peruvian psyche. Years have passed since it’s origin. Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima in the 1530′s, announcing this decision in Plaza Mayor. This plaza existed pre-Hispanic times; Pizarro actually built over a pre-existing central plaza. When taking the time to sit in a plaza such as this, it is amazing to consider how many millions of people have walked and breathed its air. Sometimes, I wonder what it would look like if all the footprints of all the people that have ever walked in such an area could be somehow documented. Each person walking through was impacted in some way by this space.

I have to admit when I sat in Plaza Mayor to observe the sights around me, I felt rather conflicted. Part of me loved looking at the broad buildings, built with an air of authority. They command honor with their robust baroque style.The facade of these buildings are not elaborately decadent, but it is within their plainness that one feels the power they were intended to emit – a rather matter of fact effect that does not inspire the viewer to call into question its authority. The many balconies seem to stretch out from the core of the buildings as though those within can better observe, and ultimately command those below. In addition, one can see that relatively speaking these buildings have been taken care of in comparison to the surrounding buildings when considering the earthquake history of Lima. In that way, they show their prevailing power.

Yet, sitting in the Plaza, I knew that this prevailing power was an intruder. The enclosed balconies have a distinct and beautiful style because they protrude from the side of the buildings, but this style really seems symbolic of being able to control the people below. They are like little observatories one would see in a zoo to observe the wild animals below while maintaining distance. Yes, it is stylistic, but this style creates many presumptions about the type of person that lives in these buildings, who lives outside them, and the interaction between the two. I look at these buildings and think to myself that if they had perhaps been build by the ingenious engineering of the Incas, then maybe they could have survived earthquakes. The ruins of the Incas have survived more than these structures which have required restoration. Yet, these are the buildings that stand.

I know that the sensitivity I have in regards to colonization are shared by others, but I have huge reconciliation in knowing that through time everything changes. Peru gained its independence in 1821 and overtime other countries respected its sovereignty. Now Peru is a democratic country and these buildings are for the people. In fact, these buildings have suffered and celebrated Peruvian history too. They have physically been damaged by earthquakes and by the coastal desert climate. They have withstood political and social transitions over decades. So now, these buildings are a testament to the rich, dynamic history of Peru and a symbol of it. They are reminders that this land and its people were so valuable that people lost lives over it.

Daniel is a volunteer and researcher for the Karikuy Volunteer Program in Lima, Peru.

Fortunately, receiving the vaccine in Peru is incredibly easy. If your travel destination is Peru, keep in mind that you should receive the vaccination at least 10 days before traveling in Yellow Fever territory. I received the vaccination at the airport, and it was actually so easy that I would recommend that you do the same. The following are the necessary steps for receiving the vaccination:

1.  The airport is a long strip and you can see as indicated below that the medical clinic is near the domestic flight section.

2.  You will need your passport and s/. 85 soles (equal to $31.50 USD as of January 2012). The receptionist will ask for your passport and will have you complete a form that includes your name, birthday, and passport number.

3. Receive your vaccine.

4. Wait to retrieve your passport and the the proof of Yellow Fever vaccination card. You will need this card to enter certain countries, such as Bolivia!

My experience was exceptionally painless and easy. There was no wait in the airport clinic and the staff was friendly to answer me my other questions. The clinic does not have other vaccinations or malaria pills. A general hospital can provide you pills, which I plan to receive during my time in Lima.

Happy travels!

Daniel is a volunteer and researcher for the Karikuy Volunteer Program in Lima, Peru.

I have just arrived in Lima to start working on this blog with Karikuy. I had a long flight before arrival and have felt jet lag more than usual. However, I am incredibly happy to be here and the colorful atmosphere I observed while driving from the airport only fueled my excitement and energy. Additionally, I have been looking through many wonderful Peru guide books* and have been completely blown away by the amount of travel options! Since I am new to this organization and blog, I believe a more formal introduction is due.

Even though I came here by spaceship, I actually was born in Colorado. I grew up in a small mountain town before I then moved to Denver, which is where I currently study intercultural communications and psychology. This year I am studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and decided during the summer break to do some travel, which is what brings me to Peru. After Peru, I plan to continue my travel through Bolivia and will work my way towards Iguazú where I will live for a few weeks with a Guarani community.

I decided to come to Peru because of its wealth of opportunity. Peru is a dream travel location because there are so many drastically different places geographically and culturally within such a limited space. Additionally, I heard it had good food (plenty reason in itself!). I hope during my time in Peru, I can work on my Spanish and break away from the Porteño (Buenos Aires) accent that I have become all too accustom to, while simultaneously thoroughly enjoying its insurmountable splendor.

My writing will be a recollection and analysis of experiences from which, I hope, you will gain insight for your own future travels in Peru and elsewhere. Travel allows one to experience a special unfolding of events that seems to gift opportunities for growth, for learning, and for fun! Enjoy and honor your travel experiences.
Buen Viaje!

*I have absolutely always loved travel books; and, I have to admit if you are looking for a book that provides you context and meaning for your travel, I do recommend Insight Guides Peru. Keep in mind, I would recommend you take either a Rough Guides or Lonely Planet guide book for the actual planning of your itinerary.

Daniel is a volunteer and researcher for the Karikuy Volunteer Program in Lima, Peru.