First, last week I had four hours of Spanish instruction each day. My sc
hool was called Proyekto Peru, and they were great people and instructors. When I first arrived in Peru, even correctly recalling the articles (yo, tu, usted, el/ella, nosotros, ustedes) was a struggle, as I kept confusing them with the Chinese (wo, ni, nin, ta, nimen, tamen). Yet it has come back quickly. I have studied virtually all the grammar in Spanish at one point or another, but rarely use anything past the present, present perfect, or preterite in everyday speech, so it was a most needed refresher! And apparently, according to my Spanish teachers, all the locals call Loki the loco hostel. Fortunately, the teachers themselves became quite loco on our "mandatory Friday study night," which was held at local bars.
hool was called Proyekto Peru, and they were great people and instructors. When I first arrived in Peru, even correctly recalling the articles (yo, tu, usted, el/ella, nosotros, ustedes) was a struggle, as I kept confusing them with the Chinese (wo, ni, nin, ta, nimen, tamen). Yet it has come back quickly. I have studied virtually all the grammar in Spanish at one point or another, but rarely use anything past the present, present perfect, or preterite in everyday speech, so it was a most needed refresher! And apparently, according to my Spanish teachers, all the locals call Loki the loco hostel. Fortunately, the teachers themselves became quite loco on our "mandatory Friday study night," which was held at local bars. Second, Jos
h and I visited the Incan ruins at Sacsayhuaman, overlooking Cuzco. Sacsayhuaman/Cuzco was the capital of the Incan empire (1438 to 1533) and home to some of my all-time favorite Incans, among them Maco Capac, Sapa Inca Pachacuti, Tupac Inca, Huayna Capac, and Atahualpa. When Pizzaro came to veni, vidi, vici, the Incas retreated from there to Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba. Thanks to the Spanish, Josh and I were able to sit in the Incan throne without risk of death.No thanks to the Spanish and their Cathedrals in Cuzco, much of Sacsayhuaman was looted for its stones. Yet the stonework that remains is astounding. The Incans used methods similar to those of the Egyptians (logs underneath, expendable labor) to transport huge stones across large distances, and then create walls imbedded with the shapes of their triad of sacred animals: the condor (air world), puma (earth world), and serpent (under world). The Incans also built elaborate tunnels called chincanas, which linked the Incan empire together. Unfortunately, a few daft tourists went and died in the chincanas, so they are now closed to the public. Josh says: Incan people small, echo good (from where the Incan emperor spoke to his plebians), and that the shapes in the rocks don't really exist (all just a fabricated tourist scam).
Finally, if you would appreciate a postcard from Central America, let me know via email and send me your address!
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