Before I left Amsterdam I asked the people around me to think up ways for me to connect with them while in Buenos Aires. I told them there would be days I’d be feeling somewhat blue and ‘wouldn’t it be great if I then could connect with you?’ I got 61 little assignments. Some are easy. ‘Make a self-portrait every day’ for example. But what about ‘Eat a complete Parilla. You may need some help.’ What??! I don’t even know what that means… One of my friends asked me to share with her the moment I heard a new Spanish word that ‘made my ears tingle’.

Back  home in Amsterdam I imagined I would be hearing beautiful words everyday while strolling around the many lushes cosmopolitan avenues here, but as it seems I’m all into semantics at the moment. I hardly ever have time (or space in my head) to focus on aesthetics. Except, but of course, yesterday.

We were in Spanish class and my mind wondered off when I first heard this ‘I am so pretty I should be wrapped around in cellophane with a ribbon on top’-word. Nubes. Nubes. Nubes. If you say it fast it makes me think of a string of little golden beads falling onto a wooden floor in a stately home somewhere in 1920′s Savannah. Stretched out, like my teacher Flavia says, it reminds me of thick white stripes of air dancing round oak trees in a deep and dark forest.

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So. Learning has started here at AMAUTA Spanish School in Buenos Aires. It’s back to school all over again. Students, teachers, classrooms. Some things are quite different though. It’s funny how something mandatory in high school can be so much fun later in life. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires surrounded by bigger-then-big trees, and sweeter-then-sweet sweets* but new palabras and verbos (do go and search for them on Google Translate) are going round in my head like a 16-year old American girl going round her walk-in closet on a Friday night.

I even like my homework because every new bit of integrated information makes it easier for me to connect with Buenos Aires and her lovely Porteños. Being able to order your own café con leche con tres medialunas without having to use your hands and feet is not only easier but much more fun.

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Vayamos a Museo de Chocolate!

Only about 7 weeks left at AMAUTA! Time sure is flying while studying Spanish in Cusco! I think I finally became acclimatized, as walking up the hill from Plaza de Armas no longer makes me feel like I’m going to die from lack of oxygen. Of course, this may be helped by the fact that I found a gym in Cusco (wahoo!) and I have been working out three times a week. I’ve been told if I can work out here, I’ll be able to run for miles and miles when I return to Canada!

This past week I visited “el Museo de Chocolate” here in Cusco with my Spanish class. The museum is only about a ten minute walk from the AMAUTA school. (By the way, did you know AMAUTA means teacher in Quechua? Cool, huh?)  The museum is completely free to visit, and it’s full of really fun and interesting facts about Peruvian chocolate. Come on, who doesn’t like chocolate?! They offer you free chocolate tea upon entry as well as the option to try a piece of chocolate (you get to choose from over 15 different typesJ).

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Walking over rickety rope bridges and swimming with caimen sound like a typical day to you? Well, for Elke and Steffen Garden (Germany) it was. Here they describe their final days living and studying Spanish in the rainforest with AMAUTA Spanish School.

In the morning, the rainforest lived up to his name. During class it was stormy and rainy. When we left around 11.30am by boat to another lodge close by, the rain had already stopped. We arrived at the other lodge and a parrot welcomed us. Afterwards, we walked half an hour through the forest and then to a higher canopy floor – we moved 24 meters over the floor by way of a slip-lane and rope bridge – Unforgettable!
After lunch and a few hours of Spanish lessons, we went by boat to the sand bank.  Here we played volleyball and football with the locals, which was really funny! For our way back we could decide if we wanted to go by boat or if we want to swim. Once we were back at the lodge we enjoyed some time in the pool.

At 11.30am, after breakfast and Spanish lessons, we went by boat to the “Native-Peoples“. One man in an Indian dress welcomed us and offered a One-man-show, mostly in Indian language and in the Wild West style.  Afterwards he showed us how to make a fire with natural materials and he showed us different things, like a head of a boar and a bow and arrow.
In the afternoon we walked through the rainforest and walked with the guide over overturned trees and coveys of mosquitoes.
In the evening we went by boat to look for caimen, and with a floodlight we saw a lot – surprisingly. It was the highlight of the day! I have to admit, it was a bit scary thinking that we swam back from the sand bank to the lodge the day before…
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Elke and Steffen Garden (Germany) spent a week studying Spanish with AMAUTA in the Peruvian rainforest. Staying near the Tambopata National Reserve, the two students had a chance to live in one of the most species-rich natural habitats in the world! Here, the two describe their first few days living and studying in the Peruvian rainforest.

Once you have survived the ten-hour bus ride to Puerto Maldonado, you’ll have a great and unforgettable experience studying Spanish in Tambopata with AMAUTA.

At the port, Justo alias Tuto, our guide for the next week, was waiting for us where we went downstream to the Nài-Meci-Lodge by boat. Because of the tropical temperature, we enjoyed the boat’s breeze, which cooled us down. We arrived at the lodge, which consists of two large buildings, a swimming pool, and a lot of small cabanas. The lodge is located right next to the river and is surrounded by jungle vegetation. The first day, we swam in the swimming pool followed by a drink of coconut milk out on the patio. In the afternoon, we had Spanish classes because our teacher, Libia, made an effort to schedule all the Spanish lessons next to the activities.
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Finally, a family vacation that combines fun with learning! AMAUTA’s Spanish for Families program is specifically designed so that everyone in the family, including the kids, has a fantastic time on holiday in Argentina. Each program is custom designed to the needs of the family, and combines interactive Spanish learning mediums with kid-friendly excursions.

Two students (8 and 11 years old) and a family describe their experience with AMAUTA’s Spanish for Families program. Continue reading to hear their perspectives!…

My name is Stefan Kozlowsky. I am Polish and 11 years old

At AMAUTA there are no boring classes. Everything is interesting! After 7 weeks, I can speak four different Spanish tenses; presente, pasado, futuro, presente progresivo and now I am studying the imperfect tense. We play a lot of interesting games with the professors. For example, Mateología, masks, monsters, cardboard and paper, TV, movies and theater, cartoons, plants, and more. AMAUTA is very social, and we have picnics, birthdays, trips in Buenos Aires, cooking, tango and we drink mate. The professors only speak in Spanish, which is also very nice because it helps me develop an ear for the language.

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Week 3: No money? No problem! Free drinks for all!

Yesterday, my Spanish class went on a field trip with my Spanish class to the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco. We had the opportunity to learn how textiles are traditionally woven as well as the complexity of skill it takes to create these masterpieces. I loved that we got out of the classroom to learn about Peruvian textiles, which is a staple of Peruvian culture.

Speaking of Peruvian culture, on our way to the textile museum, we also caught a glimpse of another interesting tidbit of Peruvian culture – the Caminos del Inca car race!
We saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the Plaza de Armas, and after inquiring our teacher told us that they were waiting for the cars to come through the Plaza in 2 hours!

I am really enjoying my time here at AMAUTA. Not only do we visit museums during Spanish class, but I also have the opportunity to get to know the people that work at the school. For instance, I asked the chef here at the school, Oscar, if I could watch him cook (because I love cooking) and he said “Yes, of course you can help me!” Lunch is served at 1:30PM daily, so I spent an hour and a half helping Oscar in the kitchen, talking about life, work, and food- in Spanish! (What a great opportunity to utilize my conversation skills that I have been learning in class!) We made a vegetable soup, pasta and rice pudding for dessert. ¡Que bueno!
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That is right; I am a Canuck. That’s what people typically call people from Canada. I will be here in Cusco, Peru for three months studying Spanish with AMAUTA Spanish School and I will also be writing about my experiences as an AMAUTA student so you can get a sense of what to expect when you choose to study with AMAUTA. I would love to hear from readers, so please feel free to leave questions or comments on any of my blog posts! Without further ado, the first two weeks…

Week 1: Adjustments and welcome

After almost 24 hours of travelling, I arrived in Cusco from Toronto, Canada, and after not sleeping during the night (this may be a right of passage for Peru-bound tourists) all I wanted to do when I arrived was just that – sleep. Thankfully, I did, and I awoke refreshed. However, after a short jaunt to the main square, the altitude managed to tire me quite quickly. The school is located on a hill (as are most places in Cusco) and not remembering the lack of oxygen at 3400 meters above sea level, I walked at my usual fast pace. NOT a great idea! Some people initially feel sick or dizzy due to the altitude, but luckily I only experienced shortness of breath. I was told coca tea eases the effects of the altitude so I have been drinking it, and it is quite delicious, as well! One of the many medicinal wonders of the Incas!
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On the 23rd of September each year, Perú celebrates Día del Estudiante (Student Day)! It is a day to recognize the hard work of students, to congratulate and support them on their endeavors to be better people and professionals, and to enjoy the art of learning. Since AMAUTA is a Spanish school, and AMAUTA is full of students, and AMAUTA loves its students, AMAUTA organized a day of celebration!

The day started off as usual with a lovely breakfast of eggs, bread, and fresh juice followed by some Spanish language practice. Then, promptly at 10:00 AM, the bus left the school and made its way along the winding road from Cusco to Pisac, which is a picturesque Andean city located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The jaw dropping views of the fertile lands and historic Incan terraces made this 30-minute bus ride a treat in itself. However, the fun really began once we arrived in Pisac.
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The AMAUTA school offers activities on the evenings. It could be extra classes on different subjects, Spanish movies, salsa classes or you could learn to play the “kena” (peruvian flute) or the drums. In the same location as Amauta (which by the way means “profesor” in quechua, that you may also study here), the travel agency “Dos Manos” has its office. They arrange transfer and pick up from the airport (which is recommended, since there are many taxis hovering for new comers).

The first day I visited AMAUTA, their agency Dos Manos arranged a guided tour of the city. We familarised ourselves of the town, went by the solar temple, the market of San Pedro…well here are some pics of that.

My sweet Peruvian sisters also showed me around one day. They showed me their University and we went eating typical food.

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