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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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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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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AMAUTA Spanish School offers the exceptional opportunity to follow the Spanish Program at three different locations, each highlighting a different aspect of Peruvian culture: the beautiful city of Cusco, the rainforest of Manu and the picturesque village of Pisaq, at 15 minutes walking from the main square and the market, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Due to the lower altitude (2800 meters) the climate here is warmer than in Cusco. Here you can explore Peru as it is and feel like you are truly immersed in the culture.

The Sacred Valley Spanish Program maintains the high level of instruction, as all AMAUTA teachers rotate between the locations. In AMAUTA Pisac, the students live with the teachers in the residence, with many opportunities to practice Spanish. The Spanish classes will take place in either the morning or in the late afternoon, allowing time for the multitude of opportunities for exploring the Valley. Two guided excursions are included in the program.

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Due to heavy rains, the Cusco area and surrounding regions have experienced flooding, mudslides and bridge outages that have severely affected transportation in several sectors. Services and travel affected include the trains to Machu Picchu, which are not currently running due to damage to the rails; all hikes to Machu Picchu are also suspended. Some areas of the Sacred Valley (the road to Pisaq) are also unpassable though alternate routes have been opened. Within the city of Cusco, services are in normal operation (with exception of flights suspended or delayed during heavy rains). Mudslides have been experienced in some of the steeper, surrounding hills.

There are currently 10 AMAUTA students + a staff member stuck in Aguas Calientes. We are in constant contact with them and we know there are all fine. The spirit is good and they all have a hostal, food and water and are in good conditions. The government expects to get all people out of Aguas Calientes in a max. of 4 days with helicopters. Preference is given first to older people, people with health problems and mothers with children. People will be evacuated by Helicopter from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and from Ollantaytambo to Cusco, by bus. We are assured the whole rescue operation is for free and that rumours about people being charged for being taken to Cusco, are not true.
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