Speaking of/in Spanish

Three days between blog entries is way too long! How do I choose what to write about? And what pictures to include? Would the reader like to know all about Cusco, highlighting the sights and sounds on a typical Kathy & Art walk? Or perhaps it would be more interesting to read about our recent visit to 3 Inca ruins, which included an 8km walk (mostly downhill, from 3800 m to 3400 m) starting at Tambomachay, moving on to Pukapukara, then to Q’enko, and ending with a delicious meal at el restaurante romantico Pachapapa in San Blas? The photos below show what I mean by not being able to choose…


(Pictured below: Inca ruin at Tambomachay, vendors set up at Tambomachay (if you look closely, you can see the 4 hats we bought); Kathy doing her part to preserve the Inca ruin of Q'enko; llamas around the ruins; our walk back into Cusco, through San Blas; Art and the narrow alleys of San Blas; a view above Cusco on the walk; Art and the menu at Pachapapa)

But what about my Spanish classes, you ask? Well, I am dreaming in/of Spanish, if that says anything. I have visions of pronombres, articulos, sustantivos, infinitivos; questions of ser o estar, el o la, eso o esto, agua o cerveza? (That last question is an easy one—dos cerveza, por favor). But seriously, I am pleased with my progress… that is, until today, Friday. By today, my head was so full of new words that when I spoke, what emerged was either nonsense or French. Today I told Eliana that the musician was playing a mandarin; I called Art my wife several times; and I asked Nellie if she was a salad. Both Nellie and Eliana have infinite patience and really seem to enjoy their jobs. Like all the teachers at el esquela FairPlay, they are single mothers who have been trained as Spanish teachers through the non-profit NGO FairPlay. My classes are one-on-one—each day begins with Nellie and 2 hours of grammar in a small outdoor classroom with a whiteboard (where Nellie writes notes and assigns copious amounts of homework—muchas tareas!); this is followed by another 2 hours of walking and conversing with Eliana. So far, Eliana has taken me to a mercado (market), a park, an outdoor festival in Plaza de Armas, and El Molinos (Cusco’s version of a dept. store—thankfully, nothing like Wallmart). The experience has been fantastic and I’m really pleased with my choice of school. (Muy bien, Kathy)

Speaking of school, I think I asked Eliana to take me on a field trip to the university (Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco) next week. I say that I think I asked because it is Friday after a long week of thinking, talking, and dreaming in/of Spanish… it may be that I asked instead for something completely different! We’ll soon see.

Asta luegos…