New bathing strategies...
I was sick for a couple of days (when am I NOT in Peru??) and I missed out on a couple of two minute showers. This morning I had to wash everything and I never did manage to get even lukewarm water in the shower.

sigh

I soaped up my hair outside of the shower by splashing the frigid water onto my hair and then applying shampoo. Then I waited...and waited.

The water never did warm up. I then remembered that everytime the Seńora went on and on about how glorius it was that there was hot water (as I argued, freezing and wet that there wasn't) she would turn on the steaming hot kitchen sink as proof. Went into the kitchen straightway and rinsed my hair in glorius hot water. sigh. so nice.

Next I was faced with the rest of me. What to do? I finally ran a mini-bath in my bathroom sink (which also had warm to hot water that was missing from the shower) and bathed bit by bit from the sink.

Half an hour later, as I walked back into the bathroom with my crazy towel- dried wet hair, the Seńora saw me and exclaimed that "Today there is lots of hot water!! Go ahead, take a shower now!" I just looked at her. I know in truth, I talked a bit with her, but truly I was just staring in amazement.

Fortunately, I happen to like crazy people..

This morning there was a large skinless, headless, footless animal on the kitchen counter.
Quite a surprise. Apparently it was a sheep. Coco, the guy who has the other rentable room in the house, is a judge and lawyer in Cusco. He judged something and in payment they gave him a sheep.

Unfortunately, the Seńora of the house was very firm this morning about how we aren't allowed to cook there. It's too expensive. She will make us hot water for breakfast and that's it. She finally conceded to letting me cook the food I already bought, as long as I did it in two quick goes. Can you imagine the conversation? I had my shower stuff in one hand, three eggs in the other, and the large skinless animal lying on the counter. She had previously gone on and on about how wonderful that she had a kitchen. So, there I am in my large sweater with llamas all over it, my turquoise sarong, my disheveled morning hair and face, shower stuff in one hand and eggs in the other, discussing how I'm only allowed water for breakfast. I just stood there staring at her. "Water." ...."water."

For me in my life, I began at the top of the world and worked my way down in inconveniences. Saying that of course, in comparison to other Americans, I didn't really have any conveniences (microwave, central heat and air, garbage disposals...I can't even think of what other things they have. electric rotating closets maybe?) still, as a poor american, I could still manage an airconditioner (which I couldn't use much -$$$), some sort of small heater in winter- or I'd open up my oven turned on high, and half an hour in the shower- but better yet, LARGE BATHS FULL OF SCALDING HOT WATER. Ahhh. I remember them well...I used to choose my apartment based on the size and shape of the bathtub...now I choose my habitation based on the bathroom too. For example: does it have a toilet, or is it a muddy hole in the ground shared by 6 people? (I really DID see this. In the city center too. The bathrooms here are revolting. There is no concept of hygiene and no one washes their hands afterwards...no wonder I got sick)

I live in a rather luxurious place right now. Someone just told me that it was the nicest area in all of Cusco. I pay $80 a month. (which believe it or not, is rather expensive for me right now and so I'm having be very careful with my money) The house is nice, there's a sparse garden in front, and heavily bolted locks worthy of the army on both the huge heavy gate and the front door. My room is a good size- a little bigger than my room in NZ. I have a bed with some very heavy stiff llama blankets which, when combined with heavy socks, a t-shirt, thick sweater, sarong, silk robe, gloves, heavy alpaca scarf wrapped around my head and neck, another large alpaca wrap around my legs and the rest of my body, and if I sleep with my head under the covers- I stay warm.

I have my own bathroom (sort of) which is lovely and has a hot water tap in the sink!! This is a luxury beyond dreams. I can wash my face with WARM WATER!!!!!! THe shower has about two minutes of water that's kind of warm before it goes cold. I've approached this problem by showering daily with a different goal. Today I washed my hair, yesterday my body.

In my room however, I have a color tv with cable!!!!!!
I also have a lovely wicker chair and a little table, aside from my wardrobe (how grand to unpack my backpack!) and bedside table. Besides this, I have a very large window that covers the wall above my bed, and there's another garden outside my window. It's peaceful. I'm using the tv to learn more spanish. I think I'm doing really well. I'm to a point now, where if I don't understand a word, you can explain it to me in spanish and I'll understand. It's nice. I'm also a little clearer on future and past tenses (by no means perfectly).

Taxis....
As with many major cities in the world, many people in Cusco don't know how to drive. There's not much public transport, but taxis are plentiful and besides you'd have to be crazy to drive with the taxis!

People drive on the right side of the road in Peru-well, this is the idea. I forget this cause taxis will drive in the middle or on the left in order to pass other taxis, only returning to the right side in case of near collision.

Today I was in a very small taxi trying to pass another taxi from the right hand side between the other taxi and the curb. In passing, they bumped mirrors and my taxi's sideview mirror folded in. The other taxi stopped, blocking mine in. The driver got out of his car yelling and came and started swinging punches at the face of my driver who clearly didn't see that there was any problem. To his credit, he didn't fight back (the other guy was huge), but when the man stopped beating him and got back into the other cab, my cabby followed him and continued to yell insults at him.

Once again- I was unsure of the protocol in this situation. sigh. In his agitated state, my taxi driver proceeded to nearly hit everything in sight. Fortunately, other drivers seem fairly prepared for this possibility and are pretty good at avoiding accidents. I think that's the point of driving here. It's kind of like a video game. go as fast as you can around other cars regardless of laws or right of ways, but don't crash.

Ever tried coca leaves? Coca tea is very popular in Peru. it's good for the digestion and can also give you a little pick-me-up. I read that combined with something else (I forgot what), the campesinos chew the leaves and they make you impervious to cold, hunger, tiredness- not a bad deal if you're working in the fields on jungle 15 hours a day. The problem with coca leaves is that western countries developed cocaine in labs and the demand for this has caused all sorts of problems. The united states is trying to get Peru and Bolivia to stop growing coca leaves. Peru has even gone so far as to pay farmers a stipend NOT to grow it. This has caused financial problems for Peru, and also has had the opposite effect of increasing the number of farmers growing this lucrative crop.

Besides- it's in integral part of the culture here. In the hospital, to take my pills I was given a cup of mate de coca. It's the most common tea to drink after a meal- and you almost ALWAYS drink tea after a meal.

I just finished my cup of tea and am eating the leaves- they cause kind of a mild numbing of the tongue. Not as strong as ambesol or even cloves. My stomach feels much better though. I had a real stomachache from eating seafood for breakfast.

There's a T'shirt here that I was thinking of buying. It says, "Coca isn't a drug in Peru." -well, in spanish.

Found the perfect internet cafe...
It's just down the block from my school, 1.50 soles an hour (45cents), has nice keyboards for typing, comfortable plastic lawn chairs, and most of the computers aren't facing anyone else so it's the perfect place for porn!

Grin. Ok, so I'm not actually viewing porn..but for some reason it really helps out my writing if there aren't people very close to me. This means more later....

Now I'm off home. Tonight's dinner is pizza. :-)

Feeling better

I went back to the Dr. yesterday to check my progress and my liver before completing my course of medications. He was very pleased to see me looking so well. He mentioned that he was pleased that I wasn't wearing so many clothes... at this point I realised how he had last seen me- barely able to walk and wearing a shirt with a fleece, a jacket, a scarf, a wool hat and gloves and still freezing when everyone else was wearing just long sleeves.

It's true, salmonella felt worse than typhoid fever- but typhoid was sneaky. I was so busy vomiting and freezing that I didn't notice the high fever until it hit about 104 degrees. Apparently, I had had one for days. I had no idea that I was confused- Mark did cause he called me in the hospital and it took some convincing to tell me what day it was (I had lost a day somewhere). Today as I began looking around, I realised that it was as if I had been in a fog. I barely understood what was going on- but thought it was because it was all in spanish. After the hospital for days I was still too weak to do much. I'm finally back to myself again. It's nice to be back. I vacationed in sick and confused land for about 3 weeks.

My liver is a little swollen with all of the medications and I can`t eat anything with fat or oil for some time, but all in all I'm doing well. I go back to the Dr. in another week to do a blood test. Please keep me in your prayers that this gets typhoid out of my blood! If it's just sleeping and I'm a carrier it means that I can't cook for anyone until I'm in the clear. (To some of you this is a good reason to pray- especially if I'm going to be visiting in the future).

Teaching in the university...
I had forgotten how much fun it is to teach people who aren't Chinese! It's also OH-SO-MUCH-EASIER to teach when I understand much of their language too! I'm still pretty strict about only using English in the classroom, and making them ask questions in English and not in spanish- but it's still easier. They're all a bit shy about speaking but have a good sense of humor.

-don't get me wrong, I have had many Chinese students that I came to adore, and one class that was entirely Chinese that was the best class ever- so much fun. However, on the whole, the Chinese are much harder to teach because of the vast cultural differences and attitudes. The first month was very difficult and many unpopular teachers left in tears at least once a week. These guys were easy from day one.

It's pretty cool to be teaching at the University too. Just the language section of the Uni has 4000 students!! Amazing eh? I have 26 students in one class, 25 and 20 in the others. It's not as personal as I usually like to make my classes, but I do a lot of work in smaller groups and so they all get a chance to speak and I can circulate and answer individual questions. It's nice.

He wasn't drunk...
Got the scoop on Jose. He wasn't drunk, he took San Pedro. San Pedro is a kind of drug like ecstasy- I don't know how much he took but it was WAYYYY too much. He thought he would just feel relaxed and a little pleasurable...

After he, Miguel and Tattoo left the studio they went to a restaurant for Jose to eat. Apparently he used both hands and shoved the food onto his face with some landing in his mouth. He ate an entire meal this way looking very much like a pig. He then tried to be amorous with the owners wife...

This morning he stumbled to my door looking very ashamed and apologised. He doesn't remember anything from the point the drug took effect on. He wanted to make sure he didn't do anything too horrible and I assured him that he was just clumsy and a handful- all was ok. As we (everyone except Jose) walked past the restaurant this morning the owner came out laughing and asking about Jose. No harm done- just very funny. Oy. Crazy.

Chinese massage and a drunk
Today I was sitting in the studio studying for class when I rubbed my neck. I've had headaches for the last three days. Johnny immediately said that he knew of a girl that did very good massages for 20 soles for 1 and 1/2 hours. Ok. Cool. He gave me her card and I thought I would call the next day maybe.

Ten minutes later he disappeared and then reappeared with the girl. Oh. Ok. Wow. Sure. 30 soles for 1 and 1/2 hours...mm, bit much but I really have been in a lot of pain. Agreed. The guys cleared the studio and I lay down on osme cushions on the floor.

It wasn't so much a a massage as acupressure healing- which in my book is better. I really needed it. Enigma playing in the background, the guys all left the studio to this girl and I. Very interesting lying there shirtless on the floor of the basement studio (in winter) staring up at the Incan walls that surrounded me. I made significant eye contact with an Incan mask for quite some time.

At the end, suddenly Jose (another of the Maui Tat2 motley crew) stumbled in unbelievably drunk. he was speaking in English (sort of) and falling in every direction at once. He was also feeling the desire to be amorous. Ay yah. We tried to get him to sit down without any luck. Realizing that he was much too big for the two of us and a bit dangerous to himself and anything near, I ran to find Miguel and the crew.

No one was anywhere to be seen!! I even checked other shops for friends of Miguel. At the last minute as I was returning to the studio Tattoo saw me and came running. I think he sensed something was wrong. Everyone else came running after. When we got back, Cuquena was upstairs (safe) and Jose was in the bathroom (the bog of eternal stench). I was thankful for that- she was really shaken at being left alone. I didn't like to do it- but we needed HELP.

The guys together managed to subdue Jose and made him sit for a bit, while wishing there was a camera nearby, then took him home in a cab. Grin.

I'm crazy. After this trip I just want a comfortable home, to experience a little sunshine and warmth before winter AGAIN (2 years of mild to extreme winter for me), to be CLEAN and not dread taking a shower. A flushable toilet and soft toilet paper. Good cheap food that won't hospitalise me, and a glass of drinkable wine in the evening.

Yeah. I'm a bit burnt out on travel right now. Damn gypsy slave driver in my head. I'm going to give him a sleeping pill and lock him in a closet for a year.

Grin. I'm up to 20 countries after this trip!

Oh yeah...if you ever plan on going to South America...

BUY INSURANCE!!!!!!!!

Never has anything I've purchased in my whole life come in so VERY handy.

THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, I'M FREE AT LAST!!!
OK, no Bolivia. I have to go this weekend for the visa renewal. I went out dancing Friday night after 3 days of feeling great (post salmonella) and after dancing a little I didn't feel so good.

I left and got a sandwich, came back and just sort of waited cross-legged on a table in a corner until it was semi respectable to ask to leave. (I didn't have money for a cab cause I spent all my pocket money on food).

All night I was sick. Didn't worry too much though (do I ever?) Then the next day. ALL DAY. This time just vomiting. LOTS of vomiting. It was awful. Of course I was still planning on going to Bolivia. I figured it would pass- I'm usually like a cat that way. Once the furr ball is gone I'm fine. I checked out of my hostel, but had to wait 5 hours before I figured I had a window between the vomiting long enough to make a 5 minute walk across the square. Miguel took me home where I hogged the bathroom (never seen 6 guys run so fast with terror in their eyes to clear the way...of course I had vomited for quite a while in their trashcan at the studio that morning so they knew I was serious).

After no real sleeping or eating on Saturday or Saturday night...after my bright and early Sunday morning vomit I announced that I'd like to go back to the hospital please....

Guess what? Every met anyone in your whole life that had Typhoid Fever? Now you have. All in all, I'd say that Salmonella felt a hell of a lot worse, but Typhoid had me hospitalized from 7am Sunday morning until 6pm Wednesday night. 4 days. They pumped BAGS full of drugs into my arms. Of course they explained that they weren't they drugs they really wanted to give me, but that damn severe penicillan allergy...

My arm is positively BRUISED from the IV. I am SOOOOOOooooooooooooo happy to be out of the hospital!!!!!

I promise to write later about the electric shower- the water is made sort of not coldish by many electric wires that go into the shower head. Every so often you get a bit of a ZZZzztt jolt, but you can feel the electricity around you pretty steadily..especially if you touch the faucet. That was a big day. Good story. I'll write it later.

Don't worry, I'm OK. I have another 14 days worth of half a dozen different drugs to be taken at all hours of the day and night, but no more injections. I'm to report back in a week to check how my liver is taking it all in. This time the Dr spoke pretty good english, for which I was thrilled.

Also, everyone in the hospital knows me by name now. They would all sneak in to talk to me day and night. Even people who were just visiting other people in the hospital came in to talk to me for no real reason. So friendly . So VERY friendly.

I'm home. I'm ok. I begin work tomorrow (well, meeting tomorrow, work the next day). I will write more probably tomorrow. I'm fine now...just have to eat nothing but boiled food for the next 2 weeks. I'm thinking of making it my permanent diet here. Plain rice, boiled chicken, soup, and...well that's about it actually. sigh. oh well. better than vomiting. In Bolivia I plan to only eat prepackaged imported American foods when I absolutely have to eat something. They aren't as particular in Bolivia about hygene as they are in Peru.

Don't worry, be happy I love you all!!! Peace be with you and most importantly....HEALTH!!

Salud!!