Not one for the parents
Trip Start
Sep 04, 2008
1
9
33
Trip End
Jan 11, 2009
Cusco,
Peru
Friday, October 3, 2008
I haven´t been a good student this week. I went to both classes on Monday, only one on Tuesday, only one on Wednesday, none on Thursday (see below) and none today - well, it is the last day. Instead I´ve sat in the sun reading my book and listening to my iPod. Inevitably I got sunburnt; suncream all over but forgot my forearms, ouch. A bit of aloe vera and all better now. In a month the weather has improved loads - it´s now really warm in the day, and no need for hats and gloves in the evening. The rain has had it´s moment but has mostly stayed away. I also treated myself to a 90 min massage (no termina feliz, thank you) and pedicure for the bargain price of 50 soles (about a tenner).
I haven´t been totally lazy though, I´ve worked with Eva on finalising the three market research questionnaires. I´m really pleased with how they´ve turned out, and it seems Eva got a lot out of it as well. I´ll be really interested to see the results but I think it´s unlikely given the reduced software and printing facilities here (a bit much to expect an internet cafe to have SPSS). Eva is really sweet girl and has suggested I pick up some volunteer work with her if/when I return to Cusco.
Other than that there is little to tell of than lots more drinking. It´s really easy to fall into the habit of staying out late, lying in, staying out late again... Having said that Cusco is now much quieter, the clubs and bars aren´t as busy, the tourist season is now on the downturn (before the rain really starts). I´ve had quite a few nights out this week, the most disaterous was Wednesday: After Full Body and rather short-sighted dinner of a Snickers bar, I was in Norton´s and it was sleepy; some sabuca was brought out to liven things up and it was downhill from there. Many of the bars give out free drinks tokens to keep people in the clubs, keep it looking busy. The music wasn´t up to much in my opinion so I think I drank to compensate for the lack of dancing. After beer, sambuca, fagerettees and a few generous Cuba Libres I was a wreck - I took the Beer Bus back to school and woke up freezing cold in my bed in nowt but my undies. And I think I was sick in my bin too. I am regressing to studenthood.
Last night was much more controlled. Found Tom in Paddy´s with a couple of his friends, Dave and his Argentinian girlfriend Luciana (I think). They were a really nice couple, Luciana let me practice my Spanish - she said that for just three weeks of study my Spanish was pretty good. I find it so much easier to bumble along with non-English speaking people. I´m too intimated to practice with Tom and Dave, their Spanish is excellent and mine is so shit. Dave is also a tour guide due to start around Bolivia I think, and he had lots of suggestions for things to do and avoid. Dave and Luciana didn´t stay out which was a shame. Some fracas about a lost jumper the night before meant we weren´t allowed into Mamma Africa´s, so it was back to Mythology again. Caesar, Jane´s mate, was there waiting for some friends. It was a bit like Glasgow: bumping into people you know, recognising the same faces on the dancefloor - I´ve been in Cusco too long! The night´s entertainment was provided by another tour guide, totally drunk perhaps on the last night of her tour? Anyway she was pulled off dancing on the bar as she was only going to hurt herself or others. She was all over the show after that, not v profesh. And then, again much like Glasgow, there was some sex on the dancefloor. Two tourists perhaps so drunk they thought no one would notice- the whole club had noticed and was trying not to in a way any Brit would be proud of. A relatively early one, in bed not long after 2am.
Tonight James and I have tried to arrange a group meeting. There are quite a few of us leaving school today so after we´ve done our own things for dinner, we´re all going to try to gather at Norton´s (where else?) between 10-11pm to move on to a nightclub. Photos on Flickr soon I hope. www.flickr.com/photos/bongo76
