One Week Mark

So I've been in Peru for about a week now. It's hard to believe that last week at this time it was my birthday  and I was getting ready to leave for this adventure.
I'm really enjoying Peru so far. Everything is very different, and it is definitely very challenging being here on my own.  But it is such a great experience and I  know that I'm already growing from it.
This weekend was great. Yesterday I met up with some new volunteers and went on a tour of Cusco. We got a tour of the main Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas. It is absolutely beautiful!  We also went into the Convento De Santo Domingo. Then we visited four archaeological sites- Sacsayhuaman, O'engo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. We got to walk on a little of the Inca trail and I learned so much about Inca culture. I bought a 10 day Cusco pass that gets me into all these  archaeological sites and museums.  I wont be able  to make it to all the ruins that I would like to see, but I really hope to make it to some of the museums this week. Today Heather, Madison, and I took a bus to Pisac. It was a beautiful ride through the mountains. I also got to see more of Peru's poverty in the little towns that we passed along the way. The bus was kinda sketchy- there were many locals on them and some of them had animals wrapped with them aha. But we made it there and back safely. In Pisac we visited the big outdoor market. There were so many beautiful things and I wanted to buy all of it. I ended up buying a really nice alpaca blanket and scarf. After visiting the market we walked around Pisac a little more and I was able to get a nice feel for the town. Everything is just so different here. The streets are dusty and cars will run you over if your not careful. You cant flush toilet paper down the toilet....you have to put it in a little trash can. I'm still getting used to that and sometimes I forget. whoops.
Anyways, after walking around Pisac we got a little bite to eat at this roof top cafe. It was so pleasant sitting up there with the rooftops and mountains in the background. The food has been pretty good so far. Last night I had an amazing piece of Tres Leches cake. It was unbelievable. I plan on trying to make it when I get back! For lunch today our cook made a nice soup and rice, egg, and fried banana for me. So far it hasnt been bard being a vegetarian, but I have to be careful. Another Peruvian thing I tried is Inca Kola. Its like a bubble gum flavored soda. I'll try to bring some back, along with other little Peruvian snacks!

This week I have Spanish lessons again in the morning and work at the orphanage in the afternoon. I'm excited to continue to improve my Spanish and to see the girls again. I also can't wait to teach them more karate! Also talking with some of the other volunteers here has given so many ideas for volunteer projects back home. I'm so glad that I have to chance to volunteer in a third world country, but there are also so many people back home that need help, and I want to be there to help. My brain is flowing with community service ideas right now. Not sure what my plans will be at night this week. I hope to visit some more sites around Cusco and I think we are going to have a picnic, watch some more movies, and go out and explore town more. I also made my plans for Machu Picchu next weekend. I'm going with the new volunteers that I met yesterday. Will tell you more about the trek plans later.