Cooling down in Urubamba

I have been in Urubamba, Peru for a little more than a week and my expectations for a calm environment have been surpassed. This past week I have had the opportunity to interact with two out of the three women’s groups I will be working with. While there skill level varies considerably, the hand-made clothing and the synergy among the group is quite exquisite. When interacting with these women I get a sense of their story, even without understanding much of the language they speak.  This week we will begin to help the women learn English, which I have mixed emotions about since it doesn’t directly correlate with my initiative, either way I hope it will strengthen my bond with them.

So far the volunteers and I have shared the same eagerness to explore and as a result of such we have visited two of the famous Inca ruins this past weekend. Pisaq, an intricate structure with tons of great shopping mimicked the calm aura I associate with Urubamba, which was a nice transition. Contrastingly Ollantaytambo massive architecture was not at all calming but made me feel like I was part of something awe-inciting, something so much bigger than myself. Hiking to the top and looking down it reminded me of the feeling I get when I look out into the ocean. I see something massive, much bigger than myself but also something that connects me to the rest of the world. This site connected me to an ancient culture, but also the intricacy of their work and dedication to building cities with less technology was humbling.

While initially my experience with culture shock was jarring, simply because I could not recognize it as culture shock, I am finding new ways to help with adjusting. Some of the differences I noticed are not having air conditioning, which I don’t mind, because of the extremely cold temperatures here in Urubamba. The altitude here (9000 ft.) is also a big adjustment because you get tired much faster, and breathing tends to be more difficult. I have been sick the past few days with what I believe is a normal stomach bug which I’m glad is happening sooner than later (I’m a miserable sick guy). The food, for the most part, is pretty similar to what I’m use to eating but the combination of ingredients is unique; a delicacy here is guinea pig. Aside from that my host family has been very supportive and cooks really authentic meals. One night I was feeling a little sad because of the adjustment and we all laid on the couch together to watch some TV, which really helped.

Until next time

Mateo