June 4: How to Be a Polite House Guest Sin Agua (without water)

Another thing about Cusco is that water is not as plentiful as it is in the US. This means they put forth many efforts to conserve water. Usually, this means that there is no water at night, starting around 8pm until about 3am. Today, this means no water, period. We haven't had running water since yesterday evening, and it probably will come back for only an hour or two this evening.

What this means: I haven't showered since Friday morning. I haven't washed my hands with soap and running water, except once, since yesterday afternoon. I cannot flush the toilet in the bathroom I share with several others.

Fortunately, I don't think I smell...or perhaps I've gotten used to it. I have been able to brush my teeth. And they're prepared--there's a vat of water outside that we've been able to use to make hot chocolate, to cook, to wash dishes, and they use it to flush the toilets every now and then. And they also haven't bathed in a while. So we're all in the same (stinky) boat.

But lack of water does not slow us down! We--Martha, Delia, Camden, Kris and I--left early for the market this morning. After a brief walk to the bus stop and a 20 minute bus ride, we arrived to a huge area of people selling everything you can imagine! There were so many types of vegetables, potatoes, corns, fruits, meats, grains, and more! We picked out all our food for the week: similar things as at home: potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, celery, onions, pomegranates, oranges, watermelon, and some different things: zapallo (pumpkin-like squash), chicken (that was alive shortly before we bought it), chiles (SPICY peppers), and purple corn.

When I hear of markets of this type, I think of really crowded, dirty, stinky, hot places full of people who are yelling at you to buy their stuff and others who are bumping into you or trying to pickpocket you. To clarify, that is not at all how it is here. Yes, it was busy. Yes, it is a little overwhelming if you don't know what you're doing. Yes, there is food everywhere and not all of it looks as clean and pristine as what you would find in an American supermarket. But it is not dirty--it is natural. It does not smell bad or rotten. It smells fresh and unpreserved. Occasionally, someone does bump into you--it's crowded, but they are rarely rude, though I will add that it is not part of their culture to say "excuse me or perdón." I was less worried about someone trying to take my stuff than I am in a Target, Kroger, or Publix. The vendors are nice. Yes, they want to sell their stuff, but they are not trying to force it on you. They were kind and welcoming to us as Americans. This has been my experience everywhere for the most part.

Sorry, I did not take pictures in the market. I felt it would've been very out of place and a disruption of the traffic flow. I found this picture on Google--it looks the most like the market I went to.

We returned to the house via a wild taxi ride--there was one time when we were in the middle of an intersection, and cars were pointing at us from all directions. I kid you not--there were at least four cars heading straight towards us. Don't worry--we survived.

The rest of the morning has been filled with cooking. Sonia finished making alfajores (pictured), which are shortbread cookie sandwiches filled with caramel and rolled in coconut flour. And we helped Martha fill and decorate little chicken salad pastry cups and pastry rolls filled with ham salad. Later today, we are going to Sacasayhuaman (we joke and call it sexy woman. It is pronounced: sahk-ah-sah-wah-mahn) and iglesia (church).