Virgin Festivals and Hot Springs

Well, I'm definitely embarrassed to say that it's been almost 3 weeks since I last posted and so much has happened since then (sorry, Gab's dad -- she's alive and well!). Elicia is now back in the U.S. (damn, I miss her), I've attended a couple of fiestas celebrating an array of virgins, found new restaurants serving soul-enriching foods and new people have come into my life (some of these stories will come in later posts). It's been a busy month!

Let's start with Elicia. It was so wonderful having her here. While she wasn't living with us, she was staying just around the corner and popped in every day for visits, meals and frivolity. I've known her for 21 years (with a small break somewhere in our mid-twenties), which pretty much makes her family (without all the drama and stress that I usually feel with my actual family -- yes, this is something I'm trying to work on, too).

Leesh took Spanish classes for a couple of hours during the day at Maximo, my TEFL-training school, and then would make her way back to our house for lunching/chatting/interneting (our wifi worked better than at her house) and would usually stay until naptime (back at her place) and then return for dinner. She fit right in with all of us in the house and when her goodbye dinner rolled around, everyone tried to convince her to stay. We hope she returns soon...

A few weeks back, Humberto took me to Combapata, the neighboring town to Sicuani (his hometown) for a rather large virgin festival. We stayed in Sicuani, visited his family and some hot springs and then on day 2 took one of those cramped combi-like buses (basically a slightly larger minivan with triple the amount of people it should legitimately hold) to Combapata.

Sicuani is a small town with a nice old church and a river. There's not much else to do or see there, and so Humberto's mother suggested we go to the hot springs, about 1/2 away. And here lies one of the problems about living in Peru. You never know what to expect from minute to minute, so when you go on a trip you never know what to pack. Humberto still has some clothes at his parents' house so naturally he had a bathing suit. I, on the other hand, did not. So off we went into small-town Sicuani on the hunt for a bathing suit for me.

The first shop we entered had some very frilly, rather skimpy bikinis available, but nothing else. I politely declined Humberto's offer to buy me one and suggested we search a little further. About 20 minutes into our expedition, we finally found a shop selling slightly more modest swimming attire and I happily let him cough up the 18 soles for my low-cut (remember, I am in South America), shiny purple one-piece suit.

On to the hot springs! Hot springs are all over this part of Peru, and most of them are just used by the locals. Sure, tourists flock to Aguas Calientes, the city below Machu Picchu, to take in the "curative waters" before hopping on their tour bus to visit the sacred site, but the majority of travelers don't really step off the beaten path unless they're with someone in the know. And I've got me one of those someones.

This group of hot springs is about 1/2-hour taxi ride from Sicuani and you just squeeze into a car with a bunch of people heading in that direction, give the driver a few soles and you're on your way. Entrance to the springs is about 5 soles per person and you can stay all day. We opted for a quieter section of the springs (there were a surprisingly large number of noisy children there for a weekday) and after a lengthy soak, we shared a lunch of chicken and rice (and choclo con queso for me), and walked around the site for a while. The scenery was breathtaking and everywhere we walked there were little hills of bubbling water spurting up along our path.

My someone in the know

Lunch

Noisy children in the springs

And now, the festival. Humberto's family is large and many of them hold prominent positions in local government (and the rest of them are famous -- in Peru -- musicians). A couple of his cousins (or uncles) were running the festival and each time we ran into them throughout the day they seemed just a tad bit drunker than they were the last time we saw them (I think they're required by some Peruvian law to accept every drink they're offered on days like this).

The festival was centered around the small main square, and it mostly consisted of a parade with various groups from all over Peru in beautiful costumes doing various dances, food stalls selling fried meats and potatoes, foosball tables and cotton candy vendors. After the parade carrying the virgin up to the church ended, most people made their way to the local school where lunch was served. Lunch took 3 hours. Very long hours. Chicha (fermented corn beer -- a local specialty) was free flowing, as was the Cusquena, which helped pass the time for most. I, however, don't drink, so this 3-hour lunch at a table with 8 of Humberto's friends speaking rapid-fire Spanish was not particularly the highlight of my day. Still enjoyable, but there were definitely moments I wished I could consume a few beers without getting sick (stupid allergy to alcohol).

Some photos of the festival...





The festival culminated with a bullfight down at the local bull ring. Yes, Combapata, this tiny little town, has a bull ring. Humberto convinced me to walk down to the fight with the rest of the crowd, telling me that we could leave at any time. I took one look at the bulls being taunted and walked back to the main square. His family tried to get me to stay by reassuring me that they weren't going to kill the bulls (or so they thought), but knowing the way Peruvians treat their animals, I wasn't convinced. We skipped the bullfight.

Our 2-hour bus ride back to Cusco later that night was cramped but pleasant. There were power outages throughout most of the trip, so all of the little towns we passed were eerily quiet and dark. Fortunately, Cusco was not affected so we made it back in time for a quick dinner before he headed off to work the night shift at his hotel job.

These festivals really are fun. There's an energy in the town that puts everyone in high spirits (insert drunk joke here) and brings together the town in a way you don't see often in the U.S. (at least not in the big cities). And when your friend's family is in charge of the party, the rest of the revelers forget you're the gringa guest and just hands you the bowl of chicha and waits for you take a swig.

Over-Stimulation, Getting the Business Up and Running, and, Whoops, Puppies

Saturday was a quiet day at the house. Well, at least it was later in the day. In the morning I decided to take Elicia to the Barotio, the new-and-used-but-mostly-used-stuff market about a 20-minute walk from my house. It's not the safest place to go, but the deals make it worthwhile. "Barrato" means cheap in Spanish, so Barotio came out of that (essentially "cheap market"). Basically, every Saturday vendors pour out onto the streets of this neighborhood and sell whatever they have. Piles of clothes from the U.S. (including many with tags still on), kitchenware, knock offs, books, pick axes (I kid you not), and electronics. Now, I'm hesitant to call this market dangerous, but there's nary a tourist in sight and when there is, we usually become a target. But Peruvians aren't safe from theft there either. A few weeks ago I was there with Humberto and his cell phone was stolen right out of his deep front pocket. The funny thing was we just turned around and bought another (presumably stolen) phone from someone at the market and went to Claro (equivalent to Verizon) and got a new chip.

That day, though, I could barely stand the craziness of the place. It was too intense for me and I started to feel sick. The energy work and Reiki training I'd been receiving has made me hyper-sensitive to my surroundings at times and that morning was no exception. The market is intense even when you're not hyper-sensitive, so sadly we only stayed for about 1/2 hour -- long enough for me to find a 3-sole NY&Co. sweater and Leesh to find a 1-sole cute shirt. After we made our purchases, we headed home.

As soon as we got back to the house, I asked Leesh to call Gab to my room. When she came, I explained what happened and asked her to do some Reiki on me, as I could barely move. She brought her stones in, placed my new smoky quartz in my hand and the others on my forehead and chest and went to work. When she finished the Reiki, she started to play her new didge. Now, keep in mind she's had this didge for all of a day, but the sound and vibrations she brought forth were quite moving and a perfect finish to our mini-session. I was able to calm down and sleep for a while and when I emerged from my room, I joined Gabs and Leesh in the sun for a good chunk of the afternoon.

While we were sitting in the sun, Jessica was finishing our new sign for the business. We changed the name of our house from Yoga House to Healing House, as it better fits the inhabitants and the work we do. The sign is gorgeous and we hope to put it out this week -- after we purchase chains and locks to attach it to our door (otherwise it'll get stolen).

Jess making our awesome new sign

On a slightly funny but concerned note: Jess has been house/dog-sitting for Shana, a friend of ours, while she's back in the U.S. Shana told Jess that Chi-Chi, her rescued Cusquenan dog, was sweet tempered, slept all the time and barely ate anything. Jess soon discovered that while she is EXTREMELY sweet tempered, she loves to get into garbage, eats all the time and barely sits still. And after about a week and half with her, she discovered why. Chi-Chi is pregnant. Whoops.

Shana gets back in the next couple of days and we hope Chi-Chi can keep it together until then, but we're all bracing ourselves for the inevitable: puppies.

Pisac, Stones and Didgeridoos

After Gab decided she needed (not wanted, but needed) a didgeridoo, she, Elicia and I decided we were going to take a trip to Pisac to buy some crystals (they are pretty powerful down here -- especially the ones in Pisac) and find her a didge. Humberto's friend has a car (a rarity here) and arranged for all of us to take a field trip to both Pisac and Moray (cool ruins)last Friday.

Now I thought Italian drivers were scary. But this was on a whole other level. Yes, I take taxis here every day, but because we're in the city it's a lot of stop-and-go. And even if I'm almost in an accident about 75% of the time I'm in a taxi here, there's still no comparison to a Peruvian driver on the open, winding, mountainous road. And to top it off, Gab and Leesh get motion sickness. Woo hoo!

When I could look out the window and NOT wonder if we were going to drive off the road, the scenery was breathtaking. I've been through the Sacred Valley a bunch of times, but the views never get old. These are the moments I have to pinch myself to remember that I LIVE IN PERU. Hell yeah.




We made our way to the stone shop Niki recommended and as soon as we walked in I was overwhelmed by the energy. The room was loaded with stones piled everywhere, various types of quartzes, amethysts, etc. I was immediately drawn to a large smoky quartz (about the length of my hand and half the width) shaped like an obelisk. I picked it up and fell to my knees. The power of the stone was so intense that I just had to sit there for a while. Gab was intent about finding a didge first, so we eventually left the shop, promising to return within the hour (and I asked the shaman who ran the shop to hold this quartz for me).

It wasn't long before we found her didge. Karen, a woman Gab had met once before, owns a shop that sells various handmade jewelry and instruments -- including didgeridoos. Gab found hers immediately. We spent a little time there letting Gab get to know her new baby and after she bought it (for only 150 soles), we went back to the stone shop.


Gabs on her new didge

(from left to right: Miguel (with the car), Humberto, and Gabs)

My quartz was 120 soles (about $40) but I didn't have enough money on me. I started to look for something smaller and less expensive but was having no luck. The shaman also knew that I wouldn't find anything else because, as he said, "when it's your stone, it's your stone." He told me I could pay him the next time I came to Pisac, so I left him with 50 soles and a promise to return soon.

Gab chose an amethyst and the shaman offered to clean our stones for us, going through a ceremony of blowing smoke and rose water over them. As he was doing this to mine, I felt another surge of emotion/energy and had to sit down again. I began to cry and Gab put her (extremely energetic) hands on me and held the space for me, letting me get out whatever was coming to the surface. She also experienced some strong emotions when the shaman cleaned her stone and we both left the shop exhausted and a little emotionally drained (and cleared).

The rains started to come, so we bunkered down at the Blue Llama, a favorite restaurant of ours when we're in Pisac. We took over all the comfy couches and chairs and had a fantastic 2-hour lunch, playing Jenga and talking. With my new stone in my pocket, I was so steady and grounded that Humberto couldn't win a single game of Jenga against me, as much as he tried to sabotage my every turn.


Me kicking Hum's butt in Jenga

Miguel taking a nap at the Blue Llama

Humberto and Jenga

We opted to go home instead of Moray, as the rain would make the visit unpleasant and muddy. We got home around 3 and collapsed. It's amazing how much energy a day like that can take out of you.

Let the Healing Begin!

Well, I guess that title is a bit of a misnomer -- I mean, the healing began long ago and I'm just continuing on that path here in Cusco. The beauty of being here is that I live and work in a community of healers and have an amazing opportunity to exchange with all of them. Last week, I set up an exchange with Amber Field, a sound healer living here in Cusco. She works with a variety of instruments but her main one for sound healing is the didgeridoo. The work was awesome. The vibrations and sensations coming from the didge was deep and inspiring. I laid on a mat on the floor and we began the session with chakra chanting and after my chakras were happily spinning away, she pulled out two didges and went over my entire body. I was easily put into a trance and could feel a lot of emotions building up in me -- they almost came out (especially around the heart and throat chakras) but didn't. I'm waiting for that release, but I guess it will happen when it's supposed to.

My work on Amber was earlier in the week and she brought her didge with her (just in case) and Gab fell in love. Well, we're all in love with Amber, but on this day Gab fell in love with Amber's didge. And after a mini-session with her in our courtyard, Gab is determined to get one of her own. Awesome.

Amber doing a sound-healing demo on Gabs

Gab attempting to play Amber's didge

My client load is increasing, which is good. I want to be able to sustain living here with massage work and think I can. I just need a few more clients a week! Yvette, a painter travelling through Cusco for the past few months, just finished 3 gorgeous portraits for my studio (I just bought the supplies and she went to town!), I have a beautiful antique handmade rug hanging on my wall and a beautiful table from Lima. I could seriously live in my studio.






We're also still cooking a lot, but I've modified my food choices and cooking style since the Giardia. Last week, I found polenta in the grocery store and Humberto, Gab and I made two polenta lasagnas -- one with spinach and broccoli with a bechamel sauce and the other with just a bolognese. Both were outstanding and we devoured them within two days (mostly because we don't have a fridge and a healthy fear of parasite-born illnesses). I promise to take pictures the next time we make them.

My cousin, Becca, moved into a new apartment with some colleagues so I went to their house-warming party this weekend and had a great time. I didn't follow the crowd out to the bars afterwards (had plans to go see Niki and the band play instead), but it was nice to step out of my little world up here in San Blas and connect with other people. Lots of interesting conversations that evening -- even though I was one of the only sober ones.

I had a Reiki session with Gab this morning and plan to work on her tomorrow. Our connection to each other is strong -- we did Ayahuasca and Reiki training together, so we're practically telepathic with each other. It's unlike any relationship I've ever had with another person and am already lamenting her departure in December (I'm trying to get her to stay...). The work this morning brought a lot of clarity and focus to me and my reasons for being here. We used Frankincense and White Angelica oils during the session and it was powerful stuff. Gabs has started taking clients, too (she rents out my studio by the hour) and has really begun to appreciate the beauty of working (and getting paid) for something you love. I heart that.

Giardia, Elicia, Whiskey and Massage

So last week started out calm and nice. I wasn't feeling my best, but that can be pretty typical here -- altitude, eating the fruit with the skin on, staying out too late over the weekend -- anything can be a factor in how you feel. What I wasn't anticipating was Bob the parasite. He decided to give me giardia. Thanks, Bob. Bastard.

Giardia is not fun. First, you have no appetite. Second, if you do have an appetite you won't be able to keep anything down. Third, you get super dehydrated and weak. By the time I got to that point, my friend Humberto was adamant that I go to a clinic. So, away we went late Wednesday night and I ended up staying over with an IV stuck in my arm being pumped with fluids and antibiotics for the next 24 hours. Fun, eh?

Fortunately, it was a travelers' clinic so the place was NICE. My room had a flat-screen TV with cable (many channels in English!), two beds (so I could wake Humberto in the middle of the night to help me not fall over myself when I went to the bathroom) and really good care. Total bill: $361.82. Awesome. Why can't I get care this good for this cheap in the U.S.???

I got out of the clinic just in time to go to mass. Yep. I'm now Catholic. Kidding. But it was the 1-month anniversary of the death of Humberto's aunt so we headed over to one of the beautiful churches here in Cusco for the service and then back to his cousin's house for cake and some hot pink coconut drink (you can bet I wasn't consuming that less than 2 hours after leaving the clinic). We stayed for about an hour and then he brought me home so I could spend the rest of the evening with Elicia, a very old friend who just arrived from the U.S. that morning.

Elicia! Yay, Leesh is here! Laura, another old friend, was visiting the week before I got sick and now Leesh is here. Laura's visit was pretty short (only 5 or so days) and she's an independent traveler so she did a lot of sight seeing on her own (thank goodness b/c there's only so many times I can take a "city tour"). Elicia is here for 5 WEEKS studying Spanish (at my old school) and just enjoying her time here. She's staying at a guest house around the corner which means we won't be in each other's personal space all the time (read: Her visit is going to be wonderful).

We've been taking it slow since she got here, giving her time to acclimate. And other than some headaches, she's doing very well with the altitude. We've cooked matzoh ball soup (thanks to the matzoh meal her mom gave her to bring to me), had juice at the market, napped in the sun and walked around bits of the city (there's still a lot for her to see, but she's got plenty of time to see it). She's getting along just fine and it's great to have someone here who knows me so well.

And now on to Whiskey. Most of you know that I don't drink (some stupid allergy to alcohol) so I'm sure seeing that in the title gave you a little pause. But Whiskey is a puppy -- and a damn cute one at that. He belongs to my friend, Whitney, who teaches at my former school here in Cusco. She decided to bring him in for her "jovenes" class (the 12-15 year olds) as a reward on one of the quite days during the Paro (strikes). But since she teaches 3 more classes after that one she asked me to take him home with me and entertain him for a few hours until after work. And so I did. Happily.

Our walk home was fun. I forgot how much people love dogs and how easy it is to make new friends when you have one. Whiskey is so friggin' cute that we were stopped at least half a dozen times on the way to my house so people could love on him. I live in San Blas, the hilly neighborhood above the main square, so he was pretty damn tired when we got home. Whiskey is a mellow dog, so we just chilled in my room and walked down to our favorite outdoor vegetarian shack/restaurant with Elicia and Gabs later on. It was so nice to have a well-behaved dog around every once in a while.


Whiskey

And now for massage. Yes, my studio is up and running and I'm taking clients on a semi-regular basis. I know that building a practice is a slow process and giving mine up in DC was one of the hardest things I ever did. I loved my studio and clients at home, made my own hours and truly embraced the work I was doing. It's the same here -- my studio is beautiful (I got the table custom-made in Lima), my growing client base is humbling and the work is unreal. The energy here makes every session special and since so many people come to Cusco because they've been called here (to find themselves, seek enlightenment, work out their problems, etc.), the work takes on a lot of meaning. My favorite sessions have been the ones in the evening, where I work by candlelight and savor every moment.


My beautiful studio (in my house!)

What Happened to Labor Day?

Ok, I can't believe Labor Day just came and went. And, to be honest, if it weren't for Facebook I probably wouldn't have even known. I really feel like I live in a bubble down here -- nothing outside of my little Cusquenan world seems to exist these days. I use the Internet maybe 2-3 times a week, I don't have a TV and my Spanish isn't good enough yet to read the papers (but it's getting there). And because I'm so out of touch and oblivious, life is pretty damn good.

Last week, I spent a couple of days in Urubamba, one of the beautiful towns in the Sacred Valley. It was peaceful and calming until I fainted in the spa. Apparently, I was a little dehydrated and all of the heat got to me, so I passed out in front of the sauna and landed on the cold stone floor. I was traveling with a good friend, so I was well taken care of after the fall, but I had some serious back pain and it took a few weeks for it to GO AWAY. Pain sucks.


Our beautiful hotel in Urubamba

Fortunately for me I've connected with another therapist here and I love her work. She did a session on me to help with the pain (after the inflammation went down) and it was fabulous. I think we're going to set up a regular exchange to work out all of my junk (and hers, too).

We got back from Urubamba in time to attend Evelyn's fashion show at Loki, a local hotel. Evelyn owns Hilo, an amazing clothing store around the corner from my house. She makes all the clothes and I recently purchased a dress (and a beautiful yoga bag) from her. So, I put on some fish-net-type stockings, her new dress, a touch of lipstick and made my way to Loki with my housemates (who were in the show) to watch the craziness. The show was awesome and I ran into Sue and Barry, friends we met in Bolivia (I knew they were coming to Cusco but I hadn't received the email Sue had sent), so we spent the rest of the night together, hopping from Loki to the Piano Bar where Niki's band was playing (and we danced our well-dressed butts off) and ending the night at Bullfrogs, a mellow club near my house. I got to bed around 3am. Oy. Nights like that are awesome, but only possible for me once in a blue moon.



Me and our friends Sue and Barry (thanks, Sue -- I snagged your awesome pics from FB!)


Niki and the band (Alvaro on guitar, Fernando on bass, Michele on keyboard, Ronny on sax and Carlos (I think) on drums.

We spent Saturday with Sue and Barry, taking them to the Barrotio (I'm sure I've spelled this wrong), the uber-cheap, slightly dangerous, Saturday-only market about a 20-minute walk from our house. We found some bakeware for our new oven (yay! We have an oven!!) and a few other trinkets. You can pretty much find anything here -- new and used. If you lose your cellphone, this is the place to get a new one (it might even be the one you lost). I'm looking for some furniture for my room so I might return next week with a game plan and a little more cash.

After the craziness of the Barrotio, Jess and I took our Irish friends from Bolivia to Encuentros, a cute restaurant/performance space for lunch. Our friends, Lynae and Casey were the chefs there at the time and had revamped the entire menu to be vegetarian and raw-food friendly. They weren't working at the time, but they were there anyway with their new kittens, so we got in a little animal-lovin' time, too.

Jess with one of the kitties

That's all for now -- so much has happened since then that I'm actually going to have to sit down and remember what's been going on over the past few weeks and I promise to get it all out and posted over the next few days. Really. I mean it.

Oh, Bolivia. You Are Beautiful. And Cheap.

Jess and Gab had to renew their visas, so the easiest way to do that down here is to jump the border and come back. We decided to make a bigger trip out of it by taking a 10-hour bus ride to Bolivia and spend a few days in Copacabana (the Bolivian one, not the Brazilian), which is right on Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world. Since we took a night bus, the ride was not as painfully long as I expected and when we awoke the next morning we were just an hour away from the border. We had to leave our nice cushy bus and crowd into a smaller one, but our entire group of 8 made friends quickly, passed through the border (after paying Bolivia $135!) and found ourselves in Copacabana together. We found a hotel for 30 Bolivianos/night (about $4), dropped our stuff and headed to a cafe on the waterfront for breakfast.

Breakfast with our new friends

Our mishmash group consisted of 2 Chileans (Javier and Francisco), 2 Brits (Greg and Scott), 1 Brazilian (Raphael) and us 3 chicas locas (as we were lovingly called a few times that day). After breakfast and an hour or so of fun conversation, Javier hooked us all up with a boat and driver/guide and we sailed Lake Titicaca for the day, stopping at Isla del Sol and a floating island made of reeds (it was like walking on a water bed) where our trout lunch was caught and served up within minutes. It was one of the freshest meals I have ever had and truly a perfect day.






The Chileans and Brazilian left later that day and so Jess and I went out to dinner with the Brits (Gab is not a great traveler and was a little sick/tired, so she stayed in) and had surprisingly good food for such a touristy town. I had a burger, but now regret not getting the nachos that Scott ordered, as the chips were REAL corn tortilla chips. I dont know why, but tortilla chips dont seem to exist in Cusco. Instead, they fry wonton dough in triangles and serve it with everything from guacamole to salads. Is it really that hard to get a tortilla chip in this South American country??

The Brits were planning to head to La Paz the next day and, after one full day in Copacabana, we realized there would not be much else to do and decided to follow along. La Paz is a big city and it was nice to feel the energy of the place. I wouldnt want to live there, but a few days with access to a variety of things I cant get in Cusco (like sushi!) is nice. The bus ride was only 3 hours and it was absolutely gorgeous. We climbed the mountains along the coast and took in the stunning views. Who knew Bolivia was so beautiful?





We stayed at a Loki hostel. Theyre all over South America and known for their rowdy party-going guests (the Brits chose it). We all shared a room (3 sets of bunk beds) and went out together that night, starting at a wine bar and ending at a nightclub (or so I assume -- I went back earlier than the rest because Im old and couldnt stop yawning).

The next day was spent recovering from the night before, a little shopping and some more good food. Since there are movie theaters in La Paz, Jess, Gab and I decided to go see a flick. Our options were limited so we settled on "Salt." Ugh. We were the only ones in the theater (that should've been a hint) and the movie sucked. But since we were the only ones in the theater we got to shout at the screen. Totally worth the $3.50.

We took the bus home on Friday. 11 hours. Luckily, I traded a 1/2 massage for some Xanax and Ambien with our dorm mate at Loki. Good stuff.

Back in Cusco now. It's good to be home.