milkshakes, museums and mosquitos
In comparison to other weeks, this week has been a little less exciting and a little more eye-opening.
School is same old. Great teachers, inquisitive students and even more words I don't know. Although I am attempting to learn a few new verbs every day even if it seems that no matter how many relevant verbs I learn, I still seem to have a blank expression on my face half the time. But staying positive! I have noticed that my most frequent phrase is 'está bien' so I guess that I must be fine.
I have also started using the OLYMPIC SIZED POOL that the school has on the grounds. It's huge. And it seems even bigger when you are in it alone and you are attempting to do some laps. The other end of the pool just can't come quick enough. I have a plan to get fit so that I don't collapse and die on the way up to Machu Picchu in November. It seems that I have an audience every time I do anything at the school - walking, eating and now swimming. I, of course, am not concentrating on anything else except swimming in a straight line and not running out of breath or swallowing water. Thus I don't usually know I am being watched until I am told later that day by a young student or on this particular day my brother in my family who could see me from a window...along with all of his music class. But hey ho, I might as well use it as it is 'Winter' here and this 25 degrees is just 'too cold' to use the pool.
I also sat through a secondary Spanish literature lesson. Although I have the literature love bit down, the Spanish part obviously proved more problematic. For that reason, the teacher and I are having individual lessons to work on my grammar, speaking and everything in between.
School is same old. Great teachers, inquisitive students and even more words I don't know. Although I am attempting to learn a few new verbs every day even if it seems that no matter how many relevant verbs I learn, I still seem to have a blank expression on my face half the time. But staying positive! I have noticed that my most frequent phrase is 'está bien' so I guess that I must be fine.
I also sat through a secondary Spanish literature lesson. Although I have the literature love bit down, the Spanish part obviously proved more problematic. For that reason, the teacher and I are having individual lessons to work on my grammar, speaking and everything in between.
Miss Gigi took Sophie and I for my birthday meal last Friday to a restaurant called Tostao which had burgers and milkshakes. I can't tell you how excited I was to not have rice. It was great and I was made to feel special once again.
On Saturday, Sophie's family took her and I to the sack factory they own. We then went to El Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan which was really interesting and I lived through a whole tour IN SPANISH. I was very proud of myself obviously. We also went and bought some famous King Kong 'milk candy' (as Google describes it) which is layers of cookie and filling. I will get round to eating that very shortly.
Sunday was more relaxing but me and the family went on the quad bikes on the beach and I wanted to put my feet in the water. This ended in me almost soaked from the waist downwards and after a seemingly small wave came towards me and then somehow became the height of my knees and suddenly I was attempting to get out of the now knee-deep water. Running in water is very difficult. So I returned to the quad and my family (who were now laughing) with wet trackies and no dignity. I also had my Peruvian dad's famous Ceviche which was pretty good although I am still trying to get used to the acidity of the dish.
So this week didn't start off great. My VTP friend at the school and travelling buddy Sophie hadn't been well on Saturday (due to a lack of drinking water - which she got told off for) and her condition was not altering despite the drinking of water and tablet taking. When I saw her on Monday, she had a fever and a rash on her arm. She went to the infirmary and then I found out that she had gone to hospital. She was then released later that day and she told me she felt better. However at 6pm that night I received a phone call from Sophie saying again she didn't feel well- at all. She was taken back to hospital and admitted. After further tests, we found out that Sophie had Dengue which is transmitted via mosquitos. It became clear that our galavanting around Ecuador and particularly Mancora in the north of Peru had been the cause of this unfortunate encounter with the virus. Luckily for me, whichever hungry mosquito decided Sophie was sexy enough to nibble did not take the same liking to me and although I also came home with mosquito bites, none of them had carried Dengue. I also say that I was safe because my Peruvian mum had been praying for my safe return from my travels. So I was 'covered' - but Sophie wasn't.
She is okay but she is still in hospital until perhaps tomorrow. Then much rest will be required. I secretly think she likes the attention and the holiday she is having from school. But despite it all, she still looks pretty fabulous in her baby pink backless hospital gown.
A friend from VTP is travelling from Cajamarca this weekend to go exploring with me. More of that next week though.
Anyway, es todo por hoy. ¡Chao!
On Saturday, Sophie's family took her and I to the sack factory they own. We then went to El Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan which was really interesting and I lived through a whole tour IN SPANISH. I was very proud of myself obviously. We also went and bought some famous King Kong 'milk candy' (as Google describes it) which is layers of cookie and filling. I will get round to eating that very shortly.
Sunday was more relaxing but me and the family went on the quad bikes on the beach and I wanted to put my feet in the water. This ended in me almost soaked from the waist downwards and after a seemingly small wave came towards me and then somehow became the height of my knees and suddenly I was attempting to get out of the now knee-deep water. Running in water is very difficult. So I returned to the quad and my family (who were now laughing) with wet trackies and no dignity. I also had my Peruvian dad's famous Ceviche which was pretty good although I am still trying to get used to the acidity of the dish.
So this week didn't start off great. My VTP friend at the school and travelling buddy Sophie hadn't been well on Saturday (due to a lack of drinking water - which she got told off for) and her condition was not altering despite the drinking of water and tablet taking. When I saw her on Monday, she had a fever and a rash on her arm. She went to the infirmary and then I found out that she had gone to hospital. She was then released later that day and she told me she felt better. However at 6pm that night I received a phone call from Sophie saying again she didn't feel well- at all. She was taken back to hospital and admitted. After further tests, we found out that Sophie had Dengue which is transmitted via mosquitos. It became clear that our galavanting around Ecuador and particularly Mancora in the north of Peru had been the cause of this unfortunate encounter with the virus. Luckily for me, whichever hungry mosquito decided Sophie was sexy enough to nibble did not take the same liking to me and although I also came home with mosquito bites, none of them had carried Dengue. I also say that I was safe because my Peruvian mum had been praying for my safe return from my travels. So I was 'covered' - but Sophie wasn't.
She is okay but she is still in hospital until perhaps tomorrow. Then much rest will be required. I secretly think she likes the attention and the holiday she is having from school. But despite it all, she still looks pretty fabulous in her baby pink backless hospital gown.
A friend from VTP is travelling from Cajamarca this weekend to go exploring with me. More of that next week though.
Anyway, es todo por hoy. ¡Chao!
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