Most people enjoy fireworks. Not only are they a great example of light traveling faster than sound but they also symbolize fiestas. However, the fuegos artificiales in Cusco are a little different. Rather than being used to signify the beginning of a party, they are instead used to disrupt sleeping[...]
Posts Tagged ‘Culture’
A Side of Books With My Carrots, Please
Uruguay and neighbor Argentina routinely boast the highest adult literacy rates in Latin America, around 98%. Behind the statistic lie the tables after tables of books at Montevideo’s Sunday market, itself on a street lined with antique shops and used bookstores; behind the statistic wait the [...]
Guatemala’s REAL Danger: Not Wanting to Leave
There comes a time in a young traveler’s life when you land in a place and something about it gets you. You don’t just think, “This’d be a cool place to stay.” Instead, the idea of never leaving seizes your brain, and you start asking questions to locals and other extranjeros what th[...]
The Decline in Quechua Use Among Urban Cusqueñans: What Should be Done?
A stark contrast exists between my students who live in the Cusco city center and those who live in the rural Anta region, located 45 minutes by car outside of Cusco. In Anta, all of the girls are fluent in Quechua, the language group spoken primarily by indigenous people of the South American Andes[...]
¿Dónde Está El Baño?
¿Dónde está el baño? That is arguably the most important question to know in Spanish. Most who arrive in South America, regardless of previous Spanish education, will know how to ask for the bathroom. This knowledge is both crucial and painful. Many of the public restrooms haven’t been cleaned[...]
Working on Working with Dios
Being surrounded by co-workers who believe in something you don´t can be stressful, but I´m working on it. [...]
