long overdue...long entry...

Today is January 14th, 2009 and there is much to write about.

The official Christmas season has come and passed. Here in Cusco, it seemed like everyone celebrated and made a bigger deal out of December 24th than Christmas day itself. The Plaza de Armas was packed full of venders and the number one item being sold was: nativity scene moss. People here take their nativity scenes VERY seriously. It seemed like every house we went in had converted their living room into a life size nativity scene...the only thing missing was baby Jesus. The Plaza de Armas was also filled with people selling accessories for baby Jesus dolls: shoes for baby Jesus, cute crocheted outfits for baby Jesus, cribs, and other very ¨chevere¨ accessories. Baby Jesus didn´t go into the nativity scene until 12:00am December 25th. And it seemed more like a New Years´ celebration. Meghan and I were invited to our friend Yeni´s for the big Christmas Eve celebration. We shared some Paneton (bread with raisins and pieces of candy in it...they were EVERYWHERE!) while we counted down to Jesus´ birth. At midnight we shared a toast, put Baby Jesus in his manger, and ran outside to let off some fireworks...along with everyone else in Cusco. After, we went back inside to make Caldo de Gallina (Yeni said it´s what everyone eats for Christmas Eve). We continued on with some Grupo 5 jams. She has a son, Rodrigo, who is very precious. It was a great time visiting with friends, dancing with little Rodrigo, and overall enjoying everyone´s excitement as we celebrated the birth of our Savior.

Christmas morning, I was at the airport at 6:45am to pick up my brother! Talk about Christmas! Could I have asked for a better gift than to spend it with my brother?! I think not. He was supposed to get in to Cusco the day before, but due to bad weather he got stuck spending Christmas Eve in a hotel in Lima. But alas...he made it to Cusco and the next thing I knew we were in a cab on our way to Zaguan del Cielo K-2. We dropped off his luggage and took a walk around Cusco while we waited for Meghan to wake up. It was such a beautiful day! And I was walking around Cusco with my brother on Christmas day! I don´t know how many people tried to see if Sean would let them shine their shoes. After a couple of hours of walking, sitting, and catching up a bit we headed back to the house to start on Christmas breakfast. It was delicious. Meghan made her famous cinammon french toast and we cooked up some eggs and other treats before opening some presents. Sean really was like Papa Noel because he brought with him presents from afar along with lots of delicious Christmas ¨Treets¨. I have to say I had the hugest smile on my face when I opened up some boxes to find some footsie pjs and seasons 1-4 of Saved by the Bell. Of course, as you probably guessed, I was in those onesies faster than you can say ¨Hot Drank!¨ The rest of the day was spent relaxing, keeping warm, and out of the rain.

Sean´s stay in Cusco lasted for two weeks. We spent a lot of the mornings at an old folks´ home that is just up the street from where I live. After helping serve lunch and some short visiting with new friends, we would go to the girls´ home. The girls are on vacation, so the schedule at the hogar is pretty relax and chill. Most of the time we were there was spent sitting and hanging out with the girls, playing ¨mata gente¨, and some ¨pato, pato, ganzo.¨ Of course all of the girls flocked to Sean and couldn´t get over how tall he is.

New Years´ rolled around and I was a bit eager to see how it is celebrated Cusco-style. The week before New Years´ everyone is out on the streets selling yellow underwear. I guess you´re supposed to buy yellow underwear to give to a friend and it´s supposed to bring them fortune and good luck for the upcoming year. So Meghan and I dragged Sean with us and hit the streets in search for the right pairs...they were found. Meghan had to work until 7pm New Years´ Eve. So Sean and I spent the evening cooking up some caldo while listening to the Martin Luther King Choir. Around 11:00pm Meghan, Sean, and I made our way to the Plaza de Armas where we met up with a friend, Eddie, and his sister. It was packed. We sat up on the cathedral steps for a while...then the rain started in and it poured. As midnight was getting closer, people around us started the countdown. Sure enough, when the clock struck 12:00am...everyone started running. We were a big mob of a crowd dressed in yellow...and we were running around the Plaza de Armas. It´s supposed to be for good luck for the new year. People wear yellow and carry a representation of how they want good luck. For example, if they want good luck with travels, they carry luggage. I guess people wanted good luck with fireworks, because they were randomly letting them off in the middle of the crowd. Sean and I had to stop a bunch of times because people were lighting them and then throwing them on the ground. We made a few vueltas around the plaza and then decided the chaos was enough...so we headed back home. We were dripping wet. Meghan stayed out with Eddie and his sister. Sean and I went back home and ate some Caldo, watched some Saved by the Bell, and hit the hay.

Monday, January 5th, we went to Machu Picchu. Our trip started nice and early at 3:00am when we caught a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (about half way). Our driver was a proud Urubamban fellow named Mario. Mario picked us up at my doorstep and got us to the train station in Ollantaytambo around 5am. From there we caught our train and got to Machu Picchu around 7:00am. The train ride was nice. We sat facing a couple from Alaska (I think). They were pretty cheesy. Sean and I ate the breakfast we had packed for the way (¨the sandwich was really good¨) and studied the Machu Picchu map that Gladys had been kind enough to lend us (Gladys is a friend who works in a tourist shop). The train arrived in a little pueblo called ¨Aguas Calientes¨ which is just outside Machu Picchu. From there we had to catch a bus that took us a bunch of switchbacks...and we finally found ourselves at the entrance to Machu Picchu.

We had originally hoped to also subir Waynapicchu (the big mountain that´s always in the background of Machu Picchu pictures). They only allow 400 people to climb Waynapicchu a day...the first half goes at 7am...and the second half at 10am. But to reserve a spot...they give out tickets to the first 400 who ask at the entrance. The park opens up at 6am. By the time Sean and I got there, all of the Waynapicchu tickets had been snatched up. Around 9am, we were walking around Machu Picchu...you know...admiring all the rocks...when we overheard a girlfriend telling her boyfriend that she was tired and didn´t want to climb Waynapicchu anymore. Sean began to walk towards her, and she offered him her wayna ticket! Her boyfriend decided he was still going to go without her...but we had one ticket in our possession. If only, we could find another. At 10am we decided to head towards the wayna entrance...just in case the staff felt sorry for us and would let us in with just one ticket. Off to the side of the line, we saw a group of friends. They were trying to decide what to do because only some of them had wayna tickets. Before I knew it, Sean said, ¨Hurry Tasi go!¨ and I was walking towards the indecisive bunch. I tapped one of the guys on the shoulder and asked if he had an extra ticket that he was trying to get rid of. He answered no but pointed to a friend who was. His friend was flirting with a girl. ¨I´ll give you my wayna ticket if you give me some water.¨ Without thinking I blurted out, ¨I have water!¨ He just kind of looked at me and continued his water conversation with the other girl. Again, I blurted out, ¨We´ve got water!¨ So he handed me his ticket, told me God bless, and Sean and I were on our way!

Climbing up Waynapicchu was a beast. I was trying to catch my breathe the whole time. We made a few rest stops and each time, we´d pump ourselves up and say, ¨This is for Antonio!¨ This kept us going...and an hour later we were at the top. The view was breathtaking! I couldn´t believe that I was seeing what I was seeing...and that I was sharing that moment with my brother. Thank you, God. That whole day kept falling into place for us. So many things could´ve gone wrong. And not only did they not go wrong...they could not have gone better. Up until that Monday it was pouring...and the next day is poured. But we had sun...enough sun for some nice sunburns. The rain waited until we were done at 3pm. We caught the bus back down the mountainside...caught the train...and in Ollantaytambo Mario was waiting to take us home. What a day, what a day. All I can say is, thank you.

The last few days before Sean left, we visited the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, spent some more time visiting friends at the old folks and girls´ home, and chilled at the bakery where Meghan works. Once again, fast horse and little bear were reunited...and it felt nice. Things always seem right when I´m hanging with my brother. Thanks, Sean, for coming to visit me! I am so blessed and lucky to have such a wonderful brother and friend. You brought so much life with you...you brought me back to life.