Some of my thoughts on my experience in Cusco to learn Spanish.
When you first arrive in this incredible city, you are struck by the colonial and Quechua architecture, some of the best examples of the two cultures mixing (or should I say colliding?) in all of Latin America. Of course, it’s a Latin American city, and like any good Latin American city, the incessant beeping of taxis and exhaust fumes can make you want to go to the hills, but… good thing you can do that!
I had come to Cursco to learn Spanish for 4 weeks and from the first day I knew that there were many other things to do besides learning Spanish. On my way to school in the morning, I looked towards the Plaza de Armas, over the roofs of the buildings, telling myself that this city is impressive (literally! especially considering the altitude and the exhaust from the cars). Then, when I went back to the corner, I bought two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice for about 0.30 cents. I get it “to go”, that is, in a plastic bag with a straw.
When I came to school every morning ready to learn Spanish, I always found something new and interesting. The colorful textiles and the way the city is nestled in the surrounding mountains. Probably the most notable aspect of Cusco is its surroundings. You can easily escape the city and be on top of the world at Sacsayhuaman, pronounced Sexy Woman by gringos and locals alike, in just 5 minutes. Up there you go back hundreds of years. You can take a horseback ride near the ruins or just walk around and admire the impressive sites.
It takes time to learn Spanish, after a week I was surprised to find students who had supposedly left Cusco but had fallen in love with the city and ended up staying much longer than just to learn Spanish. They said they have tried to leave several times, but the city has searched their bones. This place is not just alpacas and cuy (Cusco’s delicacy – fried guinea pig). This place is just fun. With a nightlife that rivals the major capitals of Latin America, there is always something going on at night. Many of the bars and clubs stay open until 12:00…in the afternoon; great for learning spanish, no! Relaxing couch bars offer jazz, some bars offer live music, most clubs have DJs and sweaty dance floors. On most nights in Cusco you can meet people from all over the world who are there to learn Spanish, go sightseeing and even Peruvians making our Spanish learning experience that much richer.
I would like to focus on some topic, although I went to learn Spanish, that was completely different from my country of origin. Forget culture shock, how about clashing showers? They’re not bad hits, just quick pinches. I learned to touch the electrical tape only after a few showers as they use electrical heating devices to heat the water. Also, don’t flush the toilet paper or, in the case of the apartment you were in, you can’t flush the toilet… at least not without it emitting horrible squeals. The person in charge of my apartment had been waiting for the plumber since last week to fix the toilet. She said that the plumber had promised to come at 7:00 pm I guess they meant 7:00 pm sometime in November after my deadline to learn Spanish in Cusco!
At the same time, there is a lack of change in this city. I was denied movie tickets when I tried to pay for a 10 soles movie with a 100 soles bill. It doesn’t even occur to you to get into the taxi, which costs 2 soles, with something bigger than a 5 soles coin. Even then, sometimes you have to wait while the taxi driver finds someone nice enough to change his currency. Having a 100 soles bill is usually like having no money at all. Once after hanging out with my classmates after learning Spanish at language school, I was shopping for a hat and I gave the lady a 50 sole bill and then waited for 15 minutes while she ran all over town to get my change. Other customers had come into the store and started asking me questions about the merchandise. She had left me alone to run her business, it was great to learn Spanish!
So…I drink my orange juice from a plastic bag, step into a shower that surprises me, still waiting to flush it properly. All this you ask and I can still recommend this place with a smile? ABSOLUTELY, I wouldn’t change the opportunity to learn Spanish here for anything!
Just remember, when you arrive in Peru and your first impressions are of Lima, this is NOT indicative of the rest of Peru. – Happy traveling and make sure you learn Spanish, it’s very useful!