how about a little commission, eh??

Fine, I will admit that from time to time it can get kind of lonely living abroad. Living in Córdoba, Argentina, it was hard to find a quiet moment in a house with 12 housemates. This time around, I spend the majority of my day alone. When I am reading, I stick to either my room or a restaurant (no Starbucks here to get my caffeine fix, though I have found some quiet locations that have good expresso...oh soy lattes, how I miss you). Otherwise, I am bouncing off to the town of Chuquito for Aymara language classes and between different offices or internet cafes in Puno. During these first months, my effort is to build up networks and knowledge base that will prepare me for my field research in the rural provinces of Moho and Chucuito come late November and after the new year.

The evenings are the hardest time for me. I have never been a very good student after dinner time, and prefer to wake up early to get work done. My mind often drifts off into the evening, but I have found ways of keeping myself occupied when my intellectual capacity to focus is lost.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays my house bro, Yerson, and I join a few friends who own the restaurant Mojsa (translated from Aymara--sweet or pleasant tasting) to take cuban salsa dance lessons. The kicker is that our professor is from Switzerland. Don't judge to quickly...this Swiss can move! Granted he kind of looks like Gumbi with rhythm because he's so thin and flexible, he's a very patient teacher and we all have a lot of fun. I may not have the natural latino hip movement, but I have been able to keep up with the steps we are learning.

Other days, I have enjoyed the opportunity that my housing situation presents. The tourist turnover in Puno is impressive. People often stop through the city for a day or two. Normally, they will arrive early in the morning by bus or in the late afternoon by train from Cuzco. The first full day is typically devoted to visiting the floating islands and sometimes staying overnight on the island of Amantani or Taquile. By the next day, the tourists head off for Arequipa or Cuzco. Sometimes they will continue on to La Paz, Bolivia. Right now, that is not a popular choice as there have been continual protests and strikes that are blockading the major tourist route of Copacabana...gotta love Bolivian political realities these days.

I really enjoy meeting the tourists. Sometimes couples arrive, but often the traveler comes alone. Having traveled a lot, I know how overwhelming it feels to arrive in a city and hardly know anything. Where's good to eat? What can I learn within one evening while I am here? And, most typical when arriving to the altitudes of Puno, damn, I feel cruddy...I just want a pleasant meal and a nice conversation. Enter moi. When I have nothing else to do, I offer to accompany the new arrivals out for a relaxing dinner. Where to? Coca Kintu, of course! By far, it is the most enjoyable meal in Puno. The adminstrator, Mark, is originally from England and has settled in Puno after marrying a local (they just gave birth to their second daughter a week ago!). The food is spectacular...think French cuisine-training meets traditional recipes of Peru.

With my temporary new friends, I have enjoyed wonderful evenings that often start around 7 or 8 and end nearly by 11pm. Normally the travelers have raging apetites and enjoy the large meals of alpaca with fig sauce or trout in andean herbs. I stick to the smaller appetizers like the wonderful kingfish rolls (think cooked sushi). A nice cup of coca tea or vino caliente (a much better version of mulled vine) and a pleasant evening of travel tales ensues. Mark will often join the table with a glass of wine and chit-chat.

I have shown up about 4 or 5 times now with fellow house guests and he's joked about giving me comission...I am waiting for him to pay up! Regardless, it's a nice balance to the days full of sorting out the research that overwhelms me. Plus, I hardly speak English anymore, and I need to make sure I don't get too rusty!! :)