A few quick updates:

1. Good news: there is zumba here! I can dance again! Bad news: it’s at 7 am.

2. More good news: I found bacon. Bad news: it’s not satisfying.

3. I am an independent woman once again. I moved out of my homestay on Saturday and into the house of two Awamaki staff members, where I will stay for the next month or so. It was terribly sad leaving my green bedroom and terrace, and even more depressing leaving Deni and Victor. When I was saying goodbye to them, Victor said to me, “But who will I make jokes with? And who will eat all the eggs?” As much as I miss them, I’m happy to have my own apartment and be able to make my own food (although it was a little bit of a shock when I realized I had to feed myself for the first time in 7 weeks). Now I’m living in Pilco Wasi, about two blocks from the Awamaki office, and have successfully fed myself for five successive days. Our house is affectionately called Casa Wasi House (aka the word house in Spanish, Quechua, and English.)

4. Drank chicha for the first time this week. Liked it. So far no rumblies in my tumbly.

5. Apparently it is a tradition here to sneak into the ruins at the full moon, so a few of us snuck in on Saturday night and again on Monday (Monday was the actual full moon). It was incredibly beautiful and surreal; I have never seen a brighter moon. We hiked up to the temple of the sun and lied on top of the wall of the six monoliths (see pic below):

this is a pic from when Victor gave me and Nicki a tour of the ruins during the daytime – the wall of the six monoliths is this wall of six giant stones that makes up the temple of the sun. Normally it’s roped off, but we climbed on top of it Monday night, stared at the moon and stars, and contemplated the mysteries of life. (Okay, I made up that last part, but it was beautiful and humbling and I loved every second of it).

6. A beautiful rainbow over Pinkuylluna!