Cusco in all it's richness...(Pt. I)

Wow. Who is awful at keeping up with their blog? This guy. I apologize all who are following my adventures out here, my stubbornness and putting off skills (which are excellent) have gotten the better of me these last couple weeks. And because I have so much updating to do, and know nobody likes to read an extremely long blog post, I'll resort to dividing these last 18 days or so into two parts, the second of which to come in the next day (or so, no promises I can't keep).
So, I last left off the night before leaving for Cusco, which now feels like months ago. Upon arriving in Cusco, I immediately felt the altitude change carrying my bags off the plane. I was huffing and puffing right off the bat. It's incredible how eleven thousand feet can make such a difference in breathing. And don't even get me started on stairs. After leaving the airport, immediately the differences between Lima and Cusco were evident: Cusco had a much more rustic, early 1900's feel than most of what I saw of Lima. Also, Cusco sits in the valley of hills and ruins, which is a far cry from Lima's more urbanized city and culture. Providing a little bit of history for you all, Cusco used to be the official capital of Peru before Francisco Pizarro and the Spaniards invaded in the 16th century and re-named Lima the new capital. Cusco still remains the official Historical Capital of Peru and of the Incas. The Spaniards built the cathedrals and buildings that remain there today, just on top of many of the Incan structures. There you go, now you've all got a little taste of Cusco.
These last few weeks I have been living with a host family through the language school I am attending. It is a couple, Willy and Katy (pronounced kah-tee), with their adorable kids, Valeria (9) and Joaquin (4). I don't know if I could have asked for a kinder, more welcome or hospitable family here in Cusco. Ever since I stepped foot in the house, they have made me feel like a part of their family and feel right at home. Willy immediately helped show me around important parts of Cusco that I'd need to know for the month and has more than helped with information about the city and directions whenever I have needed them. Katy prepares three meals a day, every day, for myself and the others living here, which right now includes myself, a New York med student name Kosta, as well as various other Canadian students who have been in and out. I have enjoyed getting to try different Peruvian native dishes, and best of all, the native rare fruits that only grow here. Thus far, my favorite has to be the "chirimoya", a very tender and very sweet fruit native to the Andean valley. Mark Twain even called it "the most delicious fruit known to men", and I don't know that I could disagree with him. And my new favorite dessert that I'm definitely bringing back to the states with me? Sliced banana drizzled with condensed milk, yes please.
Beyond the food here, I have been able to witness a city very rich in culture and Incan history. My second day in the city, I went to an annual festival held here in Cusco called "Inti Raymi", which is the Quechuan term for festival of the sun. It takes place every winter solstice, and is a theatric representation of the sun shown in three stages: the first at a historical ruin in Cusco called Coricancha, next at the central Plaza de Armas, and finally, after a decent hike, the final stage held up at Sacsayhuaman, another group of Incan ruins. It really is a beautiful display of costumes and theatrics, though I understood next-to-nothing about it because it was entirely in Quechua and I did not have a what-exactly-is-going-on guide. Overall, I'm glad I went for the experience and the pretty sights. One of the ways I've been able to meet some locals while working up a little sweat has been playing a little fùtbol (definitely not American) on Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights, which has been a heart attack and a blast at the same time.  It's usually about 5-on-5 on either a short artificial turf field or a short concrete court, with not a lot of stoppage, and a whole lot of me tripping over myself and the ball. I'd say I've gotten a tad better since I've been here, though that still leaves me miles behind some of the natives and Europeans here.
One thing I found here that has been a big blessing has been a small church located in one of the central plazas, called The Meeting Place Church. It is a cafe 6 days out of the week, serving American-style dishes and drinks to help support local ministries, and on Sundays at 6:30 PM holds a service with a time for worship and a message. Being away from my church family in Monmouth has been a test, as I've realized how blessed I am to be around so many quality young men and woman who share my love for the Lord. This church has helped fill that fellowship void and provided a place where I can worship freely, just as back home. South America, including Peru, being so primarily Catholic-influenced, it can be tough to get plugged into an English-speaking Christian church in some areas unless you really ask around or get lucky searching online. I have gotten the chance to talk with the missionary from Idaho who came over with his family last year and helped transform the coffee shop into a church as well, and I was inspired by his obedience to God's plan and willingness to uproot his family to come to such a different environment. He could have just have easily have ignored the call and stayed in his comfort area of Idaho, but his trust in God brought him to live less comfortably in a less developed foreign city to help provide a church body to visitors and other missionaries. I truly believe we need more people like him, who offer God their full trust. It's getting late, so I will finish updating on the last couple weeks tomorrow! Hope everyone is having a great summer thus far! Hasta mañana...