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]]> http://blog.amerispan.com/2012/03/learn-spanish-in-cusco-visit-machu-picchu-video.html/feed 0 http://blog.amerispan.com/2012/03/spanish-and-tastes-of-peru-getting-to-cusco.html http://blog.amerispan.com/2012/03/spanish-and-tastes-of-peru-getting-to-cusco.html#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:17:00 +0000 AmeriSpan Staff http://blog.amerispan.com/2012/03/spanish-and-tastes-of-peru-getting-to-cusco.html By Courtney C., guest blogger studying Spanish and Tastes of Peru

¡Hola!

My name is Courtney and I am studying Spanish in Cusco, Peru.

I am 23 years old and I am from the state of Kentucky in the United States.  I study at the University of Kentucky and this year I will graduate with two degrees, one in International Studies (my specialization is in the developing world) and the other in French.  For my degrees I spent one year studying abroad in Caen, France and two summers doing volunteer work in Uganda.  After I graduate, I plan to obtain a Master's degree in Public Health focusing in Global Health. 

Why, might you ask, do I want to study Spanish when my degree is in French?  For three main reasons:  First, I have always been fascinated by languages and I would love to know how to speak as many as possible.  I have learned so far that with a background in French and English, Spanish comes fairly easily.  Second, I want to learn as many languages as possible so that I have the flexibility to live, work, study, and travel in as many places as possible.  With French, Spanish, and English you have a large portion of the world covered!  Third, my boyfriend, Cristian, is Colombian and he has been teaching me Spanish because I want to know more about his language and culture.  Actually, I have never had a formal Spanish class, until now, and all that I know about Spanish has come from learning from Cristian.

Now that you know a bit about me, I should begin by telling you about my trip.  My flight schedule was from Cincinnati to Miami, Miami to Lima, and then I had Amerispan organize a flight for me from Lima to Cuso.  My flight from Miami was delayed, but LAN airlines paid for all passengers to stay in a hotel over night and they included dinner and transport to and from the airport.  On my flight, I met two Peruvian students who were returning home after having studied abroad in the United States.  They were so friendly that I had a great feeling about how my trip would turn out.  Because of my flight delay, I missed my flight to Cusco, so I called the program in Cusco and Evelyn was very helpful in giving me advice!  I was able to get a new ticket with Star Peru airlines for the next morning and LAN airlines paid for me to stay in another hotel connected to the airport with two free meals since they made me miss my flight.  At the hotel restaurant I tried Seviche, a famous Peruvian dish of raw fish that is “cooked” (aka marinated) in lime or lemon juice with onion, hot peppers, and sweet potato, for the first time and it was fantastic!!!!  I also tried a Pisco Sour, which a well-known Peruvian cocktail made from a type of white grape brandy with eggwhites, nutmeg, and some other ingredients.  It was tasty, but a little too sweet for my tastebuds, although for such a sweet drink it was pretty stiff.

The flight into Cusco was beautiful!  We could see the coastline in Lima, then the desert, then the mountains.  Even though we were so high in the sky, we didn´t seem to be very far from the ground since we could still easily see the mountain peaks and villages on the mountain sides and in the valleys.  The clouds seemed like they were napping on the mountains as they were so close that they could touch.  It was pretty extraordinary!  And landing in Cusco was breathtaking!  Not only for the wonderful sight of my new home for six weeks, which is beautiful I might add, but also because of the way the plane landed.  Since Cusco is in a valley it is a rapid decent with a sharp turn to land on the runway!

More about my host family and school to come!

Read all of Courtney's blogs

Learn more about Spanish immersion

By Nichole D., Guest Blogger and SALUD Medical Spanish in Peru participant

Finally I have made it to my final destination of Cusco, Peru.  I was greeted at the airport by my gracious house mom, Nancy.  She has many children and two grandchildren Fabio and Francesca who are over at the house all the time and are so fun! We take turns singing the alphabet (them in English, me in Spanish) and practice our colors, shapes, numbers etc.  It´s like I´m in 1st grade all over again!  

In the morning,  my roommate, Dalya, and I walk to our school which is about a 20 minute walk.  We have spanish classes from 8-11:15,   which can be a little long, but on our half hour break, its fun to meet the other students who have come from all over the world to be here.   There are 2 girls from Belgium, a guy from England, one from Switzerland and several from all over the US, but so far, I think I´m the only California girl!

After our classes, we go back home for lunch which is the biggest meal of the day here.  Usually 3 courses consisting of these huge corn kernels that you are supposed to eat whole, cheese, a hearty soup, and a main dish of rice and some sort of thick potatoe stew.  For drinks we have Maize Jugo  (purple corn juice) which is pretty plain but good.  After lunch, its back to school for tours….yesterday we had a walking tour of  the city and while the whole thing was in spanish, surprisingly I learned a lot!  Today we go back to have a tour of a huge market here called Market San Pedro and are also going to be given a tour of several medicinal plants.           

The main center of the city is the Plaza Del Armas and it is absolutely gorgeous!  I want to go there every day and just take in the beautiful churches, fountains and parks.

It´s crazy how completely immersed I´ve been in spanish here…you really have no choice!  Today I even had a slight politcal discussion with Nancy´s son as this Sunday is Peru´s independence day from their socialist rule to their new  communist government.  Wish I could have talked to him more, but the communica tio n barrier was a little tough  talking politics.  But we both definitely agreed  that we hope things will change for Peru in this upcoming year!

Time to go back to school for the tour!

Read all of Nichole's blogs

See all Peru Spanish schools

Accessible via Incan trail, Macchu Piccu is the site of an ancient Incan metropolis. Its discovery led to the modern understanding of this indigeonous culture, still highly valued and celebrated in South America.

Our bucket list was inspired by 'Organizing an Event's" article entitled "10 Events to Attend Before You Die."

Learn Spanish in Cusco

By Nichole D., Guest Blogger and SALUD Medical Spanish in Peru participant

I know many of my close friends and family have been asking if I'll start a blog while abroad and well, here it is!  My goal while abroad is to update this blog as much as I can…at the very least I'll post a new blog twice a week.

In just a little over a week I will be starting my journey to Cusco, Peru where I will be living for an entire month!

For those of you that don't know, I will be taking medical Spanish classes Mon-Fri as well as volunteering in a clinic in the Cusco area.  I absolutely can't wait to start this journey and I promise to keep everyone updated on my adventures as much as I can!

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Lima Hotel

After being at airports from 7am to midnight, when I got to the hotel all I could think about was sleep!  But when I went down to the main lobby this morning to print my boarding pass, the woman working the desk asked if I would mind helping her daughter with her English homework since she has an exam tomorrow.  We had a lot of fun and a little difficulty converting her sentences from Spanish to English but we definitely both learned a lot and I really think she will do well on the test!  In exchange for my English lessons, they offered me a breakfast of eggs, coffee, juice and some bread which was amazing!  I´m getting picked up to be taken back to the airport to fly to Cusco in 20 min where I will finally be united with my host family and roommate Dalya!

I absolutely can´t wait to get to Cusco!!!

Read all of Nichole's blogs

Learn more about AmeriSpan SALUD Medical Spanish in Peru and many other countries abroad

Meet Craig T.Z., a student at AmeriSpan's Cusco Spanish School (Budget Friendly)

What is your background?
Ethnicity: American
Age: 21
Education: International School Bangkok, Thailand (2001-2008)
Binghamton University, New York (2008- )
Current Address: Wakefield, Rhode Island, USA  
Civil Status: Single

Do you travel abroad often?
Yes, I used to travel abroad once or twice a month before I enrolled at University. Now I travel two to three times a year, primarily for vacation.

Have you studied abroad?
I attended the International School of Bangkok in Thailand for 7 years.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I speak English, and have studied Thai and Spanish in school.

Why did you choose an AmeriSpan program?
I was introduced to the study abroad program through my travels abroad, meeting people and visiting schools. I joined the program because after growing up overseas, I wanted to continue my studies in a foreign environment.  

When did you start your program?
I began my program February 28^th, 2011. In The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

What does your program consist of?
In the program, my work is volunteering as a teacher and teachers assistant in local schools in the host country, as well as a Spanish language student.

What do you enjoy the most about your program?
The part of my work I enjoy most is connecting with the children in the schools. Its cliché to say it is rewarding, but there is no better way to explain it. The enjoyment comes from the challenge of understanding each student's abilities and how best to leverage them. No matter the country, city, or social status of the school I am volunteering in, children are all the same and their energy is always positive.

Has a person, group of people or organization instrumental in your study abroad goals?
There have been many people that have been instrumental to my success, as well as organizations. Namely the camp I work in each summer. Spending all day and night with youths allowed me the opportunity to not only be a teacher, instructor and counselor but also a role model and companion. I have also had ample support from friends and family, they have made me the person I am today. And finally, there are always the people and places that I travel to that provide new insights and ideas that I am able to transfer to my work.      

Tell us one of the biggest challenges you've encountered studying abroad.
My biggest challenge is knowing where to begin. With students there is always a range of attitudes and aptitudes. It is necessary to cater to everyone’s own learning style so they all receive an equal understanding of the material.

Tell us one of the mistakes you've made studying abroad.
My biggest mistake when volunteering is forgetting to take it slow and keep the material and pace consistent.

How did you find out about AmeriSpan?
I discovered AmeriSpan through my Spanish school in Cusco, Peru.

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
My school's specialty is teaching interested students the Spanish language and providing enthusiastic individuals with volunteer opportunities.  

Learn more about AmeriSpan's Budget-Friendly Cusco Spanish school

Enjoy Cusco's many flavors in a cooking class, volunteer within a Peruvian community, or just have fun bouncing around town and meeting new people – there is always something new to see!

Learn Spanish in Peru

See more about our new Cusco Spanish school (Budget-Friendly)

Learn more about our new Cusco Spanish school (Budget-Friendly)

It’s been one week since I’ve arrived in Peru but I have honestly
done so much already….

The Sunday of my arrival, my family took me to the Plaza de Armas
(the heart of Cusco) where we saw a mini-festival, rather a competition,
between local schools.  It featured
different types of traditional Inca dancing and live music, filled with bright
colors and the twirling of skirts, and the yells of the boys.  Apparently every Sunday there is an organized
parade to accompany the raising of the Peru and Cusco flags, and these can
range from mini contests to celebrations of anniversaries of local
schools. 

Cusco has also worked out a great system to help tourists see the
city and its surroundings.  With the
purchase of a Cusco Tourist Ticket, access is given to 15 sites.  They include must-see places like Moray,
Saqsayhuaman, and Tip’n, which revolve strongly around the Inca culture.  What’s also great is that each tour will
often visit up to three places, so it’s easier to navigate around the city.  And all of the tour guides speak English, so
after an explanation in Spanish they’re happy to translate their whole speech
and answer more questions.  The ticket
is valid for ten days and costs $47 for adults but $25 for students (so bring
your student ID!) 

Since it was Peru’s Independence day this past
Wednesday (July 28^th celebrating 189 years) I have had Thursday and
Friday off, so this four day weekend has been dedicated to visiting as many
sites as possible.  They are all
breath-taking in their own way; I highly, highly recommend it! 

Click for more information on AmeriSpan's SALUD Program in Cusco, Peru

Click to see AmeriSpan's Spanish School in Cusco, Peru

Read all of Miko's blogs from Cusco, Peru