Peruvian Snowday

We were warned on Tuesday that there would be a 'paro' or strike/protest on Thursday which means no public transportation or most stores open between 9am and 4pm. The strike was for the cost of living- that prices can't be raised anymore. There was a chance that transportation really would not happen at all in the morning, even before 9. My spanish school told us that there would be no classes on Thursday but Heather, the other student in my class, would be leaving Friday morning to Bolivia and already missing one day was too many. Maria, my teacher, Heather, and I decided to tough it out and have class anyway, even if it meant taking an expensive taxi or walking all the way to school. I left at 6:30am (as opposed to my normal 8:15am) hearing nothing but dogs barking. Usually there's vans driving constantly since two of the convey systems begin/end just down the road from me, about a 45 second walk downhill, 2 minutes uphill. The silence was my answer to how I'd be getting to school. I started off down the hill, a woman passing me in spandex and a backpack, jogging down the road. This is unusual. I didn't even know Qusquenans wore spandex. It took me 2 1/2 hours to get to school but how fun it was.
There were a few taxis driving by but everyone was desperate for a taxi and instead of standing at the window and asking how much, they dove in before others beat them to it. I was not about to join in this chaos. I also passed a huuuge pickup truck that again, people charged and dove in to get a ride, all squished, some people hanging off. As they kept driving, the road was blocked by small rocks in a line and they were forced to turn on the other side of the road where lo and behold, was where all the taxi drivers who weren't driving that day were parked, hanging out with one another. When they saw the load of people, they ran with a huge bucket of water and splashed everyone on that side of the truck. I have a picture of the taxi drivers after they splashed the truck.

Kids were playing volleyball and soccer in the street. As I entered the main street of the city, I finally saw people protesting with flags and a loud speaker. I arrived at school an hour late. I was saying to Maria that we don't have these sort of strikes in the States but my whole time walking to school, it reminded me of a snowday with kids playing in the streets and most businesses not opening. I found out when I came home that missionaries actually call 'paros' Peruvian snowdays so it must be true that this is a Peruvian snowday. After class, Maria took us to the Plaza de Armas, the main town square. It was completely filled with spectators and picketers (sp?). They were burning a tire and I saw one man was almost attacked but the police that were everywhere protected him. That was the extent of the violence though. In Cusco, it's peaceful but in Lima and some other parts of Peru, there is a lot of violence. I was lucky to be in the middle of a paro and not be afraid for my life. Maria said the man who was almost attacked was probably part of the government. Next, we headed to a store where Maria's daughter works and then headed to find a place open to eat lunch. There was no way I was walking home after walking all morning so I knew I'd be in the city till 4 when transportation started up again. Heather left us before lunch, my last time seeing her until I make a trip out to Seattle to visit her sometime. She was my first friend here in Peru, but fortunately, not my last. After lunch, we headed to Maria's friends house where she works/lives 3 months of the year. She works for a millionaire whose from Spain and is aging quite a bit so needs some help at home. They were very hospitable and helpful to translate when I didn't understand what was going on. At four, Maria and I headed home to catch a convey. It took a while to find some means of transportation, but on the way I helped Maria practice her English and then we switched back to Spanglish when English became too hard for her. We had a long and exhausting day but one where I really got to know Maria very well and I know it's a day I'll remember for years to come.

Below is a video. Double click on the bottom left triangle.