AHHHH... After Inca Trail I think we all needed a day to relax and recover from the last 4 days!
Today was my me day!!! I think the hardest part of traveling for me is being surrounded by people 24/7 when I'm used to being on my own so much back home. I treasure my Sundays when I usually don't get to work nor do I need to talk to anybody so after more than 2 weeks in a group I needed at least a couple of hours just by myself.
I went downstairs for a surprise that Ricardo had for us and it was... GUINEA PIG!!! A delicacy in Peru ( I did not try it!! I could only think of Rosavel's guinea pigs!)
I went for lunch on my own to Papacho's (a burger joint by Gaston Acurio).., getting a table was super hard anywhere because of the World Cup Final! I had to beg them for a table and promised to be out of there before the game ( I had 2 hours before the game!!!)
Well, I was super lucky... I wAs given the one table that no one wanted today... In the balcony! It was so relaxing and the view was beyond fantastic!
I had a fabulous quinoa and broccoli burger with sweet potato fries... Delicious but gigantic! I had ½ of it and then took the rest with me and gave it to two little girls working outside of the cathedral.
The afternoon I spent it with Jason and Sam sitting on the plaza writing on my journal.
While sitting one boy approached me and asked if I wanted my boots shined... My heart broke just to see such a young boy working shinning shoes. I asked how much and he said "su voluntad" (whatever you want) so I said yes! (previously I saw 2 people getting their shoes shined for a sol)
He started shinning my shoes and then the police came and told the boy to leave the plaza because it was illegal to shine there and threaten them to not let them work!!!!! I felt so sad! (Plus, I had half a boot shined!!!!)
Very sad he left and said to move to another place so he could shine my boots... I felt terrible so after a min or so I moved across the street and saw him and his little brother and told them that they could each shine one of my boots (gave them instructions to only clean them but do not put the shiny stuff on it... I don't like shiny boots!)
While they were working on my boots I got to talk to them and even though I think they lied about their age they told me that every day after school they shine shoes for a living. It really breaks my heart to see kids working to help out their families. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have live a life full of privileges but it saddens me to see how many kids are deprived from childhood and put responsibilities that they shouldn't have a such small age!
Although it's unfair to compare these kids with the kids I babysit but how can I not?!? I work with children that are beyond privileged and many times they are so bratty and they don't realize how good they have it.... It just really makes me think... Do we really choose which family we are born into?
It really breaks my heart not to be able to do more for them other than pay them 5 soles to shine my boots :-(
Here they are:
After spending some time in the plaza we all went back to the hotel and later on went for a last (meh!) meal as a group in Cusco.
Jai got to make a pisco sour!
No comments:
Post a Comment