Oh yeah, there's more.

I realized that there were a lot of fun things that I didn't include in that last post. So here they are.

Street performers actually perform in the street in Lima. On our first day we saw a man doing magic tricks with a red rubber ball at a stoplight. And yesterday, at that same stoplight, we saw a lot of people spinning nun-chucks that were on fire. It seemed really dangerous because there was a gas station on the corner, but I'm sure they know what they are doing.

The bus system here is totes cray. My economics professor said that the bigger buses are 19 years old! They are old school buses sent here from the US. And they are being used as public transportation. The most common buses you will see are called micros. They hold around 25 people, but there are usually 45 people in them. These are also very old. Then there are convis which are smaller and not as old, but definitely dirtier. We aren't supposed to ride those because they are a bit more dangerous. There are tons of taxis that can be safe if you know what you are doing, but we are supposed to call a taxi if we want to go somewhere. It is safer to call a company that you trust.

Peru is on the San Andreas fault. So, my building is antiseismatico, meaning it will withstand an earthquake. It already held up in a level 8 earthquake a few years ago. There are green signs with a big S on them everywhere to tell you where to stand in the case of tremors. Also, painted on the ground are big yellow circles. Some say "Zona de Seguridad" but once you've seen one, you know what they all are. If there were an earthquake we would all have to run to the streets or find a security zone. There aren't many buildings more than 3 stories tall and I bet that is why.

My university is really nice. It focuses on business and economics so you know it's fancy. Every classroom has a projector and sound system in it, like you would expect in the states. They even have classroom furniture that I think my dad would find acceptable. There is a cafe and a restaurant in the main University and a small cafe/snack bar at the language center (which is where the majority of my classes are). I got a cup of coffee for 3 soles which is the equivalent of $1.20 or so. So that's nice. They even sell kekes de platano and other fruits, which looks like banana bread. I haven't tried it yet.

Today I learned how to salsa dance. It was really fun and the instructor was really helpful. We were a group of American girls who never move their hips and he helped us out a lot. He would teach us the steps and then make each of us dance with him until he was sure we got it. So now I can go salsa dancing! And when I get home, people will say, "Oh, Amanda, you move so well! Where did you learn to salsa?" And I will be able to say, "Oh, it's no big deal. I learned in Peru." What a day that will be.

I also learned how to make salsa verde. It is very similar to pesto only with a lot more spinach. At least that's what my host mom says. It is very good and had a fair amount of garlic. I will probably try to make it when I get home. So I learned about two different kinds of salsa today. How fun!

Also, I wanted to share the exciting story of how Peru got its name. This is all according to an excerpt we read by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and my understanding of what our professor said in very fast Spanish. So, in the 17th century, when explorers were all over, doing exciting and scandalous things, Vasco Núñez sailed down from Mexico to what is now Peru. Once they were on land, he sent a few boats back to Spain to let them know that they had found something. So the ships sailed off and when they were near modern-day Ecuador, they saw an indigenous man fishing. They snuck up on him and captured him. Once they had him on the boat, they said with words and gestures, "What land is this?" Obviously, the gestures used to ask that question could be confused with many other questions, like, "What do you call this dirt?" or "Have you ever found anything here?" or "Who does this land belong to?" You get the idea. The man answers with two words: Berú and Pelú. The Spaniards thought he understood completely and called this new land Perú (l's and r's sound very similar in Spanish and could have easily changed over time, or even on the boat). Pelú is actually the Quechuan name of the river he was fishing on. It was all just a big misunderstanding. So that's pretty awesome. 

Tomorrow we are visiting historic downtown Lima. I am very excited to learn more and also eat Peruvian Chinese food.