Kombis and La Huatia

My first kombi rides and all rides after have been insane. Those of you who have been to Mexico know what I´m talking about. You have to find the right kombi and know where the heck you are getting off. There is a guy who runs the door and the whole time he is barking out different stops and routes like an auctioneer, only in Spanish of course. My first ride Maria went with me and Cooper came too. It was comforting to have someone show me the ropes, but naturally 2 other people meant less space in the cramped vans that are kombis. I didn´t even know you could fit that many people or seats in a van, but they can be literally crammed. I climbed in and sat near this guy who was singing loudly about owning a cow and playing some kind of percussive wooden instrument with a stick. You know like the ones with ridges? Do they have a name Jesse? He was really pretty annoying, but when Maria paid she dropped the change into his little instrument. It´s important to note that my legs were crammed up against this guy since I was sitting across from him. There´s not enough leg room for two sets of legs across from one another. Fun fun! When we got to our stop near my school (which is called CBC and is fairly close to the Plaza de Armas downtown), we all squeezed our way out and greatfully breathed in the fresh air while avoiding a number of stray dogs at our feet. There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE here. If one comes at you, you´re supposed to pretend to pick up a rock to throw at it.

Have I mentioned there´s a really frightening dog that comes at you while barking that lives right down the street from me? I hate it. I´ve started going around the block to avoid it. Sometimes Julio, my host dad, will walk with me past the dog so I won´t be afraid.

My homework last night given to me by Yessina (my teacher) was to ask my family about la huatia. So now I´m going to tell you what it is. La huatia is an Incan/Andean tradition. It´s a way of cooking potatoes in an oven made of earthen chunks. It looks sort of like an iglou, and the Cusqueñans put fire in it and then throw in some potatoes (or orcas, a type of potato). Then they cover all of that with even more earth until it gets really hot. Then they extract the potatoes and eat them. This method is used in the dryer times of the year (it is so dry here the air sucks all moisture from my skin) when there is no water. Cool, huh? I think Greenthumb should try this out sometime. Write that down, Britt. ;)

Ciao for now.