Your average day in Arequipa

I've been in Arequipa for a little over a month now, and life has settled into somewhat of a routine. If you can call mastering the art of dodging across 4 lanes of sign-less chaotic traffic routine. So I thought I would share what my average day looks like.

5:30 - iPhone alarm starts going off, and snooze will be hit 3 or 4 times before getting up is seriously considered. Nicely snuggled and warm under 3-4 blankets and completely dreading the thought of getting out from under them.

6:00 - The sun is finally up and light coming in through the windows. Time to start actually planning the dash to my sweats and hoodie.

6:15 - Finally accept that I cannot sleep any longer and grudgingly get out of bed and get ready.

6:30 - Finish getting ready and track down my course books and materials

6:35 - If at Cena's place, sit down for a wonderful (albeit rapid) desayuno of delicious orange yogurt smoothie, fresh cheese empanada, fresh rolls with jam and cheese, and tea that Mama Kuy in her sleepy state prepared as she considers it madness to leave to work with out breakfast. If my place, throw a granola bar and fruit in my bag.

Photo by Cena Rouzes

6:45-50 - Undertake my 5-8 minute power walk to work, past the combis stop (one of the few pre-planned chaotic stops), across more lanes of traffic, across the bridge, and through the park to Extreme.

6:50-55 - Make the first of many travel mugs of black tea and do some last minute lesson planning for my class starting in 5 minutes.

7:00-11:00 - Teach 4 hours of Intermediate and Advanced young adult english classes.

11:10 - Walk back home avoiding the taxis offering me rides, street vendors trying to sell me things, and floods of traffic and people congesting the streets, and proceed to strip off and change out of my work clothes the second I enter my room.

(If I haven't slept for a few days and need to nap throughout afternoon, proceed directly to 16:00)

12:00 - The lunch menús have started and we head to one of our favorite 5-7 soles ( 2-3$) 2 course lunch menus nearby consisting of a huge bowl of hearty soup complete with giant chunk of meat, potato, squash, and corn or very interesting but delicious veggie for starters, and a heaping plate of rice, vegetables and usually chicken or pork as the main plate, always accompanied by chicha or limonada.

13:00 - After a crazy delicious amount of food, we usually head to one of the many cafés I have scoped out for a café con leche. Following this, we either sit in the café and talk, practice Spanish, go to the main square or a park and people watch, or wander the city checking out markets and stalls.

Photo by Cena Rouzes

Photo by Cena Rouzes

15:00-30 - Head back home to a luke-warm shower, if necessary, as a 6am shower is suicidally cold. Plan out lessons, do some admin, chill, and change clothes again for work.

16:15 - Start my 30 minute walk to the second Extreme location where I teach my evening class, or proceed to fuck around for 30 more minutes and catch a 4-5 soles taxi ride there. Sun will also set while I'm in class, so I have to carry my two layers of jacket with me and face the sun sans sunglasses or risk lugging them around in my bag all evening.

17:00 - 5 minutes of last minute lesson planning, as Peruvians are consistently 15 minutes late, and proceed to teach for 2 more hours.

19:00 - Finish work and either head down the street to Alex's Hotel to chat with her, have a drink, hang out with other Peruvians, or wander the city, or meet up with Cena or occasionally Preston or Adriana and wander the city, find some food, watch a movie, hang out, or have a drink. Either way, proceed to inevitably lose complete track of time.

24:00 - Realize that it's already midnight, and I have to be up in 6 hours, and start thinking about heading to bed.

1:00 - Finally get serious about this mystical sleep thing and go to bed. Instantly regretting the fact that I have to be up in 4-5 hours and vow to go to sleep early the next night.