Antes

Since mid-October, Anastassja has been living in the “Family House”, run by the Cusco-based and American-run language school, Maximo Nivel, which is the local representative of the Global Volunteer Network, the organisation through which her volunteer programme was set up (based in New Zealand). The Family House is like a small hall of residence with about 20 residents at any one time. The majority of the people living here are young, American and working on volunteer projects with a medical, construction, teaching or childcare bias. There are some Australians and Canadians too and a few “mature” volunteers. The residence is staffed by absolutely charming Peruvians who work from dawn to dusk (and later) serving 3 home-cooked meals a day, cleaning the rooms, bathrooms and common areas. There is a 24-hour doorperson service so that nobody unknown can enter. There is a sunny courtyard, TV room, wi-fi and a low-priced, in-house laundry service. Personally, I think it is fantastic here and cheap at 20 dollars a day. Anastassja, though wants a change. At the beginning of her stay the anglo-saxon, “gringo” ambience here was almost as alien to her as the Peruvian one outside, but she stuck it, adjusted and even did a one-month TEFL certificate course at Maximo Nivel, qualifying her to teach English. Now that she is no longer a volunteer and has started to earn money from her teaching, she wants to live a more Peruvian life and, as of this weekend, immediately after my departure, she will be moving….