Mi Abuelita

Only one week ago, I was visiting Cuzco and the famous ruins of Machu Picchu.

Traveling with my grandmother makes a trip much different than traveling with other young people. Here are the reasons why:

1. We soon found how narrow the colonial sidewalks of Cuzco are (see the narrowness pictured below).

As we went on a walk there, we noticed a young backpacker was walking up the sidewalk while we were walking down. Aunt Susan and I stepped off the sidewalk so he could get through but Grandma refused to budge for him, “You’re young! I’m old!” she said, “You should let me have the right of way!”

It was strangely pleasant to watch a thoughtless hippi-backpacker hybrid have practical courtesy forced upon him.

2. While in Cuzco, the City of Incas but also the City of Tourists, we were bombarded by Peruvians trying to sell things to us.

We visited many cathedrals and museums and Grandma, often tired from walking, would find a place to sit down while letting us explore. One time after visiting a church, we found Grandma, tired of people trying to sell her things, giving the sellers a taste of their own medicine.

The sign she created reads "English lessons: 5 soles" (soles = peruvian currency). Peruvians stopped to laugh and I am sure fewer street vendors stopped to pester her. As Aunt Susan said, now we know why Aunt Anne is the way she is.

3. I was surprised to find that grandma isn’t a wall protecting me from creepy Peruvians but a secret passageway for them. She got to know this Quechuan boy on the bus ride and they exchanged emails. He, of course, he wanted my email.

Me: No.

Boy: (extremely unsubtly) So, you have a boyfriend?

Me: (extremely rudely) NO.

Boy: Why not?

Me: Because there are no Americans in Peru.

Grandma: (later that day) Well, I’ll still communicate with him by email but won’t give him yours and I’ll be sure to teach him protestant values and use the internet to translate my email into Spanish…and Quechuan if they have it!

Oh, and here is a photo of the little punk: