Mi familia

All native Cuzqueñans, Cesar, Belinda and son Cesar Jr., known as Cesito.

This is the middle-class fam that drew the short straw and got moi as a houseguest for six weeks. Belinda runs the show, pretty much hustling everybody to do their thing with the least fuss and mess, cooking all the meals and organizing the house.

Cesar works in tourism, picking up tourists at the airport or train station, driving them around and acting as a tour guide. What a surprise: Cesar worked in the Cuzqueña brewery for 15 years or so before he got into the tourism gig.

Cesito is 16, a violinist and student in a colegio, which is really just high school. He´s also a part of the 38-member Cuzco symphony orchestra. Even though the town is 300,000 people, the orchestra remains small because so many of the residents are poor.

The family has two daughters, both older than Cesito. One´s una profesora, or primary school teacher, and the other works in a hotel in Macchu Picchu. The hotel is apparently upscale, as the cheapest room they have is $600 a night.

Hmmmm ... the house I´m staying in is smack next door to a Masonic temple.
The house has four bedrooms, though one was added, likely for paying houseguests to bump up their income.

None of the bathroom sinks in this country have hot water. As a matter of fact, most have only the one cold-water tap.

One of the more "interesting" ways of life here concerns the toilets. No one flushes toilet paper. Ever. No where. Not for any reason. You dispose of used toilet paper in a wastecan. Always. Siempre. The pipes, I´m told, are small and old and won´t take the stress. I also suspect most places are on a septic system. Anyway, the result is surprisingly unnoticeable.

What is it with people and dogs? Four-syllable Chocolate, some kind of Pekingese, has never eaten dog food. People food all the way. And he has the run of the house.

The shower works well, with a natural gas box heating the water as it´s used. There isn´t a hot-water heater as we know it.

Many of the houses in the area are behind walls, which is a security thing. Most every house in a middle-income area has fencing around it of some sort. Many, though, are of wrought-iron, and look pretty nice.