Early to rise

Don't plan on sleeping in here. Arequipa rises early. No daylight savings, so the sun's up around 5:30 a.m. and down at 6:30 p.m. year-round. In the a.m., there's barking dogs, the relentless honking of car, taxi, combi and bus horns, and our neighbors pounding on metal with sledge hammers doing god knows what. It all happens before 7:30 a.m. And I didn't even mention our landlord Juan playing opera on his stereo full blast around 6 a.m. Trash pickup here, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., is an event. The trash truck plays loud music to signal its arrival -- a recording of "No Place Like Home" on a pipe organ accompanied by flute. When I first heard it I thought it was an ice cream truck. The flatbed truck backs up into our alley, music blasting (sometimes they ring a loud bell instead), and everyone comes running out of their dwellings carrying bags of trash that go on the back of the truck. You've got to be quick. Vehicles, likes buses, combis and trash trucks, wait for no one in Arequipa. Even if they see you, they'll bolt if they're in the mood. Had a funny miscommunication with my landlord Juan. I was asking why our Internet was down, using my spanglish to explain that I needed to keep in touch with my dad. Somehow Juan thought I said that he was like a father to me. Juan seized on this. While he's away, he's having his new son water his countless plants and flowers, and chase the trash truck three times a week. It's nice doing a few chores. I kind of miss my house now, and the endless chores and projects you face as a homeowner. Found a decent coffee/pastry shop where you can hang out. It's got a nice patio, and I go there to lesson plan. The coffee isn't cheap, however. About S/.5 for a small Americano. The ladies are nice there, though, and they like to practice their English with me, and they also help me with my Spanish. We're watching A Christmas Story in my 7-9 p.m. class a little bit at a time. A lot of the dialogue is pretty subtle for the students, but they thought it was absolutely hilarious when Ralphie lets the F-bomb slip while changing the flat tire with his dad. Good stuff. Heading to Machu Picchu Dec. 26. Wanted to be there Christmas Day, but work made scheduling difficult. My contract here ends at the end of January. Wondering what I'll do when I grow up.