Casa de Juan

I would be remiss in my duties as a "blogger" if I didn't write a little about the place where I live, or as everyone calls it, The Casa de Juan. The pictures I'm posting will give you a better idea of the place than my drivel, but I'll try to add what I can. Consider it a tribute to my landlord Juan. Living here in the heart of Arequipa has been a blast -- from the fireworks that go off in the area about three times a week, to the relentless barking of the neighbor's dog, to Juan's penchant for listening to Spanish opera (and he has nice sound system) at 5:30 a.m., to the very chilly showers (although it has been heating up a little lately), to the tiny kitchen you share with the other tenants, to the brawls and battles outside my window at all hours of the night, to the incessant honking of horns, to the inconsistent internet. All that said, what sticks with me the most about this place is how really pretty and peaceful it is even with the surrounding chaos. The tile floors are striking, even if they're white and dust magnets. There are flowers and plants everywhere. The hallway has no ceiling -- it's open-air so you can step out of your room and see the stars. The open-air second-floor patio (although it's much bigger than a patio) features more plants and flowers and most impressive, murals on the walls. It's where I do my wash, lesson plan on occasion, and just chill out. Keep climbing the outdoor stairs and you reach the roof. I've posted pictures from the roof on this blog, but they don't really do the view justice. And of course, there's Juan. Wonderful guy with a lot of charisma -- I've mentioned that he's an author and authority on all things Arequipa, a wonderful singer, a bullfighting aficionado, and all-around man about town. I'm glad I lucked into this place at the recommendation of one of the teachers. I almost rented a place in the "classier and safer" part of town. I didn't rent there because I would have had to share a bathroom -- I'll put up with cold water as long as I have my own bathroom. If I come back to Arequipa, I would try to rent here again.
I only have a few more days of teaching remaining, and I'm getting ready for my Feb. 6 departure. It's been a rough month with loads of teaching hours, including a four-hour stint on Saturday. I'll have a couple of days to relax before heading out. My Saturday TEFL class and I are going to lunch this Saturday -- ceviche, of course. I've gotten a couple of gifts from some other students, and it's really quite touching. The students -- and the visit from my son Jack -- have been the highlights of my time in Arequipa. I'll try to scratch out one more blog post before I leave (sure y'all can't wait) and post pictures of some of the folk in town who've treated me really well the past 6.5 months.