Los Juegos Mecanicos in Review

So I know you have heard a ton about the fair, but you are going to hear more, because seriously, Los Juegos Mecanicos is the best thing to hit Cusco since well…probably since last year’s Juegos Mecanicos came to town.

The Zipper:

Well, you already heard about the zipper since it was the first ride we did. I think since that first fateful night when we discovered Los Juegos Mecanicos we have returned about 8 to 10 times (the whole 5 minute walk from our house thing really helps). The Zipper was the only ride we did that first night.

The Space Loop:

The Space Loop was the second ride we did, and let me tell you about what a mistake that was. Space Loop is another caged up and down spinning ride, but within the large slow spins that this ride makes, there are also 6 or 7 very fast spins that the cage does. And let me tell you, this ride is Hell. Amanda even went so far as to say Hell for her would be being stuck on this ride forever. And I have to agree. It was pretty freaking awful. And seriously, never-fucking-ending. The only way I managed to hold i

t together and not start crying was when I let myself relax into the fast spins. But really, if you ever encounter this ride: Just Say No.

The Samba:

On perhaps our second or third trip to Los Juegos Mecanicos we were convinced by a persuasive Claudio and Jimmy to go on Samba. Samba has a concept similar to The Gravitron. Except you are not inside on Samba. Instead, you sit on a bench and you hold on the bars and the ride spins around. Essentially the centrifugal force keeps you from flying away. Except Sambas has a twist. In addition to spinning quickly it t

ends to dance. So it will bump you up and down (only during the slower spins) inspiring many Peruvians to dance. Well, at least, stand up while holding onto the bars and shake their hips a bit. But really, Peruvians are programmed to dance no matter what, so it’s not surprising that their instinct (even when spinning at high speeds) is to dance. And yeah, it’s mostly the boys that do the dancing. So as Claudio and Jimmy and the others shook their hips, Val and Amanda and I held on for our lives.

La Montana Russa:

Awww, now this is one hell of a ride. It’s a fantas

tic roller coaster. Fantastic mostly in it’s jenkiness. There is only one car on this roller coaster so on weekends the wait is very long. Luckily, on weekdays the wait is non-existent. The car fits 3 people (perfect for the roommates). The only safety precaution is a non-adjustable seat belt that subsequently is way to large for anyone but the most obese person. But the roller coaster is still amazing. The first fall is quite step and is quite possibly the key to human flight. I was quite afraid Valerie was going to literally fly out of my lap (but thank god for that obese sized seatbelt right?). In any case, it’s a run of the mill roller coaster but its rickety pieces and the fact that you could very easily die adds to the appeal. Plus, all the pi

eces of the track are numbered so that the Carnies know how to set up the roller coaster in the next city.

There Were Two Other Rides That Are Kind of Hard to Explain and Not All That Interesting But Still Pretty Fun:

There were two other rides that are kind of hard to explain and not all that interesting but still pretty fun. Actually, I only know that one of them was fun because I have yet to go on the other (but don’t worry, I will).

The Churros:

What can I really say about the churros? They are amazing. They are fresh and sugary and cost S/. 1 (about 30 cents). And we eat them a lot. And they are always delicious.

The Games:

Val has really gotten into the games. One in particular, she loves, and I think the fact that a 9 year old Carnie boy runs the game booth draws her in even more. The game is on a slant is a wooden box with numbered slots. You get 8 balls and you roll them into the numbered slots. When you have rolled all 8 of them, they count up your total number and you get a prize depending on your number. It’s an Always Win game, which definitely adds to the appeal. So far Val has won: a bag of toy soldiers, two plastic kitchen bowls, a juice box, a top, and more. She is actually getting quite good though, and if she can manage to get all of the balls in the number 6 slot (today she got 5 out of 8) we can win a TV. I would really enjoy winning a TV. So I think we are going to keep practicing, and by we, I of course mean Valerie.

Oh Man!

I can’t believe I almost forgot about the Tren Fantasmos (the ghost train). That train was awesome. It was a haunted house, but actually quite terrifying. Mostly it consisted of riding a train through darkness, but damn was it dark in there! There were also some hanging things that you drove through so that was kind of freaky. A naked lifesize bloody Barbie was also a main feature of the Tren Fantasmos. But really, the darkness was the scariest part. I spent much of the ride clinging to Amanda. But Let’s Face It: I’m a wuss.

So yup, that’s the Juegos Mecanicos. It leaves the first week of November and I can’t even describe the sadness I will feel when I can’t just wander down the street to the traveling amusement park for some Sunday night (or Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday night) fun. And how sad I will be when I can’t walk into class and say “What are you going to do tonight? What?! You’re NOT going to the Juegos Mecanicos? But why would you ever do anything else!”

Peruvian Birthday Party....for a 1 year old

Well hello there. I know, I know, it’s been FOREVER. I have been meaning to write for days upon days, but everytime something gets in the way. And I know I owe you a whole bucket full of updates from two weeks ago, but at this point, I’m pretty sure it’s not going to happen. So you will all have to make do with knowing that I did fun things, and they were worth writing about, but hell, I’m lazy. So, you can hear about the fun things I have done more recently. Actually, not even all that recently. But the birthday party was worth writing about, and as I have finally uploaded pictures to my computer I can even illustrate the amazing times that I have had.

So, let’s go back. If you’ll just hop on into my time travel machine over here, we can go back to last Saturday—Eduar’s First Birthday. The party was absolutely amazing. Let me back up a bit. Eduar is the nephew of one of Valerie’s students, se llama Claudio. We had gone to Claudio’s house the Tuesday before the party for her other student, Jimmy’s, birthday party (Jimmy and Claudio are best friends). So while we were there, we became enamored with Claudio’s nephew, Eduar. He is absolutely freaking adorable. No seriously, the cutest one year old ever. And because we were so absolutely enamored by him, his mother brought us over invitations to Eduar’s birthday party.

So the party. There was a clown, there was food, there was a piñata, there were Barney and Tigger characters, there were drinks. Pretty much everything you could hope for in a party and more. The party was unlike any party I had been to before (although I really can’t say I have attended many birthday parties for 1 year olds). The chairs were set up around the edge of the room. There was a fantastic cake display at the front of the room. Pretty much the party consisted of the adults sitting in the chairs watching the clown entertain the children. He played games that were mostly about the children but did occasionally include the adults.

Instead of gathering around the snack table like any normal American party, one of the many people helping out at the party would come around with a tray of whatever snack they were serving at the time and you would take a bit. The same thing happened with cake, and with the chicken they served us (except they actually brought us a plate of chicken) and with whatever different drink or other type of dessert they were serving (seriously, tons of different things).

So what else, towards the end of the clown festivities Claudio and Jimmy came out in full Barney and Tigger outfits and danced with the children (also dragging Val and I and a few other adults onto the dance floor, seriously, I think Tigger has a dancing addiction). Plus, I think I am a little scarred after watching Barney “get low” with a 3 year old. That just can’t be right.

Although I’m sure the question was on everyone’s mind, Val and I managed to avoid the issue of Why the Gringas Were at the Party. After Tigger and Barney did there thing, and the Pooh Piñata had been sufficiently destroyed we said our goodbyes to the family and an adorable Eduar, Tigger aka Jimmy, Val and I headed into town for a night of dancing (unfortunately Barney aka Claudio was unable to come because his 18 year old 7 month pregnant fiancé has been put on casi-bed rest).