Vilcabamba!!!!!!

Dear Family, Friends, Parents of other PCT's and other random people who I have no idea who you are;



Well the Peace Corps has finally done it, they have matched me with a place that is right up my alley, somewhere that is nationally known for its facials and massages. I asked a couple of our teachers and volunteers about the city and they have all said that it is beautiful and many are planning to come and visit me once I get settled. So I think I can take that as a pretty safe bet that it is an awesome place.



The population is approx 4000 people and the town of Vilcabamba is known for it's "Fountain of Youth" and apparently there are a number of residents who are 100 yrs old or older (some are 120 yrs old). The local rivers are said to have some kind of magical powers for longevity and health. "So I got that going for me, which is nice." I read up on the city some and there are a ton of hikes very close to the city and a number of horseback riding outfits that offer everything from an afternoon ride to a 3 day excursion. (Don't get any ideas Molly). As for my job, I will be working with one of the local coffee companies down here to help them penetrate new markets, there is also a newly started recycled paper company and a community bank that are looking to develop further. These jobs are just what I asked for and I am definitely looking forward to working in these areas.



Next week we were supposed to go on our site visit but due to all of the recent rain causing landslides on the highways the trips have all been cancelled which is a bummer. But I figure I will get there soon enough.



And for all of those people who had Guinea Pigs growing up, we went to our first Cuy (guinea pig) class the other day. They taught us how to castrate the cuyes (which all the guys in our class enjoyed) and then they showed us how to kill them. Let's just say that it is like squashing a tomatoe on a table that is full of bones. I swear the sound that it made will haunt me for years to come.



On that note, I need to go and eat dinner. Things are great down here and I am super siked about my site. So excited in fact that I have already started to prepare, below is a picture of me getting ready.