Yesterday, I moved into the city of Cusco to begin my two week home stay with a Peruvian family. As I said before, home stay is an opportunity to get to know a culture in a more intimate way than just living near locals. In a home stay, you have to follow the daily rhythm of the host family.
My host family lives in a small 2 story house that they only recently had built. It is located up the side of the mountain from Cusco, so it does not feel like being in the city, but there is a beautiful view (pictures to follow when I can transfer them to my laptop). They don't yet have running water, so there is an outhouse, and it's bucket showers if you want to bathe. The area isn't on the electric grid either, so the neighborhood association has pooled money to buy a generator that is shared among the houses, so there are electric lights.
Despite the lack of modern comforts, I wouldn't choose anywhere else to do this home stay. My host family could not be kinder or more generous. The family has done everything it can to make me feel at home. The father has taught me a bit of Quechua while he cooked, the mother let me choose what was for lunch today (arroz con pollo), and the brother gave me his bed (I told him he was like my sister in that regard). And, every single member of the family has told me to tell them if I have any issue and to do what I like. "Esta es su casa!" they tell me.
Their hospitality is almost overwhelming. They seem to be the kind of hosts that I aspire to be. I've only been with them a day, but I expect that I will keep coming back to visit even after my time here is over.
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