Daily Routine

Between the school, the orphanage, the campo, the market, the internet cafe, climbing mountains, riding in boats, floating on islands, and playing fronton, it's nearly impossible to say that we have a "typical day" and we certainly don't have a hard and fast schedule to follow.

With that being said, there are certain things that pop up on an everyday basis and have become a routine part of our lives.

For instance, every morning we walk out our front door and are greeted by the comically vicious barking of the neighbor's dog. He's harmless because of his positioning on a rooftop, and his signature spin move — implemented when he can't harness his energy any longer — is always good for a laugh.

Dogs are a strange phenomenon in Puno as most of them are strays. Additionally, if a family owns a dog it seems like they never show it any form of affection — a far cry from the pampering we're accustomed to giving our canines in the States. In fact, livestock (cows, pigs, sheep, alpaca) appear to be of more value to people as they are always tied up and attended to closely. Dogs on the other hand rarely have collars and leashes are nowhere to be seen.

Another inevitable encounter comes in the form of a staircase. But these aren't any ordinary kind of staircases. Since Puno is in the Andes region of South America, it's a very hilly city. Our house is fairly high in elevation and to go anywhere we must descend one of these mammoth staircases.

The way down is never bad, but the way up is exhausting to say the least. Needless to say, we've come a long way since our first ascent — we were all keeled over, hardly able to catch our collective breath. Now, we barely get winded. And when we come back home to Michigan, we'll be running circles around everybody.One void that won't be filled once we return home is fresh-baked bread every morning. The taste won't be the only thing we'll long for. The price — usually 6 substantial pieces for a Sol (37 cents) — will be equally missed.

Transportation is another unique part of our day. We do a ton of walking, but to get to neighboring towns or across the city of Puno, there's three motorized options. The first is taxis, which are inexpensive by American standards, but still the priciest option. Next is the convi — essentially big vans with three to four rows of seating — that are packed so full that we've counted up to 27 people during a single ride. Similar to a subway or bus system, people can board at designated spots, but can hop off whenever they want. This is the most affordable transportation option and therefore the one preferred by locals (and us).Perhaps the most peculiar set of wheels in town are motos. Basically, it's a carriage-like structure attached to a motorcycle oftentimes with comicbook logos decorating the exterior for some inexplicable reason. They initially seem like no more than a novelty item, but they're good for traveling short distances and give great foot massages due to the rumbling of the motor.

[Written by David Riva | Photos by Benjamin Antonio and Clare Toeniskoetter]