Yamanyá Backpackers is finally open, and other goings on
Yamanyá - open and beautiful. Image: Carlos Silva
I’m living an inspiration-free moment. Yamanyá Backpackers is newly open, which is wonderful, but it has plunged me into a deep pile of stress and hideously boring administrational-type jobs. I had to put uni to one side for this trimester, in the interests of my mental health, and writing? I work from one of the desktops in the office, while my Mac sits untouched on a shelf, and I avert my eyes from it, every time I enter the room. A shiny reminder of my failings; the white elephant in the room. I don’t even have the will to read at the moment – I barely know myself.
But this will pass. On Tuesday I start the long trip home to Australia – bus Cusco-Lima, flights Lima-Santiago-Auckland-Sydney-Brisbane, if you can believe it. But it’s all worth it for three and a half weeks of sun, Australian beer, BBQs, friends and family. I don’t doubt it’s all I need to bring the words back.
So in the interests of looking forward instead of inward, here’s a quick look at what’s on for the rest of the year:
Glimpse Spring Correspondents Program
Totally stoked to get an email from Sarah Menkedick over at Glimpse.org yesterday, letting me know I was one of 10 Correspondents selected for the Autumn program. It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with some outstanding editors, and force me to work to deadlines (without which I am incapable of producing anything of value. Anything). Perfect.
Yamanyá Backpackers
OK, I have to shamelessly plug the place – this is my Internet soapbox and I’m not getting off it. The opening party was a raging success, the place looks amazing, and the rest of the year will be devoted to getting the pool and pool-side bar ready, and polishing the details. And promoting the hell out of the place – for which I could use your help, kids. Check out the website, or head over to our facebook page to become a fan. And tell all your friends. All. ‘Preciate it.
Lonely Planet Blogsherpas
The Blogsherpas are a group of bloggers selected by Lonely Planet to provide content for their website. The brand has taken on something of a life of its own though, and its been wonderful to work with such a talented and motivated group of people all over the world. The blog carnivals will be continuing, but even more exciting is the photo e-book we’ll be bringing out later this year. The first, we hope, of many publications.
Travel
Buenos Aires in November for a hostelling conference? Brazil and Argentina in January/February? Cuba in June? And I plan to finally visit Machu Picchu, really bloody soon. It’s just embarrassing at this point.
So, my faithful readers, those of you that haven’t abandoned me at some point during this long silence, you are officially up to date. Hold tight, have patience, because I’m feeling better than I have in months, and I know the words are going to come back. Hopefully in time for this month’s Matador Abroad deadlines.
and yes, meeting up for a drink would be awesome! And I know!! I’m such a...
Congrats on Yamanyá! The place looks absolutely fabulous! Your holiday and Yamanyá’s success would make all that stress go away
Thanks Nina! I’m feeling more relaxed already – hanging out in Santiago
airport, reading emails from the boys saying everything’s ok!
Hope you’re well too!
2010/8/31 Disqus <>
I’m so proud of you for all the awesome things you are tackling all at once. I’m kind of in awe at all you have piled up on your metaphorical plate- yay you! Congrats on the Glimpse thing. I look forward to reading whatever you put out there. I’m still reeling from a month spent intensively learning Mandarin (and doing a lot of part time examiner-bollix work to put food on table) and have barely done 1/10th of what I thought I’d write this summer. I hear you on the whole deadlines thing!
Thanks so much! Looking forward to getting started on the Glimpse thing,
just got the email with the details and seems like there’s a huge amount of
editorial support and lots of opportunities to learn. Just gotta get my
writing groove back…. sigh. We’ll suffer through this together.
How’d the Mandarin thing go? I’m in awe of THAT, the mere thought of
attempting to learn a language with without the cosy familiarity of our
alphabet gives me a little panicky feeling inside.
2010/9/4 Disqus <>
Mandarin is hard but not as hard as I’d convinced myself it would be before the course. The grammar is dead simple compared to Turkish (hello calculus agglutination!) The beginner level uses romanized pinyin letters so we can actually see the words as we learn them… problem is, outside of the classroom it’s all Chinese characters…aaaaaand a local dialect that doesn’t sound like the phonetic interpretations we were taught! The next level introduces characters and I’ll be starting that part time in the evenings after work come October’ish. Wish me luck!
PS The Cat Empire 2 Shoes album is on my happy-walking playlist along with Clandestino. Do we share the same mp3 player?
Camden,
Congratulations on getting Yamanya Backpackers open! (What the heck does Yamanya mean in Quecchua, anyway?)
Enjoy your vacation “home.”
Jason
Thanks Jason! Yamanyá is actually a goddess of the sea in a bundle of Afro-American religions. Yes, OK, so we’re in the Andes, but I adore the ocean, and there’s a heap of water in the hostel – water feature in the first patio, swimming pool out back. Seemed right, anyway.
Vacation home is… relaxing, but killing my work ethic! Need to get back on a schedule, and back to my new home in Cusco.
Congratulations! I’m going to Cusco for new year and definitely want to visit and get to know Yamanyá! the web page looks amazing
I’ve following your experiences as an expat in Cusco. I’ve been one in Vail Colorado, and next peruavian summer I’lle be an expat in Cusco too! I enjoyed very much reading you ’cause I felt familiarized with many expriences as an expat and with the places in cusco (since I was volunteering for a month in july). Hope yu enjoy Australia
Thanks a million! Actually back from Oz already, very relaxing but I missed Cusco… if you were here in July we’ve probably passed each other in the plaza, do make sure you drop in when you get here in the summer and we can swap expat stories!
Of course I’ll go to Yamanya… we are 5 so i don´t think theres room for us to stay as clients of the hostel (although it’ll be great) but for sure we’ll go and visit the place. Probabbly mi expat experience will be this summer at cusco…don’t know yet.
How are the celebrations for new year? We’ll be there for that time
Hey Ana,
We’re still in the planning stage of NYE but its sure to be a big party! As soon as the details are worked out I’ll be posting them on the hostel blog.
Get in touch with me directly about your booking, if you like. At the moment we’re not taking any more for NYE but I think I’m going to be able to find a bit more space (secret plans! secret plans!). At any rate do drop in for the party….
Take care!
Cam
great! I’ll call the hostel this afterniin and ask for you, thanks