Count Down to the Segundo Olympiadas de Inti

We began leaking news of the Inti Olympics on Wednesday to a few of the children and word travelled fast. It was one of the first things the kids asked us when we arrived, that and where are the pictures from our wedding. By Friday, the number of children attending Inti had drastically increased and we got to see many of the children from last year (rule was you have to go to Inti to be eligible for the Olympic Games). We officially announced it Thursday and all the morning and afternoon kids gave us a round of applause. They couldn't wait for the games, food, or the medals. For many of them, it meant a day off work too. As most children work outside of school, especially on the weekends, helping their parents sell things in the market or on the streets.

Here's a few pictures of the kids playing in the park - it still is cement littered with glass on the edge of a 30 foot cliff, but Inti somehow is able to hold soccer games, volleyball matches, and jump rope all at the same time without anyone getting hurt.

Jackie and I spent our breaks between Inti's morning and afternoon session shopping for the Olympics. It was a heck of a lot easier finding stuff this time. Each street and neighborhood in Cusco seems to specialize in different stuff - a street for beds, cakes, plastics, rope, trophies . . .

Inti lucked out as one of the professors had a friend who knew someone in the government who donated 17 cases of soda. When it arrived, the only hitch was none of the 16 oz bottles had any caps, so we found metal bottle caps, put them on and wiped off the dust from the bottles and they were ready to go for the Olympics.

Here's Jackie cutting stickers the night before the games reminiscing about the hours she put in cutting the fan programs. We put together goodie bags with stickers, toothbrushes/toothpaste, pencils, and candy for each kid.