Meet Paco

In my previous post, I mentioned how wonderful the language school is here in Arequipa. Learning outside in a garden has been a treat and made my language learning experience more enjoyable. The school is actually a hostal/hotel as well. Travelers looking for a place to stay can also brush up on their Spanish skills during their visit...an ingenious idea in my opinion. A permanent inhabitant of this hostel is Paco. Paco is a turtle you can usually find sleeping in the shade in the garden. He is well known by the staff, professors, students, and travelers. As you can see below, Paco frequently recieves gifts.

Sometimes he is fed by hand. One spoiled turtle....don't you think.

Yes, I spoil him. I've never fed a turtle by hand before. It's fun! You just have to keep your fingers out of the way!
One of the first times I met Paco was with my niece, Shaye. One of the hotel staff helped us locate Paco. (He was hiding in the shade.) The worker brought him out to us, which was in the sun. Shaye was thrilled to see him but did not want him to get to close. She was content to watch him from a nearby chair. It became obvious that Paco did not like the sun, so he started walking toward the shade. At this point, I was trying to take some pictures of him with Shaye and I didn't want him to leave just yet. Therefore, I stood in from of him to block his path. This did not phase Paco one bit. Before I knew it, he lunged forward and headbutted my leg. I can't say this has ever happened to me before and it took me by surprise. Shaye and I both started laughing and I got out of Paco's way. If anyone has every been headbutted by a turtle...I would love to hear your story. As for me, I won't get in another turtle's way.

I still got a good picture of Shaye and Paco!