My Machu Picchu Adventure

Edgar ready for his first flight

I apologize to my faithful readers that I have been taking so much time in between blogs!  I will make this one a long one to make up for lost time. I have a lot to talk about because I just got back from a very exciting vacation.  My vacation to Machu Picchu! 

Many many months ago when I was planning my “big vacation”, I had asked Edgar if he could go anywhere in Peru where it would be, he said “Machu Picchu”.  I was never opposed to visiting Machu Picchu but I never really wanted to.  I guess I was never really into much history and the idea of visiting ruins just didn’t seem that exciting to me.  And I figured it would be so touristy.  But at the same time, I knew Machu Picchu is the #1 reason people from all over the world visit Peru, and most of the time when you say Peru, people say Machu Picchu.  And now it has been named one of the New Marvels of the World.  So part of me felt obligated to spare myself a lifetime of “what you lived in Peru and never went to Machu Picchu” statements and plan a trip to Machu Picchu with Edgar. 

Every time I meet someone new in this country one of the first questions is “Have you been to Machu Picchu?” this was always to ironic to me because not a single Peruvian I have ever met have been there.  It’s interesting how everyone is so proud of these ruins, but no one actually has been there.  As I started planning our trip I began to realize why. For me, Piura is a long way from Cusco, where Machu Picchu is located, and that alone can be a very expensive trip.  However, the more frustrating part came when I started buying entrance tickets and train tickets to get there and seeing how incredibly expensive it all is.  It’s unreal, and sure at times I had to pay the price of a tourist, but Edgar didn’t and it was still ridiculous.  So it made me kind of sad for so many people, here it is Peru and most Peruvians can’t even see it! 

So I planned out this awesome trip for Edgar and I, we would head to Cusco, we would even do part of the trip in plane since he had never been in one before!  We would spend a few days in Cusco seeing what that was all about, then take the train (only form of transportation) to Machu Picchu, spend a few days there and then come back.  However, in the last minute and due to Edgar’s vacation time we decided to throw another week of vacation after that and go and visit the jungle!  So I planned it all out, and then we waited a few months and in April it was finally time to go.  I can’t tell you how much I needed this trip after all the grant writing, and waiting, and writing, and waiting, dealing with the mom’s and working on the trainings, for my project.

So the day came and we finally headed to Cusco.  Edgar really seemed excited about his first time in a plane; however, it forgot that it doesn’t come without some nerves.  Fortunately it was a very short and smooth flight.  It was so cool how one second we were over Lima, then we headed into the clouds and the next time we saw land it was beautiful rolling green mountains.  We had been taking altitude medicine because Cusco is over 10,000 feet and neither of us are particularly used to that.  And we instantly noticed trying to get around Cusco on its slight inclines at times how easy it is to get completely out of breath.  Cusco was absolutely beautiful.  I don’t think I was in the least bit prepared for that.  I did not feel like I was in Peru.  I guess if people from all over the world visit there, then it has to be pretty nice!  There were many gorgeous churches and temples, where parts of them were constructed back in the time of the Incas, and later finished by the Spanish.  The restaurants and stores were just so nice and trendy.  And the streets were clean and pretty.  The one thing Edgar and I noticed was that taxi drivers would actually stop and wave you across the road, where as in Piura if you try and cross someone would rather run you ever then give you a second to get to the other side.  It also felt incredible safe!  I am used to constantly being on guard and worried someone is going to rob me, but Cusco just didn’t feel that way and it was so nice!  Also, coming from the absolute Piura heat, it was so nice to be able to wear jeans and a jacket, and at night we slept with down comforters and were ice cold when we would have to run to the bathroom in the middle of the night!

Cusco seems to have an everlasting list of tourist attractions.  We spent our first day roaming the city to see what it had to offer. We even took a trolley ride to check out some of the sites.  It started sleeting along the ride.  Another first for Edgar!  Then the following day we bought a pass to see some of the other ruin sites around Cusco and into what is called the Sacred Valley.  We spent the day exploring these, and with each one the setting was more and more beautiful!  We took a million pictures. 

Then we woke up early one morning to catch our train to Machu Picchu.  The way that trip worked was we had to first take a 2 hour bus ride that the train company sets up to another town called Ollanytambo.  This was so beautiful early in the morning; once we got out of the city it was just beautiful rolling hills with sites of the white capped Andes in the background.  Every now and then we would go through the small local towns where the women were dressed in their very colorful skirts, typical clothes of the people who live in the mountains.  During the trip a clipboard was passed around and we had to write our names and Id numbers and the country we were from.  Of about 40-50 to people on the bus I was the only American and Edgar the only Peruvian, people were from all over the world!

  As we were winding down a steep side of the mountain we reached a part where people were instructing the bus driver to take an alternate route because there had been land slide ahead and the road was impassible.  I remember having seen a bus go off the side of the road and thinking “that doesn’t look safe”, only to find out that we were about to do the same thing.  I have had many experiences in this country in buses on very treacherous and scary roads.  It’s never pleasant!  However, I always keep in the back of my head that those roads are used all the time and the drivers make those trips every day.  But in this case, the road isn’t normally used, nor was the driver accustomed to making that trip.  The road was very treacherous and steep and barely wide enough for the bus, as we went down I was clinging to Edgar not wanting to look out the window.  Then we got to a standstill.  Apparently there were buses and cars who were trying to come up the road as we went down!  However, the road was impassable!  We got to a complete stand still because on either end it wasn’t feasible or safe for the buses or cars to back up.  Everyone got off the buses and people living in the homes in that area all came to discuss what we were going to do.  We waited about 30 minutes until a move was made.  With the help of the locals, rocks and things were moved to help 2 buses move temporarily in order to get the buses trying to come up through.  However, my bus was at the end of the line, and it meant we were going to have to back up some.  So we started backing up, it was scary!  We started getting closer and closer to the edge.  People started screaming because it seemed like rocks were crunching and sliding underneath of us.  I started pushing Edgar out of his seat and screaming I wanted off as other people in front of me were in the aisle screaming and pushing to do the same thing. Finally we stopped, the cars got through and the bus driver straightened out to get back the road.  And all was well again.  However, we had to stop a few times, because buses ahead of us who were also with the same train agency were stopped convincing crying, shaken tourists to get back on the bus.

Finally we made it to the train station.  It was in such a beautiful setting and you really get excited for the ride.  The train had windows in the roof because at this point we are at the base of the mountains traveling alongside of a river, and at times there are ruins in the sides of the mountains and it’s just really cool to look up and see everything. 

The train ride was 2 hours, along the way we see people who are hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.  I had such a problem with this because there would be groups of tourists dressed head to toe in their finest hiking gear and fancy hiking sticks and all this stuff, but they paid local Peruvians to carry their things.  It just bothered me.  All I kept thinking of was my host Dad carrying a bunch of tourist’s belongings in his little Peruvian flip flops.  I know it’s a business and they make money for their families.  I guess I just think if you are going to be brave and athletic and hike the Inca trail then prepare to carry your own things, isn’t that part of the whole adventure as well?

When we got to Machu Picchu pueblo I was really surprised.  It was a tiny little town tucked in the spot where the river cut between the mountains.  It was really cute.  We checked into our hotel and went exploring.  It took us all of 20 minutes to see everything.  We were extremely discouraged to find that Machu Picchu pueblo is a little bit of a trap.  Since you have no other options of other towns or food everything is unrealistically expensive.  And since Edgar and I are not high rollers it was a stretch for us.  So we looked for as many ways to save as we could.  We knew the next day we would be heading up to the ruins and could only imagine that is would probably be ever worse, so we arranged to take a bag lunch at a more reasonable price.

The next morning we woke up early to see Machu Picchu.   There is a bus station that takes you up, it is a neat ride heading up the mountain and seeing the very jungle like plants and terrain.  But the coolest part is you start to see Machu Picchu peak over the side of the mountain and other smaller ruins scattered around as well.   The anticipation is really exciting.  Especially since we felt like we had some so far to see this!

Once we arrived at Machu Picchu, you pretty much take a trail that leads you into the center.  So there are parts of the ruins above you and below.  It’s so overwhelming and exciting.  We decided to start with the lower parts and work our way up.  We wanted to make sure we made it to the top to get that signature photo that overlooks the rest of the ruins.  Outside the gate entering Machu Picchu there were tons of guides trying to sell their tours for the day.  I was so glad we didn’t give into that because almost every turn you make you run into a guide and you can overhear whatever they are explaining anyway.  Plus, it’s sort of easy to get a general idea of what you are looking at.  On the lower part we weaved in and out of what used to be houses.  It’s so neat because it like a maze and sometimes you come to a window or door that literally drops off into the cliff below.  Very scary!  Machu Picchu is so incredibly because it is literally built on the top of a very steep mountain, there really isn’t much a gradual decent, it is straight down.  However, the views are incredible!

Little by little we made our way around Machu Picchu, we took our time because our plan was to spend the whole day, and we had come so far we were determined to see the whole thing.  One thing I didn’t know about Machu Picchu is that the mountain behind it, also known as Huayno Picchu has ruins on top.  You can by an additional ticket to climb it; however it only allows so many people each day within a certain time period because it is dangerous. 

We explored all of Machu Picchu, a little difficult at times because although the altitude is less then Cusco and can still be difficult climbing at times.  Another interesting part of it is that so much is left exactly as is, and at some points I thought a little dangerous, you could easily walk off parts and get hurt.  There are sort of security guards always watching.  And of course there were people from all over the world, we would stop at times and try and listen in on a guide and then discover they weren’t speaking English or Spanish.  There were also weirdoes.  For example we were at this sort of giant sundial and there was a group of people all dressed in white with weird hats and no shoes and they were doing strange rituals.  Not really sure any of it was related to the history of the site we were looking at.  But   one thing is true; there are weirdoes all over the world.

When we finally made it to the top we took a million pictures with the ruins behind us.  Machu Picchu is so incredible that literally when you turn away for a second you look back and want more pictures just like it was the first time you have ever seen it.  It is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life.  It was so intricately built in such an amazing location it can’t help up take your breath away.  Edgar and I sat and ate our lunch overlooking it all. 

Later, we decided to visit the Inca Bridge, there is a small trail that leads away from Machu Picchu so we went to check it out.  This small trail borders the side of the very very steep mountain, and then you reach a part where you can see a bridge that was built into the rock and literally it is insanely scary because it is probably on a foot or so wide built into the rock and if you fell you would certainly die, there is nothing below for such a distance.  Fortunately, tourists cannot go any further, but you can see where the bridge us.  And anyone who would want to go any further is an idiot!

Later we came back to our spot took a million more pictures and started to sadly head down.  We could see the clouds come rolling in over the mountains and you could no longer see their peaks, plus it was getting to be late and Machu Picchu is only open until 5.  So we said our goodbyes.  And we headed down.  I think Edgar and I both walked away feeling so accomplished for having been a part of something so special that day.  And honestly I can only imagine how Edgar really felt having been in this famous part of this country that he has only heard about and learned about his entire life and finally had the opportunity to see in in person must have been surreal.

After another night in Machu Picchu pueblo we headed back to Cusco on the train.  At times during the trip the train would have to stop at locations to be able to make room for an incoming train.  At one of the stops were two women obviously from that area waiting maybe for their train to come through.  They were dressed in the traditional clothes of women from the sierra.  One of them was a much older lade, and the other was a young girl probably about 15 or 16 with her 2 year old daughter swaddled on her back.  They were carrying flowers and just waiting.  The littler girls faced was stained almost like it was dirty, but Edgar explained they are marks from the sun and then from being in the cold.  Most of the poor children we saw all had the same markings.  It made me so sad watching them.  Here we had been listening to some of the ridiculous conversations of all these rich people riding on this train with us bragging about everywhere they had been and we pull up to this train station and see the people who are REALLY living there, and the reality is that Machu Picchu is beautiful and brings in a lot of money but there are still people living amongst all the grandeur very poor.  And a poor that even in the community I live in Peru have no idea of, it’s extreme poverty in extreme conditions.  Some people opened their window to give money, and as we drove away the little girl on her mother’s back waved and the older women raised her hands in gratitude for the passengers who had helped make their day a little easier. 

GRANT APPROVED!!!

This is one of the groups of mothers in the workshop, we have to do two groups since the project is large.

This mother walks and 2 hours or more to come to the workshops she lives very far away.

So the best peace corp news I have ever received other than  getting accepted and knowing I was going to be sent to Peru came in the form of my grant getting approved this past Friday!  Which means 65 latrines for families with children under the age of 3 in Chipillico.

I have been so stressed about this, because other then me and a few of my promoters, no one really understands what I have been doing to get the money.  Most people believe the project has been underway, not surprisingly because we have completed 4 of our 8 workshops on how to have a healthier home.  

The mother's had to determine which animal could cause health problems in the home and match it to a sentence.

So now, it's official, my grant was approved from an outside organization, and they are funding the full amount I requested, near $4,500, and I couldn't be more thrilled!

The past few weeks have been somewhat difficult.  We began our house visits.  Which means we visit the homes to see if they are in compliance with the themes they are learning in the workshops.  Mostly, I want to see that they are living in a healthy home for the children's sake.  For example, I make sure there aren't any animals in the home, and with even more luck the families have the animals in corrals.  Then, we check the kitchen, are dishes, pots and pans cleaned, put away and covered.  As well as food is covered and put away.  I also check to see that the families have a supply of clean drinking water (boiled) stored for the children to have access to all day.  Also that the families have a place to wash their hands where there is soap and a towel.  With some luck I find many of the kitchens in order, and only a few houses had animals in the homes, most of which were chickens or guinea pigs.  The biggest problem I am finding is that the families do not have places to wash their hands or access to soap.  As expected most families have no form of formal bathroom.  Also there are bonus questions, if I find families that have proper disposal of trash that is a good thing, because the majority of families dump their trash in the creek or burn it.  Also, if they have a place to brush teeth is also another good thing.  Some families were in such great compliance I was thrilled.  Others were not at all which was frustrating.  I wasn't going into these homes to see if they were swept or had toys or clothes on the floor, just to check simple things to see if they were keeping a safe home for small children. 

A great point my nurse discovered was that most of the homes were very closed off, no windows, which meant very little light, but also no where for dust to escape.  A huge problem in Chipillico is also in the form of respiratory illnesses mainly due to the dust.   So these very tightly closed homes with dirt floors can be dangerous.

The house visits have been sort of fun.  I have 6 health promoters (women from the community who dedicate their time to helping with health related themes) and a nurse and technician from the health post who are helping with the visits.  We originally divided into 3 teams, each with a professional, me the nurse of the technician and we visited the homes.  Little by little the health promoters have had to venture out on their own.  This is the basis behind developing a sustainable community.  In the case of this project, more or less I am the facilitator, but the promoters are the ones who are going to be there when I am gone and should be running things.

The last workshop I was beyond proud when I prepared a powerpoint and a game and the promoters took charge and ran the entire thing in the sessions, I just stood back and lent my ideas or comments when necessary, but to seem them take charge made me so happy!  

However, I found myself in rare form in the last workshop.  I had mother's who were not respecting the rules, not coming to workshops and wondering why they were not longer incorporated in the project and getting angry with me.  The rules were very clear from the beginning and I have had mother's visiting my house questioning the same thing.  Sometimes it's hard to be strict, but there are many mother's coming to everything and it's not fair that some can skip when they feel like it.  Also, I had people questioning why i wasn't building latrines of brick with tanks apart from the latrines and why i haven't asked the mayor for money.  This infuriated me, because it was obvious that had no respect for the work I have done and were underestimating everything.  I yelled when some of these things were said.  Sometimes I understand it's cultural, other times I fall back into my American shoes and take offense to comments like this.  It's like your giving something to somebody ungrateful and it doesn't feel good.  And to hear the mud bricks being criticized and them wanting bricks was unbelievable to me since EVER SINGLE ONE of their homes is made of mud bricks.   More I was angry people that are defecating and creeks and in their yards that have no form of latrine at all would complain about the model I was making.   I explained why we aren't doing a separate tank due to the fact we have no running water.  I was so upset that they even questioned any of it because the type of latrines was so clearly explained at the beginning of the project.  I left extremely upset and tired this day.  I apologized to specific mother's I took my anger out on, especially some that showed up over an hour late and were upset they would be considered absent. 

So what does this grant approval mean?  It means that after I send back a few more documents with signatures from the committee that is helping me do this project in Chipillico I will receive the money.  In May we will start going and buying the materials and bringing them back to Chipillico, and as long as the rain holds off the end of May is the projected start of the construction of the latrines!  I have never been more excited! 

Rainy Season

If I wrote anything about the rainy season last year....it was all lies!  I did not know what a rainy season REALLY was until about a month ago. Last year we may have had a few weeks of rain, but it was absolutely nothing in comparrison to this year. 


Let me tell you what rainy season really is, it means that we only have a few hours of sun each day.  Usually the rain starts around 4-5 in the evening and goes until the morning, and around 10 or 11 in the morning it all burns off. So yeah this all might not sound like a big deal to you all living in the United States, but for someone living in a dirt home with dirt floors, it's a huge deal!


When rainy season starts the first problem we have is that we are suddenly able to identify where the holes are in our roof!  Sometimes if it's a strong rain this becomes apparent very easily.  My family will put pots, pans, washing basins all over the house to keep the water from doing too much damage.  They cover the TV and move furniture. Our roof is made of a very thin tin, so with time, and sun damage, it rusts and falls apart and that's when the holes show up.


The problem is just the other week, my host Dad's system of gutters that he has running through the house to catch the rain became a problem.  Basically he used large sheets of rolled tin to create this system to catch large amounts of water that may roll of the roof and direct it outside.  He has two of these gutters in the house, and they are rigged up using thin wire attached to bamboo that holds the roof together.  However the thin wire a lot of times has been used a million times over in other household projects and is very rusted and worn. 


So this particular night a huge storm came through the valley, there was thunder and lightening and a lot of rain.  My family was running through the house putting all of their pots and pans in place to catch the rain, but this time was bad, because the wind was really bad and water was coming in windows and the doors.  Even my room where I usually don't have any problems had holes that the wind helped find and water got in.   Then the roof in the back of the house came crashing in because my host Dad's gutter system got to heavy and water got into the house in waves.  The entire last room the dirt floor in front of our bedrooms was flooded.  O wait...i didn't tell you the more suspensful parts, we had no electricity, and with heavy heavy rain on a tin roof we could barely hear eachother talking.  So there was lots of screaming.  I saw my host Dad climb on a chair and the water was just pounding down on him as he was trying to repair the gutter.  My host sisters were taking buckets to try and get rid of the water before it got into our bedrooms.  My host mom was trying to recuperate as much as she could out of the bedroom that was getting destroyed.  It was a nightmare.  Unfortunately one of my sister's husbands had taken a trip out of town that day, and at the time the storm rolled in he should have been on his way back and everyone was really nervous and she was running back and forth to her house in search of him and to save what she had in her home.


I was standing there with Dayana who had a death grip on my hand crying because although the rainy season isn't anything new, this storm was scary and watching everyone scream and rush around her was scary.  So that night once everything got pieced back together the best it could and the storm continued she slept in my room and cried her self to sleep she was so scared.


The next day was a mess, the house was filled with mud and water and outside was only worse.  The only way to get around is barefoot or in boots, but even then the mud cakes to the bottoms of your feet.  I watched family after family walk in front of my house after having gone to buy more sheets of tin for their roofs.  My family had asked to borrow money to help repair part of their roof as well.  


It was a mess, but it's not like rainy season gets any better.  Maybe we don't have stroms every night but we do have heavy rains and it just feels like there isn't anything you can do to get out of the mud.  I may be able to go outside to take my shower, but the walk back in just means I have feet caked with mud.  And because of this it took a week or more for the house to get dried out and not have any mud in there.


We have been lucky in this rainy season because for the most part our house has stayed together.  Other people have lost their entire adobe houses due to them melting away in the rain. Small bridges have been destroyed that help you get around town, and the water has taken pathes through peoples fields and destroyed crops!  The other day a body washed up in the lake, someone how appeared to be bathing and the water came and may have swept him away.  


I have been watching the news and reading the newspapers and there are parts of Peru where entire towns have been washed away, and in the mountains above us more houses and families are being washed away and killed because of the rains. 


Last year we had a drought and everyone really felt that for the loss of their crops, this year there is rain in excess and people are feeling the damage to their homes.  And it's not over, everyone says March is the worst month!

Latrines, Latrines, Latrines

Since I have been back in site I have been very busy organizing everything for my Latrines project.  The deadlines for the grants I am applying for did give me much time after my vacation to get very organized so I have been very busy.  Basically I am going to provide materials for latrines for 65 families in Chipillico that have children under the age of three.  Therefore, I have been running back and forth to Las Lomas trying to figure out all of the materials I need as well as the prices for everything.  Grant writing is no easy task, it seems like it wouldn’t be too tough but everything is very detailed and specific and you have to be sure it’s all right in order to receive any money, because if I am off by anything and when it comes time to do the project and I realize it, I could be in real trouble by not having the right amount of money to purchase the correct items I need. 

There are just so many things to think of, for example, I am buying materials from a town that is 45 minutes out of the valley and it is because these items are not available in my town.  So another thing I have to consider when doing a project of this size in a county like Peru is how in the world I am going to get these items to my site at a reasonable cost.  Fortunately the other day when I ran into the mayor of Las Lomas and he invited me and my friend to breakfast we were able to ask him about the transportation, with luck he promised to take care of this for us, using either his own personal trucks (he is a miner and has money) or the trucks of the municipality.  The 65 granite toilets alone is a huge trip, not to mention the bamboo, bags of cement, tin roof panels, just to name a few things. 

The other task I have had the pleasure of work on is trying to find a person to actually do the work for me as well.  Each family is required to have their mud bricks and the hole for the dry-well of the latrine ready to go for their scheduled date of latrine.  I will also have already completed the cement flooring for each of the latrines, therefore I need someone to come in and actually construct the mud brick house for the latrine, put in the chimney of PVC and the roof and toilet.  However, some of the people in town want to charge me much more then this work is worth.  The reason the family is responsible for part and I for another part is to cut back on the cost of the maestro.  However, the maestro isn’t seeing this, but for what I am paying them for little work, it is more then many of the people living in Chipillico make in half a year and this person will be making in only  2 ½ months.  The positive part of this situation is that I know there is always someone else out there who would die to do this work and get the money, so at least I have a little bargaining room. 

But again all of these details had to go into my grant and it can be very tedious.

The Mom’s have also been after me, they get concerned when they don’t see me around that I ditched them.  So sometimes when I make a trip into the center of town I get attacked by mother’s asking me for the next date of my workshops, they know if they miss a health workshop they are removed from the project, and everyone is very eager to get their latrine! 

Other then the burden of the latrine project it has been incredibly hot!  Although I remember this from last year, I don’t know if there is anyway to ever plan for it!  It makes my days much shorter because when the sun is completely out it is almost impossible to come up with the energy and make trips around Chipillico to smooth out some of the project details I need to get done .  Fortunately many of the evenings and mornings have been rainy, which helps cool things off a little, not much, but a little!  The other good side is that there is water again.  When it rains a little here, it means it’s raining a lot up in the mountains and our creeks and rivers are full of water again.  This has made doing laundry so much easier.  Although I always have to make a little hike to do laundry it’s less of one when there is water.  At times I would have to pay a moto taxi to take me to a spot where there is water, however now everything is in walking distance and has been really nice.

My host sister Betty and her family decided to start up a polleria in town.  Which is a very popular type of restaurant in Peru.  Basically they roast chicken and you can but it in sizes of a ¼, ½, or whole chicken and a plate is served with French fries and a small salad.  I absolutely love it!  Unfortunately due to some competition with their pharmacy they had to come up with another idea to generate income, therefore they decided to do this!  So Saturday and Sunday nights, my whole family goes down to the pharmacy/restaurant to cook, I go to help out but also to show my support and buy my chicken.  Since they are the ONLY one of these types of restaurants in all of the valley they have been getting good business.  On the weekends it’s a good excuse for many families not to cook and buy a little chicken, it’s also a little expensive for a typical family so many families see it as a treat and buy from time to time.  It’s more of a business you would see in the city.  There is a big dance tonight so instead of the usual 2-3 chickens my host Mom buys and kills for a typical weekend , she bought 4 today to kill for later tonight.  There are family that raise chickens on a type of feed I think is found more on chicken farms so when they buy chickens to see at the restaurant they are a different type of breed, more comparable to a perdue chicken in the united states, white and fat  where typically when my family kills chickens to eat they are small and skinny and just weird looking.  I like the big white fat ones better!  There is always lots of meat!

There have been a few more problems here in the valley recently.  With the stabbing and the robberies of taxi’s and the bus that comes into the valley turned out not to be just a one time thing. Everyone is a little more on alert and kind of nervous to travel.  Me included!  Fortunately is has been said that the robbers are after gold that is coming down from the mines on the bus.  However, if there are taxis that pass through the same time they get stopped and robbed.  So with the suggestion of Edgar and the safety and security officer from the Peace Corp I do not travel during these times.  The mayor of Las Lomas also wanted to do something to help control some of the crime lately and hired two security guards that work for the municipality.  So now they are out and about every night, but it means that I see less of Edgar when we are in Chipillico.  He says he and his partner got a little too used to calmness of Chipillico and sort of complacent in their jobs, and now that these security guards are here they feel like they need to step up to the plate a little and he has to spend most of his nights patrolling.  Which means I am a little more bored at night.  But hopefully a little safer.

Happy New Year 2012

 I spent New Years Eve in Chipillico again this year, more because Edgar had to work, but I really liked their New Years traditions and I had missed a lot last year being stuck at a quincinera with my host sister last year.  So Edgar and I decided to hang out in the plaza of Chipillico this year and bring in the New Year.  We hung out with one of my health promoters kids.  It ended up being really fun.  Unfortunately the tradition of burning the dolls (scarecrows) to get rid of the old and make room for the new was scarce this year.  I was really disappointed.  However, they do celebrate with lots of yellow. There was yellow hats, balloons and everything everywhere.

Also, since we were in the plaza, when midnight struck everyone  celebrated and then came out of their houses to wish their neighbors a happy new year.  I thought it was sweet, many of the mother’s in my project came out to give me hugs for the new year.  I also set off my first fire cracker in my life.  Even though I have played with fireworks for many years, I have never touched a true fire cracker.  I didn’t believe it was a big deal  because kids all over Chipillico were setting these things off, but when it was given to me I was warned to throw it as soon as it was lit.  I did exactly that, however, it didn’t leave me hand without leaving a sharp sting and loosing the hearing in my ears for a few seconds.  I decided one fire cracker was enough!!!

After a pretty quite New Years, I went to visit Edgar the next day.  When we were talking a bar owner who lives on my street came up to the police station saying that a well known problem of Chipillico named Jamber was at her bar and was mad when she couldn’t come up with change and stole one of the speakers from her stereo, then his wife punched the woman and they ran off together. Therefore, Edgar said he had to go address this problem. 

I have previously had problems with this specific person, when I first came to Chipillico he approached me in the plaza one day, asked me to be is girlfriend (really more specifically sleep with him), because all Americans are the same and that was what we do.  I was really upset after this interaction because I felt cornered upset as how I was viewed and frustrated with my Spanish that I couldn’t say anymore to him.  I had him write his name in my notebook and I took it home to my family and they told me to stay away from him that he was a little crazy.  After this I didn’t have much to do with him, other then people coming to me and asking if I could  help his daughter because it was believed he was molesting her, and the mother was badly abusing the girl.  It was something unfortunately I could not get involved in.  Then, my very last interaction with him was on New Years Eve, when Edgar and I went to the plaza, I was a few steps ahead of Edgar and when Jamber saw he me he proceeded to get himself all worked up to bother me.  However, fortunately when Edgar stepped into view he shut his mouth!

So anyway, back to New Years Day, Edgar went off to address the problem and I decided to go to my families pharmacy and hang out.  Probably 20 minutes after I left Edgar a car came racing up yelling and asking for help, so we all ran out there to see what the problem was and there was a guy in the back of the car covered in blood and only faintly conscious.  He had been stabbed multiple times.  My host sister put an IV in his arm and the car raced off to Las Lomas to the nearest place they could get medical attention.  Turns out the guy was Jamber’s brother-in-law and had tried to go talk to Jamber after the situation that had taken place in the bar and Jamber was ready and stabbed him repeatedly. 

So this lead to an overnight hunt of Jamber, which in the end he was found hiding in a shed behind his house.  Then, because of the rain he was detained at the police station in Chipillico for a few days before someone from the city could come and take him away.  Edgar said after spending a few days with him he is convinced he is crazy.  He apparently was able to describe the stabbing in detail and explain with each stab that he was going after the heart.  He remembered everything very vividly.  Edgar said he also acted like fool over the few days they had him locked up and Edgar and his partner got very little sleep during the nights.  Then in the end, Edgar had to escort him to Piura which made him even more mad.  But fortunately for everyone he is going to be locked up for many years in probably some of the nastiness and more dangerous prisons in the world.  The man he stabbed turned out to be in the hospital for awhile, he was a diabetic which made the situation worse and Jamber had perforated an intestine.  He is home now, but constantly fighting fever.  It sounds like he has awhile to recuperate. 

So the good news is that Jamber is gone from Chipillico, and more fortunately, I pray that the real threat to his daughter is permanently out of her life, because that was a very sad situation in which I felt helpless because as a volunteer that falls way out of my jurisdiction.

And in the end, it was an interesting way to bring in the New Year.  It’s always something in Chipillico!

America

So the much anticipated trip home!  I had been counting down for months for the trip home.  Me and my friends that were  going  would constantly talk about what we were going to do and eat.  The days before we all had to go to Lima for our mid-service conference and doctor’s visits.  It was hard to concentrate because all I kept thinking about was in just a few short days I would be in the United States. 

My Dad and I had talked a lot about culture shock and what I may experience coming home.  The very first thing I noticed was when I got to Miami, and due to the very large Latino population, most everyone in the airport was speaking in Spanish of with a thick Spanish accent.  This is one of the things I have struggled with since I came to Peru.  When someone talks to me in English with a Spanish accent I immediately want to respond in Spanish.  So although I was finally back in the united States I kept talking in Spanish.  The 8 hour lay over in Miami was painful!  It felt like I was so close to being home, but just had stupid time in the way.

When I finally took off to go to D.C. all the emotions came rushing too me.   Although I had seen my parents only 6 months before, the excitement of seeing them never gets old and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.  When I got to Washington I was really lucky that the customs process did not take to long and I raced to baggage check where my parents were waiting for me.  With a combination of exhaustion and excitement I started crying.  There is no better feeling in the world!  Next we went outside, which I was not prepared for in my Capri pants in t-shirt.  It was around 1am and it was COLD!  A cold I hadn’t experienced in over a year it was not pleasant.

Now since I have been gone there have been a lot of changes, my parents sold their house and my Dad was not renting an apartment in the city during the week and my Mom living in Delmar.  So it was really weird to not go “home”, and instead we went to my Dad’s studio apartment were we all slept in the same room.  But it has a pretty cool view of the capital!  The next day my Mom and I took off to Delmar in her new convertible.  For her the weather was “nice” so we drove with the top down.  For me it was COLD, and I was happy her car had seat warmers which I usually frequently throughout my trip.  Along the drive home we were able to do 2 of my favorite things, we stopped at star bucks, which was exciting because I was home in time for all their holiday flavors, and then she let me drive.  I have been dreaming about driving.  I have wanted to do that since the day I left, I can truly say it’s one of my most favorite things to do! 

When we got to my house it was so nice to be there, even though it is new place for my parents to be living, it was all mine the years before I left for the peace corps and I had really missed it. My parents had taken over my  room and just had transplanted my bedroom and an upstairs room.  It was so nice to see my bed!!  After laying in that for a few minutes I took off to the storage room where boxes and boxes of my clothes were and I tore through them!  It was like Christmas but with my old clothes.  When I packed to go to Peru originally I packed as you would think a peace corps volunteer should pack, with boring practical clothes, and for all types of weather since I did not know where I was going to be living.  However this time I was going through the boxes to determine which of my cute clothes I was going to be taking back, many of which I hadn’t worn in years but since I had lost weight I was able to wear them again.  I was literally able to bring a whole new wardrobe back to Peru. 

The rest of the day my Mom and I were on a mission getting my dress fixed and other necessary items for the next few days where I would go back to Washington with my brother and be the maid of honor in my friend’s wedding.  So the first few days of my trip were a whirlwind.  However, it was really fun being able to be apart of my friends big  day, someone thing I had known about and talked about since before I left.  It was also a really good time to catch up with my brother.  Alex is always good for a good time and the wedding was fun and there were a few other friends from high school there and it was really nice to catch up.

After the days of the wedding I headed back to Delmar to spend the holidays with my family.  It was so nice to sleep in my bed and take hot showers anytime I wanted to!  I washed so much clothes.  I am used to wearing my clothes more then once in Peru and then taking a trip down to the creek to wash them.  So it was so nice to just be able to take everything off and put it in the washing e . 

The food!  I cannot tell you how much food I ate during this trip!  It was so exciting to have everything I wished for right there!  Even better was having a refrigerator to go to and get what I wanted.  None of my breakfasts at home consisted of rice and eggs or maybe chicken and rice, or potatoes and rice.  Instead my Mom made me pancakes, and toaster strudels and scrambled eggs and bacon, I was in heaven!  Then at night my Dad always had cheesecake for me!  It was really hard to say no to any of it.  I think the best part was being able to make a sandwich for lunch.  This is not a concept well practiced in Peru, almost non-existent in Chipillico.

The absolute best part was absolutely being with my family.  I know it might sound a little cheesy.  But my time in Peru has strengthened an already pretty strong relationship with my parents.  But there is nothing like just being there with them.  My Mom and I went for walks, because fortunately the weather was a little more mild then normal for December.  And my Dad and I went on our early morning drive to star bucks for coffee and then out to “walk the lot”. These are the very little things that I have missed so much.

I was able to get together with some friends too.  I guess the hardest part of that was that I felt kind of disconnected.  Sometimes it can be hard to go do something that was once so normal and fun after not being  a part of it in a really long time.  These people were always such a part of my life, they knew everything, I knew everything, we did everything together.  And in the time that I have been in Peru we do our best to exchange emails occasionally but there are really so many part of both of our lives that gets left out.  So I had a really strange feeling being with them. 

Then Christmas came, which was a day I would see my WHOLE family.  I had actually been really nervous about this for a long time.  When I thought about being in a room with everyone it made my stomach have butterflies.  I don’t really know why.  However, when the time came it wasn’t as hard as I thought, and the day when really fast and there wasn’t enough time to talk to everyone but it was great to see everyone.  Something I probably wouldn’t have been able to do any other time of year if I had come home.

The shortly after Christmas the trip came to an end.  I had imagined that this would come with really mixed feelings.  But I believe the whole time I was home I had this feeling like I belonged somewhere else.  Not that I didn’t enjoy my vacation, but I felt a very strong pull to get back to Chipillico.  I think the problem is that I feel a very strong responsibility to the people of Chipillico.  Although there were so many things I enjoyed and missed about being home, I felt like I had to get back to work.  Also, I can say that my last year has contributed to this feeling.  Peace corps states that our job is 24/7.  I absolutely feel that way, I am 100% of the time ON in Peru.  I don’t have hours, people stop by my home whenever they need something or whenever I am walking around the community.  All hours of the day I am working on something or planning something out.  So even though I was so far away from Chipillico for 2 weeks and able to enjoy some relaxation, I still felt a strong pull that I needed to get back, especially since the next large milestone of my service is the end, and its approaching quickly!  So after a few tears and goodbyes  and 2 ridiculously large heavy bags full of clothes and chocolate for my host family I hopped on a plane and am now back in Peru for another 10 months!

Chocolatada!

First I apologize for the very long delay in this blog post, with a trip to the United States and being in the middle of project planning it has been a very busy time. 

I guess to give an update I have to comment and thank everyone again for contributing to the VERY HUGE hot chocolate, fruit cake and gift giving party I was able to have in the school in early December.  With the contributions, I was able to buy 270 Barbie’s and toy guns for children in preschool through the third grade.  And then I was able to buy supplies for 750 hot chocolates and personal fruit cakes.  Both of which are a Christmas tradition in Peru.  First, I must be honest, I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I decided to do this.  I originally thought I would be able to do a little something for a few classrooms, but since everyone was so generous, I was able to do something for the entire school, which is the preschool, elementary, and high school.  When it was announced to my community that there would be an event of this size there was much excitement.  I had to buy all of the toys and fruit cakes in Piura, which is a 3 hour bus ride to my site.  I don’t think I was really prepared for what it would require to get all of these items back to my site.  I had 7 very large boxes full of toys, fruit cakes and stuff to make the hot chocolate and I was pretty much alone on getting it back to my site.  Thanks to my boyfriend, he was able to store most of it in the police station so I didn’t have to worry about any little hands or animals getting into anything. 

The day of the party I took everything in moto taxi’s to the school where a group of about 5 mother’s had agreed to help me make the hot chocolate, they came with GIANT pots to cook it in and we rounded up wood to make the fire.  Then, me along with my friend Brittany and another friend from town Nancy went classroom to classroom with the toys.  I was smart and had already gotten the numbers of boys and girls for each classroom and had a bag ready for each room.  I had anticipated the craziness.  The kids sat with anticipation since word had spread and many of them had an idea that I was coming.  They also all had their little cups ready for the hot chocolate later on since I had made an announcement to the town asking everyone to bring their cups as part of the tradition.

The children were thrilled with their dolls and guns.  The little girls wouldn’t take the Barbie’s out of the boxes trying to preserve the specialness.  However, the boys were quick to take the guns out of the wrappers and run around with them.  The rest of the day I caught little boys with guns tucked down their pants like cowboys.  The best part of the guns was that they came with darts to shoot at each other and they really enjoyed that.   

Later, class by class they lined up to receive their hot chocolate and fruit cakes.  The older kids were a bit reserved to receive their because usually this a tradition for younger kids and they didn’t want to look “stupid”, but after some coaxing they all ended up coming , especially when they saw their friends with the same stuff and didn’t look so “uncool”. 

I wish that I could put into words how amazing of an event this was.  I wish I could put into words how this gave so many children a Christmas that would have originally not had one.  Lastly, I wish I could put into words how thankful I am to everyone who made this possible.  Literally this has gone down in history as the biggest and most generous “chocolatada” that Chipillico has ever seen.   

The following day I went to do my laundry and there was a little kid sitting in the doorway of his dirt house on his dirt floor loading the darts into his gun and with a big smile he said told me good morning.  This is exactly what it was all about.  Thank you again!