"That pier has big gaps in it," Kiko said when I asked him if he's ever walked on the pier here in Pacasmayo. "I KNOW," I told him.
We flew to Chiclayo last night, which is about 500 miles or so from Lima, a little more than an hour flight, where we stayed at an upscale hotel chain and I ate a memorable risotto with river shrimp. After dinner we walked down the street until we reached the Plaza de Armas, the public square in the center of town anchored by a large Roman Catholic church on one side. The Santa Claus in his sleigh about eight feet off the ground was a nice touch! On the way back to our hotel, a young woman with a tiny toddler approached us, selling lemon candies from a bag. People are so enterprising in Peru, you really have to admire them for coming up with some kind of way to make money. While she was completing the business transaction with Kiko (10 candies for 1 sol), the little girl started to wander away from her mother, so I grabbed her small hands and made her stay still, which she didn't want to do, until her mother could follow her down the street. The baby had the biggest smile on her cute, little dirty face, and I wondered how long they would be out on the street since it was already 11:30.
We left Chiclayo at 6:45 this morning - Kiko's driver got us here in under an hour and a half. Pacasmayo is a little provincia on the northern coast of Peru, and many of the residents either work at the huge cement plant where Kiko is doing coaching sessions this week or they're fishermen. There's no movie theater or mall, but there is a cancha de fulbito (small soccer "field") where the soccer games can get pretty intense. Kiko checked us into the Pakatmanu Hotel, an old colonial-style building, and he and his assistant left for work, leaving me to my own devices for the day.
Obviously the first thing to do was to take an early morning stroll along the boardwalk. The beach itself is directly in front of the hotel on the other side of the boardwalk, but last year's 8.8 earthquake in Chile created a change in the ocean, shifting the composition of the beach from sand to stones. The waves crash onto the shore, leaving no room to walk, unless you walk in the water. I walked along the boardwalk toward the pier, and when I got there, I found a woman setting up her makeshift "restaurant" where she would soon be cooking the morning catch. I walked onto the pier, and seeing a sign saying "Visitantes 1 Sol", paid the fee and gingerly placed my feet on the railroad ties that made up the structure. I stopped to watch a lone fisherman out amidst the waves, retrieving his catch. He was floating in an innertube, pulling himself along his net and when he found a fish, he strung it on the line that he held between his teeth. If you don't have a boat, you make do with what you have!
The only other people on the pier were fishermen, and as I slowly made my way across the railroad ties I started putting it together that this was not a tourist Huntington Beach type pier, with a Ruby's diner at the end. I think I made it about half way down when I gave up and turned around. The railroad ties were spaced about two or three inches apart, except when they weren't. Sometimes there were gaps of three or four inches, or maybe eight, or there was an entire tie missing, or the tie I stepped on was loose, no nails holding it in place, or worm-eaten and termite-infested. Needless to say, it was not the relaxing walk on the pier that I had envisioned! Maybe the sol I paid will help with maintenance.
I'm sure I Iooked a little out of place with my purse, and TOMS, and white sweater as I stood with the fisherman gawking at a shark that one of them had caught. There were also some small rays, a few large, spotted fish with weird looking tails, and an assortment of smaller fish. Two cats, two dogs, fish guts strewn about and the woman cooking fresh fish completed the scene on the pier.
Kiko came back to the hotel for his lunch break, and we both had lomo saltado, one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, which consists of pieces of beef sauteed with onion, tomato and aji peppers, served with french fries and rice. When he went back to work, I went for a walk through town. It was a very quiet walk, because it was 3:00, and basically the place was closed. I saw several surf shops, because Pacasmayo is famous for its surfing, but they were closed, and I figured that maybe they don't open until the summer. But then every other shop was closed as well. I walked to one of the busiest intersections in town, with a traffic signal! There were only a few mototaxis with passengers at this time of day, and hardly any taxis. I walked to the other busy intersection, with the other traffic light in the province, and passed more closed shops but a few fruteros and their carts of fresh pepino melon and tuna roja.
I finally peered between the iron bars of one of the closed shops and asked the shopkeeper when she would be open. She told me not until 4pm. Apparently in provincia, people take three hour lunches. They go home, eat a large, hot meal, and take a long nap. So, it turns out that the town basically shuts down from 1 until 4 every day! I was able to find a fairly large store (by provincia standards anyway)that was actually open where I bought an ice cream and some Cusqueña beer, and enjoyed the ocean breeze on our terraza. There's a photo of our balcony on facebook.
Tonight, after a lovely nap, Kiko and I had dinner at a hotel down the boardwalk. My crema de zapallo (cream of squash soup) was quite good, and Kiko and I shared a mixto completo (a grilled ham and cheese with a fried egg). The best part of dinner was the impromptu music being played by two young men sitting on a bench in front of the hotel. These guys had incredible talent, jamming on their guitars just for the love of their music. Kiko gave them part of our sandwich and a big tip - they were surprised and happy, and we were, too. We walked back to our hotel while a beautiful crescent moon almost disappeared into the sea.
Kiko is already asleep, and I'm looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the waves. I know I'm very, very blessed, and I'm grateful!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Glad I Waited
This morning I finally did something that I've wanted to do since before I arrived in Peru. I started looking for volunteer opportunities while I was still in California, and had continued looking without success until now. You would think that in a developing country, you could walk down the street and volunteer somewhere but I found it much more difficult than I imagined.
There are many people, a lot of them college-age, who travel to Peru from all over the globe to participate in volunteer programs located in various parts of the country. You pay to participate in these types of programs, where you get to immerse yourself in the culture and take side trips for sightseeing . Cusco is certainly a very popular volunteer destination, but there are needs and opportunities throughout Peru. Before you are accepted as a volunteer, there are requirements that must be met, especially if you want to work with children. This is understandable, and is similar to the US where we now need to be fingerprinted and background checked. Since I live in Lima, I have to go about volunteering from a different angle.
When I first arrived here, I visited the largest orphanage in South America, which houses over 500 kids. I also went to the children's hospital near downtown Lima with a friend who had previously volunteered there. In order to volunteer in a public institution, the process for volunteering is complicated - you need to complete lengthy applications, provide health certificates, pass psychiatric exams, and attend hours of training. The interesting thing is that institutions don't appear very interested in your interest. At the children's hospital, we inquired about how to help and were told to send a letter. We asked if we could talk to someone since we were already there? No, the procedure is to send a letter. Well, could we email it? No, it has to be a real letter, not an email. My friend wrote the letter on the spot and handed it in, and to date we have heard nothing from the hospital.
Site location and transportation to a volunteer site is an issue. There are so many shantytowns on the outskirts of Lima, places that are incredibly poor, and programs operated by churches and NGOs who are happy for volunteers. I attended a discussion at the South American Explorers Club where three program directors described their programs in the shantytowns and said they'd welcome volunteers immediately. However, these areas are far from where we live, it would be too expensive to take a taxi, and I wouldn't feel comfortable (ie. safe) traveling alone through certain parts of town by bus.
I'd really like to work with street kids. You see them out at night, some have parents who neglect or abuse them, and can't afford to feed them, and others who are orphans. Kiko had a great project for a class of his; he and his classmates raised money to help a group home for street kids. I got to spend an afternoon with the directors and some of the boys in the program, sadly hearing tragic stories of before they arrived at the home (for example, one boy's mom tried to drown him in a bucket of water, most of the young boys were drug users) and happily seeing boys with the promise of a future. I would love to work with this program, but it's just too far away.
Guess what? Timing is everything. I was more than frustrated that I've been here all these months and still no volunteering. One day, after spending all the previous day searching for volunteer opportunities online, I was having coffee with mi amiga Peruana, Maritere, and mentioned my desire to volunteer. She offered to introduce me to a friend of hers, who just happens to be the director of a program I saw online. Coincidently (?) while on their website a few weeks previously, I had expressed interest in volunteering and requested more information but hadn't heard from them yet. Of course I jumped at the opportunity, so my friend took me right over to meet the director. Carla gave me her card, and told me to email her and she'd help me to get involved. After a few emails back and forth, she put me in touch with the site coordinator, we scheduled an interview, and TODAY was my first day of voluntariado.
I am volunteering at a public hospital for cancer patients (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, or INEN), with a program called Aprendo Contigo (meaning "learning with you", Information and photos of Aprendo Contigo in English). Since we moved to the new apartment, I can walk to the hospital in a leisurely 15 minutes for my 8:30am - 12:30pm weekly shift (I would have had to walk 10 minutes and then take the bus from our old apartment). The program's goal is to make sure that children with cancer have things to do to keep cancer from being the center of their lives. The kids who are patients in the hospital have lessons every day so they don't fall behind in school, and the kids who are there for chemo or doctor appointments are kept busy with activities.
This morning I was one of 12 women who tried to get some cute kids' minds off their cancer for a little while. I worked in the chemo room, with the youngest being one year old to a teenage boy texting on his cell phone. Our job was to make sure the kids had something to do. We gave them toys, dolls, games, puzzles (rompe cabezas, literally translated as head breaking?!), word searches, cartoon pages and ceramic ornaments to color, and comic books. I learned that Danna is 13, and hasn't seen her mom in two years because she's working in Los Angeles. Edwin's hair is growing back, I think one of his legs was amputated, and he kept me busy providing the right colors for his artwork. A darling 18 month old cried for awhile when the enfermera tried many times to find a vein in her little hand. A few parents smiled in understanding when I explained that I'm from the U.S. and were very patient with my Spanish. Besides working with the kids, we talk to the parents, who are often from the provinces and not only overwhelmed with their child's illness but also with the huge city, tall buildings, and traffic, as well as learning how to deal with an institution like a large hospital. We're actually on the floor from 9 until 12, with the first half hour as prep time and the last half hour for putting things away and a wrap up meeting to discuss the kids' progress and any issues.
All the women are very nice and helpful, and a few speak English, but they all know I want to improve my Spanish and can understand a lot if they speak slowly. The program seems well-organized, which is really exciting (for Peru, that's a novelty!) I am already included in the Secret Santas, and will be going to the "reveal" luncheon with everyone in December. To top it off, one of my fellow volunteers, Ada, lives down the street from me, and I had a very enjoyable walk home with her; she pointed out various flowers and birds, telling me their names in Spanish and correcting my incorrect grammar.
I'm so glad to be working with kids again. I've missed them since I lost my long-term sub job. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about being around these very sick children since I've been more emotional lately. But I had no problem because these very sick, brave, smiling kids were a joy to be with! My friend Debra reminded me of this today via her Facebook status, "In all things, God is never too late or too early but His timing is always perfect. It is up to us to trust, wait and obey." I think that while we're waiting, often impatiently, we really can't imagine what that thing we're waiting for will look like. I'm so blessed that what I waited for looks like Aprendo Contigo.
There are many people, a lot of them college-age, who travel to Peru from all over the globe to participate in volunteer programs located in various parts of the country. You pay to participate in these types of programs, where you get to immerse yourself in the culture and take side trips for sightseeing . Cusco is certainly a very popular volunteer destination, but there are needs and opportunities throughout Peru. Before you are accepted as a volunteer, there are requirements that must be met, especially if you want to work with children. This is understandable, and is similar to the US where we now need to be fingerprinted and background checked. Since I live in Lima, I have to go about volunteering from a different angle.
When I first arrived here, I visited the largest orphanage in South America, which houses over 500 kids. I also went to the children's hospital near downtown Lima with a friend who had previously volunteered there. In order to volunteer in a public institution, the process for volunteering is complicated - you need to complete lengthy applications, provide health certificates, pass psychiatric exams, and attend hours of training. The interesting thing is that institutions don't appear very interested in your interest. At the children's hospital, we inquired about how to help and were told to send a letter. We asked if we could talk to someone since we were already there? No, the procedure is to send a letter. Well, could we email it? No, it has to be a real letter, not an email. My friend wrote the letter on the spot and handed it in, and to date we have heard nothing from the hospital.
Site location and transportation to a volunteer site is an issue. There are so many shantytowns on the outskirts of Lima, places that are incredibly poor, and programs operated by churches and NGOs who are happy for volunteers. I attended a discussion at the South American Explorers Club where three program directors described their programs in the shantytowns and said they'd welcome volunteers immediately. However, these areas are far from where we live, it would be too expensive to take a taxi, and I wouldn't feel comfortable (ie. safe) traveling alone through certain parts of town by bus.
I'd really like to work with street kids. You see them out at night, some have parents who neglect or abuse them, and can't afford to feed them, and others who are orphans. Kiko had a great project for a class of his; he and his classmates raised money to help a group home for street kids. I got to spend an afternoon with the directors and some of the boys in the program, sadly hearing tragic stories of before they arrived at the home (for example, one boy's mom tried to drown him in a bucket of water, most of the young boys were drug users) and happily seeing boys with the promise of a future. I would love to work with this program, but it's just too far away.
Guess what? Timing is everything. I was more than frustrated that I've been here all these months and still no volunteering. One day, after spending all the previous day searching for volunteer opportunities online, I was having coffee with mi amiga Peruana, Maritere, and mentioned my desire to volunteer. She offered to introduce me to a friend of hers, who just happens to be the director of a program I saw online. Coincidently (?) while on their website a few weeks previously, I had expressed interest in volunteering and requested more information but hadn't heard from them yet. Of course I jumped at the opportunity, so my friend took me right over to meet the director. Carla gave me her card, and told me to email her and she'd help me to get involved. After a few emails back and forth, she put me in touch with the site coordinator, we scheduled an interview, and TODAY was my first day of voluntariado.
I am volunteering at a public hospital for cancer patients (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, or INEN), with a program called Aprendo Contigo (meaning "learning with you", Information and photos of Aprendo Contigo in English). Since we moved to the new apartment, I can walk to the hospital in a leisurely 15 minutes for my 8:30am - 12:30pm weekly shift (I would have had to walk 10 minutes and then take the bus from our old apartment). The program's goal is to make sure that children with cancer have things to do to keep cancer from being the center of their lives. The kids who are patients in the hospital have lessons every day so they don't fall behind in school, and the kids who are there for chemo or doctor appointments are kept busy with activities.
This morning I was one of 12 women who tried to get some cute kids' minds off their cancer for a little while. I worked in the chemo room, with the youngest being one year old to a teenage boy texting on his cell phone. Our job was to make sure the kids had something to do. We gave them toys, dolls, games, puzzles (rompe cabezas, literally translated as head breaking?!), word searches, cartoon pages and ceramic ornaments to color, and comic books. I learned that Danna is 13, and hasn't seen her mom in two years because she's working in Los Angeles. Edwin's hair is growing back, I think one of his legs was amputated, and he kept me busy providing the right colors for his artwork. A darling 18 month old cried for awhile when the enfermera tried many times to find a vein in her little hand. A few parents smiled in understanding when I explained that I'm from the U.S. and were very patient with my Spanish. Besides working with the kids, we talk to the parents, who are often from the provinces and not only overwhelmed with their child's illness but also with the huge city, tall buildings, and traffic, as well as learning how to deal with an institution like a large hospital. We're actually on the floor from 9 until 12, with the first half hour as prep time and the last half hour for putting things away and a wrap up meeting to discuss the kids' progress and any issues.
All the women are very nice and helpful, and a few speak English, but they all know I want to improve my Spanish and can understand a lot if they speak slowly. The program seems well-organized, which is really exciting (for Peru, that's a novelty!) I am already included in the Secret Santas, and will be going to the "reveal" luncheon with everyone in December. To top it off, one of my fellow volunteers, Ada, lives down the street from me, and I had a very enjoyable walk home with her; she pointed out various flowers and birds, telling me their names in Spanish and correcting my incorrect grammar.
I'm so glad to be working with kids again. I've missed them since I lost my long-term sub job. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about being around these very sick children since I've been more emotional lately. But I had no problem because these very sick, brave, smiling kids were a joy to be with! My friend Debra reminded me of this today via her Facebook status, "In all things, God is never too late or too early but His timing is always perfect. It is up to us to trust, wait and obey." I think that while we're waiting, often impatiently, we really can't imagine what that thing we're waiting for will look like. I'm so blessed that what I waited for looks like Aprendo Contigo.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Those Crazy Nights in Lima!
I haven't had this much of a nightlife since college! No matter how old you are in Peru, you are expected to hold your own at a party that goes well into the middle of the night. And then you are supposed to remain awake so that your face does not fall into your food when you go out to eat afterward at three in the morning. We didn't have this "problem" back home in Corona, where most restaurants close by 9 or 10pm. And I think the only people I knew who stayed out late were 23 years old (Allie and her friends!)
Kiko and I have been out late for the past six weekends! Way back in mid September, I went to a Meetup Spanish Conversation get-together, where we practiced our Spanish by playing a variation of the game "Taboo". Afterward, we went to the Fiesta casino, where a few of us ate free sandwiches and drank free drinks while playing the slot machines. I don't like to gamble, and really never do, but I had fun at this place, playing with 10 soles (or about $3.75) for nearly four hours! I even came away with 18 soles! Kiko met me in the casino, where he played a bit but didn't win as much as I did (too bad!), and then we joined the rest of the Meetup group in the casino bar to listen to the live band. Home around 2am. The following weekend was the Meetup Mexican dinner, at a restaurant where we ate decent Mexican food, played "Spoons" and Jenga, and then we all piled into two taxis and went to a club near Parque Kennedy where we danced in our own private room ("El cuarto de la abuela" meaning "grandma's room" was painted on the wall - so random) until 3am. Kiko and I had to make a stop at Bembos, the Peruvian fast food burger place, for a snack before going home, which made bedtime about 4am.
The first weekend in October we used our (free, and you know there's nothing like free!) VIP tickets to attend the Expo Vino on two consectutive evenings. The first time we enjoyed the perks of being VIPs - we received two nice wine glasses and hung out in the VIP room, eating piqueos and tasting wine they were only pouring there. Then we tasted a few more wines, ran into a few people we knew, and ended up at Pits, a famous 24 hour restaurant where I had an awesome hamburger that was brought out on a tray to our car. We also bought flowers from a guy who gave us a deal because he wanted to get rid of them before morning! Home around 4am. The second night we went with Kiko's primos. We did some wine tasting and then had dinner at Granja Azul. There were several popular restaurants which had been set up just for the four days of the Vino Expo, and we enjoyed pollo a la brasa, salad & french fries. After that, we joined a group of friends at Cohiba, a Cuban dance club with a small dance floor and a live band that is really loud. There are fans blowing on the dance floor, which is a big plus when you're dancing in a crowded space. Home early, around 2am.
The second weekend we were up late three nights in a row. On Thursday we went to a get-together at Kiko's childhood friend's house. It was a casual reunion of friends from the neighborhood where he lived when he was 13 to 17 years old. They told hilarious stories and laughed at the things they used to do - it was so cool that they could be together after all these years. Friday night we had a soccer-watching party two hours after moving into my sister-in-law's place! Just a small group of 11 to cheer on Peru as "we" beat Paraguay in the first World Cup qualifying game. Saturday night we went out with our Meetup group, with Peruvians who have lived in the states and returned to Peru (like Kiko) and others who are new (like me, and our new friend from Macedonia). We went to this restaurant called Scena, where we had a delicious gourmet meal and saw two performers a la Cirque du Soleil, one who hovered almost directly above us on a highwire! It was a very unique experience! Afterward we walked to Starbucks for coffee, then Kiko & I said goodbye to the young people who were going dancing while we went home "early".
The next weekend we went to the Peruvian version of Oktoberfest. Our Meetup group tried to reserve a table, but the rules of reserving kept changing (this is Peru after all), so we ended up just grabbing a table when we got there. The night started off great when my friend spun the prize wheel and won a t-shirt, and I spun the wheel for a free beer! We quickly learned the German beer drinking song (Ein prosit, ein prosit!!), listened to the oompah band and watched the strength contests on the stage. After the German band left, the DJ spun a few classics, and we all sang "YMCA". But I was the only one in our group to dance on the table singing "I Will Survive". This being Peru, eventually the music changed to salsa, and we danced, and talked, and enjoyed the party. And of course, we went out to eat afterward, to a cafe attached to a store that's open 24 hours, Pharmax, where you can buy snack food, copy paper, cigars, cosmetics, expensive silver jewelry, household decor, Guess purses, Cross pens, and medicine (among other things you might need in the middle of the night). Home at 4am.
Last weekend we went back to Kiko's neighborhood friend's house for her birthday party. This was a larger affair where drinks and piqueos were served to us, after which we ate dinner and cake, then sang and danced to a variety of 70's music (to which the group kept saying, "oh, remember this?"). At some point I was starting to drag, and probably could have fallen asleep were it not for Kiko's friends who made me get up and dance again! More friends from the past, and more crazy stories. I think we left around 3am.
There is always so much going on at night in Lima, and no matter how late it is, there are tons of people walking down the street, taxis waiting outside of the bars and clubs, music blaring out of second floor windows, people eating at all hours. Now that spring is here and summer is coming, I expect things to get worse! I'd better go take a nap, because I don't know how much longer I can keep up this pace!
Kiko and I have been out late for the past six weekends! Way back in mid September, I went to a Meetup Spanish Conversation get-together, where we practiced our Spanish by playing a variation of the game "Taboo". Afterward, we went to the Fiesta casino, where a few of us ate free sandwiches and drank free drinks while playing the slot machines. I don't like to gamble, and really never do, but I had fun at this place, playing with 10 soles (or about $3.75) for nearly four hours! I even came away with 18 soles! Kiko met me in the casino, where he played a bit but didn't win as much as I did (too bad!), and then we joined the rest of the Meetup group in the casino bar to listen to the live band. Home around 2am. The following weekend was the Meetup Mexican dinner, at a restaurant where we ate decent Mexican food, played "Spoons" and Jenga, and then we all piled into two taxis and went to a club near Parque Kennedy where we danced in our own private room ("El cuarto de la abuela" meaning "grandma's room" was painted on the wall - so random) until 3am. Kiko and I had to make a stop at Bembos, the Peruvian fast food burger place, for a snack before going home, which made bedtime about 4am.
The first weekend in October we used our (free, and you know there's nothing like free!) VIP tickets to attend the Expo Vino on two consectutive evenings. The first time we enjoyed the perks of being VIPs - we received two nice wine glasses and hung out in the VIP room, eating piqueos and tasting wine they were only pouring there. Then we tasted a few more wines, ran into a few people we knew, and ended up at Pits, a famous 24 hour restaurant where I had an awesome hamburger that was brought out on a tray to our car. We also bought flowers from a guy who gave us a deal because he wanted to get rid of them before morning! Home around 4am. The second night we went with Kiko's primos. We did some wine tasting and then had dinner at Granja Azul. There were several popular restaurants which had been set up just for the four days of the Vino Expo, and we enjoyed pollo a la brasa, salad & french fries. After that, we joined a group of friends at Cohiba, a Cuban dance club with a small dance floor and a live band that is really loud. There are fans blowing on the dance floor, which is a big plus when you're dancing in a crowded space. Home early, around 2am.
The second weekend we were up late three nights in a row. On Thursday we went to a get-together at Kiko's childhood friend's house. It was a casual reunion of friends from the neighborhood where he lived when he was 13 to 17 years old. They told hilarious stories and laughed at the things they used to do - it was so cool that they could be together after all these years. Friday night we had a soccer-watching party two hours after moving into my sister-in-law's place! Just a small group of 11 to cheer on Peru as "we" beat Paraguay in the first World Cup qualifying game. Saturday night we went out with our Meetup group, with Peruvians who have lived in the states and returned to Peru (like Kiko) and others who are new (like me, and our new friend from Macedonia). We went to this restaurant called Scena, where we had a delicious gourmet meal and saw two performers a la Cirque du Soleil, one who hovered almost directly above us on a highwire! It was a very unique experience! Afterward we walked to Starbucks for coffee, then Kiko & I said goodbye to the young people who were going dancing while we went home "early".
The next weekend we went to the Peruvian version of Oktoberfest. Our Meetup group tried to reserve a table, but the rules of reserving kept changing (this is Peru after all), so we ended up just grabbing a table when we got there. The night started off great when my friend spun the prize wheel and won a t-shirt, and I spun the wheel for a free beer! We quickly learned the German beer drinking song (Ein prosit, ein prosit!!), listened to the oompah band and watched the strength contests on the stage. After the German band left, the DJ spun a few classics, and we all sang "YMCA". But I was the only one in our group to dance on the table singing "I Will Survive". This being Peru, eventually the music changed to salsa, and we danced, and talked, and enjoyed the party. And of course, we went out to eat afterward, to a cafe attached to a store that's open 24 hours, Pharmax, where you can buy snack food, copy paper, cigars, cosmetics, expensive silver jewelry, household decor, Guess purses, Cross pens, and medicine (among other things you might need in the middle of the night). Home at 4am.
Last weekend we went back to Kiko's neighborhood friend's house for her birthday party. This was a larger affair where drinks and piqueos were served to us, after which we ate dinner and cake, then sang and danced to a variety of 70's music (to which the group kept saying, "oh, remember this?"). At some point I was starting to drag, and probably could have fallen asleep were it not for Kiko's friends who made me get up and dance again! More friends from the past, and more crazy stories. I think we left around 3am.
There is always so much going on at night in Lima, and no matter how late it is, there are tons of people walking down the street, taxis waiting outside of the bars and clubs, music blaring out of second floor windows, people eating at all hours. Now that spring is here and summer is coming, I expect things to get worse! I'd better go take a nap, because I don't know how much longer I can keep up this pace!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Our Homes Away from Home
My, how time flies. I've almost been in Peru seven months, and while some things are getting easier, I still shake my head at other things and think, "At home we would never do that." It's getting more confusing to say the word "home". My home is in California, with a house full of clothes, and furniture, and things I've collected through the years. For the past nearly seven months we've called the family-owned apartment in La Aurora, Miraflores "home", and now, as of this past weekend, we have a new place to call home.
We had been looking for an apartment to rent that, in a perfect world, would meet these qualifications: must allow two dogs; must be furnished (with furniture) and equipped (with appliances); not too far from La Aurora; within close walking distance to shopping and cafes; close to a park; affordable for our budget; peaceful and quiet (not on a main street or cut through, with no construction projects nearby). We looked in the paper, walked around neighborhoods, told family and friends, and had a real estate friend look for us, too. And...nothing. I don't know where all the schnauzers and beagles live because we couldn't find a place that allowed dogs. I guess it's hard to find a place near a park, and more expensive if it's furnished. We just weren't having any luck, and we were (ok, I was) getting discouraged.
And then came an offer we couldn't refuse! My sweet sister-in-law Marcela and her wonderful husband Alfredo offered to rent the second floor of their duplex to us and our dogs! We were so surprised that we packed up our things in grocery bags and moved in over the weekend before they could change their minds! The place has everything we could have asked for, and more! The duplex where they live is on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Surco, just a few miles away from the apartment in Miraflores. The kitchen, their master bedroom, Alfredo's office, the dining room and large living room are on that floor, and our "space" is upstairs on the top floor of the building. We have our bedroom, bathroom, family room with a flat screen and a fireplace, and a huge terrace that wraps around so you can see outside from two different sliding glass doors. There's nice patio furniture covered by an awning, and you can watch the Golden Retrievers in the park right across the quiet residential street (which is one of several parks in the area)! The apartment is beautifully furnished (my sister-in-law has good taste) and even has a clothes dryer so no more mildewy-smelling clothes!
I won't ever have another transportation excuse for not making it to my pilates class because it's now a short 10 minute walk away! The Plaza Vea grocery store is about an eight minute walk, and next to it is a large mall (four floors) with lots of small clothing boutiques, a myriad of shops, salons, cafes, bowling, movie theater, the list goes on! Our building has an elevator, and I wonder what the dogs think when they get into this tiny room and come out to a different place! We have a security guard inside the building, and he opens the door for us whenever we come and go. Marcela's maid, Eva, is terrific. She's works Monday through Friday, and cooks a delicious lunch, which is our big, hot meal of the day around 2 or 2:30. Marcela and Eva have kindly made space for our things in cupboards and closets. My sister-in-law overflows with hospitality, she's such a blessing in my life!
The dogs are doing a good job of adjusting. It's so great to see them outside on the terrace, enjoying the fresh air. We're training them to stay upstairs whenever we go down. Sometimes one or both will sneak down after us and then we just tell them to go back upstairs and they will. They're getting better every day. They also are getting used to the three other people living here, and actually had a lot of new people to deal with on Friday night (two hours after we arrived!) and Tuesday night. Kiko and I love to entertain, and we were finally able to do so. We had some of Kiko's cousins and friends over to watch soccer. South America just began its World Cup qualifying, so we were, of course, rooting for Peru. With snacks on the coffee table, the bar and pizza on a table outside, there was enjoyment either inside watching soccer or out on the terrace talking and laughing. It felt so good, and so comfortable. I feel really blessed with this new living situation, and hope the dogs don't get on our landlords' nerves!
On Monday morning we discovered the only thing that prevents our new place from being perfect. We awoke to the lovely sounds of hammering and sawing - they are constructing an apartment building next door, and are only working on the first floor! Oh well, nothing is perfect, right? The building will be finished eventually, and in the meantime we will gratefully get an early start to our day in our new home.
We had been looking for an apartment to rent that, in a perfect world, would meet these qualifications: must allow two dogs; must be furnished (with furniture) and equipped (with appliances); not too far from La Aurora; within close walking distance to shopping and cafes; close to a park; affordable for our budget; peaceful and quiet (not on a main street or cut through, with no construction projects nearby). We looked in the paper, walked around neighborhoods, told family and friends, and had a real estate friend look for us, too. And...nothing. I don't know where all the schnauzers and beagles live because we couldn't find a place that allowed dogs. I guess it's hard to find a place near a park, and more expensive if it's furnished. We just weren't having any luck, and we were (ok, I was) getting discouraged.
And then came an offer we couldn't refuse! My sweet sister-in-law Marcela and her wonderful husband Alfredo offered to rent the second floor of their duplex to us and our dogs! We were so surprised that we packed up our things in grocery bags and moved in over the weekend before they could change their minds! The place has everything we could have asked for, and more! The duplex where they live is on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Surco, just a few miles away from the apartment in Miraflores. The kitchen, their master bedroom, Alfredo's office, the dining room and large living room are on that floor, and our "space" is upstairs on the top floor of the building. We have our bedroom, bathroom, family room with a flat screen and a fireplace, and a huge terrace that wraps around so you can see outside from two different sliding glass doors. There's nice patio furniture covered by an awning, and you can watch the Golden Retrievers in the park right across the quiet residential street (which is one of several parks in the area)! The apartment is beautifully furnished (my sister-in-law has good taste) and even has a clothes dryer so no more mildewy-smelling clothes!
I won't ever have another transportation excuse for not making it to my pilates class because it's now a short 10 minute walk away! The Plaza Vea grocery store is about an eight minute walk, and next to it is a large mall (four floors) with lots of small clothing boutiques, a myriad of shops, salons, cafes, bowling, movie theater, the list goes on! Our building has an elevator, and I wonder what the dogs think when they get into this tiny room and come out to a different place! We have a security guard inside the building, and he opens the door for us whenever we come and go. Marcela's maid, Eva, is terrific. She's works Monday through Friday, and cooks a delicious lunch, which is our big, hot meal of the day around 2 or 2:30. Marcela and Eva have kindly made space for our things in cupboards and closets. My sister-in-law overflows with hospitality, she's such a blessing in my life!
The dogs are doing a good job of adjusting. It's so great to see them outside on the terrace, enjoying the fresh air. We're training them to stay upstairs whenever we go down. Sometimes one or both will sneak down after us and then we just tell them to go back upstairs and they will. They're getting better every day. They also are getting used to the three other people living here, and actually had a lot of new people to deal with on Friday night (two hours after we arrived!) and Tuesday night. Kiko and I love to entertain, and we were finally able to do so. We had some of Kiko's cousins and friends over to watch soccer. South America just began its World Cup qualifying, so we were, of course, rooting for Peru. With snacks on the coffee table, the bar and pizza on a table outside, there was enjoyment either inside watching soccer or out on the terrace talking and laughing. It felt so good, and so comfortable. I feel really blessed with this new living situation, and hope the dogs don't get on our landlords' nerves!
On Monday morning we discovered the only thing that prevents our new place from being perfect. We awoke to the lovely sounds of hammering and sawing - they are constructing an apartment building next door, and are only working on the first floor! Oh well, nothing is perfect, right? The building will be finished eventually, and in the meantime we will gratefully get an early start to our day in our new home.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Transportation Adventures
A few months ago I was sitting in my taxi and traffic was at a dead stop. It looked like I was going to be late for work. We were on the offramp to get to my job, and I could see my building directly across the freeway, mocking me. You know how when you're stuck in traffic you just want to get out of your car and walk because you know it'll be faster? Well, when you're riding in a taxi you can do that! I got out of my taxi, walked up the offramp, and over the freeway on the pedestrian overpass. Since that only took two minutes, I had time to stop at the grocery store for a drink!
I think taxi drivers compete to find the fastest routes. They love using side streets to miss traffic on main streets, and drive much too fast in residential areas. I was seriously worried for the old man walking slowly across the street, and the mother holding her child's hand had to pull him out of the way. If you are driving behind a taxi and it turns down a side street, you should probably follow it so you know the shortcut.
The residential street where I live is a shortcut. Three times a day we get rush hour traffic (lunchtime is not as bad as morning and evening). If you try to back out of your carport or garage during these times, vehicles don't stop to let you out, they just honk at you as they continue speeding by. It's helpful if you have a security guard handy - he doesn't actually stop traffic but he will stand on the other side of the street and tell you to hurry up.
The taxi drivers ask me about driving in the U.S. I tell them that it's different haha! Yes, there are laws, and drivers follow some of them more than others. As a driver or pedestrian here, that leaves you to guess which laws will be followed at any given time by the people around you. I think that the best offense is a good defense! You just have to accept that people will make their own lanes, that four of those lanes will merge into one, that cars on the far left of you will cross in front of you to turn right and vice versa, and taxis will pull in front of you and stop with no warning. The sooner you can accept these truths the less anxious you will be on the streets of Lima.
I've had a few close calls as a pedestrian, the two closest ones while I was in a crosswalk with a green pedestrian sign! I put one hand on the hood of the taxi that was turning into me and pointed to the green pedestrian sign with my other hand, all while looking the taxi driver in the eyes. He just yelled at me, because obviously I was wrong. I find it easier to walk like a Peruvian and just cross the street anywhere, in between the cars and buses.
I've also been in two accidents in two weeks! The first time I was in a combi, and this was truly a crazy combi! The driver was seriously swerving all over the road in an effort to avoid stopping at all costs, unless it was to stop for paying passengers, of course. There was an evangelist standing in the middle of the small bus, yelling something about the Bible and animals while everyone ignored him. Too bad we ignored him, because as soon as he got off the bus, we got into a crash! Another combi hit us from behind (we crossed in front of him and stopped without warning but oh well) and I saw our cobrador (the multi-talented guy who hangs out the door and bangs on the side of the bus to attract passengers, taking your money and telling the driver when to stop) take 30 soles from the other cobrador. Apparently $11. is not enough compensation when one combi hits another, because our driver made our cobrador give it back. I don't know what ended up happening, but we didn't see any police and we got back on the road pretty quickly, swerving as much as we did before the crash.
This morning my taxi was hit by a truck on my way to work. My driver was merging from three lanes to one on a side street, and had to stop because a truck was parked sticking half way out into the street, which is actually quite normal, and another truck rear-ended us. I heard the truck driver ask my driver why he stopped. Really? Why does any driver in Lima stop suddenly? Because he can! hahaha Again, no police were involved, and we were shortly back on our way. Because we were later than usual, we were stuck in traffic on the street across from my office building, so I got out of the cab and walked across the freeway.
I think taxi drivers compete to find the fastest routes. They love using side streets to miss traffic on main streets, and drive much too fast in residential areas. I was seriously worried for the old man walking slowly across the street, and the mother holding her child's hand had to pull him out of the way. If you are driving behind a taxi and it turns down a side street, you should probably follow it so you know the shortcut.
The residential street where I live is a shortcut. Three times a day we get rush hour traffic (lunchtime is not as bad as morning and evening). If you try to back out of your carport or garage during these times, vehicles don't stop to let you out, they just honk at you as they continue speeding by. It's helpful if you have a security guard handy - he doesn't actually stop traffic but he will stand on the other side of the street and tell you to hurry up.
The taxi drivers ask me about driving in the U.S. I tell them that it's different haha! Yes, there are laws, and drivers follow some of them more than others. As a driver or pedestrian here, that leaves you to guess which laws will be followed at any given time by the people around you. I think that the best offense is a good defense! You just have to accept that people will make their own lanes, that four of those lanes will merge into one, that cars on the far left of you will cross in front of you to turn right and vice versa, and taxis will pull in front of you and stop with no warning. The sooner you can accept these truths the less anxious you will be on the streets of Lima.
I've had a few close calls as a pedestrian, the two closest ones while I was in a crosswalk with a green pedestrian sign! I put one hand on the hood of the taxi that was turning into me and pointed to the green pedestrian sign with my other hand, all while looking the taxi driver in the eyes. He just yelled at me, because obviously I was wrong. I find it easier to walk like a Peruvian and just cross the street anywhere, in between the cars and buses.
I've also been in two accidents in two weeks! The first time I was in a combi, and this was truly a crazy combi! The driver was seriously swerving all over the road in an effort to avoid stopping at all costs, unless it was to stop for paying passengers, of course. There was an evangelist standing in the middle of the small bus, yelling something about the Bible and animals while everyone ignored him. Too bad we ignored him, because as soon as he got off the bus, we got into a crash! Another combi hit us from behind (we crossed in front of him and stopped without warning but oh well) and I saw our cobrador (the multi-talented guy who hangs out the door and bangs on the side of the bus to attract passengers, taking your money and telling the driver when to stop) take 30 soles from the other cobrador. Apparently $11. is not enough compensation when one combi hits another, because our driver made our cobrador give it back. I don't know what ended up happening, but we didn't see any police and we got back on the road pretty quickly, swerving as much as we did before the crash.
This morning my taxi was hit by a truck on my way to work. My driver was merging from three lanes to one on a side street, and had to stop because a truck was parked sticking half way out into the street, which is actually quite normal, and another truck rear-ended us. I heard the truck driver ask my driver why he stopped. Really? Why does any driver in Lima stop suddenly? Because he can! hahaha Again, no police were involved, and we were shortly back on our way. Because we were later than usual, we were stuck in traffic on the street across from my office building, so I got out of the cab and walked across the freeway.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Just a Wednesday
I am happy to say that things have been better since I stopped fighting Peru. That, and I finally feel better. I don't know what I had for several weeks, perhaps winter allergies, but the scratchy throat, congestion and fatigue got old. Peruvians say those symptoms are caused by the change of climate (not to be confused with the world's climate change), which would be the cold, humid, misty weather that signifies winter in Lima. It's also been gray here for months. A gray that lacks definition, and seems to permeate everything like steam from a hot shower in a small bathroom. I love rain clouds, the different colors of gray are the perfect backdrop for the different greens in the trees, intensifying all the colors. There's no differentiation in color or tone in a Lima gray, just one, boring shade. Everyone is tired of it and ready for spring. There's a name for this phenomenon, panza de burro, or "donkey's belly". That would be a gray donkey, not a brown one. Kiko says just think of it as living inside a cloud.
Today I got up with Kiko and made Peruvian coffee, Finca Mountain Villa Rica, which is grown in the rainforest. The website says it is a socially and ecologically responsible company, so I like it a lot. I automatically use the tap water that we keep boiled in the electric water boiler on the kitchen counter. If we're drinking the water on its own we'll use the bottled water. I love that our regular sugar is azucar rubia, which is like the expensive Sugar In The Raw that I used to get at Starbucks, and tastes different (better!) than white sugar. I toasted some cinnamon raisin bagels that I found and excitedly bought at a bakery restaurant last night. What a treat! Kiko went off to work and I walked the dogs, first in the park behind my apartment, then on through the back of my neighborhood, in Surquillo, dodging the smooshed dog poo on the sidewalk. There was so much going on already, moms walking their kids to school, men working on cars and construction projects, other people walking their dogs.
My lunch today is an ensalada rusa, a Peruvian mixed vegetable salad. You can buy packages of fresh vegetables, already cut up and ready to cook for soups and salads. They're about 8 soles (3 bucks) and some include the quinoa or barley. They're great. I could've had the Peruvian version of a Hotpocket; since frozen convenience foods don't really exist here, I bought some fresh empanadas and froze them for something quick and easy to eat. I'm getting a bit better with the electric stove, haven't burned anything in awhile but haven't been much more adventurous than eggs and soup either. Staples in a Peruvian household include pan france, sliced ham and sliced cheese. The deli section in the grocery store has a huge selection of ham that they slice for you and a variety of brands of the most popular cheese, edam and gouda. You often eat the ham and cheese with butter in the roll for a breakfast sandwich, or you can eat it with mayo in the roll for a lunch sandwich. And if you don't want to buy your rolls fresh every day, you keep them in the freezer, and thaw them in the toaster oven when you need them. I think people eat a lot of bread here because it's good, fresh, inexpensive and filling. I have to ration my bread servings so I don't get chubby.
Tonight I work from 7 until 9:30, teaching basic English to two hard-working supervisors at Nextel. Most people have Nextel here, no matter where you are you can always hear the beep of a phone before you see a person holding it in front of them, talking into it like a walkie talkie even though it's a phone. Last night one of my students was confused with the lesson on giving directions. How do you explain why we English speakers say "you go down the hallway and down the elevator"? I told him that sometimes you can't ask too many questions, you just have to accept things the way they are.
See, I'm learning.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Don't Compare
I haven't cried in about two weeks! After five months living in Peru, it appears I may have finally made it over the hump. Kiko and I were walking the dogs and I was making my usual observations and running commentary. If you know me at all, you know that I have a critical eye, a "hawkeye", if you will. I used to have a proofreading/editing business to utilize that special talent. But having a critical eye can backfire when the negative is all you see. I was pointing out to Kiko that even though we live in a pretty nice neighborhood, it's full of graffiti, dirty buildings with peeling paint, chipped concrete steps and broken sidewalks. He asked me why I focus on those things? Well, it's what I do, because from there I try to analyze WHY things are the way they are. And then my very smart husband said, "This is a developing country. You can't compare it with the U.S., and if you continue to do so, you'll continue to be unhappy here."
Wow.
Well I didn't act like "wow" when he told me, I waited until later, when I was alone and had a chance to process what he said. And after some analysis, I determined that he was right. I haven't told him that either, he's going to find out when he reads this post. But it makes complete sense. The so-called negative things that I tend to notice would be quaint and interesting and different if I was just visiting a place, but since I was now living among the things I judged to be "bad", I saw things differently. I'm not a risk-taker. I don't like to gamble unless it's with fake money or M&M'S, and I have no desire to jump out of a plane. I'm an only child, I could stay inside my house, reading and listening to the rain for days. I do love to travel, and experience new things - I need variety. But traveling with a return ticket is completely different from living in another country. I honestly have had five months of ups and downs, with the downs including depression, anxiety, loneliness, sadness. It's not easy to up and move across the globe, leaving your home, family, friends, and church behind...basically everything you know. I've always known that living in Peru would be an adventure as well as an opportunity, but I think I made it harder than it had to be. I was focused on the negative, comparing and contrasting everything here with everything in the U.S. I had happy moments, but I wasn't happy. But I get it now, it's all about perspective, and attitude.
Anyhoo, I must say that things have been better since I changed my perspective and made an attitude adjustment. That, and meeting new people. I joined a meet-up group at about the same time as my transformation. Many members of the group are Peruvians who lived in the U.S. and have returned to Peru, like my husband. Most speak both English and Spanish, and have experienced both countries in a way that I can relate to. They are all really nice, and it's been fun getting to know them at a rum tasting, reggae night, and cocktail party. And I'm meeting new friends through an expat site on Facebook, and getting to know more of Kiko's cousins and a niece. Of course I really miss everyone back home, but I'm so grateful and excited to get out there and make connections with people in Lima, where I currently live. Which brings me back full circle to Kiko, who started it all.
Thanks for the adventure, the opportunity, and the coaching lesson Kiko. You are beyond compare =)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Road Trip to the Andes July 2011 - Part Dos
Friday morning we had our breakfast and met up with the rest of the family at the plaza de armas. Two more of Kiko's cousins and their families joined the party, and we had primo Roberto and his girlfriend Cha Cha (such a cute nickname for Roxana!) ride with us since we had room in the van. We followed the big, black truck with primo Alex, his wife Leila, and kids on our two hour journey up the mountain to the Laguna de Paron, the largest and most beautiful glacial lake in the Cordillera Blanca ("white range", a part of the Andes mountain range). In the Cordillera Blanca, there are 33 peaks of at least 18,040 feet high! And we drove up this mountain range on a single lane dirt road, only going up, for two hours. Kiko and I popped our anti-altitude sickness pills and hoped for the best.
Anyway, we finally made it to the top of the road, and made several interesting discoveries. First, that there were a lot of people with the same idea that we had. Second, that their vehicles were all parked on the side of the one lane road, which wasn't big enough to HAVE a side. Both Kiko and Alex did some incredible maneuvering when they backed in to their "spaces". We walked up the road next to the long row of micros, taxis and other vehicles and found ourselves at a festival with lots of people. There were women selling clothing, souvenirs, and food - corn on the cob, potatoes, fruit. And then we discovered why there was so much going on. We had happened upon a grand celebration of the lake! It was so cool to hear Andean flute and drum music, see the traditional dress, a beautiful queen, a large procession down to the lake and a ceremony where the dignitaries rowed out onto the lake and threw in an offering of fruits, vegetables and herbs. It felt like we were back in another time.
Rudy took over driving duties, and we were making good time when another little issue came up - a blow out coming out of a downhill curve. Kiko and Rudy changed the tire, Maritere rearranged the trunk and I flagged down cars that were racing around the curve so they wouldn't hit us. Kiko felt a bit better after the manual labor. Roberto and Cha Cha followed us the rest of the way down the mountain, and we were able to get the tire fixed in Barranca, where we said goodbye to the cousins. We had a nice dinner in a little restaurant while watching the U.S. 18 year old women play international volleyball in a tournament in Peru (more randomness!), then drove the rest of the way back to Lima.
We arrived home early enough on Saturday night to pick up the dogs, and as much as we wanted to see them we made the not so difficult decision of waiting until Sunday morning. We knew they would be worked up about coming home, and we wanted a bit of peace and quiet. It's tiring to go on vacation!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Road Trip to the Andes July 2011 - Part 1
I know a road trip entails lots of driving, and you get to see things you wouldn't see if you were on a plane, and we did see many wonderful and interesting things, but still. It was A LOT of driving.
We packed up the van, and dropped off the dogs at 7:30am on Wednesday. They stayed with a friend of Kiko's who lives in a house with a yard and a park out front. We felt really good about leaving them in such good care. After picking up our traveling companions, primo Rudy, his enamorada and my pilates instructor Maritere, and our sobrino Mariano, we headed out of the city in the morning traffic. ABBA seemed like a good choice to start the road trip with, and we were all in happy anticipation of our four day adventure.
Our first (unscheduled) stop was at Lomas de Lachay, a national reserve in the desert foothills north of Lima. Kiko saw the bright green foothills and wanted to show me the beautiful and unusual landscape. You would never know anything like this could exist in the middle of the desert - it is a unique microclimate with verdant flora, a variety of birds and small animals. (Note: When Kiko took Allie here in September '10, they saw a puma!) We hiked up the trail a little bit, saw a large bird of prey and a strange flying insect, and took some pictures.
Our next stop was in the province of Barranca, where we delivered our nephew and said "hola" to primo Alex and family who would be joining us the following day in Caraz. The only other stops after Barranca were for bathroom breaks because we had brought our lunch and lots of snacks in the car. There was so much to see! Patches of vegetables drying in the sun - purple and red peppers, and orange corn. Black cactus growing out of the rocks. Mamachas (Andean matriarchs) wearing pretty straw hats with multicolored fake flowers on them and layers of multicolored skirts. Sheep grazing on the plains with the jagged peaks of the snow-covered mountains in the background. The thing about driving in the Andes is that the road goes up and down, and up and down, and up...a lot. Mostly up. I had to focus on breathing because I have a tendency to unwittingly hold my breath and the altitude was pretty thin.
We arrived at our headquarters around 4:30 with the headaches we got while driving on the windy road through the mountains. After a restful nap, we enjoyed the delicious dinner prepared by Rudy and Maritere, then went into the little town of Caraz to check out the pre-holiday celebration. Thursday, July 28, would be Peru's independence day (like our fourth of July) as well as the inauguration of the new president, and there was a band in the plaza de armas in the center of town playing Andean huayno music while little children sang on the stage. Back at our bungalow, we fell asleep to the distant sounds of the provincial party.
Thursday we had breakfast in the little cafe where we were staying. Un desayuno Americano consists of jugo, which is often papaya juice, cafe, fresh pan with butter and jam, and huevos. With snacks and CDs, we began our day trip to the pre-Colombian ruins of Chavin de Huantar. After a stop in the town of Huaraz to drink coffee, buy chuyos (the Peruvian hats that cover your ears) and take a picture with some crazy, costumed llamas, we drove three hours over the worst roads I've ever been on. Kiko and our poor van did their best with the longest stretch of the biggest potholes on the windiest road you can imagine! And there were no "services" so the bathroom was a big rock on the side of the road. Even singing "Disco Hits from the 70's" wasn't helping very much! It was so annoying, because just when we thought we'd have a short respite from the teeth-jarring, body-slamming potholes, there would be another one right in front of us!
But we finally made it to the ruins, which the Chavin culture began building around 1300 BC. It was very cool to see the archeology students from Stanford University working with their little brushes and sifting boxes. We hired a guy to give us a tour, and spent the next hour and a half learning about the site of the ancient spiritual pilgrimage where people from all over South America came to seek answers from the shamanes. Apparently this place invented the "rave"! They put on quite a show with a complicated natural lighting and sound system, and underground channels which they used to divert the river to create blow holes adding to the special effects. These things, along with the hallucinogenic drugs ayahuasca and san pedro, provided an intense mystical experience. The Chavin people also built underground galleries with ventilation and natural light where the shamanes would eat lavish meals and take their drugs, preparing themselves for their ceremonies. Although I felt claustrophobic in the narrow tunnels, it felt incredible to be in a place built such a long time ago.
After our tour, Rudy became the driver and we quickly started the painful drive back. It was impossible to sleep, all we could do was close our eyes which helped them from jumping out of their sockets. We ate soup in Huaraz, and put our weary bodies to bed as soon as we got back to our bungalow in Caraz. My back hurt, and I was so tired from the long, uncomfortable drive and the high-altitude walking tour that I don't remember any nightmares of being stuck in underground tunnels with crazed, glassy-eyed shamanes!
We packed up the van, and dropped off the dogs at 7:30am on Wednesday. They stayed with a friend of Kiko's who lives in a house with a yard and a park out front. We felt really good about leaving them in such good care. After picking up our traveling companions, primo Rudy, his enamorada and my pilates instructor Maritere, and our sobrino Mariano, we headed out of the city in the morning traffic. ABBA seemed like a good choice to start the road trip with, and we were all in happy anticipation of our four day adventure.
Our first (unscheduled) stop was at Lomas de Lachay, a national reserve in the desert foothills north of Lima. Kiko saw the bright green foothills and wanted to show me the beautiful and unusual landscape. You would never know anything like this could exist in the middle of the desert - it is a unique microclimate with verdant flora, a variety of birds and small animals. (Note: When Kiko took Allie here in September '10, they saw a puma!) We hiked up the trail a little bit, saw a large bird of prey and a strange flying insect, and took some pictures.
Our next stop was in the province of Barranca, where we delivered our nephew and said "hola" to primo Alex and family who would be joining us the following day in Caraz. The only other stops after Barranca were for bathroom breaks because we had brought our lunch and lots of snacks in the car. There was so much to see! Patches of vegetables drying in the sun - purple and red peppers, and orange corn. Black cactus growing out of the rocks. Mamachas (Andean matriarchs) wearing pretty straw hats with multicolored fake flowers on them and layers of multicolored skirts. Sheep grazing on the plains with the jagged peaks of the snow-covered mountains in the background. The thing about driving in the Andes is that the road goes up and down, and up and down, and up...a lot. Mostly up. I had to focus on breathing because I have a tendency to unwittingly hold my breath and the altitude was pretty thin.
We arrived at our headquarters around 4:30 with the headaches we got while driving on the windy road through the mountains. After a restful nap, we enjoyed the delicious dinner prepared by Rudy and Maritere, then went into the little town of Caraz to check out the pre-holiday celebration. Thursday, July 28, would be Peru's independence day (like our fourth of July) as well as the inauguration of the new president, and there was a band in the plaza de armas in the center of town playing Andean huayno music while little children sang on the stage. Back at our bungalow, we fell asleep to the distant sounds of the provincial party.
Thursday we had breakfast in the little cafe where we were staying. Un desayuno Americano consists of jugo, which is often papaya juice, cafe, fresh pan with butter and jam, and huevos. With snacks and CDs, we began our day trip to the pre-Colombian ruins of Chavin de Huantar. After a stop in the town of Huaraz to drink coffee, buy chuyos (the Peruvian hats that cover your ears) and take a picture with some crazy, costumed llamas, we drove three hours over the worst roads I've ever been on. Kiko and our poor van did their best with the longest stretch of the biggest potholes on the windiest road you can imagine! And there were no "services" so the bathroom was a big rock on the side of the road. Even singing "Disco Hits from the 70's" wasn't helping very much! It was so annoying, because just when we thought we'd have a short respite from the teeth-jarring, body-slamming potholes, there would be another one right in front of us!
But we finally made it to the ruins, which the Chavin culture began building around 1300 BC. It was very cool to see the archeology students from Stanford University working with their little brushes and sifting boxes. We hired a guy to give us a tour, and spent the next hour and a half learning about the site of the ancient spiritual pilgrimage where people from all over South America came to seek answers from the shamanes. Apparently this place invented the "rave"! They put on quite a show with a complicated natural lighting and sound system, and underground channels which they used to divert the river to create blow holes adding to the special effects. These things, along with the hallucinogenic drugs ayahuasca and san pedro, provided an intense mystical experience. The Chavin people also built underground galleries with ventilation and natural light where the shamanes would eat lavish meals and take their drugs, preparing themselves for their ceremonies. Although I felt claustrophobic in the narrow tunnels, it felt incredible to be in a place built such a long time ago. 
After our tour, Rudy became the driver and we quickly started the painful drive back. It was impossible to sleep, all we could do was close our eyes which helped them from jumping out of their sockets. We ate soup in Huaraz, and put our weary bodies to bed as soon as we got back to our bungalow in Caraz. My back hurt, and I was so tired from the long, uncomfortable drive and the high-altitude walking tour that I don't remember any nightmares of being stuck in underground tunnels with crazed, glassy-eyed shamanes!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Navigating the system
My friend Johanna helped me take the micro today. You know when your kids show you how to use the apps on your cell phone and program the DVR? Well Johanna is Erika's age, and I felt kind of awkward in a motherly sort of way when she was explaining the nuances of the smallest of the Peruvian buses. I'm thankful for a surrogate daughter to show me the ropes - she's also told me how to watch The Office and Parenthood online which I have yet to do but that's like operating a DVD player so I'll need more instruction on that.
I met this sweet girl on facebook through an expat page, and we have watched several U.S. soccer matches at The Corner Sports Bar and Grill together, eating chicken wings and talking about life in Peru versus life in the U.S. She is in culinary school here, not only learning how to be a chef but how to do it with metric measurements. She's a brave one! She joined me at pilates this morning, and while I am getting familiar with the women in my class (and have Kiko's prima in class as well), it was nice to have the company of my own friend. After class we walked to a small cafe for a light breakfast and conversation in English, and then we took the micro.
Just like in any Peruvian bus, the cobradors (driver's assistants who perform many functions from collecting money to yelling at people on the sidewalk to practically scooping up passengers) in these little vans pack the passengers in like sardines. Yes, an obvious cliche but that's the way it is! There are street names painted on the sides of the bus, so if you know where you are going you would know which one to take. But Johanna said it's better to ask them rather than just rely on the names on the sides of the bus to always be correct, so you yell at the micro as it's driving by. Chances are the guy has already yelled at you to see if you want to take the micro, so a relationship has already been established when you are ready to ask your question. But you'd better make it quick, because the micro doesn't stop for very long; once you hop aboard you don't have time to sit down in the tiny thing before it lurches away from the curb. The cobrador keeps his hand on the sliding door, which he opens approximately every 20 seconds so a passenger can get on or off. You look around inside and see that you don't want to touch anything, but with all the lurching you really must find something to hold on to. When the micro is packed like a sardine, I think people might hold on to each other! While you are riding, you tell the cobrador where you want to get off, and then you pay him. It's usually un sol, or about 35 cents. He gives you a little ticket so you can prove you've paid, which made me laugh because he obviously knows you just paid him!
Peuvians use the ticket system a lot. When we drive to the Larcomar mall, we get a ticket for parking. There's a booth where you pay your ticket, but it's not at the parking lot exit, it's in between the mall and the parking lot. That person gives you a receipt, and a copy of your ticket, which you will then give to the parking lot attendant as you drive out.
When you go to a bakery, you eye the bread you think you want, then you tell the cashier and pay for your bread, then you take your receipt back to the person behind the counter who takes your receipt, asks you which bread you want, and then gives it to you, along with your receipt that he has torn a little bit to show that you received your bread. If you want to buy cosmetics at the grocery store, a simple Revlon mascara for example, you have to get a ticket for the item you want even though it's just hanging there right in front of you, pay for it at the cash register, and take your receipt back to the cosmetics aisle to make the exchange. If you have a cart full of groceries, you can ask an employee to retrieve your cosmetics purchase for you.
There are always lots of copies, and you are always asked whether you want a regular receipt (boleta) or the kind you turn in with your expense report at work (factura). At the end of the day, your purse and pockets are full of small white and yellow cash register receipts, various tickets, and blue and pink invoices. It all seems like such a drawn out process, but it works for Peruvians. Today I have my micro ticket to prove it.
Friday, July 15, 2011
A challenge and a choice
I'm writing this at the time I'm usually at my pilates class. I got up at my usual time, got myself ready, took the dogs out, and waited. My taxi didn't come to pick me up today, and Kiko is working. I guess I could have walked to a main street like Roca y Bologna or Tomas Marsano to hail a cab, which would have taken a little while because most taxis are full during rush hour. I'm kind of frustrated because this is the second time it has happened, but I really like my taxi driver and will give him the benefit of the doubt that something unavoidable came up. It's challenging to have to rely on others to get me where I want and need to go. I'll try again tomorrow.
Last night Kiko and I were trying to figure out my transportation needs for next week. I think I will be teaching nine classes, in two different locations, and only have back-to-back classes once, so that's 16 one-way trips. Add to that six trips to the Academia Natacion Johnny Bello where my pilates classes are held, and financially it's barely worth it because my earnings will be paying for my transportation. Plus now I'm nervous that my taxi might not come, and I won't get to work on time. Kiko will drive me whenever he can, so that will help. My other option would be to take a bus, combi, or micro, but my comfort zone is honestly not there yet. I suppose I can count myself fortunate to have this problem. Although I feel very limited without my own car (and even if I had it, I don't think I'd actually want to drive in the craziness here), I do have a few transportation options, and I do have the money to ride in taxis. Most Peruvians don't have a choice in their mode of transport because they simply cannot afford anything other than public transportation.
Most of the people I know in the U.S. are not faced with the disparity of social class and income on a constant basis like we are here in Peru. I walk out my door and encounter service workers like maids, nannies, gardeners, security guards, personal drivers, street vendors, maintenance men, street sweepers, trash collectors, dog walkers, and car washers. I see them, and talk to them, in my own neighborhood, everyday, all day long. In the U.S. we see our gardener and trash collector once a week, and how often do we talk to them? I don't live in a wealthy neighborhood, yet my neighbors and I enjoy their services. I'm sure when their work day is done that they don't have the choice of taking a taxi or waiting for a spouse to pick them up. They'll walk, and they'll take public transportation, often having to stand because the bus is so packed. After a lengthy journey they will probably arrive at a neighborhood that is not as nice as mine, and in their small dwelling they'll take a cold shower because they don't have hot water, and wash their clothes by hand because they don't have a washing machine. Then I'll see them busy at their jobs on my street tomorrow when I go out to catch my taxi for pilates class.
I have some choices, and today I choose to be grateful.
Last night Kiko and I were trying to figure out my transportation needs for next week. I think I will be teaching nine classes, in two different locations, and only have back-to-back classes once, so that's 16 one-way trips. Add to that six trips to the Academia Natacion Johnny Bello where my pilates classes are held, and financially it's barely worth it because my earnings will be paying for my transportation. Plus now I'm nervous that my taxi might not come, and I won't get to work on time. Kiko will drive me whenever he can, so that will help. My other option would be to take a bus, combi, or micro, but my comfort zone is honestly not there yet. I suppose I can count myself fortunate to have this problem. Although I feel very limited without my own car (and even if I had it, I don't think I'd actually want to drive in the craziness here), I do have a few transportation options, and I do have the money to ride in taxis. Most Peruvians don't have a choice in their mode of transport because they simply cannot afford anything other than public transportation.
Most of the people I know in the U.S. are not faced with the disparity of social class and income on a constant basis like we are here in Peru. I walk out my door and encounter service workers like maids, nannies, gardeners, security guards, personal drivers, street vendors, maintenance men, street sweepers, trash collectors, dog walkers, and car washers. I see them, and talk to them, in my own neighborhood, everyday, all day long. In the U.S. we see our gardener and trash collector once a week, and how often do we talk to them? I don't live in a wealthy neighborhood, yet my neighbors and I enjoy their services. I'm sure when their work day is done that they don't have the choice of taking a taxi or waiting for a spouse to pick them up. They'll walk, and they'll take public transportation, often having to stand because the bus is so packed. After a lengthy journey they will probably arrive at a neighborhood that is not as nice as mine, and in their small dwelling they'll take a cold shower because they don't have hot water, and wash their clothes by hand because they don't have a washing machine. Then I'll see them busy at their jobs on my street tomorrow when I go out to catch my taxi for pilates class.
I have some choices, and today I choose to be grateful.
Friday, June 24, 2011
But on the flip side
I'm sorry for whining, it's really not that bad. In fact, it's not actually bad at all. At the three month mark I finally have some semblance of a routine. Well, probably as much of a routine as you can have in a country where everything is "fluid" (in Kiko's words).
I just finished my third week of pilates! Three times a week, at 9am for an hour. I really like it - it's definitely challenging but I like the variety of workouts and I love my teacher. Maritere is Kiko's cousin's girlfriend, who I met at a wedding where she was really nice and friendly toward me, and super fun. She's in incredible shape (and has an incredible shape, sheesh!), and she's an excellent teacher. Kiko's cousin Flori also goes at the same time, and both of these lovely women will help me out in English when I obviously don't understand the instructions. I've already seen some improvement in my body and energy level, which you know is important when you are starting an exercise program and you're sore and need motivation to get out of bed!
I leave for my class at 8am, getting to the sports center around 8:15. This gives me forty-five minutes of quiet time with my book and my journal. I started this routine by accident. Kiko dropped me off early one day, and I walked over to the park, sat on a bench, and my new tradition was born. My best friend Jennie and I have just resumed our Christian book study, which is something we used to do that I have really missed. We read and make notes, which is what I do in the park (lately I've moved indoors at the sports center because of the mist) and then once a week or so we skype to discuss everything. I'm so happy for this!
This was my first full week teaching English for business executives at Nextel. One session with a high-intermediate student twice a week, and another class of three brand new English speakers three times a week. The students were all really great, quickly learning the phrase "just kidding" when I told them they would have 10 pages of homework, all grammar! The company I work for provides the books, CDs, and additional materials I need. Early morning and after work hours make things interesting, and I may get more students in the future. But working seven and a half hours this week was a good start, and I really enjoyed teaching again.
Kiko's sobrina just finished her first international coaching class, the same one that Kiko took. As a class requirement, they needed to practice their new skills, so I gladly volunteered myself to Cinzia. At our first coaching session several weeks ago, Cinzia helped me with a goal setting exercise, and the following week, I met several of my objectives (exercise, work and book study). Our third session included lunch and shopping at my favorite discount store, so the extra benefits of being coached by my niece are getting to know her, enjoying her company and speaking English!
My days can be full if I choose them to be. The dogs go to the park or for a walk around the neighborhood three times a day. About once a week Kiko and I have lunch at my sister-in-law Marcela's house. I appreciate the invitation of hospitality, and always enjoy the large afternoon meal. Once in a while I'll meet one of my friends (Nara or Jackie) for lunch or coffee, I walk to the grocery store or Ovalo Miraflores, take a taxi to the big mall called Larcomar. I have lots of time for my "Daniel" Bible Study; catching up with friends and family on facebook, email and skype; reading; and watching Law & Order and CSI reruns. I am hopeful of meeting some new friends, and getting to know more of Kiko's family. Of course Kiko and I have fun together when we can, sharing nice dinners and movie dates, and always looking forward to a new adventure.
And now I've survived Lima on my own. Kiko had a business trip this week, leaving Monday night and not returning until late this evening (Friday). As you can imagine, I was a bit nervous about being alone here. But I have arranged all my transportation for pilates and work - our security guard referred me to a neighbor who is a taxi driver, and he has become my personal driver! I just give him my schedule and he picks me up in front of my apartment, then I take a random taxi back home. He's more expensive than flagging a taxi down from the street, but less pricey than other taxi services that you schedule in advance, and the convenience along with having the same driver is definitely worth it. I bought all my food and cooked a large pot of soup (which I ate all week long, even sharing some with the security guards!). I made it everywhere I had to go on time, I got a deal on a cute sweater for 18 soles (about $6.50), and I'm fighting off a cold (which apparently is common when the weather changes).
Seeing the flipside reminds me that no matter how much I miss my life in Corona, I have alot to be grateful for here in Peru. And my next step is finding a way to share my gratefulness with others - there's such a huge need here, and it's time for me to add this to my routine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)