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.

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!

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.

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.  

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.

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 =)

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. 

First we saw fields of pink and red carnations, then other types of crops. There was a farmer with a wooden plow pulled by a pair of large, black oxen (well, I think they were oxen, what IS an ox?). There were women and young girls working in the fields, weeding and harvesting, and burros laden with the fruits of their labor. There were lots of animals - sheep, cows, pigs, and dogs...always dogs (even when we were in the middle of nowhere we would see a random dog where we least expected it). The road got more steep, and every so often we would come to a small settlement with a few houses lined up next to each other. The adobe buildings were only painted on the front side, and in order to paint over the handmade bricks, a layer of mud had to be wiped over the surface. There would be people resting near their animals, and they would wave to us as we drove by, kicking up dust from our tires. Often there would be people with big bags full of unknown goods, standing on the side of the road waiting for a ride. I became facinated with Andean fashion, especially the hats. No straw with fake flowers here! The mamachas in this region wore really tall hats made of wool, usually a shade of brown, with a distinctive design made of ribbon on one side. Either that, or a tall, plain straw hat. The people are quite short by American standards, and I wonder if wearing a tall hat has any significance besides just fashion?

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. 

We took a little walk on a path above the pristine, turquoise lake. The dirt path changed into a narrow, rocky path, and If we had  kept walking, the path would have led us to the base camp of Artesonraju, 13,944 feet above sea level. The elevation of the peak itself is 19,767 ft! The sun was warm but the air a little chilly as we looked across the lake at the jagged, white-capped peaks. Local boys were passing us going the other direction carrying big blocks of ice cut from the glacier. Two young girls passed us on their way back home. They had lead their cows along this rocky path to graze somewhere beyond our sight. We asked them how long of a walk they had, and they told us two hours to take the cows out and two hours to return, but since they spoke mostly quechua (the indigenous language) we don't know if we were really talking about the same thing. We sat for awhile on rocks at the side of the path, in the quiet serenity of the breathtaking view of God's creation.

Unfortunately, not everyone experienced this peace. Some members of Alex's family had altitude sickness, but they couldn't move their truck because of all the vehicles blocking any possible way out. It was actually an alarming situation to be in, and although there was an emergency crew they didn't even have any oxygen. Really! When enough cars had gone, we decided to try our luck. Rudy walked backwards in front of the van, directing Kiko who had to drive within centimeters of vehicles on one side and the cliff on the other. The side mirrors had to be retracted! Kind of dicey, but we made it thanks to Rudy's precise hand motions amd my husband's awesome driving ability! When we finally got down the hill, we stopped at a charming restaurant for a late lunch of fresh trucha (trout) pulled from the restaurant's own pools. Delicious! Then back to our bungalow for a nap before heading out again for pizza at a cute place in town. On our way back from dinner, Kiko and I followed the loud music we heard and ended up at a random outdoor dance. It was fun dancing to live salsa music under the stars in a little town in the Andes!

Saturday we had our usual breakfast and met up to caravan home. There was a little problem though...Kiko was sick. We think it was the aji salsa he put on his corn at the lake festival. Poor guy, it's no fun to have food poisoning, especially on a windy roadtrip. He had to go back to the car when we stopped for a short tour at Yungay. This was the site of a tragic landslide which occured after a major earthquake in 1970. The highest peak In Peru, Huascaran, lost part of its north side, which broke off, causing 80 million cubic feet of ice, mud and rock to bear down on the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca, burying absolutely everything. The site of this tragedy was originally void of life except for the tops of four palm tress which were in the plaza de armas. Today, grass covers the ground, there is a garden of beautiful roses, and several monuments to memorialize what happened. We saw before and after photos, and it felt so strange to be actually walking on top of the former town we saw in the pictures.


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!