Learning About Peru and Having some Food

Los Quatro Mosqueteros, with our dear language trainer, Yessica in Lima

Well, it’s been another busy week in Buenos Aires de Santa Eulalia, Peru, my new home town. I must be having a good time because time is flying by. Spanish is improving quickly, though the grammar sessions are exhausting. Since most of my Spanish was learned “on the street” and not in a classroom, my conversation of full of grammatical errors, but my enthusiasm and Gringo charm overcame any objections. Here, however, I’m being held to a higher  level of accountability. After four straight hours, my brain feels the overload. Yesterday, our class went into the “big” city of Chosica, which was both a treat and linguistic challenge as they speak MUCH faster than here in the burbs.

We’ve been working on our Spanish interview skills, which we’ll to assess needs in our permanent sites. Here are some things I learned in my Community Survey, after interviewing about 20 folks on the street and in town offices:

Typical households include a nuclear family. Extended families often live in close proximity. This provides a social network. It also offers an economic safety net and helps with tasks like child rearing, shopping and meals. Many men and women work outside the community given a lack of local jobs. Extended absences of immediate family members in the home makes the extended family network even more important.

Buenos Aires is unusual in Peru, which is overall 95+% Catholic. A local Evangelical movement has begun and has converted about 25% of the Catholics to various Evangelical sects. The only faith with a church in Buenos Aires is the Catholic Church. A lot of Catholics are nominal Catholics; the Evangelicals, not so much. They attend nearby services four hours on Sundays and two hours on Wednesday. The church is very apolitical and does not appear to play a huge role outside the spiritual realm of Buenos Aires.

There are both primary and secondary schools in this town. The largest is a three-story building originally built in the late 1970’s. There is very little education on water and sanitation. Information on things such as water and sanitation travels through the family. It’s not necessarily institutional.

Buenos Aires is a “bedroom community” so, most people travel to Lima or Chosica for work. Some people own shops or drive taxis. About 300 people work for the local hydroelectric power plant.Another 400 work for the Municipal Government.  A typical income is $200 to $300, per month. A large percentage of the household income goes to birthdays, internet and household expenses. Some expenses are:

Buenos Aires Expenses:
S./4 per month for water*
S./90 for lights (200 for a store)
S./70 for Internet
S./100, a one-time fee for a connection to the water system
* People have a sense of entitlement on water and resent any payment for it.

Some typical incomes (in US$): Mayor - $1,600 / month;  attorney - $700;  professor - $600;  teacher-$400; Police/fireman-$340; street cleaner-$150.  People here live simply, but well. They spend a huge percentage of income on birthday parties and internet. One of my classmates is perplexed by the fact that his house has WiFi, but no hot water.

 The local government (free) health center is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. A lot of people go there with problems from drinking the water. They do provide some information on water purification.
Episodes of waterborne illnesses are less frequent in the winter when drinks are served hot, but spike when drinks are cold in the hotter summer months. There is a 24-hour clinic in Chosica.

Most homes have electricity, fairly constant water supply, refrigerators and microwaves. Some also have phone, internet and cable TV.  Even though the water supply is “treated”, no one trusts it to be pure enough to drink. Everyone purifies drinking water with chlorine or, most commonly, by boiling. A few purchase bottled water. Many of the septic lines run on the exterior of the buildings. This is a problem, since the plastic pipes degrade in the sun and become brittle. The usual “fix” is to cover any leak with cement, but eventually, replacement will be needed.



There are lots of community organizations :

• Vaso de Leche
• A municipal program to feed children ages 0 to 12
• Comedores
• A state program to help feed low income families
• Club de Madres
• Social and knitting group
• Football and Volleyball groups
• Integral to social fabric
• Club de Danzas Tipicas
• Dancing group
• Child-rearing groups
• PIETBAF, 0 to 3
• PRONOI, 2 to 4

The town is managed by a Junta de Directiva (steering committee). The municipality manages the water.
Citizens trust the government to manage the water. They fear a private takeover. Two major political parties existed, according to the mayor, and both split support between the major landowners.
The regional government has some programs like Vaso de Leche, which have been plagued in the past by corruption. Money and food have been given to friends and supporters of the elected mayor, rather than to the needy. However, everyone seems to feel that the new mayor is more honest and that those in need are now being served. He has also cleaned up the street by adding street cleaners and is building a new town plaza, which is nearby and nearly complete. Water is a major part of politics. Usage meters and enforcing payment of water fees is ALWAYS rejected by politicians. END OF REPORT.

Today, the Alcalde (mayor) was in Buenos Aires with a new program to introduce more fish into the local diet. They were offering fish (which looked like sea bass) for about US$0.30/lb, plus a free kilo, if you bought 5 kilos. My family bought 12 kilos for about US$4 – a spectacular value. Deri promises ceviche on Sunday.

We also practiced water testing techniques and made “Tippy-Taps”, an ingenious invention of the Peru 14 WATSAN volunteers made from used 3 litre soda bottles. It serves as a simple water tap for hand washing or shower in areas where water is only available from tanks or drums. I’m pleased to announce that our creative group added two minor improvements to the technique. We held Steering Committee elections and I was elected Treasurer of my group.  As with every Peruvian organization, a watchdog position called “Fiscal” is elected to watch the Treasurer. Mostly, our Committee will simply produce a Peru 18 tee shirt and arrange a party for our host families when we leave Santa Eulalia in November, which will also coincide with our Thanksgiving celebration. There are some pet pheasants at the Center which are starting to look very tasty.

Yesterday, all of Peru 18 went to Lima. We went to the Plaza de Armas and saw some of the usual tourist sites : Presidential Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, Miraflores (the luxurious part of town) and most importantly for me – the beach. I saw the President arrive at the Palace, with the usual motorcade – led by two motorcycles and followed by a security car. They were also making grand preparations for the Festival of el Senor de Milagros, which celebrates the big earthquake in 1950. After the quake, there was a wall left standing by itself, which looked like the face of Jesus, which was taken for a miracle. It seems a bit odd to me, but I’m not Catholic. Time was limited, so I missed the catacombs of the Convent of San Fransisco, Cerro de San Cristobal (a huge cross high up on a hill) and the US Embassy, all of which I hope to see on a later visit.

The police were everywhere around the Plaza, which is one of hundreds in the city. The people of Lima clearly love their parks, all of which are filled with flowers and perfectly maintained. The Palace Guard were elegantly dressed and carried only ceremonial arms, but the Army outside had complete battle gear with vintage automatic weapons. I happened to get an interview with the Chief of Exterior Palace Security, a charming man, who attended Boston University and spoke perfect English. I was somewhat intimidated, however, when his bodyguards all seemed to turn their weapons in my direction during the conversation. Later, my small language group (the Band of Brothers, led by our intrepid teacher, Yessica) snacked on delicious empanadillas for a meager US$0.35 each.

Since the streets around the Plaza were all blocked for the Festival, we had to walk quite a distance, through crowds offering everything from maps to shoe shines to pirate CD’s, toys, cell phones, candy and snacks. There were also many folks looking for a handout; some carrying signs announcing their specific malady. Taxis were scarce, but after about 15 minutes, we negotiated a fair price to Miraflores. To my delight, most of the taxis play non-stop American Oldies and I entertained my younger companions with lyrics to songs that were sung well before they were born. Speaking of songs, I’ve learned my first song in Spanish (unless you count La Bamba). It is the nursery round, Frere Jacques, but in Spanish. The lyrics are:

Campanero, Campanero,     (bell-ringer)
Donde esta ? Donde esta ?   (where are you?)
Toque tu campana, toque tu campana  (ring your bell ¡!)
Ding, dang dong – ding dang dong.

But, I digress. The taxi ride took us to Kennedy Park in Miraflores, where we were cut loose from our lovely teacher / guardian, Yessica and left to our own devices. (I’m still not sure why such a prominent park is named for a US President, but I was always fond of JFK) We immediately headed for the nearby Pacific Ocean, where the sea breeze and views were spectacular. The “beach” is not sand, but small, black, round pebbles and there were dozens of surfers in wetsuits in the waves. We met others from our group there and returned to “restaurant row” for seafood dinners. The competition for a group of Gingos was fierce. Every restaurant had a representative in the street, extolling the virtues of their particular eatery. We were offered a free drink at one, but were sold by the offer of two each. The food was excellent and in huge portions, as seems to be the case all over Peru. I enjoyed a seafood platter of shrimp, scallops, octopus, squid, langostino and oyster with fried rice (with two free Cristal beers) for about US$6. An annoying feature of many restaurants here is the constant big screen TV, playing either soccer or scantily clad ladies in music videos. We finished the day in Lima with a stroll up the beautiful and wide main avenue and a visit to the ice cream shop. The ice cream was home-made and the vanilla was outstanding.

My good friend Brian and I returned earlier than the younger crowd. We took a “combi” (mini-van with MANY stops) back to the Plaza de Exposition and from there found a “collectivo” (ride-share) to Chosica and another from Chosica to Buenos Aires. The collectivo is a car (mostly Honda sedans) which goes from fixed point to fixed point. They form on the side streets and wait until the car is full before leaving. This is not only energy efficient, but in our case, provided excellent company for the trip home. We sat with a professor of philosophy from Lima University, who provided historical and scenic commentary, as well as good conversation. I arrived home sun-burned and tired, but very happy. There is no place like home.

It’s Sunday and my plans for the day include, but are not limited to : doing a load of laundry by hand, getting a US$1.25 haircut, helping my friend Brian repair his families’ very loose chairs with my battery drill and internet time to post this and do some research for my class presentations (I’ve been asked to do two per-to-peer talks on septic tanks and public speaking) and completing my other homework. Maybe, I’ll smell some roses along the way…..

And that’s the news from Buenos Aires de Santa Eulalia, Peru, my home town – where all the men drink beer, the women work hard, and all the children want to live in Lima.

Community "Integration"

Deri - my host MOM

Crisanto - Spunky grandfather

Jaime - my dear friend and brother

Well, it’s been another busy week in Buenos Aires de Santa Eulalia, Peru, my new home town. I must be having a good time because time is flying by. Spanish is improving quickly, though the grammar sessions are exhausting. Since most of my Spanish was learned “on the street” and not in a classroom, my conversation of full of grammatical errors, but my enthusiasm and Gringo charm overcame any objections. Here, however, I’m being held to a higher  level of accountability. After four straight hours, my brain feels the overload. Yesterday, our class went into the “big” city of Chosica, which was both a treat and linguistic challenge as they speak MUCH faster than here in the burbs.

We’ve been working on our Spanish interview skills, which we’ll to assess needs in our permanent sites. Here are some things I learned in my Community Survey, after interviewing about 20 folks on the street and in town offices:

Typical households include a nuclear family. Extended families often live in close proximity. This provides a social network. It also offers an economic safety net and helps with tasks like child rearing, shopping and meals. Many men and women work outside the community given a lack of local jobs. Extended absences of immediate family members in the home makes the extended family network even more important.

Buenos Aires is unusual in Peru, which is overall 95+% Catholic. A local Evangelical movement has begun and has converted about 25% of the Catholics to various Evangelical sects. The only faith with a church in Buenos Aires is the Catholic Church. A lot of Catholics are nominal Catholics; the Evangelicals, not so much. They attend nearby services four hours on Sundays and two hours on Wednesday. The church is very apolitical and does not appear to play a huge role outside the spiritual realm of Buenos Aires.

There are both primary and secondary schools in this town. The largest is a three-story building originally built in the late 1970’s. There is very little education on water and sanitation. Information on things such as water and sanitation travels through the family. It’s not necessarily institutional.

Buenos Aires is a “bedroom community” so, most people travel to Lima or Chosica for work. Some people own shops or drive taxis. About 300 people work for the local hydroelectric power plant.Another 400 work for the Municipal Government.  A typical income is $200 to $300, per month. A large percentage of the household income goes to birthdays, internet and household expenses. Some expenses are:

Buenos Aires Expenses:
S./4 per month for water*
S./90 for lights (200 for a store)
S./70 for Internet
S./100, a one-time fee for a connection to the water system
* People have a sense of entitlement on water and resent any payment for it.

Some typical incomes (in US$): Mayor - $1,600 / month;  attorney - $700;  professor - $600;  teacher-$400; Police/fireman-$340; street cleaner-$150.  People here live simply, but well. They spend a huge percentage of income on birthday parties and internet. One of my classmates is perplexed by the fact that his house has WiFi, but no hot water.

 The local government (free) health center is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. A lot of people go there with problems from drinking the water. They do provide some information on water purification.
Episodes of waterborne illnesses are less frequent in the winter when drinks are served hot, but spike when drinks are cold in the hotter summer months. There is a 24-hour clinic in Chosica.

Most homes have electricity, fairly constant water supply, refrigerators and microwaves. Some also have phone, internet and cable TV.  Even though the water supply is “treated”, no one trusts it to be pure enough to drink. Everyone purifies drinking water with chlorine or, most commonly, by boiling. A few purchase bottled water. Many of the septic lines run on the exterior of the buildings. This is a problem, since the plastic pipes degrade in the sun and become brittle. The usual “fix” is to cover any leak with cement, but eventually, replacement will be needed.



There are lots of community organizations :

• Vaso de Leche
• A municipal program to feed children ages 0 to 12
• Comedores
• A state program to help feed low income families
• Club de Madres
• Social and knitting group
• Football and Volleyball groups
• Integral to social fabric
• Club de Danzas Tipicas
• Dancing group
• Child-rearing groups
• PIETBAF, 0 to 3
• PRONOI, 2 to 4

The town is managed by a Junta de Directiva (steering committee). The municipality manages the water.
Citizens trust the government to manage the water. They fear a private takeover. Two major political parties existed, according to the mayor, and both split support between the major landowners.
The regional government has some programs like Vaso de Leche, which have been plagued in the past by corruption. Money and food have been given to friends and supporters of the elected mayor, rather than to the needy. However, everyone seems to feel that the new mayor is more honest and that those in need are now being served. He has also cleaned up the street by adding street cleaners and is building a new town plaza, which is nearby and nearly complete. Water is a major part of politics. Usage meters and enforcing payment of water fees is ALWAYS rejected by politicians. END OF REPORT.

Today, the Alcalde (mayor) was in Buenos Aires with a new program to introduce more fish into the local diet. They were offering fish (which looked like sea bass) for about US$0.30/lb, plus a free kilo, if you bought 5 kilos. My family bought 12 kilos for about US$4 – a spectacular value. Deri promises ceviche on Sunday.

We also practiced water testing techniques and made “Tippy-Taps”, an ingenious invention of the Peru 14 WATSAN volunteers made from used 3 litre soda bottles. It serves as a simple water tap for hand washing or shower in areas where water is only available from tanks or drums. I’m pleased to announce that our creative group added two minor improvements to the technique. We held Steering Committee elections and I was elected Treasurer of my group.  As with every Peruvian organization, a watchdog position called “Fiscal” is elected to watch the Treasurer. Mostly, our Committee will simply produce a Peru 18 tee shirt and arrange a party for our host families when we leave Santa Eulalia in November, which will also coincide with our Thanksgiving celebration. There are some pet pheasants at the Center which are starting to look very tasty.

Yesterday, all of Peru 18 went to Lima. We went to the Plaza de Armas and saw some of the usual tourist sites : Presidential Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, Miraflores (the luxurious part of town) and most importantly for me – the beach. I saw the President arrive at the Palace, with the usual motorcade – led by two motorcycles and followed by a security car. They were also making grand preparations for the Festival of el Senor de Milagros, which celebrates the big earthquake in 1950. After the quake, there was a wall left standing by itself, which looked like the face of Jesus, which was taken for a miracle. It seems a bit odd to me, but I’m not Catholic. Time was limited, so I missed the catacombs of the Convent of San Fransisco, Cerro de San Cristobal (a huge cross high up on a hill) and the US Embassy, all of which I hope to see on a later visit.

The police were everywhere around the Plaza, which is one of hundreds in the city. The people of Lima clearly love their parks, all of which are filled with flowers and perfectly maintained. The Palace Guard were elegantly dressed and carried only ceremonial arms, but the Army outside had complete battle gear with vintage automatic weapons. I happened to get an interview with the Chief of Exterior Palace Security, a charming man, who attended Boston University and spoke perfect English. I was somewhat intimidated, however, when his bodyguards all seemed to turn their weapons in my direction during the conversation. Later, my small language group (the Band of Brothers, led by our intrepid teacher, Yessica) snacked on delicious empanadillas for a meager US$0.35 each.

Since the streets around the Plaza were all blocked for the Festival, we had to walk quite a distance, through crowds offering everything from maps to shoe shines to pirate CD’s, toys, cell phones, candy and snacks. There were also many folks looking for a handout; some carrying signs announcing their specific malady. Taxis were scarce, but after about 15 minutes, we negotiated a fair price to Miraflores. To my delight, most of the taxis play non-stop American Oldies and I entertained my younger companions with lyrics to songs that were sung well before they were born. Speaking of songs, I’ve learned my first song in Spanish (unless you count La Bamba). It is the nursery round, Frere Jacques, but in Spanish. The lyrics are:

Campanero, Campanero,     (bell-ringer)
Donde esta ? Donde esta ?   (where are you?)
Toque tu campana, toque tu campana  (ring your bell ¡!)
Ding, dang dong – ding dang dong.

But, I digress. The taxi ride took us to Kennedy Park in Miraflores, where we were cut loose from our lovely teacher / guardian, Yessica and left to our own devices. (I’m still not sure why such a prominent park is named for a US President, but I was always fond of JFK) We immediately headed for the nearby Pacific Ocean, where the sea breeze and views were spectacular. The “beach” is not sand, but small, black, round pebbles and there were dozens of surfers in wetsuits in the waves. We met others from our group there and returned to “restaurant row” for seafood dinners. The competition for a group of Gingos was fierce. Every restaurant had a representative in the street, extolling the virtues of their particular eatery. We were offered a free drink at one, but were sold by the offer of two each. The food was excellent and in huge portions, as seems to be the case all over Peru. I enjoyed a seafood platter of shrimp, scallops, octopus, squid, langostino and oyster with fried rice (with two free Cristal beers) for about US$6. An annoying feature of many restaurants here is the constant big screen TV, playing either soccer or scantily clad ladies in music videos. We finished the day in Lima with a stroll up the beautiful and wide main avenue and a visit to the ice cream shop. The ice cream was home-made and the vanilla was outstanding.

My good friend Brian and I returned earlier than the younger crowd. We took a “combi” (mini-van with MANY stops) back to the Plaza de Exposition and from there found a “collectivo” (ride-share) to Chosica and another from Chosica to Buenos Aires. The collectivo is a car (mostly Honda sedans) which goes from fixed point to fixed point. They form on the side streets and wait until the car is full before leaving. This is not only energy efficient, but in our case, provided excellent company for the trip home. We sat with a professor of philosophy from Lima University, who provided historical and scenic commentary, as well as good conversation. I arrived home sun-burned and tired, but very happy. There is no place like home.

It’s Sunday and my plans for the day include, but are not limited to : doing a load of laundry by hand, getting a US$1.25 haircut, helping my friend Brian repair his families’ very loose chairs with my battery drill and internet time to post this and do some research for my class presentations (I’ve been asked to do two per-to-peer talks on septic tanks and public speaking) and completing my other homework. Maybe, I’ll smell some roses along the way…..

And that’s the news from Buenos Aires de Santa Eulalia, Peru, my home town – where all the men drink beer, the women work hard, and all the children want to live in Lima.

Hitting the Ground Running

So, it’s been a quiet week (NOT) in Buenos Aires de Santa Eulalia, Lima Peru, my new home town.

My living situation is more comfortable than I imagined. I live with a family of four. Jaime is more like my brother than Dad. (Coincidence that he shares my dear departed brother Jimmy’s name?). He teaches the Peruvian equivalent of Jr High and is easy going and full of joy. His wife, Deri, is more the mover and shaker in the family. She works as a nurse in Lima and has a 2 hour commute, with 12 hour shifts that rotate. So, I’m never really sure when she’ll be around. They have two kids: GuanCarlo, 19 is a student at university in Lima and is rarely home. His younger sister Mishell, is a full of spunk and obsessed with Korean techno music. She makes me laugh a lot. Across the street, live Jaime’s parents, Chrisanto and Estella, who run a “convenience” store on the first floor of their house.

Buena Vista sits high on the mountain, so I do a lot of step climbing. But unlike in the US, steps are NOT standardized – they come in all shapes and sizes and can be extremely steep. Yesterday, I had to do a project with Ted Shriver (grandson of PC founder), that involved going almost to the top to talk to a carpenter. His “shop” was open air. His table saw was an 8” blade set in a wooden table. His only other power tool was a planer, but he turns out BEAUTIFUL work.

The house is really well built and very spacious. My room is about 20x30 (huge) with two queen beds. I have my own bathroom next door – much like any bath in the state, but shower and cold water only, so only one faucet on the shower and sink. Water pressure is excellent, with potable (chlorinated) water coming from The Santa Eulalia River into treatment and storage tanks about 600 feet up the mountain (altitude is about 4,500ft). Still any drinking/cooking water is boiled. All water and drinks are served at room temp. NO ice, but still pretty civilized. There is  also another system of water for irrigation that comes straight from the river in open aqueducts.

LOTS of dogs. Almost every home has a dog or two on the roof – combination guard dog and doorbell. Sadly, they never come off the roof to run. Still, they have it better than the street dogs, who scavenge for food. My canine friends in the states don’t know how incredibly good they have it.

The weather is outstanding – low 70’s during the day and low 60’s at night – perfect sleeping weather. The skies are ALWAYS clear and sunny. Standing in the sun and not sweating is a good thing. It probably won’t rain the whole 3 months I’m here. The breeze is cool and sweet.

The food is simple, just the way I like it. Lots of fruit : bananas, Pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, apple, cherimoya. Rice , potatoes and quinoa (ancient Inca grain) are staples.

The Peace Corps training center is a former resort about 1.5 miles away.  There are several Peru 18ers nearby and we usually walk to “school” with our lunchboxes. A bus is only about 17 cents, but the walk is more enjoyable than the (over) packed bus. We do 4 hours of Spanish, which is INTENSE. Classes are small, four in mine, all water & sanitation guys (WATSAN) at the same skill level. The other 4 hours are either health related or technical WATSAN training. Lots of home work, so not much time to play. Though, I have sampled all the local beers and selected Cristal (Budweiser of Peru) as my favorite. A 650ml is about $1.

The Peru 18 group continues to impress and delight me – extraordinary energy, brilliance and heart. The cooperation is truly world-class. And great sense of clever humor. The only problem is that most of these youngsters have never seen the great movies of my generation, so I need to explain my frequent movie quotes.

This morning, I did my first “cultural exchange”, by showing Jaime and Deri how to make cole slaw. They liked it – at least they said they did. Also, did my first community service : a pick-up towing a generator was trying to turn around in the plaza and the driver had no idea how to maneuver. Traffic was all blocked up and no one else seemed willing to help. So, the gringo stepped in and directed the driver and he went merrily on his way. The ENTIRE time, the blocked traffic was blowing horns – as if that would speed things up. Horns are THE most important part of any vehicle around here. They are blown with great frequency and glee.

As well, I’ve done several small maintenance fixes, mostly just tightening and adjusting. We also found a large crack in the concrete above the part of the kitchen ceiling where the paint was peeling. We’ll see if sealing it solves the problem. Maintenance is not a high priority here, it would seem.

I may have made a small tactical error in fixing all this stuff for my family. It seems others in the family and nearby have things for me to look at……….

A word about transportation – virtually no one has a car, but there are hundreds of taxis, busses and (my personal favorite) tricycle cabs. The Trikes hold seat two in the back, but I’ve seen groups of 4 emerge. Taxis and busses flow in a constant stream and I never wait more than a minute for one. They will stop even if they appear full. Like Jello, there’s ALWAYS room for one more. The cost to go about 2 miles is 30 cents.

Mostly, though, we walk, which is an adventure unto itself. The houses are built to within 3 feet of the road and only about ½ have a “sidewalk”. There is no mindless stroll down these roads – you need to be alert. And I see why riding a bicycle would be suicide. Never take for granted the wide LEVEL and consistent sidewalks and steps that we enjoy in the US.

It’s Chrisanto’s birthday tonight and there is a big surprise party for him. In keeping with family tradition, I wrote my first poem in SPANISH !!

POR CRISANTO

Feliz cumpleaños a Don Crisanto

Tiene una vida como un santo

Un hombre amable y muy generoso

Con salud, amor y mente picoso

Aquí en Buenos Aires es como paraíso

Ojala con muchos cerveza, no caer en el piso

Deseo salud y muchos anos mas

Tu amigo Goyo y el Cuerpo de Paz

RGP –

Peru Septiembre 2011

And that’s all the news from Santa Eulalia, my home town. Where all the men drink beer, the women work hard and all the children want to live in Lima.

**** DISCLAIMER – All the opinions expressed above are my own and do not represent those of the Peace Corps or the US Government *
****

Perhaps I ended my weekly blog prematurely…..

We had a party at my house last night to celebrate the birthday of Jaime’s father Crisanto. And that’s putting it mildly. The afternoon was dedicated to preparation. I chopped several pounds of tomatoes (and sharpened a few knives) for an amazing “ahi”, which is like salsa on steroids. I had a sample and was tearing up big-time, to the amusement of my hosts. Putting up lights for the evening, we discovered short in the light plug, which exploded with an appropriate bang (kids, don’t play with 220v at home). I had to find a bad connection – with the help of my trusty multi-meter. Deri was cooking the entire time.

This was to be a surprise party and the plan was sound. They kept Crisanto  out until about 7:30. I was waiting out front, while about 20 of the Peace Corps gang and as many family members waited inside in the dark. My ploy was that there was a problem with the lights and I needed his help, since Jaime and Deri had gone out. He dutifully got his flashlight and tools and came to help, whereupon he was ambushed and the party began.

It started quietly enough, with folks talking and milling about. There was some music and polite dancing and some small glasses of a delicious home-made sangria. The back patio, which also doubles as the laundry area has an awesome view of the valley and the weather was absolutely perfect, as always. From a lower room, came a trickle of odd hats and balloons. A live band, consisting of 5 saxophones, a violin and an instrument that can was a cross between a harp and a cello – no, I’m NOT kidding. I’ll just say that Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass got nuthin’ on those boys, not that ANY of my group knew who he was. A case of Cristal beer added to the volume and intensity.

And then came the clowns. Two real clowns and a very well constructed female side-kick in neon green spandex. All were followed by a deluge of long, thin balloons, more odd hats, whistles, fake foam neckties and huge glasses amid a barrage of spray foam and confetti. The clowns proceeded to whip the patio into a frenzy of laughter, dance, whistle blowing and universal silly, passionate merriment. The Peruvian custom of “La Hora Loca” had begun. And it went on. And on. And on. There were comic lap dances and processions - even some regressions. Some of the shy flowers in the group, came to full bloom. Discretion dictates that I add only that what happens in LHL, stays in LHL. 

At one point, all the family members got up and made toast like speeches to Don Crisanto – whose behavior, by the way, was among the most raucous. I read my poem and led the PC Choir, which presented ‘Row,Row,Row Your Boat’ in 4 part harmony and ‘Happy Birthday’ in English. The merriment continued as we were served dinner of chicken, potatoes (of course) and the most excellent ahi. The PC troop left about 11:30, but the family stayed up. And up. And up. I went to bed about 1am, but the band was still playing. Last time I saw the time, it was about 3am. And the band was STILL playing. I never expected to have this much fun in the Peace Corps. Say what you want about “Third World” – these folks know how to throw a party.

Oh, and I did my first “load” of laundry – by hand. Long soak, followed by a good upper body workout with and wash-board and scrub brush, followed by two rinses. It’s actually quite revealing to see the volume of dirty water, which usually escapes invisibly down the drain. And to witness the progressively cleaner rinses. Open air drying is amazing. No ironing required, as clothes dry smooth and quickly in the Peruvian sun and low humidity. I was proud of the result. The irony is that I later discovered that the family has an automatic washer, but all agree that clothes come out much better using the Old School method. And, it’s another time for the family to be together and chat – which is nice.

Coming to Peru

Departing Reagan airport for Peru - via Miami

The year-long application process is done. I've gathered with the other 63 volunteers of Peru 18 in Washington for a brief orientation. Some dear friends gathered to see me off. And now , we fly to Lima to begin a two-year service.

Once in Peru, we breezed through Customs and were whisked off to a retreat center out the Rimac River valley, near our training center in Santa Eulalia. After a two day stay, we'll meet our host families.

Peru 18 enroute to Lima

Dear friends gathered to see me off !!

Casa de Retiros - where we spent our first 2 nights in Peru