Exploring

The ruins near San Pedro

Metropolitan Downtown San Pedro

The week began with a 6 hour ride on my new and beloved bike, exploring the less traveled roadways and cart paths of San Luis. First stop was an annex called San Pedro, an isolated village of about 15 families, about ¼ mile off the nearest (dirt) road.  I ran into a kid (son of the lady who sells me WiFi signal) from my street in town, who was out playing with some of his friends. After several minutes of ogling my ride, I got a tour of “town”, which was surprising clean and well ordered. “CARE” built eco-banos there. Unfortunately, they built them backing up to an irrigation canal. Rather than use them as composting toilets, several folks just pulled of the access doors and let the excrement fall directly into the canal. Not much hope of rehabbing these units, as the back sides can only be accessed from the canal, which is about 10 ft below. I might be able to do something with their water system, which is a common well with pump.

Then, out to the beach at Santa Barbara and down through Las Palmas, Santa Cruz and Villa Hermosa. In Palmas, I came across a group who were roofing a small house and stopped to talk and observe. 6” diameter bamboo is used as structural beams, set unto notches in the adobe walls. These are covered by split-bamboo, which flattens into very nice 12-18” wide strips. From the inside, the result is beautiful, especially when varnished. Usually, I’ve seen rice sacks or paper sacks laid on top of the split-bamboo, but these guys were using a 1” thick fiber mat, which they say will act as insulation. The mat was wire-tied at intervals to the beams and split-bamboo. The edges and top are then covered in 2-3 inches of adobe mud, creating a finished roof, which serves well in this area of ZERO rainfall (Actually, the official weather stats report 3mm (0.1”) rainfall annually for the area).

A rode a short stretch on the beach, which was only ride-able right at the ocean’s edge, unlike the beloved hard-pack at Daytona, FL. I had the shore to myself – nothing in sight but sand, waves, birds and some brilliant red sand crabs. And trash. Tons of debris collects at the high water mark – some organics, but mostly plastic, Styrofoam and flip-flop bottoms. I still can’t get over the enormous volume of the footwear flotsam. I read somewhere about a group that cut them into strips and made touristy somethings out of them. Gotta check out that possibility – PLENTY of raw material. Or maybe grind them up and mix with adobe roofs for insulation (maybe even use the friggin’ Styrofoam, too) – good research project for a “rainy” day.

Veering back inland, past fields of the beautiful asparagus,  which thrives in the salty environment, and groves of mango, I came upon a most unexpected find – a completed, but never used, sewage treatment facility.

The nearby ancient ruins provided a diversion in a completely different direction. The old ones obviously liked the high ground, as all the structures are atop small hills – not sure if the hills were natural or man-made. Some 5ft doorways entered into collapsed rooms, but the structural adobe is made of huge blocks of much higher quality than current adobe. What did these folks know that has been forgotten ?

The final leg back to town took me through a beautiful “fondo” or large plantation, of citrus, mango and asparagus. The HQ was well built and perfectly maintained. It was also well protected, with high adobe walls, spiny huarango and armed guards. The roads were lined with tall, old pine, which cast a carpet of needles, softening the road and quieting the bicycle wheels – as if in reverence for the antiquity and grace of the place. I’m guessing this was one of the original large land owners, who has continued a long and proud tradition of excellence.

Monday was “flammability testing day” at the biodigester. Jason, who is now officially retired from Peace Corps, but is kindly still helping out, rode with me out to Don Oscar. We inflated plastic bags with gas from the beast and lit them off. The product is not explosive, but burns well, with a nice blue-ish flame. The remainder of the gas line plumbing was completed and the large (2m x 1m diam) gas storage bladder started to fill. The family fed us a huge lunch and, as usual, I disappointed them by not finishing. I did, however, delight two little puppies.  The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting with the families who will be recipients of the final 6 “cocinas mejoradas” (improved cook stoves) in Don Oscar and Vista Alegre.

Monday night saw the start of the celebrations for the anniversary of San Luis – officially founded on 12 January 1871. But why not start the celebration 3 days early and carry it on through to the weekend? The plaza is set up like a carnival, with kiddie rides and Foosball parlors (now we know what happened to all those foosball tables when the US fad was over), street venders of all sorts and a bandstand, featuring some OK bands and some awful bands. I went and wandered for awhile, but turned in around 10pm, only to discover that things only get started at MIDNIGHT. Why folks would think that midnight is a great time to have a parade escapes me. But, they do. And did. A very LOUD parade, I might add. And did I mention the fireworks? Well, not really fireworks, just the horrific home-made bombs that go BANG. These things make M-80’s sound tame. They take a section of bamboo, fill it with black powder and light the fuse. The strength of the bamboo creates quite a bang. After Bang, after bang, after….you get the idea.

Tuesday was off early on bike to San Pedro, where I interviewed 7 homes (about half the families) and inspected the eco-banos there. It used to be a workers camp for the “fondo” of Don Augustine, who grew marigolds, which are fed to chickens to improve meat and egg yolk color. The processing plant suffered major damage in the 2007 earthquake and the Don (or his descendants) switched to growing tangerines and mangos. Relics of the old plant, like two huge ventilation turbines and a derelict generator , dot the town like surreal modern art. Most older folks still work for Augustine, but the youngsters are moving out. As I suspected earlier, the eco-banos that are still in use have been converted to flush-into-the-canal banos. There is hope for the 7 (of 15) not built on the canal. 5 went out of service when they got full and the other 2 just abandoned.

After another great $1 haircut (this one actually cost 93 cents), I went to the La Quebrada JASS (local water committee) meeting to present options I had found for a chlorine injection pump and finalize plans for the annual disinfection and cleaning of the system later this week. I’m excited that they are going ahead with the pump which will mean a consistent flow of chlorine and safe water for the more than 1,800 folks who drink and wash from this system. The happy ride home was even more so, since it is a long shallow grade and I could run in highest gear and/or coast the whole trip. This was my first long ride at night and my night light served well. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my bike ?

I arrived back in San Luis to find the “anniversary” celebration in full swing. As I got near the stage, the winner of the “Miss San Luis” contest was just being crowned. As she was walking off the stage, someone handed me a bouquet of flowers and said I should present them to her, which sounded fine to me. So, I presented the flowers and congratulated the young lady, whereupon I was informed that I now needed to pay for them. All in all, this was fine and the $1.85 tab was a small price to pay for a smooch from this lovely young lady.

Another good bike day, first out to San Pedro to finish interviews, map and inspect last banos. I also tested their water, which looks just fine. The private water company (Emapa) does a really good job, providing safe water to over 10,000 in the service area. Their monthly fee is a mere $4.60 a month, plus an overage fee, which few have to pay. Still, there are many areas which shun the private service, preferring to have contaminated water, but pay nothing or less than a dollar a month – truly a false economy. A better plan for these areas is to establish a water committee (JASS) to run the system, maintain and chlorinate the water. It is feasible to provide safe water for less than a dollar a month, if private citizens will work together. This is what I’ll be facilitating in the areas of San Luis without Emapa service. But, I digress again.

Next came a rousing 5 mile jaunt up the Pan Am almost to Cerro Azul. Riding next to 60MPH bus traffic can be a rush, but only occasionally. I was searching for, and found, a brick factory to make ceramic water filters. Most everyone out on the beach uses well water, which is not of the best quality. An NGO handed out some ceramic water filters, which is a good solution to provide safe drinking water for these folks. The filter, which looks like a flower pot, is placed in the top of a 5 gal bucket and filters about 1 liter per hour. However, the filters wear out after a year or so, and no one was told how or where to get replacements – typical of NGO hit and run tactics. Anyway, the replacements are available in Lima, but I have this crazy idea to make them locally, which would lower the cost dramatically AND maybe make a local business. (a photo of the filter is in “Peru” FB album. So, I’ve got the clay, the rice husks and now the kiln; just need the form mold, a small hydraulic jack and some colloidal silver and the time to execute the project.

Thurday AM to Don Oscar: The biodigester continues to gas it up. The storage bladder inside the house is about half full and growing. Also did some chlorine tests of the water, which showed zero residual, even though the water source in town looks fine. Must be something rotten in the line between town and beach. I cut some plastic sheets (needed to stop soil salt/moisture from “eating” the adobe) and gave them out to the next cocina mejorada recipients, along with detailed instruction sheets, with diagrams and photos, of the base they must build for me. Those who complete the base first get first cocinas. Just a subtle little prod……..

Then bicycled in the other direction to La Quebrada (Have I mentioned how easy my new bike makes all this travel? – It does.) to disinfect their well and water system. The well is an ancient looking thing, which they say was built by the old Don in the area over 200 years ago, and has been reliably turning out some beautiful water ever since. It is 2 M wide and I climbed down about 20 feet to get to the water level and dose it with chlorine. Then we pumped water up to the tank and will let it sit overnight for good contact killing time.

Set a new personal best time on the return, which is a slight downhill grade. 4km in 6 minutes works out to about 25mph, with seemingly no effort. I swear that bike is magical. I got back to San Luis at the start of YET ANOTHER night of party. I’ve really tried to embrace this week long party concept, but it just doesn’t work for me. It was 1am last night when I tried the “if you can’t beat ‘em (or sleep), join ‘em” plan. Mostly there were a bunch of men drinking beer and ogling the

younger female dancers, while the band played the same riff over and over again. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying (then again, I have a hard time understanding drunken English), but the lewd gestures were plain enough. Peruvian men also seem to get quite “huggy” when drunk. I’m a touchy kind of guy myself, but sweaty, beer stenched men are not my preference.  I soon grew weary of the whole scene, retiring once more to a (yet another) night of lost sleep..

Next day was back in La Quebrada at 7:30 am to work with the JASS in cleaning the big water storage tank. We were warned MANY times during training to expect Peruvians to be late “La Hora Peruana”. This has definitely NOT been my experience so far. These folks were on time and with all the requested cleaning and painting supplies on hand. Even better, they came with a crew of five really good workers, which left me with just supervision and technical duties. We quickly got to work washing and scrubbing the tank walls, sanding and painting the rusted tube and ladder areas, flushing out the dirty water, scrubbing the walls with chlorine solution and finally dosing the filled tank with chlorine. The town loudspeaker system periodically broadcast messages advising the residents that the water was off for cleaning and that when it came back on it would have “alta cloro” and to use it for washing and cleaning, but not drink it until that night. We even had some paint left over, so decided to paint some of the exterior plumbing for good measure. When in doubt “paint it blue”. Everything went like clockwork and the good Peace Corps training and field experience we got really paid off here. We retired to a sweet little lunch of chicken sandwiches, home-made french fries and, of course Inca Kola (which I really don’t care for). In the joy of the moment, it didn’t taste so bad.

This community water committee (JASS) is a great bunch. They work hard for their community and really care. Next step will be to buy a little chlorine injection pump and start regular chlorination of their system. They have been dosing the tank in the summer time, but this requires someone to climb up to the tank and pour the chlorine in, which causes the chlorine level to spike and fluctuate wildly. Some of you loyal readers have pointed out that the use of chlorine itself raises some health safety issues. But, in my opinion, if the level is kept just low enough to kill all the nasties, it far outweighs the disease damage of bacteria and parasites. Other disinfection systems, live UV or ozone would be nice, but chlorine is vastly cheaper. And I do appreciate all comments and questions raised in these blogs.

Some random observations: Most condiments, like mayonnaise, jam, etc, are sold in foil pouches. I really like these, as they allow a long shelf life in an area where lots of folks (me included) don’t have refrigeration. ++ Every combi – the minivan which is the most common mode of transport here - has a driver and a “conductor”. The conductor is usually a younger person, who must be agile, energetic and quick. In adding to constantly hawking the combis destination to attract riders, they help folks and packages on and off the van, collect fares, direct people to seats, alert the driver to stops and serve as safety officer as rear view mirror when the van is full. ++ I’m amazed at the amount of ice cream treats (think Good Humor) consumed here, given their relative high price. Nestle has a pretty good lock on the market, with small locked freezers at the entrance to most small tiendas. In addition, loads of street vendors ride bicycles with mounted coolers, plying the streets and doing a brisk business here in the tropic.

Biodigester Up and Running

The biodigester tube is fat with GAS !!

Eureka !! It works. Flame from the bio-gas

Gas storage bag inside the house is full, too

This week started off kinda slow – everyone in town seemed to be recovering from New Year’s celebrations. This provided a good opportunity to research some pending projects. I got some local quotes on chlorine injector pumps for the water committee (JASS) in La Quebrada and found some excellent alert horns for the tsunami warning system for the beach areas. These units are totally self-contained (solar powered) and can be activated via cell phone – perfect (albeit expensive) for this application. Also bought materials and parts for the bio-digester, did calculations on flow rate, volume, etc for the upcoming disinfection, cleaning and chlorination of a water system, wrote my questionnaire for the dreaded Community Diagnostic and worked with Will on drawings for my new Cocinas Construction Manual.

Also, a good time to enjoy “Mango Madness”. The price of local mangos has dropped noticeably recently. More and more vendors are plying the streets, hawking the delicious treats. “Dos kilos, tres soles” is the cry, which translates to about 25 cents (US) per pound. Needless to say, I’m eating a lot. I heard a rumor from another PCV that eating more than 4 a day (these are nice big fat ones, BTW) can cause some allergic reaction. I plan to fully test that theory, as I know of no fruit (except maybe a REALLY ripe peach) that is more delicious.

Wednesday, it was back to the beach bio-digester, was nicely filled and cooking up methane like crazy. Gas line was almost completed and the big gas storage bladder should be filling up soon. Tested some of the effluent, which was surprisingly non-odorous, but I’m guessing it still needs some “cooking” time. We also got the new “greenhouse” clear plastic cover installed (photos in FB Peru album), which will add heat and speed to the digestion process.

Questionnaire for my Community Diagnostic survey complete, I rode out on my new Trek Alpha (lovely, sturdy and light mountain bike provided by Peace Corps) to begin interviews in one of the San Luis “annexes” called Laura Caller. The ‘burb is named for a “crusading and tenacious labor lawyer”, who defended many of the Shining Path revolutionaries back in the 80’s. The area has its own water system, which is largely unmaintained and no sewer system. Most folks have flush toilets, which drain directly into the open irrigation canal that runs through town or just dump bed-pans into the ditch or other open area. There are even a couple of public toilets which are built directly over the canal. The canal is thankfully covered as it flows past San Luis, but then is open again as it flows merrily out to the Don Oscar beach area (where I work) and on into the ocean.

My first interview lasted over 2 hours. Lesson learned is NOT to interview folks who have nothing else to do and want to gripe about everything that the local government is doing (or not doing). She also wanted me to meet her single daughter and insisted that I stay for a little lunch. After that, my interview style got less cordial and more business-like.

One thing that came across clearly (besides the desire for a proper sewer) was the high incidence of diabetes, which is becoming an epidemic problem in Peru

(see: http://www.peruviantimes.com/05/poor-eating-habits-cost-peru-8-billion-per-year-official/14631/ ),

as it is in the US. One look in the average tienda (convenience store) will tell the story. While a certain amount of shelf space is given over to soap and staples, the vast majority of products are junk food and soda – LOTS of sodas. Most popular is the ubiquitous Inca Kola (product of Coca-Cola) in the ultra big gulp 3 litre bottle. Frito-Lay is well represented with all the usual US choices of puffed air/corn. The ones I enjoy from time to time are the camote (sweet potato) chips – colorful and delicious. The home-roasted peanuts that my “sweet little old lady” friend Cristina sells on the corner are also top-rated.

But, I digress. I visited to the local health clinic proved interesting. Of all the conditions treated there last year, “vaginal fluid discharge” topped the list – no wonder the Corps doctors advised against sex with locals. I’m a little curious why this is the top problem here. Second on the list is diarrhea (almost exclusively in 1-3 yr olds), followed by a host of other intestinal disorders, including giardia. After that, comes sexually transmitted disease (including HIV), tuberculosis and skin infections.

One of the biggest challenges that we face in Peru, is changing the mindset and attitude about the water-borne diseases. So many adults here feel that these diseases are “rights of passage” that everyone goes through as children, since the adults seem to develop resistance and are largely unaffected. The malnutrition and arrested development that the illnesses can cause are evident and preventable, but like littering (don’t even get me started on that one), are just considered normal.

So, this will be my routine for a while – 3 S’s (shit,shower,shave, stretch), have my egg (or avocado or cheese) sandwich and OJ, ride out to the ‘burbs and interview the good folks with my battery of questions. These will then be compiled, along with some other local information into a “Community Diagnostic”, which report is a requirement of my first 3 months of PC service. Quite frankly, I feel my time could be better spent pursuing the long list of potential projects already at hand. But, the Corps, like any good bureaucracy, has its rules, which must be followed. Not to mention the monthly reports and other nuisance paperwork.

Did I mention how much I like my new bike ?? I do. A LOT. It’s a Trek Alpha 3700 mountain bike – all aluminum frame. Slickest bicycle I’ve even ridden. Gear shifts are digital and smooth as silk. It’s also the only clean bike in this Land that Maintenance Forgot. Hopefully, the “good example” technique will result in at least a few other clean and lubricated bikes out there.

Strange customs: I had lunch at a new “menu” restaurant. It was great and I had a couple of 10 centimo coins (4 cents US), which aren’t good for much of anything, so I left them as a “tip”, which is rare here except in touristy places. I got about a block away and the nice lady came running up to me, out of breath, explaining how I had dropped 20 centimos on the table. It took an inordinate amount of convincing and complimenting to get her to keep them, which she eventually did, shaking her head in puzzlement. That’s a long way to go to return 8 cents. On the other hand, shop owners and taxi drivers think nothing of jacking the price to a Gringo and express no remorse when called out on it. Go Figger…..

Early this (Saturday) morning, I was off, aboard my trusty new bike to explore some of the outlying areas of San Luis, which are not generally accessible by combi route. First stop was San Pedro, a small village of about 10 to 15 families, depending on whose count you believe. They all get their water from a common well, which is pumped around to the shacks. Some of the “CARE” eco-banos that I hope to rehab are there. Sadly (or cleverly), they were all built next to an irrigation canal. Several have been converted from composting toilet to pour-flush toilet dumping straight into the canal. So much for that plan.

Next I rode up to the ancient ruins nearby. My route was lined with beautiful old eucalyptus and cedar trees. The Huaranga is in bloom and cast a sweet scent over the area. The ancients seemed to like the high ground, which is nice, unless you need to carry water up the hill all day. Some of the ruins are quite intact, with 5 ft high doorways leading into small chambers. The construction seems to be adobe. But this adobe must have been much higher quality than is used today and the blocks are enormous – I’m guessing 4x6x2 ft – no telling how much they weigh. Will return with camera soon.

I rode by the site of a corn-shucking machine and was struck by how truly amazing the US harvesting combines are. In one pass, they cut the stalk, remove the ears, remove the kernels from the ears and blow clean corn kernels into a waiting truck. Here, the stalks are cut by machete, then left to dry. Next group of workers comes in, pulls ears from the stalks and loads them into sacks. Another crew will come by later and load the stalks and hual them out to the dairies for cattle food. Sacks are loaded onto trucks and moved to drying areas, where the ears are shucked and left to dry, with an overnight “guard” watching over the harvest. Finally, a guy comes by with a machine that strips off the kernels and blows them into sacks, which then will go to a mill. Of course, the massive combines are too expensive and are designed for huge acreages, not the small, irregular sized fields around here. And labor is ridiculous cheap ( between $5 and $10 PER DAY).

Celebration

Peruvians love yellow undies for NYE

I didn't have the heart to tell her she was looking at the wrong size

The week long “anniversary” celebration of is finally over. The street vendors have all packed up and moved on to another town near Ica that is celebrating this week. And tranquility has once again been restored to my delightful little town. Actually, it’s not exactly little; latest census figures put it at about 5,400 population. Another 5,500 live in the four largest annexes and another 1,200 in the smaller nine annexes. As I’ve discovered in doing my field interviews this week, those numbers are tricky, since many folks report “living” here, but spend most of their time working elsewhere.

I’ve been doing field interviews and bano surveys in the Don Oscar, San Pedro, Las Palmas and Vista Alegre annex areas, where are located the 124 eco-banos I hope to rehab. These composting toilets were beautifully constructed by the British NGO “CARE” about 2 ½

years ago. The bases are poured concrete of high quality and the structures are built of a “Hardy Board” type material, a compressed concrete/fiber material, used in the States as backing for tile in bathrooms. Sadly, only about 20% (which is actually higher than I’d anticipated) are still in use. The biggest problems seem to be lack of education on how to properly use the units and rust (most of these units are within 200 yds of the ocean). Many of the unused units are simply full; and the folks either didn’t understand that the composted fecal material had to be removed or couldn’t open the access doors, because the bolts securing it had rusted solid. Many others fell out of service when the door was either removed and used for other construction or fell off when the two cheesy hinges rusted through. A minor inconvenience is that there were no handles built on the doors, just a (again cheesy) slide bolt, most of which have rusted out, so the doors in use are mostly propped shut with an adobe block. Others have simply been stripped to use the hardy board, roofing and plastic tubes for other building.

While there is good quality water from the EMAPA company in Canete, many folks simply can’t afford the $4/month cost and get their water from open, shallow wells. I’m guessing this is not great water to drink, although most say they boil anything they drink. Many were given a low-tech ceramic filter by an NGO, but these have fallen into dis-use, since the ceramic filter plugs up over time. The users were not told how or where to get replacements. So, here looks like another project for me. Hopefully, I can get new filters for them. Even better (and crazier) idea is to start manufacturing the replacement filters right here. We’ve got the local clay and rice husks, and I’ve located a brick kiln up by Cerro Azul where they could be fired. Now all I need is a form, hydraulic jack to pressure pack the molds, some colloidal silver to kill microbes, and some elbow grease. Thinking in the large, we might even start a cottage industry to manufacture replacement filters for other areas. But, the logistics of that are daunting. Or maybe, just get some sponsorship money and buy ‘em.

Other data on illnesses, fuel use, recycling, trash disposal, religion, and demographics will be compiled and presented in my PC required “Community Diagnostic”, due in March.

In the middle of all the gritty interviews, I took a trip to another world in Lima. Vivian Fort-Brescia *79 and sister of my Princeton classmate Bernardo hosted a dinner for the five Princeton students who are participating in the Bridge Year program. These young folks have delayed their freshman year, to serve in rural Urubamba, Peru in programs very similar to Peace Corps. Their lovely program director and guide, was in fact a former PC Volunteer (RPCV & APCD -Guatemala in PC speak) and modeled their service program accordingly. Some of their programs are the same as mine: cocinas mejoradas (improved cook stoves), ceramic water filters, eco-banos, etc. As might be expected, this is an extraordinary group of very bright and highly motivated pre-college students. I applaud their service and life experience gained will certainly serve them well at Princeton. In an age when so many young people seem to be focused on maximum personal gain, here are some of the best and brightest, looking outward and acting generously. For me, it was also a quick visit to another planet, just 140km from Canete. Vivian’s home is right out of Architectural Digest (literally). Manicured grounds surround a pool and fountains wrapped around a glass and wood structure of her own design of comfort and 20 ft ceilings. The food was extraordinary – fish, avocados stuffed with seafood salad, asparagus and mango sorbet - and I enjoyed my first drink with ice cubes since coming to Peru. More information on the Bridge Year program and blogs from the students can be found at:

http://www.princeton.edu/bridgeyear/program-sites/peru/

While the visit was incredibly enjoyable and a complete change of venue and pace, it did bring home the enormous income and life-style gap that exists here in Peru. Wealthy Limonians live in the opulence of America’s top 2%. Swimming pools, fountains, polished marble, SUVs and works of art everywhere. White jacketed servants, manicured grounds and well-policed streets. Security is HIGH and electrified wire, iron spikes and armed private security guards defend all residences. My accounts of living conditions in Don Oscar – well water, no septic and subsistence farming seemed quite a shock. The only part of San Luis any of them had seen was the famous “El Piloto” restaurant on the Pan Am, an expensive and exclusive dining spot for Lima residents travelling to their beach homes to the south. I’m sure the same can be said for upper class New Yorkers, who drive past the ghettos enroute to the Hamptons.

I’ve added some handlebar extensions to my beloved bike at the suggestion of my Bike Guru, PCV “Obi” Ben Masters. His passion for the craft and common-sense approach may just change the archaic and inefficient Peace Corps bike policy here. He is also writing a bicycle repair and maintenance manual for Volunteers. Another example of our PC tribe’s diversity and willingness to jump in and cooperate. The extensions are an amazing addition, offering a host of hand/arm positions and making my ride even more comfortable and enjoyable.

Still frustrated by the lack of supervision and attention for the three small ones living here. They are left alone all day to watch TV and run/ ride scooters up and down the hallway. At lunch-time today, I showed them the art of crafting paper airplanes. Even scrap paper is a treat for these kids. I wish I had more time for them. Hopefully, I can get some kind of childrens’ park going here, so they can escape the home confinement. Kids are like dogs – they NEED to get out and play and roll in the grass. Not that there is much grass around here to roll in. Fortunately, the oldest girl Camila (8), is really bright, responsible and full of joy. She keeps her devilish little brothers in line and entertained with songs and play ideas. They appropriately call her “Mamita” (little mother). I’ve finally figured out the 6 yr old’s speech pattern – he pronounces every hard consonant as “T”. That info and a little imagination, makes him somewhat intelligible. Camila translates in prefect Spanish, when needed.

When I ride in the “combi” minivans, I always take the front seat next to the driver, if that space if available. First of all, it is THE most comfortable seat on the bus and always affords good access to an open window. Most Peruvians shun ventilation while travelling, while my inner dog loves the breeze. The front seat also offers access to the driver. Drivers are often more talkative than the average Peruvian. Today, I got a very talkative driver. He was curious about why I was living here, so I explained the Peace Corps projects and how I wanted folks to see the “kinder-gentler” side of Americans. When the conductor wanted to collect my fare, the driver waived him off and told me “Thank You for coming to help”. I was touched.

As usual, photos of the week’s activity can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2311898848958.121881.1593993286&type=3&l=11b63b7701

Navidad & To-Do List

Finally, a relatively easy, quiet week for me. Christmas came and went practically unnoticed here in San Luis Obispo de Tolosa de Canete. Most birthday parties here are a bigger deal. I caught a head-cold from my host buddy Fernando. He, of course, said that the open window and fan in my room were the cause, not germs. Enjoyed three more small earthquakes (tremblores) this week– 4.4, epicenter just 30 miles away – (a 5 second foot massage, as they say in SoCal.), a small 4.1 just off-shore and a 5.1 about 80 miles away near Ica.

One small event that caught my attention: I was walking in the town Plaza next to a woman and her? child, chatting about the unusual weather – it was (very lightly) raining. We both had plastic bags – mine from a most excellent 2 egg “pancito” sandwich, with onion and just a touch of aji – to discard. She threw hers on the ground and I quickly tossed mine in the trash can that was right next to us. Before I could go back for hers, the little kid ran back, retrieved the errant bag and slam-dunked it into the trash bin, as we shared a big smile and thumbs-up. Our new team then proceeded to pick up 4 more nearby bits of trash. Next time I see that kid, he gets a candy. Lesson learned : NEVER underestimate the power of your example to change the world – even a little.

San Luis is just the kind of town I enjoy – small enough so EVERYBODY exchanges greetings in the streets and shops, the streets are safe, with few stray dogs and folks always seem to have time to answer my Gringo questions about town history. Yet large enough to serve my physical needs 90% of the time. For the other 10%, I need only go about 5 minutes to San Vicente or another 10 minutes to Imperial, the later being only for rare items, as it is dirty, rude and full of hustles for the tourists headed up to Lunahuana, a nearby summer tourist spot for entertainment and rafting.

Another bit of Peruvian culture: I went to the main Canete market area, which is an enormous collection of small (15x15ft) stalls all clumped together in rows. Out front were a half dozen vendors with huge displays of……..bright yellow underwear, in all shapes and sizes. Also, lots of other vendors hawking all manner of New Year’s Eve party favors – all yellow. Seems that yellow is the traditional Peruvian color for luck in the new year. And wearing yellow underwear is thought to work best. Further on the NYE theme – “celebrations” seem to have already started here. There were several drunk men on the combis and in Canete. Why have just one bacchanalian night, when you can have two days??

Mostly, I prepared for a meeting with the Mayor and town council where I presented my official credentials and discussed which of a list of possible projects might be of interest. Also did a bunch of online research (Gracias a Dios por el Sr. Google – pronounced goog-lay) on public warning horn systems, chlorine injection pumps, tsunami history in Peru, native tree varieties, etc.

This is my project “to do” list (so far):

PROJECTS of possible cooperation – District of San Luis

Cuerpo de Paz Peru – Lic Gregorio Plimpton, Voluntario

1) Completion of Bio-digester #1 in Don Oscar

Only the gas lines are not connected. Also, cooperate with the municipality to locate a suitable site for Unit #2. The future site should be better accessible, so that it might better serve as a demonstration site to encourage more future installations of these systems.

2) Completetion of 6 of 18 cocinas mejoradas in Don Oscar

Prioritize and set locations, acquire some materials. In addition, volunteer intends to expand on the good work of the previous volunteer by conducting charlas for local brick builders, so that they might construct more cocinas as needed. Volunteer also hopes to construct “commercial” cocinas mejoradas in appropriate locations, such as Commedores Populares or Vaso de Leche. Some small funding may be needed to accomplish this.

3) Encuesta and Community Diagnostic report

Assess what annex (s) and information would be useful. Design appropriate Encuesta, carry out survey and write report.

4) Survey and Rehabilitate Eco-Banos in Don Oscar/Sta Barbara

Approximately 128 Eco-Banos were constructed in the beach area by a British ONG. Due to poor design and lack of education, very few are still in use. Volunteer proposes to survey the units, rehabilitate them and re-educate the users in their proper use. Some small materials may be needed. Possible sponsor : Gloria milk co-op.

5) Continued support for vivero (tree nursery) operation in San Luis

The previous volunteer, in cooperation with the municipality, helped establish a tree nursery in the community stadium, along with a compost and worm farm. Volunteer intends to support this project and incorporate trees which are salt/drought tolerant and require little water, as well as medicinal plants of the area, with the kind and continued support of the municipality.

Volunteer also will conduct charlas with local schools on the subjects of compost, tree reforestation and home gardening.

6) Tree planting program in San Luis sidewalks and beach area

A previous tree planting program in sidewalks of San Luis and the beach area was unsuccessful because of planting a non-native tree. Volunteer intends to investigate which tree variety (s) might be more appropriate to this area. There is a new government program to encourage planting desert hardy tree varieties (Huarango) which might provide trees and/or funding for such a project.

7) Prevention education about HIV / AIDS

         In view of the relatively high rate of this disease in the San Luis

area, volunteer intends to work with the Heath Post in conducting educational charlas and programs at various times throughout his service. This might include the “Pasos Adelante” program developed by Peace Corps Peru volunteers and includes segments on sexuality, pregnancy, drug & alcohol abuse and other sexually transmitted diseases.

8) Prevention / mitigation education about Tuberculosis

Similarly, volunteer is aware of a high incidence of tuberculosis, especially in the “hill” area of San Luis. Again, working with the Health Post to education the effected populations in prevention and mitigation of this disease.

9) JASS / Water system improvements

Previous volunteer has done good work with many of the local small water systems (the major water system in San Luis is well established and functions well) regarding proper system maintenance, cleaning, chlorination and disinfection. Volunteer intends to continue and expand this work in the following annexes:

a)   La Quebrada – work with well-established JASS on new water system maintenance and injection chlorination techniques

b)   Vista Alegre – work with ONG “CARITAS” to assist in operation of this (non-functioning) system

c)    Laura Caller – Attempt to organize a JASS, to provide regular disinfection and chlorination of the system

d)   Los Olivos – same situation as Laura Caller – needs JASS organization and training

10) Garbage Dump and service

Garbage disposal methods in the San Luis area contributes to air and water pollution. Volunteer would be pleased to provide information and assistance to the municipality to plan for a new garbage dump facility (sanitary landfill). In addition, there are many annexes which have no garbage service at this time. Plans could be made to provide storage facilities in these areas (Don Oscar, Vista Alegre, Villa Hermosa, Los Olivos, San Antonio, San Pablo.)

11) Water Sample project

Volunteer will continue to work with the Health Post in the collection and analysis of water samples to ensure proper water quality in the area.

12) Tsunami education and evacuation plan

Volunteer intends to work with the Civil Defense of Peru to establish a tsunami education, warning system and evacuation plan for the low-lying beach areas in the District of San Luis.

13) Children’s Parks

         Volunteer notes that there are very few parks for young

children in the area, with facilities for climbing, swinging and other forms of healthy outdoor play. Volunteers in other areas of Peru have successfully constructed such play areas, using recycled and other durable materials. Volunteer would be pleased to work with the municipality to find suitable sites and develop them. Some “Kids-to-Kids” funding may be available for such a project.

14) San Luis to La Quebrada and Imperial Combi Route

Volunteer notes that there is no combi service on the road between  San Luis and La Quebrada. Service on that route would provide residents faster and more direct access to the shopping and other services provided in Imperial. Volunteer would be pleased to work with the municipalities of San Luis and La Quebrada in petitioning for or establishing such routes with the appropriate combi cooperatives.

15) Water Filter manufacture

Volunteer is aware of a ceramic water filter design that has been used by several ONGs in Peru. These can be of benefit to residents in areas such as Don Oscar and other beach areas where no water system is available to assure healthy drinking water. These filters could be produced locally for very little cost if a suitable kiln could be found.

16) Presupeusto Participativo

Volunteer has been trained in the PP government funding system which could provide funding for major public works projects in the San Luis municipality and/or district. Volunteer would be pleased to work with the municipality in evaluating and proposing projects in the PP system.

17) Septic tank systems in San Pablo and San Antonio areas      

The volunteer has experience in the construction of septic tank systems and would be pleased to investigate the possibility and feasibility of septic systems in these areas where sewer lines are unavailable.

So, that’s what I’m looking at for the coming months work here. Lots “to do”, but ALL of it stuff I’m enthusiastic about. But, enough about work.

I attended the “2^nd funeral” service for the family patriarch, who died a year ago. They do a mass, a lunch, another mass, more food and a party for the guy, not to mention moving his remains to a new mausoleum. Maybe such devotion would be better spent on the living?

Some random notes:

Many, if not most, Peruvian women are….well…..chubby. This is accentuated by their insistence on wearing skin-tight jeans, which only squeezes the chubbiness elsewhere. Maybe they should just cut down on the huge quantities of soda and sweets ??

I’ve noticed that folks here “hunker-down” over their food, when eating. This posture, combined with generally short stature, places the diner’s face about 6” from the food. I tried it and discovered that it does shorten the distance between plate and mouth and, most certainly, increases the intensity of food aromas. That said, the voice of my grandmother jolted me back upright; elbows off the table.

Cell phone use and dis-courtesy here is worse than in the States. It is considered completely normal to answer a phone ANY time, ANY where. God forbid they ever be switched off. Even at the “2^nd funeral”, in the middle of mass, folks jumped up to answer phones. Cell phone service is really cheap (I pay about $8/month for unlimited calling to other Movistar users), so just about everyone has one. Many carry two – one for each of the major carriers here. While I do appreciate the convenience factor, the world needs to adopt some form of “cellular-civility”, least we become captive to the technology.