ECPA and Chiclayo with Angel

Angel & I became dear friends at the PC grant training workshop

Our Gangsta Rap project orsentation

Kail demonstrates a hydro generator at the ECPA conference in Ancash

We visited the Sipan museum in Chiclayo

Two weeks is a long time to be on the road, especially in Peru and on a tight business schedule. I started to write this last week, but the combination of being tired and inconvenience conspired against it. When I’m not at home, Internet access is in “cabinas”. These are definitely NOT like US “business centers”. They are poorly lit (to accentuate the video games that most are using), and the keyboards have most of the letters rubbed off and the keys often stick. That’s not an excuse, I’m just sayin’…..

The trip started with Will Jensen, the closest PCV to my site. His parents served in the Peace Corps, where they met and later served with my friend Jim Davidson, one of the (in)famous Coronas surfers. It’s always fun travelling with Will, since he’s hard to lose in a crowd, standing a good foot above the Peruvian norm. We rode up to Lima on the commuter bus and then got on Movil Bus, one of the first-class lines for the day trip up to Huaraz. We shared the front seats on the upper deck with a couple from Colorado. I’d seen the coastal scenery north of Lima before – a very desolate desert landscape extending right to the shore break, punctuated by a green agricultural valley now and again. Surprisingly, the beach resorts, which dot the shore south of Lima are not found to the north. And just as well, since there was a recent kill-off of hundreds of dolphin and fish. The official reported cause was a “sonic event”, which sounds like a Tourist Office cover-up to me.

When we turned east from the coast and headed up 8,000 ft to the mountains of Ancash, we certainly got the “E-Ticket” ride in those front seats. Switch-back after switchback of hair pin curves rocked the bus side to side. On this route, there is a driving crew of 3 who watch the road ahead and make possible blind-curve passing and speeds that I wouldn’t try in a sports car. There were many times, I looked straight down – a LONG way down. Guard-rails were sporadic. We arrived just after dark and were greeted the next morning by a SPECTACULAR view from the hotel of the nearby snow covered peaks and glaciers.

I was quite glad to have hot water for the first time since arriving in Peru. I have scoffed at some of my fellow PCVs for not showering for weeks on end. But I take it all back. I live in a warm climate where cold water is more like cool – sometimes borderline tepid. But, in the mountains, cold water is icy. Combine that with rainy, frigid climate and outdoor showering facilities, and I well understand the bathing aversion.

The Renewable Energy conference was well run and informative. We covered solar, hydro, wind, climate change and micro-finance. Some of the small-scale demos were effective – a solar oven actually melted the black plastic used as heat trap. By far the best demo was Kail’s hydro generator. He actually hand-made a simple generator from wrapped wire and magnets and fabricated the water turbine from plastic spoons, which produced 10VDC. The best tip I got was to use a centrifugal pump in reverse as a generator – brilliant simplicity. Except, I have no high velocity water source, like the Vols in the mountains. Climate change is clearly demonstrated by the RAPID melting of the nearby ancient glaciers in Huaraz. They are losing close to 5% of their volume every year, which has created some spectacular glacial lakes in the mountains. A field trip to a biodigester, very similar to mine, was interesting. I got to see the solids that are produced, which should come from mine in a few months – just as nice as the liquid fertilizer. Since most of the participants were from my Peru 18 training group, it was a family reunion of sorts. Huaraz is a completely tourist friendly city, which offers all manner of adventure sports and glacial hikes and camping.

After an all-night bus trip, we arrived in Chiclayo for training on funding procedures. Here, I was joined by Angel Garcia, one of the Town Council members from San Luis. Angel is only 31, but an up-and-coming town leader. It was great to have the time to get to know him. He is bright, funny, articulate, with a great sense of humor. He proved this during our project presentation, when we acted out “Original Gangsta”, followed by original lyrics to Petula Clark’s “Call Me” (NO, not the Blondie version).

En este pueblo bonito

Tenemos problema chiquito

No hay lugar por los ninos

No hay lugar por los ninos – a juegar.

(translation)

In this beautiful town
We have little problem
There is no place for children
No place for the children - To play.

He actually thinks we should sing it for the Mayor, to assure her support for the Children’s Parks. I’m game. In addition, Angel found a new friend in Will’s socio, Roberto from nearby Quilmana. The course was presented with great clarity and energy by Luis Ly, one of our Pre-Service trainers and “Hurricane” Katrina, who trains the small business groups.

We were treated to a rare day-off on Sunday, before jumping back into Water & Sanitation training on programs called “Healthy Homes” and “Healthy Schools”. These are comprehensive educational programs that we can use in our communities to encourage basic sanitary practices. They include segments on a vast array of things that we very much take for granted in the States, like brushing teeth, washing hands, storing food and dishes off the floor and organization.

Another WATSAN treat was a group visit to the Sipan Museum in Lambayeque. The Lord Sipan was a ruler well before the Incas to the south. His kingdom had expired long before the Spanish came to Peru, but his golden treasures surpassed anything they got from the Incas. Their construction was not on the level of the Incas, but their metallurgy more than compensated. They worked mostly in gold and copper and turquoise. The Lord Sipan, when in full regalia,  carried an estimated 80+ lbs of metal around. Except that he was carried everywhere – and suffered early arthritis as the price. The loot in his burial vault exceeded that of King Tut and any of the Incan kings. He was also buried with his full staff, who were sacrificed upon his death. Talk about a bad job…..

While the quantity and level of fine workmanship was indeed impressive, a small sample of copper ore was what got my mind racing.  Consider for a moment what accidents of nature must have combined with acute human observation and innovation to realize the very first metals, which we so take for granted today. Perhaps an ore-rich rock fell into a fire, which melted out a small sample? And then some astute person saw the little glob of metal and played with it long enough to realize it could be of use? And then made the connection back to the ore, which was mined and refined? THAT is the achievement that I find far more impressive than any ornate jewelry or bead-work.

Speaking of bead-work, all the Sipan beads were made of shell, each tiny bead hand-crafted and drilled, then dyed with local plant dies. All this remarkable output came from a civilization that numbered in the thousands, not millions (of mostly slaves) like the Egyptians. I guess if you don’t go on vacations or watch TV, it frees up a LOT of time.

The only downers of the trip was my bus ride home. I had secured a lovely “full cama” seat back to Lima. This is a seat like 1^st Class on an overseas flight – full bed with privacy separation and personal TV & audio. The snag was two drunk Peruvians, who insisted on harassing the young lady behind me and playing audio LOUD. After politely asking for some courtesy, I finally called the attendant, which only made matters worse. Despite confirmation by the lady behind me and the couple in front of them, the attendant simply asked me to be tolerant, since they where “a little drunk” and had done no “violencia” – YA THINK ??  She did get them to turn down the volume – for about 30 seconds after she left. Not-so-subtle calls of “Gringo Muerte” and “Suenos Dulces, Gringo” and an occasional spit-ball lobbed my way, did not make for a comfortable sleep, despite my ample accommodations. There is not an airline on the planet that would have boarded those two clowns. This is the first time I’ve experienced the business-end of Machismo in Peru. It’s not pretty. And I empathize with the female PCVs, who endure it on a regular basis.

And when I got back home, the bad was all but forgotten, when the three little kiddles came running down the hall to greet me.  The boys had been worried that I had left for good – 2 weeks is an eternity when you’re 4. But, Mamita Camila had reassured them by lifting them up to see in my window that my computer was still there. They know I’d never leave THAT behind.

My first full day back in site was right back into the deep end of the work pool – building Cocinas losas (tops) with Gersan from the Catholic charity “Caritas” in Vista Alegre. My secondary agenda was meeting some of the ladies of the “Mothers Club”, who apparently carry some pretty good clout in the village. They would LOVE to get the water supply they’ve been waiting for (for some time now) and agreed to talk up my proposal of 3 soles ($1.15) up front and 1.5 to 2 soles per month, with their hubbies. For less than $1/mo per family, they could all get a 24/7 water supply, with decent pressure and chlorination. That’s if 80% of the folks pay, which would be a new record for Peruvian water payments, where they tend to feel that water comes from God and should thus be free. I tell them that the water is indeed from God, but the electricity for the pump and all the tubes are not.

Gersan also came out to visit the biodigester, along with my buddy Dan and Anna Kingman, A PCV from up north, who is about to start building a digester. While we do get excellent training and support from the PC staff, an enormous amount of information and experience is shared among the Volunteers – we Band of Brothers (and Sisters). I’m delighted to be part of that tradition and do what I can to assist, as I have been assisted.

One random news note: Peru is once again upping minimum wage – this time to about $1.20/hr, per Prez Humala’s campaign promise. Keeping a campaign promise – what a quaint concept.

Next week is a corker: two grant proposals to write – HIV program with Gloria and Esther from the Health Center and Kiddie Parks with my new buddy Angel. Also, revisions to make on my solar pump project. Then, I am honored “for my early service accomplishments” by a visit from Sanjay, the PC Country Director for Peru (aka the Big Boss) and a V.V.I.P. – the Peace Corps Deputy Director from DC. “Dog & Pony” are already in training for the event, which includes lunch at the Very Upscale “El Piloto” restaurant – the most expensive meal in all of the Canete area. Their treat.