Biodigester # 2 = Gassing Up

Biodigester # 2 is finished !!

Gas storage bag with over-pressure valve

Digester tube filling with GAS

Home-made auxiliary storage bag

We kicked butt at the Farm (again). Finished both the digester and Cocina #1 and 1/2 of Cocina #2 (industrial model). I really enjoy working with the family - all enthusiastic and interested in everything. After, we had a marvelous meal at a table for 18 - roasted camote (sweet potato) especially fine. Reminded me of my family meals of my youth - there were 9, plus always some extra friends/family. Constant cross chatter. Pleased that I can chat so easily in Espanol. My head used to hurt when I talked/listened for more than a few minutes. I love working like I'm 30, but know I'll be paying in the AM. Also noted that the bike ride to/from “work” seems to pass faster every trip. In fact, a shower and nap seem quite in order.

I had one of those “coincidental” moments on the way out. I’d picked up 10M of clear plastic for the digester cover and the flimsy plastic bag broke about half way out. Just as I was calculating how to transport this awkward bicycle load, along came my buddy Jhony in his moto-taxi, picked me up and delivered same to Santa Barbara. This sort of thing seems to happen with increasing frequency. I’m grateful that the Universe always seems to know exactly when I need a little assist and instantly delivers. Or maybe it’s just coincidence.

I love it that I see the same ladies in shopping at the tienda every morning, when I go in to get my pancitas for breakfast and salad fixin’s. Daily marketing is the norm here. Most folks don’t have refrigeration (nor does the market), so that daily trip becomes a social event where news and gossip – mostly gossip, is shared. It takes the sting out of waiting my turn.

Peruvian gals are mostly chubby, or as we used to call it “pleasantly plump. Why they choose to wear skin tight jeans, which merely displace the chubbiness still eludes me. But, I should also note a distinct lack of obesity, as well.

 Yet another patron saint is being celebrated and I got invited to a "party". Well, really just a bunch of guys sitting in a circle, passing a glass and beer bottles around. I've gotten pretty good at the "quick wipe" of the glass and the "short pour" of beer. Made my exit after buying a round. No one objects if you leave right after buying. They boys get pretty obnoxious as they get drunk - which is, of course, the goal every time. Alcohol is just not my drug of choice. PC encourages us to "never say no" to invites so we'll be better "integrated" into the community, but I'm pretty integrated out of this practice. Fernando always promises it will be muy divertido. He always lies.

We had two days of “rain” this week. Well, not really rain – “condensate of marine layer” – kind of a light drizzle. Not a fun bike ride to/from the JASS mtg in the drizzle (and home in the dark, carrying a flashlight in one hand. And no real decisions made. Peruvians like to talk A LOT. It sounds like a huge family quarrel, but there's not usually much emotion behind it. Shrieking is just their way. It was hard to adjust to that. One group wants to have the chlorination - they think it's modern and civilized. The other group says the water come from a pure well (true) and the chlorine is not natural and is bad for you (also kinda true). And they don't want to pay the extra $$. My proposal / compromise was to do system cleanings every six months and chlorinate the water once a week. It's not "by the book" but it's what seemed popular. And probably just fine IMO. One lady said that I only proposed using chlorine because I was going to profit from it. WOW - My buddies in the JASS jumped all over her, shouting in her face that I was here as a Volunteer to help and not getting anything out of it, plus some other nasty stuff. I felt well protected. 

I had some papas rellenas for dinner from a place down the street - potato stuffed with a filling of mixed vegetable and meat (usually heart or liver - two Peruvian favorites) and an anticucho - kabob of heart meat. We generally think of "meat" as muscle only, but these folks eat the whole animal. The only part I really can't handle is tripe - intestine. They say it's good when fried, but they generally put it in soups, where the texture is.....ahhh. Well it's just nasty. That's all.

Three days were spent accumulating the materials for the security cover for the Vista Alegre spring house. In the US, with access to a vehicle, this would have been a half day slam dunk.

August is shaping up to be a busy month. I’ll be a bicycle workshop to the incoming group of PCVs, hosting my friend Brian from Amazonas when he visits to learn about Cocinas. I’ll also be travelling back up north to Trujillo area to work with the Princeton Engineers Without Borders building a new water system. The big Black Music and Dance Fest will be in San Vicente and San Luis will host its own cajon workshop.