Cocinas in Yauyos

My dear friend and fellow PCV Matt, with "helper"

Will Jensen & Matt during first construction

My PVC site-mate, Will Jensen and I made our way up to Matt’s site in the mountains at Yauyos, an isolated village at 9,000ft. As we traveled up the Canete River valley, the mountains close in and the road narrows to a single lane, precariously hung on the side of the mountains, with NO guard rails. Horns are required at very blind curve – every 5 minutes. Car-sickness bags were well-used. We helped build the first two of 9 Cocinas Mejoradas in town. With great help from Jorge and interest from Erazmo and a flock of local kids, we managed to get to 90% completion. El suerte de Goyo brought 3 days of clear skies in the middle of the rainy season. I thought I was well-known in my town, but EVEYONE in Yauyos calls “Mister Matteo” by name. I was reminded of how tiring work is at altitude – and how spectacular the vistas.

"a river runs through it" - That's Yauyos

The Cerro de Oro protection and development project is shaping up nicely. Francesca, the young archeologist from Stanford, is wonderfully cooperative and is the lynch-pin in this adventure. My buddy Angel is excited and on-board. The plan is to make this a win-win for everybody, including the illegal families living on the Cerro, next to the burial grounds. My friend John (Princeton ’81) at USAID is greasing the wheels to get funding.

We’ll start by moving the “cajon player” bronze statue into a place of honor in town and replacing it with a pre-fab museum building, which will serve as field lab for the archeologists, until enough artifacts are recovered for the museum. Sturdy steel gates will block truck access to the Cerro and hopefully stop the armed gangs of looters. In addition, we’ll give several of the Cerro residents small solar systems that will charge big flashlights and cell phones. They will serve as “Guardians”, increasing security for the Cerro and themselves. Eco-banos at the dig site and museum will provide sanitary relief for the workers and visitors. Informative paths will guide visitors to all sites of interest on the Cerro. Local guides will be trained in history, courtesy and safety. Local billboards and a web presence will promote tourism, which will be supported by the famous nearby “El Piloto” restaurant, which serves the tourist trade. Visitors will be able to see not only artifact displays, but see an active archeology excavation. Volunteers from all over the world will participate in the digs – the first of which will be in July to August 2013. See notes on a similar musem in Huancaya below.

Another “back-burner” project has also jumped to the fore. I’ve felt the need for a local distributor of solar products , if the technology is to be implemented and used on a larger scale in this sun-rich area. I think I’ve found one. GianCarlos is handsome, bright and charming. He has a civil engineering degree that he's been "wasting", since he doesn't want to go work at the mines, which is the logical move. He loves this area and his family (Fernando is his great-uncle). He's been working "temp' job for the Agricultural Census last 2 years and has saved some money, plus one of the distributors will give him credit on my say-so. We went out in the campo to see the big solar pump projects and talk to a few farmers and see if there is interest. To our delight, we sold 2 small “pico” units out of 8 that we pitched. He only made about $15 profit yesterday, but a nice start.

The playground project, already slowed by holidays and Anniversary celebrations, took another hit when the town jack-hammer blew up – literally. Despite the shooting sparks, the operator just kept using it and it caught fire, sending him to the clinic. This is SOP here, to just ignore warnings and push equipment past the point of damage and reason. Lack of maintenance and cleaning are other issues that perplex me. This being a rather rare piece of equipment, we now wait to see if it can be repaired or a new one must be obtained. Another reminder that things are just plain harder to do here in Peru.

Lots of visitors lately – PCVs and Lima staff. Fortunately, Avelino and Godo at the goat farm are generous hosts. I’m also enjoying work with Ingrid, one of the new PCV in Canete. She is jumping right in – trying to revive a town’s water system and some local playgrounds. And doing lots of consulting with PCVs all over Peru on biodigesters, solar projects and Cocinas – amazing how fast one can become “the expert”. This also led to a lovely road trip and tech-exchenge” up into the nearby mountains to help my friend Matt build his first Cocinas.

Anniversary Party in San Luis

Apollo astronauts on a float

Lalo led the young drumming group of thundering cjons

Dancers on a float

Celebrating the farm heritage of San Luis

And there were professional singers and dancers

This is the UFO I built with the boys on my street - hysterical !!

No sooner had the Christmas and New Year’s festivities subsided, when my little town began its week-long Anniversary celebration. It’s a fairly arbitrary date – the date when incorporation papers were approved Jan 12^th, 1871. Still, it is, by far, the biggest celebration on the calendar. Imagine your best 4^th of July party – now do that EVERY night for a week !!

While virtually all projects with the Muni are on hold, it has opened time for me to work with the new Canete PCVs. I spent a productive day with Ingrid – now the oldest Peru PCV – consulting on her playgrounds and a water system. Despite an earlier mugging, she has jumped right in to multiple community projects and is learning how slowly things can move here.

Ingrid, Kate and I spent the whole next day on a grand tour of Canete. We visited the Unanue castle, Arona hacienda, Cerro de Oro burial grounds, took a walk around downtown San Vicente, San Luis, Santa Barbara and finished at the goat farm, taking in the biodigester, solar pump system, Cocina and some delicious, nutritious goat yogurt and cheese. They went home, loaded with dairy and big smiles.

The Anniversary celebration kicked off with a concert by singers, dancers and drummers from all over southern Peru. While I love our local kids, the pros added a whole ‘nuther level of excitement. Many town relatives came in from out-of-town. Since there are only 2 small hostels here, the entire town opened its doors to the visitors. In addition to our 4 vacant bedrooms, Fernando offered 3 extra mattresses in the living room, so it was a very full house – another example of the fine community spirit and generous heart in this little town.

I was invited to be a judge for the Miss San Luis contest. It was not a typical “beauty” pageant. The 8 young ladies competed on the basis on an essay, cooking, talent and dress – no bathing suits. A couple of the essay were quite good – “ I walk in our Plaza, in the shade of beautiful trees. I hear the birds and see the flowers. The smiles are all around me.” Others were clearly kiss-ass tributes to the elected officials – all of whom were judges – listing all the recent Muni projects. The cooking was all deserts , ranging from superb to ornate, but awful. I was later told that the treats were likely not made by the contestants. This may sound shocking, but not dissimilar to the common practice of parents doing their children’s homework. The talent was mostly recitation of poems. My vote went to a lone, but very good pan-flute player. The dress portion was pretty dull and many of the girls had WAY too much make-up. The 1-3 rating system presented challenges, but there was comfort in the large number (18) of judges. The winner was certainly not the prettiest, but did write a great essay, played the pan-flute with passion and presented the best-looking, worst tasting desert.

The big parade was indicative of the real community spirit that exists in this little town. There was such a festive atmosphere amongst the huge crowd. Aerial bombs exploded overhead and music and chatter filled the air. The 20 or so floats were whimsical and creative. Many were atop donkey carts, towed by everything from cars to tractors to real donkeys. There were astronauts, alien space monsters, dancers, farmers and some adorable little fish. While none had the glamour and glitz of a Rose Parade float, and all were very low-budget, the innovation, imagination and enthusiasm was undeniable. This relatively poor little town is indeed rich in community spirit, courtesy, and passion. It is community in the very best sense of the word.

All week long, there were seminars on everything from healthy eating, to domestic violence, how to get a deed for your property, along with a one-time amnesty on late fees for unpaid taxes. I was proud to see some of the kids that we trained in the HIV program, lead a class on HIV and STD prevention, wearing their PEPFAR/Peace Corps t-shirts. I brought my hand-washing display out of mothballs and showed off the Tippy-Tap and Soapy-Tap devices. Judging from the good-sized audiences, I’m guessing there was not much work getting done around town.

Cultural aside : "Thank You for Smoking" - The last two days, there's been a street vendor selling "Golden Beach" cigarettes for $0.77 a pack - 70 cents if you buy a carton. I don't even want to know......
At least they're not handing out free samples to kids, like they did in Mexico.

A second parade was more interesting for me, as I spent part of the day helping the kids down the street build a flying saucer. I was undoubtedly tapped for my good tool set and being a “soft touch” , Providing the US$7 of materials. We did the frame out of very thin rebar and wire and covered with white paper and did a little painting. It looks pretty good. They had no vehicle, so the “float” was totally kid-powered. The hardest part was figuring out a command system to get everybody going in the same direction, at the same time. The favorite maneuver is , without question, the spin. They have a little tape recorder that plays a sound effect, which sounds more like an ambulance siren than space, but they like it. They got a pretty good reception in the parade and managed to complete the route without injury or motion-sickness. There was so much excitement !!! That was the fun part. I'd almost forgotten how crazy wild creative 8-10 yr old boys can be. That was 20+ years ago for me. Most of my work here is with adults or teens. The raucous laughter whenever they spun the thing, just cracked me up. After the parade, they were spinning their little hearts out in the Plaza. Best $7 I’ve ever spent.

The big finale concert , on the anniversary date, was 2 national bands, with back-up by locals. Unlike past years, it was all free, with the whole Plaza and adjacent streets serving as dance floor – uite a scene. It is a tribute to the new town leaders, who replaced a corrupt prior government. They have done more meaningful public works and thoughtful entertainment in their first two years, than many older governments combined. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with these community-minded folks, who really push our town forward. It was a blast. And I’m thankful it is O V E R !!

And, speaking of “forward”, that’s just what happened with the Cerro de Oro project. As many of you know, I have an utterly amazing ancient burial site and ruins right next to my little town here in Peru. And that I've been frustrated in efforts to get responsible excavation and protection for the site. Well, color me happy  !!! Through an extraordinary cosmic conspiracy, new PCV Kate Hanson put me in touch with her aunt Lisa Hanson, who put me in touch with Francesca Fernandini, a Stanford PhD student, who has actually done a preliminary dig on the Cerro !!! So, I now have a qualified partner to work with and get this puppy done. Is this a small and wonderful World or what ??

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/anthropology/cgi-bin/web/?q=system/files/fall1015FrancescaFernandini.PDF

I pondered, for a bit, the extraordinary sequence of events that happened to get to this point. Sheila came to do a contamination study, Laura suggested we go see the ruins, I took Kate and Ingrid on a tour, Kate talked to her sister, who led me to Francesca. Without any one of the links, the project would likely not be happening. I’m often struck by how pieces just seem to fall into place in my life. I’ve never had any sort of a plan. I’ve just said “yes” whenever possible, felt that wherever I am is the best place to be and given 110% to whatever I am doing. Maybe, that is a plan. Of sorts.

New Year

Yes, I wore my yellow undies for NYE

There’s a new calendar on the wall – not as pretty as the 2012 and it’s in Spanish. Not much on it, right now, but that will fill in shortly. Peruvians sure do have a lot of holidays and Holy days. A fresh start after the holiday blur. I’ve said some recent hard Good-Byes - to exiting PCVs, Popi, Christina, my kids moving out and finally to my friend Franklin, Kindra’s husband, who took his life Christmas Eve. There were 12 panetones and 6 liters of pisco given, though thankfully I avoided consuming near that amount. Christmas eve dinner, at midnight, with the extended family reminded me of how welcome I am here and how much I enjoy the simple world of San Luis. Several tours of the goat farm and Cerro de Oro burial ground were given. Some progress was made on the playgrounds. All the equipment is ready and the site is measured and marked. Wonderful Christmas concerts, countless aerial bombs and an art show rounded out the celebrations here in San Luis.

New Year’s Eve was celebrated in Lima at the upscale (think Architectural Digest) home of Viviane Fort-Brescia, sister of my classmate Bernardo. Lavish decorations, white jacketed waiters serving drinks, tinkling with ice and hors d' oeuvres, a prime rib dinner and a cadre of elegant guests was a world away from my life in San Luis. But, that is something I’ve always been grateful for – an ability to mix with and enjoy the whole range of people on this planet. I'm glad that I've known all the different people I've known; glad I didn't get trapped into knowing just one kind.

I've known a Queen and a queen

And some folks in between

A Senator, shoe shine; a bum.

I say CHEERS to them all,

As I walked down life’s hall

And learned from every one.

Having said all that, it was an uneasy night in some ways. I sat next to a young Limonian at dinner, who laughed when I said I was with the Peace Corps. He said “That’s funny, that the most violent country in the World would have a ‘Peace’ corps.” My initial shock and anger turned thoughtful, as he rattled off all of last year’s shootings and stats on the enormous size of the US military and war(s) record. “You are like the little boy , who hits the hornet nest with a stick and then has to kill all the hornets that attack him.” Let that sink in a bit….. He did add that US does make the best movies, video games, music and technology and that he and his sister were both educated in the US. From the looks on the faces of those watching my smack-down, this may, sadly, be a widely held view of America. I tried to explain that the American people, in general, are not violent; that it is our leaders who take us to war. But, don’t we elect those leaders ? So, how does this happen ? A lot to ponder on the bus ride home.

At midnight, the bus was passing through the southern edges of Lima. It was like being in a war zone, with a sudden crescendo of explosions, on the ground and in the air, lasting a good half hour. Horns were blowing on all sides, including long bursts from the bus. By the time I got home, it was peaceful and quiet in my little town, though I could hear some loud music in the distance. It was next year already. What adventure will 2013 bring ?

HIV/STD Education Program Photos

Photos from the PEPFAR funded program, with Gloria Yaya OB/GYN nurse at the local health post

Gloria has the patience of a saint and great teaching skills. Now she has the tools, too. Here she is testing a youg man on his condom technique

The kids in the class made a street mural for World Aids Day

Gloria learned great activities at the PEPFAR training

The graduating class of HIV leaders

Playing HIV Jeopardy at the Health Fair

Presenting HIV Awards at a school assembly

Special T-shirts to promote HIV awareness

Communion

Camila's First Communion (and mine)

Just couldn't get her to smile

Attending a First Communion mass was done out of obligation. I just couldn’t say no to that precious, pleading little face. So, I went. Usually, Peruvians show up tardy to most any event, it’s called “Hora Peruana”. But, in this case, the church was packed well before the appointed hour, meaning I would stand at the back of a warm, windowless, tin-roofed temporary structure, inside the fallen, ancient church, until the new church is complete. The one redeeming moment was when I pressed forward for a photo and Camila squealed “Look, it’s my friend Goyo !”, adding proudly, to her friends, “He’s from the United States.” The rest of the hour and a half was a rapid fire agenda of processions, recessions, incantations and too little music. The speed was both astonishing and merciful, as the main purpose seemed to get done with the affair. Kind of like bad sex.

The pachamanca afterwards more than compensated for the earlier discomfort. To begin with, it was wonderful to see “my kids” – Camila, Santi and Amir. I’ve been missing the rascals since their parents moved to Lima and farmed them out to local relatives. Sadly, they’ll be moving to Lima themselves at the end of the month. And then there was the feast itself. . Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian feast, cooked in an earth pit. A clam bake of sorts. Wood is set into the hole in a very particular pattern and covered by clean round stones. The fire is lit and heats the rocks and all the food is carefully placed – again in a very specific way, so that all the ingredients will be ready simultaneously. The food is covered with multiple layers of washed banana leaves, then burlap sacks and then about 6” of dirt to insulate. A cross with flowers is the traditional “topping-off” ornament.

After an insufferable 2.5 hours, the dirt is scraped away, burlap and leaves peeled back to reveal a steamy, perfectly cooked buffet. This feast was : pork, chicken (wrapped in mint), lamb, potato, sweet potato, corn and fava beans. And it was all succulent and delicious. Beer, wine, pisco and good cheer flowed at all quarters. And I waddled home – an over-fed, but very happy camper.

My friend, Popi, patriarch of the Duenas family at the goat farm, mercifully passed away last night at a hospital in Lima. It was a sad visit with Avelino this morning remembering this wonderful man. He suffered a stroke last week, that left him ½ paralyzed and speechless. At 87, he had a long and rich life, surrounded by loving family to the end. Until his stroke, he worked in the fields every day – it was his joy, caring for the herd of goats. When I saw him in the hospital last week, his eyes said he was ready to go. Thankfully, he got his wish and was not kept artificially alive, as might have happened in the US.

This is part of the Peace Corps experience. We are in country long enough, that we become part of the community – feeling both their joys and sorrows. The people we serve are not anonymous faces in a distant land. They are my friends and family – people that I share meals with and look in the eye. I would not have it any other way.

Gloria and I presented awards for the AIDS program at the Colegio in front of the morning “formation”. It really is a formation, where kids march onto the parade grounds and do military style movements to the barked orders of an ex-Army colonel. The kids have worked hard and attended after-school sessions to complete before Navidad and summer vacation. (remember I’m in the southern hemisphere).

And the playground project is inching along – jungle gym and swing set complete, work started on see-saw. Looking good, so far.

It will be another Christmas – Navidad without the hoopla. Very few people here put up lights or any other decoration. There is little frantic shopping for gifts. There will be MANY small parties, all featuring a very light fruitcake called pantone. Last year, I was certain I would OD on the stuff, tasty as it is. The cake is washed down with chicha morada, a traditional drink made from blue corn. And there will be numerous processions of adorable moppets to the church. I really like this low-key approach to Christmas.

Passages

Dear Cristina, who sold me peanuts every day, is gone

The shrine to "Popi" - his ever present planters hat and boots

It’s been a week of passages, with a Farewell Party for Dan and Carrie, married PCVs who live(ed) in the Canete area. They were a big part of my request to be posted here in Canete and I was not wrong. They have been a huge technical and personal resource for me this last year. And dear friends. Two of America’s best and brightest, who cared enough about this World to give two years of their young lives to help improve life for the residents of Nuevo Imperial. The sadness of their departure was tempered by welcoming two new Volunteers – Ingrid and Kate – both environmental PCVs. And so diverse. Kate is right out of college, while Ingrid has eclipsed me as the oldest PCV in Peru. The constant parade of Hellos and Good-Byes is reminiscent of my time at Esalen, where I learned that behind every Good-Bye, is a Hello, just waiting to happen.

Another, more final, Good-Bye to my dear (Mamita) Christina, who died rather suddenly this week. (photo attached) She sat on the corner every afternoon, selling peanuts, popcorn and roasted fava beans. Her welcoming smile and warm eyes was a daily lift to my spirit. My life is richer for having known this sweet, kind woman.

Mi “Popi”, father and patriarch at the goat farm, suffered a stroke this week, while out tending the goats. He is 87 and still doing manual chores around the farm. Visiting him in hospital was difficult. As I looked into his eyes, I saw a painful plea for freedom from his spirit – normally so vibrant, now laid low and half paralyzed. I remember the same look from my Mom, days before she died of cancer. And that same helpless feeling inside – not able to help.

And so, it’s back to “work”. My brilliant community partners kept everything rolling along during my 3 weeks absence for vacation, teaching, training and Mid-Service med checks. Vidal, our trusty and innovative welder has been sawing and welding the jungle gym and swing. Next are the teeter-totter and then slide ladder. He’s been slowed somewhat by his move to a new house and shop. Gloria and Esther have been moving along well with the HIV program. The kids did some awesome street art for World AIDS Day – photos to follow. The biodigester technology is really catching on. Will plans to build one with a cuy (guinea pig) farmer at his site. Yes, we eat them here, though I can’t say I’m a big fan. At the goat farm, Avelino was proud as punch to show-off his digester and explain all the details. His level of enthusiasm and knowledge will ensure the sustainability of this technology long after I’m gone.

On that note, Dan & Carrie’s departure brought to mind my own service “mortality” – a reminder that I have less than a year left – in reality only about 10 months. There is still a lot to do here – another water system has asked for my help with cleaning, sanitation and chlorination, more students and adults to train in the various technologies and promoting the “pico” solar systems. As with Death itself, I am grateful for that small voice that whispers in my ear “Carpe Diem…Carpe Omnis Diem”.

Lab work results showed my human suit is functioning well within design specs, free of any parasites and viruses. A return trip to Lima was needed to remove stitches form my dental work (yes, the cavity was THAT big). Dental issues well resolved. Feeling fit and frisky. Very much so.

One of the new Volunteers got mugged in nearby Imperial, on a busy street in broad daylight. A guy showed a knife and then pushed her to the ground, running off with her bag. He got little money and a cell phone and bank card that are now unusable. Imperial is the only creepy city in our area. Such a crime is unheard of and unthinkable in my little town or any of the rural villages. Another reason I don’t care for cities. She was shook up, but rebounding like a trooper. And she had very cleverly stashed a cash reserve at her house. It’s especially sad when we who have come to help are robbed or attacked. Of course, they don’t know that. We look like any other (rich) Gringo – a nice fat, easy target. And, she is getting full support and comfort from all of us in the Canete area.

Her home site is a perfectly safe little town, just outside of nasty Imperial. The huge plaza made me envious of the luxury of open space, which San Luis lacks. They’ve got a great playground for the kids and even a superb skate-board ramp system.

Mid -Service Conference

The Peru WATSAN training group - Who's the old guy in the back ??

It was a busy week in Lima, running hither and yon between medical and dental exams, appointments and lab tests. We were lovingly and expertly guided through the process by the outstanding PCMO medical staff. I’m pleased to report that, other than a monster cavity, everything is where it should be and operating well within tolerances. I’ve shed about 24 pounds during my time in Peru – drilled two extra holes in my belts and happily suffering from “baggy-pants” syndrome. A week with hot showers and excellent, albeit “pricey” food is always a treat.

It was wonderful to spend time with my fellow WATSAN training group. We are officially now called WASH, but a Water & Sanitation PCV by any name smells just as sweet. A close bond developed during training and it was sweet to be with “the gang” again. The PC staff at the Center in Lima was just as welcoming as ever. The place really does feel like home-away-from-home. I must comment that the event was marred by some adolescent behavior and hung-over tardiness by a few of the group. While it might be written off to youthful exuberance and inexperience, it reaffirms my commitment to promotion of “older” Volunteers after I return to the States.

A PowerPoint slide show of first year service projects is attached, as I presented to the group.

click here to see Progress Report 

 In addition, I’ve enjoyed two vacation trips – exploring the jungle and deep desert of Peru. It truly has been a great ride so far. I have been blessed to work with outstanding community partners, very helpful Municipality, PCVs and staff – and to live in a comfortable site with great infrastructure. And most of all, I give Thanks to all my wonderful family and friends, who have supported me and CHEERed me on through this extraordinary adventure. Next year could be even better.

A really sweet treat was when “Mama Kathleen” our training guide and guardian presented us with letters we had written to ourselves a year ago. I got a little teary, as I read a letter from the “me” of the past. Always nice to hear from a good friend.