Semana Santa - Easter

Easter and Holy Week are the biggest events on the Catholic calendar here in Peru - Bigger than Christmas and almost as festive as the week-long anniversary celebrations. It is the one time when EVERYBODY goes to church. There are large, slow processions, carrying icons amid ranks of adorably dressed-up boys and girls, accompanied by bands of slightly off-key musicians. I’ve still not determined if it is the poor quality of the instruments or lack of talent. Though they do play with great spirit. Nor have I fathomed the reason for starting the parades at 10pm, which is just about my bed-time. And, of course, what religious celebration is complete without fireworks and beer-drinking circles ?

For me, the best part of Easter is that “my” kids, Amir, Santi and Camila are visiting from Lima. I have missed them so very much. They all seem much taller and more adult than when they left. There was much news to exchange and balloons to blow up. And, of course, there was the raiding my snack stash. I enjoy the many other kids in my life here – the goat farm tribe, Vidal’s seven and the playground troops, but these three are special.

I did attend Maundy Thursday mass with the family. The church was PACKED - and it's twice the size of the old one. Lots of flowers, everybody dolled up and a real air of excitement. The priests rip through the service, like it was a race - I caught maybe 10%, but did get to light off some fireworks. Having the only long handled lighter around gives me privileges.

At least, Peru does not suffer from the commercialization of Easter that the US seems to be experiencing. It always brings to mind….. Peeps - the most inane and dreadful of all confections. So odd that there is almost a cult around the nasty critters. Not surprising, yet sad that vendors have co-opted yet another holiday and turned it into a time for vapid consumerism. Maybe appropriate, though, that Ishtar go back to its pagan roots :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/apr/03/easter-pagan-symbolism

Then, I was up late talking with the "family" here. It was a fascinating glimpse of a whole new world for me -mining - and another chance to practice my beer drinking avoidance protocol. I've mastered the "short pour" and the "fake cold" and the "quick pass" - all of which are needed to avoid getting sloshed. The fake cold allows me to use my own glass, which also allows me not to have to slug down the shared glass and pass on occasion. The short pour involves shaking the bottle into the glass to produce a huge head and little beer. I’m getting really good at all.

Victor is doing SO well at his job. He is doing what he trained for - repairing motors and electrical devices for Chinalco, the giant Chinese mining company.  They have 5 big mines here - all doing horrible things to the people and environment. From just one mine, they figure to take $20B of copper, silver and molybdenum. A private commercial airliner shuttles parts and people every day from China. Story at :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/20/chinese-mining-peru-corporate-responsibility

Victor seems to be aware of this and there have been protests at the company HQ. But, the money is so big , nobody seems to care. He has gotten 2 promotions since last June when he started and is now making "more than 50K soles" a year (>US$20K), which is like winning the lottery to him. When first met him, he was working at a hardware store in San Luis for 45 soles a day, 4 days a week (less than $4K/yr). Margarita is also making double what she made for the same work as a salesperson at the same appliance store where she worked here in Canete. Needless to say, this has created quite a change and "nouveau riche" attitude. The kids have a nanny, which fulfills Margarita's desire to spend as little time as possible with them. There is even talk of buying a car. The Chinese are selling cars here like hotcakes, but even the cheapest new one would be half his annual salary. I was delighted that I could keep up with most of the conversation, even though speech was fast and slurred.

Man with a Plan

Overall plan for Cerro de Oro project

Site plan for tourist center

The summer heat has finally broken and Paradise returns to Canete. Cool nights and warm, sunny days, with sea breezes and no chance of rain. The season change also brings FRUIT !! While mangoes are fading, figs (fresh and dried), dates, grapes, cherimoya and lucama abound. And avocados – the green ones get packed off to the States, leaving the tree ripened ones here. The famous Canete mandarin oranges – the main fruit crop here – will be coming soon. They are already in the market as “mandarino verde” – not quite ready for my taste, but very popular with the locals. This year will be the first production from the new, large passion fruit orchard. I’m looking forward to that.

But, even in Paradise, there is work to be done. The big paving project is underway. ALL of the urban streets are being paved with asphalt. I can not say what a big deal this is. Until now, only the main street – and only part of that – has been paved. All other streets are dirt. And very rough. Every morning folks come out early and wet them down, creating a muddy mess until the sun dries them out again. They rattle the bolts on every car and moto-taxi and throw dust in the air when dry. The main entry road is the very worst – an unsightly welcome to our little town. But, all this will soon change. Folks are already swelling with pride at being a “real” town.

Even better, as soon as the paving is done, I’ll be coordinating the planting of Poinciana trees in the little round planters that dot the streets. They are empty right now, as an earlier planting of fichus trees flopped. They were the wrong trees – needing lots of water – and the poor clay soil was not amended or fertilized and there was no protection or support for the seedlings. We’ll be using a native tree – the same ones that grace the Plaza. Poinciana is familiar to my S Florida friends and has lush green foliage and brilliant red flowers. It uses less water and puts down a deep tap root. We’ll also add some compost from the Eco-Banos , rice husks for aeration, and some liquid fertilizer from the biodigesters. I love synergy. The seedling will be tied to four sturdy wooden supports, which will also serve to fend off careless moto-taxis and reckless kids. The only down-side is that the trees grow slowly. But, they should be spectacular in 10-15 years.

The playgrounds have spawned yet another project : a skateboard park. The local skateboarders saw the park and have started a campaign – including a nicely done YouTube video –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxZCxrrQArw&feature=youtu.be

to get a place where they can safely skate, without bothering folks in the Plaza and marking up the park benches and sidewalks. So, the dynamic duo of Goyo and Angel ride once again.

The project to protect and develop tourism for the Cerro de Oro burial ground and ruins continues. The USAID grant proposal is complete, after many rounds of revision and budget crunching. Francesca, the Stanford archeologist, has been crucial to getting this done. She is young, but has contacts in high places. One last meeting with the Vice-Minister of Culture to get our permissions in order. Fortunately, between Francesca’s friends at the Ministry and my USAID contacts, I think we have it locked. I’m really looking forward to a good solid construction project, building the museum and doing all the plumbing and electric. Plus, the excitement of participating in a real archeology dig.

Aside from the trees and skatepark and Cerro de Oro project, my service is shifting to kind of a consulting gig. Many of my comrades are starting projects now and my experience is in high demand. I’m also doing lots of writing for PC publications and training for the newer PCVs. I’ll be hosting a big ECPA Renewable Energy conference here in May and there tons of details – housing, food, transport, events to arrange. A bit like being a travel agent. Thank goodness the goat farm is a ready-made meeting and training site. Mama and Chanel will be cooking up a storm – on bio-gas and Cocina Mejorada, no less. Side trips to the castle and Cerro are planned to add some spice.

Happy Birthday

Maritza and Yolanda got special English training

A chocolate birthday treat

My 62^nd birthday was wonderful. It started a day early when I visited the PC Center in Lima and was surprised by the staff with a cake and song. On the day itself, we made good progress on playgrounds, collected some more fire-hose from the Bomberos. I presented them with a pin from a brigade in Lima and one from my old fire brigade in Big Sur, CA. Then, I was treated to a fancy ice cream sundae by Angel, lunch with other local friends and dinner at Ingrid’s house in Cerro Alegre. Ingrid is one of the new PCVs, who lives nearby and also has a March 1^st birthday. Between us, we had 126 years, so candles were ruled out due to potential fire risk. And all day long, FB greetings and phone calls from staff and other PCVs. I went to bed feeling very happy and loved and blessed.

On other fronts, I’ve found a wonderful pre-fab building for the planned museum for Cerro de Oro. It will be 6m x 12m of nice wood tongue and groove with red ceramic roof – for (get this) about US$1540, delivered and erected. We’ll still have to do all the internal plumbing and electric, but that’s where my Contractor skills will come in handy.

I got two local English teachers into the US Embassy training program. The Embassy does a lot of outreach around the country. This will be a great opportunity for them to improve their English teaching methods. For some reason Peruvians are wild to learn English, which is a much more difficult language than Spanish.

And I got to spend some time with the new group of Water & Sanitation PCVs, teaching them about water treatment and latrine options. As a group, they are more mature and serious than my WatSan group and a real delight to see their enthusiasm. Also, a wonderful chance to visit with some of the training staff, who helped prepare us so well for service.

Playground Smiles

A nice tribute to the US donors who funded the project

Popular playground - full of smiles

It is graet to have a community partner like ANGEL !!

As RCMP Sgt. Preston used to say to his faithful lead dog “King, this case is closed”. The playgrounds are done, but their effects will be felt for a long time to come. They are truly a gift that “keeps on giving”. Tucked just behind the Muni, we have created a little kid’s paradise out of a dirty, vacant courtyard. 4 swings, 2 see-saws, jungle gym, slide, tire mountain and tire tree provide healthy play for 100’s of kids in the urban area. A soft sand base, shade cover and gorgeous wall murals, reminding of healthy habits complete the site. The murals are the work of Samuel Lucho, a local lad who made fantastic art, using only spray cans on a rough brick wall. He made a special surprise mural thanking all of you wonderful folks who gave so generously to make this park possible. The second park location has 4 swings, 2 jungle gyms, tire tree and tire mountain, though the location did not allow shade cover or murals. The fire hose contributed by the Bomberos works better than I had hoped. And the number of kiddles that swarm the playgrounds every day exceeds our wildest expectations. So much so that the Mayor – who’s office overlooks the park – has decided to copy the plan in other locations. I add my Thanks to those of the Muni and kids !!

Photos of the whole playground building process – start to finish - with labels, are found at :

https://picasaweb.google.com/114324927553623472875/Playgrounds?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCODbrI670fTI2AE&feat=directlink

PC Volunteer Excellence Award

Canadians come to visit

We took a day off to work on the Cerro de Oro burial grounds project. Angel and I went to Catholic Univ in Lima and met with Francesca, the archeologist, who will be doing an excavation during the months of July and August this winter. CU is the Harvard of Peru – a beautiful sprawling campus, which could be any major campus in the US. Students walking and talking everywhere – lots of coffee shops and even a Dominoes Pizza. We had fresh juice with Francesca and her dig team, to work out some of the project details. This project is the perfect storm of cooperation. Her team will train guides, teach children and provide artifacts for the museum. Our grant will provide security for the site and she will use the museum building as a field lab. The residents of the Cerro will also get improved security from the armed gangs that loot the burial grounds, improved water access and some solar power and cell phones , so they cal call the police. They will serve as guards, eventually being paid from museum proceeds.

Our team then met with the SPI grant committee heads, to pitch her grant. All went well – she was awesomely prepared – and she was given verbal approval. Now, it’s time to get my grant proposal finished.

Also, had a nice visit from a Canadian NGO – Rainbow of Hope for Children. They wanted to see the playground, Cocinas, bottle bulbs, biodigester and eco-banos. They are based in Chincha and have been doing mostly new roofs for homes with kids. The standard roof around here – including mine – shed fine dust into the room. I have to sweep every day. Never thought of it as a health hazard, but I see their point.

 

And speaking of tributes, I was honored by my fellow PCVs and Staff with the Peace Corps Peru Volunteer Excellence Award. The following “over the top” citation was written by my best PCV buddy,  Brian, a professional journalist :

“Greg has set the new bar for what Volunteers can accomplish in their first year. Though, it would be unfair to hold anyone to that standard. He has an uncanny ability to get things done. And he does it with uninhibited joy. Greg loves his job and loves his community. From the start, he marveled at his luck for being placed where he was, perhaps unaware of how lucky his site was.

Greg, who was briefly the oldest Volunteer serving in Peru, is happy to share advice with his younger colleagues, though one of his secrets can’t be taught. So much of what he accomplishes, is through sheer force of personality. Greg has practical knowledge from a life rich with rare experiences, but it’s his boundless enthusiasm and genuine affection for his socios that propels his many projects. Greg dives into projects with fearless ambition, apparently afraid of nothing but boredom. At town events, he’s the guest of honor, surrounded by friends and colleagues, an integral part of Canete’s social fabric. Pat Willers says, “I have worked with Goyo a few times on projects and it consistently surprised me the amount of respect and sincerity that Peruvians have for him.”

San Luis can thank its Volunteer for solar pumps, bio-digesters, cocinas mejoradas, wheelchairs, water pumps, renewed eco-banos, playgrounds and so much more. He is working with an archeologist from Stanford to protect and develop tourism for the Cerro de Oro – a pre-Inca gravesite and ruins next to his site. He is a teacher and a leader among his fellow Volunteers, guiding by example.”

The truth is that I am blessed with a lifetime of experience, an outstanding site, Socios (Angel and Gloria) who are always available and cooperative, A Muni that gives me access to transportation and facilities and a great deal of luck “El Suerte de Goyo”. I just do what I do and have fun doing it. It doesn’t feel unusual to me. I’m gratified that others appreciate it.

Playgrounds - GO !!

Angel checks the slide ladder level

Don Benito mixes concrete - campo style - on the ground

Metal tubes all set in the ground

Goyo & Angel - a great team -

After waiting endlessly for the Muni jack-hammer to be repaired, we finally bit the bullet and went ahead without it. The playground site was once a concrete plaza , so it seemed unreasonable to me to ask the Muni crew to do this by hand. But, they did, without complaint. I fed them a steady supply of Inca-Kola, sweet rolls , water and aguas. Don Benito led his crew with glee – they seemed excited about building a playground. With holes dug to ½ meter, we took one of the big garbage trucks to Vidal’s welding shop and loaded all the playground equipment. Then we swung by the stadium and loaded the used tires and 4 sacks of cement. The equipment was placed in holes, leveled and concrete and large rocks to fill the holes. After the concrete set, the holes were filled and the area leveled. The next day, Vidal showed up with his primitive welding rig and attached the see-saws and swing set top bar. Everyone did their part and did it well.

Next day, I worked solo, installing wooden seats on the see-saws and putting up the swings. I had just completed the first swing, when a gang of kids descended upon the park. As the Borg say – Resistance is Futile. I stopped work and played with the kids. They really didn’t care that nothing is painted or that the safe sand base is not in. A dozen rascals jumped right in and played on everything and anything. The tire mountain and tree are not done, but they just rolled them around and made their own piles. A gala time was had by all.

One thing I was not prepared for – none of the kids knew how to “pump” a swing. They’ve never been on one before. So, the old gringo got on and showed them how. They caught on right away. They also got a short physics lesson about weight placement on the see-saw – matching weight on the ends and shifting forward or back to get the balance right. Somehow, I assumed that every kid is born knowing how to play on a playground. Silly me.

Two more swings complete and the slide body installed and my work is done, except for the tire mountain and tree. From here, the fathers club will paint the equipment, Muni crew will build a 5” brick containment wall around the park and fill with clean beach sand. Angel and his graffiti /mural crew will paint wall murals about teeth brushing, hand washing, good eating and a special tribute to Peace Corps and all you wonderful Playground Donors !!

  

Two final notes – The weather has been unusual lately. We got our annual rain – all ¼” of it the other night. I actually enjoyed hearing the pitter-patter on the roof, though I did not enjoy the two mud puddles that appeared on the floor. Remember that my roof is bamboo poles for beams, with split bamboo over that, old cement bags, topped with dirt. And it’s been HOT – highs in the 90’s the last few days and only dipping to about 80 at night. This is just about the limit of comfortable sleeping for me – even with the fan. Of course, Fernando constantly warns me of the danger of sleeping with the fan EVERY night. It’s sort of his way of saying Good Night – “It will make you sick, Goyo”. “Good Night, Fernando.”

Speaking of Fernando – it’s his birthday (59), which means 1- the kids will be coming “home” and I get to see the little rascals and they can FINALLY play on the playground I’ve been promising for the last year and 2- he’ll make his annual visit to the local house of prostitution (La Casa Blanca). He wanted me to go with him last year, and I’ll decline again this year. My rule is to say “yes” whenever possible to adventure and new experiences. This, however, is one of those times to heed Betty Ford and “just say NO”.

Huancaya

Falls and lagoon at Huancaya - filled with trout

Glacier - fed falls - headwaters of the Canete River

Lagoons fill the alpine meadows

The entire Canete River roars through a narrow gorge

The Plaza statue of....a trout - they are tasty

Sunday, we took a ride with a most knowledgeable guide Elvis – yes, 60’s rock & roll culture reached even the Peruvian mountains. We travelled another 2 hours into the mountains to 11,000ft, to the town of Huancaya. More cliff-hanging one lane roads, but without pavement. The farmers here work on very small plots, often terraced and carved out of impossible terrain. Some very tentative rope bridges and cable cars span the river to access the “other side”. The river rages in this area, confined by rocky walls – full of class 5 rapids and falls and crystal clear – a far cry from the polluted, muddy water that exits the river at its mouth in Canete. Along the way are several hydro-electric plants. The most notable, completed just a year ago,  takes water through a 13km long, 4x6m tunnel and delivers it downstream at a 2800ft drop !!!

At Huancaya, the river flattens dramatically, the hard bottom creating a series of lagoons and small waterfalls, amid alpine meadows. A good satellite view is found at :

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Huancaya,+Lima,+Peru&hl=en&ll=-12.202445,-75.797081&spn=0.005694,0.009645&sll=-11.92547,-76.665773&sspn=0.0456,0.077162&oq=huancaya+peru&hnear=Huancaya,+Lima+Region,+Peru&t=h&z=17

Trout fishing and farming are everywhere – children with long cane pole abound. The Plaza features a grand trout statue/fountain and ancient stone church, as well as a museum. The museum houses a dozen mummies and some other artifacts – none of which are much better than what I’ve found at the Cerro de Oro site. The size is just about what we anticipate building. This is great encouragement for the museum project here. If they can support a museum with a few artifacts and a truly remote location, imagine the potential of a museum right on the Pan Am Hwy, along with adjacent ruins and an active archeological dig ??

Elvis happened to be making a trip to Canete that afternoon, so we said farewell to the cool, clear mountain air and descended back to the heat and dust of the coastal desert. Elvis’ aggressive and fearless driving shaved about an hour off the return trip. His constant commentary added much to my knowledge and appreciation of the Canete River valley.