A New Beginning - Waking Up Excited

The Municipal building in San Luis - my new home

The last two weeks of Peace Corps training have flown by – a combination of anticipating the marvelous adventure ahead and enjoying last few days together with all of Peru 18. Graduation was yesterday. The Ambassador came with full security entourage and we all promised to defend the Constitution, etc. We are fielding a strong team here in Peru. The staff have done an extraordinary job of preparing us for the challenges ahead and given us the tools to serve the people of Peru. Lost 2 vols in training, but the rest are fit and very much ready for duty. We are ready for them, but are they ready for us ?

Thanksgiving : I was sad to miss the annual Fete Extraordinaire at sister Robin’s, but there was MUCH joy and gratitude to be found right here in Santa Eulalia. I am truly grateful to be so alive and able to enjoy this adventure of service. Grateful to my beautiful host family – Jaime and Deri are a model of a beautiful marriage/friendship/team. They have housed me, fed me, coached my Spanish, made me comfortable. But most of all, have been dear and special friends. I will miss them, but take comfort that they are only 4 hours away.

WATSAN 18   Swearing In

The Master of Ceremony in me has yet to fade, as I presided over our presentation of Thanks to all of the wonderful Peace Corps staff who have nurtured Peru 18 through training – the language facilitators, who were more than teachers and guided us on various field expeditions and showed us Peruvian culture and tradition with dances and songs and food. They are real angles, every one. Our Tech Trainers, Mira and Vero gave us the tools we’ll use in the field to improve many aspects of water treatment and sanitation solutions. The directors of training, Luis and dear Katalina, who protected and guided us and were ALWAYS there for us. The gate guards also got our thanks, as did Don Filipe the groundskeeper whose heart and spirit are so clearly evident in our beautiful gardens. They all gave so much to us and in turn to their fellow Peruvians who we will be assisting.

I’ve just completed the move to San Luis. Will Jensen (surfer form Hawaii) and I taxied in to Lima and caught the Soyuz Bus down to Canete. I’m always amazed how much I learn every time I come down the Pan-Am. A huge oil refinery is under construction – said to be one of the largest in S America. This will allow Peru to refine all it’s own oil, instead of sending it out and supposedly will bring down the price of gas here – currently about US$5/gal. A quick trip to San Vicente scored electrical wire, fittings and new pillows. Some splicing, serious cleaning and electrical tape later, my room was pretty livable. More improvements must await next month’s meager PC allowance. I’m doing my best to live within the allowance, but grateful that I have US reserves to call upon, if needed.

Lots of minor repairs around the house. Again, maintenance and repair are not very popular around here – just use it until it falls apart and get a new one. Very glad I brought some of my tools, they’ve really come in handy. New house has a washer right out of pioneer days. You pull and push a handle which agitates the wash and then use a hand crank wringer – a big step up from the straight scrub and hand-wring process I’ve been using.

The hardest part of my living situation is the three small kids. They are home all the time on weekends and their parents give them zero attention or supervision. So, they want to hang on me and explore all my stuff all the time. I’m happy to give them some attention, but did not sign up for babysitting service. Thankfully, the week is coming and I’ll get some quiet time. On the other hand, I’m really dreading “summer vacation” (3 months) which starts at Christmas.

Other than that, I feel quite at home in San Luis de Tolosa de Canete, my new home town. I’ve walked most of the streets and met some good folk. They are very willing to converse and suffer through my less-than-perfect Spanish (called Castellano here). While I didn’t see many blacks in San Vicente during our earlier site visit, they are very much in evidence in San Luis. As in the US, they were brought over from Africa as slaves to work the cotton and sugar cane plantations. African dance and rhythm has become very much a part of the culture here and there is a huge annual festival in San Vicente to celebrate it.

I had a nice combi ride with the dentist at the local health post, who was on his way to play in a band. Combis are mini-vans that shuttle up and down the Pan-Am. They usually wait until they have a near full load before heading out. You can carry just about anything (within reason) on a combi and they often fill to standing room. They are an extraordinarily efficient form of transport and in some ways, much more convenient than a personal car (go ahead and GASP, Americans), in that you never have to find a parking spot or wash your car. The other alternative here is the moto-taxi ( motorcycle converted into a rickshaw like vehicle). They will haul ANYTHING from people to mattresses, 55 gallon drums, rebar, stoves to a huge stack of brick. Very very taxis around here compared to Santa Eulalia. And then, people walk A LOT. I don’t see many bikes, but hope to get one very soon from the Corps, as some of my work sites are not accessible from combi routes.

We had a power outage last night, only the second I’ve seen here (earthquakes seem more common). With all the lights out, the stars were amazingly bright. The main source of auxiliary light seems to be the ubiquitous cell phone. Everyone on the street used them for light whenever there were no headlights available. I’m truly amazed that they don’t have more power problems, given the haphazard (hazard being the operative part) wiring system. Sometimes service wires from the street will cross over another house.  Wire nuts are unheard of and the electrical tape is more like black Scotch tape. Most homes have a “fuse box” with just one 30 amp (or even 60 amp) circuit breaker for the whole house. There is usually only one outlet per room, from which extends an endless cascade of extension cords. Only saving grace from rampant fire is the all adobe/brick construction. 

Jason, the current volunteer in site, will be back from Lima tomorrow, so I can start in on some of the following projects: finish 1^st bio-digester and find site for 2^nd and install and train local talent, re-plant trees with something that doesn’t need much water, like all the fichus that died per the mayor’s request – planning to work with high school kids on that, complete my mandatory community diagnostic, get that new water system working out in the campo and train local water committee in maintenance, survey all 240 eco-latrine users on the beach and find out why, after only 11 months, most are not in use, establish a tsunami warning program for low lying beach areas, continue working with high schoolers on the tree/plant nursery, compost and worm farm, do some HIV/sex education with the health post – just for starters. One of the questions asked at graduation was “How do you know that Peace Corps service in Peru is right for you at this time?”. My response : “Because I wake up every morning excited to begin the day.”

El Condor Pasa

Living in Peru, I hear this tune often.  But most Peruvians don’t know the lyric. So, I decided to do a little research, as is my way. Americans know the tune from Simon & Garfunkel “If I could, I surely would”. But the original version is in the Quechua (ancient Inca) language and is basically a prayer for freedom from the cruel treatment of the Spanish mine owners. The Spanish lyrics are a little different, according to my translation. All appear below, as well as YouTube links to the Spanish and S&G versions. As you can see, Quechua is NOT an easy language and uses LONG compound words. But, in any language, the tune – especially when played on pipe flute – is hauntingly beautiful and captivating.
 (Quechua)
Yau kuntur llaqtay orgopy tiyaq
Maymantam gawamuhuakchianqui, kuntur kuntur
Apayllahuay llaqtanchikman, wasinchikman chay chiri orgupy,
Kutiytam munany kuntur kuntur.

fuga:
Kuzco llaqtapyn plazachallampyn suyaykamullaway,
Machupicchupy Huaynapicchupy purikunanchiqpaq.


English translation of Quechua – not mine

Oh mighty Condor owner of the skies, take me home, up into the Andes
Oh mighty Condor.
I want go back to my native place to be with my Inca brothers,
that is what I miss the most, Oh mighty Condor.

fuga:
Wait for me in Cusco, in the main plaza,
so we can take a walk in Machupicchu and Huayna-picchu.

 Modern Spanish version 
El condor de los andes despertocon la luz de un feliz amaneser 
sus alas lentamente despegoy bajo al rio azul para beber.
 tras el la tierra se cubriode verdos, de amor, y paztras el el prado floresio y el sol broto en el trigal 

el condor al pasar me dijo a misigeme mas aya y tu veras
 en la espalda del condor me sentey a volar cada vez mas el cielo 
alcansar 

mirar mirar hacia la tierratan distinto 
de lo que vifronteras no se pueden vertodo el mundo desde hayes lo que vi 

el condor de los andes desendioal llegar un feliz amaneser el condor al igual 
se despertorepitio su sobre l rebañotodos iguales

 tras el la tierra se cubriode verdor, de amor y paztras el el prado floresio y el sol broto en el trigal  


English translation of modern Spanish – with my apologies

The  condor of the Andes awoke
with the light of a joyous sunrise

The condor slowly took off his wings
and dove in the river to drink blue water

after the land was covered
in truth, love and peace
the meadow flowered and the sun broke out in the cornfield

The passing condor said to me
Fly with me  and you will see more

I rode on the back of the condor and we flew in
 the sky ever higher

look look to the land
so different from what I had seen before

borders can not be seen
around the world
that  is what I saw

The condor of the Andes descended
to reach a happy sunset

the condor as he awoke
repeated his flight
all was the same

after the land was covered in
greenery, peace and love
 the meadow flowered
and the sun broke out in the cornfield

Legend of Santa Goyo

We studied Peruvian legends in class today. I couldn't resist writing my own legend. The English translation follows:

A long time ago, a strange dog came to Peru. He stood tall on two legs and had hair of silver. He was known in other lands as Santo Goyo, friend and liberator of all dogs. He saw the dogs of Peru were held prisoner on the roof. He proclaimed in a single mighty bark, that they should all be free to run and roll in the grass and chase small animals. The dogs all came down from the roofs. The moment their feet touched the earth, Santa Yessica appeared in the sky and caused a great rain of bones of gold. There was much barking, butt sniffing and other dog celebrations in the streets of Peru.

After a time, Santo Goyo moved on to other countries and another dog appeared. His name was “Butch”, the devil dog, with hair black as the night and long, sharp teeth. He ordered that the dogs return to the roofs, where they remain to this day. But, the dogs all know in their hearts that one day Santo Goyo will return and set them free once again. As you walk the streets of Peru, the dogs will come to the edge of the roof and bark. If you listen carefully, you will hear them say “ Viva Freedom. Viva Bones”Viva El Goyo".


This is how I wrote it for Spanish class:

La Leyenda de "Santo Goyo"

Hace mucho tiempo, un perro extraño llegó al Perú. Él era alto en dos piernas y tenía el pelo de plata. Él era conocido en otros países como Santo Goyo, amigo y liberador de todos los perros. Él vio a los perros del Perú fueron hechos prisioneros en el techo. Proclamó en un ladrido único y poderoso, que todos ellos deben ser libres para correr y rodar en el pasto y caza de pequeños animales. Los perros todos descendió del los tejados. En el momento en sus pies tocaron la tierra, Santa Yessica apareció en el cielo y causó una gran lluvia de huesos de oro. Había mucho ladrar, oliendo a culo y otras celebraciones de perros en las calles de Perú.

Después de un tiempo, Santo Goyo pasó a otros países y apareció otro perro. Su nombre era "Butch", el perro del diablo, con el pelo negro como la noche y los dientes largos y afilados. Ordenó que los perros regresar a los tejados, donde permanecen hasta nuestros días. Sin embargo, todos los perros saben en sus corazones que un día Santo Goyo volverá y liberarlos una vez más. Mientras caminas por las calles de Perú, los perros llegan al borde del techo y la corteza. Si usted escucha con cuidado, se les oye decir: "¡ Viva la Libertad. Viva los huesos. Viva El Goyo”

++++++++++++++++

Tippy Taps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – exclusive to Cuerpo de Paz Peru Santa Eulalia – 03 October 2011

by Greg Plimpton on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 8:00pm ·

ANNOUNCING : The New and Improved “Tippy-Tap”

The WATSAN tribe of Peru 18 is pleased to announce two improvements to the brilliant and innovative “Tippy-Tap” hand-washing device, pioneered by our WATSAN predecessors. The improvements eliminate the possible loss of the convenient soap holder and allow for height adjustment to accommodate users of various heights. Best of all, the 18er modifications add value without ANY additional cost or materials, providing more “bang for the Sol”.

The first TTM (PC for Tippy-Tap Modification) comes from David Witte and involves simply making a hole in the soap holder and passing the string hanger through it. Thus, eliminating the possibility of misplacing the holder while filling the reservoir. Credit for the second TTM goes to Teddy Shriver (yes, that Shriver). It involves tying two (or more) simple overhand knots in the hanging string, allowing the Tippy-Tap to be adjusted to various heights from a single hanging point.

No longer will Tippy Tap aficionados suffer the shameful embarrassment of soap-holder loss. The vertically challenged can now enjoy a hand-washing without soap and water running down their arms. Tall users will appreciate the relief from back stress due to a low down Tippy Tap.

A WATSAN 18 spokesperson commented,  “Clearly, we stand on the shoulders of previous WATSAN giants. They were and are pioneers, who have blazed a trail for us to follow. They set the bar pretty high, and we aim to set it even higher.”

Hello, San Luis. Glad to meet you

San Luis de Canete - My new home town for 2 years. It was love at first sight !!

Working on my first project with Jason - a biodigester

WATSAN 18 practices cleaning a water system

The last two weeks have been intense to say the very least. We’ve been away from the training center for about two weeks. The first week was field based training near Ica. We saw eco-toilet (composting toilet) construction. The eco-bano separates solids (poo) from liquids (pee) and allows both to be used for fertilizer. I got to unload compost from a toilet at my site on the beach near Canete and can attest to it being a beautiful dry fluffy texture with no foul odor at all. Next we visited a pour flush toilet south of Ica. This is basically a primitive septic tank system, but serves very well, especially since that area will likely get a sewer system in the next few years. We saw a municipal well system that is drying up, due to huge grape vineyards in the area, which are sucking all the water out of the local aquifer. There are government regulations against this, but (as elsewhere) big business gets its way over the people of the town. The locals have started to protest – there was a huge and angry demonstration at the town hall – but hopefully it is not too late already. We did some talks in schools on the various methods of water purification – boiling, chlorinating and solar (aka SODIS). The later uses UV from the sun to purify water in a minimum of 6 hours. So many people get diarrhea from bacteria and parasites, it is amazing that more systems don’t chlorinate. But many of the older folks seem to build an immunity to the bugs and don’t feel the need to purify. And they say the kids will get used to it. A little education is certainly in order here.

Had my second rip-roaring bout of “bicycleta” (aka diarrhea and vomit) at the hotel in Ica. My fellows were quite sure that I would not survive the night. But, I seem to get through it quickly (4-6 hours of Hell)– better than the drawn-out milder 2 day version that most seem to suffer. The next day we met our “socios” or community partners. Mine are a nice nurse from the Health Post and the Town Manager, Jimmy. It’s great that they have already worked with my predecessor, Jason and have lots ideas and projects in the works.

We all returned to San Luis de Canete, where I met the mayor, town engineer and others at the health post. I also got to weigh myself for the first time since leaving the states and found I’m down 10lbs to 192. I met my new host family (though I may have to change). The grandfather Fernando is 56 and a mason, who works from 6am to 8pm. His daughter, son-in-law and 3 kids live with him, in the nicer upstairs part of the house. There is a full bath upstairs, but downstairs is a toilet in a VERY small area under the stairs – so small that I have to sit down to pee and even then, hit my head on the stairs. The shower is in another room by the back yard. The usual cold water only is fine, but the dirt floor is not. I can’t complain much, as some of the Peru 18ers in the mountains don’t even have inside plumbing.

No one in the house is a competent cook, but there are a dozen great little restaurants on our street. There are two “pollo cilindros” or smoked chicken places, which are outstanding. Also, lots of fish in the area (2 km from the beach). There is also a lady who makes fried egg sandwiches and FRESH SQUEEZED orange juice (2 eggers + juice = US$ 1.15). Another place near the market makes only ceviche, which is world class stuff. Tons of fresh veggies in the market and much better bread than we get here in Santa Eulalia. Also the cilantro is zesty – like in Mexico and plenty of local cows make for fresh cheese and yogurt. Surprisingly, very few potatoes – they use yucca instead, which when fried beats any French fry on the planet. I had a filete de dorado (mahi-mahi) that is memorable, with a huge serving of Peruvian coleslaw.

I spent two days with Jason, digging out a pit for a new bio-digester about 100 yards from the beach on a pig/cow/sheep/goat farm. The digestor will take all the manure and produce a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer (for their vegetable farm) and enough gas for the family to cook and boil water with. We also repaired the eco-bano at the farm, which had its urine tube plugged with urine crystals and ash and unloaded the composted side of the toilet, which also yielded some great fertilizer/soil conditioner. We also visited a nearby “improved cook stove” (cocina mejorar), which replaced an open fire on the ground, inside the house – less smoke, fewer back problems and less fuel needed. They don’t have any trees nearby, so they use dried corn stalks and stalks from the yucca plants as fuel. I’ll likely build a few more of these and train the local brick masons in construction methods. I also hope to do a study of the 240 (built by an NGO) eco-banos in the areas to see why so few are in use after only one year in service and train locals to diagnose the common problems, as well as re-educate folks on the use of eco-banos. I will also install at least one more bio-digester – assuming the first one proves workable. I have another project to replant trees along the town streets near the plaza, as the fichus trees they planted did not survive. And then there is the big new water system that I have to get started with the town engineer. Jason has started a tree nursery and worm farm/compost project that I’ll need to continue.

I’ll definitely be getting a bike for transportation, as all my projects are within a 10km radius, the area is pretty flat and there is no public transportation in some directions. Luckily, San Luis is on the Pan American Hwy, so access to Canete, Ica and Lima is easy. There is something quite empowering about flagging down a huge bus and having it stop just for me. All in all, I love my site and have TONS of projects and ideas already in hand. We’ll see how the living situation plays out.

The last day of my trip was spent in the seaside resort of Cerro Azul, about 10 miles north of my site. All the 36 PC volunteers from the Lima/Ica/Nazca region met for their monthly gathering to share info and visit/party. My friend Will – a surfer from Hawaii, who lives about 10 miles from me – wasted no time in finding a board and catching some sweet waves in the bay. I settled for some body surfing, which was just fine. We all stuffed ourselves that night on ceviche and fried sole. As the only early riser the next morning, I was treated to some fresh-off-the-rocks oysters (small, but tasty) and watched the local fishermen unload their nets on the beach.

I’m REALLY excited about my service post and upcoming 2 years in San Luis (the full town name is San Luis de Tolusa de Canete). I hope to make some lasting positive changes on the area – and vice-versa.

Training Rolls On

Measuring garbage in Imperial

Well, it has been another (NOT) quiet week here in Santa Eulalia, my hometown (until Nov 26^th). The Watsan (water & sanitation) crew practiced all sorts of construction techniques, from concrete slabs to adobe walls to chlorination drip systems. We travelled back to Niveria, scene of our earlier handwashing demonstrations, to clean and disinfect a water storage tank high on a hill above the town. The views of the town were spectacular – the whole area is covered with brick-making facilities. In places, they have excavated down hundreds of feet to harvest the clay. I shudder to think what will happen when the next El Nino dumps rain on this usually arid zone. The smell of chlorine and goodwill filled the air.

Our instructor happened to be Jason, the current volunteer in Canete. It was a wonderful opportunity for me and Will Jensen to learn all about Jason’s work over the last two years and get a good idea of the living conditions and challenges ahead. One future project will be to get a brand new water treatment plant up and running, which will serve over 100 families. An NGO came in and built the facility, but failed to train anyone in its operation. There are also unfinished projects involving compost, worm farms, septic solutions, trash management and tsunami warnings.

We got a good idea of the need for a tsunami warning system on Friday, when a 6.8 quake rocked the Canete area for about 45 seconds. We felt it all the way up here in Santa Eulalia, about 90 miles away – more of a sway than a shake. The center was just offshore Canete, but there was no tsunami wave and only minimal damage. However, it brought back bad memories for many of the huge 8.1 quake back in 2007. That shake caused serious damage and loss of life. The South American and Pacific plates interface all along the Peruvian coast and there are frequent quakes. Better that we have many small slips than another big one like ’07.

Another highlight of the week was a trip to the Peace Corps Peru HQ in Lima, located about 7 blocks from the HUGE US Embassy. The “Palace” is a magnificent walled fortress, with lots of security in force. I hoped to visit John Cardenas (Princeton ’89) with USAID there, but the schedule did not permit. The PCHQ is a pleasant campus style facility, with full medical and research resources. We met many of the staff, but most importantly, learned our 2 year mission posts. Will Jensen and I will be headed to Canete, just north of where we had our Field Based Trainings the week before. (see prior Blog). We stayed in San Vincente de Canete, but we will be posted to San Luis de Canete and Quilmana, about 9 miles away. Will is from Hawaii and is especially pleased to be posted near the waves. I’m even more excited about the post, now that I know more about the lifestyle and current potential service projects there. Six Watsaners “The Half  Dirty Dozen” will be returning to Canete and Ica next week for more field trainings and visits to our future sites. I’m finding it a little hard to keep my head in the game here, when my mind is already half way to Canete and its verdant fields, orchards and people.

Next week will also see a special and highly-anticipated hamburger lunch as well as creation of our own unique line of PC clothing, which will be produced at a local shop right here in Santa Eulalia. For the rest of the weekend – lots of reading, writing and, of course, hand-washing of my clothes, which I’m surprised to find is LESS time-consuming and MORE satisfying than using a machine and dryer.

See FB album “Peru” for more photos:  

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2311898848958.121881.1593993286&type=1&l=11b63b7701

Training Road Trip - An Omen

The dunes of Ica

WATSAN 18 on a break

Practicing water filtration techniques

This week, Peru 18 WATSAN (Water & Sanitation or Aqua y Sanaemento ) group went on the road for FBT (Field Based Training) with our PCVC (Peace Corps Volunteer Coordinator) and our TT’s (Tech Trainers). Peace Corps LOVES acronyms (PCLA).

We rolled in to Lima in a mini-bus. One of the few things that I find odd about this group of 20-somethings, is that when put in a group situation such as a bus or long wait, they will immediately whip out iPod earphones and Kindels. To most of my generation, this sends the message “I don’t care to interact with you right now”. To them, it seems a perfectly normal way to pass 2 hours with a group of friends.

In Lima, we caught the Soyuz Bus to San Vincente de Canete (many towns here have an ancient Quechua name, preceded by a Spanish/Catholic name). A huge difference between the bus service here and in Mexico, is that in Peru, every bus line has it’s own terminal, whereas in Mexico, all lines shared a single terminal. The bus terminal in Guadalajara, Mex was/is larger than the DFW airport. This probably cuts down on bus congestion near the terminal, but is not near as convenient for catching a bus or changing lines. The Soyuz terminal is modern and clean and very well run. Fare for the 140 mile trip to Canete was about $6. The bus was also VERY clean, with movie, food & beverage service, but lacking a bathroom.

The route was entirely on the Pan-Am Highway, south from Lima. To the out-skirts of Lima, PAHwy is 6 lanes of non-stop horn-blowing and lane-changing. The bus drivers weave between trucks, taxis and mini-vans with the skill of Nascar drivers (or better). Still, not a single accident or fender-bender to be seen. South of Lima, the scenery turns to desert and the road narrows to four and then two lanes. For much of the route to Canete, the ocean is in view, with MANY beach-front homes and condos for wealthy Limonians to escape the city on weekends and holidays. There is even a (non-ecological and water wasting) golf course, a la Las Vegas. Even in an area where some folks go without regular water supply, the privileged get to play golf on well-watered, green grass. This is also the area that produces literally tons of chicken for hungry Limonians every day. Like in the US, the chicken “factories” are vast and cruel. But, we MUST keep that chicken meat flowing (?)..

Teaching kids in Niveria about hand-washing.

South of the resorts, the Pan-Am veers away from the shore and the view turns to huge Saharan sand dunes, down to the Canete River valley, where a sudden profusion of agriculture bursts from the sandy soil. Fields of asparagus, artichoke, potatoes, peaches, plums, apples, figs, dates and pecans are everywhere in sight, mostly in smaller farm plots. The one crop that is grown in massive, US style is grapes, as this is the main area for wine and Pisco (a distilled wine/brandy) production. We drove past, but did not visit the port city of Pisco, itself.

In Canete, we stayed at the El Dorado, a mid-range hotel and wallowed in the HOT water showers. This was the first hot water most of us had seen for over a month, though I must say I haven’t missed it all that much. The room rate was a little less than US$10 per night. Food is also an amazing value – a scrumptious dinner of soup, salad, ¼ roasted chicken, corn-on-cob, potato and beans was about US$3.50.

The next day, we visited the farm areas, where we inspected the water system for about 70 families and the irrigation canals. Along the way, we sampled some delicious apples and strawberries, fresh off the tree/vines. We also saw the pilot recycling project that the local PC vols have started. This is combined with an exciting compost and worm-farm project, which provides nutrient rich soil to local farms and a flower and tree nursery, aimed at greening and beautifying the towns of Canete and Nuevo Imperial.

In Ica, we stayed at an even nicer hotel for about the same price, complete with a bank of free internet computers. We were temptingly close to the Nazca Lines, but did not visit. These enormous patterns etched into the desert floor are ancient and a great mystery. Who made these perfectly engineered patterns (which can only be fully seen from the air) and why ? Intriguing, to say the least.

We helped with a garbage project by separating about 200 lbs of raw garbage into component parts : organics, inorganics, baby diapers, plastics, metals, juice boxes, etc. The worst part was that soiled toilet paper is not flushed down the toilet here, meaning that it was a major part of the garbage we separated – not so sweet. In Santiago, we were distracted from our mission to interview door-to-door about the local garbage service by a fiesta. The town is celebrating its anniversary (a big deal in these parts) with a food competition. The mayor saw our group and invited us to be “extra” judges of the 40 or so plates in the competition. Despite just having had a huge lunch, our group boldly joined the feast, tasting everything from cuy (guinea pig) to anticucho (cow heart) to an apple/passionfriut tart that was TO DIE FOR.

Many of the group went to an oasis for dune buggy rides and sand-boarding. Instead, I visited one of the many ag chemical stores in the town and was delighted to find my brother Bob’s product “CYTEX” for sale there.

We will learn our permanent posts next week and I’m hoping to be in the minority that are posted to the south in the Canete/Ica/Nazca area.More exactly, I felt very "at home" in the Canete area and asked to be posted there - we shall see.........