INABIF - Villa Hermosa in Villa El Salvador - Lima, Peru
It was heartbreaking to say good-bye.....
It was heartbreaking to say good-bye.....
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Monday, August 25, 2008
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So, Why DID We Go??
So, here's the follow up. Most people that know me, know that I have quite a few issues with the "modern world". (Please read this knowing that I am exaggerating for effect and making some OVER-generalizations, but I always like to get my point across!) I don't like electronics. Okay, so that's not totally true. I LOVE blogging, and digital photography and being able to e-mail instead of having my ear stuck to the phone. I love "looking things up" on the internet, going on-line to put holds on library books, ordering from Amazon and having books shipped in 2 days! So, you're saying, what don't you like?
I don't like the kids choosing to play XBox over reading or playing outside on a rare sunny day. Especially if it entails playing LIVE with fake friends, rather then actually talking to the kid next to them. I don't like Webkins - they start out as cute furry animals and turn into an obsession as the kids "freak-out" because if you don't log in daily they will DIE! And I don't like that how you feed them or clothe them or whatever is by playing gambling games, to make money to go and buy them whatever stupid thing they need! (Thankfully Rachel sees my position on this and agrees). I don't like hearing there's nothing to do during non-electronic times (yes, I institute such rules in my house) when we have a whole closet of games, shelves full of books, Legos, a piano, schoolwork, sports equipment, a treehouse! I don't like fights with a 13 year old on why he needs a cel phone when he only usually calls one friend and that lasts 2 minutes. I don't like watching the same 13 year old at the computer doing schoolwork and simultaneously checking his e-mail every 5 minutes! I don't like having to "upgrade" electronics constantly because they are so OLD (what 6 months to a year?) I even don't like myself when I become e-mail obsessed and feel like I have to check every hour that I am home.
Electronics aside, I just really don't like watching my kids involved in our overly-consumeristic society, constantly thinking they need something else to be happy, or drooling over their friends' latest gadgets. Or plotting what they need next with their allowance money. (Hmm, needs are certainly relative, aren't they?)
So, really, one of my number one goals of our CCS trip was to get the kids to see what else might be important. Get them to see that what they need is not really necessary for a happy, productive life. Give them a real reference point for times when Alex is about to have a breakdown because Mom won't let him get XBox live or play games everyday of the week, or have UTube videos of himself on the internet - "but my friends can do it!!!!" My response - Oh well.
Well, did they learn anything from spending a week with kids with real needs - food, clothing, running water, a bath, books, healthcare .... They certainly saw and were involved with these kids, but did they get it???
At the end of our CCS week, I asked the kids to journal something - thoughts, feelings, whatever. Here's what Alex wrote:
This trip to Peru has been a very eye-opening experience for me. The first day that I went to the Lima slums, known as Villa El Salvador, I thought it had the worst living conditions that I had ever seen. Dogs fought and bred rampantly on roadsides that were covered in trash and human feces. The houses were made of plywood or old bricks with tin roofs. If your family didn’t have enough room, you didn’t move. You simply built another floor on top of your existing house. These shoddy shanties probably had little effect when it came to blocking out the elements. Driving through the town, I found it hard to believe that anybody could ever be happy there.
Before heading to work at INABIF for the first time, I expected hungry little children to glower up at me as if my existence was some sin against them. I expected their clothes to be torn and ragged, and their eyes to be bloodshot. I thought that they would all be thin, dirty and unkempt, like the orphans on television or in movies that spent their days on the streets. But this expectation turned out to be false. The kids were wearing normal clothing, and I didn’t see a single one of them looking sad. They were positively hopping with glee at the prospect of playing a game of soccer on a concrete pitch with a ball that looked older than some of the teachers. You’d think that they were little kids in America, with not a care in the world. They didn’t look at the fact that the ball was in its final state of decay. It didn’t matter to them that falling during a game of soccer meant being cut painfully by bits of gravel. Instead of grumbling over what they didn’t have, they rejoiced over what they did have. Unlike kids in America would have been, they were happy to use what they had at hand. Most people that I know would have said, “Geez, we can’t play with this ball! It doesn’t even bounce! And what if we fall on this concrete? We can’t play here!” Instead of complaining and refusing to play soccer on anything but grass, Peruvian children don’t play as rough as American children. And instead of complaining about the bounce of the ball (or lack thereof) Peruvian kids compensate for it. They don’t even complain, saying things like, “Our lives are bad,” or, “I hate my life.” They just go with it, and are generally happier than most American kids ever will be. To me, this proves that the message gained from traveling to Peru was, “Materialistic items don’t make you happier.” In fact, I think that having a lot of stuff just makes you greedier. The kids in Peru had nothing, and yet when they got something, they didn’t horde it for themselves. They shared. They weren’t greedy or miserly with things that they got. They were happy to share it with others. If everybody in the world were like that, then the Earth would be a better place.
And this is what Rachel wrote and shared with me....
This week has been really amazing. I feel like I helped alot. It was kind of sad to see how the kids live. I also discovered the real meaning of life. It is this. If you give happiness to others, you shall receive. You won't get stuff, you will get happiness, a good life, and hopefully if you're kind and loving, passage to heaven. The meaning is not to be rude, arrogant and think you're better then others. That will give you the opposite. I have realized that by being rich, it is harder to get to heaven and by living a humble life, you are closer to God. I know this experience has changed me forever and I will never be the same.
Did they GET it? You decide.
I don't like the kids choosing to play XBox over reading or playing outside on a rare sunny day. Especially if it entails playing LIVE with fake friends, rather then actually talking to the kid next to them. I don't like Webkins - they start out as cute furry animals and turn into an obsession as the kids "freak-out" because if you don't log in daily they will DIE! And I don't like that how you feed them or clothe them or whatever is by playing gambling games, to make money to go and buy them whatever stupid thing they need! (Thankfully Rachel sees my position on this and agrees). I don't like hearing there's nothing to do during non-electronic times (yes, I institute such rules in my house) when we have a whole closet of games, shelves full of books, Legos, a piano, schoolwork, sports equipment, a treehouse! I don't like fights with a 13 year old on why he needs a cel phone when he only usually calls one friend and that lasts 2 minutes. I don't like watching the same 13 year old at the computer doing schoolwork and simultaneously checking his e-mail every 5 minutes! I don't like having to "upgrade" electronics constantly because they are so OLD (what 6 months to a year?) I even don't like myself when I become e-mail obsessed and feel like I have to check every hour that I am home.
Electronics aside, I just really don't like watching my kids involved in our overly-consumeristic society, constantly thinking they need something else to be happy, or drooling over their friends' latest gadgets. Or plotting what they need next with their allowance money. (Hmm, needs are certainly relative, aren't they?)
So, really, one of my number one goals of our CCS trip was to get the kids to see what else might be important. Get them to see that what they need is not really necessary for a happy, productive life. Give them a real reference point for times when Alex is about to have a breakdown because Mom won't let him get XBox live or play games everyday of the week, or have UTube videos of himself on the internet - "but my friends can do it!!!!" My response - Oh well.
Well, did they learn anything from spending a week with kids with real needs - food, clothing, running water, a bath, books, healthcare .... They certainly saw and were involved with these kids, but did they get it???
At the end of our CCS week, I asked the kids to journal something - thoughts, feelings, whatever. Here's what Alex wrote:
This trip to Peru has been a very eye-opening experience for me. The first day that I went to the Lima slums, known as Villa El Salvador, I thought it had the worst living conditions that I had ever seen. Dogs fought and bred rampantly on roadsides that were covered in trash and human feces. The houses were made of plywood or old bricks with tin roofs. If your family didn’t have enough room, you didn’t move. You simply built another floor on top of your existing house. These shoddy shanties probably had little effect when it came to blocking out the elements. Driving through the town, I found it hard to believe that anybody could ever be happy there.
Before heading to work at INABIF for the first time, I expected hungry little children to glower up at me as if my existence was some sin against them. I expected their clothes to be torn and ragged, and their eyes to be bloodshot. I thought that they would all be thin, dirty and unkempt, like the orphans on television or in movies that spent their days on the streets. But this expectation turned out to be false. The kids were wearing normal clothing, and I didn’t see a single one of them looking sad. They were positively hopping with glee at the prospect of playing a game of soccer on a concrete pitch with a ball that looked older than some of the teachers. You’d think that they were little kids in America, with not a care in the world. They didn’t look at the fact that the ball was in its final state of decay. It didn’t matter to them that falling during a game of soccer meant being cut painfully by bits of gravel. Instead of grumbling over what they didn’t have, they rejoiced over what they did have. Unlike kids in America would have been, they were happy to use what they had at hand. Most people that I know would have said, “Geez, we can’t play with this ball! It doesn’t even bounce! And what if we fall on this concrete? We can’t play here!” Instead of complaining and refusing to play soccer on anything but grass, Peruvian children don’t play as rough as American children. And instead of complaining about the bounce of the ball (or lack thereof) Peruvian kids compensate for it. They don’t even complain, saying things like, “Our lives are bad,” or, “I hate my life.” They just go with it, and are generally happier than most American kids ever will be. To me, this proves that the message gained from traveling to Peru was, “Materialistic items don’t make you happier.” In fact, I think that having a lot of stuff just makes you greedier. The kids in Peru had nothing, and yet when they got something, they didn’t horde it for themselves. They shared. They weren’t greedy or miserly with things that they got. They were happy to share it with others. If everybody in the world were like that, then the Earth would be a better place.
And this is what Rachel wrote and shared with me....
This week has been really amazing. I feel like I helped alot. It was kind of sad to see how the kids live. I also discovered the real meaning of life. It is this. If you give happiness to others, you shall receive. You won't get stuff, you will get happiness, a good life, and hopefully if you're kind and loving, passage to heaven. The meaning is not to be rude, arrogant and think you're better then others. That will give you the opposite. I have realized that by being rich, it is harder to get to heaven and by living a humble life, you are closer to God. I know this experience has changed me forever and I will never be the same.
Did they GET it? You decide.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Did We Go to Change the World???? No. Not Even Close.
I was talking to somebody who asked me to explain more fully the "volunteer" part of our Peru trip. This person (who is very nice and I like alot incidentally) seemed a little interested, but really wanted to go down another path. I think the comment was "No offense, it's nice what you did, but you can't change the world in a week."
And my answer was Precisely!!!!!
Without knowing it, this person hit the nail on the head. To further illustrate why I wanted to go, as well as the CCS philosophy, I am going to include some excerpts from the CCS Insight Abroad handbook. It's long so bear with me, or at least skip it and read the end of this post. I think you will like it!
"... With international volunteering... service is equally divided between hands-on service AND cultural exchange. Cultural exchange can mean alot of different things to different people. It can be listening to local people about their lives, talking about your life and what you do, sharing your cultures through dialogue and stories, or just making friends and getting to know each other. When the local people of a country and an international volunteer are able to connect as peers, it becomes service because you have both helped each other learn a little lore about the similarities and differences we all share across the globe.
You will find in your international volunteer experience that sometimes you are not actually working, or that sometimes you get frustrated because things are not organized or on time. This is all part of the cultural experience. By understanding the priorities in the culture and working around them, you are learning about the local culture and what it truly means to live there. Just being at the local organizations communicates to the people that their work and cause are important on a global level. Such a presence has the potential to catalyze social change, shows support and solidarity and allows the local people to become aware of the world around them through exposure to other cultures.
People are sometimes disappointed when their work does not "change the world" in a few weeks, or even months. Your volunteer work may consist of helping in what you perceive as a small way. This could be taking care of children or teaching them a song: try not to lose sight of the fact that you are helping an outstanding local organization do their job better and more efficiently. You should be proud of these small accomplishments, which often reap significant benefits that may not be immediately apparent. Your presence at the project shows people in host countries that people from other parts of the world care about their situation. You will also be learning about other cultures, ideas and values, which may help broaden your own perspective. Don't forget, you too are part of the world we are all trying to change."
There's more--- keep reading if you can!
"Your CCS program will offer you the unique opportunity to establish meaningful relationships with project staff and local people. Ultimately the human connections you make will far exceed the contribution made through you service portion of the program.
CCS enables you to gain a wealth of understanding and knowledge to become a more responsible global citizen that is informed about issues confronting other parts of the world. You will be learning about the lives of people of another culture and the issues they face such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and innumerable others. You will learn that the images you have seen in the media are often far from reality in host countries.
You will be able to return home with a greater understanding of the world, having made meaningful connections with others while serving overseas. You will become a small, yet important. piece in the process of helping people from vastly different cultures understand each other. Hopefully, you will share this knowledge and understanding with friends, neighbors, relatives... In doing so, you will bring us closer to international understanding, making our global community a better place. In this way, a short-term volunteer does change the world."
And finally-
"Remember, you will take home what you have learned and experienced In-country. This can have many positive unforeseen effects."
Remember the conversation that inspired this post? Well, it ended with a discussion about how to REALLY change anything, the local people had to be empowered to take over and not rely on volunteers and such. And I fully agree with that as well. Thankfully there are tons of programs like that going on around the world - even in Peru with things like the rafting coop that took us down the Urubamba and the weaving coop / llama farm.
However, in my book, the world of at least one person was fully changed, and even if the rest of our trip had been horrible (which it wasn't, of course!!!), the whole thing - expense, time, illness, etc. would still have been worth going. Stay tuned.....
And my answer was Precisely!!!!!
Without knowing it, this person hit the nail on the head. To further illustrate why I wanted to go, as well as the CCS philosophy, I am going to include some excerpts from the CCS Insight Abroad handbook. It's long so bear with me, or at least skip it and read the end of this post. I think you will like it!
"... With international volunteering... service is equally divided between hands-on service AND cultural exchange. Cultural exchange can mean alot of different things to different people. It can be listening to local people about their lives, talking about your life and what you do, sharing your cultures through dialogue and stories, or just making friends and getting to know each other. When the local people of a country and an international volunteer are able to connect as peers, it becomes service because you have both helped each other learn a little lore about the similarities and differences we all share across the globe.
You will find in your international volunteer experience that sometimes you are not actually working, or that sometimes you get frustrated because things are not organized or on time. This is all part of the cultural experience. By understanding the priorities in the culture and working around them, you are learning about the local culture and what it truly means to live there. Just being at the local organizations communicates to the people that their work and cause are important on a global level. Such a presence has the potential to catalyze social change, shows support and solidarity and allows the local people to become aware of the world around them through exposure to other cultures.
People are sometimes disappointed when their work does not "change the world" in a few weeks, or even months. Your volunteer work may consist of helping in what you perceive as a small way. This could be taking care of children or teaching them a song: try not to lose sight of the fact that you are helping an outstanding local organization do their job better and more efficiently. You should be proud of these small accomplishments, which often reap significant benefits that may not be immediately apparent. Your presence at the project shows people in host countries that people from other parts of the world care about their situation. You will also be learning about other cultures, ideas and values, which may help broaden your own perspective. Don't forget, you too are part of the world we are all trying to change."
There's more--- keep reading if you can!
"Your CCS program will offer you the unique opportunity to establish meaningful relationships with project staff and local people. Ultimately the human connections you make will far exceed the contribution made through you service portion of the program.
CCS enables you to gain a wealth of understanding and knowledge to become a more responsible global citizen that is informed about issues confronting other parts of the world. You will be learning about the lives of people of another culture and the issues they face such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and innumerable others. You will learn that the images you have seen in the media are often far from reality in host countries.
You will be able to return home with a greater understanding of the world, having made meaningful connections with others while serving overseas. You will become a small, yet important. piece in the process of helping people from vastly different cultures understand each other. Hopefully, you will share this knowledge and understanding with friends, neighbors, relatives... In doing so, you will bring us closer to international understanding, making our global community a better place. In this way, a short-term volunteer does change the world."
And finally-
"Remember, you will take home what you have learned and experienced In-country. This can have many positive unforeseen effects."
Remember the conversation that inspired this post? Well, it ended with a discussion about how to REALLY change anything, the local people had to be empowered to take over and not rely on volunteers and such. And I fully agree with that as well. Thankfully there are tons of programs like that going on around the world - even in Peru with things like the rafting coop that took us down the Urubamba and the weaving coop / llama farm.
However, in my book, the world of at least one person was fully changed, and even if the rest of our trip had been horrible (which it wasn't, of course!!!), the whole thing - expense, time, illness, etc. would still have been worth going. Stay tuned.....
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Back with a Bang!
Wow! I was so happy to get through 2 1/2 weeks of Peru feeling fabulous. Even after eating all kinds of new foods and spices and Pisco Sours and even "forgetting" and brushing my teeth with the Peruvian water, I had absolutely no stomach problems. Until about 8 hours after arriving back in the United States, that is. Maybe it was those delicious GMO corn-chex they served me for breakfast on the airplane. Or maybe the high-quality CAFO (read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life for more explanation here) chicken from the Chinese carry-out. I'm not sure, but what I am sure of is I was almost ready for the Immodium yesterday and still have a painful stomach today.
And, the eruptive fun does not end there. Alex came downstairs a few hours ago and asked me to look at his stomach. He has almost 50 little red spots all over his stomach, back, neck, wrists, and legs. At first I thought maybe they were Machu Picchu no-see-em bites, but since we were there 5 days ago, I doubt that is the answer. I really think he has chicken pox! Despite having been vaccinated at age 1 1/2, I think he has the chicken pox. He says the spots are very itchy, and he had a headache last night. I hope he has the chicken pox - it would be nice to have the whole revaccinate / not vaccinate issue behind us, but it will definitely mess with our coming week of piano, choir, soccer, meetings, classes, lessons - you get the picture. Maybe someone is telling us - stay on vacation!!!!
And, the eruptive fun does not end there. Alex came downstairs a few hours ago and asked me to look at his stomach. He has almost 50 little red spots all over his stomach, back, neck, wrists, and legs. At first I thought maybe they were Machu Picchu no-see-em bites, but since we were there 5 days ago, I doubt that is the answer. I really think he has chicken pox! Despite having been vaccinated at age 1 1/2, I think he has the chicken pox. He says the spots are very itchy, and he had a headache last night. I hope he has the chicken pox - it would be nice to have the whole revaccinate / not vaccinate issue behind us, but it will definitely mess with our coming week of piano, choir, soccer, meetings, classes, lessons - you get the picture. Maybe someone is telling us - stay on vacation!!!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Cross Cultural Solutions - Our Week
CCS Logistics-
It has been so hard for me to write about our time volunteering with Cross Cultural Solutions and I think the reason it’s hard is I know I will never be able to do it justice. So, I decided to start with logistics and see where it goes from there.
Sunday 8-3-2008
We and another family were picked up from the hotel at about 8:30 by the house director, Enrique – “Kique”. We were really lucky at the house – we were assigned one room for the four of us and had our own bathroom. Some rooms were assigned up to 6 people and had to share a bath with up to 10! (There were a total of around 40 in the house). Kique gave a quick orientation at the house, and then we all loaded up in vans and cars and were driven to our neighborhood of work – Villa El Salvador. Click here for photos. It was really shocking driving through VES for the first time. It looks more run down then the worst Chicago South Side neighborhoods I used to drive through as a short cut to work. We were taken to Martinsitos, a daily center for adults. There we were given a history of VES – it lasted around 1 ½ hours and was fascinating. Afterwards we went back to the house and started meeting up with our new family for the week. It was so fun! I’m sure I won’t remember everyone but, my favorites were the family groups and more “mature” single people – Shannon & Parker; Romi; Peggy & Katie; Pam & Casey; Elizabeth, Jim & Jane; Noah, Roberta, Shanna & Isaiah; Gwyn; Mary; Liota; Rudy, Mateo & Sydney; Mike; Alex; Katia; Simone; Janice; Sanna; Conor; and a few more singles. Alex and Rachel immediately started having fun playing cards with the kids and the young college or just post-college kids. In fact that is what they did almost every minute that we weren’t working, eating, touring or walking to the Circle of Death! They have tons of new games to play.
We wrapped up Sunday, by heading to bed, excited and a little scared for our first day of work to begin.
Monday, 8-4-2008
Today was our first day of work. We were assigned to INABIF – Villa Hermosa. It is a daycare center. Our partners were Peggy, Shannon, Parker and Conor – 8 of us total. When we first got there, we discovered that our CCS helper, Juan Carlos was the only English speaker and very limited at that. Only Peggy could speak Spanish, so she became our main interpreter. Since this was the first time that our INABIF section had any volunteers, they were very unsure what to do with us! Peggy was able to figure out that they wanted new lines painted for futbol and volleyball courts. They wanted the basketball and futbol nets painted, and they wanted a mural on the wall. After we got that figured out, we thought we would start working when about 40 kids came running out to play! They crowded around us and started asking “Como se llama?” y “Cuantos anos?” – to Rachel. It was overwhelming at first and then FUN!!!! The boys all headed over to the futbol area, and entrenched Alex, Pat and Conor in a game. The younger girls took Rachel off to play Salta Suca – jumprope, hopscotch, hand clapping games. Parker had his own contingent of girls. Peggy played volleyball and Shannon and I followed Rachel and Parker and their girls, joining in the fun as well. We ended the first day too soon.
Tuesday and Wednesday, 8/5 & 8/6/2008
The girls at INABIF had told us that they wanted a Volleyball mural, so that’s what Peggy, Shannon and I began painting on Tuesday, when we arrived at 9AM. Rachel helped a bit too. It was a true collaboration, esp for 3 adult women who do not call themselves artists! I had asked Juan Carlos if we could have the INABIF kids paint but he said no, too messy. I really would have liked to see their joy at having been able to create something on their own. But, they seemed to like it nonetheless. We had to paint quickly, as everyday we had to be done by 11AM, when the kids ran out to play with us until we had to leave at 12:30 PM. Everyday, Pat and the CCS “boys” would just barely get the paint put away when the INABIF boys would run out to play futbol, nevermind wet paint! On Tuesday, we asked the girls if we could take pictures of them. Click here to see them. They loved it! We had 2 girls in particular who wanted to be in all of them – Luz and Demy! I told them I would bring them copies for themselves at the end of the week. On Wednesday, both Luz and Demy brought me pictures of themselves – they were happy to share with me and I was very touched.
Everyday when we arrived the kids greeted us – running up and hugging us and grabbing Rachel by the hand. I thought I would be worried about Rachel disappearing with 30 little girls who speak no English, inside a daycare located in a housing project, but I really did not think twice about it. When we left the girls would escort us to the front door waving and saying “Hasta manana”, until tomorrow!
Thursday, 8/7/2008
While we were helping serve breakfast this morning (a hard roll and cup of warm chocolate milk), the daycare director told us that we would be throwing a Kinkana on Friday. Wow! Peggy was able to interpret that a Kinkana was a party, with competitive games. We asked if we should bring snacks and they said sure! The director said it was totally up to us to plan. That was a little scary. So, most of our time before the kids came out to play was a planning session – well Peggy, Shannon and I. The CCS boys finished up the court painting with help from Rachel. We came up with a list of games and needed supplies. We also decided that we wanted to be able to bring them more jumpropes (they only had 3 for all the girls), a volleyball net (they played without) and some basketball nets, a basketball (they had none) and another soccer ball (they had one flat). Seeing how little these kids have, we were totally willing to spend our own money for this. Peggy also offered to get little treats for the kids at Chinatown on Thursday afternoon. When we got back to CCS and told Kique that we needed all kinds of supplies he was a little surprised. He said the director had talked to him and that our ”party” was just supposed to be games. So, maybe we misinterpreted, or maybe Kique did not get the same story as us. Nevertheless, he went with it – getting cookies, candy, juice, balloons and many more supplies for us. He gave Pat the okay to buy the jumpropes and nets, so we headed to Sporting goods store on the Circle of Death. Pat also bought some CD’s to burn some music to play at our party. (When we told the director’s helper he could keep them on Friday he was SO happy!) By the end of Thursday night we were ready and excited!
Friday 8/8/2008 The Kinkana!
When we arrived with bags and bags of stuff, the kids all greeted us at the door, especially Rachel and Parker’s girl possees. We knew we had only a little time to set up so we got to work right away. The INABIF center also has Abuelos come each day, and many of the women offered their help. It was so nice! We decorated with balloons and streamers and set up for the games. The favorite was the Cuchara – a lemon and spoon race. We were able to play jump rope games and participate in a traditional circle dance. The boys had basketball contests and of course played futbol. The day was amazing, but in the back of my mind very sad too. This was our last day with our little girls. At the end, the director lined up all the kids to say good-bye and thank you. I looked at them lined up, and most of them (Girls, not the tough boys) were crying. I cried too. I’m even crying now remembering it. I miss those little, precious girls. They are so nice and so loving and so happy the whole week! And they literally have nothing! They live in homes with dirt floors. They do not get enough to eat, especially nutritious food, as evidenced by their red-tipped hair and white-spotted cheeks. Their daycare has no books, no toys, no paper, no crayons, no markers – nada! And they are happy. They play handclapping games and jump rope. Soccer and volleyball. They help each other and love each other. I hope that our being with them for 1 week was a positive experience for them, because for all of us, it was the experience of a lifetime.
For pictures of our time in the CCS house and with friends, click here: CCS
It has been so hard for me to write about our time volunteering with Cross Cultural Solutions and I think the reason it’s hard is I know I will never be able to do it justice. So, I decided to start with logistics and see where it goes from there.
Sunday 8-3-2008
We and another family were picked up from the hotel at about 8:30 by the house director, Enrique – “Kique”. We were really lucky at the house – we were assigned one room for the four of us and had our own bathroom. Some rooms were assigned up to 6 people and had to share a bath with up to 10! (There were a total of around 40 in the house). Kique gave a quick orientation at the house, and then we all loaded up in vans and cars and were driven to our neighborhood of work – Villa El Salvador. Click here for photos. It was really shocking driving through VES for the first time. It looks more run down then the worst Chicago South Side neighborhoods I used to drive through as a short cut to work. We were taken to Martinsitos, a daily center for adults. There we were given a history of VES – it lasted around 1 ½ hours and was fascinating. Afterwards we went back to the house and started meeting up with our new family for the week. It was so fun! I’m sure I won’t remember everyone but, my favorites were the family groups and more “mature” single people – Shannon & Parker; Romi; Peggy & Katie; Pam & Casey; Elizabeth, Jim & Jane; Noah, Roberta, Shanna & Isaiah; Gwyn; Mary; Liota; Rudy, Mateo & Sydney; Mike; Alex; Katia; Simone; Janice; Sanna; Conor; and a few more singles. Alex and Rachel immediately started having fun playing cards with the kids and the young college or just post-college kids. In fact that is what they did almost every minute that we weren’t working, eating, touring or walking to the Circle of Death! They have tons of new games to play.
We wrapped up Sunday, by heading to bed, excited and a little scared for our first day of work to begin.
Monday, 8-4-2008
Today was our first day of work. We were assigned to INABIF – Villa Hermosa. It is a daycare center. Our partners were Peggy, Shannon, Parker and Conor – 8 of us total. When we first got there, we discovered that our CCS helper, Juan Carlos was the only English speaker and very limited at that. Only Peggy could speak Spanish, so she became our main interpreter. Since this was the first time that our INABIF section had any volunteers, they were very unsure what to do with us! Peggy was able to figure out that they wanted new lines painted for futbol and volleyball courts. They wanted the basketball and futbol nets painted, and they wanted a mural on the wall. After we got that figured out, we thought we would start working when about 40 kids came running out to play! They crowded around us and started asking “Como se llama?” y “Cuantos anos?” – to Rachel. It was overwhelming at first and then FUN!!!! The boys all headed over to the futbol area, and entrenched Alex, Pat and Conor in a game. The younger girls took Rachel off to play Salta Suca – jumprope, hopscotch, hand clapping games. Parker had his own contingent of girls. Peggy played volleyball and Shannon and I followed Rachel and Parker and their girls, joining in the fun as well. We ended the first day too soon.
Tuesday and Wednesday, 8/5 & 8/6/2008
The girls at INABIF had told us that they wanted a Volleyball mural, so that’s what Peggy, Shannon and I began painting on Tuesday, when we arrived at 9AM. Rachel helped a bit too. It was a true collaboration, esp for 3 adult women who do not call themselves artists! I had asked Juan Carlos if we could have the INABIF kids paint but he said no, too messy. I really would have liked to see their joy at having been able to create something on their own. But, they seemed to like it nonetheless. We had to paint quickly, as everyday we had to be done by 11AM, when the kids ran out to play with us until we had to leave at 12:30 PM. Everyday, Pat and the CCS “boys” would just barely get the paint put away when the INABIF boys would run out to play futbol, nevermind wet paint! On Tuesday, we asked the girls if we could take pictures of them. Click here to see them. They loved it! We had 2 girls in particular who wanted to be in all of them – Luz and Demy! I told them I would bring them copies for themselves at the end of the week. On Wednesday, both Luz and Demy brought me pictures of themselves – they were happy to share with me and I was very touched.
Everyday when we arrived the kids greeted us – running up and hugging us and grabbing Rachel by the hand. I thought I would be worried about Rachel disappearing with 30 little girls who speak no English, inside a daycare located in a housing project, but I really did not think twice about it. When we left the girls would escort us to the front door waving and saying “Hasta manana”, until tomorrow!
Thursday, 8/7/2008
While we were helping serve breakfast this morning (a hard roll and cup of warm chocolate milk), the daycare director told us that we would be throwing a Kinkana on Friday. Wow! Peggy was able to interpret that a Kinkana was a party, with competitive games. We asked if we should bring snacks and they said sure! The director said it was totally up to us to plan. That was a little scary. So, most of our time before the kids came out to play was a planning session – well Peggy, Shannon and I. The CCS boys finished up the court painting with help from Rachel. We came up with a list of games and needed supplies. We also decided that we wanted to be able to bring them more jumpropes (they only had 3 for all the girls), a volleyball net (they played without) and some basketball nets, a basketball (they had none) and another soccer ball (they had one flat). Seeing how little these kids have, we were totally willing to spend our own money for this. Peggy also offered to get little treats for the kids at Chinatown on Thursday afternoon. When we got back to CCS and told Kique that we needed all kinds of supplies he was a little surprised. He said the director had talked to him and that our ”party” was just supposed to be games. So, maybe we misinterpreted, or maybe Kique did not get the same story as us. Nevertheless, he went with it – getting cookies, candy, juice, balloons and many more supplies for us. He gave Pat the okay to buy the jumpropes and nets, so we headed to Sporting goods store on the Circle of Death. Pat also bought some CD’s to burn some music to play at our party. (When we told the director’s helper he could keep them on Friday he was SO happy!) By the end of Thursday night we were ready and excited!
Friday 8/8/2008 The Kinkana!
When we arrived with bags and bags of stuff, the kids all greeted us at the door, especially Rachel and Parker’s girl possees. We knew we had only a little time to set up so we got to work right away. The INABIF center also has Abuelos come each day, and many of the women offered their help. It was so nice! We decorated with balloons and streamers and set up for the games. The favorite was the Cuchara – a lemon and spoon race. We were able to play jump rope games and participate in a traditional circle dance. The boys had basketball contests and of course played futbol. The day was amazing, but in the back of my mind very sad too. This was our last day with our little girls. At the end, the director lined up all the kids to say good-bye and thank you. I looked at them lined up, and most of them (Girls, not the tough boys) were crying. I cried too. I’m even crying now remembering it. I miss those little, precious girls. They are so nice and so loving and so happy the whole week! And they literally have nothing! They live in homes with dirt floors. They do not get enough to eat, especially nutritious food, as evidenced by their red-tipped hair and white-spotted cheeks. Their daycare has no books, no toys, no paper, no crayons, no markers – nada! And they are happy. They play handclapping games and jump rope. Soccer and volleyball. They help each other and love each other. I hope that our being with them for 1 week was a positive experience for them, because for all of us, it was the experience of a lifetime.
For pictures of our time in the CCS house and with friends, click here: CCS
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Full Circle - Back to Lima
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Tuesday - August 19, 2008
Today was a long day. It started with our flight back to Lima at around 9AM. Once in Lima we were taken to a private residence near the president's palace for a very special lunch. The residence belongs to a family who has passed it down for 16 generations. The original owner entertained Pizarro! While Alex really doesn't hold Pizarro in high regard, it was still amazing to eat in the same place that he also once ate. The house is reputed to have ghosts. Ale said to find an area that felt cold - that was where the ghosts are. We felt a breeze in the main hall. Ghosts? I hope so.
After lunch we checked into our hotel - Casa Andina Lima. We only had time for the kids to swim before we had to leave for the airport. We said good-bye to our new friends after gathering addresses and e-mails. I hope we stay in touch.
What an amazing trip! Click here for pictures of our last day - August 19, 2008.
Today was a long day. It started with our flight back to Lima at around 9AM. Once in Lima we were taken to a private residence near the president's palace for a very special lunch. The residence belongs to a family who has passed it down for 16 generations. The original owner entertained Pizarro! While Alex really doesn't hold Pizarro in high regard, it was still amazing to eat in the same place that he also once ate. The house is reputed to have ghosts. Ale said to find an area that felt cold - that was where the ghosts are. We felt a breeze in the main hall. Ghosts? I hope so.
After lunch we checked into our hotel - Casa Andina Lima. We only had time for the kids to swim before we had to leave for the airport. We said good-bye to our new friends after gathering addresses and e-mails. I hope we stay in touch.
What an amazing trip! Click here for pictures of our last day - August 19, 2008.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sacsayhuaman - More Incan Ruins
Monday - August 18, 2008
Today we went to visit Sacsayhuaman (pronouced "Sexy Woman" by English speakers). When our tour guide Ale asked the kids what they thought the theme of today's pin would be (yes, each day we all received a cute little Disney pin), one of them said a naked lady. (That's not MY kid!) It is believed that this was an Incan fortress or an important religious center. It was very impressive. Amazing that the Incas could get these massive rocks to fit together perfectly.
We had the afternoon free in Cusco. Cusco is a beautiful city - I called it the "Florence" of Peru. Alex agreed.
Today we went to visit Sacsayhuaman (pronouced "Sexy Woman" by English speakers). When our tour guide Ale asked the kids what they thought the theme of today's pin would be (yes, each day we all received a cute little Disney pin), one of them said a naked lady. (That's not MY kid!) It is believed that this was an Incan fortress or an important religious center. It was very impressive. Amazing that the Incas could get these massive rocks to fit together perfectly.
We had the afternoon free in Cusco. Cusco is a beautiful city - I called it the "Florence" of Peru. Alex agreed.
We ate with our new friends at the Inca Grill and then took a tour of the Cathedral in the main square of Cusco. It was an amazing Spanish Catholic wonder. I did like the Cathedrals in Italy better, however.
We had our final dinner on Monday night and afterward the White Elephant game! It was alot of fun. Alex's friend John knew what Alex's gift was and chose it promptly. Alex was thrilled to end up with a rattling musical instrument made of llama toenails. Pat stole an alpaca hat. Rachel stole some very cute llama and alpaca toys, and I unwrapped some earrings that remind me of the circular terraces at Moray.
Click here to see pictures of our day! August 18, 2008
We had our final dinner on Monday night and afterward the White Elephant game! It was alot of fun. Alex's friend John knew what Alex's gift was and chose it promptly. Alex was thrilled to end up with a rattling musical instrument made of llama toenails. Pat stole an alpaca hat. Rachel stole some very cute llama and alpaca toys, and I unwrapped some earrings that remind me of the circular terraces at Moray.
Click here to see pictures of our day! August 18, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Traveling With Kids
Since I am alone in the hotel room (Pat and the kids are at a Cusco Futbol game), I have a little time to do some contemplative writing. So, here’s my topic: Why would we choose to travel with the kids? Many people we know ask us this. My question is Why Not???? It is so fun to look at places through the eyes of our growing kids. It is also cool to be able to show them places that they have studied and learned about first hand – not just in books! Also, all the places we choose to go are places that I want to see, and NOW, not when the kids are gone and we are retired. I hope Alex and Rachel will take their own kids traveling as much as they can. Traveling changes people, for the better I think. When we travel, far away, or to see our families, it becomes apparent how little we actually need from our house. We don’t need a lot of clothing, the kids don’t need toys (electronic ones included). We don’t even need TV!!!! We just need a sense of humor (things DO go wrong), a sense of adventure and above all flexibility. It also shows us how tiring all the organized activities like sports, classes, lessons and meetings can be. I love the freedom from “scheduling”. Maybe that’s why once we finish a trip, no matter how big or little, I start planning another. See, the question really should be – “Why not travel with the kids?”
Cusco
Sunday 8-17-2008
Today we left the Sol y Luna for Cusco. En route we visited the Pisaq market, where we were all given 10 Soles to get a White Elephant gift for our going away lunch tomorrow. It was pretty fun to go through the market and try to get deals. I got a backpack, Pat got a mask, Rachel got an Inka Cola shirt and Alex actually found a white elephant! I can’t wait to see what everyone else found. After Pisaq we went to an Alpaca / Llama farm and weaving coop. Everyone was able to feed and pet the animals. Once we were done there, we headed to Cusco for lunch and to check into our new hotel – Casa Andina. It is nice, but not as nice as the Sol y Luna.
This afternoon, Pat, Alex and Rachel went to a Cusco futbol game. Cusco won! They came back to the hotel thrilled to death. Yeah, Peruvian Soccer!
We’ve had a lot of fun getting to know our fellow travelers better. 2 of the moms are so much like me! They are very concerned with making sure their kids are “aware”. By that I guess I mean making sure the kids know what is real and what matters. Not electronics and not stuff. They too live in affluent areas, and feel a clash with the values of many of the people they live near. I love when I meet people like me!!! Helps me know I’m not totally “out there”. I can’t believe we leave for home in 2 days!
For pictures en route as well as the llama farm, click here: August 17, 2008
Today we left the Sol y Luna for Cusco. En route we visited the Pisaq market, where we were all given 10 Soles to get a White Elephant gift for our going away lunch tomorrow. It was pretty fun to go through the market and try to get deals. I got a backpack, Pat got a mask, Rachel got an Inka Cola shirt and Alex actually found a white elephant! I can’t wait to see what everyone else found. After Pisaq we went to an Alpaca / Llama farm and weaving coop. Everyone was able to feed and pet the animals. Once we were done there, we headed to Cusco for lunch and to check into our new hotel – Casa Andina. It is nice, but not as nice as the Sol y Luna.
This afternoon, Pat, Alex and Rachel went to a Cusco futbol game. Cusco won! They came back to the hotel thrilled to death. Yeah, Peruvian Soccer!
We’ve had a lot of fun getting to know our fellow travelers better. 2 of the moms are so much like me! They are very concerned with making sure their kids are “aware”. By that I guess I mean making sure the kids know what is real and what matters. Not electronics and not stuff. They too live in affluent areas, and feel a clash with the values of many of the people they live near. I love when I meet people like me!!! Helps me know I’m not totally “out there”. I can’t believe we leave for home in 2 days!
For pictures en route as well as the llama farm, click here: August 17, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Machu Picchu
Saturday 8-16-2008
Today was our day to go to Machu Picchu. We left the hotel at around 8AM, to catch the Peru Rail. The only way up to Machu Picchu is by train or Inca Trail. Pat would like to walk the Inca Trail some day. As it takes 3 days, I’m not sure that I would go along! After exiting the train, we had to take a ½ hour bus ride up the side of the mountain to actually get to Machu Picchu’s entrance. Many hairpin turns and very narrow. It was really scary!
The first view of Machu Picchu was amazing. Pictures and books do not do it justice. We had sunny, beautiful weather. The llamas walked right up to us. In fact, close enough that one spit on my camera! After lunch, the kids and I wandered around the ruins, while Pat did a hike up to the Sun Gate with the strongest people in our tour group. It was a long day but worth it.
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Friday, August 15, 2008
Maras & Moray
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Friday 8-15-2008
Today was amazing. First we went to Moray – an Incan Agricultural Experiment site. The place was fascinating. Alex really loved it. Here’s a link for more info. After lunch we went to Maras – Incan salt pans. Rachel loved this place – she collected some salt rocks to bring home. The Incans were scientific geniuses. (An aside – the bus trip up to the salt pans was frightening! We drove on the same roads of which many less safe tour groups just disappear over the edge – seriously! Thank you Mouse, for safety standards!)
We had a lot of fun with the tour group today. The kids are completely entertained. Alex is in a boy posse with a total of 4 guys. What do they do??? Play cards! Same games as at CCS. Rachel hangs out with Amanda, the only other little girl on the tour. It is actually really nice to have someone else (our tour guides) keep track of where the kids are. Last night they even entertained all the kids with dinner and a movie while the adults had dinner. I have learned a lot about the Disney tour philosophy today as well. They are very concerned with making sure the locals are taken care of. Our river raft guides were part of a local coop. Our hotel is ecologically responsible – even serving only organic and local food. After each of our meals, the extra food is given to the local kids for lunch. We have been able to see many things which we would not have seen if I myself arranged the trip. So, this whole thing is turning out great!
Lots more pictures here - Maras y Moray
Thursday, August 14, 2008
More Random Peru Info
Here's some more info:
- We cannot drink the tap water in Peru - only bottled. We have even been told to brush our teeth with bottled water! I keep forgetting and end up rinsing my tooth brush in the sink. So far no problemas.
-Milk is not refrigerated in Peru grocery stores (good thing we don’t drink the stuff). Neither is yogurt. We did buy some of that drinkable yogurt, thinking that and bananas could be our bus trip breakfast. Well, of course we did not eat anything on the bus, so our unopened yogurt is still sitting here. Frankly, I’m a little worried about drinking it.
- Dogs are everywhere, especially in Villa El Salvador and the more rural towns. Rachel has counted 348 as of the Puno nightmare bus ride. (End of trip update - 517 dogs)
- Peruvians in the Andes really eat Guinea Pigs - "Cuy". During one of the bus tour stops, there was a mock up of a traditional Andean kitchen and there were a bunch of the cute little guys running all around!
- We cannot drink the tap water in Peru - only bottled. We have even been told to brush our teeth with bottled water! I keep forgetting and end up rinsing my tooth brush in the sink. So far no problemas.
-Milk is not refrigerated in Peru grocery stores (good thing we don’t drink the stuff). Neither is yogurt. We did buy some of that drinkable yogurt, thinking that and bananas could be our bus trip breakfast. Well, of course we did not eat anything on the bus, so our unopened yogurt is still sitting here. Frankly, I’m a little worried about drinking it.
- Dogs are everywhere, especially in Villa El Salvador and the more rural towns. Rachel has counted 348 as of the Puno nightmare bus ride. (End of trip update - 517 dogs)
- Peruvians in the Andes really eat Guinea Pigs - "Cuy". During one of the bus tour stops, there was a mock up of a traditional Andean kitchen and there were a bunch of the cute little guys running all around!
Ollantay
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(Seriously!!! You'd think we were going down a Class 5.)
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Today we woke up and headed directly for river rafting on the Urubamba River! It was alot of fun - even though it was generally pretty slow. It was hot though. I can tell that we are on an "American" tour. For safety, we had to be bundled from head to toe. Wet suits, jackets, life jackets and helmets. We're more safe here then when we kayak at home on Rattlesnake Lake! After rafting, we headed to the town of Ollantay and took a tour of some amazing Incan ruins - Ollyantaytambo. A terraced citadel and ceremonial temple. I have lots of pictures. I guess I'll have to post them once I get home.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Tour Begins!!!!
Feeling better at the Sonesta Posada
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Wednesday 8/13/2008
Today we woke up and everyone was alot better, although Rachel still had a bloody nose. We got her oxygen, and then went to breakfast. We were able to walk around the old Monastery - it is so pretty and peaceful. Rachel and I talked to an Andean woman weaving. It takes her 2 months to weave a cloth that is about 2 feet by 5 feet. She and her family raise the Alpaca, spin the wool, dye the wool with plants or Cocinella, and weave the cloth. Of course I bought one! We were almost wishing we could stay at the Monastery during our "Tour" part of this Peru Adventure. We took a cab to the Sol y Luna, however, and changed our mind. The place is spectacular! I wish this blog site would let me easily post pictures, but it continually logs me out when I try. We met our Disney guides after taking a swim. They seem very nice. Tonight dinner is a traditional Pachamanca - should be fun!
Sol y Luna Pictures - click here!
Pachamanca update
So - a Panchamanca is basically a Wilderness Awareness-ish style dinner. They heated rocks on a grate over a fire pit for several hours. Once heated they threw the rocks in a pit along with potatoes, alpaca, pork, chicken and lamb; added some platanos and fava beans and some sauce. Covered everything with alfalfa, then wet bags for steam, then dirt. It was ready in 45 minutes and very good. While we waited to eat, we were entertained by a traditional “show”. Peruvian music and traditional dancers representing the Gods of Sun, Moon, Lightning, Earth. It was very entertaining until the God of Abundance came out. This was a character dressed up and carrying a beat up truck, a house and worst of all, an American Dollar! I was pretty appalled. After all, this is what I was worried about with Disney – the whole over-materialistic thing. I’m not sure why they would promote the worship of the almighty dollar!
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And now, I feel the need to justify my shopping experiences, as discussed throughout my other posts! So far we have been good in Peru. Pat, as usual, has purchased nothing. The kids each were given a budget of $50 to spend how they liked during our 2 weeks – souvenirs, treats, etc. They also had the opportunity to convert some of their own allowance and gift budget money into Soles and spend accordingly. So far they have been very good, and actually have purchased mostly gifts for others rather than for themselves. I did spring for my fabulous sweater, but I’m including that in my clothing budget, esp since I have worn it every day! (It does not smell – and even got a little wash when my Aqua Con Gas exploded on me during the bus ride). As for souvenirs, I have so far spent under $100 and actually feel good about it, because it has all been to the Andean craftspeople. Knowing how little they actually make during the year and how they rely on this income, I’m okay with helping support them. Especially since all my stuff is gifts as well (except my weaving). I don’t like a lot of “stuff” in my house.
Well, all that being said, I’ll continue to keep an open mind about the tour. We met our fellow travelers last night and they are nice. I like our tour guides - Alejandra and Chris. Just please don’t “Disney” everything out!!!!!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Puno to Cusco
Tuesday 8-12-2008
I woke up this morning to Rachel begging desperately to “go down”. She had a terrible headache and a bloody nose. The altitude was too much for her. I packed everything up while she slept and then went to see if Alex and Pat were ready to go. Only to find out Pat had been sick all night and could barely get out of bed! This was terrible, as we were supposed to get on a bus in ½ hour to get to Cusco. I quickly ran across the street to the travel agent to see if there might be any flights instead. She said the only flight from Puno to Cusco was at 7AM – we had already missed it and had no choice but to get on the 8+ hour bus. Pat was sick, Rachel puked on the floor of the hotel lobby and again on the bus and I had a massive headache. Only Alex was okay and he really stepped up, carrying luggage, getting water, anything I asked. The bus ride was a tourist trap from you know where. We stopped every 1 ½ hours at “valuable sites” which were really just junky road side tourist trap shopping spots. And I had to pay 21 Soles apiece for the “privilege” of getting out at each of these horrible stops. At our lunch stop, I frantically looked through my Insight Guide book and found a hotel in the Urabamba Valley, rather than the one I had booked in Cusco, as I wanted to get everyone as low as possible. I was able to get 2 doubles in the Sonesta Posada – described in the book only as an old Monastery and rated 2 stars. Well, I figured, as long as it was low. After the bus pulled into the station in Cusco, we were met by a taxi driver and proceeded to drive 1 ½ hours further into the Andes. I sat in the front seat, and it was scary! Our driver was flying along the mountain curves, passing slow buses and driving in the left lane. All this in the dark. We made it to the Sonesta Posada and it was wonderful!!! We were placed in “non-renovated” rooms but they were fabulous. The door to the boys room was about 5 feet high – it was originally a room for a novice monk or priest – we are guessing. Pictures will be posted! Pat went to bed after breathing some oxygen and the kids and I ate dinner. The day ended okay – but it was a long one!
Click here for pictures: Sonesta Posada
I woke up this morning to Rachel begging desperately to “go down”. She had a terrible headache and a bloody nose. The altitude was too much for her. I packed everything up while she slept and then went to see if Alex and Pat were ready to go. Only to find out Pat had been sick all night and could barely get out of bed! This was terrible, as we were supposed to get on a bus in ½ hour to get to Cusco. I quickly ran across the street to the travel agent to see if there might be any flights instead. She said the only flight from Puno to Cusco was at 7AM – we had already missed it and had no choice but to get on the 8+ hour bus. Pat was sick, Rachel puked on the floor of the hotel lobby and again on the bus and I had a massive headache. Only Alex was okay and he really stepped up, carrying luggage, getting water, anything I asked. The bus ride was a tourist trap from you know where. We stopped every 1 ½ hours at “valuable sites” which were really just junky road side tourist trap shopping spots. And I had to pay 21 Soles apiece for the “privilege” of getting out at each of these horrible stops. At our lunch stop, I frantically looked through my Insight Guide book and found a hotel in the Urabamba Valley, rather than the one I had booked in Cusco, as I wanted to get everyone as low as possible. I was able to get 2 doubles in the Sonesta Posada – described in the book only as an old Monastery and rated 2 stars. Well, I figured, as long as it was low. After the bus pulled into the station in Cusco, we were met by a taxi driver and proceeded to drive 1 ½ hours further into the Andes. I sat in the front seat, and it was scary! Our driver was flying along the mountain curves, passing slow buses and driving in the left lane. All this in the dark. We made it to the Sonesta Posada and it was wonderful!!! We were placed in “non-renovated” rooms but they were fabulous. The door to the boys room was about 5 feet high – it was originally a room for a novice monk or priest – we are guessing. Pictures will be posted! Pat went to bed after breathing some oxygen and the kids and I ate dinner. The day ended okay – but it was a long one!
Click here for pictures: Sonesta Posada
Monday, August 11, 2008
Lago Titicaca
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Lake Titicaca album - click here
Monday 8-11-2008 Puno Yesterday we flew into the Juliaca airport from Arequipa. Upon exiting the pressurized aircraft, we all immediately found it hard to breath. Juliaca / Puno is around 12,000 feet above sea level. We took a bus for an hour from the airport to our Hotel in Puno – The Hostal Imperial. When we first exited the bus, I was a little worried. First of all, what is a hostal anyway??? Secondly, the street was very rundown, and narrow and dark. I thought, “Why did I let the Travel agent in Lima choose for us????” Well, we went in and handed the desk clerk our voucher and he showed us to our rooms. (In Peru, 4 people need 2 rooms, as there are usually only one double bed or 2 twins in each room). They were clean and seemed fine. Pat felt really terrible. The rest of us just were winded. We headed out to eat – a little scary walking around Puno in the dark. We found Talipan’s – a pizza place! It was good, esp our new favorite appetizer – Tequenos con queso. We went to bed early – everyone with a headache! Today, I woke up with a headache and had one all day. My day started a little hairy. My fault – but I procrastinated on calling a hotel in Cusco for Tuesday night (I’ll blame the cel phone charging situation and the trouble I have had getting ahold of Disney as well, but more on that later), thinking we could just book in the same hotel as our tour – Sol y Luna. Well, it’s completely full! I proceeded to call about 10 hotels in my Insight Peru guide book – all booked! It was getting a little scary, but I finally found one - Andes de America. I talked to the woman awhile and got her name – I sure hope we have a place to stay on arrival in Cusco! Anyway, that was from around 7:30 AM until 8:30AM. After that our tour bus picked us up to head to our tour of Lago Titicaca and Uros Island. I was worried that we might get seasick on our little tour boat, but we were okay (except for the headache situation). I was really pretty down on the whole detour to Puno / Titicaca thing until we pulled up to Uros Island. Incredible!!!! It is a floating island made of reeds. It is still inhabited by the Aymarra, who live in reed huts and cook outside – no electricity. When we stepped off the tour boat, the “land” was squishy! Uros is the closest of I think 4 or 5 floating islands in the lake and is known to be touristy, but it was still incredible. Alex and Rachel bought some reed boat replicas – Rachel even took a picture with the man who made her boat! We even were able to take a short reed boat ride to the other side of the island bay. Once back on the return boat to land, however, my headache became really bad and I was really regretting coming to Puno. We ate lunch and went back to the hotel. I slept and had some orange juice and now am headache-free enough to post. I am happy we were able visit Lago Titicaca after all, and let Alex see one of his requested sites.
Random Peruvian Information
August 11, 2008
I’m so happy I was able to talk to my mom today! She called because our Disney Tour guide called her and said there was “a tiny emergency” not a bad one, just a tiny one regarding our plans. She helped us out and gave him our cel number and then called me too. I know she was happy to talk as well – it’s never good to hear there is any type of emergency. While we were talking I realized there are so many things that I have become used to in 1 week that are really pretty “strange” for lack of a better word. Here’s a run down in no particular order:
- In all of Peru, you are not allowed to throw toilet paper in the toilets! Every “nice” bathroom has a little trash can for the purpose. The plumbing cannot handle paper.
- Lima currently has no working sewage treatment plant – the raw sewage goes directly into the ocean.
- One of Peru’s top industries is fishing from the ocean (see above!)
- All the houses, even those in “nice” areas like Miraflores or Surco (notice the “ on everything I describe as nice?) have major security. Electric wires attached to iron barbs surrounding the properties. And the thing is, the areas I described above really are pretty nice.
- Graffiti is everywhere.
- Lima is very damp and gray. Worse than Seattle. They say it never rains here. It’s a continual spit of moisture. All our clothes felt damp, all the time. Even after picking them up from the laundry down the street from the house. If I return to Lima, I will not bring cotton clothing.
- Houses in Peru do not have central heat. Since it is winter now, it gets quite cold at night. (30 in Puno) We’ve been okay so far – we bundled up at night at the CCS house and the hotels in Arequipa and Puno have 2 or 3 alpaca blankets per bed!
- Peruvians like their horns more than their brakes. Whenever you cross the street, you are risking your life! Well that is an exaggeration, however it is pretty scary. The small streets we are getting used to, but the huge ones I am happy to leave behind in Lima. While staying at the CCS house we had to cross El Ovalo Higuerta every time we wanted to go to Plaza Vea (Peru Wal-mart). Kique told us that CCS volunteers call the Ovalo the “Circle of Death”! It is a roundabout with 4 or 5 lanes and 8 to 10 entrances / exits. It is so scary. I have some video I hope to post.
- Any time we go somewhere, there are a million people around. Any time of day it seems. And, unlike Italy, very few speak English! It’s actually cool, although sometimes worrisome, because I have been communicating using my 20+ (AAGH!!!) year old high school Spanish – or lack therof. Sometimes I even think in Spanish. And I have found myself talking to Rachel and trying to remember the Spanish word to describe something before continuing the conversation. Why?? She knows English!!!!!
- Things are SO cheap. The money is Soles. Here’s a comparison. A bottle of water here is about 2 Soles in a restaurant. That is approx $.90. In the US $3 or $4 ( I assume – I never get bottled water in the US restaurants). In Italy 3 or 4 Euros - $7 or $8 for water!!!!!! We have found so many cool souvenirs. My favorite is an Alpaca sweater for 240 Soles. In the US it would be $300!!. I have worn it almost every day for a week, though. It is much better then wearing damp cotton sweatshirts. (see above). Another update example - We went to the little store next to our Puno Hostal for bananas to eat on the bus tomorrow. The owner said “Esperan, por favor” and ran out of the store. He came running back with 4 bananas and some platanos (baby bananas) We said we would like the big bananas and 4 bottles of water. We paid 5 Soles for everything and he threw in the platanos for free!!!!!
- We are having a little trouble with electricity – the phones don’t seem to want to stay charged. Pat bought me a Peruana hair dryer. Like 15 Soles - $3.
- Everyone here is SO nice. (Well, until today in Puno, when our tour transfer driver refused to take a passenger to her hotel saying it was too far!) The people bend over backwards to make sure we are okay – organizing tours, arranging cabs – our Hostal Imperial desk clerk just brought me water for some tea. And they don’t expect tips. We have been trying to tip them, though, given how cheap it is for us and given the average earnings of Peruvians. 1% of workers earn more than $3,300 per month; 10% earn between $755 and $3,299; 30% earn between $315 and $754; 59% earn less than $314!!! According to the government, 80% of the population uses 90% of monthly income on food, leaving 10% to cover housing, clothing, education, recreation, etc.
- Niceness Update 8-11-2008 – We tried to return to Talipan’s on Monday night – where we ate our first night in Puno and they said they had NO tables. Even though we could see some! Maybe we offended them by asking to pay with Visa or actually leaving a tip! Never mind that we did not complain when they did not bring us plates, silverware or napkins! I might have to do a review on TripAdvisor.
Well, that’s quite a list – I am sure there are more things. I’ll add them as I remember them.
And, as this post is so long, I am going to do another describing our last few days.
I’m so happy I was able to talk to my mom today! She called because our Disney Tour guide called her and said there was “a tiny emergency” not a bad one, just a tiny one regarding our plans. She helped us out and gave him our cel number and then called me too. I know she was happy to talk as well – it’s never good to hear there is any type of emergency. While we were talking I realized there are so many things that I have become used to in 1 week that are really pretty “strange” for lack of a better word. Here’s a run down in no particular order:
- In all of Peru, you are not allowed to throw toilet paper in the toilets! Every “nice” bathroom has a little trash can for the purpose. The plumbing cannot handle paper.
- Lima currently has no working sewage treatment plant – the raw sewage goes directly into the ocean.
- One of Peru’s top industries is fishing from the ocean (see above!)
- All the houses, even those in “nice” areas like Miraflores or Surco (notice the “ on everything I describe as nice?) have major security. Electric wires attached to iron barbs surrounding the properties. And the thing is, the areas I described above really are pretty nice.
- Graffiti is everywhere.
- Lima is very damp and gray. Worse than Seattle. They say it never rains here. It’s a continual spit of moisture. All our clothes felt damp, all the time. Even after picking them up from the laundry down the street from the house. If I return to Lima, I will not bring cotton clothing.
- Houses in Peru do not have central heat. Since it is winter now, it gets quite cold at night. (30 in Puno) We’ve been okay so far – we bundled up at night at the CCS house and the hotels in Arequipa and Puno have 2 or 3 alpaca blankets per bed!
- Peruvians like their horns more than their brakes. Whenever you cross the street, you are risking your life! Well that is an exaggeration, however it is pretty scary. The small streets we are getting used to, but the huge ones I am happy to leave behind in Lima. While staying at the CCS house we had to cross El Ovalo Higuerta every time we wanted to go to Plaza Vea (Peru Wal-mart). Kique told us that CCS volunteers call the Ovalo the “Circle of Death”! It is a roundabout with 4 or 5 lanes and 8 to 10 entrances / exits. It is so scary. I have some video I hope to post.
- Any time we go somewhere, there are a million people around. Any time of day it seems. And, unlike Italy, very few speak English! It’s actually cool, although sometimes worrisome, because I have been communicating using my 20+ (AAGH!!!) year old high school Spanish – or lack therof. Sometimes I even think in Spanish. And I have found myself talking to Rachel and trying to remember the Spanish word to describe something before continuing the conversation. Why?? She knows English!!!!!
- Things are SO cheap. The money is Soles. Here’s a comparison. A bottle of water here is about 2 Soles in a restaurant. That is approx $.90. In the US $3 or $4 ( I assume – I never get bottled water in the US restaurants). In Italy 3 or 4 Euros - $7 or $8 for water!!!!!! We have found so many cool souvenirs. My favorite is an Alpaca sweater for 240 Soles. In the US it would be $300!!. I have worn it almost every day for a week, though. It is much better then wearing damp cotton sweatshirts. (see above). Another update example - We went to the little store next to our Puno Hostal for bananas to eat on the bus tomorrow. The owner said “Esperan, por favor” and ran out of the store. He came running back with 4 bananas and some platanos (baby bananas) We said we would like the big bananas and 4 bottles of water. We paid 5 Soles for everything and he threw in the platanos for free!!!!!
- We are having a little trouble with electricity – the phones don’t seem to want to stay charged. Pat bought me a Peruana hair dryer. Like 15 Soles - $3.
- Everyone here is SO nice. (Well, until today in Puno, when our tour transfer driver refused to take a passenger to her hotel saying it was too far!) The people bend over backwards to make sure we are okay – organizing tours, arranging cabs – our Hostal Imperial desk clerk just brought me water for some tea. And they don’t expect tips. We have been trying to tip them, though, given how cheap it is for us and given the average earnings of Peruvians. 1% of workers earn more than $3,300 per month; 10% earn between $755 and $3,299; 30% earn between $315 and $754; 59% earn less than $314!!! According to the government, 80% of the population uses 90% of monthly income on food, leaving 10% to cover housing, clothing, education, recreation, etc.
- Niceness Update 8-11-2008 – We tried to return to Talipan’s on Monday night – where we ate our first night in Puno and they said they had NO tables. Even though we could see some! Maybe we offended them by asking to pay with Visa or actually leaving a tip! Never mind that we did not complain when they did not bring us plates, silverware or napkins! I might have to do a review on TripAdvisor.
Well, that’s quite a list – I am sure there are more things. I’ll add them as I remember them.
And, as this post is so long, I am going to do another describing our last few days.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Arequipa
(This is the Santa Catalina Monastery. I had to take a picture reminding Rachel of Silencio.)
Sunday - 8/10/2008
Well, we sure did not have enough time in Arequipa – not even 24 hours. But we made the most of them. On Saturday night we ate at Carmencitas – right off the main plaza. Alex had Cuy and Pat had Alpaca. Rachel cried! Today we were able to take a quick tour of the Monastery de Santa Catalina. This is a convent where nuns were cloistered for nearly 400 years until 1970. It is so beautiful and peaceful. I said I wished I could live there. Then, we took a similarly quick tour of the museum that holds Juanita - . This was another pre-requested site of Alex’s. It was amazing! Juanita was an Incan princess who was sacrificed to the Gods atop the Ampato mountain. Her grave was undisturbed since the 1500’s and found after a volcanic eruption in 1995. The eruption melted the hundred+ year old ice and allowed for an expedition up the mountain. The findings were incredible. Juanita was buried with food, dishes, idols, tunics and all were almost perfectly preserved. Most amazing was seeing her preserved body – hardly mummified at all, since she had been frozen for so long. Maybe one of the kids can do a quick essay! Arequipa was really sunny and more manageable traffic wise compared to Lima. Still crazy though. So far Areuipa has been our favorite place in Peru. We left Arequipa at around 2PM and flew to Juliaca – another adventure just around the corner!
Well, we sure did not have enough time in Arequipa – not even 24 hours. But we made the most of them. On Saturday night we ate at Carmencitas – right off the main plaza. Alex had Cuy and Pat had Alpaca. Rachel cried! Today we were able to take a quick tour of the Monastery de Santa Catalina. This is a convent where nuns were cloistered for nearly 400 years until 1970. It is so beautiful and peaceful. I said I wished I could live there. Then, we took a similarly quick tour of the museum that holds Juanita - . This was another pre-requested site of Alex’s. It was amazing! Juanita was an Incan princess who was sacrificed to the Gods atop the Ampato mountain. Her grave was undisturbed since the 1500’s and found after a volcanic eruption in 1995. The eruption melted the hundred+ year old ice and allowed for an expedition up the mountain. The findings were incredible. Juanita was buried with food, dishes, idols, tunics and all were almost perfectly preserved. Most amazing was seeing her preserved body – hardly mummified at all, since she had been frozen for so long. Maybe one of the kids can do a quick essay! Arequipa was really sunny and more manageable traffic wise compared to Lima. Still crazy though. So far Areuipa has been our favorite place in Peru. We left Arequipa at around 2PM and flew to Juliaca – another adventure just around the corner!
Update: I found some information about the Monastery -
Enter the gates into the adobe brick walled community of the Santa Catalina de Siena Monastery in Arequipa, Peru and step back 400 years in time.
A must-see in the White City of Arequipa, Santa Catalina Monastery was begun in 1579/1580, forty years after the city was founded. The monastery was enlarged over the centuries until it became a city within the city, about 20000 sq./m. and covering a good sized city block. At one time, 450 nuns and their lay servants resided within the community, closed off from the city by high walls.
In 1970, when the civic authorities insisted the monastery install electricity and running water, the now poor community of nuns elected to open the greater portion of the monastery to the public in order to pay for the work. The few remaining nuns retreated to a corner of their community and the remainder became one of Arequipa’s prime tourist attractions.
Built with sillar, the white volcanic rock that gives Arequipa the name of the White City, and ashlar, petrified volcanic ash from Volcan Chachani overlooking the city, the monastery was closed off to the city, but much of it is open to the intensely blue sky over the southern Peruvian desert.
As you tour the monastery, you’ll walk down narrow streets named for Spanish locales, pass through arched colonnades surrounding courtyards, some with fountains, flowering plants and trees. You’ll linger in churches and chapels and take a rest in one of the plazas. You’ll see the interior, look into the private rooms, each with a small patio, common areas like the colonnades, and the utilitarian areas such as kitchen, laundry and outdoor drying area. Click on a circle on this map of the layout of the monastery for details.
Highlights
Cloister of the Oranges – Claustro los Naranjos The three crosses set among the orange trees are the center of the Passion of the Christ ceremonies when the monastery is closed to visitors.
Silence Yard - Nuns walked, said the rosary and read the Bible in silence
Entrance Portico - Statue of St Catherine of Siena in sillar over arched doorway
Main Cloister - Largest in monastery with confessionals and paintings depicting the life of Mary and the public life of Jesus
Church - Rebuilt several times after earthquake damage according to original design. Silver worked altar dedicated to Sor Ana de Los Angeles Monteagudo (see next page). A metal grille separates the nun’s area from the public.
Cordova Street - Beautiful street reminiscent of Spain with hanging geraniums on one side. Newer architecture on opposite side houses new quarters for the nuns.
Plaza Zocodover - Named for Arab word for barter or exchange, this was the area where nuns gathered on Sundays to exchange or barter their religious crafts.
Sevilla Street - Originally led to first church of St Catherine which was later converted to the kitchens. Kitchen burned coal and wood, darkening the walls and ceilings. Original cooking utensils are on display.
Burgos Street - Connected vegetable garden to Sevilla Street and the kitchen.
Laundry Area - Big earthen storage vats served as wash tubs when canals provided Arequipa’s water supply.
Everywhere you walk, you'll get a feel for what life must have been like for the women who lived here in secusion, to spend their life in prayer and contemplation.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
We are heading to Arequipa
After such a great week - which I need to write about when I have lots of time, we are flying to Arequipa. This is an interim stop before we fly to Lake Titicaca, so that we can get used to the altitude gradually. Lake Titicaca is the world's highest lake and Alex really wanted to see it. Since we are so close, we decided to go before we meet up with our tour group on Wednesday morning in Cusco. We fly to Arequipa today for one night. We hope to see "Juanita" the mummy and walk around the White City. On Sunday we fly to Puno and stay for 2 nights. We will take a boat tour of Lake Titicaca on Monday. Then Tuesday, we take an 8 hour bus ride to Cusco.
It was really sad to leave the CCS house today, because it meant an ending to our time with all the great kids at Villa Hermosa in Villa El Salvador. We also met so many great families with the same values and goals that we do, and it was really sad to see everybody leave. But, the great thing is, we now know people in so many parts of the USA.
I am going to try and download and post pictures tonight and hopefully try and summarize my time as a CCS volunteer.
It was really sad to leave the CCS house today, because it meant an ending to our time with all the great kids at Villa Hermosa in Villa El Salvador. We also met so many great families with the same values and goals that we do, and it was really sad to see everybody leave. But, the great thing is, we now know people in so many parts of the USA.
I am going to try and download and post pictures tonight and hopefully try and summarize my time as a CCS volunteer.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Our volunteer experience
Wow! This week has gone by quickly. It is really hard to get to the internet so we have not been able to write anything, but starting on Sunday we should be at a nice hotel and it will hopefully have internet. We are all working very hard at Villa El Salvador. Look it up if you can. Near Lima. Tomorrow we are organizing a party for the kids. I can´t wait to post photos of all
Rachel´s new friends!
Sorry this is short = at least you know we are safe!
Hasta Luego!
(See Peru INABIF Villa Hermosa for pictures)
Rachel´s new friends!
Sorry this is short = at least you know we are safe!
Hasta Luego!
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(See Peru INABIF Villa Hermosa for pictures)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
We Made It to Lima!!!!
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After a total of around 12 hours of flying we made it to Lima! It is so cool to hear everyone speaking Spanish. We are staying at Hotel Senorial in the Miraflores district of Lima for Friday and Saturday night as the CCS house is full of last week's volunteers. We slept late (11AM) on Saturday. After a Peruvian lunch at Juana Damas we hit the streets to do what all good Americans do - SHOP!!!!! Rachel found the perfect souvenir - an Alpaca. She named it Misti, after the llama in the book "Secret of the Andes". Alex found a turtle. I found a purse. Everything is very inexpensive for us here. The dollar is equal to 2.75 Nuevo Soles. Tomorrow, we will be picked up at 8AM for orientation at the CCS house. I can't wait to hear what we will be doing.
For pictures of our first day, click here: August 2, 2008
For pictures of our Lima tour with the CCS group, click here: August 3, 2008
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