Are you getting crabby with each other yet?

One of my friends emailed me the other day to ask if we have gotten crabby with each other yet.  For a short answer, yes there have been times when we have all gotten crabby with each other, particularly the first few days in Chimbote as we worked really hard to overcome our exhaustion and keep our Rotary smiles pasted on.  But, these times have been far and few between, and best of all, we get over them quickly.  I love these people that I am traveling with.  Chris is a master of patience and goodwill, as well as an amazing marinera dancer.  I can always exchange a knowing glance with Erin at just the right moment to relieve my frustration. Contrary to popular belief, I believe it is Bill who has a greater fondness for pisco than Amanda.  Erin was willing to share her cipro with me when I got sick.  Amanda will eat anything.  Bill always has cookies to share.  Amanda dances like a  peruvian (well, except for the shoulder shake). 

Chris never tires of translating.

I can{t wait to share more photos with you when I get home, because these are beautiful people and this is a beautiful land.

A little rest…

Hola! [*kiss on cheek*] The group is now in Piura, a sweltering little town in the north of Peru. Today we are going to the country club to lay by the pool and tonight we are going dancing at a discoteca. Tomorrow we are off to Colan, a resort town, to spend a couple days on the beach. We´re feeling a little guilty about all this free time…but I have to say it is needed and greatly appreciated! However, on Monday it´s back to work. We will visit a local clinic and the municipalidad de Piura. On Tuesday we will make the journey by bus (which we´ve heard is anywhere from 9 – 27 hours) to Lima before catching a flight to Iquitos to spend the last of our travel days. We´ll be in touch soon! Ciao! [*kiss on cheek*]

Otras cosas sobre la comida

¡Hola alumnos!

Yo tengo unas otras cosas sobre la comida aqui.  Bebo much chicha morada, que es una jugo de maiz morada.  La bebida es una mezcala de la jugo de maiz, jugo de piña, y azucar.  Pero, la azucar es diferente acá — hay mucha agricultura de la caña de azucar y es muy fresca.  Yo bebí una chicha morada a la cine hace dos dias.  Ustedes me pregunan de los precios acá… una pelicula a la cine (yo miré a Charlie WIlson´s War) cuesta solamente DOS DOLARES!  Pero… cosas como computadores son muy caras… la mas barata laptop cuesta más de mil dolares!

También yo come much pescado y marisco.  ¡Mucha, y me gusta mucho!  La otra alimento muy popular es arroz.  ¡No he visto a ninguno McDonalds, pero he comido a KFC y Pizza Hut in la mall!  Tambien he probado a pato (me gusta), cabrito (me gusta) y una tipa de carne de vaca de los ´mammary glands.´  ¡No me gusta esto!  Para desayuno yo como jugo de papaya y pan cada dia.  Me gusta mucho. 

La otra cosa — cada dia yo aprender mas de español.  Yo puedo entender mas y decir mas.  ¡La cosa mas importante es la practica! 

¿Uds. tienen mas preguntas para mi?

If you only watch one of our videos, let it be this one.

This video is perhaps my favorite yet thus far.  It is from La Alcadeza´s cumpleaños party in Chimbote… (that´s the mayor´s birthday for you English speakers.)  We were out until 5 in the morning, and you can see why!

Of particular note is the look on Amanda´s face at the end…

Yet another new schedule

So, we definitely are not going to Cajamarca, nor Tarapoto.

Instead, we will be here in Chiclayo until Friday, the 25th.  We will then head to Pirua, a 3 hour bus ride, until the 29th.  Piura is the farthest north and closest to the equator we will be…

The 30th we will undertake the 16 hour bus ride back to Lima.

From Lima we´ll fly to… drum roll please… IQUITOS!  I have to tell you, we are pretty darn excited by this addition.  Iquitos is supposed to be the most beautiful and wonderful city in the middle of the rainforest on the Amazon river. 

From Iquitos we´ll fly back to Lima for our departure on the 5th. 

Wahoo!

Yes, I have been sick.

Yes, I have been sick and everyone here in Chiclayo knows it! It was back in Trujillo where it hit me, but news of my illness seems to have followed me here and as soon as I stepped off the bus everyone wanted to know which one of us had been sick and how I was doing. I was a bit surprised to have the news of my temporary demise follow us to the next city, but then again I did manage to puke all over the main city street, at the ruins of Huaca del Luna, at the community center of a very poor shanty town next to the ocean, at the house of the Rotary Assistant Governor, and at my host family´s house. Guess that might have something to do with it…

But, have no fear because I think I am recovered. Marco, the assistant district governor for Rotary, just happened to be from a family of doctors, one of whom was a gastrointologist. ¡Que suerte!

Ruth

This was my host family in Trujillo.  I LOVE them.  Ruth showed me life in Trujillo beyond the tourist sites and we talked for hours while she breast fed Shanday, her one year old, or drove all over town to pick up this kid and drop off that one.  She allowed me to see what her life is really like in Peru for a 37 year-old stay-at-home mom.

And her kids?  Samantha, the 9 year old, let me be her roommate on the top bunk in her very pink bedroom.  Piero, the 5 year old, is so cute you just want to hold him in your arms even though he´s refusing to eat his lunch or gagging down his canned milk for breakfast.  All of them called me Tia, which is like Auntie. 

 

more updates… plus photos and videos!

I have posted more photos (and some video, too!) on my flickr page.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/shale06/sets/72157604487865144/  Many of them are from Chimbote, two cities ago.  Sadly, I can´t get up the video and photos from the alcadeza´s birthday party, because it was quite the bash!  We were out until 5 am, dancing our feet off.  There was a live band, clowns, people on stilts, confetti, and balloons… just you wait until I get that video!

I think our schedule may change again, depending on the quality of the roads to cajamarca.  We´re all hoping to make it into the mountains once again… we are supposed to know by tonight.  We´ll see!

 

Emergency for Bill

Sarah could you please have Bill call my cell phone immediately.  It is in regards to the Avalon Mall.

Thanks,

Jessica

651-336-3689

651-331-1842