Snakes in jars, parties and wanka coolness

Its been quite a good week :)

We went up to the school on Monday but its been nationals holidays here for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so a total of 4 children showed up. The holidays are to celebrate Peru´s independence, though a lot of the planned parades and stuff had to be cancelled in the interests of swine flu control... :( So Monday we decided to close early and we headed to Huancayo´s daily market (different from the Sunday market) which was huge and maze like. They had different areas selling different things, with shop after the shop selling the same thing within that area...I dont know how they stay in business. We ended up strolling into what seems like the apothecary section, with jars of herbs and liquids labelled with all the things they suppossedly cured. They had mule fat for pain, jars full of life frogs for colds and dead cut up snakes in jars which you are meant to drink the liquid from for your lungs or rub the snake carcass against your skin for skin problems. Gross but oddly fascinating.

Then we came accross the section that sold the traditional peruvian skirts that people wear during the holidays, which I later learned cost around 1000 soles each, equivalent to about 350 euros!

It was nice to see the market that the locals shop at rather than the one set up for more touristy things. It was disturbing though that the locals bought their meat at this place where there is no cold storage, no real higiene and dogs running around as they please. I guess their bodies are better adapted than us weak Europeans...

On Tuesday we didnt bother going to the school at all because all the children would be at home celebrating with their families as this was the main day of the holidays. We were invited to another traditional party and Patty had to get dressed up in the traditional outfit! We were late getting there because of car trouble so we missed lunch and once we got there everyone was already dancing and drinking. Me and the other 2 volunteers (thats what we are down to now!) decided to leave and get some lunch as it seemed the party would mainly be drinking and we didnt know anyone. So we got in a taxi which took us to this restaurant out in a rural village that was right on a lake. The village was lovely, just a few houses and their small fields. Cows, donkeys and sheep roaming round. The farm animals look so cute at the moment because they put colourful ribbons around their ears for the holidays. Most of the villagers were out on the little school field playing sports because of the holiday.

The restaurant consisted of an open field/garden with makeshift wooden tables made out of the surrounding trees and a shack like building as the kitchen. When we arrived the owner came over to us, very welcoming and told us the 3 things on the menu. It can be good to be foreing, or gringas as the call us here, as we seem to get the best treatment!! Me and one volunteer ordered trout and the other this traditional dish consisting of different meats, including guinea pig :(. The meat dish was kept next to a fire burning on the grass in the middle of the restaurant, but thankfully no food poisoning ensued. The trout was great and we got given this fermented corn drink which is typical around here (see photo).

Once we were fed we headed towards the ruins which involved a nice climb up a hill that gave us a view of the whole valley. The ruins at the top were from the wanka culture that lived in the valley before the incas arrived. Last sunday we went to visit some other ruins which were even pre wanka, so from before 500 AD and in the museum of that place we saw pictures of the buildings that still remain from wanka times in the surrounding valley. One of the pictures was of the ruins we visited on Tuesday so I was all clued up on what we were looking at and I was telling the other volunteers about how it was all used for food storage etc. The views were the best part, you could see the huge, snow covered mountain we visited on Saturday and all the valley.

It started to get dark (gets dark here by 6 15) so we headed back and caught a "combi" back. These are the local buses which dont really have any stops you just get on and off anywhere. You can tell what way they are going because there will be someone hanging out of the door screaming it. They are small mini buses and they pack them tight tight. The one we got on was really full and we had to stand half the way, which for us tall westerners meant crouching because the roof was really low. 45 mins of bus ride was less than 50 euro cent and took us to the bottom of our street. That evening we headed out to see if anything was going on party wise but all festivities were cancelled. So we went to a restaurant on the square and tried some of the local drinks, I had Pisco sour and wasnt amazingly impressed. Its basically lime juice, pisco (local type of alcohol) and sugar. Glad I tried it but wont have it again!

With any luck there will be more children at the school today so we can teach them the numbers in English. Yesterday with the kids there were we did introductions in Englisg, so "Hello what is your name". Worryingly one of the kids who was around 8 couldnt even read the Spanish properly and couldnt imitate me when I tried to teach her the English. I spoke to Juan about it later and he said that although school is free here, some children dont start their first year until they are 7 or 8. There are also a fair amount of handicapped children in that part of town, though its not generally recognised. Mainly caused by malnutrition and perhaps from not being looked after properly as babies if they are left to be looked after by their young siblings like very often happens. I doubt very much that there is any help with things such as dyslexia. The volunteers do what we can at the project but sometimes you are left with the feeling that the problem for some children is so big that it would be very hard to fix with 2 hours a day of extra schooling. I try to focus on that fact that if anything we are opening up their minds to the fact that there is another world beyond their neighbourhood and we are giving them a safe place to play so they are not on the streets. Its also nice that they can have toys at the project that they wouldnt otherwise have....

love to everyone

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Horseback riding

Seems I had quite an adventure yesterday but unfortunately I think it gave me a cold and really painful and even bruised legs......

We arranged at the beginning of the week to go on horseback up this glacier mountain and see the glacier lagoons etc. So yesterday morning we went down to the town centre to meet with the tour group and there was major disorganisation so the day didnt get off to a very good start. We finally got moving on the bus and had a nice trip up with plenty to see. We were told to buy Coca leaves, Inca cigarettes (a brand here) and palm juice when we stopped as a shop and so we did. Then we were told how to chew the coca (you chew it because it really helps with altitute sickness and we were going up to 4,300 metres) but you are not supposed to swallow it. Problem was mine broke down into tiny pieces and so I kept swallowing by accident so I gave up on the chewing idea. The best bit of the bus ride was the lamas we saw on the way up! They were amazing! (see photo)

When we got to the mountain it was beautiful, all covered in snow and the valley was full of clouds beneath us. We were told to go into the restaurant there to inquire about our horses but the restaurant owner told us with no concern in the world that they had all escaped at dawn and couldnt be found. That left me in a really awkward situation because there was no way I could hike up the mountain with everyone else. Even the fittest hikers struggle with the hike and I could barely breathe at that altitute just standing at the base of the mountain. So I decided that Id hang out in the bus and wait the 6 hours for everyone to come back. The rest of my group decided they would hike it so off I went to the bus and sat myself down. I got chatting to the 2 drivers and we spotted this group of horses arriving and they suggested we go check it out. There were 5 horses so we asked if any were free but they were all booked out and paid in advance. We hung out there anyway, waiting just in case until the tour group who had the horses arrived. Once they had all mounted and were off we started heading back to the bus when they started calling "amiga!". I turned around and the guide had decided he would rather walk and there was a spare horse!

We climbed the path that lead around the back of the mountain to the glacier on the other side (see photo), up and down really steep hills on these horses, I was clinging to stay on! (hence the bruised legs). My saddle was the most uncomfortable because I was on the guides horse and there was no cushioning. My horse was also the most tempermental and often refused to go down hills without being forced and even took to sitting down for a rest at random intervals and trying to throw me off as it did it. Once we got to the glacier we headed down into the valley and followed the glacier river until we came to the road where the tour´s bus was waiting. I thought I would head back up and meet my group so I let the car go and the horse owner helped me try to catch a ride up. Problem was it was getting late and I didnt know whether my tour would have come off the mountain and gone back without me on the assumption I had made my own way back. So I decided to go back on my own and with the help of the horse owner I got a ride on the back of a truck and met these nice ladies who came all the way back to Huancayo with me. We got out of the truck at this small town and caught a cab with a ridiculous amount of people in it, about 8 adults and 5 children (yes all in one cab!). Then at the next town we got on a public bus to Huancayo town centre where I caught a cab to the house! A very exciting experience! When I got back the others werent here and turns out they didnt even get off the mountain until dark so they would have been there had I gone up. The trip back was fun though so all was good!!

Off to see some ruins now and head to the Sunday Market ;)

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Hello Hello

I hope everyone is well!

Thought Id mention some things about the traditional Peruvian Party I went to. I was last saturday to celebrate the "sagrada corazon de jesus" (sacred heart of jesus) and during the morning there was mass at the church and they walked a statute of jesus through the streets in the same way as they do the Virgin Mary in Spain. We didnt go to all that as the family I am staying with isnt religious, we just went for the party!!

When we got there everyone was sitting around with beer and the singer in the band there welcomed everyone over the microphone, with a special welcome to the people "from other countries for not wanting to say foriegner", saying that we would be recognisable because we are white and very tall. Was quite sweet because the guy was saying it in a nice way, but it was true that quite a lot of the afternoon we felt a little like animals in a zoo with people always wanting to talk to us and sometimes even take photos... The volunteers bought some beer between us for the party and Juan and Patty told us how drinks were served at parties. You stand in a circle and the man holding the beer bottle would serve all the women to his right one by one, only using one glass so you would drink and then hand the glass back so the next woman could be served. Then once all the women had drunk the man serves himself and hands the bottle to the next man. Once that man has drank he gives the other man the glass and it goes on. So women do nothing but drink! Only problem was that I hate beer and thats all there was. To make things worse locals kept offering me drinks and its very rude to refuse!

Later in the Afternoon the main part of the ceremony begins. There were two trees which had been taken from elsewhere that same day and planted into a whole in the ground outside the party. The tree was filled with gifts like tshirts and blankets. Then the music started and we all danced around the tree taking it in turns to chop at it with the axe. When it falls down everyone scrambles to grab whatever they can from the tree. I dont think I have ever seen people move that fast!! The catch is that if you deliver the final blow, you have to pay for the tree the next year and its really expensive. When the second tree fell down, the next person in line to chop was one of the volunteers and for a while the party thought it had been him and Patty went mental because she would have to pay. But that was resolved and all was well. The photo shows a couple of the other volunteers taking a chop at the tree.

Then the party continued with more beer and dancing. Really nice atmosphere with a lot of people wanting to chat to us and ask us what we thought of Peru. I told these 2 students I was talking to that I was from Spain (just seems so much easier and explains why I speak Spanish), and one of them said "So what do you think of the robbery that Spain committed agains Peru?". I gave as diplomatic an answer as I could, but people really have a chip on their shoulder about all of that over here, apparently its worse in Cusco and all the tour guides do is say how the Spanish destroyed Peru and its culture. Im going to experiment between being English and Spanish when I get there and see what happens.

The school is going well though I am the only Spanish speaking volunteer now so most of the explaining, telling off etc comes down to me which can be very exhausting. I dont only have the kids asking me for stuff but often the other volunteers asking me what the kids are saying. The other volunteers definately try though which is great and generally between broken spanish and hand gestures they tend to get the idea. Sometimes it can be hard though, especially seeing how dirty the children are and the younger ones often wet themselves and there is no one there to clean them up and no change of clothes. One of the kids got really ill one day with a fever and we couldnt get him to wake up. We took him home and the next day Patty and Juan went to see if they needed anything like money for medicine. Most families have 8 children or more and medical care can be a bit of a luxury. We were worried it was pneumonia. Turns out the kid was fine but some kids often dont turn up because a sibling is ill. Its especially worrying with swine flu considering they are the age group most ar risk.

The 2 photos are of inside the school and outside where the school is located. The school is the blue building.

I have decided to leave the project a week early so that I can have more time to see Cusco. I have spoken to some volunteers who say its a wonderful place with loads to do. Its not that I dont like it here, but there isnt that much to do other than working at the school and I feel like I have gotten out of it all that Im going to. Maybe Ill be able to work at an orphanage next week which should be great.

Im going up a glacier trek tomorow on horse back :) Going to see some glacier lagoons etc which should be great. Update on that to come!!

xxxxx

the jungle plus!

hey everyone sorry for the big gap in posts!

Went to the jungle last weekend! Was 2 nights and 3 days, we left friday around miday and got back sunday evening. The ride was bizzarre because Huancayo is really dry and dusty whereas only 100 km away there is this dense jungle. The drive went down about 2000 metres and within 20 mins we were in forest. We checked into our hotel which had a pool etc which was nice except the bathroom had a tendency to flood...oh well! Friday afternoon we went out to the first waterfall which was really pretty(see photo) but we had to rush back because it gets dark here around 6 30. Then we went to dinner at this Chinese place which may sound weird but because of the water problems here we have to be really careful where we eat otherwise we risk getting parasites from the water, which is especially worrying when you see children drinking from the tap. The next day we went to 2 more waterfalls and drank coconut milk straight out of a coconut! and then for a traditional lunch. I had a typical fish from the river with fried yuka and rice (everything here is served with rice). After that we headed to a "native community" where the villagers dressed us up in traditional dress and danced with us. I didnt like that place very much because it was obvious that they didnt live that way anymore and it was just put on for the tourists, made all of us quite unconfortable. They had some really nice crafts though.

That night we went to a disco by the river which was cool, the men here dance way better than the women! I went fairly early though because I was worried about the hike the next day. Sunday morning it was tipping it down with rain and then Juan (the man who organises the project and whose house Im in) told us we would we walking up the river. I was a little worried but thought it would be interesting. At some point our guide pulls out this rope and we are standing in front of a big wall and it seems we have to climb up it! Well everyone managed it fine but me as I slipped and had to be caught by 2 different people and them almost broke down into tears because I was so freaked out. Then we had several other massive walls to climb and I was really not impressed. We finally got to the waterfall but I couldnt enjoy it becaus eI was so worried about getting down those walls! Then we started to walk back and the guide tooks us along this nice path that went right next to the river, which was great because there was no more climbing but then again I need not have risked my life climibing up those walls!!

Well I´m off to a traditional party now to celebrate some saint! lots of love xxxxx

The "school"

Hi everyone!

Im settling in well, there are lots of other really nice volunteers here, 7 in total. Some live in the other volunteer house and we all eat there together. Had a look around the town centre yesterday, which was pretty but very small. I would load some photos but this computer doesnt have a usb drive!

The house Im staying in is nice and has cable TV so loads of programs and films in English hehe, not very Peruvian I know but its nice to have some home comforts. They dont have much hot water, if any and the toilet doesnt flush but oh well!

The last couple of days Ive been up to the school. And well its not a school, more like a small outbuilding that we run in the afternoon for the street kids in one of the poorest areas. Its more like an after school club and the kids are realy young so generally they just colour in things we bring for them because they are too young to learn English. Yesterday I taught a couple of girls the colours in English which was great. The kids all give you a hug and a kiss when they leave.

When I first went to Ladrillera (as the school is called) it was quite hard. The bulding is small but painted inside with cool pictures of the alphabet and stuff. When the kids turn up they have to wash their hands and faces in the sink with the soap because they are generally filthy. The raod outside the building is dirt and since its the dry season very dusty. A lots of the kids will help their parents in the brick factory next door the the building which is where the school gets its name from. The factory is just carving bricks out of the mountain side. Once the kids have washed they get some cream for their faces because their skin is so dry it cracks. Its amazing how much they love the cream and they run up to you asking for more and more.

there is one girl who is around 7 years old and always carries her baby sister on her back everywhere. She takes good care of her and the other kids help too which is sweet, but they are not as careful as they perhaps should be and I did wonder whether many babies dies by accident while in the care of their very young siblings...´

In happier news Im going to the jungle this weekend to see waterfalls and local communities which will be great! I had to pay extra but its 2 nights in a hotel and its good value. So thats where Im off tomorow!

Hope everyone back home is good´
lots of love
xxxx

Huancayo

I have arrived!
After a very long set of flights and an 8 hour bus journey I made it to where I´m staying which turned out to be the house of the people coordinating the project.
Feeling a bit of the altitute sickness, not too much but they said to relax for the afternoon and not try anything too strenuous.
Not a very long post but Im tired
xxx

up and working

Seems Ive got it all up and working :)