Think Like a Mountain

It's easy to forget how connected we all are; It's easy to miss how much beauty, both of nature and of people, exists in the forgotten corners of the world. 

Here's a cool video shared with us in class today. It was made by a Peruvian and won an award from the United Nations Forest Film Festival. It's about appreciating nature and the "underdeveloped" cultures that exist in the jungles of Peru. (Underdeveloped has such a negative connotation. Same with "developing." It suggests they need to change, they need to develop. But who said it isn't okay to live without concrete and technology??)

Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Miraflores!

Yesterday a few fellow trainees and I spent the day in Miraflores, Lima. This is the nicer, more uppity part of Lima.

We started out getting into a Colectivo. It’s like a shared taxi: a privately owned van that you pay to bring you somewhere. People will jump in if there are open seats and they are going in the same direction. We flagged down an empty one, since we had 9 people who would fill up the whole thing. They first said 100 soles. After arguing for a while we got it down to 10 soles each, which is good for a ride into Mira Flores, considering it’s farther than Central Lima.

Only 10 minutes into the ride, however, we blew a tire! Luckily there was a tire repair shop shack on the side of the road. The worker helped jack up the van (with us inside of it!) and swap tires. Unfortunately the rim of the spare wasn’t fitting so they had to put the rim of the old tire onto the new one. Instead of using the machine auto shops use to do this, the man did it manually. It was very impressive, he made it look easy and like he’s done this for a while. After about 30 minutes sitting there, our driver paid the repair man and we were on our way!

Once into Mira Flores we found a café that had yummy coffee drinks and a hipster café atmosphere. It was a great escape that made us feel like we were back home in the States. We hung out there for a good hour. Afterwards we did some bookstore browsing and then headed towards the beach. The ocean was a 5 minute walk from where we were. We didn’t get down to the actual beach but soaked up the views at an overlook. It was quite breathtaking!

Next came the mall! This mall rivaled Southcoast Plaza for all my Orange County people! It had pretty much only name brand stores: Northface, Ugg, Nine West, etc. I couldn’t shop at these types of stores when I was working for $13/hour, I certainly can’t afford them now when I make less than $4 a day as a PC Trainee!! (to clarify: this is how much I get for spending money… My meals and housing are coveredJ). So I wasn’t able to find the boots or fleece I was shopping for. We did enjoy a delicious lunch of sandwiches and “the best French fries in Peru!” Sabrina and I got a second coffee before we headed back to the park area to grab cocktails.

After a round of Pisco Sours, we did some more shopping at more reasonably priced shops around the area. We found a store that sold any type of boots you could possibly imagine! They were not too cheap and looked good quality. According to the sales woman they are “100% leather, made in Peru.” I ended up buying a nice brown pair and I am very satisfied!

There was also an artisan fair (mostly just paintings) in the park. We browsed for a while. Katy bought a set of 4 tree paintings that were beautiful and affordable! I wanted to buy an oil painting but the one I wanted was pretty pricey and we couldn’t get the price low enough. Sabrina and I decided we would wait and put out money into Amazonas’ economy instead! There was also music and a dance floor in the middle of the park. It looks like a pit circled by stairs that go down into it. People were standing on the stairs and around the top, and couples danced in the bottom of the pit. They were dancing salsa when we walked up and a woman next to us taught us a few moves!

Our journey home was quite an adventure. First we got on a large packed bus that was free to ride. We got off at the stop they told us too. However, after asking where we pick up Combis, we were told we had to get back on the bus and get off in central Lima. After riding 20 more minutes on an even more packed bus, we got off in the middle of Lima. It was not the nicest area and packed with people. Not to mention it was starting to get late. Not a safe place for Gringos with big shopping bags. Fortunately we all managed to stay together and keep a hold of our bags as we made our way to the Combi stop. Once we got on the Combi it was a straight shot back home to Chacrasana. I checked up on the Giants game (wooo we won!) and called it a night.

AMAZONAS here I come!

On Wednesday we got our site placement, and since then I've been on cloud nine! I was not expecting or hoping for the region of Amazonas, but after hearing about it I could not be more happy. I'll be heading north at the end of November :)

Amazonas is a region in northern Peru. It's half mountains (where I'll be) and half jungle. We will be the volunteers who are the farthest driving distance from Lima (Piura is technically farther, but the roads on the coast are nicer). My bus ride from Lima will take 24 hours! But we ride on "buscamas" which are buses with chairs that recline 180*. So it won't be bad. I can read, watch movies, sleep.
Anyways, I will be in the mountains of Amazonas, in the district of Luya, the annex called Chocta. Chocta has 1000 people, about 220 families. I am the only volunteer in Chocta. My closest volunteers are TJ and Austin who will live in the district capital, Luya. It will take me about 40 minutes to get there in a car, or I can hike up and down (1-2hours). Apparently on Thursdays there is a really great market in Luya where people come from all over to buy and sell. I'm looking forward to visiting on those days!

Amazonas is humid and it rains A LOT. There is a dry season most years and the rainy season is October-March. Luckily it isn't too cold. I can get away with a light rain jacket over layers. Rain boots are a must, especially considering Chocta has no paved roads! The mornings are usually sunny enough for sunglasses and T-shirts; but after 1pm, expect rain.

Because of the rain, theres lot's of vegetation and therefore a wider variety of food than other places. While I'm sure potatoes and rice will still be apart of my diet, avocadoes, mangoes, corn, and other great foods will be included! There's a large production of dairy products from our many dairy farms (yay cheese!). We also heard that real coffee is harvested there! Many volunteers like to buy raw coffee beans to roast and grind themselves.

My host family consists of a stay at home host mom, a farmer host dad, a 14 year old host sister and 5 year old host brother. My room will be furnished but I have to buy my own mattress (PC gives me money for that). I don't have many details about my house, but they have running water, plumbing, and electricity so I'm happy! When I go visit in 2 weeks I will update with photos.

Amazonas is statistically the safest Peace Corps region in Peru, as far as any reported crime goes! I was told a volunteer left her iPhone in a bar and came back to get it successfully 3 hours later. Peace Corps Volunteers in Amazonas also have a reputation of being hard workers and producing great projects. I can't wait to be a part of this amazing community!

Here's a picture of 2 current Amazonas PCVs, our Regional Coordinator, and the eight Peru 24 Volunteers who'll be joining me! 4 from Community Health and 4 from Water and Sanitation

Field Based Training

This past week was definitely my favorite one yet! I spent the week in Huaytara, Huancavelica. It's a departamento in Peru just east of Lima up in the Sierra (mountains). It was a beautiful place with beautiful people! Everyone was so friendly and communal, which was a little different then most people in the bustling areas of Lima. It was a week without any wifi or connection to the rest of the world (I missed the exciting series that put the SF Giants in the World Series, but at least I'm back to watch the World Series ;D). It was hard coming back to Lima after such a wonderful trip!

The drive up (9,000 ft) was smooth and the views were incredible! We spoke with some volunteers who live in the region and got tons of great advice. Then we had dinner (the food was AMAZING all week) in the hotel which was also a restaurant. They cooked us almost all our meals for the week. Below is a picture of the beautiful hotel. There was no room service, HBO on demand, wifi, or hot water, but is was clean and comfortable! And the views made up for all that anyways ;)

The next few days consisted of an alcohol awareness session at a colegio (high school) and a few house visits about anemia and feeding practices. A couple highlights are the walk to a PCV, Lauren's community. The walk was about 30 minutes from town and it was so beautiful. Lots of cows and rolling hills... This would be my ideal site I decided then and there! We learned how to be persistent when trying to get into homes. A skill that is naturally uncomfortable but we are getting plenty of practice in uncomfortable situations as Peace Corps health trainees! We all satisfied our increasingly demanding sweet tooth with the town's pastries. There's a cookie called "alfajores" that was my favorite! It's a flakey sugar cookie sandwich with caramel in the middle. So addicting and so cheap! Only 2.50 soles for 4 of them!! All of us are worried about how much we crave sugar here! I don't know if it is the stress or all the carbs but I've never craved sweets like I do here...

The last day was my favorite. We went even further up the mountain to another community where Monica, another PCV, lives. This community was much more rural and incredibly beautiful. We hosted a group session for mom's with children under 3 years old. Because the moms were coming from up and down the mountain, many were late. So we gave our first session with the punctual moms and then gave 2 more sessions as moms continued to arrive. We learned this is a good strategy so the punctual moms don't have to wait but the late moms still get a chance. Sure it made more work for us but that's why we're here! It was also great practice. We toured the health center and the "early stimulation center," which is a room paid for my the government where babies come to be stimulated and develop motor and vocal skills. The government saw a need for this because many babies in the Sierra spend their first 2 years in a sack on their mother's back. Often their heads are covered so they are in the dark, no one is talking to them, they aren't using or developing any of their muscles... So this stimulation center is great to get these babies active!

Overall, it was an incredible experience. It gave us a taste of what are daily life would be like and I left so excited to start my service! It's so cool that we are able to do things like this during training... I am continually impressed and grateful for the PC training staff. They really know what they're doing and are SO nice. I'm constantly being inspired by Emilia's outlook, awed by Andrea's passion, encouraged by Marita's sense of humor, and amazed by all the spanish teacher's patience! Because of the awesome training I've been receiving, I know I will start my service confident and ready to be a great volunteer.

Comida!

In Peru, food = love :)
I have definitely found that to be true everyday that I've been here! When we aren't cooking, we're talking about food. I honestly don't have any complaints. Many of my companeros are sick of how much rice and potatoes we get. I say keep em coming! I love the rice and papas I've been eating here. Peru has over 4,000 tipos de papas!!! Camote (sweet potato) and papa amarillo (yellow potato) are my favorite so far. Chicken is common but we get beef a lot as well. Lots of eggs, but not for breakfast.
Veggies are served a lot because our host families know (and joke about) how much Norte Americanos love verduras! My breakfasts are light and yummy: they vary from rolls with jelly, cereal (yogurt instead of milk), or fruit with yogurt.
Below is my typical lunch or dinner: Rice and potatoes plus meat or a fried egg. Usually the rice is white with a little lime flavoring. The sauce on the papas varies. If this was lunch, I'd get some fruit (apple, mandarin, granadilla) and maybe boiled veggies.

You can also see how important food is here in Peru by the content of our classes these past couple weeks: Last week we had a competition for who can cook the most delicious and nutricious meal from Peruvian ingredients on a budget. Below are our dishes we came up with:

 

Note all the avocado, mango, and camote! SO good!

This week we cooked a nutritious lunch for our language class. We made vegetarian tacos with a camote+ onion+ peppers stir fry, mango, avocado, and black beans. Que rico! Graham's mom ate with us and loved it! Tacos are not common here, the tortillas were hard to find. The purple drink you see bellow is called Chicha Morada. It's sweet Peruvian fruit juice made from purple corn, pineapple, spices, water, and LOTS of sugar.

We also prepared baby food this week with our language classes. Each class was asked to make a balanced, nutritious meal that would be good for a growing baby. Our assigned age range was 6 meses. This is the age when moms start adding complementary feedings (2/ day) to the breastfeeding. The food must be mashed smooth but not liquid. Our recipe included zapillo (squash), papas, y hidago (liver). Todos los food groups included! Hidago, as well as other animal organs are excellent sources of iron and protein, crucial to the growth and development of babies. I also tasted sangrecita (cooked blood) made by another group- this is the BEST source of protein for babies. It wasn't too bad, just a little metallic-y. It would have been better eaten with a sauce or with rice/ papas. I have yet to try ceviche or cuy (guinea pig) but stay tuned!

Nutrition education is different here because we do not focus on reducing carbs and fats like we do in the US. In fact, we encourage babies and young children to eat carbs and fats. They need those for their brain development. Our main concern is that they are getting enough protein. Very little of the food here is processed, so obesity is not a problem. Malnutrition from lack of protein and micronutrients (esp. iron), however, is definitely a problem. That's why our Goal 1 has a focus on sufficient nutrition for babies under 3 years old. We target them during those crucial ages of growth and development so that they can thrive as healthy, strong, and intelligent adults. (sano, fuerte, y intelegente!)

Election Day!

Today was the election for the local governor elections. Each district (12 in total: Lima, Piura, Huancalvelica, etc.) voted for their perspective governor today. I woke up this morning to a timid knock on my door at 8am. My host cousin told me breakfast was ready. Downstairs, a bunch of people, some new faces, were eating pancakes and talking about politics. The news was on covering the election. After breakfast, the family started to get ready to leave to go vote in Chosica. I was sitting outside with Erick, when Katie’s host parents and her pulled up in a big van and asked me if I wanted to come to Lima with them to vote. I hadn’t showered and I was planning on doing my laundry so of course I said why not! I grabbed my bag and hopped in.

Katie’s host sister had to vote in Lima because that is where she goes to school. In Peru you vote where you go to school or work, not where you live. Her parents planned to drive all the way out there just so she could take 5 minutes to vote. On our way there people covered the sides of the streets and we pulled over to pick up complete strangers and give them a ride for $$. I think that’s how they justified driving all that way in crazy election traffic- they made some money. We literally dropped off Katie’s host sister, circled around for a while, picked her and a bunch more people up, and headed out of Lima.

Then we went past home and into Chosica where Katie’s host parents voted. We parked and walked into a university with them. Elections are only held in high schools and universities. They are super organized as in you have to go to a specific room that coincides with your personal ID number. There were soooo many people there as it’s mandatory to vote. If you don’t, you have to pay a fine of over 100 soles! After voting, you get a sticker on the back of your ID card. Another difference is the amount of police officers at each voting location! Katie’s sister was surprised we don’t have police officers regulating our locations in the US.

The traffic was pretty insane. Not only were there tons of people on the road, but no one seemed to be obeying traffic laws and everyone was in such a hurry. A two lane road became 4 lanes as people pulled onto the shoulders; cars were trying to pass traffic by pulling into oncoming traffic, blocking us so we had to stop and back up traffic… It was just a mess, no way to put into words. I really wish I brought my camera! As we pulled up to my house about 5 hours after leaving, I was so relieved to be home. Katie’s host dad told me now I know how horrible election traffic is! And he’s right. It may not have been one of the most fun days, but it was an important day. It was good for me to experience what Peruvians in Lima deal with.

Field Trip to Lima

Today all 58 of us took a field trip to Lima. It was a nice treat after a long week. We met at the training center at 8 and took off in private combis. It took us about an hour to get to the Palacio de Gobierno or the Presidential Palace where Peru’s president lives and works. We got a quick tour, and wow it was so beautiful! The entrance room housed Peru’s largest chandelier weighing 2 tons! There was gorgeous and impressive wood work, marble, and gold everywhere. Throughout the Palace were guards who looked similar to those you would find in London. Although they also stand perfectly still for their hour long shift, they were less serious and smiled at you when you said hello!

After the tour of the palace, we split into our Language groups for the next excursion. As a group, we decided to go see the Museum de la Inquisition. It was a free tour where a woman (who did not seem like she enjoyed her job) walked us through the museum which consisted of some artifacts but mostly mannequins displaying a reinactment. We started in the room where there would be trials for those who sined agains the Catholic faith. After that we heard stories of how people were tortured and killed for their “crimes.” Many Europeans had come to Peru to escape the Inquisition in their home country, only to be imprisoned here, as the same thing was happening all over the world. It was a little dark, but interesting!

After the museo, we found a coffee shop where I got delicious espresso! Most people in Lima drink instant Nescafé, so it was nice to drink some real espresso. We then had a few tasks to accomplish (ask a taxi driver how much it costs to get to a certain point, ask someone where dangerous parts of Lima are, etc.). I spoke with a security guard, as there were many hanging around the main square. We ended us speaking for a while, as he was learning English and was interested in what we were doing in Peru. After that, we were released for the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted! Our only instructions were to find our way back home before dark.

Katie, Sabrina, and I had lunch (chicken noodle soup nothing special) and then did some shopping and walking around. The weather was kind of gloomy compared to the sunny days in Chaclacayo. Summer is just starting here! But we found a huge shopping center that had a Starbucks and Pinkberry! I didn’t get any (not feeling many withdrawls from home yet) but did get some delicious gelato. I also bought the Hunger Games (Los Juegos del Hambre) in español for practice.

From our earlier research in the center, we knew there was a spot where combis will pick us up to take us home. We went there and found a combi (5 soles from Lima back to Chosica). The cobrador waited until it was full until we took off (30 minutes). It took us about 2 hours including that wait time to get home. A group of people were getting together for a movie night at TJ’s house but I was so tired that I decided to call it a night nice and early!

Problems with the Pipes

Our pipes were being worked on last week so the whole neighborhood was without water for three days! My host family and I filled a ton of buckets with water to last us the whole three days. Below is a picture of the buckets in our bathroom that were able to last us three days of showering and toilet flushing. Yes, this is where I shower! Four women who live upstairs share this bathroom; the boys have their own downstairs. It really wasn’t bad since I had experience in the Dominican Republic with bucket showers and force flushing toilets! 

As was fitting, I happened to get my first bout of diarrhea this week… I still don’t know if it was from an apple I bough and didn’t wash thoroughly or from a dinner place we ate at. (I’m hoping it was the apple because I definitely want to go back to the restaurant!) My host family gave me remedies (a tea that worked great), advice, and a scolding as to why I ate an apple before washing it. Anyways, the pipes are all back to normal: my bowels are behaving, our water is back on, all is good!