Stuffs

 Here is a quick look at this past week.
Wednesday night some friends and I went to Trujillo for the evening to listen to some music. We weren't quite sure what we were going to listen to, but it ended up being a recital at the music conservatory of Trujillo. All the musicians seemed to be in their twenties with instruments that ranged from the guitar to the flute to the piano. They, all, did a great job and it was nice to something far from the regular tourist track.
Friday morning I went over to Fleming College to take a look at my contract for the next two years. I can't sign the contract until I get my Work Visa paperwork taken care of in the US. While I was there I took a tour of the school with the head of the English department and another English teacher. The school is different from schools in the US in the sense that it is much more open. The temperature in Trujillo doesn't fluctuate like the temperature does at home, so I didn't see any heating or AC units, all the windows in the classrooms were open, and there was not an indoor gymnasium; all the school assemblies are held under the covered basketball/soccer court. I did, however, see a cafeteria, but there were no students eating in it, they were all eating somewhere outside. One of the most exciting aspects of the school I was able to see was the garden. It was quite large, which is surprising because, in a city such as Trujillo, space is at a premium. I really hope my classes will be able to participate in planting next year. This coming week I will be going back over the the school to gather some materials for my English classes next year and to see the end of the year ceremonies.
Yesterday, Saturday, a couple of the other volunteers and I went to the mountain town of Otuzco for the day. The town sits about an hour and a half east of Trujillo at an elevation of 8,665ft. The town has a major tourist base, but my friends and I were the only gringos; the rest of the tourists were Peruvians, mostly from Trujillo. We had a nice time walking around, taking photos (like a good tourists do), and just enjoying a day off the coast. It was cloudy and a bit rainy, but I really like being in the Andes. The culture is so old and so many people still adhere to the old ways. As we were walking to catch the bus a woman yelled at us from inside a small bodega, "hello gringos!" Always trying to put my best gringo foot forward, I poked my head back in and said, "buenas tardes!", in my best non-gringo accent. There were five or six ladies sitting on the floor peeling yuka (yoo-ka or yu-ka, whatever) for a party later that evening. They told us we were welcome to come and that there would be a lot of food and dancing, and probably a lot of pisco, the national liquor of Peru. Unfortunately, we had to get back to Trujillo, but I sure would have enjoyed going to that party.

Dinner before the music recital, a Duquesa Royal. I've had better.

Colegio Fleming

Arroz Chaufa. A Peruvian take on Chinese stir-fried rice. Very tasty.

 Friday afternoon lefthander. These guys are, certainly, one of my favorite parts of Peru. 

Catholic cathedral in Otuzco

Being the ultimate tourist.

Over looking Otuzco 

Brick making. Most of the homes in Otuzco were built from this type of bricks.

 At the hostel in Huanchaco. Two Australian guys were riding these bikes from the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the southern tip of South American to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. 

The Goings On

     Today is my last day as a volunteer in Peru. I have enjoyed it so much, but I am ready for the next step. Over the next couple of weeks, before I fly back to the US for a month, my plan is relax and do some things I haven't gotten around to doing. One, will be to take a bus north to the city of Chiclayo. There are many archeological sites there from the Ican Empire and before. It should be pretty interesting to see. I will, also, try to surf until my arms fall off. Even after being here for two months, I am still amazed at how good these waves are. 

     In other news, I have started tutoring two students who attend Fleming College (the school where I will be working) in Trujillo. They are 9yrs. and 13yrs. old and I help them with math and science. They speak pretty good English since their father is from the US and the attend a bilingual school. For two hours of work I get 15soles and dinner. It's a pretty good deal.

     I was getting out of the water a couple of days ago and I see more than two hundred people getting off buses and crowding in the street. They were residents of the outlying communities around Huanchaco; and they were not happy. They gathered in the streets with bullhorns and signs and walked down the main beach road blocking all the traffic that tried to pass. At first I didn't know what to think because I wasn't sure what they were protesting, so I kept my distance. It seemed that town officials in Huanchaco had misspent money that was supposed to go to these poor communities, so the people were in Huanchaco to give those officials a piece of their mind. The owner of my hostel, Patricia, said that the officials had taken money that was supposed to go to the much needed infrastructure of these communities and bought cars with it, among other things. Not wanting to get involved in something I new nothing about, I went home. An hour later I had forgotten about the protest, so I walked down to the beach to make some copies for my English class. I ran into all the protesters again in front of the town hall. They were not being violent, but they were, definitely, making their presence known. It was such a strong presence that the town decided to bring out the riot police. So, there were twenty national police in front of the town hall in full riot gear. It was something very out of the ordinary for Huanchaco. I watched for a bit and then went about my business. Later that day, someone told me that the police had popped canisters of tear gas to get everyone to disperse. You know, it is such a bummer when poor people rise up. It is so annoying for the rich to have to deal with such unpleasantries. Peru is like many other countries in the world. While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The next morning, as I was eating breakfast, I saw footage from the protest on the national news. I hope they got their point across.

These are the winners of the English contest I judged last week at the Sinai Catholic School in Huanchaco. I was the only judge, which was a little nerve racking. Everything went well and all the kids did a great job. These are the types of experiences that I look forward to. The gentleman on the left is Principle Calderon. He was a great host.

I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but Antonela was just wonderful. She always came to class eager to learn and she was a big help with the other students. 

This is the catholic church that overlooks Huanchaco. Some people have told me it's the oldest church in Peru and some have told me it's the 2nd oldest in Peru. Whatever it is, it is really beautiful.

This is the view from the church looking over Huanchaco. In the distance you can see perfect lefthanders breaking off the point. 

Every house in town has a cistern which sits on the roof. In the evening, the town cuts the water off so you have to make due with what you have on the roof. Peruvians really know how to conserve their water. We, in the US, could learn a thing or two about water conservation.

Fresh fish at the market in Huanchaco. You can get, just about, any meat you want here. Beef, poultry, duck, guinea pig, goat, lamb, whatever it is, they probably have it. The interesting part is that it sits out in the open for customers to inspect. The meat hangs from hooks, so you tell the butcher what part you want and he/she cuts it off for you.

Thanksgiving in Peru

     Peruvians do not celebrate Thanksgiving in any way, but I was really surprised how many Peruvians new it was Thanksgiving; and asked me if I was going to eat turkey. The reaches of my native culture know no bounds. 

     This year, my Thanksgiving meal was aji de gallena made by the owner of my hostel, Patricia. She makes the best aji de gallena in Peru. Period. Gallena is Castellano* for hen and aji is a yellowish hot sauce that is eaten all over Peru, but in this dish it is mixed into a chicken type gravy and served over potatoes with a side of rice. It was outstanding. Unfortunately, I have been a bit sick lately, so I really had to hold back and not ask for seconds. Patricia says I have gotten thin and that she will be fattening me up as I get better. 

     The rest of my day went on as usual. I went surfing for a bit, took a nap, and went to my English class. Although, as much as I loved my aji de gallena, I would not have minded some of my Grandmothers sweet potato casserole. I guess I will just have to wait until in come home in December. 

*Castellano refers to the Spanish language. In Peru, most people do not say, Yo hablo Espanol (I speak Spanish). They say, Yo hablo Castellano. It means the exact same. I'm not sure why they have a different name for it. I'll have to ask.

Getting my appetite back with a delicious Thanksgiving meal of aji de gallena.

The goods.

Thanksgiving sunset from the door of my room.

Jobs, Nice People, and Water Resource Management

     These are some photos that I have wanted to share, but didn't have room for them in other posts.

     

This was taken right before I went to my first, and only, job interview. I'm pretty positive I'll be teaching English and science to 10-12yr. olds at a British international school in Trujillo for the next two years. Exciting stuff!

Three or four hour before this photo was taken a man and his wife helped my friends and I find the correct trail while we were hiking outside of Huaraz. We ran into them as they were cultivating their fields on a mountain slope. They were so nice and helpful. At the end of our hike we ran into them again as they were taking their herd home for the night. 

The black thing in the right-hand corner of the photo is my camera strap. oops.

For Dad

These two photos are of a dam that begins an irrigation system set up to take water down the mountain to farmers' fields. The water that flows into reservoir in the top picture is from a naturally flowing stream that originates from melting snow and ice in upper elevations. 

The structure looked to be very new, yet without any sophisticated technology. As the irrigation ditches  run down the mountain gates can be opened and closed in different places to regulate which areas receive more water. Occasionally, I saw people turning off/on water to their fields. I wonder if there are ever any disputes as to who gets the water?

There and Back Again

   Last week I wrote about problems getting to the city of Huaraz in the Andes Mountains for a few days of backpacking. Well, we were able to get out of Trujillo the next night which was Thursday. The bus only runs at night and it took seven hours to get there, so we arrived in Huaraz at around 4:30am on Friday morning. After getting settled at Andes Camp Hostel we slept for a few hours and went for a short hike right outside of town. The walk was pretty easy since there wasn't much elevation change, but the difficult part was that were we hiking at over 10,000ft as opposed to Huanchaco which was at sea level. With higher elevation comes less oxygen and our lungs sure were feeling it. Just walking up a flight of stairs or up a steep street would cause you to take an extra breath. It was an odd sensation that I hadn't felt since I climbed Mt. Adams in 2003. 

On the second day, we did a short hike about an hour outside of Huaraz to a glacial lake called Laguna Churup, which sits at 15,000ft above sea level. The day was overcast (it is now the rainy season, so clear days are scarce), but we received some great views of valleys and the mountains around us. When we got up to the lake it was raining so I opted to take a few pictures and head back down. On the way back a few of us started getting headaches from the altitude which led to two of our group members getting sick and having to take the next day to rest and recuperate. All in all it was a great hike and we were all happy we did it. Although, after recapping our day with the owner of the hostal, Frank,  we all thought it was a good idea to stick to day hikes since four out five members of our group had never been backpacking, not to mention backpacking above 10,000ft. I was a bit bummed out, but I knew I would enjoy the day hikes and getting to sleep in a bed.

On the third day, as some of our group was taking it easy, Nora (from Italy) and Benedict (from France) and I went repelling in the morning with a guide from our hostel. It wasn't a horrible trip, but I could have spent my money on something better, like eating cuy, but we'll get to that later. It was anti-climactic at best. 

On our fourth and final day, we chose to do a day hike to Laguna 69, which is about 2 1/2 hours from Huaraz in the Huazcuran National Park. This is one of the most amazing places I have ever seen. As we climb up the mountain in our taxi, we are able to catch a glimpse of   Huazcuran (22,000+ft.), the highest peak in the Peruvian Andes Mountains. How awesome did it feel to be among those giant peaks! The further we drove into the Cordillera Blanca Range of the Andes Mountains the more peaks we were able to see; and the more impressive the views became. After paying our 5soles ($1.80us) park entrance fee we were on our way. For the most part the weather stayed clear for our 15kilometer round trip hike to Laguna 69. It received it's name because it was the 69th laguna found in Huazcuran National Park.  At the beginning of our walk there was a small, flat, open valley with green grass, cows, and a glacier fed stream. In any direction we looked we could see tall peaks, glaciers, and waterfalls. Every once in a while even Huazcuran would stick it's head out and say hello. Having not spend that much time in such an atmosphere I found myself walking and smiling an awful lot. After 45mins of walking the valley gave way to steeper trail that switchbacked up to the barren rocks above. Although we were, almost, at 15,000ft above sea level we were still not above the tree line. After just short of three hours of walking we reached Laguna 69. The lake water was a stunning turquoise with waterfalls draining off the glaciers above and walls of gray rock that ascended for thousands of feet. We spent over an hour enjoying the view while eating Andean bread and local cheese we bought off the street in Huaraz. We all agreed it was the best day of our trip to the mountains.

After returning to Huaraz we all took showers, packed our bags, and boarded the bus that would take us back to Trujillo and Huanchaco. Buses are the preferred mode of transportation for most everyone in Peru. They are very inexpensive and reliable, but they can often be uncomfortable and quite long. On our way to Huaraz everything went very smoothly on our bus ride, but on the way back I sat next to a woman who tossed and turned all night and we had a bus driver thought he was in Formula One race. There is a universal downfall to traveling by bus in Peru; Peruvian buses are not made for tall people. The seats are very comfortable and spacious, but if you have long legs you are in for a long ride. There is no way to stretch out, even if the seat reclines fully. I try to choose seats in places that have more leg room, but it hasn't worked yet. I guess it's just something I will have to deal with while I am hear. 

This is the view coming down from Laguna Churup. The lake is just behind the low ridge in the fore ground. 

Laguna Churup 14,600ft. I didn't hangout here too long. It was raining and I had a headache from the elevation.

The beginning of our hike to Laguna 69.

Laguna 69 and all its grandeur 

My first cuy (guinea pig) experience. You probably can't tell by this photo, but the whole animal is there. Next to the ceviche in Huanchaco, it's the best food I have had in Peru. It is also the most expensive, 36soles or $13us for a whole cuy with bbq sauce and potatoes.  It was worth every sole.

Lunch crew from left to right: Pancho, a local guide, Nora, Benedict, Chica (don't remember her name), Frank, mountain guide and owner of Andes Camp Hostel and Guiding Service.

"Miner" Setbacks

So, last night I was supposed to take the overnight bus from Trujillo to Huaraz for 5 days of backpacking in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes mountains, but things have changed. Hundreds of miners are on strike/protesting against the mining companies in the area and have blocked mountain roads with debris. The word on the street is that the roads will be cleared today or tomorrow, but no one is really sure. In the meantime, my group and I are waiting in Huanchaco to hear if we will be able to go up there or not. It's a pretty big bummer on my end because I was really looking forward to seeing the area and getting out of Huanchaco for a bit. On the flip side, miners have an extremely dangerous job and, to my knowledge, are treated very poorly in Peru, as with many other places in the world. I have no idea why they are actually protesting, but my guess is that it's for a pretty good reason. I have read it is due to the amount of pollution that the mines are producing, but I'm not 100% sure on that. You can read the article at the bottom to get a better idea, but I don't know the reputation of the publication, so take it for what it is.

I am beginning to think that my trip is pretty insignificant in comparison to the protests. I have plenty of money and can go up there almost any time I want. How can I be upset at these people for interrupting my holiday? While I am on a joy ride, they maybe be fighting for the preservation of their homes and families. I would have to be a pretty big jerk to be upset. Huaraz can wait.

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-978-Antamina-protests-intensify-in-Acansh-Peru/

This Ain't No Long John Silvers

I cannot say enough about the food here. Since I am very new to this place I have not figured out what all the dished are by reading the menu, so I am always excited about what I am really going to get. A plate of chicharron de pescado could be prepared as a whole fried fish or as smaller fish nuggets. You just never know.

Below are a few delightful dishes I have had over the past three or four days.

This is my favorite ceviche place. I think it's considered a hole in the wall even by Peruvian standards. I have no idea what it's called, but it's the best I have had so far.

This is my plate of ceviche. Four different types of seafood including crab and octopus. With soup, this plate goes for 8soles or $2.92us.

The Pilsen Trujillo Beer was 4soles or $1.46us.

The same restaurant, but this time it's a plate of chicharron de pescado (fried fish nuggets), along with some fried potato type veggies. With soup, it costs 4soles or $1.46us

This plate comes from the coastal town of Puerto Malabrigo which is an hour north of Huanchaco and lays claim to one of the longest left point breaks in the world. This is also chicharron de pescado, but the cook decided to fry the whole fish and add sides of rice and lentils. This also came with soup for 7soles or $2.55us. The service was terrible here, but the food was outstanding.

This is a personal creation of mine for a late evening snack. It's fresh baked bread with a fried egg and cheese. Just ask my old roommate Alex Morgan and he will tell you that these are a staple for me anywhere I live. Since I bought the ingredients at the bodega, this probably cost my under $.50us.

My Trip To The Post Office and Other Goings On

I was really happy to get the news that my package had arrived in Trujillo (Thank you Mom and Dad!), but for some reason it wouldn't come to Huanchaco, so I would have to take the bus to the main post office to pick it up. I guess these things happen with international parcels.

The only time I have been to Trujillo was upon my arrival on the bus coming from Lima. I had heard that Trujillo can sometimes be dangerous and I should watch where I was. I saw on TV that Trujillo also has a growing gang problem. So, as I was taking the bus into the city I had my reservations. Luckily, everything I encountered was the opposite. Although I got turned around a couple of times, everyone I spoke with was very nice and helped me get back on track. On my way to the post office I had to walk through a very nice shopping district with various stores, restaurants, and dessert shops. I, also, got the chance to walk through the Plaza de Armas, which is a a giant square in the city center (I think). It was very beautiful with lots of red and white geraniums (Peru's national colors), green grass, and a large statue in the middle.

At the post office I had to wait for about 30mins to see the customs official about my box. It wasn't too bad though as I was able to have a nice conversation with three Peruvian ladies, one who spoke very good English.

After I received my box I didn't really want to go back to Huanchaco. I wanted to walk around and see things. I'm sure there are some sketchy parts to Trujillo (as with any city in the world), but the section I was in was quite interesting. I will definitely be going back soon.

Below are a few photos I took from my jaunt into the big city.

The central post office for the whole region of La Libertad. There was hardly anyone there.

The main view of the Plaza de Armas, Trujillo, Peru

Different view of the Plaza de Armas as I was coming from the post office.

In other news, next Wednesday is a pretty big day for me. I have a meeting with the Headmaster of a British private school in Trujillo. They have openings for English teachers for next school year (it's about to be summer here, so the students will be on vacation until February) and I would like to be considered. I will, also, be touring the school which I am quite excited about since I have not been to a school in Peru as of yet. Even if I am not offered a position, it will be a very valuable learning experience.

On Wednesday night I will be taking a seven hour bus ride, through the night, with a couple other volunteers to the city of Huaraz to do some backpacking. Huaraz sits at around 10,000ft above sea level in the Andes Mountains. As much as I have enjoyed Huanchaco over the past month (yep, I have been here a month as of today) I am pretty ready to get out of here for a week and see some of Peru. I will definitely be posting some photos from that trip.

the last few days

I think being sick in a foreign country is much worse than being sick at home. The familiarities and comforts are just not there. But, that's the way it goes sometimes. Now, I'm on the mend and very glad. Being in that little room was beginning to get to me.

A Few More Pictures

I am finding out how different I really am. I am 6feet tall with blonde/brown hair, a pretty light skin, and blue eyes. Peruvians, on the other hand, are much shorter, have dark hair and eyes, and darker skin. On the weekends, residents of the city of Trujillo come to Huanchaco to hangout at the beach. While residents of Huanchaco are used to seeing light skinned tourists, the people from Trujillo are not as accustomed since Trujillo is not a tourist destination. So, when I am walking by the beach on the weekends, doing whatever I do, people will often stare, giggle, smile, or want me to take a photo with them. To them, people like me are quite exotic. It was kind of hard for me to understand at first because in the U.S. we have so many different types of people, but in Peru there are places where it is very rare to see an outsider. It is still kind of weird to have people look at you all the time, so I just smile, wave, and say hello. Sometimes people are embarrassed and turn away, while others smile and say hello back. Yesterday as a fellow volunteer and I were walking to meet some friends three girls stopped us and asked us to take a photo with them (I honestly thought this would never happen to me). We said sure, thinking it would be two or three pictures, but it turned into a 15min. long photo shoot. I thought it was quite amusing, so I asked the girls if I could take a photo with them. They were very nice and sweet, but didn't seem to want us to leave. We kind of had to pry ourselves away from them.

White boy at the beach.

This is where I prefer to do my lesson planning.

This young lady sets up her grill every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening around dark right by the beach. She sells many different types of meat all of which are on a stick. I guess it's kind of like a kabob. She had beef, chicken, chorizo sausage, and beef heart for the low price of 2soles or .73us. I chose the beef heart and it was really tasty! I will definitely be back to she her.

This is a different street vendor but with the same type of set up. She has a bit more variety, though. I chose the chicken kabob with vegetables, but next time I am definitely going to try the grilled chicken feet. She was a bit more expensive 3.5soles or $1.28, but with her meat stick he also gave you a couple bits of potato.

For my momma.

Pictures and Stuffs

I haven't posted anything in a week or so, so I figured I should get back to it. I get busy doing other stuff and don't really pay attention sometimes. I'll try to do better.

When I first came to Huanchaco, Peru everything was so new and exciting and all I wanted to do was to walk around town, look in stores, buy food from the street vendors, and soak in my new surroundings. I would say to myself, "Holy cow, I am in Peru and it is awesome!" But now that I have been here for a little over two weeks and have a bit of a daily routine I tend to forget where I am. On my walk to the beach in the morning I see the same elderly man tending to the flowers in the park. I see the same security guard outside of the bank. And I buy empanadas from the same clerk at the same bodega. Everything seems so......normal. Though when I think about it, everything is not normal. I have lived for 30 years in one country and have spend the better part of those years living in one state (which is dear to my heart). Now, I live in a totally different country, on a totally different continent, in a different hemisphere, and beside a different ocean. And, I live in the desert! I think I need to be more proactive with taking in my surroundings. Although now I am looking to stay in Peru for a while, one day I will most likely move back to the U.S. and away from all that makes this place so wonderful. I don't think it makes a difference if I am riding the bus to El Tropico like I do every week or climbing up Machu Pichu. I need to stop and smell the geraniums (Peruvians seem to love geraniums).

**I do not want anyone to think that I do not think that my home country, the good old U.S. of A, is not full of awesome sights and people. I know it is. But the fact is, Peru is a place that is so totally different and at the moment totally different is what I am looking for.**

Below are a few of the photos I took this past week. I have more to put up and I promise I will tomorrow.

The Polleria: La Barra serves one dish; rotisserie style chicken with salad, fries, and a glass of Inca Kola (I'll talk about that later). You can have 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, or the whole bird, but the sides never change. I could care less about the sides because the chicken is outstanding. In the picture I ordered 1/4 and had trouble finishing everything. I have eaten here four times since I came to Haunchaco. The best part of it is, besides the taste, this plate costs 10soles. At the moment, that equals $3.68us. Give me a break.

This is a photo of Huanchaco Beach last Sunday afternoon. The tall objects are Caballitos de Totoras. They are a boats made from reeds that local fishermen have been using for hundreds of years and still use them to this day. In the mornings you can go down to the beach and watch the men prepare their boats and nets for the days work. In the afternoons you can go back and buy their catch right off the beach.

My favorite animal is a......

From left to right: Mika, Yudi, Nelson, Jason, Maycol, Marco Antonio, Antonia (spelling?)

This past week, for a vocabulary lesson, we learned about animals and I asked to kids to draw me a picture of their favorite. I got some pretty awesome pictures.

This and That

This week will be my second full week in Peru. I think I have found a nice routine that allows me plenty of time for lesson planning/teaching and plenty of time to see as much of this area as I can. I hope, in the coming weeks, I will be able to get off the coast for the weekend and up into the mountains. When I look east I can see the front range of the Andes way off in the distance. I'm looking forward to spending some time up there.

This is the beginning of the carnival Emily Skinner, Otra Cosa Project Coordinator, planned this past Friday night to raise books for the community library of Cerrocito. A bunch of the volunteers showed up to run the games, sell food, and play with the kids. The entry fee was one book and Emily raised almost three hundred of them. It was a really fun night and a great success.

This is El Tropico town hall with the town church. I teach here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to kids and adults. Everyone has been so kind to me here and I enjoy it so much.

I am always amazed at how inexpensive Peru is, but it really blows my mind when I go to the bodega (mini-market). A tomato, onion, radish, Peru's version of Ramon, cheese, and bread all cost me 3soles, which is about $1.10us. Not only was it quite delicious, but also quite filling. If I always ate at home I could, probably, eat for less than $30us a week. But, then I would miss some ridiculously good ceviche, rotisserie chicken at The Polleria, and the fish special at MenuLand. I'll try to post some photos of the local cuisine. It it pretty impressive.

Sunsets and Classrooms

Sunset at Huanchaco Beach. This is the same spot I sit in the morning while I drink coffee and check the waves. The surf is chest to a bit overhead and super fun looking!

My students and I taking time out for a photo op. This is the most students I have had so far. They are really sweet and quite rascally. I am, literally, living my dream.