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.