An American Teacher in Trujillo: Santa Rosa de Lima

There is no separation between church and state in Peru. Catholicism is intertwined so deeply in the local and national governments that you can the Virgin Mary in every police station, post office, and public office. While I want no religion in my own government, I really like the combination of church and state in Peru for the sole reason that I get eight paid holidays during the school year. Yep, I get off work eight times a school year for a religion that I have no part in other than touring really old cathedrals when I go traveling.

This past Thursday the school was closed for the Catholic holiday of remembering Santa Rosa de Lima. The saint was born in Lima in the late 1500's and was canonized in the late 1600's. I'm not too sure what she did to become a saint, but I read somewhere (Wikipedia) that she, one time, cured a leper. I did not witness any events marking her day on Thursday, but on Sunday my friend Amy and I saw a procession for her in the beach town of Salaverry in Trujillo. Sixteen men and women carried a shrine dedicated to Santa Rosa de Lima on their shoulders through the streets followed by a brass band and around fifty onlookers. To be honest, I am not 100% positive it was Santa Rosa de Lima they were carrying, but from all the roses on the shrine I am pretty sure that is who it was. I have seen this kind of march before, but it always intrigues me and the locals always get a kick out of having a couple of gringos there taking photos.

My Thursday was spent relaxing in Huanchaco. I wanted to surf, but the surf was so big it was closing out on the point. I spent a few hours helping a friend of mine move into her new place and I went for a walk, but that was about it. Friday was another holiday called Teacher's Day. I am, still, not too sure what this day meant. I thought we had Teacher's Day back in July, but I guess it wasn't finished. That is fine by me. I took care of my lesson planning before the holiday started, so I did my best not to think about school stuff.

Thursday and Santa Rosa de Lima.
Cool temps and overcast skies are the norm for winter in this part of Peru.
You can't really see it, but the surf is BIG.

Procession of Santa Rosa de Lima in Salaverry.

Salaverry is a small beach community in the city of Trujillo with the largest shipping port in the north of Peru. There are, also, many local fishermen making their living from the sea.

A group of fishermen bringing in their nets.

Boats on blocks.

Our lunch spot right off the beach.
The owners loved having a couple of gringos in their restaurant so much they turned off the salsa music and put on Lou Rawls and Barry White. It was very entertaining.

Half eaten plate of fried octopus and yuca with salad and a cold, tasty beverage.
It took so long to get our plates we figured the owner went to the ocean to get our lunch. It was well worth the wait.

Before we headed to Salaverry we visited the ruins of La Huaca de Arcoiris. Or, the temple of the rainbow. There seems to be an endless supply of ruins in this area that predate the Incan conquest. These ruins were from the Chimu civilization and some of the smallest. It only took us 30mins to see the temple and it would have taken less, but we had to wait for our guide to stop laughing at my Spanish to English translations.

The lines around the top represent the arcoiris, or rainbow

Ramp leading to the top of La Huaca, or temple

Western side of the temple and the wall that surrounds it.

The photos are the greatest, but you get the idea. Really old adobe temple in the desert.

In English class my sixth graders are studying human rights this bimester. We have some really interesting conversations in class since human rights violations are very evident (especially violations to children's rights) in Trujillo. During an assembly last Wednesday, my homeroom class performed two skits about human rights and children's rights. I guided them, but I was very pleased with what they created. One group acted out a scene from the UN's General Assembly where the countries present had to decide what countries needed the most aid after an earthquake. The other group preformed a skit about the horrible working conditions some of the street children face here in Trujillo.