If any of you incoming Peru 13-ers have found my blog in an anxious attempt to find out anything and everything possible about Peru in the next three days, here are a few tidbits to help with last minute packing:
1. You CAN buy peanut butter in Peru. It's expensive, but always worth it. You can also buy Oreos, which go great with PB and are fun to eat in bed at night. But be sure to brush your teeth afterward, or you might get a cavity (like me)
2. Other things you CAN buy here: snickers bars, ramen noodles, shampoo, facewash, macaroni and cheese (kraft, nonetheless), batteries, baby wipes, sunglasses, ritz crackers, cheap movies, listerine and colgate toothpaste
3. Some things I am REALLY glad I packed: My yoga mat (good for all sorts of exercise, and great as a rug when it's not in use), yoga pants/sweatpants (I almost never wear jeans in site), lots of tampons (they're really expensive here), comfy hiking shoes, my teddy bear
4. Don't worry too much about packing dress clothes- you'll only need them a couple of times- and think durable rather than super classy.
5. And last but not least, don't stress too much because we all end up wearing the same four t-shirts every day for two years anyway, and no one here is judging.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
There Are No Llamas Here
I'm not sure that I've actually clarified that yet- in spite of my blog address, the only llama that I have met in Peru is one that hangs out in the plaza in Huaraz wearing sunglasses and a hat. And I haven't even really met that llama, since you have to pay to take a picture with him. There are LOTS of donkeys, though, and dogs, sheep, and pigs. The donkeys make horrible noises, the dogs have fleas, the sheep hang out in the middle of the road and always cause delays, and the pigs bust through the front door a dozen times a day and proceed to trash the kitchen looking for food. I guess I'm not much of an animal person here. But I have pretty much mastered the art of yelling at animals in Quechua. Mostly you just say their names. To make a donkey get out of your way, for example, you just say "ashnu," kind of like sneezing, and it will immediately start to move. Not too hard. Getting the pigs out of the house is a little more complicated- you yell "kuchi," but it is much more effective if you give them a kick in the tail at the same time. I can't wait to eat porkchops. And yes, swine flu has arrived in Peru which makes it even more fun to see their dirty little noses rummaging through the breakfast dishes.
Me, Diana, some huaino singer lady, and Erica at Campo Santo, the site of a 1970 landslide that buried the town of Old Yungay
A few weeks later I took my first hike up into the mountains to the spectacular Lake 69 (no joke, that's its name) with the other volunteers, and last weekend a group of us went on an overnight trail clean with the tourist association with which Erica and I work. We covered about 40km in two days, climbing from 3,000m to 4,300m altitude and then back down. To say that I was exhausted doesn't even begin to do it justice, but it was well worth the trek.
The volunteers on our way back from Lake 69
The next day, Erica and I led our first workshop on garbage management and recycling, which went surprisingly well. We were anticipating the worst- that after all the work that went into brining the garbage off of the trail, someone would end up burning it before we could get our hands on it- and I was about ready to sleep on top of the garbage bags to make sure that didn't happen. But against all odds, we were able to present our chat on the day for which it was scheduled the garbage was still there, and we got three dozen men to sort out the recycling and throw the rest into a mini landfill.
Some arrieros (donkey drivers) with their recycling
It is a small step towards our bigger goals, but if I have learned anything in the Peace Corps, it is to appreciate ever step that takes you in the right direction, no matter how small.
I have had quite the series of adventures the past two months. Diana came to visit in April, bringing a precious block of cheese and a box of Lucky Charms. In exchange I offered her the unique opportunity to sit on a sheep and to swim in a glacial lake. I think I got the better deal.
Me, Diana, some huaino singer lady, and Erica at Campo Santo, the site of a 1970 landslide that buried the town of Old YungayA few weeks later I took my first hike up into the mountains to the spectacular Lake 69 (no joke, that's its name) with the other volunteers, and last weekend a group of us went on an overnight trail clean with the tourist association with which Erica and I work. We covered about 40km in two days, climbing from 3,000m to 4,300m altitude and then back down. To say that I was exhausted doesn't even begin to do it justice, but it was well worth the trek.
The volunteers on our way back from Lake 69The next day, Erica and I led our first workshop on garbage management and recycling, which went surprisingly well. We were anticipating the worst- that after all the work that went into brining the garbage off of the trail, someone would end up burning it before we could get our hands on it- and I was about ready to sleep on top of the garbage bags to make sure that didn't happen. But against all odds, we were able to present our chat on the day for which it was scheduled the garbage was still there, and we got three dozen men to sort out the recycling and throw the rest into a mini landfill.
Some arrieros (donkey drivers) with their recyclingIt is a small step towards our bigger goals, but if I have learned anything in the Peace Corps, it is to appreciate ever step that takes you in the right direction, no matter how small.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
