Inca Kola

I think I'm in love. This very cute man just told me, "Being without you is like eating grilled beef heart on a stick without drinking Inca Kola."
Poetry by TV comercial. Nice.

Machismo in meetings... grrr

Some days Peace Corps does very little to rock my world. To be fair, other days it's awesome but, today I'm going to gripe. Recently, in Rinconada Llicuar we've been meeting about getting a new volunteer to replace me when I leave. The director of the health program for Peace Corps in Peru and the coordinator for my region came out to Rinconada to coordinate with the government and community groups so that the projects will be ready to hand off to a new person. My community partner at the health post was supposed to be there but unfortunately and somewhat surprisingly but, not overly so, never showed up. I presented a review in PowerPoint and turned in a preliminary written report of my work up to now. Then the Peace Corps folks, very helpfully, pushed the municipality folks to stop dragging their feet as they are wont to do. In doing so the male regional coordinator called a second meeting of everyone in the room without consulting me first, making me look at best unprepared and at worst incompetent because I'm a girl. I know this sounds extreme but the only women working at the local government plan the parties, clean the bathrooms, or write letters for the mayor to sign. I just recently got all the men there to start calling me by my last name, the same manner in which they address one another. Now we're basically drinkin' buddies. This is so much better than being someone who they cat call. This was a major breakthrough for me because they listen better when they're comfortable speaking freely. Although the lieutenant mayor does still think that I am "a radical liberal," he also says that cannot be helped because I am a North American woman. Worse things have been said about me and I like this guy so whatever, what are you going to do? So, imagine my surprise when the Peace Corps guy who is supposed to be backing me up makes it appear as though he is in charge of running the projects that I have been doing for the last couple of years.
I talked to the Peace Corps guy today. It certainly was not his intention to be undermining, it's just that he doesn't have to think about his gender creating a barrier to his work. Ever. He's a tall guy with a mustache, apparently the height of the power look. He thanked me for mentioning it and I think he was sincere. I really respect this guy. He's good at his job and hopefully his grasp of gender power dynamics is improving.

Thank you once again for your support!

Ruth was showing me her excellent hand washing technique... until another kid grabbed the soap from her and went and dropped it into the toilet. Don't worry. I made him fish it out and then wash his hands.


Again, thank you so much to everyone who donated to the potable water project in Rinconada Llicuar. We made enough money to put running water in the elementary school in Rinconada and we still have about S/. 600 left over to fix up the system at the other elementary school in Llicuar.

We finished up construction in Rinconada in late July and we are in the process of a series of trainings to teach cistern maintenance, how to use a toilet, hand washing, and keeping the bathrooms clean. I know it sounds weird to teach someone how to use a toilet but, a lot of people don't have them so they do things like stand on the toilet rim to squat over, thus potentially falling off or in, or they put toilet paper in the toilet which will cause major plumbing badness. All over Latin America used toilet paper goes into a waste basket with a lid that is kept next to the toilet.

The principal in Llicuar is writing a work plan for his school and should give it to me very soon. Hopefully we will finish that fairly quickly. It is a matter of installing some valves so that when their cistern is low the pump doesn't lose pressure and stop working. He also wants to paint.

I have attached:
a translation of the thank you letter that the principal gave me. His version has a lot of official looking stamps on it. I'll try to scan it and post it soon.
a detailed budget.
a photo gallery of the project.

At the very end of the day we raised S/. 6,243.94. There are about 3 soles to the dollar and unfortunately the dollar was pretty low in July 2.7 - 2.8 but we still had more than enough. There were costs associated with Paypal and transferring the money here so we lost about S/. 300 there but all of the rest went to the project in Rinconada and we're left with about S/. 610.

So thank you once again to:

Alyssa Domsal
Andrew Walters
Barb and Jim Hudgens
Daniel Bauerkemper
David Carey
Denzil and Betty Bush
Don Brophy
Ed Menghi
Grace Carey
Jennifer Parish
Jeremy Daw
Jessica Hickok
Joe Hudgens
John Bennett
Kelli Crawford
Ken and Sue Davies
Lynn Berg
Megan Bartlett
Ned Ewart
Pamela Lovelace
Philip Sansone
Rebecca Widom
Robert Schley
Robin Lazara
Shaina Steinberg
Sharon Brown
Spire Press c/o Shelly Reed
Stephen Lesche
Tanya Stanger
Theresa Ebeling
Tina Trinh
Tom and Stacey Bush
William Wuertz
Wendy Bach

Donkeys and Skinny Leg Jeans: Preparing for Home.

I have to print the very supportive conversation that I had with my dear friend Pam about my coming home. This pretty much sums up how surreal it feels.

Pam: Just reading about everything you've learned and mostly your OPENNESS to learning (as I get older I realize that a lot of people aren't necessarily dumb but totally unwilling to admit that they have a lot to learn) is really impressive. Now that I have praised my most darling of Ellas and very bestest of buddies I feel it is my duty to tell you that the site of your crazy muddy jungle feet makes me want to run down to Peru, hose you off and stick you in terribly uncomfortable but awesome looking shoes. I know you just can't wait!!!

Ella: Awwww thanks! I have been fantasizing about a certain pair of high heeled knee high boots... Are those still in? Because I really want to wear them and probably will even if they're oh soooo last year.

Pam: Good news they are still in... one caveat though, the whole '80's thing where you get the skinny jean and tuck it into the knee high boot is back. So far I haven't seen any shoulder pads, but the layering, the flashy jewelry and tunics are back.

Ella: Dear God, no! I swear to you that I will not wear shoulder pads. And, skinny leg jeans?! Absolutely not. You've seen my calves. Those are such a bad idea, even for people with amazing legs. Flashy jewelry, well I actually do that anyway. What's a tunic? Oh God. I can't wait to go shopping.

Then I went home and attended a procession of la Virgin de Socorro the Virgin of Aid. There was an army of little girls dressed like angels throwing flowers and about 10 strapping, but very exhausted looking men carrying this very heavy statue around town for more than 4 hours. And I helped chase my neighbors escaped donkey back into its corral.

Peace Corps Magazine Questionnaire

So, Peace Corps Volunteers put out this magazine with profiles of volunteers who are leaving. A friend tells me I should share my profile:

In Rinconada Llicuar I worked as a trash cheerleader and camp counselor, taught yoga once in a while, did self-esteem and leadership work with youth in jail, coordinated previously non-existent communication between local groups, read stories to kids, stamped of all sorts of documents, painted murals, and my favorite, became a professional nudge of people who are not particularly interested in outside input. We started a trash project with the local government, youth health promoter programs in two elementary schools, and a hygiene promotion program that included installing running water in a school. It was quite a ride and totally worth it.

1. Most useful thing you learned in training
A Peru 4 guy whose name I don’t remember came up to Sta. Eulalia and we were hanging out in the cancha de fulbito when he told me, “Just don’t do anything that you don’t want to do.” Oddly miraculous.

2. Most amusing misconception about the U.S. that you’ve heard at your site:
Mister Kennedy, from the WWF is apparently my next door neighbor in Texas.

3. Least favorite project in your Peace Corps experience:
Hands down, my least favorite project happened when the club de recreación that I started formed a volleyball team. Just say no to organized sporting events as I don’t think that there’s a word for “sportsmanship” in Spanish.

4. What movie most resembles your PC experience?
Christmas Vacation. It hurts at the time, but is hilarious after the fact, and like Chevy Chase I just keep bringing it upon myself.

5. Why your host family made your two years more enjoyable/interesting/survivable:
My host mom made me cucumber salad almost every day AND listened to me cry AND loves to gossip. She’s awesome.

6. Why your host family made you want to run and hide in your room:
My host mom is very concerned about my getting married, preferably soon, preferably to her brother or the mayor. 30 too old to be single and beautiful... Thanks?

7. Most share-worthy puking story:
My wee neighbor Milagros loves to swing really high in my hammock but I usually don’t let her for fear that she’ll fall out. One day, were playing football with the kids on the block and she disappeared. I went into my house looking for her and found a little puddle of puke under my hammock. Using my keen detective skills, I followed the puke trail across the street to her house and found her there looking green. I asked her what happened and she said that she wasn’t going to swing too high in the hammock anymore. I had no idea I should have been worrying about her getting motion sick.

8. Most share worthy story involving your underwear:
When I moved in my host family’s only connection to the public waste water was their new toilet and we were dumping all waste water down there. One day as I was washing clothes I went to dump out the grayish soapy water and I saw a white cotton pair of undies rush out of the bucket into the toilet and disappear into what should be never-ever land. Of course I tried to catch them because as we all know cotton underwear that actually fits is no easy find in Peru. Sadly, my white cotton undies slipped off the tips of my fingers and went right down the toilet. I already had my hand in the toilet from trying to catch them, so then I tried like hell to fish them out, until I started to retch because I recovered my wits and realized where my hand was. Then I had to go tell my host dad that I backed up the plumbing for his household of 7. He listened kindly to my garbled story, turned bright red, and started to giggle as he asked me, “You really put your hand down the toilet?!” Then he went next door and told the whole story to the neighbor.

9. If you could change one thing about Peru, what would it be?
People would have enough self-esteem and confidence to express their creativity. (I plan to work on making that change in the US too.)

10. Why your province is obviously better than all the rest:
Piura! The land of eternal sunshine, awesome beaches, Costabella, ceviche, mangoes, Cappuccinos, Aaron, Tessa, Alyssa, Lizzi, Patrick, Tania, and I’m there.

11. Any meal item you tolerate in Peru that you would never have eaten back in the States?
Did you know that it is actually possible to eat a cow’s hoof?

12. Peruvian cuisine that you’ll get a craving for when you’re back in the States:
Ceviche, cremoladas, my host mom’s sudado, maracuya, little tiny bananas, fried sweet bananas, limones, lime juice as the world’s most versatile condiment, limas, habas, cremoladas, guanabana, lucuma, cremoladas, guayaba, ciurela, cremoladas, pepinillo dulce, cremoladas, queso fresco, mangoes by the quintal, cremoladas, cherimoyas, vinagre de chicha, pollo a la brasa and did I mention cremoladas?

13. Favorite coping mechanism:
Calling up one of my amazing, fabulous, hardcore, funny PVC compañeros and ranting. Playing football (American football a la Nerf) with my neighbor boys. Chocolate. Reading trashy novels.

14. Advice for the newbies:
See number 1.

15. Biggest surprise encountered during your service:
When my friend Rosa asked me if I knew what yoga was and if I could teach it. I’m serious. That really happened.
Or, when during my first visit to Rinconada I was forced to sing the Star Spangled Banner in front of 200 people.

16. What´s your legacy?
I ran every day (we’re talking legend, not reality). We put in running water at the elementary school. I did not marry the mayor.

17. What´s next?
Job. Will work for bagels.

18. Craziest thing a Peruvian has tried to convince you of:
Chucaque, an illness you get from being embarrassed, gives you a cold. To cure it, you rub a newspaper all over you and then set it on fire on a cement floor. Read the burn mark it leaves so that you know what gave you chucaque and you can either get revenge or avoid it. My cold did go away afterwards. I just couldn’t go to the police station anymore.

19. Any random first impressions you had of fellow Peru 8ers:
Andrew very kindly offered to help me carry my luggage when I arrived at the Holiday Inn in DC. I think Mike sin barba hid those moccasins with the fringe under his bed in Tumbes.

20. Will you listen to cumbia in the US?
YES! I’m not ashamed to admit that I sing along to Grupo 5.

21. How will you spend your PC readjustment allowance?
Traveling and I expect I’ll have to buy a suit. Okay, actually I have a whole wardrobe already in mind. It does not include anything made of fleece.

22. Best compliment you have received in Peru:
Really, really good looking man at Queens discoteca: “You dance well, for a gringa.” Also, I’m almost convinced that I am both tall and blonde.

23. Favorite discovery in Peru:
Cremoladas de maracuya and pod casts. Also, trekking is super fun.

24. What your community/host family considers your strangest behavior:
Running, eating vegetables, putting trash in bags, reading, not being married, and moving to Peru without my family.

25. If you could do it all over again, would you? Would you change anything?
I would start slower, talk less and listen more. But, for all my mistakes I had a really, really good time and made amazing friends.

26. What made your site tolerable?
The afore mentioned amazing friends, my hammock, my bike, my host mom’s sudado de pescado, and the amazing maracuya.

27. What makes Peru 8 PCVs stand out?
Tame is better and involves more singing around campfires.

28. Most amusing pick-up line given or received:
A taxi driver told me, “Baby, marry me and I’ll take you wherever you want to go!” Uh, couldn’t I just pay you the S/.2? What an embarrassingly low bride price.

29. Favorite Peruvian holiday: Velaciones. Definitely.

30. What story of yours most frightened family members back home:
Hi Mom, I’m teaching a leadership seminar to some guys at the jail. No, they’re just first time offenders.

31. Did folks from home visit your site? What happened?
My mom and dad came to visit and the kids at the school where I work put on a show of traditional dances for them: marinera, huayno, and a lip-sync to Shakira. It was also my birthday so they sang me happy birthday and them made me dance a waltz with every male in attendance. And since it made me cry they all love to tell that story.

32. Favorite Spanish word/phrase/dicho:
Sí o sí. Yes or yes. As in: Today we're having a meeting, yes or yes (no matter what).
Encamotarse: to sweet potato or to fall in love

33. Fullest that you have ever seen a mototaxi/combi/bus:
It’s a tie. In both instances the mototaxis had their backseats removed: 1. Two hog-tied full-grown, alive horses. 2. Two calves, that’s right live baby cows. Folks in bajo Piura can do amazing things with a moto.

34. Most text messages that you have received from a Peruvian in love in 1 hour:
45. I wish that I were exaggerating. To be fair, I returned about 20 of them. He was cute until he was crazy and I had a lot of time on my hands, okay?

35. Most beautiful place that you have encountered in your time in Peru:
Either the sunset over the Rio Marañon on the way to Iquitos or Catarata de Gocta in Amazonas. Breathtaking.

Chachapoyas and beyond

Feet of Jungle Ella. Getting unstuck from mud in Chaco sandals makes very interesting noises.


Gocta Waterfall


Red drawings by peoples unknown in times unknown.


6 people in a 4 person tent trying to sleep...


Gocta


Kuelap petroglyph

Peruvian independence day recently passed and the schools get a two week break for the holiday. It's their break in between the semesters. Excellent timing for me because I get a good excuse to go on a little vacation. Six of us Peace Corps Volunteers set off for Chachapoyas, a town on the edge of the Amazon Jungle. It's an interesting ecosystem. People call it the jungle, but it doesn't look like the Amazon looks in Iquitos at all. It looks like a cloud forest, maybe with more mud.

We went to a pre-Incan archaeological site called Kuelap. We also hiked up to Gocta, either the 3rd or 16th highest waterfall in the world, depending on who you ask. It's so beautiful. Skinny-dipping was frigid and short lived fun. The waterfall was "discovered" in 2006, very recently. I say "discovered" because there are lots of little towns around there, but no one thought of it as a tourist destination and they hadn't really measured the waterfall. There's apparently another (larger?) waterfall sort of nearby in the same province, but it's more remote and more difficult to get to. In any case, Gocta is more than 700 meters tall. It's sort of like two waterfalls, one underneath the other. The first fall is just over 100 meters and the second is 600 plus meters. We hiked up and camped between the two falls. It's breathtaking, so unbelievably beautiful. The camping was an intimate experience with 6 of us crammed into a 4 man tent. Being one giant human spoon seemed like a good idea until we tried to sleep on one side without moving all night long.

On the way up we walked by some ancient red colored drawing on the rocks. The "guide" (I use that term very loosely) pointed them out, but didn't know who made them or anything about them. The next day we hiked down the other side and the whole time my hiking partners were very kind about the fact that I am as slow as Moses. After we got lost in the jungle on day 2 I know I was trying their patience, but in the end we found our way out of the jungle and had a great time. Then I went to another archaeological site called Karagia. It's these cool sarcophagi built on the face of a cliff where God only knows how they got up there. I still need to do some research on the archaeological sites. There isn't a lot of information or guides, even in the provincial archaeological museum in Chachapoyas. It's only slightly less comic than the American Museum of Natural History's North Atlantic People's exhibit with all Boas' artifacts where labels like, "stick with hook on the end" abound.