I successfully managed my trek to Cajamarca a second time, and returned happy, healthy, and in moderately good spirits (in reality I was quite exhausted upon arrived, being I was on a bus for 21 of the 30 hours prior to arrival). Some highlights of my trip were seeing my site for the first time, meeting some community partners, wandering the streets talking to strangers, watching people playing soccer at the community fields, and sweet talking my way into getting free fruit from ladies in the market (can you really turn down and dashingly good looking young man, with the vocabulary of a 4 year old, with “pale” white skin, who won’t leave you alone for the better part of 20 minutes?? I don’t think so).
me on my roof in cajamarca view from above my town (that is my town on the right)
Talking about the family
So my new family has yet to be determined. I stayed with a family who live in a quaint two bedroom apartment 2 ½ blocks from the city square. They were very accommodating but will probably not be my family for the duration of my stay in Peru because of lack of space. Rumor has it that my directors are working hard to find me a new family, but I may or may not have one by the time I return to site (two weeks and counting…). So I may stay with this family for a temporary amount of time.
Despite the uncertainty of my family, it was an enjoyable week. My host father left after the first day, my sister was scared of me, and my mother is pregnant and was having morning sickness for the entire time I was there. Therefore, I walked, and walked, and walked all around the city, and in the evening watched a variety of movies that were dubbed in Spanish (the highlight was ocean’s 11, what a great flick!). This was a Great change of pace from the incredibly hectic schedule of training in Lima.
Mild adventures
On one of my walks I wandered upon a beautiful plot of land with a little lagoon and palm leaf covered pavilion. I proceeded to enter saw many farm animals roaming free including a bunch of large dogs. I proceeded closer only to see a man (Walter) leaving the land on a road behind me. I back tracked and began to talk to him about his home. Turns out he runs a restaurant but has a lack of business. He then toured me around and came upon 5 Rottweiler’s which began circling me. Walter said not to worry because they are only mean when his is not around…which quickly answered the reason of his lack of business, and made me thank God that I saw him leaving on the road behind me…
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Despite the uncertainty of my family, it was an enjoyable week. My host father left after the first day, my sister was scared of me, and my mother is pregnant and was having morning sickness for the entire time I was there. Therefore, I walked, and walked, and walked all around the city, and in the evening watched a variety of movies that were dubbed in Spanish (the highlight was ocean’s 11, what a great flick!). This was a Great change of pace from the incredibly hectic schedule of training in Lima.
Mild adventures
On one of my walks I wandered upon a beautiful plot of land with a little lagoon and palm leaf covered pavilion. I proceeded to enter saw many farm animals roaming free including a bunch of large dogs. I proceeded closer only to see a man (Walter) leaving the land on a road behind me. I back tracked and began to talk to him about his home. Turns out he runs a restaurant but has a lack of business. He then toured me around and came upon 5 Rottweiler’s which began circling me. Walter said not to worry because they are only mean when his is not around…which quickly answered the reason of his lack of business, and made me thank God that I saw him leaving on the road behind me…
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success with peanut butter Fresh made lemon bars (from scratch)
Back in Lima
Realizing that I will be returning to a small kitchen with no oven (I think) I decided to take advantage of the stove that has never been used at my house in Lima. So, after class I ran past the small market in town and picked up some supplies with the objectives of peanut butter (another time), buckeyes, and lemon bars. Fast forward 3 ½ hours and I had a bowl of peanut butter, 25 buckeyes, and an entire 9x13 pan of lemon bars for less than 7 dollars. Not bad. Although I had final products, they were not quite what I expected. The peanut butter was slightly runny because I didn’t want to kill the blender. Therefore I had to add extra powdered sugar to absorb the liquid for the buckeyes, and the chocolate was not inclined to melt as I wished. And the lemons for the lemon bars were not very strong so I doubled the lemon count with a final product of less than lemony lemon bars. While I was moderately pessimistic about the kitchen full of sweets, those who did not know what they were suppose to taste like said it was all a success.
some iffy looking buckeyes - peruvian style...
Persevering to the end to a new beginning
Time is flying by, but I have so many mixed feelings about the rapidly approaching transition to my new role in the peace corps, as a Volunteer (currently I am just a “trainee”). I have been soo busy with training I have had little time for anything else, which will be starkly contrasted with my initial time as a volunteer which will be walking around meeting people for the better part of two months. Also, I have more direct supervisors in training than I can count which will be replace by only two, where the closest one lives 4.5 hours away from my site. Change is coming, but that is what I signed up for. Site visits gave me a taste of my site, and I am ready (and have been) to take a lot bigger bite and see what happens…
Time is flying by, but I have so many mixed feelings about the rapidly approaching transition to my new role in the peace corps, as a Volunteer (currently I am just a “trainee”). I have been soo busy with training I have had little time for anything else, which will be starkly contrasted with my initial time as a volunteer which will be walking around meeting people for the better part of two months. Also, I have more direct supervisors in training than I can count which will be replace by only two, where the closest one lives 4.5 hours away from my site. Change is coming, but that is what I signed up for. Site visits gave me a taste of my site, and I am ready (and have been) to take a lot bigger bite and see what happens…
as always, more will coming coming later.
blessings to all,
tim.
1 comment:
dashingly handsome huh? somebodys getting a lil cocky down there in peru haha. glad to know its going good--youve almost made it! peace.
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