Monday, April 30, 2007
It´s true....WE WENT TO THE JUNGLE
Madeinusa.... I just finished watching it and every thing else on the DVD. What a spectacular film. And proudly madeinperu. So much of the cinematography reminds me of Carata. The music, the landscapes, the adobe homes, even the annoying buzzing a bothersome fly makes when it swarms near.
Mena wants to feed our aging cat poison, to put it out of its misery. But it’s not miserable. Sure, its arthritic bones struggle to climb the wooden shelf and up the wall to walk along the roof beams. But killing the cat and replacing it with a new kitten? De eso no me meto.
It’s been a weird week back to work since having an adventure in the Peruvian Amazon. Let me catch you up to speed- Holly visited- we’ve been friends since 4th grade-
I had a couple of days off for semana santa and knowing that our vaca days are scarce we’ve learned to take advantage of every possible day out of site! So a group of pcv’s were anxious to visit the selva. The original plan was to travel from Chiclayo-Tarapoto-Yurimaguas-Up the Amazon River (for 2.5 days in boat) to the city of Iquitos. Although enticing, that didn’t work out. There was an incredibly good offer to fly- $92 roundtrip Lima-Iquitos.
What a hot city. Your sweat sweats. Accompanying us was another vol, Bryan. We arrived at 130am in the city and checked into the worst hotel you’ve ever seen. Let me retract that….I’ve seen worse, and will continue to encounter far inferior places in my travels.
Bryan and I went out for water- and were greeted by 2 fabulous prostitutes on the street. What do you expect on Monday night at 2am? At least the beer was good at THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS-inevitably the largest attraction for gringos in the city.
Much had been said about Iquitos before the trip. The more people I talked to the better it sounded. Imagine visiting the largest city in the world that is navigable by road. Due to its location in the middle of the Amazon, one must arrive by boat or plane. After seeing the city I understand the buzz. It’s unique in its own way but not very accommodating. Like most Peruvian cities it lacks a lot of infrastructure and personal convenience. The noise levels were obnoxious! Literally brought to new levels. Because cars need to be brought by boat, 99% of the vehicles are “mototaxis”, motorcycles with an extended 3 seat cabin. I affectionately call them “deathtraps” and they are everywhere in Peru but centralized in Iquitos.
Holly and I joked about it being THE LOUDON MOTORCYCLE WEEKEND everyday. When the bikes pilled up at stop lights idle, they created so much noise that any conversation needed to be put on hold until the next moment of relief.
So we ate some good food and took in some of the sites around the city like the Belen market (where hallucinogens like san pedro and iawaska, cocaine and animal parts are sold), and the floating city of Belen. We took a day trip out to a mariposaria (butterfly farm) which was awesome. This ¨zoo¨ is owned by a Peruvian/Australian couple who were totally into saving nature’s animals. A little too much…brings up memories of THE ISLAND OF DR. MONROE. or somethin´. we hung out with monkeys, birds, a giant anteater, large rats, a caupir (sp?), a leopard, and of course many butterflies. I learned a lot about these tiny creatures.
We left on a Thursday morning to stay at Tahuayo lodge on the Tahuayo River a tributary off of the Amazon. It was a comfortable 3 hour ride by speed boat to the lodge. Once arriving we moved into the elevated rooms (given the river level) and met our guide, JT who would take us out for the next 4 days. The meals were excellent, as was our guide, who successfully managed both English and Spanish questions from Bryan, Holly and I. He was willing to help us plan our itinerary from early morning to late night. We went out on hikes, took a swim with river dolphins, spear fished piranha, swung through the canopy on zip line, took canoes out for night trip, had a holistic session with a local shaman, and visited a dry land national reserve. The mosquitos were memorable. luckly we dosed ourselves in spray. the last thing i wanted to bring back was malaria. ps the antimalarial meds aren´t as bad as everyone says..least i didn´t have any wack dreams. only a voracious hunger!
We had a long conversation one night with Dolly the co-owner. She’s definitely the heart of the organization. I completely understand her stories and challenges with the local government over property, regulations, laws and crooked police and judges. As a volunteer in Peru, it doesn’t take long to familiarize oneself with the system. Have it be good or bad!
Their staff really went out of their way in accommodating us for the trip. It won’t go unforgotten. We have many great memories of the few days there, and pictures to last a life time. This region of the country is unlike any other place I’ve visited. The general environment of the lodge sparked my interest in learning about plant and animal species. Lastly, we made some new friends with a group of students and teachers from Seattle. The students we pleasant and respectful to everyone! What lucky high school kids! I wish I had that kind of experience back than!
see the pics!!
Mena wants to feed our aging cat poison, to put it out of its misery. But it’s not miserable. Sure, its arthritic bones struggle to climb the wooden shelf and up the wall to walk along the roof beams. But killing the cat and replacing it with a new kitten? De eso no me meto.
It’s been a weird week back to work since having an adventure in the Peruvian Amazon. Let me catch you up to speed- Holly visited- we’ve been friends since 4th grade-
I had a couple of days off for semana santa and knowing that our vaca days are scarce we’ve learned to take advantage of every possible day out of site! So a group of pcv’s were anxious to visit the selva. The original plan was to travel from Chiclayo-Tarapoto-Yurimaguas-Up the Amazon River (for 2.5 days in boat) to the city of Iquitos. Although enticing, that didn’t work out. There was an incredibly good offer to fly- $92 roundtrip Lima-Iquitos.
What a hot city. Your sweat sweats. Accompanying us was another vol, Bryan. We arrived at 130am in the city and checked into the worst hotel you’ve ever seen. Let me retract that….I’ve seen worse, and will continue to encounter far inferior places in my travels.
Bryan and I went out for water- and were greeted by 2 fabulous prostitutes on the street. What do you expect on Monday night at 2am? At least the beer was good at THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS-inevitably the largest attraction for gringos in the city.
Much had been said about Iquitos before the trip. The more people I talked to the better it sounded. Imagine visiting the largest city in the world that is navigable by road. Due to its location in the middle of the Amazon, one must arrive by boat or plane. After seeing the city I understand the buzz. It’s unique in its own way but not very accommodating. Like most Peruvian cities it lacks a lot of infrastructure and personal convenience. The noise levels were obnoxious! Literally brought to new levels. Because cars need to be brought by boat, 99% of the vehicles are “mototaxis”, motorcycles with an extended 3 seat cabin. I affectionately call them “deathtraps” and they are everywhere in Peru but centralized in Iquitos.
Holly and I joked about it being THE LOUDON MOTORCYCLE WEEKEND everyday. When the bikes pilled up at stop lights idle, they created so much noise that any conversation needed to be put on hold until the next moment of relief.
So we ate some good food and took in some of the sites around the city like the Belen market (where hallucinogens like san pedro and iawaska, cocaine and animal parts are sold), and the floating city of Belen. We took a day trip out to a mariposaria (butterfly farm) which was awesome. This ¨zoo¨ is owned by a Peruvian/Australian couple who were totally into saving nature’s animals. A little too much…brings up memories of THE ISLAND OF DR. MONROE. or somethin´. we hung out with monkeys, birds, a giant anteater, large rats, a caupir (sp?), a leopard, and of course many butterflies. I learned a lot about these tiny creatures.
We left on a Thursday morning to stay at Tahuayo lodge on the Tahuayo River a tributary off of the Amazon. It was a comfortable 3 hour ride by speed boat to the lodge. Once arriving we moved into the elevated rooms (given the river level) and met our guide, JT who would take us out for the next 4 days. The meals were excellent, as was our guide, who successfully managed both English and Spanish questions from Bryan, Holly and I. He was willing to help us plan our itinerary from early morning to late night. We went out on hikes, took a swim with river dolphins, spear fished piranha, swung through the canopy on zip line, took canoes out for night trip, had a holistic session with a local shaman, and visited a dry land national reserve. The mosquitos were memorable. luckly we dosed ourselves in spray. the last thing i wanted to bring back was malaria. ps the antimalarial meds aren´t as bad as everyone says..least i didn´t have any wack dreams. only a voracious hunger!
We had a long conversation one night with Dolly the co-owner. She’s definitely the heart of the organization. I completely understand her stories and challenges with the local government over property, regulations, laws and crooked police and judges. As a volunteer in Peru, it doesn’t take long to familiarize oneself with the system. Have it be good or bad!
Their staff really went out of their way in accommodating us for the trip. It won’t go unforgotten. We have many great memories of the few days there, and pictures to last a life time. This region of the country is unlike any other place I’ve visited. The general environment of the lodge sparked my interest in learning about plant and animal species. Lastly, we made some new friends with a group of students and teachers from Seattle. The students we pleasant and respectful to everyone! What lucky high school kids! I wish I had that kind of experience back than!
see the pics!!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
---catching you up--
Yeah, It’s been a while since I’ve put anything up on here. I am still in Perú. lol What can I say, time seems to escape oneself even in such a remote village like Carata, where everyday seems the same. One of the oldest women in town, Juana Juarez just asked me today what day it was, because for her- there is no difference between today or tomorrow.
Looking back since my last entry<-------I guess I have been a busy man. February’s highlight was going to the Peruvian version of Mardi Gras in Cajamarca (located in central northern Andes). A good size group of Peru 6ers rallied together to celebrate “Carnival” with water balloons and paint. We “ played” just one day, of that weekend, Sunday was definitely a day of rest. Another PCV printed up secret agent t-shirts for all of us to proudly wear as we were literally bombed with balloons and paint in the streets.
Small and large gangs of Peruvian youth paraded through the tight streets with home made drums and instruments, chanting as they doused anyone who looked dry. Meanwhile buckets of water were dropped from rooftops and balconies in the city streets. By the end of the day the balloons were all gone, the attacks seized and we joined the locals, bonded as one, sharing drinks and stories and united as carnival survivors. We marched, sang, and danced to the drum beat until the sunset.
Back to THE CHAMBA! Juan and I worked hard to get our grant written during the month of March. Originally our plan was to write for funds to contribute with the local government in a renovation of Carata’s potable water system. This large infrastructure project was long overdue and definitely needed. But it became publicly known that the municipalidad had decided to plan and finance the project. Excellent! So where could we fit in?
Sustainability-PC always wants us to work within a framework of consistent sustainability and this time I had an idea. surprise!? The municipality would come and direct the locals to rebuild their water system but never planned on actually training a small group in the maintenance of the system. If something broke, who would fix it? Would it stay broken for 20 years until the entire system was renovated again? Probably. But not today.
It sounds so simple but thats the difference between developed and developing countries. A plan for the future needs to be included. How can you expect farmers to maintain a water system or a new bridge, or a school or electrical system if no one teaches them how? Hello. It´s basic people! Lets problem solve before the problems occur!
We had written a detailed rough draft for the project plans-and it was a struggle. As a first time grant writer (in Spanish!) I can visibly see new wrinkles and a more prominent receding hairline on my 26 year old head! Juan was easily the best local to aide in the process but hardly the most ideal counterpart. He was struggling with health problems and not always available when needed. Nevertheless, given the structure of the application, 99% of the locals wouldn’t have been able to sit and help me write the 30 page document. Remember that more than 50% didn’t finish elementary school. Reading levels are extremely basic. It’s a miracle that Juan could do as much as he did.
I guess I can put my finger it…I didn’t write much on here in March because I was writing so much everywhere else! The last thing I wanted to do was open another word document!
Camp ALMA has been moving along-slowly. We’ve gotten together a couple of times collectively as volunteers to plan the 3 day retreat. And although it was originally going to be for adolescent girls, the mood has switched to adolescent men. We’ve also decided to ask a local youth organization to help in the planning to promote a cross-cultural exchange and encourage a lasting program. Keep your fingers crossed for success!
School vacation ended in March and is now in full swing. Alongside with the local first grade teacher we began a year long tooth brushing campaign for her students. They are a group of 17 five and six year olds. When I was home in December for Christmas my Mom and Dad received generous donations of toothpaste and toothbrushes from their dentists. To execute a long term project with this class, I presented the toothbrushes and toothpaste with the premise that they will brush morning and night.
Another volunteer, Mark started this project last year in his community. By piggybacking on his original project I’m implementing it here in Carata. This is how it goes….Each student receives a card every 14 days. The card lists the days of the week and a place for a parents signature in the morning and night. If the student successfully brushes his/her teeth 2x a day and gets it signed they will be rewarded. Every two weeks those students with their card signed will be able to participate in movie time in the health post. I also use this meeting time to teach them something else about oral health. A local Caratino named Victor who is always available to help, has agreed to print the cards on thicker paper using his company printing press in Lima.
SEE POSTED PICS
Missing your big ol´faces,
Mateo
Looking back since my last entry<-------I guess I have been a busy man. February’s highlight was going to the Peruvian version of Mardi Gras in Cajamarca (located in central northern Andes). A good size group of Peru 6ers rallied together to celebrate “Carnival” with water balloons and paint. We “ played” just one day, of that weekend, Sunday was definitely a day of rest. Another PCV printed up secret agent t-shirts for all of us to proudly wear as we were literally bombed with balloons and paint in the streets.
Small and large gangs of Peruvian youth paraded through the tight streets with home made drums and instruments, chanting as they doused anyone who looked dry. Meanwhile buckets of water were dropped from rooftops and balconies in the city streets. By the end of the day the balloons were all gone, the attacks seized and we joined the locals, bonded as one, sharing drinks and stories and united as carnival survivors. We marched, sang, and danced to the drum beat until the sunset.
Back to THE CHAMBA! Juan and I worked hard to get our grant written during the month of March. Originally our plan was to write for funds to contribute with the local government in a renovation of Carata’s potable water system. This large infrastructure project was long overdue and definitely needed. But it became publicly known that the municipalidad had decided to plan and finance the project. Excellent! So where could we fit in?
Sustainability-PC always wants us to work within a framework of consistent sustainability and this time I had an idea. surprise!? The municipality would come and direct the locals to rebuild their water system but never planned on actually training a small group in the maintenance of the system. If something broke, who would fix it? Would it stay broken for 20 years until the entire system was renovated again? Probably. But not today.
It sounds so simple but thats the difference between developed and developing countries. A plan for the future needs to be included. How can you expect farmers to maintain a water system or a new bridge, or a school or electrical system if no one teaches them how? Hello. It´s basic people! Lets problem solve before the problems occur!
We had written a detailed rough draft for the project plans-and it was a struggle. As a first time grant writer (in Spanish!) I can visibly see new wrinkles and a more prominent receding hairline on my 26 year old head! Juan was easily the best local to aide in the process but hardly the most ideal counterpart. He was struggling with health problems and not always available when needed. Nevertheless, given the structure of the application, 99% of the locals wouldn’t have been able to sit and help me write the 30 page document. Remember that more than 50% didn’t finish elementary school. Reading levels are extremely basic. It’s a miracle that Juan could do as much as he did.
I guess I can put my finger it…I didn’t write much on here in March because I was writing so much everywhere else! The last thing I wanted to do was open another word document!
Camp ALMA has been moving along-slowly. We’ve gotten together a couple of times collectively as volunteers to plan the 3 day retreat. And although it was originally going to be for adolescent girls, the mood has switched to adolescent men. We’ve also decided to ask a local youth organization to help in the planning to promote a cross-cultural exchange and encourage a lasting program. Keep your fingers crossed for success!
School vacation ended in March and is now in full swing. Alongside with the local first grade teacher we began a year long tooth brushing campaign for her students. They are a group of 17 five and six year olds. When I was home in December for Christmas my Mom and Dad received generous donations of toothpaste and toothbrushes from their dentists. To execute a long term project with this class, I presented the toothbrushes and toothpaste with the premise that they will brush morning and night.
Another volunteer, Mark started this project last year in his community. By piggybacking on his original project I’m implementing it here in Carata. This is how it goes….Each student receives a card every 14 days. The card lists the days of the week and a place for a parents signature in the morning and night. If the student successfully brushes his/her teeth 2x a day and gets it signed they will be rewarded. Every two weeks those students with their card signed will be able to participate in movie time in the health post. I also use this meeting time to teach them something else about oral health. A local Caratino named Victor who is always available to help, has agreed to print the cards on thicker paper using his company printing press in Lima.
SEE POSTED PICS
Missing your big ol´faces,
Mateo
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