Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
EARTHQUAKE UPDATE #4
This is the last and final update about the earthquake. News reports currently state the death toll is 500+ and rising. Additionally, More than 1000 injuried and there have been 400 aftershocks recorded of varrying sizes. All I can say is, It´s time to come home....
Dear Volunteers,
The second phase of the relief effort is in full-swing as international and Peruvian organizations focus on building temporary shelters, improving sanitary conditions, and passing-out blankets and food. Unfortunately, there continues to be distribution challenges which has led to a few instances of looting and public protest. Many of you have asked for information regarding donations to organizations that are helping in the relief effort. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is partnering with the following organizations to help those affected by the earthquake:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
CARE
Samaritan's Purse
World Vision
Any of these organizations would be good choices for friends and family to make monetary donations to help this worthy cause. They all have websites and easy instructions for making tax deductible donations.
In terms of Peace Corps/Peru, we are in the process of identifying the suitability of partner agencies in Ica in order to decide if and when to initiate the Crisis Corps program. Crisis Corps Volunteers work under a similar model than other Peace Corps Volunteers as they rely heavily on the support of counterpart agencies to structure their work. We hope to make a definitive decision regarding Crisis Corps in the coming weeks. Also, we have discussed the possibility of using in-country Volunteers for short-term assignments in Ica.
Dear Volunteers,
The second phase of the relief effort is in full-swing as international and Peruvian organizations focus on building temporary shelters, improving sanitary conditions, and passing-out blankets and food. Unfortunately, there continues to be distribution challenges which has led to a few instances of looting and public protest. Many of you have asked for information regarding donations to organizations that are helping in the relief effort. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is partnering with the following organizations to help those affected by the earthquake:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
CARE
Samaritan's Purse
World Vision
Any of these organizations would be good choices for friends and family to make monetary donations to help this worthy cause. They all have websites and easy instructions for making tax deductible donations.
In terms of Peace Corps/Peru, we are in the process of identifying the suitability of partner agencies in Ica in order to decide if and when to initiate the Crisis Corps program. Crisis Corps Volunteers work under a similar model than other Peace Corps Volunteers as they rely heavily on the support of counterpart agencies to structure their work. We hope to make a definitive decision regarding Crisis Corps in the coming weeks. Also, we have discussed the possibility of using in-country Volunteers for short-term assignments in Ica.
EARTHQUAKE UPDATE #3
Estimados Voluntarios,
The situation in the affected areas has stabilized. The strategy for helping the affected areas is transitioning from rescue work where the emphasis is on searching for survivors, providing emergency medical care and passing-out food rations to the recovery phase. This entails the construction of temporary shelters, temporary work programs for the residents of the affected areas, and the removal of debris and the demolition of unsafe buildings.
The next phase is the rebuilding of civil society which should begin in earnest in the next two weeks. National and international relief agencies will concentrate on helping the affected towns and communities regain a sense of "normalcy." Projects will certainly focus on reopening the schools, reorganizing the municipalities, repairing irrigation canals and water systems, restoring damaged buildings and providing social services and counseling. This phase is where Peace Corps Volunteers can make a significant impact in improving the lives of those affected. To this end, I have been in contact with Crisis Corps to begin developing a strategy where Volunteers can work in an organized and effective manner to provide relief and development assistance. Five staff, including myself, and the five Ica Volunteers will be traveling tomorrow to affected areas to visit with and offer support to their host-families and counterparts, assess the possibility of these Volunteers continuing to work in Ica, and conduct an initial assessment of work opportunities for Crisis Corps Volunteers.
On Monday, I will send you an update regarding our findings and more information about the possible addition of the Crisis Corps Program to PC/Peru and how it may effect you.
In related news, many Volunteers have asked how there communities and/or family and friends back home can help with the relief effort. Currently, the US Embassy is compiling a list of reputable national and international NGOs that are accepting monetary donations for the purpose of providing relief assistance to Ica. On Monday, I hope to forward you the list. In-kind donations such as blankets, food and medical supplies are discouraged by most relief organizations working in the area.
That is all for now.
Saludos,
Marko
The situation in the affected areas has stabilized. The strategy for helping the affected areas is transitioning from rescue work where the emphasis is on searching for survivors, providing emergency medical care and passing-out food rations to the recovery phase. This entails the construction of temporary shelters, temporary work programs for the residents of the affected areas, and the removal of debris and the demolition of unsafe buildings.
The next phase is the rebuilding of civil society which should begin in earnest in the next two weeks. National and international relief agencies will concentrate on helping the affected towns and communities regain a sense of "normalcy." Projects will certainly focus on reopening the schools, reorganizing the municipalities, repairing irrigation canals and water systems, restoring damaged buildings and providing social services and counseling. This phase is where Peace Corps Volunteers can make a significant impact in improving the lives of those affected. To this end, I have been in contact with Crisis Corps to begin developing a strategy where Volunteers can work in an organized and effective manner to provide relief and development assistance. Five staff, including myself, and the five Ica Volunteers will be traveling tomorrow to affected areas to visit with and offer support to their host-families and counterparts, assess the possibility of these Volunteers continuing to work in Ica, and conduct an initial assessment of work opportunities for Crisis Corps Volunteers.
On Monday, I will send you an update regarding our findings and more information about the possible addition of the Crisis Corps Program to PC/Peru and how it may effect you.
In related news, many Volunteers have asked how there communities and/or family and friends back home can help with the relief effort. Currently, the US Embassy is compiling a list of reputable national and international NGOs that are accepting monetary donations for the purpose of providing relief assistance to Ica. On Monday, I hope to forward you the list. In-kind donations such as blankets, food and medical supplies are discouraged by most relief organizations working in the area.
That is all for now.
Saludos,
Marko
EARTHQUAKE UPDATE #2
Dear Volunteers,
The second day of the natural disaster has brought about more information. The towns of Pisco, Ica and Chincha have reported wide-spread damage to buildings and homes. These towns and the surrounding areas are without electricity, water or sewage systems. Relief efforts are being conducted by Peruvian governmental agencies while the impacted areas are also receiving support from the United States, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela, Israel, Spain and the European Union. Unfortunately, there has many incidents of looting and robbery. Security will continue to be an issue, but hopefully the crime rate will decrease as the government establishes order in the affected towns.
In last two days, we have received numerous requests from Volunteers to travel to Ica to help with the relief effort and/or organize donations of food and medical supplies. However, an effective needs assessment of the impacted areas has yet to be conducted by the government or other organizational entities. We expect to have more information on Tuesday on what the region will need in terms of supplies and assistance. Between all the national and international agencies in the area, there appears to be enough specialized personnel providing immediate assistance. In fact, President Garcia has stated that there are enough doctors and nurses in Ica and what the region requires now is engineers and construction workers.
Over the next week I will speaking with Michael Hirsh and meeting with Senior Staff and Volunteers to discuss ideas on how we can provide assistance to the communities where Rachel, Joselyn, Nicole, Abigail and Amy are serving. Regarding a more widespread initiative for PC/Peru Volunteers to help in the Ica region, I will also discuss this possibility with Staff, PCVs and PC/Washington.
In other news, the Emergency Action Plan was successfully completed. We were able to contact all Volunteers and Trainees in 30 hours. Thank y'all for your cooperation. It was important that we keep you informed about the earthquake as well as confirm your whereabouts. Also, I spoke to Peru 7 about a PC/Panama Volunteer who was vacationing in Peru. He contacted us about an hour ago, so the Panameños are surely relived to know that he is safe.
That's all for now. I will send another update on Monday
Saludos, Marko
EARTHQUAKE HITS PERU
Below are excerpts from emails written to us from Marko Dolan (Program and Training Officer) during this natural disaster, which occured on Wednesday August 15th 2007.
AUGUST 15TH 2007
As most of you know, last night at approximately 6:40pm an earthquake measuring 8.0 struck the department of Ica with Pisco and Chincha the most effected. There are reported to be more than 450 deaths and 1,500 injured. Lima and Arequipa were also effected by the earthquake, but damage was considerably less with only one fatality reported. Regarding Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff, we feel extremely fortunate that the five Volunteers working in Ica were not in the department at the time. They are safe and accounted for.
The roads are transitable from Lima to Pisco, but only passenger vehicles are allowed since at least one of the bridges between Ica and Pisco has suffered structural damage. Due to safety concerns, however, Volunteer travel to Ica is prohibited until further notice.
On the positive side, all planned programming and training events will take place as scheduled. Despite the intensity of the earthquake, neither the training center nor the Surco office were effected.
In response this natural disaster we have activated the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) putting all Volunteers are on "Alert " status. What this means is that we are in the process of contacting all of you to make sure you are okay and are aware of last night's earthquake. So far, we have contacted almost everyone, but we are still unable to get a hold of the following Volunteers:
Susannah Brower
Rachel Levy
If anyone knows there whereabouts please let us know. We need to speak to them directly in order to complete the instructions detailed in the EAP.
Lastly, if you haven't contacted your family I would highly recommend that you at least write them. PC/Washington has received many calls and emails from concerned parents requesting news.
Thanks for your understanding during these difficult times. Our prayers go out to the towns and communities of Ica.
Keep safe and I will send out another update tomorrow.
Marko
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Independence day on Santa Cruz
On the 25th of July Peace Corps invited Khaliah and I to speak on a diversity panel in Lima . The new training center is now located in Chacalacayo a town much closer to the PC office than Santa Eulalia. Khaliah (a Black PCV), Dennis (an Asian PCV), Hannah (a Jewish PCV) and myself shared our experiences to the new aspirantes. They are a talented group of new trainees soon to be PCVs in just a few weeks. During my training I immensely enjoyed the visits from current volunteers. They were much more interesting than staff members and easier to relate to knowing that we too would assume their role. Every volunteer led portion of training was my favorite part. Knowing this, it was exciting to be invited back. Each of us on the panel answered a series of prepared questions such as, What challenges have you encountered based on your situation?, and Are there advantages to being a minority volunteer? After the session, I talked with some of the trainees individually and many commended me for coming out to Juan. It´s wonderful to meet strangers who because of their home country accept and embrace differences. I rarely feel that in Peru.
That night I took an overnight bus from Lima to Caraz, Ancash ( 8 hours). I met up with Katie and Mia. We packed up some last minute food items and took off on our trek. None of us have extensive trekking experience but we had been told that Santa Cruz was a great 4 day, 3 night trek for beginners. By starting on a Thursday and we knew we would end on Sunday the 29th. We drove out of Caraz to Cashapampa where we met Victor the ariero ( encargado de los burros) at the Parque Nacional Huascarán. Victor loaded our bags on his donkeys and we entered the park. It was 11am. Our goal was to arrive at the first base camp by passing through the Santa Cruz ravine to Lake Ichiqcocha. At 4:30pm we arrived and Victor had set up the tents. It began to get cold and dark. We were all exhausted. Katie began cooking on the gas stove (no open fires in the park!) while Mia and I unloaded the other bags and prepared the sleeping arrangements. The brown rice and tomato soup was wonderful. We were so tired that as the sun set at 6:30pm we piled in our tents and fell asleep by 8pm. It began to rain. That following day we woke up early to a frost and cooked breakfast-oatmeal, fruit, eggs, and bread. Mia and I washed up by a stream, filled up our water bottles and returned to the camp. This second day was much easier, since sleeping well. Victor said we would only need to hike until mid day to reach the second camp. As we hiked through the valley we I looked up at some of the surrounding mountains of Aguja (5888m), Pumapampa (5582m) and Caraz (6020m). I felt incredibly at home passing these ancient landforms. What a view! As we crossed streams , winding paths, and other hikers, we slowly came upon the most beautiful mountain range I´ve ever seen.
Three snow capped peaks welcomed us into their arms at base camp 2. I was annoyed to be setting up camp at 1pm since I was still feeling strong for another couple of hours of hiking. Victor knew best. It was almost impossible to make the pass between mountains and arrive at base camp 3 in the same day. It would be too dangerous in the snowy/icy conditions at such altitudes. We needed time to acclimatize and rest for day 3. Since it was still early we hung out with some German friends we had met, talking and listening to music. It began to sprinkle, for fear of a down pour, we prepared a small meal and stayed in the tents until sun rise.
On day three we got out of the tent and frost had covered it. It began to snow! This was my first snowfall in Perú. The flurries covered our bags and equipment as we packed for the day´s hike. I filmed a panoramic of the site. We were surrounded by Alpamayo (5947m), Ririjirca (5810m) and Artesonraju (6025m). How spectacular! As the sun rose, clouds cleared showing the true beauty of these three peaks. We ate a full breakfast and took off to the right side of Ririjirca. As we climbed, a brilliant blue lake was located out of view in a crevasse of the peak. Our trail winded up and around the lake and up to Punta Unión (4750m) the pass between two peaks. We rested at the top with Victor and began the accent passing smaller lakes to the Huaripampa ravine. We camped that evening in Colcabamba and noticed the change in altitude. At 3300m it was dry and not nearly as cold at night. It didn´t rain but Sunday morning we woke up in a wet tent. The floor had leaked, or a nalgene bottle opened in the night. Luckily I stayed dry on top of my therma-rest and mummy bag. Mia, Katie and I were ready to end the trip, knowing we just had a few more hours to hike to Vaquería (3700m) where we would look for transportation to Yungay. It took only 2.5 hours to hike into Vaquería, but an hour to load the van, and three hours to drive to Yungay (including the repair of a flat tire). From Yungay we contracted a taxi to Caraz to unload at Mia´s apt. That night we drove to Huaraz and stayed in La Colmena- hands down the best hostel in Ancash!
--
Matthew R. Lindsley, BSN, RN
Voluntario de Cuerpo de Paz
Carata, La Libertad, Perú
That night I took an overnight bus from Lima to Caraz, Ancash ( 8 hours). I met up with Katie and Mia. We packed up some last minute food items and took off on our trek. None of us have extensive trekking experience but we had been told that Santa Cruz was a great 4 day, 3 night trek for beginners. By starting on a Thursday and we knew we would end on Sunday the 29th. We drove out of Caraz to Cashapampa where we met Victor the ariero ( encargado de los burros) at the Parque Nacional Huascarán. Victor loaded our bags on his donkeys and we entered the park. It was 11am. Our goal was to arrive at the first base camp by passing through the Santa Cruz ravine to Lake Ichiqcocha. At 4:30pm we arrived and Victor had set up the tents. It began to get cold and dark. We were all exhausted. Katie began cooking on the gas stove (no open fires in the park!) while Mia and I unloaded the other bags and prepared the sleeping arrangements. The brown rice and tomato soup was wonderful. We were so tired that as the sun set at 6:30pm we piled in our tents and fell asleep by 8pm. It began to rain. That following day we woke up early to a frost and cooked breakfast-oatmeal, fruit, eggs, and bread. Mia and I washed up by a stream, filled up our water bottles and returned to the camp. This second day was much easier, since sleeping well. Victor said we would only need to hike until mid day to reach the second camp. As we hiked through the valley we I looked up at some of the surrounding mountains of Aguja (5888m), Pumapampa (5582m) and Caraz (6020m). I felt incredibly at home passing these ancient landforms. What a view! As we crossed streams , winding paths, and other hikers, we slowly came upon the most beautiful mountain range I´ve ever seen.
Three snow capped peaks welcomed us into their arms at base camp 2. I was annoyed to be setting up camp at 1pm since I was still feeling strong for another couple of hours of hiking. Victor knew best. It was almost impossible to make the pass between mountains and arrive at base camp 3 in the same day. It would be too dangerous in the snowy/icy conditions at such altitudes. We needed time to acclimatize and rest for day 3. Since it was still early we hung out with some German friends we had met, talking and listening to music. It began to sprinkle, for fear of a down pour, we prepared a small meal and stayed in the tents until sun rise.
On day three we got out of the tent and frost had covered it. It began to snow! This was my first snowfall in Perú. The flurries covered our bags and equipment as we packed for the day´s hike. I filmed a panoramic of the site. We were surrounded by Alpamayo (5947m), Ririjirca (5810m) and Artesonraju (6025m). How spectacular! As the sun rose, clouds cleared showing the true beauty of these three peaks. We ate a full breakfast and took off to the right side of Ririjirca. As we climbed, a brilliant blue lake was located out of view in a crevasse of the peak. Our trail winded up and around the lake and up to Punta Unión (4750m) the pass between two peaks. We rested at the top with Victor and began the accent passing smaller lakes to the Huaripampa ravine. We camped that evening in Colcabamba and noticed the change in altitude. At 3300m it was dry and not nearly as cold at night. It didn´t rain but Sunday morning we woke up in a wet tent. The floor had leaked, or a nalgene bottle opened in the night. Luckily I stayed dry on top of my therma-rest and mummy bag. Mia, Katie and I were ready to end the trip, knowing we just had a few more hours to hike to Vaquería (3700m) where we would look for transportation to Yungay. It took only 2.5 hours to hike into Vaquería, but an hour to load the van, and three hours to drive to Yungay (including the repair of a flat tire). From Yungay we contracted a taxi to Caraz to unload at Mia´s apt. That night we drove to Huaraz and stayed in La Colmena- hands down the best hostel in Ancash!
--
Matthew R. Lindsley, BSN, RN
Voluntario de Cuerpo de Paz
Carata, La Libertad, Perú
Sunday, July 08, 2007
News-Noticias-News-Read all about it!
Peruvian Mines Exploit Child Labor
Huamachuco. In recognition of child’s rights day a disturbing news story was uncovered close to Carata, ( 80 km North) in the mountains of La Libertad. Non-formal artisan gold mines have existed for years. Owned by private small companies, they’ve been digging into mountain-sides on their own land. It wasn’t until larger companies like Barrick for example who have had success and prospered from their work; other mining operations popped up and decided to search for their piece of the pie. Because they are small family owned mining businesses the same rules and regulations do not apply. The laws are very loose, and therefore can be bent. And like many Peruvian independent businesses, corruption and exploitation run rampid.
Minors are being offered $2-3 a day for working in these dangerous mines, which at any moment could tumble, suffocation those inside. 8-15 year old boys wake up early in the morning and instead of heading off to school they hike up the mountain side where they meet the Forman who puts them to work sorting rocks, sifting through pebbles and other back breaking activities. To make matters worse, open pools of cyanide help speed up the process of identifying the precious gold when dissolved properly. One boy testified that he accidentally got trace amounts of the deadly chemical on his hands and he was burned severely. A bird drank from the open pool and died instantly.
When reporters eventually contacted the owner of this non-formal mine (he refused an interview) he denied that minors were being exploited or that his mine was breaking federal laws. His workers prevented a second camera crew to the site arguing that it was private property. The local municipality and police are turning a blind eye to such an obvious ring of child labor profit gain. The mayor of the district was also “shocked” but sources say he has been connected to by way of bribes and fraudulent activity for years.
Teachers and Physicians On Strike
Lima. In mid June Peruvian physicians went on strike, refusing to work until some grievance is remedied. Since recently other health care professional have joined the doc’s, by closing their hospitals, health centers and posts and only attending to emergencies. Most professionals are outraged with the amount of work and the small pay received for such long hours. One nurse who preferred to remain anonymous stated,
“It’s an outrage really; we are forced to make all kinds of sacrifices, and for what? Our government does not appreciate us, nor do our patients!”
Health care professionals are expected to return to work relatively soon, but the teachers are just getting started. On July 5th they instituted a national strike, and although only 15% of teachers in the department (state) of Lima participated, they were out in full force. In some parts of Lima and Junin, police were forced to use tear gas to prevent crowds from rushing governmental buildings. The teachers state they will continue the strike indefinitely until changes are made.
The Peruvian government feels no pity for the teachers, because they know that the majority are unmotivated, uneducated adults that want more rights and more pay and less responsibility. The teachers believe that the government wants to privatize the education system, leaving them out of work. When in reality, the board of education wants to train the low achieving teachers to help improve their abilities. The president, Alan Garcia states that those teachers who participated in the strike on July 5th will be sanctioned, as will their principals and superintendent who declared the day off. Furthermore, for everyday that teachers are not working, they won’t be paid, and replacement teachers will be sent to their schools.
Telefonica Gets Cut Short
Callao. In a country where cell phones are becoming affordable and service reaches many rural areas, one may think telephone land lines are a thing of the past. Actually, it’s costing Perú much more to lay lines than build towers. But not for the most logical reason. Although mobile phone use is growing, that hasn’t stopped the telephone company giant, Telefonica from installing land lines in those places-especially urban areas- where pay phones and home and business installments are needed. Telefonica may need to reconsider every new connection due to a new scam that is plaguing the telecommunication industry. The scam is costing so much damage, that it’s probably cheaper to continue building cell towers than connect traditional cable from pole to pole.
Here’s how the scam works. Scrap metal companies hire crooks to climb phone poles to cut and steal the cable. Even meters are stolen from the poles, leaving them barren. The goods are sorted back at a warehouse where the copper is removed from every working part of the meters and cable. Copper can be sold for a much as $20 by the kg. but not in Perú, in China. You guessed it; the stolen copper is being exported and sold on the black market in China.
Telefonica has received hundreds of calls from pay phone users who pump coins into a dead system. They’ve had to recall every site that gets stripped of its lines. The most ironic part about the scam is that a few men have been electrocuted to death climbing poles and cutting live wires. Other criminals have been caught (alive), and many warehouses have been discovered by the police. In a society struggling to develop, their own people prevent the progress by such foolish acts.
“In reality I believe that economic advancement and respect for individual rights are closely linked. Society cannot fully maximize its economic advantage without granting its people civil and political rights.” Dalai Lama
Monday, June 18, 2007
june brings joys and struggles
June 15th 2007
I’m sitting here in my room with a laptop and cat on top of me. Trying to type. He’s a pretty well behaved cat, much more civilized than Saltamonte, who we had for 6 months last year. Tarapoto is orange and white. He’s been purring since the day he arrived from Otuzco, and hasn’t stopped. I’m really the only cat lover in the house and he knows it, so he’s naturally formed a fondness for my lap. Physically I’m feeling better, after being sick for over a week. Earlier in the month I had this nagging cough that wouldn’t go away, than it continued into muscle aches, diarrhea, and a general malaise. I was having trouble sleeping, but still able to go about day-to-day activities as long as I didn’t exert any strength. I didn’t have energy. I started feeling well for a couple of days, and than one afternoon out of no where I threw up! That night I was feeling the same symptoms. By the next day I was almost 100% better. How strange. I almost always blame my sickness (which is usually diarrhea) on the inadequately prepared foods in my site, and everywhere else I eat. But my host family thinks it could be contact with animals, the dogs and cat in the house. Who knows? They also think that it’s bad luck to sweep at night, and won’t mix bananas and milk together.
Before I leave Peru I’m going to make a list of familiar beliefs- some are just hilarious. And some American ones are too…. I mean side walk cracks?
I invited two fellow volunteers to my site for a weekend at the end of May. It hadn’t rained for almost 2 weeks and was turning into the dry season. Isaac and Khaliah had never been to Carata and were looking for a break from their costal sites. Both live within two hours of Trujillo, from the north and south, whereas I live to the east of the city. They got permission from PC to visit and we planned a presentation about their work to my villagers. They arrived on a Friday afternoon and I hiked down to Motil to meet them. We got to Carata in the dark. The next morning I showed them around town, and we prepared for our afternoon presentation in the health post. I was surprised to see my new health promoters and some town authorities strolling in –late but as the saying is, better late than never. Mejor tarde que nunca…
Isaac spoke about trash disposal and environmental work and Khaliah presented her success stories with her health promoters from the community of Chao. I enjoyed taking a back seat role for once. The locals took pleasure in meeting other volunteers and were curious about where they were from, Isaac being from San Diego and Khaliah from Tampa.
We planned to camp sat. night and brought all our equipment down to a beautiful site away from the center of town on a quite hillside. Our camp fire was quickly going as the sun set. We made some grilled cheese sandwiches and s’mores for the locals and explained the tradition of camping to a couple of them who live close by. The culture of “camping” isn’t very common in the region where I live, tourists typically visit other parts of the Andes, especially the department of Ancash. The villagers in Carata had never even seen a tent and thought it was pretty strange that we were going to spend the whole night outside. I tried to explain that it was no different than the huts they make alongside their potato fields where they act as Shepard’s to prevent theft. I need to start making more grilled cheese sandwiches, if only we had sandwich bread locally!
I’ve been to a couple of other volunteers sites, and have really enjoyed it. Every community is so different especially if you factor the varying climate and weather. Costal communities are different than sierra communities and in between the two there’s a wonderful mix of low altitude tropical areas where pineapple and bananas are grown. The ecosystems range from dessert to dry forest to wet high altitude and productive vegetable fields and green hillsides with tree farms.. It’s quite a range. I pass through all of this from the route I take out of Carata to the coast. Aside from the nature aspect of visiting others, I’ve enjoyed hearing about peoples projects, meeting their families and counterparts and thinking about how their day to day life is similar and different than mine. PC told us we should never compare sites, but we always do, everything from language differences to food, to customs. I think in the end Khaliah and Isaac enjoyed Carata. We even filmed a little with Isaac’s new cam.
I’m trying to stay focused on work and give it my all during this last 6 months. I’ve got a lot of things juggling around at the same time, my tooth brushing club, a clean classroom contest, health promoter trainings, the potable water project, a youth camp and the beginning of our grant project. Maria is insisting that I help complete home visits, and a teacher training. Merli and I have been playing a lot of volleyball, since the weather is consistently sunny.
My program director, Emilia comes to visit on July 2nd, Peace Corps makes a habit of trying to visit each volunteer 2-3 times during their service. Our sites are so far from the main office that usually our program directors won’t make it on every visit but a local coordinator or security official will come in place of them. I’ve had more than my share of visitors since arriving in 2005. Language teachers, trainees, my doctor and other program directors and security staff have come for the day or stayed a couple of days.
Emilia and I are going to meet with Maria and talk primarily about my work load- which is getting to be too much to handle. As Maria’s health promotion assignments pile up, she has been putting more and more on me. And the more I refuse the worse it gets. I was so feed up in May with the situation that I put Emilia and Maria on the phone together. And even though they talked, nothing changed. The route of the problem is that Maria’s org. MINSA (the Ministry of Health) bases their work principals on quantity instead of quality programs. And Peace Corps believes in quality programs, regardless of the amount. Ideally I’d rather do 3 quality projects than 10 poorly done projects. Lógico.
In fact the Ministry of Health has such high standards and tries to do so much that their employees can’t possibly attain all of the goals. So what do they do? For fear of loosing their job, staff members falsify documents, lying about programming certain events or hosting community meetings, or visiting houses. Last year Maria’s supervisors insisted that we hold three informative sessions on rabies. When I refused to do it (because I was too busy with other assignments and didn’t think rabies was that important) Maria made up false documentation saying that we taught the three sessions.
It’s quite sad for everyone because the patients loose out, the staff become masters at deception, and in the end state documents which are sent to the higher governmental levels are plainly artificial and meaningless. The current system hurts the progress of the country. A country that needs to progress. I’d bet that it’s safe to say half of all health care documents are manipulated in some way, from tiny changes to complete fabrication of data. The Ministry of Health needs to re-evaluate their goals, and make the proper changes to make things more realistic, more attainable and thus producing better results. As I felt overwhelmed when first arriving to Carata, due to the amount of work to be done, I soon realized I couldn’t change everything. I had to focus on a few manageable tasks. Unfortunately the government who oversees health policy has yet to grasp that idea.
I feel stuck between a dysfunctional Peruvian system and my own organization’s program goals that I agree with.
Compromise has been a struggle. Emilia wants me to focus on fewer projects while Maria insists that I help more on assignments that I don’t even want to do! And she doesn’t take no for an answer. I told her I don’t have time nor agree with monitoring four communities’ water systems. She begged, and in the end, as a last resort stated, “It’s easy, just make it up. Have anyone sign the documents”. I refuse to work like that, doing half-ass projects. That’s the last thing that Peru needs! She gets angry when I can’t help, and tries to guilt me into it. All because it’s her head their going to have. I’ve said many times, “These are your responsibilities, not mine; your organization is asking you to complete outrageous tasks, not mine. I will help you when I can, but ultimately you’re responsible. If you can’t handle the work load, talk to your supervisor instead of being immoral!” Moreover, Maria doesn’t understand my role. I’m available to assist, but not to be taken advantage of. Peace Corps and the local agency should collaborate together. So when Emilia comes for her final check-up of my site, we’re going to have a discussion with Maria. Putting feelings aside, the truth will emerge. And based on our conversation, maybe Carata will get a replacement volunteer maybe not.
At least I can look forward to a little reprieve, when my Mom and Knox come August 1st. Before their arrival I’m going on a hiking trip through Santa Cruz for 4 days (I’m postponing Huayhuash until after service). And than meeting the two in Lima for another vacation to Cusco where we’re taking an alternative route to Machu Picchu. I’m more than excited and knowing that these trips are coming up, it has helped me get through the drama in Carata.
“We can see that all the desirable experiences that we cherish or aspire to attain are dependent upon cooperation and interaction with other sentient beings” - Dalai Lama
Thank you for sending birthday wishes my way, Sunday the 17th had a bizarre start but good ending!
I’m sitting here in my room with a laptop and cat on top of me. Trying to type. He’s a pretty well behaved cat, much more civilized than Saltamonte, who we had for 6 months last year. Tarapoto is orange and white. He’s been purring since the day he arrived from Otuzco, and hasn’t stopped. I’m really the only cat lover in the house and he knows it, so he’s naturally formed a fondness for my lap. Physically I’m feeling better, after being sick for over a week. Earlier in the month I had this nagging cough that wouldn’t go away, than it continued into muscle aches, diarrhea, and a general malaise. I was having trouble sleeping, but still able to go about day-to-day activities as long as I didn’t exert any strength. I didn’t have energy. I started feeling well for a couple of days, and than one afternoon out of no where I threw up! That night I was feeling the same symptoms. By the next day I was almost 100% better. How strange. I almost always blame my sickness (which is usually diarrhea) on the inadequately prepared foods in my site, and everywhere else I eat. But my host family thinks it could be contact with animals, the dogs and cat in the house. Who knows? They also think that it’s bad luck to sweep at night, and won’t mix bananas and milk together.
Before I leave Peru I’m going to make a list of familiar beliefs- some are just hilarious. And some American ones are too…. I mean side walk cracks?
I invited two fellow volunteers to my site for a weekend at the end of May. It hadn’t rained for almost 2 weeks and was turning into the dry season. Isaac and Khaliah had never been to Carata and were looking for a break from their costal sites. Both live within two hours of Trujillo, from the north and south, whereas I live to the east of the city. They got permission from PC to visit and we planned a presentation about their work to my villagers. They arrived on a Friday afternoon and I hiked down to Motil to meet them. We got to Carata in the dark. The next morning I showed them around town, and we prepared for our afternoon presentation in the health post. I was surprised to see my new health promoters and some town authorities strolling in –late but as the saying is, better late than never. Mejor tarde que nunca…
Isaac spoke about trash disposal and environmental work and Khaliah presented her success stories with her health promoters from the community of Chao. I enjoyed taking a back seat role for once. The locals took pleasure in meeting other volunteers and were curious about where they were from, Isaac being from San Diego and Khaliah from Tampa.
We planned to camp sat. night and brought all our equipment down to a beautiful site away from the center of town on a quite hillside. Our camp fire was quickly going as the sun set. We made some grilled cheese sandwiches and s’mores for the locals and explained the tradition of camping to a couple of them who live close by. The culture of “camping” isn’t very common in the region where I live, tourists typically visit other parts of the Andes, especially the department of Ancash. The villagers in Carata had never even seen a tent and thought it was pretty strange that we were going to spend the whole night outside. I tried to explain that it was no different than the huts they make alongside their potato fields where they act as Shepard’s to prevent theft. I need to start making more grilled cheese sandwiches, if only we had sandwich bread locally!
I’ve been to a couple of other volunteers sites, and have really enjoyed it. Every community is so different especially if you factor the varying climate and weather. Costal communities are different than sierra communities and in between the two there’s a wonderful mix of low altitude tropical areas where pineapple and bananas are grown. The ecosystems range from dessert to dry forest to wet high altitude and productive vegetable fields and green hillsides with tree farms.. It’s quite a range. I pass through all of this from the route I take out of Carata to the coast. Aside from the nature aspect of visiting others, I’ve enjoyed hearing about peoples projects, meeting their families and counterparts and thinking about how their day to day life is similar and different than mine. PC told us we should never compare sites, but we always do, everything from language differences to food, to customs. I think in the end Khaliah and Isaac enjoyed Carata. We even filmed a little with Isaac’s new cam.
I’m trying to stay focused on work and give it my all during this last 6 months. I’ve got a lot of things juggling around at the same time, my tooth brushing club, a clean classroom contest, health promoter trainings, the potable water project, a youth camp and the beginning of our grant project. Maria is insisting that I help complete home visits, and a teacher training. Merli and I have been playing a lot of volleyball, since the weather is consistently sunny.
My program director, Emilia comes to visit on July 2nd, Peace Corps makes a habit of trying to visit each volunteer 2-3 times during their service. Our sites are so far from the main office that usually our program directors won’t make it on every visit but a local coordinator or security official will come in place of them. I’ve had more than my share of visitors since arriving in 2005. Language teachers, trainees, my doctor and other program directors and security staff have come for the day or stayed a couple of days.
Emilia and I are going to meet with Maria and talk primarily about my work load- which is getting to be too much to handle. As Maria’s health promotion assignments pile up, she has been putting more and more on me. And the more I refuse the worse it gets. I was so feed up in May with the situation that I put Emilia and Maria on the phone together. And even though they talked, nothing changed. The route of the problem is that Maria’s org. MINSA (the Ministry of Health) bases their work principals on quantity instead of quality programs. And Peace Corps believes in quality programs, regardless of the amount. Ideally I’d rather do 3 quality projects than 10 poorly done projects. Lógico.
In fact the Ministry of Health has such high standards and tries to do so much that their employees can’t possibly attain all of the goals. So what do they do? For fear of loosing their job, staff members falsify documents, lying about programming certain events or hosting community meetings, or visiting houses. Last year Maria’s supervisors insisted that we hold three informative sessions on rabies. When I refused to do it (because I was too busy with other assignments and didn’t think rabies was that important) Maria made up false documentation saying that we taught the three sessions.
It’s quite sad for everyone because the patients loose out, the staff become masters at deception, and in the end state documents which are sent to the higher governmental levels are plainly artificial and meaningless. The current system hurts the progress of the country. A country that needs to progress. I’d bet that it’s safe to say half of all health care documents are manipulated in some way, from tiny changes to complete fabrication of data. The Ministry of Health needs to re-evaluate their goals, and make the proper changes to make things more realistic, more attainable and thus producing better results. As I felt overwhelmed when first arriving to Carata, due to the amount of work to be done, I soon realized I couldn’t change everything. I had to focus on a few manageable tasks. Unfortunately the government who oversees health policy has yet to grasp that idea.
I feel stuck between a dysfunctional Peruvian system and my own organization’s program goals that I agree with.
Compromise has been a struggle. Emilia wants me to focus on fewer projects while Maria insists that I help more on assignments that I don’t even want to do! And she doesn’t take no for an answer. I told her I don’t have time nor agree with monitoring four communities’ water systems. She begged, and in the end, as a last resort stated, “It’s easy, just make it up. Have anyone sign the documents”. I refuse to work like that, doing half-ass projects. That’s the last thing that Peru needs! She gets angry when I can’t help, and tries to guilt me into it. All because it’s her head their going to have. I’ve said many times, “These are your responsibilities, not mine; your organization is asking you to complete outrageous tasks, not mine. I will help you when I can, but ultimately you’re responsible. If you can’t handle the work load, talk to your supervisor instead of being immoral!” Moreover, Maria doesn’t understand my role. I’m available to assist, but not to be taken advantage of. Peace Corps and the local agency should collaborate together. So when Emilia comes for her final check-up of my site, we’re going to have a discussion with Maria. Putting feelings aside, the truth will emerge. And based on our conversation, maybe Carata will get a replacement volunteer maybe not.
At least I can look forward to a little reprieve, when my Mom and Knox come August 1st. Before their arrival I’m going on a hiking trip through Santa Cruz for 4 days (I’m postponing Huayhuash until after service). And than meeting the two in Lima for another vacation to Cusco where we’re taking an alternative route to Machu Picchu. I’m more than excited and knowing that these trips are coming up, it has helped me get through the drama in Carata.
“We can see that all the desirable experiences that we cherish or aspire to attain are dependent upon cooperation and interaction with other sentient beings” - Dalai Lama
Thank you for sending birthday wishes my way, Sunday the 17th had a bizarre start but good ending!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
¨Keepin´it retro, expected from the get-go, let my mind shine like a halo..¨
Hi Everyone, Your emails have kept me going, thanks for continuing to write them. I haven’t always written you back, mostly due to the lack of an internet connection, and a well constructed reply which I would rather draft from my laptop than an Internet Café. With that said, this letter was written 2 weeks ago…..
Life as a PC volunteer continues, since arriving in 2005 I’m taking on the status as a seasoned volunteer while the months pass. It’s exciting to help train and guide the newbies when they arrive. (2 new training groups arrive a year). We’ll be expecting “Peru 9” in June, a group of roughly 30, half belonging to a Youth Development program, and the other half, Small Business Management. I may be asked to speak on a diversity panel during their training in Lima to discuss my experiences as a gay man. (I’m currently 1 of 2 “out” volunteers!) Out being a loose term, because I’m certainly not out to everyone, mostly staff and volunteers.
As for work, I’ve become busy.?! The pace however is nothing compared to the American lifestyle. I haven’t completed a full 8 hour workday in months! Hey, I’m not complaining. Since January we’ve (the community that is) have organized a couple of projects/programs to keep the gringo ocupado. We’ve written a grant to fund a training for a water committee, organized a 6 month “clean classroom contest”, recruited local health promoters, completed many house visits, and alongside other PCV’s, we’re planning a boys camp in August. The grant was recently approved by Washington and we should be executing the project during the month of June! What a relief! In addition to this project the local government has decided to finance a $42,000 potable water renovation. After months of meeting with local authorities and pressuring them to act, they’ve come through. And put the money where their mouth is!
I’m committed to staying in Carata until Dec. 5th, which will be my last day and exactly 2 years from the date I arrived. I’m in the process of asking for a replacement volunteer to continue the work with locals, and help sustain specific projects. This is all exciting and terrifying at the same time. The locals are already acting funny about me leaving- 6 months too early! I’m sure it will be a mix of feelings when saying goodbye. The family I’ve met here are irreplaceable. I just don’t want a big party-Peruvian parties are horrible. (Imagine broken beer bottles, bad music and even worse dancing)
Ok, so in the mean time….Before I permanently leave Peru, there’s at least one more vacation I’m planning. A group of us are organizing a 9 day trek in July through the “Cordillera Huayhuash” (pronounced “why-wash”). Cordillera means range in Spanish. This is one of the most well know ranges of the central Andes. If you’ve seen the documentary- Touching the Void you’ve seen Huayhuash. It’s absolutely amazing, although we’ll see snow capped peaks in the distance- we will not be ice climbing! The 165km circuit reaches heights of 6000m and higher. I live at 3200m in Carata. It’s warm during the day, with cold nights all year-round.
We’ll be crossing 5 high passes through turquoise glacial lakes, open valleys, and forests teeming with rare species of plants and birds. (I saw an endangered condor last year on a hike close to this region). Many former PC groups have done this trip-but it is not easy. The altitude and length of the trip is intense. Upon returning, those that I’ve talked to, describe it as a spiritual experience.
I’ve learned a lot about the mountains since living here, but this trip is going to be a challenge. Let me tell you a couple more things before asking questions. We’re renting a guide, porters, and donkeys to carry some of our gear and food. We’re going with a recommended company. Every night we’ll be tent camping. The staff will cook with us. I’m guessing we’ll be a group of 10-12 max. The weather changes frequently, with highs and lows and likely rain. (Although it’s considered the dry season in July, I know it will rain at least once!)
With all of these being said, I need to know:
What’s the most important food to pack? In what quantities?
How much water should I bring? (for my own consumption)
How can we prevent common injuries, altitude sickness, or diarrhea?
What are the necessities that I should include in a med kit?
Aside from the usual tents, sleeping bags, and camping supplies should we rent anything special like rope, tarps, or fire wood?
Since the trip is far enough away, I’ve got time to plan. Your suggestions are welcomed!
P.S. SpiderMan 3 was a waste of money! Great effects, but horrible acting! What happened Toby and Kirsten?
Life as a PC volunteer continues, since arriving in 2005 I’m taking on the status as a seasoned volunteer while the months pass. It’s exciting to help train and guide the newbies when they arrive. (2 new training groups arrive a year). We’ll be expecting “Peru 9” in June, a group of roughly 30, half belonging to a Youth Development program, and the other half, Small Business Management. I may be asked to speak on a diversity panel during their training in Lima to discuss my experiences as a gay man. (I’m currently 1 of 2 “out” volunteers!) Out being a loose term, because I’m certainly not out to everyone, mostly staff and volunteers.
As for work, I’ve become busy.?! The pace however is nothing compared to the American lifestyle. I haven’t completed a full 8 hour workday in months! Hey, I’m not complaining. Since January we’ve (the community that is) have organized a couple of projects/programs to keep the gringo ocupado. We’ve written a grant to fund a training for a water committee, organized a 6 month “clean classroom contest”, recruited local health promoters, completed many house visits, and alongside other PCV’s, we’re planning a boys camp in August. The grant was recently approved by Washington and we should be executing the project during the month of June! What a relief! In addition to this project the local government has decided to finance a $42,000 potable water renovation. After months of meeting with local authorities and pressuring them to act, they’ve come through. And put the money where their mouth is!
I’m committed to staying in Carata until Dec. 5th, which will be my last day and exactly 2 years from the date I arrived. I’m in the process of asking for a replacement volunteer to continue the work with locals, and help sustain specific projects. This is all exciting and terrifying at the same time. The locals are already acting funny about me leaving- 6 months too early! I’m sure it will be a mix of feelings when saying goodbye. The family I’ve met here are irreplaceable. I just don’t want a big party-Peruvian parties are horrible. (Imagine broken beer bottles, bad music and even worse dancing)
Ok, so in the mean time….Before I permanently leave Peru, there’s at least one more vacation I’m planning. A group of us are organizing a 9 day trek in July through the “Cordillera Huayhuash” (pronounced “why-wash”). Cordillera means range in Spanish. This is one of the most well know ranges of the central Andes. If you’ve seen the documentary- Touching the Void you’ve seen Huayhuash. It’s absolutely amazing, although we’ll see snow capped peaks in the distance- we will not be ice climbing! The 165km circuit reaches heights of 6000m and higher. I live at 3200m in Carata. It’s warm during the day, with cold nights all year-round.
We’ll be crossing 5 high passes through turquoise glacial lakes, open valleys, and forests teeming with rare species of plants and birds. (I saw an endangered condor last year on a hike close to this region). Many former PC groups have done this trip-but it is not easy. The altitude and length of the trip is intense. Upon returning, those that I’ve talked to, describe it as a spiritual experience.
I’ve learned a lot about the mountains since living here, but this trip is going to be a challenge. Let me tell you a couple more things before asking questions. We’re renting a guide, porters, and donkeys to carry some of our gear and food. We’re going with a recommended company. Every night we’ll be tent camping. The staff will cook with us. I’m guessing we’ll be a group of 10-12 max. The weather changes frequently, with highs and lows and likely rain. (Although it’s considered the dry season in July, I know it will rain at least once!)
With all of these being said, I need to know:
What’s the most important food to pack? In what quantities?
How much water should I bring? (for my own consumption)
How can we prevent common injuries, altitude sickness, or diarrhea?
What are the necessities that I should include in a med kit?
Aside from the usual tents, sleeping bags, and camping supplies should we rent anything special like rope, tarps, or fire wood?
Since the trip is far enough away, I’ve got time to plan. Your suggestions are welcomed!
P.S. SpiderMan 3 was a waste of money! Great effects, but horrible acting! What happened Toby and Kirsten?
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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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