So our family rocked Peru, from north to south, jungle to coast to sierra. We had an absolutely amazing time. Kudos to Kristyn for organizing such a great itenerary – it was perfectly paced. Kudos to Dad for making it all happen and making us laugh the whole time. Kudos to Mom for her iron will, good nature, willingness to patiently put up with anything, and always making things bright! I´m so proud to call all of you, mom, dad, and Kristyn, my family. The way in which you embraced the Peruvian experience shows what wonderful people you truly are!!
I was greeted at the airport with huge smiles and hugs – depsite the fact that my family hadn´t slept in over a day – and a bag of fresh homemade cookies that I proceded to finish off that same day. Thanks Aunt Joyce. Sorry Brian. We enjoyed the mellow city of Piura for a day and a half. My family saw the outdoor market (Dad liked the hanging meat section…you can only immagine the body parts, and my mom loved all the fresh fruit stands). I inducted them to the wonderful tastes of local fruit: chirimoya, pepino, granadia, etc. I think we felt a little like movie stars, because not so many tourists come up this way. Lots of looks. We even posed for a picture that some school girls wanted to take of us! They were so cute and just elated to be in a picture with some North Americans (I know, what´s so special about us?!?!) We ate some ice cream in the main plaza and also paid a visit to the post office lady. She was so excited to finally meet my mom, because she sees countless packages from her every month. She grabbed mom´s hand and said, ¨Oh how nice it is to see the woman who sends her daughter so many things!!¨ It was like they already knew each other, since I´m always telling her stories about my family. So that´s how my mom became friends with a Piuran postal worker!
The next day, off to Sicchez. At first, my family thought the bus ride was cool. You know, everything´s a novelty at first. Sitting next to farm animals, bumping along a dirt road in a crampy shitty seats, the same 6 cumbia songs blasting over and over. My family even made new friends sharing snacks with some little boys. Most of all, they loved the view: costal desert to montane forest in 8 hours.
Sicchez didn´t dissapoint. Our community welcomed my family with the spirited and unrelenting generosity and kindness that I have grown to love them for. By the end of 1.5 days, my family recieved homemade cane sugar-peanut candy from two different people, a bag of fresh harvested peanuts, four papayas, a brick of natural unrefined sugar made from the local cane, a party in their honor, an invitation to a trapiche (rustic bull-powered sugar mill), a tour of the local school and organic garden, a welcoming by the health center employees, and delicious local bean soup and fried bread from my family. Seeing Brian and my´s work, talking to people, and really getting to know our experience in Sicchez made all of us feel so much more complete. My family knows I´m in a great place and now can share in our experiences more fully than before.
Of course, our visit wasn´t complete without a party, lovingly dubbed by my father as ¨Six Isn´t Enough¨. Our loving friends prepared a vegetarian dish (especially for me) and we brought over six large beers to share. Well, of course, they weren´t going to let us be the only ones providing the beer, so the local doctor left and doubled the amount of beer we brought. Now the party was ON! Classic Peruvian style! Kristyn and Mom proved to have natural cumbia dancing capabilites, while my dad invented a new ¨chicken wing¨ style dance. Everyone loved the fact that my family danced, talked, and was really outgoing. Welp, dancing ´til 4am, and a 6am bus ride back down to Piura concluded the Sicchez leg of the trip.
Part 1b: Lima
A few days of luxury in Lima was highly called for, and even better because Brian came down with us to hang out for a few days before the Myers clan left for Cusco. Yes, Lima is an immense city (over 8 million people), and yes, it´s dirty. But it would be a shame for anyone to miss it. The center of Lima is awesome: cool architecture, a huge market, a beautiful plaza de armas, catacombs, Chinatown, a nice bohemian sector, and lots of nice people. Kirstyn won the presegious ¨tourist a la politica¨ award...she saw the Peruvian president Alan Garcia leave the palace while we were waiting for the change of the guard ceremony. Which, by the way, is an odd thing because the guards don´t actually change. (I think my mom was slightly scandalized by that). We also went to a ¨peña´, which is a dinner theater with traditional Peruvian dances. The dancers must have sensed our pseudo Peruvian-ness, because both Brian and I were pulled up on stage to dance. He did a nice wayno (traditional sierran dance) and I did some sexy Afro-Peruvian thing where some guy tried to light a cloth on fire that he pinned to my butt. This was avoided by swinging my hips every which way. Brian also brought a new meaning to an all-you-can-eat snack time buffet at our hotel. Let´s just say we took full advantage of the large array of food offerings! Holy shit...salad greens!!!!! We also had the opportunity to visit our old host family in Chosica (where we stayed during the first three months of training). This family is so inquisitive and so happy to meet new people.They were elated to meet my family and served us ¨the best chicken I´ve ever had¨ according to Joan. We had a jolly old time chatting and laughing. Eventually, the painful part of separating took place, pobrecito Brian back to Sícchez and the Myers family on to Cusco...
Part 1c (2a?!?)
Cusco pics:
In honor of the Cusco leg, I will write a poem. Although this will necessarily leave out some details, it embraces the mood. Of course, Machu Picchu was breathtaking!
Arrival...nobody at airport. Oh, who are you guys??? What? There´s a strike?? Extra night, run around, change flight, call jungle, ok. Ready. NO PROBLEM. All aboard to Aguas Caliente. You want to get off the train to hike? Sorry, your papers don´t mean anything...can´t help ya. Thank god for the other tour group, let´s sneak off the train, see you down there mom and dad!! Good hike, kicked some Euro ass, mom in the springs, muddy and cold – dad says they´re gold. Diarrehea begins mom´s next day – failed Machu Picchu attempt. The three people remaining...great tour...you´re still worried about getting back??....what do you mean you still don´t have our return train tickets?!?!....NO PROBLEM, I´ll get em for you says the guide. Cipro kickin in, Joanie makes it up, Dad takes a stumble off the trail, sisters go soakin. Guide finds us, asks for passprots, oh, and..uh.... $124 to buy your train tickets...well, you beter just go to the train station with me. Yeah..uh...the restaurant can lend some money, if you eat dinner there. Twist of fate, Kristyn finds dad- ran the money down. 2 hour wait, will we make it down, will we catch our plane to the jungle? NO PROBLEM says the guide, I´ll call the mafia here. Some negotiating, you gringoes better get out of sight, the mafia doesn´t like doing business with you around. Success!! We got the ticktes, we´ll make it to the jungle! Cheers to the guide, dinner at the mafia restaurant to repay the favor. On the train, arrival to Ollantambo. GO!! We´ve gotta make the plane! RUN to the taxi, HONK, GO, SPEED, race driver taxista, watch out for the blockade of rocks on the raod from the strike, SWIRVE, GO, HONK!!! More rocks!! GOOOOOO!!! Get the bags, what do you mean they´re not here?!? Oh, they´re over there. Where´s our money? The office is closed?? Just wait 5 minutes...money in hand, go to airport, damn, behind a parade, move it trombone! Go, detour, arrival, rest. On the plane to the jungle!
Annnnnd....done!
