A Night of Rats and Holy Water

There is truly never a boring day in the life of a Peace Corps volunteer.  As the Peruvian summer heats up, there seems to be more bugs and critters.  The other night I found a cricket in my slipper - unfortunately I found it by putting my bare foot in the slipper.  Then there are more flies, ants, moths, spiders, and creepy crawleys around.  The worst, though, has to be the rats.  I have heard rustling noises in the night before and wondered if it could be a rat, but never seen one. Therefore I chose to believe it was not. 

Then the other night I saw one run over the roof of the bathroom - a small structure unattached from the rest of the house.  That confirmed they were around my house - and seeing as we have a front door and back door open all hours we are awake, one could reasonably assume they could easily come in the house.  

Tonight as I lay down to try to sleep, despite the oven like temperatures in my room, I once again heard rustling and moving around my room.  I turned on the tiny flashlight - one of the fancy apps of my Nokia phone - and saw a fairly large size rat running around.  Luckily I have started sleeping with my door open due to the heat and the little guy ran out the door to the living room.  I then called my host mom (who prefers to be called host sister) to come help and my 64-year-old overweight aunt came running into my room in nothing but a bra and unzipped skirt (apparently these are her summer pajamas).  My aunt, host mom, and host cousin grabbed brooms and eventually chased the rat out the front door.  I stayed back and let them work while I held my 6-year-old niece Dayana who was scared.  

Once we had gotten the rat out, my host mom proceeded to get out holy water and sprinkle it throughout my room, the house, and even over me as to ask for God's protection from any more rodents.  

Needless to say I was now fully awake but smiling at my always eventful Peruvian life.  Here's to hoping that holy water works and I won't see any more rats...for tonight anyways. 

Welcome 2014 - with changes and challenges to start the year!

The following weeks after Matt left have proved to be difficult as I readjust to a separate life that at times feels incredibly lonely and isolated from my life in the states.  This was both helped and exacerbated by the changes coming to my service. 

I mentioned in my post about training in Chaclacayo discussions with Peace Corps staff about pursuing projects with my passion to advocate for the opportunities and education of children with disabilities.  Staff and I have decided for me to move to a different site in the department of La Libertad where there are more needs and options in special education, while still pursuing projects in the other goals of health, work preparation, and community involvement for youth.  And so this week I have packed up all of my things and will head about 3 hours south to the community of Cartavio in La Libertad to continue my service as a Peace Corps volunteer there.  

I will miss the host family I've been fortunate to join in Ucupe, and will certainly continue to visit them throughout my service in Peru, but I look forward to finding more opportunities to share my skills and help develop more opportunities for youth in the community of Cartvio.  It is scary and nerve racking to essentially be back at the starting line with no idea who I will live with, where I will be living, or what my community is like, but I look forward to being there soon and to joining the volunteers working in the department of La Libertad. 

2014 has much excitement, challenges, and work to be done. And I'm ready to get started! 

GUEST POST: Peru through the eyes of a tourist - Matt Strauss

For well over 4 months I had been anticipating my December trip to Peru, and when it finally began on the 23rd, I had no clue what to expect. After communicating with Caroline for the last 7 months or so while she has been serving in Peru, I have learned quite a bit about the country and I was more than excited to get to experience the culture first hand.

 

My trip began with an overnight flight from Miami to Lima and landing at about 5am. Upon first arriving, it seemed as if I was in any other airport in the US (besides the bilingual signs everywhere) and so I felt fairly comfortable. My first surprise was when I decided to stop by the bathrooms after landing. I anticipated a pretty clean, average public bathroom; but what I got was a restroom that reminded me of the one I used to use at summer camp as a kid, toilet paper and who knows what else all over the place. Anyway, after this experience I grabbed by bags, went through customs, and was reunited with Caroline!

 

Since Caroline has already shared a good amount of details from my trip, I am going to try to focus on detailing different parts of Peruvian culture/life compared to the US that I noticed during my stay (example, airport bathroom).

 

Probably the one thing that stood out to me the most about the culture over the entirety of my trip was how friendly and welcoming Peruvians are (of course, there were a few occasions this did not apply, but there are always going to be those people). Anytime we needed directions, or just had a question about something, somebody was always willing to help us, and treated us very well.

 

One thing I did not anticipate, is how much the level of development varied throughout the country. In Lima it felt almost as if we were back in the US. Starbucks, McDonalds, and Subways were all around, as well as department stores and fancy restaurants (although I have to note, Caroline said we were staying in one of the nicer areas of Lima). Even in one of the nicest areas of the country, there was still occasional lots filled with trash, and buildings that looked like they were about to fall down scattered here and there. This was quite interesting to see, how quickly a neighborhood could change from brand new buildings to trash piles.

 

Back to bathrooms. One of the hardest things for me to get used to was that you cannot, under any circumstances, place tissue in the toilets. Apparently their pipes are not built for this and all trash is disposed of in a little bin next to the facilities. Not too hard to fathom, but a little weird when you are used to flushing it for your entire life. But I digress.

 

Everyday that I was in Peru I experienced or noticed something different. Whether it was trying new food (cows heart anyone?), learning about how to tip in Peru (you usually don’t do it unless at a fancy restaurant), or just looking out the window on a bus (I spent a lot of time doing this); I enjoyed every minute of it, and am glad I now have an increased understanding of the type of life Caroline is living while she is serving.

 

Other random things noticed while in Peru:

• All doorways and openings are not very high. This is slightly inconvenient when you’re over 6 ft tall

⚫ Most things are surprisingly inexpensive when compared to the US.  For example, we stayed at a few hostals that cost us less than $20 a night

⚫However, other things like McDonalds are actually more expensive 

⚫Cruz del Sur has the most comfortable buses, but you get what you pay for $$

⚫Smoking a cigar will attract every person within 5 miles to try to sell you something 

⚫The beer is a little different, but Trujillo is pretty good (and a fun place to visit!) 

Arrival at Lima Airport

On a Cruz del Sur bus to Ica 

Enjoying a cigar - which sometimes meant attracting a lot of attention 

Sharing Peru with Matt

For the past 7 months or so, Matt and I have counted down to December 24 - the day he arrived to visit me in Peru.  

I left site on Dec 23 to be in Lima to meet Matt at the airport at 5:30 on the morning of the 24th.  Getting to Miraflores - the ritzy district of Lima I compare to Buckhead in Atlanta - and our hotel where we would spend Christmas was my first real experience of reverse culture shock and a tiny glimpse into what it may feel like when I return to the United States many more months down the road.  Everyone spoke English to me - something so strange I found myself responding in Spanish still for the majority of my time there.  Everything (and everyone) seemed so clean and neat and fancy - and I have even been to Miraflores for a few afternoons before! But I had never been there on vacation to stay after months in the campo.  So after taking a few hours to adjust to traveling outside of rural Peru, I was ready to meet Matt at the airport. 

CHRISTMAS IN MIRAFLORES

We spent a very different Christmas Eve and Christmas in Lima. I had gotten crafty and decorated our hotel room with a small cardboard Christmas tree, a "Merry Christmas" bunting made from Lilly patterns (of course!), and stockings I made with the iconic multicolored woven fabric of Peru.  Peruvians celebrate Christmas at midnight on the night of Christmas Eve - what they call "Buena Noche" so Matt's first day in Peru was unusual at best - as is only fitting!  We got ready and ventured out to find the famous Papachos restaurant for a gourmet burger Christmas Eve dinner - only to find the entire city shutting down in preparation for the midnight celebration.  After walking miles, we returned to put on more comfy clothing (especially shoes!) and settle for a delicious Christmas Eve feast at the one and only McDonalds! We later heard the Peruvian celebration of fireworks that started round 10pm and continued into the early morning hours. 

Christmas went a little smoother - we had a nice Christmas morning listening to Christmas music, reading the Christmas story, opening presents and stockings, drinking mimosas, and Facetiming with our families.  We later had a late Christmas lunch at Papachos - who I think serves the best burgers I have ever had!!

HUACACHINA 

The next day we headed a little south to the lagoon of Huacachina in the department of Ica.  Huacachina is a lagoon oasis in the desert surrounded by huge sand dunes.  Our first afternoon there we went with a group from our hostal on a dune buggy and sand boarding adventure.  I have had friends do this before but it was a lot more fun than I had expected!  The dunes were like a natural roller coaster and sand boarding was not easy.  

The next day we traveled 2 hours to the city of Nazca to take a small airplane up to see the Nazca Lines - lines mysteriously drawn in the sand by the pre-Columbian Nazca culture.  Some lines form geometric shapes like triangles and some form pictures like a monkey, hummingbird, tree and more.  The flight was fun and exciting - Matt and I were both enjoying seeing the lines and looking out as we went.  Until about halfway through when our stomachs were no longer enjoying the tiny aircraft and we fell silent.  We took a while to fully recuperate after retuning to the ground but I loved seeing the famous Nazca Lines for myself instead of just in pictures and books. 

BEACH DAYS IN HUANCHACO

After a few days in Huacachina, Matt and I traveled back through Lima and up the north coast to the beach town of Huanchaco in the department of La Libertad.  Huanchaco is just a little ways outside of the capital city of Trujillo and was the perfect beach getaway for New Years and fun.  Our first afternoon there we went for a walk on the beach just to see what we could find and we stumbled upon a food fair of types where there was a smorgasbord of Peruvian food.  I took advantage and introduced Matt to many Peruviam treats including anticucho de corazon, chorizo, picarones, chicha morada, papa a la huacaina, and more.  ¡Qué rico! 

MATT EXPERIENCING SITE- HORSEBACK RIDING, HOST FAMILY, AND A CATHOLIC INTERVENTION 

After being beach bums in Huanchaco, it was time for Matt to go to site.  We spent 2 nights in Ucupe and it was enough time to get a feel of volunteer life.  Our first night my host mom/sister Livia asked if we would join her for her prayer circle.  Livia is a devout Catholic and we have had many conversations about religion before - specifically about my religion and how I am not Catholic.  She has also inquired about Matt's religion before and was comforted to hear he had, in fact, been raised Catholic.  Unbeknown to me, she had planned a lovely Catholic intervention for me for Matt's first night in site, the prayer group met in my house - something they have never done before - and opened by praying for Matt and I and that God open my heart.  We were also handed pamphlets on the Catholic faith explaining Catholicism is the only church began by Christ himself and is therefore the only true church - which then leads to the fact all others will be, unfortunately, damned to hell.  So you better be Catholic.  The service continued with prayers, a sermon about this topic, and directly asking me if I had any questions...because all doubts and questions have an answer...and that answer is Catholicism.  Following the failed attempt to turn me Catholic, I made an attempt to excuse Matt and myself but was told to sit down to share refreshments - panetone and flat, warm Coke.  The intervention was not successful but it was entertaining and certainly a story to save forever.  

While in site Matt also got to ride the Peruvian Paso horses that are used for the beautiful art of marinera dancing - a cultural tradition of the northern coast.  And we shared traditional lunches with my host family of arroz con pollo and aji de gallina.  

The following week on of my visiting nephews asked Livia "Y mi tío?"  Not certain which uncle the boy was asking for, Livia responded, "Qué tío?"  To which my nephew quickly responded "Mi tío gringo?" looking for Matt.   My neighbors still ask where he is, though i have told them he returned to the US, and my practically animated and friendly neighbor Williams is not satisfied until he can come back to share a "chela" (slang for beer) 

We finished Matt's visit with 2 nights in the capital city of Chiclayo.  The last week of Matt's trip was a true experience into what it is to be a volunteer.  

All of our adventures, dates, and traveling were wonderful but the best part for me was just to be able to share my life, this country, and my days with one of my best friends.  Life at site as the only American can get pretty lonely - learning all too well what it means to feel all alone in a house full of people.  Having Matt here took away that loneliness and isolation for a few weeks.  It continues to do that a little as I can now have someone back home I can talk to about my life in Peru with more understanding than ever before.  I hope to share some of Matt's thoughts on his experience coming to Peru soon! 

What Happened to 2013??

Wow! I have some catching up to do in my blogging life.  2014 has arrived and has already proven to be an exciting and challenging year! But before we start 2014 let me bring 2013 to an end. 

I spent the first week of December back in Chaclacayo in Lima with the other youth development volunteers from Peru 21.  We were back with our training host families and back at the training center for a week of charlas on medical, safety & security, reporting, and projects.  We also presented the community diagnostics we had worked on during our fist 3 months in site.  I also had the opportunity to learn more about the development of special education in Peru and spent a morning helping at a CEBE (Centro Educativa Básica Especial - the schools for children with disabilities). Through these experiences, I began to long for the opportunity to work with the newly developing opportunities for children with disabilities in Peru - something that does not match the current needs and energy of my community of Mocupe.  And so conversations began with Peace Corps staff to work on projects more appropriate to my skills and more in line with my energy and passion. 

The return to Chaclacayo was a small milestone for our group - we had finished our first months in site and were moving forward as volunteers ready to take on the summer and then a new school year of activities and projects.  It also proved to be a confidence booster for my acquisition of language. I knew I had improved and learned a lot but it was pretty incredible to be able to give charlas without first writing down every word, to understand training as they flowed back and forth between English and Spanish and even more amazing to be able to talk to my training host family about my role as a youth development volunteer, about Peru, and even about politics.  This is the same family who I once told I was 14 years old and then proceeded to stand in their living room crying without the skills to explain I needed their help to get to the training center for my first day of training.  I still make mistakes and get confused by language daily - but I am also continuing to learn and improve daily. 

I returned back to site after Thanksgiving in Ancash and training in Chaclacayo for the final 2 weeks of the school year.  I have learned to work in the unpredictability of the school pretty well and spent the last 2 weeks working with my English Clubs, Personal Development groups, and helping with random end of school activities.  

The school year came to a close and I headed to Lima to welcome my boyfriend to Peru for vacations and traveling over Christmas and New Years.