Living in the Andes

I know I have a lot of catching up to do but for now, here are a few photos from the small town of Vicos located in the Cordillera Blanca of the Andes. We stayed here for four days, learning about the culture, hiking, volunteering and eating a lot of food. Life here is simple and it is beautiful. All of the men and women wear the clothing you see in the group picture and live happy wholesome lives. We helped build a stove with adobe bricks and mud, hiked to 15,000 feet to a glacier fed lake, visited with some lamas in the meadow, danced to the beat of a drum and flute, ate a lot of potatoes and soup and saw amazing views in every direction. There are many more details of course, but for now I will let the photos speak for themselves.

A Market and Jungle Animals to Remember

The busy streets, local faces and unknown places are all becoming very familiar. I feel this place has truly become my temporary home. In the past two weeks, I have become the official English teacher at the school, went to a market and floating neighborhood unlike any other, held Amazon animals and have more friends here than I can spend time with. I have become very comfortable with the constant state of intense humidity, the presence of insects everywhere (seriously everywhere), and making my way around town. Mosquito bites are completely normal, hot showers are unheard of and when I see tourists, I think of myself as more of a local.

Last week, Rylie and I went with our host mom, Mercedes and her 20-year-old daughter, Ulpi, to a place called Belen. They call Belen the ¨Venice of Peru¨ but the only thing Venice and Belen have in common is the fact that they are floating cities; everything else is like no place I have ever seen. This floating city exists only because the people who live here are so poor, they don´t have enough money to live elsewhere. It is too dangerous to be there at night and the conditions are so unsanitary you can smell it in the air.

Belen is very popular for its daily market and we went on a busy Saturday morning around 7 am. The market in on land and is the gateway to the floating neighborhoods. It was bustling with locals selling and buying all sorts of random and exotic things, such as strange fruits and vegetables, raw meats, cooked meals, Amazonian remedies and 2nd-hand shoes. The prices here are next to nothing. There were body parts of every animal available, chopped up and laying in piles right on the table surfaces (and next to fruit vendors...sanitary?). Some native animals parts for sale were crocodile tail, turtle legs, paiche fillets (a giant local and endangered fish), monkey heads, monkey arms, tiger pelts and anaconda skins. I don´t believe there is much of an awareness for the protection of local animals here if you can´t already see that for yourself. There was also every piece of pig, cow, fish and chicken in any fashion you could desire strewn about the place. The money and pig heads still had eyes in them. There was the warm smell of blood in the air and I thought I was going to vomit at one point. I´m pretty sure my vegetarian ways have now been set for a long time. I can still vividly hear the chopping of body parts from the hard and desensitized hands. Talk about a new experience.

Not only were the things for sale shocking, but the lack of cleanliness everywhere was beyond belief. I remember a small child, maybe 3 years old, running her grubby little hands all over a raw chicken for sale. People were touching raw meat with the same hands they were exchanging money with and eating with. Every heath code I have ever known was broken here and without a care in the world. I don´t understand how the meat vendors could sit there and enjoy a plate of rice and chicken surrounded by raw meat, meat juices and the smell. Mercedes thought our reaction to this place was hilarious and proceeded to tell us how great monkey soup and turtle legs were. I don´t think I am willing to find out for myself. Live chickens in crates sat next to dead ones laying in the streets of wood boards, concrete and gooey mud. The sections of animal/meat vendors was like a car accident, it´s so terrible but you can´t help but look.

Not all of this place was disturbing. In fact, I was really happy to see it despite the moments of grossness. After winding our way through the market streets barley wide enough to fit the hundreds of people constantly passing, we found ourselves a local guide for 2 hours all for $5. A guide was necessary for two reasons, to show us the city by boat and to keep us safe from getting mugged. The people here are so poor; they are driven to steal from anyone who looks like they have something of value, especially ¨gringas¨.

Our ¨bodyguard¨ as he called himself was a very friendly local named Lito. He led us though the streets to the edge of the water where his boat, narrow and made of worn wood, was stacked up against many other colorful handmade boats that looked similar in style. Our motorboat passed through the narrow ¨streets¨ of each neighborhood in Belen. Some of the homes were on stilts and most were floating. The unlucky homes were only half floating. Most were probably less than 15x15 feet and were built with scraps of wood and tin. There is a big problem with hygiene here because the very same water the children swim in and clothes are washed in is also where they go to the bathroom. There is no such thing as a sewage system here. The bathrooms are simply 4x3 foot wood outhouses with a hole in the bottom. They also dump their trash right into the river so you see large collections in the narrow columns between the homes. Because of the sanitation problems many suffer from parasites, malaria, dengue and other diseases. It is terribly sad that over 15,000 people (and a lot of skinny, hopeless animals) living in Belen call this place home.

After our river tour we made it back on land to walk through another section of the market; a full row of Amazonian vendors. They were selling things like beads, animal pelts and bones, perfumes and potions. There were potions for every kind of ailment including the well known ¨Jungle Viagra¨ (no need to explain here). For those looking for a hallucination trip, this was your place to get your stuff. A popular hallucinogenic, ¨Ayahuasca, ¨ is smoked by the Amazonian tribes and has been around since the beginning. Don´t worry Mom and Dad, I didn´t buy any.

Unfortunately, we didn´t bring our cameras because so many people told us not to. Therefore we are going to visit this place again with Lito, our ¨bodyguard¨ just so we can take pictures; it´s too incredible to not document.

Now for the ALIVE and happy animals...
Yesterday Rylie, Vivi (a friend and teacher at my school) and I went to a Serpentario. We had to take a boat to get there and our guides told us it was a zoo, but hardly a zoo at the least. It was more of a temporary care of rescue jungle animals mixed with scattered rustic rooms to stay in, all on stilts in the Nanay River. I was excited to see some animals and maybe pet them but once the owner handed me a sloth, my eyes became the size of baseballs and I couldn´t believe what was happening. I was holding a SLOTH! These are the most interesting creatures I have ever experienced. All 10 pounds of this sloth didn´t feel real. She moved very slow of course and did her best to cling to me as if i was a tree trunk. Seeing a sloth´s face up close makes your heart melt. They are so cute! And just when I thought it couldn´t get any better, we entered the cage of a young tiger. She was about twice the size of a normal cat and had a beautiful leopard coat. From the moment I held her, I felt like my life had become complete. While in my arms, she started sucking on my backpack strap looking for a source of milk. It was the cutest and funniest thing I have ever seen from a ¨wild¨ animal, although she is now domesticated. The other animals we visited/held were a capybara, an anaconda, boa, some agouti, Scarlet Macaws, a toucan, tortoises and prehistoric turtles. I kept asking the owner if it was healthy for the animals to be exposed to people and live here in captivity. He told me they are only here temporarily until they are ready to be released back into the jungle because they will not reproduce in captivity. If he is telling the truth (which I pray he is), this was the best $5 I have ever contributed. This place was a haven for animal lovers like me. On our boat ride home, we went to the mouth of the Amazon River. It became evident when the water changed from the color of straight up ¨coffee¨ to ¨coffee with milk¨. I’m excited to venture further down this river.

On a completely separate note, I am now the English teacher for the kindergarten and first grade classes at my school. The Peruvian teacher I was working quit so the responsibility has fallen into my lap until another person is hired. I really do enjoy teaching but 33 kindergarteners really suck all of my energy and sometimes my patience. Two weeks ago when I found out I was now the English teacher starting THAT day, I was really stressed. But now it has become normal and I like teaching English. Today was my first day with 2nd and 3rd graders and I think I will try to work with them more because it´s more like teaching rather than babysitting.

We are trying to spend as much time as we can seeing the last few parts of the city and hanging out with our new friends before we venture into the jungle for a three day tour starting on April 20th. Our time here is already coming close to an end but many more surprises await us around the next river bend.

A few Photos...

Pictures speak a thousand words right? So I am thankful I can save close to 5000 by showing you these photos from the past two weeks. They complement my previous blog entry.

To give you a brief description of each...

1. This was the view just across the street from our hostel in Lima at sunset. I never anticipated such a beautiful city.
2. Here is the Plaza de Barraco in Lima. Not a place I will forget, it´s too pretty.
3. Here is what motocars look like! They are so hard to describe becuase I have never seen anything like these before!
4. The Nanay (¨non-i¨) River. This is the view we have from the boardwalk we spend time at almost every day. Crazy right?!
5. This is how excited Rylie and I were when we finally saw the Nanay River for the first time. Unfortunately, we though it was the Amazon River but we later found out we were mistaken. At least it turns into the Amazon within a 40 minute boat ride.
6. Here is my afternoon lunch all for 3.50 soles ($1.50). A very typical meal for this region. This fried fish is a cousin of the piranha.
7. The Malecon Boulevard, where we have our beautiful view of the Nanay river. It´s bustling with locals and tourists every night.
8. My first grade class. They call me Miss Rachel (pronounced ¨meese rashel¨). It´s priceless. Just behind us is our open air classroom.
9. A common view from a motor car as we buzz down the street. People pass time together in front of their colorful homes stacked next to stores of all kinds. We are constantly exploring this place.

City, Ocean, Jungle, River

My first two weeks here in Peru has almost passed and so many things have happened it feels like I have been here for a month! Where to begin...

When Rylie, my friend from high school and current traveling buddy, and I decided to take this trip to South America I don't think we realized what we were getting into when we bought our tickets only three weeks before leaving. A lot of time was dedicated to planning as much as we could while leaving room for flexibility and I came into this country with little expectations. Of those expectations I had, they were completely blown away by how amazingly different life is here.

I lived in Costa Rica for two months and there are things here in Peru that remind me of Central America but it still is so unique in it´s own way. It is also very different traveling from start to finish with a friend, I have someone to laugh with at every crazy and funny thing that happens here.

We flew into Lima and spent three days wandering the city, riding the bus, eating a lot of great food and meeting locals. Fortunately, Rylie´s Peruvian cousin, Inez lives in Lima and became our loving guide and friend. She took us around to various places, introduced us to her friends and gave us a lot of priceless advice. Our hostel was warm and welcoming and sat one street away from the postcard picture cliffs that line the city´s ocean border.

Almost every city in Peru is dotted with plazas and our first experience with one was in Barraco, La Plaza de Barrancos, one district away from where we were staying. There were giant sparse trees, brightly colored buildings, (a library and a chruch), and a cobblestone ground peppered with occupied park benches. It was just another evening in the city, kids were playing by the fountain, couples were strolling and families were passing time without a care in the world. This is something I love about this culture. People here have an amazing way of simply enjoying the moment and the people they are with.

After three fun days in Lima. We hopped on a small plane and headed Northeast towards Iquitos, a jungle city only reached by plane or boat. We arrived in the evening and when exiting the plane, I felt humidity like I never have before! It is so humid here, you want to take a shower 10 minutes after you dry off from one. We could immediately tell we were in the jungle, surrounded by trees and plants, hearing insects and smelling a very earthy smell.

In the past 8 days I have been here, I have grown to love this place. Rylie and I are living with the Pastor of a church and his family in the city. He also owns two Christian Schools where Rylie and I both work in exchange for a place to live. We are the English teachers assistants. She is at one school and I am at the other. Last week (our first week), we worked with the kindergarten and first grade class rooms. There is no better way to lighten up your morning than to have 20 little Peruvian children in uniforms run to the door with arms wide open when you enter. This next week I will be working with the older kids to vary my experience and help other students. I really enjoy teaching English and might consider it a profession in my future.

There are countless things about Iquitos that are so far from my life back home in Washington. For example, people here do not have cars. If they own any form of transportation, it is a plastic, Suzuki motorbike. I see women driving to work in the mornings in business suits with 4 inch heels on their speedy little bikes. You can also find families of 5 all piled together on one bike. Way to carpool! A great number of people here without a motorbike use the ¨moto-carro¨. These are half motorcycle half 3-person buggy on two wheels, making this a little 3-wheel buzzing taxi you would only see in the movies or here in the jungle... They swarm the streets like buzzing bees and pay no respect to the lines on the road or the pedestrians crossing the street. You can forget crosswalks for the most part here but don´t worry Mom, I am completely safe. They beep their horns every few seconds and drive within inches from the next vehicle over. A ride in a motocarro never gets old!

Here in Peru, the currency is called a ¨sol¨or ¨soles¨ in plural form. The U.S. dollar is $1 to 2.7 soles. So things here are rather inexpensive. For 2 soles, you can buy the sweetest, juiciest mango along the street, a 10 minute taxi ride, a lunch special, or an hour of internet use.

The food here is interesting...It can be hard to be a pescatarian at some places unless I want a whole fish on my plate from head to tail. And to be honest, I have eaten a little chicken to keep the meals interesting. Here they eat a lot of fried plantains, corn,meat and white rice. My favorite authentic meal here so far is called Tacu Tacu. It´s a mixture of rice and pinto beans all mixed together with spices and typically comes with a fried plantain. It really hits the spot. As far as drinks, we drink a lot of Jugo de Maracuya or ¨passion fruit juice¨. When blended with ice and fresh from the tree, it´s the best way to cool off in the afternoons.

Our typical Monday-Friday looks a bit like this...
7am - wake up and get ready for school
8am - start school
1pm - exhausted from school and head home, eat something, take a nap, shower
4pm - venture to the main plaza, explore, drink jugo de maracuya, use the internet, meet random people who become friends, explore some more, meet up with friends, find a place for dinner, journal and walk along the boardwalk that lines the Nanai River
11pm - get home, kill some cockroaches, get ready for bed and fall asleep to the sound of summer crickets along with mice scratching on the tin rooftop. Not the best sound ever but at least I have a room for free right? There are many details left unwritten you get the idea.

Some interesting observations:
The family we are living with has 2 dogs, 3 puppies, a pregnant cat, 2 tortoises, and a hen all living amongst each other in the backyard (except for the cat). The tortoises and hen will be a future supper sadly.
Most of the people we meet here have lived here their whole lives and don´t feel a desire to ever leave.
The boys and men here must think its flattering for a gringa (white girl)to be whistled at constantly. If I got one sol for every whistle, my trip would already be paid for.

Yesterday we explored the 17 acre ranch the family owns. Unfortunately, it took about 7 kilometers in the sweltering sun to get there and back. It was great to try the guava, papaya and other foreign fruits fresh from the trees. It came with a price though...countless mosquito bites and a sunburn.

Today was the first day we explored an area called Nanai, it was bustling with a local market of fresh and grilled food and sits right along the Nanai River. We took a long wooden boat 20 minutes to a town called Padre Cochas, an town of Native people. They live the same as the people in the city but it is a much smaller town with quaint roads about 7 feet wide. Our boat driver, an 18-year-old native of Padre Cochas named Max took us around the village. People live so simply here it amazes me. To have so little material possessions and live a happy life reminds me what I should value in life. Its about the people and experiences, not about how much I own.

God is doing amazing things here and he has his hand over Rylie and I. This whole time we have been discovering new things about God and this place. I have also been discovering things about myself. About what I value in life and how I want to live it. He is teaching me that love comes in so many languages, whether spoken or through actions, big or small, I have been inspired.

Until next time...
Hasta luego!