Well, as I sit here in the office on the 4th of July, thinking of all the wonderful parties back home, I have to say my thoughts are with you! The only things red, white and blue here are the flowers, the sky and the rice! All things considered, not so bad. Although I won't see fireworks today, I did see some killer rainbows this week. (For those of you on Facebook, I posted a couple of photos.) I do hope that for each of you the weather cooperates, especially if you live in Michigan, and that you enjoy the freedom to eat, drink and be merry!
Last week was the visit from my daughter, Samantha. We had a great time and she arrived here with no trouble. One concern I had was that she was bringing into the country a contraption called a “Sun Oven”. They’re made in Illinois and sold all over the world, especially to developing countries. Unfortunately, they are difficult to get pass customs without added cost and hassle. Having Sam bring it as a piece of her checked luggage worked out great. These ovens have no power source other than capturing the sun’s rays with a set of foldout reflectors. I am going to experiment with it next week to make a stew or soup and maybe a cake. We are hoping this might be something viable to use in the jungle where every meal has to be cooked over an open fire thus burning more wood from the rainforest (not to mention the task of gathering wood, and the smoke, heat and mess it creates). I don’t know how readily the women of the villages will take to it but if it’s all it claims to be in simplicity and ease of use, I don’t see why not? I will post a photo of it once I try it out and let you know the results.
As for my time with Sam, it was great. We headed to the jungle where we hooked up with Dave and Dottie Bonnet, their daughter Shayla and her two sons, David and Dylan. The Bonnets are one of CONAPAC’S most loyal supporters for the Adopt-A-School program and other projects in the rainforest. They come back each year for a visit/vacation and their timing was exactly the same as Sam’s visit. We all had a great time together and Samantha was able to visit a couple of villages in order to see the projects we’ve been working on recently. We played “tourist” all week then headed back to Iquitos. Over the weekend she met more of my friends, we went dancing, swimming, dining, shopping, cooking and generally just enjoyed each other’s company. It was a special treat for me, beyond belief, to have her here. I don’t think she fell in love with the rainforest in quite the same way I have, but then again, the girl lives in Colorado and that’s a tough act to follow! All in all, it was an experience we shared together which neither of us will soon forget. Now I need to get my other daughter here next….Erin are you listening??
Finally, this last week was the wonderful completion of the new CONAPAC website. Most of you who follow my blog have already checked it out but if not, go to www.CONAPAC.org to take a look. The old site was dated and no fun to poke around in. This new site was a collaborative effort between me, Pam here at Explorama and her friend, Nancy back in the States. It took about 8 months for this baby to be born but it was worth the wait. I hope you’ll agree! More marketing projects are taking shape for the program—a quarterly e-newsletter, post cards and posters for sale both here and in the States. I’m looking forward to my return next month as I have several Rotary Club meetings lined up where I am the speaker of the day…hmmmmmm, I wonder what I can talk about?
Have a great weekend and enjoy the beach, the beers and the BBQ's :)
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Ways of Iquitos
First, through the miracle of the Internet, I was able to wish my father a Happy Father's Day despite being over 6,000 miles away! And keeping in touch with you all is such a blessing that it can’t be anything other than a miracle. So talking about miracles, tomorrow is the day that I have been eagerly awaiting for weeks, months, even years because tomorrow morning, at 6 AM, Samantha arrives in Iquitos. I have been thinking about her all day, where she is on each part of the trip, as I know she will be changing planes many times. She will also be doing the usual routine of an overnight stay in the airport of Lima. But pulling “all nighters” should be no trouble for this gal! And hopefully, all the goodies I asked her to bring me (like wax paper, foil and WD40) will make in her suitcase and arrive in a timely manner. We head out tomorrow to the jungle for all the fun things it has to offer. I fully expect Sam to fall in love with the jungle and Perú as much as I have—watch out, another Snyder may be moving!!
Life in Iquitos continues in its continuous loop of routine activity. A gringo friend described it as “Ground Hog Day” because every day is the same--the weather, the food, the music, the people, the action on the street, the jungle and beat of it all seems to be a constant. Some folks would not care for it but thus far, I’m not one of them. However, I have to say that although I usually sing its praises, there are some things about Iquitos that are not pleasant. One of them is the endless public spitting that is practiced by every man, woman and child! It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or what time of day, nor does anyone bother to look around first before they do it, but someone is spitting. And it’s not done in a quiet manner, oh no! They have to start it all very deep in the throat and really work up a good one first , then they let it all loose (there’s a slang word for this that I’m sure you all know so need to spell it out here)! Thus far, while walking down the street, I have not been personally caught in the line of fire, but it’s been close! I know it’s only a bad habit which can be broken but someone has to start.
Explorama is constantly training its staff to avoid this practice when working with tourists. In the four yeas I have been staying at Explorama Lodges, I have never seen or heard anyone do it. It was only after living in Iquitos that I began to notice the difference. So I know it’s a habit that can be stopped—someone just needs to point it out and I have been mentioning this to my Iquitoan friends as often as possible! If you think of Iquitos as the wild, Wild West you get the picture. Stray dogs roam the streets, public urination is another fun pastime, and there are no road rules when it comes to driving. The street competes with pedestrians, motokars, motorcycles, cars, trucks, dogs and often kids trying to play soccer or volleyball. Sitting outside on the streets, drinking beer, dancing, gathering around a BBQ grill are as commonplace here as rain is each day. People here also have an incredible tolerance for a “live and let live” attitude which allows for everyone to pretty much be themselves and do their own thing. There is some petty theft, mainly from tourists and motorcycles are often lifted but other than that, there is virtually no violent crime. So, when all is said and done, despite some darker sides of Iquitos, I still love the place, the people and the life I have carved out for myself here “in this place, in time and space”. I wish for you all the same level of contentment, peace and joy at some point in your lives. My time here will not last forever, but when one day I return to the States, I will have no regrets about the choices I've made! I hope you can say the same :)
Life in Iquitos continues in its continuous loop of routine activity. A gringo friend described it as “Ground Hog Day” because every day is the same--the weather, the food, the music, the people, the action on the street, the jungle and beat of it all seems to be a constant. Some folks would not care for it but thus far, I’m not one of them. However, I have to say that although I usually sing its praises, there are some things about Iquitos that are not pleasant. One of them is the endless public spitting that is practiced by every man, woman and child! It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or what time of day, nor does anyone bother to look around first before they do it, but someone is spitting. And it’s not done in a quiet manner, oh no! They have to start it all very deep in the throat and really work up a good one first , then they let it all loose (there’s a slang word for this that I’m sure you all know so need to spell it out here)! Thus far, while walking down the street, I have not been personally caught in the line of fire, but it’s been close! I know it’s only a bad habit which can be broken but someone has to start.
Explorama is constantly training its staff to avoid this practice when working with tourists. In the four yeas I have been staying at Explorama Lodges, I have never seen or heard anyone do it. It was only after living in Iquitos that I began to notice the difference. So I know it’s a habit that can be stopped—someone just needs to point it out and I have been mentioning this to my Iquitoan friends as often as possible! If you think of Iquitos as the wild, Wild West you get the picture. Stray dogs roam the streets, public urination is another fun pastime, and there are no road rules when it comes to driving. The street competes with pedestrians, motokars, motorcycles, cars, trucks, dogs and often kids trying to play soccer or volleyball. Sitting outside on the streets, drinking beer, dancing, gathering around a BBQ grill are as commonplace here as rain is each day. People here also have an incredible tolerance for a “live and let live” attitude which allows for everyone to pretty much be themselves and do their own thing. There is some petty theft, mainly from tourists and motorcycles are often lifted but other than that, there is virtually no violent crime. So, when all is said and done, despite some darker sides of Iquitos, I still love the place, the people and the life I have carved out for myself here “in this place, in time and space”. I wish for you all the same level of contentment, peace and joy at some point in your lives. My time here will not last forever, but when one day I return to the States, I will have no regrets about the choices I've made! I hope you can say the same :)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
June from the Jungle
Well, since I last wrote, the office has been completed revamped with a new cement wall and a new color. So far we have neither seen nor heard any more rats so hopefully they've found a new home somewhere else! After many weeks of disruption, we are all back together in the same area and enjoying our cheery new space. There are many new projects on my plate: helping create a new CONAPAC website with our good friend Nancy Cowal; a new e-newsletter for AAS with Claire Lannoye from the Detroit Zoo; and creating some new "voluntourism" programs for International Expeditions, a tour company who regularly sends business to Explorama. I am excited about all these new opportunities to spread the fun of international volunteering and the help it can bring others in the world.
I had a somewhat difficult Mother's Day this year knowing that my own mother is no longer with me. Also, I was not able to see or speak with either of my daughters, Erin and Samantha. But my Iquitos "family" once again came through for me by making sure I had something to do that day and providing me with little gifts. By the end of what was a perfect day, weather wise, I was feeling a little better. But I guess the best thing that came out of my melancholy mood was an IM conversation with Samantha the next day. After we both proclaimed how much we missed each other, it became clear that something had to be done. I asked her to check the cost of flights, then one thing lead to another and now she's booked to come for a visit. She will be arriving on Monday, June 22nd, in less than three weeks and I couldn't be more excited!!! This will be the first visit I receive from any of my family so it's really special and she will stay for 10 days. We will go to the jungle for about five days then back to the city to check out my crazy life here in Iquitos. Pray that her trip here is safe and uneventful :)
I had a couple of routine experiences last month but with a few differences being in Peru. First, I went for a yearly dental check-up. I had my teeth cleaned by a very nice doctor who gave me what I consider one of the best cleanings ever! She did a great job in about 45 minutes. The final cost? S/60.00 or about $20! This month I'm going for my annual Pap smear and mammogram which will cost me substantially less than in the States. Since I no longer have health insurance, it will be close to unaffordable for me to purchase these services in Michigan. Better take care of my health as much as possible while I am here!
My second routine experience involved a funeral. Sadly, our education director, Alberto Vela, lost his 45 year old wife to stomach cancer. It was quite sudden and a huge lost for his family and the school in which she taught for many years. Pam and I arrived at the house Saturday. There where at least seven large buses full of people heading to the cemetery, along with the hearse, a pick-up truck for the family members, and many motorcycles. It was quite some distance to the cemetery as it's located outside of the city limits. This was my first time to see this part of Iquitos since so much of it is developed. (Iquitos is on a peninsula surrounded by rivers and then the jungle. As you know there are no roads in or out of Iquitos to any place else so finding "countryside" was quite a novelty for me). We finally got to the cemetery--by the way, there was not an orderly funeral procession as you would have had in the States but rather a bit of a "free for all" going down the road. But we all made it to a beautiful, well-tended, well-designed cemetery--really an oasis in the middle of the jungle. As I entered the main burial area I was completely struck by a vision of pure fun and joy. There are no headstones but instead, small metal plaques. On each grave was a miniature umbrella stuck in the ground in all kinds of patterns and colors. Then draped over each umbrella and underneath were silk flowers in all colors and styles. The terrain was slightly rolling so as you glazed across, it looked like a fairyland or happy place--a complete delight to the eye and heart! Although the final words of the clergy and family were ones of loss and grief, there was a note of possibility in the air. With over 300 hundred adults and children in attendance, our friend, Irma Cruz, was sent off to her next life with much love and affection by those left behind on that glorious day. I was quite honored to be able to attend.
I have found myself the owner of another cell phone! As I've mentioned to many of my friends, I could hardly bear to have a cell phone in the States and now I'm on my second one here in only seven months. But my first one was dropped in the toilet (don't ask!) twice. I was able to have it repaired but then it died again. There are two service companies here, Claro and Movistar. I had Claro the first time and was never too happy with the reception. I decided to try the other and so far, so good. Tomorrow I leave for the jungle for a week and my understanding is that Movistar will work while I'm at the Lodges. We shall see how good it really is! But the kicker to my story is that after I bought my new phone and was trying to retrieve my address book off the memory card--Eureka!--my old phone started working again. So now I had two working phones, two different services, and one big headache--what to do? But since nothing goes to waste here, I found someone who needed a phone and I gave it away. My friend, Maruja, who is helping me with my Spanish, now has my old phone--so far, it's working great! Hopefully, she won't be dropping it in a toilet anytime soon as I think three strikes, you're out!!
Final notes and thanks to all the volunteers and other jungle visitors who have kept in touch with me. I've met many new friends from all over the world and they've been just great about staying in touch. I know that once one returns home, despite the best of intentions, it's difficult to remember the passion felt while here in the rainforest--but overall, everyone has been great and I really appreciate it. The door is always open and I'd love to see you all again!
Ciao for now, Sintia
PS...See new photo posted below!
I had a somewhat difficult Mother's Day this year knowing that my own mother is no longer with me. Also, I was not able to see or speak with either of my daughters, Erin and Samantha. But my Iquitos "family" once again came through for me by making sure I had something to do that day and providing me with little gifts. By the end of what was a perfect day, weather wise, I was feeling a little better. But I guess the best thing that came out of my melancholy mood was an IM conversation with Samantha the next day. After we both proclaimed how much we missed each other, it became clear that something had to be done. I asked her to check the cost of flights, then one thing lead to another and now she's booked to come for a visit. She will be arriving on Monday, June 22nd, in less than three weeks and I couldn't be more excited!!! This will be the first visit I receive from any of my family so it's really special and she will stay for 10 days. We will go to the jungle for about five days then back to the city to check out my crazy life here in Iquitos. Pray that her trip here is safe and uneventful :)
I had a couple of routine experiences last month but with a few differences being in Peru. First, I went for a yearly dental check-up. I had my teeth cleaned by a very nice doctor who gave me what I consider one of the best cleanings ever! She did a great job in about 45 minutes. The final cost? S/60.00 or about $20! This month I'm going for my annual Pap smear and mammogram which will cost me substantially less than in the States. Since I no longer have health insurance, it will be close to unaffordable for me to purchase these services in Michigan. Better take care of my health as much as possible while I am here!
My second routine experience involved a funeral. Sadly, our education director, Alberto Vela, lost his 45 year old wife to stomach cancer. It was quite sudden and a huge lost for his family and the school in which she taught for many years. Pam and I arrived at the house Saturday. There where at least seven large buses full of people heading to the cemetery, along with the hearse, a pick-up truck for the family members, and many motorcycles. It was quite some distance to the cemetery as it's located outside of the city limits. This was my first time to see this part of Iquitos since so much of it is developed. (Iquitos is on a peninsula surrounded by rivers and then the jungle. As you know there are no roads in or out of Iquitos to any place else so finding "countryside" was quite a novelty for me). We finally got to the cemetery--by the way, there was not an orderly funeral procession as you would have had in the States but rather a bit of a "free for all" going down the road. But we all made it to a beautiful, well-tended, well-designed cemetery--really an oasis in the middle of the jungle. As I entered the main burial area I was completely struck by a vision of pure fun and joy. There are no headstones but instead, small metal plaques. On each grave was a miniature umbrella stuck in the ground in all kinds of patterns and colors. Then draped over each umbrella and underneath were silk flowers in all colors and styles. The terrain was slightly rolling so as you glazed across, it looked like a fairyland or happy place--a complete delight to the eye and heart! Although the final words of the clergy and family were ones of loss and grief, there was a note of possibility in the air. With over 300 hundred adults and children in attendance, our friend, Irma Cruz, was sent off to her next life with much love and affection by those left behind on that glorious day. I was quite honored to be able to attend.
I have found myself the owner of another cell phone! As I've mentioned to many of my friends, I could hardly bear to have a cell phone in the States and now I'm on my second one here in only seven months. But my first one was dropped in the toilet (don't ask!) twice. I was able to have it repaired but then it died again. There are two service companies here, Claro and Movistar. I had Claro the first time and was never too happy with the reception. I decided to try the other and so far, so good. Tomorrow I leave for the jungle for a week and my understanding is that Movistar will work while I'm at the Lodges. We shall see how good it really is! But the kicker to my story is that after I bought my new phone and was trying to retrieve my address book off the memory card--Eureka!--my old phone started working again. So now I had two working phones, two different services, and one big headache--what to do? But since nothing goes to waste here, I found someone who needed a phone and I gave it away. My friend, Maruja, who is helping me with my Spanish, now has my old phone--so far, it's working great! Hopefully, she won't be dropping it in a toilet anytime soon as I think three strikes, you're out!!
Final notes and thanks to all the volunteers and other jungle visitors who have kept in touch with me. I've met many new friends from all over the world and they've been just great about staying in touch. I know that once one returns home, despite the best of intentions, it's difficult to remember the passion felt while here in the rainforest--but overall, everyone has been great and I really appreciate it. The door is always open and I'd love to see you all again!
Ciao for now, Sintia
PS...See new photo posted below!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Jungle fun....
Dearest friends and followers of my crazy blog...I apologize for such a long delay between postings. I have finally come out of the "black hole" of Adopt-A-School and just now able to do something besides eat, sleep and breathe books and school supplies! The good news is that it was another successful year with much fun and hard work accomplished by all concerned. This year we had two weeks set aside for our volunteers, the first week to delivery the supplies then the second week with fresh volunteers to finish deliveries and do service projects. I have to send a "shout out" right now to all my volunteers from the first week: Ray, Erich, Mary, Noah, Joe, Jan, Deni, Kristin (especially!), Bonnie, Bev, Nancy, Sarah, Ron, Claire, Carla and my "bud", Michael! During the second week, our new group of volunteers assisted in the building of a mini-water treatment plant and a small, sustainable bakery in the village of Irlanda. We had quite the challenge in our work as it poured down rain for two days which created mud bogs in the midst of everything we were doing. But at the end of the week, we took this dirty, muddy river water one day and the next day turned it into clean, clear, tasteless drinking water which everyone in the village and our volunteer group shared in drinking together and celebrating. This was the 4th water plant built by CONAPAC and we will be building at least three more this year. As for the bakery, it was not quite completed as the bricklayer, who builds the oven, will need to come another day. But a great start was made and we hope to have bread baking there by the end of the month. Of course, another "shout out" to my second team of volunteers: Sally, Bill, Kristin #2, Stephanie, Mary Frances, and Claire and Carla, too!
Prior to the delivery week for AAS, by friend Bonnie Gornie from Michigan, came a few days early to stay with me in my apartment. It was the first time I've had family or friends come to visit me here and I was so delighted and so excited that I could hardly wait. Then poor Bonnie arrives the first day (Tuesday), gets settled in and we spend the day together catching up sitting in my beautiful garden. But that evening, about midnight, I woke up and proceeded to vomit and have endless diarreha for two days! So Bonnie, ever the trooper, not only helped me out at home but went to the office and handled my work for two days so that the AAS schedule, with all its 1,000 details, could continue on and be ready to go by 8:00 AM Saturday morning. Plus, Bonnie had been gracious enough to bring me some "comforts" from home and pack them along with other goodies that I had ordered on-line. She is a dear friend, willing to do so much for me. I truly couldn't move on with my stories until I thanked her here!
Among many memorable activities during the last month, a few stand out. The first day of our service project activities, as I said, was rainy and muddy. I really can't remember being that wet, dirty, tired and cold since I was a kid. At the end of the day, the sun finally peaked out and it began it warm up. Right now the Amazon River and all its tributaries are quite swollen and even higher this year than in most years past. Where we were working was in the village of Irlanda, although the village is about 1/4 mile off the Napo River, the water had reached all the way back to the edge of town. As we were leaving all dirty, muddy, sweaty and tired, I just couldn't stand it...I asked them to stop the boat (well, the dugout canoe) and I jumped in the water with all my clothes on. It was just wonderful...so refreshing and relaxing and silly and funny all at the same time. Many of the village kids joined in for the fun along with several others in our volunteer group. Finally, I got out and guess what? Those wonderful tourist, jungle clothes that everyone wears (and I really don't like), they had come completely clean and by the time we got back to the lodge, after riding on the boat for 20 minutes or so, they were dry, as well! And the final good news, I didn't encounter any piranhas!
Later in the week, we headed to the Canopy Walkway which is an experience unequaled in the rainforest! At a height of over 35 meters (115 feet) and extending for 500 meters (one-third of a mile), the Canopy Walkway provides a view of the rainforest from the treetops, the best vantage point for observing Amazon wildlife and vegetation. It is one of the longest in the world, as well. I have been to the walkway twice before but this time was the best. Not only was there just nine of us on the whole walkway, but half way through, it began to pour down rain. It was so beautiful to see the rain from this prospective and experience it through sight, sound and touch. As we moved along, of course, there was the most glorious rainbow in the distance and we all counted it was a most fortunate day.
Toward the end of the week, we headed back to Ceiba Tops, one of the Explorama Lodges. There on the hill as I came in, was Nemecio! Nemecio was one of my best English students last year and he was so kind to me when I lived at the lodge. After I left last May, he was laid off from Explorama and I found him working in a chicken place in Iquitos when I returned in November. He was hoping to get back to work for Explorama and finally he did. I asked him what he was doing--cleaning rooms, working in the kitchen? No! He is personally caring for and raising a baby tapir and a baby jungle deer for the owner of Explorama, Peter Jensen! The animals are only about three months old each but already getting aquainted with all the tourists. Nemecio has to feed them milk four times a day and then keep them busy roaming the paths and boardwalks of Ceiba Tops. The tapir is called Luchito and the follows Nemecio around like a dog. Nemecio is a master at the right whistle or sound Luchito makes and I imagine he'll be figuring out what works for Juanita, too (the baby deer)!
Well, my last story also involves animals but not my favorite kind. As I mentioned before, the river is quite high right now. I live very near the river in Iquitos and now and then I've seen rats in the yard. Well, two weeks ago, I woke up to a funny little scratching noise. I turned on the light expecting to see something OUTSIDE my screened window, but NO, the rat was inside! So I freaked and it freaked then ran out my bedroom door. I quickly opened the other doors of my house and closed my bedroom door. Since it was only about 4 AM, I finally fell back to sleep and it was gone in the morning. So, the next night, about 4 AM, what do I hear? The same little noise! I turned on the light and once again, another rat only this one was three times as big!!!!!! OMG...it ran under my bed, I got the broom, poked it and it ran out the door screeching all the way. (Now this is when I'd really like to have a man in the house!) But I handled it and decided to keep all the doors and windows closed and for the first time ever, simply turned on my air conditioning rather than my fans. This was just before Bonnie arrived so I didn't tell her exactly what kind of "critter" problem I had been having but I'm sure she guessed. Anyway, I got my landlord to do some reinforcement at the bottom of the screen so since then I've had no more midnight visits. Bottom line: Give me bats in the house, any day!!! When I returned from the deliveries to the office, what should I find but the whole office upside down. Turns out that all those rats we've been seeing and hearing in the office over the last several months had finally starting dying. However, they were dying in the walls which you can guess doesn't smell very good. So Pam made the executive decision to tear apart the walls and completely patch and rebuild them in cement. No more rats for the moment, now only drying cement and fresh paint soon on its way. :)
Well, gotta' go. Thank you, again, all of you who stay in touch with me and connect either by email or Facebook. I would be lost without you all and I appreciate each and every one of you! Have a great May :) PS I will be posting some photos on Facebook soon from the last couple of weeks so stay tuned.
Prior to the delivery week for AAS, by friend Bonnie Gornie from Michigan, came a few days early to stay with me in my apartment. It was the first time I've had family or friends come to visit me here and I was so delighted and so excited that I could hardly wait. Then poor Bonnie arrives the first day (Tuesday), gets settled in and we spend the day together catching up sitting in my beautiful garden. But that evening, about midnight, I woke up and proceeded to vomit and have endless diarreha for two days! So Bonnie, ever the trooper, not only helped me out at home but went to the office and handled my work for two days so that the AAS schedule, with all its 1,000 details, could continue on and be ready to go by 8:00 AM Saturday morning. Plus, Bonnie had been gracious enough to bring me some "comforts" from home and pack them along with other goodies that I had ordered on-line. She is a dear friend, willing to do so much for me. I truly couldn't move on with my stories until I thanked her here!
Among many memorable activities during the last month, a few stand out. The first day of our service project activities, as I said, was rainy and muddy. I really can't remember being that wet, dirty, tired and cold since I was a kid. At the end of the day, the sun finally peaked out and it began it warm up. Right now the Amazon River and all its tributaries are quite swollen and even higher this year than in most years past. Where we were working was in the village of Irlanda, although the village is about 1/4 mile off the Napo River, the water had reached all the way back to the edge of town. As we were leaving all dirty, muddy, sweaty and tired, I just couldn't stand it...I asked them to stop the boat (well, the dugout canoe) and I jumped in the water with all my clothes on. It was just wonderful...so refreshing and relaxing and silly and funny all at the same time. Many of the village kids joined in for the fun along with several others in our volunteer group. Finally, I got out and guess what? Those wonderful tourist, jungle clothes that everyone wears (and I really don't like), they had come completely clean and by the time we got back to the lodge, after riding on the boat for 20 minutes or so, they were dry, as well! And the final good news, I didn't encounter any piranhas!
Later in the week, we headed to the Canopy Walkway which is an experience unequaled in the rainforest! At a height of over 35 meters (115 feet) and extending for 500 meters (one-third of a mile), the Canopy Walkway provides a view of the rainforest from the treetops, the best vantage point for observing Amazon wildlife and vegetation. It is one of the longest in the world, as well. I have been to the walkway twice before but this time was the best. Not only was there just nine of us on the whole walkway, but half way through, it began to pour down rain. It was so beautiful to see the rain from this prospective and experience it through sight, sound and touch. As we moved along, of course, there was the most glorious rainbow in the distance and we all counted it was a most fortunate day.
Toward the end of the week, we headed back to Ceiba Tops, one of the Explorama Lodges. There on the hill as I came in, was Nemecio! Nemecio was one of my best English students last year and he was so kind to me when I lived at the lodge. After I left last May, he was laid off from Explorama and I found him working in a chicken place in Iquitos when I returned in November. He was hoping to get back to work for Explorama and finally he did. I asked him what he was doing--cleaning rooms, working in the kitchen? No! He is personally caring for and raising a baby tapir and a baby jungle deer for the owner of Explorama, Peter Jensen! The animals are only about three months old each but already getting aquainted with all the tourists. Nemecio has to feed them milk four times a day and then keep them busy roaming the paths and boardwalks of Ceiba Tops. The tapir is called Luchito and the follows Nemecio around like a dog. Nemecio is a master at the right whistle or sound Luchito makes and I imagine he'll be figuring out what works for Juanita, too (the baby deer)!
Well, my last story also involves animals but not my favorite kind. As I mentioned before, the river is quite high right now. I live very near the river in Iquitos and now and then I've seen rats in the yard. Well, two weeks ago, I woke up to a funny little scratching noise. I turned on the light expecting to see something OUTSIDE my screened window, but NO, the rat was inside! So I freaked and it freaked then ran out my bedroom door. I quickly opened the other doors of my house and closed my bedroom door. Since it was only about 4 AM, I finally fell back to sleep and it was gone in the morning. So, the next night, about 4 AM, what do I hear? The same little noise! I turned on the light and once again, another rat only this one was three times as big!!!!!! OMG...it ran under my bed, I got the broom, poked it and it ran out the door screeching all the way. (Now this is when I'd really like to have a man in the house!) But I handled it and decided to keep all the doors and windows closed and for the first time ever, simply turned on my air conditioning rather than my fans. This was just before Bonnie arrived so I didn't tell her exactly what kind of "critter" problem I had been having but I'm sure she guessed. Anyway, I got my landlord to do some reinforcement at the bottom of the screen so since then I've had no more midnight visits. Bottom line: Give me bats in the house, any day!!! When I returned from the deliveries to the office, what should I find but the whole office upside down. Turns out that all those rats we've been seeing and hearing in the office over the last several months had finally starting dying. However, they were dying in the walls which you can guess doesn't smell very good. So Pam made the executive decision to tear apart the walls and completely patch and rebuild them in cement. No more rats for the moment, now only drying cement and fresh paint soon on its way. :)
Well, gotta' go. Thank you, again, all of you who stay in touch with me and connect either by email or Facebook. I would be lost without you all and I appreciate each and every one of you! Have a great May :) PS I will be posting some photos on Facebook soon from the last couple of weeks so stay tuned.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Life goes on...
Well, I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last posting. As I looked over my daily journal, so much has happened on a daily basis that I don't know where to begin this posting? Although we've been working on AAS preparation for some time, last month was the real start of getting the Adopt-A-School parts and pieces organized. Several thousand dollars worth of school supplies were sent down river to the lodge where I met with a group of high school volunteers from Scared Heart School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. They were here to experience the jungle and do 20 hours of community service. I filled their time quite well and we got a lot done. Four days later we had sorted, organized, counted and filled over 150 rice bags with paper, tape, chalk, pens, crayons, etc. This week we've started making over 4,500 individual packets of notebooks, pens, markers, etc. for each student and their teachers. Behind the scene, there is a mountain of paperwork and organizing going on that is never seen by anyone but the office staff. We have less than 3 weeks to go with a lot left to do but one way or the other, on Monday, April 20, along with about 15 volunteers from the States through the Detroit Zoo, we will begin the delivery process for one more year! Donations this year, as expected, have been down from previous years. We were not able to buy as many classroom textbooks as we would have liked, but our donor base is a loyal one and enough funding was received to continue providing individual packets to each child and teacher in the program!
Two weeks ago I went to my first fútbol game (soccer). There is a really nice stadium here so it was a professional match between teams from Perú and Brazil. It was held on a Sunday afternoon and the stadium is so close to home I could walk. The weather was quite hot and the place was packed. It was the first time I've actually sat through a whole soccer game whether professor or on a amateur. I really don't know anything about the rules and such but I came away feeling like I had watched a hockey game! All kinds of action and fights with lots of close calls for goals. But in the end the score was 2-1 (we lost)--just like hockey. I think I could learn to enjoy the game but I need to watch it with some English commentary so I can pick up the nuances of the game a bit more. There is absolutely no other sport here that anyone plays or follows--it's fútbol 24/7/365 :)
I read a very interesting book called "The New Earth" by Echart Tolle. Although his writing is decidedly "new age" he uses passages from the New Testament repeatedly as reference and I found his take, if you will, on the passages refreshing and insightful. Although I am familiar with all the verses he quoted, his writing and unusual framing of the subject helped me see the words of Jesus in a new and enhanced light. His final analysis in which there are only three states of acceptable emotional existence--Acceptance, Joy, or Enthusiasm--was a great step forward in understanding how to chose to live in the now! I know of two people in my life that I think embody this--my grandfather, OM Smith and my lovely friend Dorothy Calmes. Those of you know (or knew) these two, know what I mean. I would recommend the book to anyone looking for a fresh point of view on a familiar subject.
Lots of interesting sights and sounds continue in Iquitos. I've come to realize that the people who live here LOVE three things: Concrete, plastic and re-bar (or re-rod). And I could say they have a little bit of a love affair, too, with "white out". At another time I will write more on these subjects so stayed tuned. I saw a beautiful double rainbow across the river one day on my walk home from work--absolutely huge but I think that here, rainbows don't quite have the same positive feeling we get from them. Then you've heard of someone "ending up in the gutter", figuratively speaking? Well, on my way home another day from work there was a man quite literally sleeping in the gutter on the street. I often see people sleeping on park benches and the sidewalk but not right in the street with refuse and water and who knows what else running along underneath the guy. At first I thought he was dead but then I did see some movement. I haven't seen him since so hopefully some good turn came his way.
Well, yesterday was my 53rd birthday--Yikes! How did that happen? But you know what? At this moment in my life, I feel physically better than I have since I was 23...can't say I look 23 but on the inside, I sure feel great! I got many nice emails and a couple of phone calls from home. My dear friend, Lynn Cluskey sent me a gigantic bags of Tollhouse chocolate chips in the mail! I can't believe they made it here and in less than a week. Then she called me on the phone,too! What a great treat to catch up on the Brighton news. Last night, several of my friends invited me out. We went to a bar that is owned by Pam (my boss) and her family. Even though it was a Tuesday night, things don't start too early around here but by 10 PM there was lots of good beer and dancin' goin' on! They were all so generous with gifts and I received the most lovely, most delicious cake, as well! I really was quite touched and even though none of them speak English (and you know how pitiful my Spanish is still) we all had a very good time. It was one of the best birthdays I've had in a long time and I won't soon forget it! Check out my Facebook page and you'll see some photos of my big night on the town!
So, Happy April! And thanks to you all who have consistently followed my blog. I'm not sure anything terribly profound is coming out of my postings, but just knowing you all are out there thinking of me (as I am of you) and wishing me the best, makes my life a daily joy and I hope a blessing to others as well!
Two weeks ago I went to my first fútbol game (soccer). There is a really nice stadium here so it was a professional match between teams from Perú and Brazil. It was held on a Sunday afternoon and the stadium is so close to home I could walk. The weather was quite hot and the place was packed. It was the first time I've actually sat through a whole soccer game whether professor or on a amateur. I really don't know anything about the rules and such but I came away feeling like I had watched a hockey game! All kinds of action and fights with lots of close calls for goals. But in the end the score was 2-1 (we lost)--just like hockey. I think I could learn to enjoy the game but I need to watch it with some English commentary so I can pick up the nuances of the game a bit more. There is absolutely no other sport here that anyone plays or follows--it's fútbol 24/7/365 :)
I read a very interesting book called "The New Earth" by Echart Tolle. Although his writing is decidedly "new age" he uses passages from the New Testament repeatedly as reference and I found his take, if you will, on the passages refreshing and insightful. Although I am familiar with all the verses he quoted, his writing and unusual framing of the subject helped me see the words of Jesus in a new and enhanced light. His final analysis in which there are only three states of acceptable emotional existence--Acceptance, Joy, or Enthusiasm--was a great step forward in understanding how to chose to live in the now! I know of two people in my life that I think embody this--my grandfather, OM Smith and my lovely friend Dorothy Calmes. Those of you know (or knew) these two, know what I mean. I would recommend the book to anyone looking for a fresh point of view on a familiar subject.
Lots of interesting sights and sounds continue in Iquitos. I've come to realize that the people who live here LOVE three things: Concrete, plastic and re-bar (or re-rod). And I could say they have a little bit of a love affair, too, with "white out". At another time I will write more on these subjects so stayed tuned. I saw a beautiful double rainbow across the river one day on my walk home from work--absolutely huge but I think that here, rainbows don't quite have the same positive feeling we get from them. Then you've heard of someone "ending up in the gutter", figuratively speaking? Well, on my way home another day from work there was a man quite literally sleeping in the gutter on the street. I often see people sleeping on park benches and the sidewalk but not right in the street with refuse and water and who knows what else running along underneath the guy. At first I thought he was dead but then I did see some movement. I haven't seen him since so hopefully some good turn came his way.
Well, yesterday was my 53rd birthday--Yikes! How did that happen? But you know what? At this moment in my life, I feel physically better than I have since I was 23...can't say I look 23 but on the inside, I sure feel great! I got many nice emails and a couple of phone calls from home. My dear friend, Lynn Cluskey sent me a gigantic bags of Tollhouse chocolate chips in the mail! I can't believe they made it here and in less than a week. Then she called me on the phone,too! What a great treat to catch up on the Brighton news. Last night, several of my friends invited me out. We went to a bar that is owned by Pam (my boss) and her family. Even though it was a Tuesday night, things don't start too early around here but by 10 PM there was lots of good beer and dancin' goin' on! They were all so generous with gifts and I received the most lovely, most delicious cake, as well! I really was quite touched and even though none of them speak English (and you know how pitiful my Spanish is still) we all had a very good time. It was one of the best birthdays I've had in a long time and I won't soon forget it! Check out my Facebook page and you'll see some photos of my big night on the town!
So, Happy April! And thanks to you all who have consistently followed my blog. I'm not sure anything terribly profound is coming out of my postings, but just knowing you all are out there thinking of me (as I am of you) and wishing me the best, makes my life a daily joy and I hope a blessing to others as well!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The weather, money, and cookies!
Has Spring sprung in the north? It's always difficult for me to determine this since I only get international news, thus it seems I know more about the weather in Australia or Germany than I do in the good old Midwest! Of course, the weather is basically the same here every day but recently it has gotten a little cooler in the mornings--maybe 78 degrees. I still don't own or think I'll ever need an actual blanket. A single bedsheet seems to do the trick. I haven't been to the jungle in almost two months. Today I took a ride in our new CONAPAC boat for its first test-run! It was great and it reminded me that I'm ready for a "jungle fix" which is kind of like needing to go north on the weekends when you live in Michigan...you just gotta' get out of town! So next week, I'm heading to the Lodge for about 5 or 6 days. It's always a pleasure to be there and certainly helps clear my mind.
Since the main topic of news I hear is about the financial crutch and world-wide recession, you may be wondering what's happening in Peru? It appears to me that Iquitos and Peru generally are not suffering as the more developed countries are. Tourism seems to be holding steady and in fact, Explorama hosted more guests in January and February this year than last. Maybe some folks who were thinking about China or Africa are opting for South America instead? The weather is good, the time zone is virtually the same as the States, and the dollar exchange is quite strong right now. As for business activity in Iquitos, I see people doing the same things I've always seen--the markets are full of fresh fish, meat, fruits and veggies;new storefronts for things like motorcycles and generators seem to open every week; and the moto-taxis are running all over town at the same rate as I've always seen. Prices here are a little high since Iquitos is so isolated and everything must come here either by airplane or boat 2,000 miles up the Amazon from the Pacific Ocean! Gasoline is running about $2.25 a gallon, a medium size box of whole grain cereal is about $3.35, and a six-pack of my favorite beer, Pilsen, is $4.35! Anything that is imported is not a bargain but going to the market for locally growth produce is a treat. I can buy a whole week's worth of fresh fruits and veggies for about $10! I rarely eat out and instead buy and make three meals a day. At the moment, I spend about $35 a week plus beer. Of course, for the locals that is a lot of money but I think they are holding their own with their diet of chicken, rice, potatoes and fresh fruit. Perhaps because most people here do not have access to credit (or if they do, it's very little), they have not found themselves to be "over leveraged" or more bluntly, up to their eyeballs in debt! Nor is the country yet a big exporter of manufactured goods. Thus, their lives and lifestyles haven't changed much, if at all? Of course, jobs here can be fairly menial--like every night a hoard of workers go into the streets of Iquitos to clean and sweep the streets, removing all the trash and making the place look quite spiffy. I don't know what they're paid but I have a feeling it's less than the cost of bins for litter all over town so why not keep more folks employed? That way, everyone seems to eat and the level of homelessness is fairly minimal. I only see a handful of sleeping bodies on the street in the mornings or late at night...really not more than any city in the States. And at least here, it's always warm :) So the financial weather report here is pretty darn good! Come on down...the flights are really cheap right now and I'd love to have the company :)
As you know, my last posting was about cookies. I've told some of you that someday I want to have a "cookie ministry". Now, I don't know what that means and it's not meant to be religious in nature but only that I want to make or share cookies in a unique way in order to connect with people. I have found that cookies always bring a smile to every one's face and what could be more lovely than that? As you know, every day I walk to work. On the way, I see the same people and slowly I have started to make some connections. Well, one of these connections was a man who hangs outside the window of a restaurant everyday watching the world go by. I started to acknowledge him and he would smile and wave back back. It was clear he was mentally challenged in some way but always happy and smiling. One day, I offered him a leftover pack of cookies I had in my bag. He took them and seemed absolutely delighted. So then each day I started to give him my cookies, either in the morning or on the way home from work. I realized I was thinking about this in the store as I was shopping and reminding myself that I needed to buy extra cookies--kind of like having a pet at home! So one day, I stepped inside the restaurant and asked the waitress what the man's name was? Since he couldn't talk but only wave his arms to try to express himself, I wanted to have something to call him. His name is Orlando and he lives there with his family who reside in the back behind the restaurant. I don't know his whole story but he can understand me in Spanish (maybe the only person who can!) and each day I get a big hug and kiss from him. He hangs out the window looking for me, rain or shine, and I find myself happy to see him, too. Last week, as I walked past, I was invited in by an older woman, Orlando's sister. She took me all the way to the back where she lives and introduced me to Orlando's mother (his mamita) and the rest of the family. One person was a young boy, maybe 10 years old, who is Orlando's nephew. I still can't quite figure out his name but everyday now he, too, comes to the window and I am give him cookies along with other little odds and ends I don't need but he seems to enjoy receiving. One day, I was invited back to eat lunch with the family and share more conversation. I really don't know what they were saying, but it was certainly fun to be part of their world and have them welcome me with such open arms. [For those of you who are on Facebook, I posted a photo of Orlando's mamita and another of me, Orlando, his sister and his nephew. For those of you who are not on Facebook, scroll down to the very bottom of this blog to see a photo of Orlando sitting on his bed (a hammock)] I guess the bottom line is, my cookie ministry has begun! Although the cookies I share with Orlando are not homemade, it has broken down barriers. On the weekends, I bake batches of oatmeal-raisin cookies or Snickerdoodles. On Mondays ,I bring them into the office and share them with the guys who work here. They all speak Spanish and since I still can't yet carry on much of a conversation, I don't think they quite know what to make of me? But when I pass out cookies, there's "love" in the air, that's for sure! :)
Other "goings-on" in the last few weeks include my excitement over receiving a $19,200 grant which I wrote an application for from a foundation out of the UK. They have funded three water treatment plants and six community workshops. I continue looking for more grant money and hope for more success in this area for the programs CONAPAC is working on in the rainforest. Last weekend, I met some "friends of a friend", three guys from the States. They were passing through Iquitos on their way home from the jungle. We had dinner, drinks and got acquainted. Needless to say, it was a thrill for me to have an evening's worth of interesting conversation in English. I didn't want the night to end but they were fried from the heat and travel so headed for bed somewhat early but I'm sure we'll connect the next time they pass through. Of course, we became friends on Facebook right away so that will certainly help maintain the communication. I've been doing more cooking and I have come up with a fairly decent pizza, a pretty good tuna-noodle casserole and a kick-butt chili! The egg salad is very tasty, I made quesadillas (which I had to make my own re-fried beans), and the best guacamole ever!! Since there are no nacho chips or salsa, I use límon-flavored Pringles to dip and nixed the salsa. Quite a combination and the Pringles cost over $3.00 a can but what can I say? You gotta' do what you gotta' do!! :) Absolutely everything here has límon in it, even the mayonnaise, but nothing is terribly spicy. You can buy límons everywhere and very cheaply. They are a cross between a lemon and lime with excellent flavor and juice quality. I will miss them in the States. So despite a limited amount of choices in the stores and markets for me to create food with which I am familiar, I seem to come up with something new each week. It's really kind of fun to create something to eat out of similar but not quite the same ingredients as back home. Perhaps some day I'll get some lessons on how to cook Peruvian food then when I return to live in the States I'll have the opposite problem--I won't be able to buy just the right ingredients to make my favorite Peruvian food! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to return here again :) Until next time......
Since the main topic of news I hear is about the financial crutch and world-wide recession, you may be wondering what's happening in Peru? It appears to me that Iquitos and Peru generally are not suffering as the more developed countries are. Tourism seems to be holding steady and in fact, Explorama hosted more guests in January and February this year than last. Maybe some folks who were thinking about China or Africa are opting for South America instead? The weather is good, the time zone is virtually the same as the States, and the dollar exchange is quite strong right now. As for business activity in Iquitos, I see people doing the same things I've always seen--the markets are full of fresh fish, meat, fruits and veggies;new storefronts for things like motorcycles and generators seem to open every week; and the moto-taxis are running all over town at the same rate as I've always seen. Prices here are a little high since Iquitos is so isolated and everything must come here either by airplane or boat 2,000 miles up the Amazon from the Pacific Ocean! Gasoline is running about $2.25 a gallon, a medium size box of whole grain cereal is about $3.35, and a six-pack of my favorite beer, Pilsen, is $4.35! Anything that is imported is not a bargain but going to the market for locally growth produce is a treat. I can buy a whole week's worth of fresh fruits and veggies for about $10! I rarely eat out and instead buy and make three meals a day. At the moment, I spend about $35 a week plus beer. Of course, for the locals that is a lot of money but I think they are holding their own with their diet of chicken, rice, potatoes and fresh fruit. Perhaps because most people here do not have access to credit (or if they do, it's very little), they have not found themselves to be "over leveraged" or more bluntly, up to their eyeballs in debt! Nor is the country yet a big exporter of manufactured goods. Thus, their lives and lifestyles haven't changed much, if at all? Of course, jobs here can be fairly menial--like every night a hoard of workers go into the streets of Iquitos to clean and sweep the streets, removing all the trash and making the place look quite spiffy. I don't know what they're paid but I have a feeling it's less than the cost of bins for litter all over town so why not keep more folks employed? That way, everyone seems to eat and the level of homelessness is fairly minimal. I only see a handful of sleeping bodies on the street in the mornings or late at night...really not more than any city in the States. And at least here, it's always warm :) So the financial weather report here is pretty darn good! Come on down...the flights are really cheap right now and I'd love to have the company :)
As you know, my last posting was about cookies. I've told some of you that someday I want to have a "cookie ministry". Now, I don't know what that means and it's not meant to be religious in nature but only that I want to make or share cookies in a unique way in order to connect with people. I have found that cookies always bring a smile to every one's face and what could be more lovely than that? As you know, every day I walk to work. On the way, I see the same people and slowly I have started to make some connections. Well, one of these connections was a man who hangs outside the window of a restaurant everyday watching the world go by. I started to acknowledge him and he would smile and wave back back. It was clear he was mentally challenged in some way but always happy and smiling. One day, I offered him a leftover pack of cookies I had in my bag. He took them and seemed absolutely delighted. So then each day I started to give him my cookies, either in the morning or on the way home from work. I realized I was thinking about this in the store as I was shopping and reminding myself that I needed to buy extra cookies--kind of like having a pet at home! So one day, I stepped inside the restaurant and asked the waitress what the man's name was? Since he couldn't talk but only wave his arms to try to express himself, I wanted to have something to call him. His name is Orlando and he lives there with his family who reside in the back behind the restaurant. I don't know his whole story but he can understand me in Spanish (maybe the only person who can!) and each day I get a big hug and kiss from him. He hangs out the window looking for me, rain or shine, and I find myself happy to see him, too. Last week, as I walked past, I was invited in by an older woman, Orlando's sister. She took me all the way to the back where she lives and introduced me to Orlando's mother (his mamita) and the rest of the family. One person was a young boy, maybe 10 years old, who is Orlando's nephew. I still can't quite figure out his name but everyday now he, too, comes to the window and I am give him cookies along with other little odds and ends I don't need but he seems to enjoy receiving. One day, I was invited back to eat lunch with the family and share more conversation. I really don't know what they were saying, but it was certainly fun to be part of their world and have them welcome me with such open arms. [For those of you who are on Facebook, I posted a photo of Orlando's mamita and another of me, Orlando, his sister and his nephew. For those of you who are not on Facebook, scroll down to the very bottom of this blog to see a photo of Orlando sitting on his bed (a hammock)] I guess the bottom line is, my cookie ministry has begun! Although the cookies I share with Orlando are not homemade, it has broken down barriers. On the weekends, I bake batches of oatmeal-raisin cookies or Snickerdoodles. On Mondays ,I bring them into the office and share them with the guys who work here. They all speak Spanish and since I still can't yet carry on much of a conversation, I don't think they quite know what to make of me? But when I pass out cookies, there's "love" in the air, that's for sure! :)
Other "goings-on" in the last few weeks include my excitement over receiving a $19,200 grant which I wrote an application for from a foundation out of the UK. They have funded three water treatment plants and six community workshops. I continue looking for more grant money and hope for more success in this area for the programs CONAPAC is working on in the rainforest. Last weekend, I met some "friends of a friend", three guys from the States. They were passing through Iquitos on their way home from the jungle. We had dinner, drinks and got acquainted. Needless to say, it was a thrill for me to have an evening's worth of interesting conversation in English. I didn't want the night to end but they were fried from the heat and travel so headed for bed somewhat early but I'm sure we'll connect the next time they pass through. Of course, we became friends on Facebook right away so that will certainly help maintain the communication. I've been doing more cooking and I have come up with a fairly decent pizza, a pretty good tuna-noodle casserole and a kick-butt chili! The egg salad is very tasty, I made quesadillas (which I had to make my own re-fried beans), and the best guacamole ever!! Since there are no nacho chips or salsa, I use límon-flavored Pringles to dip and nixed the salsa. Quite a combination and the Pringles cost over $3.00 a can but what can I say? You gotta' do what you gotta' do!! :) Absolutely everything here has límon in it, even the mayonnaise, but nothing is terribly spicy. You can buy límons everywhere and very cheaply. They are a cross between a lemon and lime with excellent flavor and juice quality. I will miss them in the States. So despite a limited amount of choices in the stores and markets for me to create food with which I am familiar, I seem to come up with something new each week. It's really kind of fun to create something to eat out of similar but not quite the same ingredients as back home. Perhaps some day I'll get some lessons on how to cook Peruvian food then when I return to live in the States I'll have the opposite problem--I won't be able to buy just the right ingredients to make my favorite Peruvian food! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to return here again :) Until next time......
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Finally...Cookies!
So for any of you who really know me, you know that I LOVE to bake cookies! Well, when I found out that my new apartment had an oven, I was delighted to think that possibly I could do one of the things I love to do the most. This weekend I made my first batch of peanut butter cookies and they came out great! But let me tell you about the round about way that I had to take to arrive at my final destination.
First, I had to find a cookie sheet to buy--not easy. The one I found cost me almost $10.00--but what are you going to do? Then mixing bowls, measuring cups and measuring spoons, all of which added up to quite a bit of money for something so simple. Next, as I've told you before, finding ingredients to prepare anything familar to me is often a challenge in the stores here. Another challenge has been the fact that everything is in metric so I'm dealing with grams, liters, etc. I was able to go on-line and find recipes that will convert from Imperial to Metric so that that was a start. Anyway, to make cookies you need flour, sugar, butter, salt and then baking soda or baking powder, minimally to start. Well interestingly, I found baking powder (although I didn't know it at the time) but I couldn't find baking soda in the market. Turns out you have to go the the pharmacy for this sort of thing. What they offer is the tiniest box of baking soda (maybe 1/4 cup) and it cost 2 soles (about 60 cents). Doesn't sound like much but think about what a big box of Arm & Hammer baking soda costs--maybe 79 cents!? And think about how much baking soda we all go through for one thing and another? I had been worried the butter and other ingredients were going to be very expensive but it turns out to be something so basic to us as baking soda! Anyway, finally I got all the parts to make my first masterpiece. It was only this week that I figured out how to light my stove (with a match) and because there´s no temperature control, I had to wing it there. I think on maximum, the temperture is about 375 degrees which is just about right for cookies (when I come back to the States, I will need to buy an oven thermometer to be a little more accurate). My stove is a LP gas with the tank is under the sink. It's great and very hot but it often runs out at the most inopportund time. I was concerned that my gas would run out in the middle of baking as it usually takes a day or two to get another tank from the landlord. But the stars were in my favor and I completed my baking with no trouble. Instead, the power went out for awhile as I was baking but with gas, no worries--I only lost my radio. I completed 5 dozen peanut butter cookies and they were a work of art! I did have to quickly bag them, though, because as they were cooling, the ants were marching right in!
I took them to the office the next day and, needless to say, they were devoured. Good quality baked goods, especially cookies, are rare here due to the humidity so it was really a treat. This weekend I am shooting for oatmeal-raisin cookies or Snickerdoodles. Unfortunately, I can't buy chocolate chips here but when I go back to the States in the fall, I will buy some and bring them back. If anyone is ever heading this way, a bag or two of Tollhouse chocolate chips would be great! One thing that is curious here, and I think thought-provoking, is the fact that everything in the grocery stores come in plastic bags or boxes, even things like milk and mayonaise. The only things you find in cans or glass jars are imported items from the States or Europe. The point being that things in bags and boxes pack much tighter and weigh less, thereby using less space and energy to pack and ship. However, I can't speak to how much energy it takes to create all this plastic??
Let´s see..what else is new? Well, you may remember me lamenting about my IPOD that got stuck on pause and that I was having withdraw pains for over a month? Well, long story short, I was able to reset it and now I'm back in business. I finally bought my "mesedora" or Peruvian rocking chair. It's difficult to discribe but tacky comes to mind. However, it's cool and comfortable and perfect for this part of the world. Now, how to get it in my suitcase when I come home?? For those of you who are on Facebook, you can check out my photos of the rocking chair and me sitting in it listening to my working IPOD, too!
Not much happening at work these days. I think it's the calm before the storm as Adopt-A-School will be heating up soon and then there will be no time to think! Next month a group of high school students are coming from Michigan (Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills). They will be helping me pack a couple hundred large rice bags filled with school supplies, so that begins the start of the action. We will have a larger number of volunteers here this year for AAS, as one week will be for deliveries and one one week for service projects. Conapac and Explorama won an award this past week ($1000) from the Board of Responsible Tourism for its' work in the area of environmental sustainablly and all they are doing in the rainforest. I have submitted another grant proposal for three new mini-water treatment plants to provide clean drinking water to the remote villages we work with, plus some educational workshops to go along with the new water plants. Keep your your fingers crossed for me and the program!!
As you know, I have been trying to find a Spanish class or tudor to work with here but with no luck. And although there are opportunities to speak with any number of people, it's not the same as having a regular date to practice and discuss questions. One of the guides at Explorama has a daughter who is studying English. Her name is Wendy, she's about 23 years old, a college student, and wants to practice English with someone. So we've met and agreed to meet once a week for practice in both languages. I have also found a very nice cultural center that has a reading progam each evening for street children. I plan to go once a week to listen to the stories and to take the opportunity to read more books in Spanish. Little by little, I WILL conquer this new language :)
People often ask me what I miss while living here? Besides the obvious of family and good friends, I can't say there's much. But right now, I'd love to have a weekly news magazine (Time, Newsweek or US News & World Report) delivered each week; I definitely miss chips and salsa; and since we're so close to the Equator, there are no intense, lingering sunsets--I'd like to linger over one very soon! Thanks, again, for all of who following my blog. And if you're not on Facebook,consider giving it a try! I'd love to be have more friends!
First, I had to find a cookie sheet to buy--not easy. The one I found cost me almost $10.00--but what are you going to do? Then mixing bowls, measuring cups and measuring spoons, all of which added up to quite a bit of money for something so simple. Next, as I've told you before, finding ingredients to prepare anything familar to me is often a challenge in the stores here. Another challenge has been the fact that everything is in metric so I'm dealing with grams, liters, etc. I was able to go on-line and find recipes that will convert from Imperial to Metric so that that was a start. Anyway, to make cookies you need flour, sugar, butter, salt and then baking soda or baking powder, minimally to start. Well interestingly, I found baking powder (although I didn't know it at the time) but I couldn't find baking soda in the market. Turns out you have to go the the pharmacy for this sort of thing. What they offer is the tiniest box of baking soda (maybe 1/4 cup) and it cost 2 soles (about 60 cents). Doesn't sound like much but think about what a big box of Arm & Hammer baking soda costs--maybe 79 cents!? And think about how much baking soda we all go through for one thing and another? I had been worried the butter and other ingredients were going to be very expensive but it turns out to be something so basic to us as baking soda! Anyway, finally I got all the parts to make my first masterpiece. It was only this week that I figured out how to light my stove (with a match) and because there´s no temperature control, I had to wing it there. I think on maximum, the temperture is about 375 degrees which is just about right for cookies (when I come back to the States, I will need to buy an oven thermometer to be a little more accurate). My stove is a LP gas with the tank is under the sink. It's great and very hot but it often runs out at the most inopportund time. I was concerned that my gas would run out in the middle of baking as it usually takes a day or two to get another tank from the landlord. But the stars were in my favor and I completed my baking with no trouble. Instead, the power went out for awhile as I was baking but with gas, no worries--I only lost my radio. I completed 5 dozen peanut butter cookies and they were a work of art! I did have to quickly bag them, though, because as they were cooling, the ants were marching right in!
I took them to the office the next day and, needless to say, they were devoured. Good quality baked goods, especially cookies, are rare here due to the humidity so it was really a treat. This weekend I am shooting for oatmeal-raisin cookies or Snickerdoodles. Unfortunately, I can't buy chocolate chips here but when I go back to the States in the fall, I will buy some and bring them back. If anyone is ever heading this way, a bag or two of Tollhouse chocolate chips would be great! One thing that is curious here, and I think thought-provoking, is the fact that everything in the grocery stores come in plastic bags or boxes, even things like milk and mayonaise. The only things you find in cans or glass jars are imported items from the States or Europe. The point being that things in bags and boxes pack much tighter and weigh less, thereby using less space and energy to pack and ship. However, I can't speak to how much energy it takes to create all this plastic??
Let´s see..what else is new? Well, you may remember me lamenting about my IPOD that got stuck on pause and that I was having withdraw pains for over a month? Well, long story short, I was able to reset it and now I'm back in business. I finally bought my "mesedora" or Peruvian rocking chair. It's difficult to discribe but tacky comes to mind. However, it's cool and comfortable and perfect for this part of the world. Now, how to get it in my suitcase when I come home?? For those of you who are on Facebook, you can check out my photos of the rocking chair and me sitting in it listening to my working IPOD, too!
Not much happening at work these days. I think it's the calm before the storm as Adopt-A-School will be heating up soon and then there will be no time to think! Next month a group of high school students are coming from Michigan (Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills). They will be helping me pack a couple hundred large rice bags filled with school supplies, so that begins the start of the action. We will have a larger number of volunteers here this year for AAS, as one week will be for deliveries and one one week for service projects. Conapac and Explorama won an award this past week ($1000) from the Board of Responsible Tourism for its' work in the area of environmental sustainablly and all they are doing in the rainforest. I have submitted another grant proposal for three new mini-water treatment plants to provide clean drinking water to the remote villages we work with, plus some educational workshops to go along with the new water plants. Keep your your fingers crossed for me and the program!!
As you know, I have been trying to find a Spanish class or tudor to work with here but with no luck. And although there are opportunities to speak with any number of people, it's not the same as having a regular date to practice and discuss questions. One of the guides at Explorama has a daughter who is studying English. Her name is Wendy, she's about 23 years old, a college student, and wants to practice English with someone. So we've met and agreed to meet once a week for practice in both languages. I have also found a very nice cultural center that has a reading progam each evening for street children. I plan to go once a week to listen to the stories and to take the opportunity to read more books in Spanish. Little by little, I WILL conquer this new language :)
People often ask me what I miss while living here? Besides the obvious of family and good friends, I can't say there's much. But right now, I'd love to have a weekly news magazine (Time, Newsweek or US News & World Report) delivered each week; I definitely miss chips and salsa; and since we're so close to the Equator, there are no intense, lingering sunsets--I'd like to linger over one very soon! Thanks, again, for all of who following my blog. And if you're not on Facebook,consider giving it a try! I'd love to be have more friends!
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