"Meetings On The Edge" by Mags MacKean--A High-Level Escape from the Office Routine. This is a book I've just read and thoroughly enjoyed. And all the more reason because the author currently lives in the apartment above me--I just get to meet the most interesting people here! I met this gal about 6 months ago when she moved in but because of my crazy schedule and hers, it was only 2 weeks ago that we connected over dinner. She has the most proper British accent which I was so curious about against my Midwestern twang. Turns out she was a BBC radio and TV correspondent for about 10 years before giving it up to climb mountains all over the world. Her stories about the people she met along the way, the personal challenges of hiking alone for weeks on end, and climbing difficult mountains in organized groups was a most intriguing read. I had the opportunity this week to spend an evening with her and, of course, I had a number of questions. So often I've read a book and wished I could inquire more about the author's thinking. This was a rare treat to have the opportunity to dig deeper. She's been here to study "Shamanism" from learned shamans in the rainforest. Before she departs, she's going to give me an "energy session". I have no idea what this will be but it can't hurt! :) Unfortunately, she will be leaving Iquitos in January and returning to the UK, but I'm delighted to have known her if only for a brief time.
My other neighbors, Christie and David from the University of Colorado have left town for a month and I will miss them over Christmas. However, we did share Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant which floats in the middle of the river in front of my house. It's a very cool ride out to the place which is in a palm covered boat with a "peque-peque" motor on the back. It was a sultry night with this crazy lighting show in the distance--this added to the drama. As for Christmas, I'm continuing my "cookie ministry" by making cookies, candy and dessert bars which I started last week and have been freezing. I plan to make Christmas gift bags and give them to various people I know either at the office, my neighbors and some of the people I see each day along the street on my walk to work. For Christmas dinner, who knows? I have discovered a new pizza place right around the corner from my house which is actually pretty good. They have a pizza oven that is heated with wood so the crust is great and the toppings decent. I can't say much for their red sauce but it's the best I can seem to get here. They do give you a wonderful "crema" which is a white garlic sauce so I add that to the top :) Each Friday night has now become "pizza night" just like back it the States so maybe this year it will be Christmas dinner too?
More animal stories: I've had some more rat problems, big and small. I have two sizes of metal rat traps but so far I can't seem to catch the little devils...not that I really want to deal with the consequences! I was trying to set the large one the other day--and I mean huge!--when it let go fully on my right thumb. It was so dumb and so shocking that I absolutely started laughing and laughing and just couldn't stop until my stomach hurt. My thumb immediately swelled and turned a greeny-purple color. I didn't break it but it was my right thumb and typing was no fun! Then recently, I was in the jungle for a couple of weeks. One day while at the lodge on the Napo River, I walked out to the sundeck and was immediately attacked by a wild parrot in the chest. I've been around these birds many times over the years and they've never been the least bit aggressive. Why this time I have no idea? I then got up to move to another chair and he/she/it attacked me again, this time in the arm and drawing blood. What is it with animals biting me lately when I'm just minding my own business?
I'm looking forward to my January trip to Cusco, which is in the mountains of Perú. A bunch of friends from Michigan (and you know who you are!) will be coming to set up an free eye clinic. I'm looking forward to spending time with old friends and getting together to volunteer once again. This is the same group of folks whom I went with on my very first international volunteer trip to Honduras in 2003. That trip was the first step to set me on the course which ultimately took me here and all these friends have been greatly supportive along the way. It should be a great time and I'll let you know how it all goes. After that, it will be nothing but Adopt-A-School until the end of May--but then that will bring into Iquitos a whole another set of old friends for visiting, volunteering with generally a good time to be had by all!
Hot off the press--I just got word that one of my grant applications for 2010-for $25,000--was approved in full! I am just thrilled to be able to receive this money for the construction of four new water treatment plants, water workshops and support for gasoline and logistics. Our donor partner, the SAGA Foundation, is from the UK. They were quite generous for the first time this year in providing funding so it's just a delight to see they're committment continue. I guess I still have a position here and we're in business for another year!
Have a great couple of weeks and I'll catch you all in the New Year...seems like yesterday we were freakin' about Y2K. Glad to be still around ten years later. Take care one and all!
ox
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
It's Official!
I am now a permanent resident of Perú. I have my "green card" with permission to live and work in the country for more five years. Now I don't know as I'll stay that long but it will certainly make the time, trouble and money worth the effort. It's been a long and winding road to get here and, as expected, it was capped off with a truly Peruvian experience to receive the card. As you may recall, I spent time in Lima at the beginning of October, running around town with a lawyer to this place and that, having copies made of documents, my photo and fingerprints taken, even my teeth were checked and counted (I supposed to identify the body :). That part was for InterPol so I guess I cleared all the international checks! Once back in Iquitos the attorney here drafted a work contract which he had to submit to the local government for approval. The point of this was to convince the local authorities that no Peruvian could do my job—I guess it worked. Once we had the local approval, it was sent off to Lima for the regional government to approve. This surprisingly went quickly and before I knew it, Pam told me I had to return to Lima for the day to appear in person, once again, at immigrations. Neither of us had a clue as to the outcome but we knew it was one more step that had to be taken.
Pam booked me a morning flight to Lima with a return flight later that same evening. I got to the airport early and right away something didn't seem right. Well, it turns out she booked my flight backwards-Lima/Iquitos/Lima! So after many phones calls, the flight was changed but because it was later in the day, I was going to have to spend the night in Lima. The attorney said there would be no way we could get things done in one day. With me I had my money, a book, gum and some lip gloss--nothing else. I figured I’d just buy a toothbrush and anything else when I got there! So I arrived in Lima at 11:30, the driver was waiting and whisked me off to immigrations where I found the attorney. We went inside and lots of action and chaos ensued with me understanding very little. I was called into an office, asked some questions, they look a very bad picture of me, and I signed my name and waited. Less than an hour later, my name was called and they handed me my ID card and returned my passport--it was a done deal! Even the lawyer was surprised and said he didn't expect this to happen so fast. I looked at my watch and it was only 1 PM. So I called Pam and said, hey, we're done. Is there any reason to stay the night? Ten minutes later she called me back and said you're booked on the 4 PM flight to Iquitos. I was back in a taxi to quickly return to the airport. I had a fast lunch, ran into a friend for some ice cream, completely forgot to buy the Dunkin' Donuts I promised another friend in Iquitos, raced through the exit taxes and screening and made it to the gate just in time. There waiting to catch the same flight was Ari, Pam's husband and Jimmy, my landlord. I chatted with them both and it was fun to see people I know in a strange airport--althought I swear I know the Lima airport better that Detroit-Metro! Jimmy had been in England for two months and was just returning. So we chatted in line, sat next to each other on the plane and really caught up on all the news. Once home, we shared a moto-kar since I had no luggage and we were home by 6 PM. I truly think it was the quickest trip anyone has ever take to Lima and I have to say I was a little disappointed I didn't have more time there. I was really hoping for a minute or two to go shopping...you know? at least for some cereal! :)
As for other news here, I've been in and out of the jungle several times this last month for various reasons. I've met some great tourist guests and one night found myself chatting together with a couple from China, a couple from Germany, and the Spanish guide. Of course we were all speaking in English. I was thinking what a small world it is and how great it is to have such a universal language as English so we could all communicate! There have been quite a few violent storms and lots of rain. My tropical plants are lovin' it and it makes me feel like I actually have a green thumb, which we all know is not true. I have had several frog encounters, one of which become by "wine charm" for the evening. He was this little tiny thing, about the size of my thumb nail, but he had big, padded feet and wonderful color. He crouched on the base of my glass and didn't budge for about an hour while I continued to drink my wine. I've done some entertaining, having a few friends over for dinner. I've made some interesting desserts from the recipes I brought from the States, which get quickly eaten by the gang at Explorama. I've hired a housekeeper--I know, I know--what kind of "roughing it" is this you're doing in the jungle? But it's a neighbor whose husband died quite suddenly of a heart attack at 45 so now she is without resources. I have her come and wash my floors and windows. It just doesn't seem like I have time for it all anymore so I'm glad to give her the work. I've picked up another student who's US sponsor would like me to manage the tuition money. As my little side businesses grow, I find myself keeping more records than I ever did for my personal accounts in the States but it's all fun and gives me extra pin money.
Well, I hope you all have a great day tomorrow with whatever food you choose to eat on Thanksgiving. I have no special plans and will work the day but perhaps I'll treat myself to a pizza and a bottle of wine as my way of giving eternal thanks for all my gifts, all my health, all my family and friends, all my safe passages and all that I hope to bring to the table while I spend a few years here in the rainforest of Peru and enjoy the spectacle of the Amazon River!
Pam booked me a morning flight to Lima with a return flight later that same evening. I got to the airport early and right away something didn't seem right. Well, it turns out she booked my flight backwards-Lima/Iquitos/Lima! So after many phones calls, the flight was changed but because it was later in the day, I was going to have to spend the night in Lima. The attorney said there would be no way we could get things done in one day. With me I had my money, a book, gum and some lip gloss--nothing else. I figured I’d just buy a toothbrush and anything else when I got there! So I arrived in Lima at 11:30, the driver was waiting and whisked me off to immigrations where I found the attorney. We went inside and lots of action and chaos ensued with me understanding very little. I was called into an office, asked some questions, they look a very bad picture of me, and I signed my name and waited. Less than an hour later, my name was called and they handed me my ID card and returned my passport--it was a done deal! Even the lawyer was surprised and said he didn't expect this to happen so fast. I looked at my watch and it was only 1 PM. So I called Pam and said, hey, we're done. Is there any reason to stay the night? Ten minutes later she called me back and said you're booked on the 4 PM flight to Iquitos. I was back in a taxi to quickly return to the airport. I had a fast lunch, ran into a friend for some ice cream, completely forgot to buy the Dunkin' Donuts I promised another friend in Iquitos, raced through the exit taxes and screening and made it to the gate just in time. There waiting to catch the same flight was Ari, Pam's husband and Jimmy, my landlord. I chatted with them both and it was fun to see people I know in a strange airport--althought I swear I know the Lima airport better that Detroit-Metro! Jimmy had been in England for two months and was just returning. So we chatted in line, sat next to each other on the plane and really caught up on all the news. Once home, we shared a moto-kar since I had no luggage and we were home by 6 PM. I truly think it was the quickest trip anyone has ever take to Lima and I have to say I was a little disappointed I didn't have more time there. I was really hoping for a minute or two to go shopping...you know? at least for some cereal! :)
As for other news here, I've been in and out of the jungle several times this last month for various reasons. I've met some great tourist guests and one night found myself chatting together with a couple from China, a couple from Germany, and the Spanish guide. Of course we were all speaking in English. I was thinking what a small world it is and how great it is to have such a universal language as English so we could all communicate! There have been quite a few violent storms and lots of rain. My tropical plants are lovin' it and it makes me feel like I actually have a green thumb, which we all know is not true. I have had several frog encounters, one of which become by "wine charm" for the evening. He was this little tiny thing, about the size of my thumb nail, but he had big, padded feet and wonderful color. He crouched on the base of my glass and didn't budge for about an hour while I continued to drink my wine. I've done some entertaining, having a few friends over for dinner. I've made some interesting desserts from the recipes I brought from the States, which get quickly eaten by the gang at Explorama. I've hired a housekeeper--I know, I know--what kind of "roughing it" is this you're doing in the jungle? But it's a neighbor whose husband died quite suddenly of a heart attack at 45 so now she is without resources. I have her come and wash my floors and windows. It just doesn't seem like I have time for it all anymore so I'm glad to give her the work. I've picked up another student who's US sponsor would like me to manage the tuition money. As my little side businesses grow, I find myself keeping more records than I ever did for my personal accounts in the States but it's all fun and gives me extra pin money.
Well, I hope you all have a great day tomorrow with whatever food you choose to eat on Thanksgiving. I have no special plans and will work the day but perhaps I'll treat myself to a pizza and a bottle of wine as my way of giving eternal thanks for all my gifts, all my health, all my family and friends, all my safe passages and all that I hope to bring to the table while I spend a few years here in the rainforest of Peru and enjoy the spectacle of the Amazon River!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Mopping Up!
Well, for those of you who have faithfully followed my blog, it has been just over a year (October 27, 2008) since I entered my first posting! What started out as a last minute whim, as I left the States, has turned into a regular habit and a thoroughly rewarding experience. How quickly this year has passed and how different my life is today. Thank you all, whoever you might be, for reading my stories. I often wonder if I'm writing them only for myself, then I hear about someone who is regularly reading my thoughts and it keeps me inspired to carry on. Thank you for your continued interest and enthusiasm!
Hmmmmm...What’s new? After the last two blog postings, I'm afraid I can't top those adventures so I'll just bring you up to date and then a few more ramblings! My arm is slowly healing but I've finally given up using a sling. I still wrap it each day more for padding against an unexpected bump than any other reason. It's been a particularly hot week so having the added wrapping was no fun. My monkey bite is gone but, at the moment, I do have a scar so it reminds me of how insulted I was by the bite (I really don't like that monkey!). The garden around my apartment has been cleaned up and there are green sprouts shooting up here and there. One interesting plant is the banana tree. This huge tree was completely destroyed yet already the leaves are unfolding again, I swear, right before my eyes. It is now at least 1/3 of the way back to its former size! When the landlord returns from England, I hope he finds the hole in the wall as ugly as I do and decides to bite the bullet by rebuilding the wall at least halfway up.
I spent a week in the jungle with a large group of students from the American school in Lima. They came to do service projects in the villages and learn about the rainforest in general. I don't know exactly who these kids were but the Explorama boats which brought them to and from the Lodges were accompanied by a full Peruvian navy escort! In addition, a large cruiser was parked outside the Lodge on the Amazon for the whole week the students were here--very interesting! CONAPAC now has another water plant up and running--our 6th this year with one more to yet to build in 2009. Of course, we have about 75-80 villages with which we work so we have much more yet to accomplish :) Check out the bottom of my blog as I posted a new photo taken while at one of the water workshops--sling and all!
I've picked up another English student who is coming two days a week for conversation and other clarifications about the proper use of English. Of course, I'm always up against the fact that in Perú they teach "proper" British English which bumps up against American English in usage and pronunciation. I don't know which team will win this battle but you know the one I'm cheering on! I continue with my own Spanish classes which have a hit and miss quality to them. Some days it all just flows. Then other days every word sticks in my head and refuses to cross my lips...oh! This is so painful learning a new language :( I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking from recipes I brought here from the States. Now that I know what ingredients I can find here and what I can't, it makes it a lot easier to find the appropriate recipe. Each weekend I haunt the stores for the rare food item. When I do, I buy as much as possible since I know I'll never see it in the store again. My most recent hunt is for any kind of nut besides peanuts and any kind of cheese besides the soft processed type--in other words, something hard enough to grate on a cheese grater. Interestingly, two common things you can find here are marshmallows and cream cheese--go figure?! It feels like 1956.
Two successful finds I've had in the last week were my patio table and chairs, which I never thought I could possibly locate. But after looking and waiting and then going back to the stores over and over again, finally I found exactly what I wanted. And the miracle of miracles was that the salesman was actually helpful and promised he'd have it delivered that evening (it was already 4 PM on a Saturday). But sure enough in less than an hour he was at my door. I told him I'd never received such quick and efficient customer service in Iquitos. He then proceeded to tell me that was because he is from Lima!! Well, I hope more folks from Lima set up shop here in Iquitos soon and use their great customer service skills :) My other incredible find was WD40! Can you believe it? After my rant and rave at the TSA, I actually found it here. It’s a little pricey but well worth it. The trick here is never to be actually looking for something specifically--but you always want to be prepared with enough money if you do find something unexpected. If you don't buy it then, you'll never see it again. I'm still looking for some kind of interesting cereal other than the only ONE they have here for grown-ups. If you're coming to visit me in Perú, a box of Wheat Chex would be great!!
It has been the low water season and truly I've never seen the water so low. But I think just like those of you in the Midwest, telling me about the leaves changing and the November winds and rain moving in, the tide here has turned, as well. After this last week of oppressive heat, yesterday it finally broke. It rained so hard and for so long that I know the rivers and streams will be on their way to the start of the high water season. Last night there was an incredible thunder and lightening show, with crazy amounts of wind, too. There's not too much in the way of "extreme" weather here so it was really something. When I got home from work last night, I stepped out of the motorkar into a foot of water and it never stopped all night. This morning it was 78 degrees inside my apartment. The first time in several weeks that it dipped below 82 inside...a nice change of pace and clean streets, too!! :)
Final thoughts...thank you all for various notes and letters I've received lately. Also for some old friends I've found recently on Facebook. I feel so connected with everyone while I'm here, I think even more than when I lived in Michigan. Keep the notes coming as time allows and know I think of you all quite often. Take care and enjoy the upcoming "turkey day" festivities! OH, PS...Remember that rat problem which we "took care of" back in May? Well, theeeey're back! Not sure if we have a small rat problem or a large mouse problem but either way, our vacation from rodents is over! :(
Hmmmmm...What’s new? After the last two blog postings, I'm afraid I can't top those adventures so I'll just bring you up to date and then a few more ramblings! My arm is slowly healing but I've finally given up using a sling. I still wrap it each day more for padding against an unexpected bump than any other reason. It's been a particularly hot week so having the added wrapping was no fun. My monkey bite is gone but, at the moment, I do have a scar so it reminds me of how insulted I was by the bite (I really don't like that monkey!). The garden around my apartment has been cleaned up and there are green sprouts shooting up here and there. One interesting plant is the banana tree. This huge tree was completely destroyed yet already the leaves are unfolding again, I swear, right before my eyes. It is now at least 1/3 of the way back to its former size! When the landlord returns from England, I hope he finds the hole in the wall as ugly as I do and decides to bite the bullet by rebuilding the wall at least halfway up.
I spent a week in the jungle with a large group of students from the American school in Lima. They came to do service projects in the villages and learn about the rainforest in general. I don't know exactly who these kids were but the Explorama boats which brought them to and from the Lodges were accompanied by a full Peruvian navy escort! In addition, a large cruiser was parked outside the Lodge on the Amazon for the whole week the students were here--very interesting! CONAPAC now has another water plant up and running--our 6th this year with one more to yet to build in 2009. Of course, we have about 75-80 villages with which we work so we have much more yet to accomplish :) Check out the bottom of my blog as I posted a new photo taken while at one of the water workshops--sling and all!
I've picked up another English student who is coming two days a week for conversation and other clarifications about the proper use of English. Of course, I'm always up against the fact that in Perú they teach "proper" British English which bumps up against American English in usage and pronunciation. I don't know which team will win this battle but you know the one I'm cheering on! I continue with my own Spanish classes which have a hit and miss quality to them. Some days it all just flows. Then other days every word sticks in my head and refuses to cross my lips...oh! This is so painful learning a new language :( I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking from recipes I brought here from the States. Now that I know what ingredients I can find here and what I can't, it makes it a lot easier to find the appropriate recipe. Each weekend I haunt the stores for the rare food item. When I do, I buy as much as possible since I know I'll never see it in the store again. My most recent hunt is for any kind of nut besides peanuts and any kind of cheese besides the soft processed type--in other words, something hard enough to grate on a cheese grater. Interestingly, two common things you can find here are marshmallows and cream cheese--go figure?! It feels like 1956.
Two successful finds I've had in the last week were my patio table and chairs, which I never thought I could possibly locate. But after looking and waiting and then going back to the stores over and over again, finally I found exactly what I wanted. And the miracle of miracles was that the salesman was actually helpful and promised he'd have it delivered that evening (it was already 4 PM on a Saturday). But sure enough in less than an hour he was at my door. I told him I'd never received such quick and efficient customer service in Iquitos. He then proceeded to tell me that was because he is from Lima!! Well, I hope more folks from Lima set up shop here in Iquitos soon and use their great customer service skills :) My other incredible find was WD40! Can you believe it? After my rant and rave at the TSA, I actually found it here. It’s a little pricey but well worth it. The trick here is never to be actually looking for something specifically--but you always want to be prepared with enough money if you do find something unexpected. If you don't buy it then, you'll never see it again. I'm still looking for some kind of interesting cereal other than the only ONE they have here for grown-ups. If you're coming to visit me in Perú, a box of Wheat Chex would be great!!
It has been the low water season and truly I've never seen the water so low. But I think just like those of you in the Midwest, telling me about the leaves changing and the November winds and rain moving in, the tide here has turned, as well. After this last week of oppressive heat, yesterday it finally broke. It rained so hard and for so long that I know the rivers and streams will be on their way to the start of the high water season. Last night there was an incredible thunder and lightening show, with crazy amounts of wind, too. There's not too much in the way of "extreme" weather here so it was really something. When I got home from work last night, I stepped out of the motorkar into a foot of water and it never stopped all night. This morning it was 78 degrees inside my apartment. The first time in several weeks that it dipped below 82 inside...a nice change of pace and clean streets, too!! :)
Final thoughts...thank you all for various notes and letters I've received lately. Also for some old friends I've found recently on Facebook. I feel so connected with everyone while I'm here, I think even more than when I lived in Michigan. Keep the notes coming as time allows and know I think of you all quite often. Take care and enjoy the upcoming "turkey day" festivities! OH, PS...Remember that rat problem which we "took care of" back in May? Well, theeeey're back! Not sure if we have a small rat problem or a large mouse problem but either way, our vacation from rodents is over! :(
Friday, October 16, 2009
Back In The Groove...
Whew! Some weeks are full of more adventures than others and I’ve certainly had my fill, especially after last week! Last Sunday I was sitting inside my apartment since it had just started to rain quite hard. Suddenly there was this big roaring sound, I turned around to see the 20ft. plus high, brick wall that forms the enclosure to my apartment building, completely collapse. It flattened all the trees and other plants in the garden, took down the telephone and cable lines and generally created a huge mess! The good news was none of the resident children were in the yard at the time which just prior to the rain they had been there playing. The landlord, who lives on site, had just left for 6 weeks in England so it was up to the resident guard to handle the clean up along with his older children. I have to say, they made quick work of it and by Wednesday it was as clean as possible. The wall was actually the side of the house next door in which no one currently lives. The owners had recently removed all the cross support rooms and vegetation had grown heavily on it as the roots undermined the mortar. The owners, who live in Brazil, were asked not to gut the place and leave it as they did for the very reason that the wall might collapse. Apparently, they did not care nor has anyone seen them since the incident. Needless to say, the clean-up consisted of tossing all the brick and debris onto their side of the remaining wall. Surprise, surprise when they one day return! All the animals and insects that lived in this mini-ecosystem of vegetation were quite clueless as to what happened and they were all looking for new homes—especially some rather large, black ants. I had to work hard to keep them out of my house. I think I will most miss the 3 foot iguana that lived on the wall but maybe he’ll return some day when things have re-grown. Since this is the rainforest where things grow very quickly, I expect most of the scars to be gone within a very short time.
This week, I was asked to judge a cooking contest for the students of Las Malvinas School. This is the school in Iquitos where CONAPAC is doing the large environmental garden project which I told you about in my last blog posting. The various grades (1-11) made different types of food from different parts of Perú--the coast, the sierra and the jungle. The food was displayed creatively and with nice table presentations. Along with grading the visual and oral presentations, we had to sample the food for taste and texture. So picture this--A small, hot room with food which was probably prepared some hours earlier, sitting in 80 degree plus heat, with maybe 100 or so kids roaming around looking at, breathing on, perhaps coughing on and generally hanging over the merchandise. Then the judges, about 10-12 of us were all using the same fork or spoon to sample the food. Get the picture? Needless to say, I paid for it the next today! :) But no worries--sometimes it's good for the body to start fresh! I have some photos of the food and will post them on my FB page soon!
As I’m struggling to learn Spanish (and I have to say this is getting much better) I realize I’m not just going back and forth between two languages. Besides the mix of Spanish and jungle words which are so integrated into the locals’ speaking patterns (I call this Spungle), I am also learning to convert the metric and imperial system for weights and measures at work and at home. Plus, my mind has to daily convert dollars to soles and vice-versa with the accounting process at CONAPAC and purchases I make. There are times my head swims and aches with the challenges but I comfort myself with the confidence that I’m warding off Alzheimer’s disease—at least for now. My brain is too busy making new connections in this old “bod” than to be shriveling up for lack of use. I’d highly encourage you all to start learning something completely new, especially if you’re on the back side of 50!!
People ask me all the time if it’s safe to live here. As it goes, I think Iquitos is a relatively safe and calm city considering the large number of people living here in a very small space. However, there is one consistent problem which is theft. Lots of motorcycles and other household items are regularly lifted from the street and homes which are not properly secured (barbed wire and steel grating plus locks). So far, my circumstances have been very safe but I, too, have suffered from thievery! Of what, you ask? Well, let me tell you about the thieves in the laundramat where I regularly take my clothes. Due to thiefs in the past of my socks and underwear, I now handwash them at home. I have lost shorts and tops but I don’t care to hand wash these larger items, so now I have the staff count my clothes when I drop them off. But the latest items which I realize have not been returned are dishtowels and rags!!! In less than a year, I have lost over a dozen new dishtowels, some of which were turned into rags, too. Who would have thought a rag would be such a premium product--or perhaps I have really nice ones? Either way, I have now decided not to take my dishtowels or rags to the laundry and I will start to hand wash them at home, too. It’s a crazy world out there! :)
Last comment—I know many of you are on Facebook so you may have seen this; but for those of you who are not, there are a variety of silly little quizzes which you can take to test completely unimportant and useless, but fun, information about yourself. Well, an old friend (might be a connection there) took the “What Is Your Old Lady Name?” quiz and suggested I try it, too. I was quite curious so went ahead. Well! Based on my answers, apparently my old lady name would be “Winifred” and the description--Welcome to Senile-ville! You're that crazy old lady that no one wants to be around but secretly everyone wants to be—is probably closer to the truth than I care to admit! My friend, on the other hand, was the type that would always be available to baby-sit and be prepared with cookies and other goodies in the house at all times. I guess we are who we are, from start to finish!! For my 50-something girlfreinds out there--and you know who you are--I hope you'll take the quiz, too, and share the results.
I’m off to the jungle for a week of workshops and service projects. I’ll report in later with the latest happenings at the Lodge and the villages we are visiting—Palmeras II and San Pedro de Manati. Hasta más tarde!
This week, I was asked to judge a cooking contest for the students of Las Malvinas School. This is the school in Iquitos where CONAPAC is doing the large environmental garden project which I told you about in my last blog posting. The various grades (1-11) made different types of food from different parts of Perú--the coast, the sierra and the jungle. The food was displayed creatively and with nice table presentations. Along with grading the visual and oral presentations, we had to sample the food for taste and texture. So picture this--A small, hot room with food which was probably prepared some hours earlier, sitting in 80 degree plus heat, with maybe 100 or so kids roaming around looking at, breathing on, perhaps coughing on and generally hanging over the merchandise. Then the judges, about 10-12 of us were all using the same fork or spoon to sample the food. Get the picture? Needless to say, I paid for it the next today! :) But no worries--sometimes it's good for the body to start fresh! I have some photos of the food and will post them on my FB page soon!
As I’m struggling to learn Spanish (and I have to say this is getting much better) I realize I’m not just going back and forth between two languages. Besides the mix of Spanish and jungle words which are so integrated into the locals’ speaking patterns (I call this Spungle), I am also learning to convert the metric and imperial system for weights and measures at work and at home. Plus, my mind has to daily convert dollars to soles and vice-versa with the accounting process at CONAPAC and purchases I make. There are times my head swims and aches with the challenges but I comfort myself with the confidence that I’m warding off Alzheimer’s disease—at least for now. My brain is too busy making new connections in this old “bod” than to be shriveling up for lack of use. I’d highly encourage you all to start learning something completely new, especially if you’re on the back side of 50!!
People ask me all the time if it’s safe to live here. As it goes, I think Iquitos is a relatively safe and calm city considering the large number of people living here in a very small space. However, there is one consistent problem which is theft. Lots of motorcycles and other household items are regularly lifted from the street and homes which are not properly secured (barbed wire and steel grating plus locks). So far, my circumstances have been very safe but I, too, have suffered from thievery! Of what, you ask? Well, let me tell you about the thieves in the laundramat where I regularly take my clothes. Due to thiefs in the past of my socks and underwear, I now handwash them at home. I have lost shorts and tops but I don’t care to hand wash these larger items, so now I have the staff count my clothes when I drop them off. But the latest items which I realize have not been returned are dishtowels and rags!!! In less than a year, I have lost over a dozen new dishtowels, some of which were turned into rags, too. Who would have thought a rag would be such a premium product--or perhaps I have really nice ones? Either way, I have now decided not to take my dishtowels or rags to the laundry and I will start to hand wash them at home, too. It’s a crazy world out there! :)
Last comment—I know many of you are on Facebook so you may have seen this; but for those of you who are not, there are a variety of silly little quizzes which you can take to test completely unimportant and useless, but fun, information about yourself. Well, an old friend (might be a connection there) took the “What Is Your Old Lady Name?” quiz and suggested I try it, too. I was quite curious so went ahead. Well! Based on my answers, apparently my old lady name would be “Winifred” and the description--Welcome to Senile-ville! You're that crazy old lady that no one wants to be around but secretly everyone wants to be—is probably closer to the truth than I care to admit! My friend, on the other hand, was the type that would always be available to baby-sit and be prepared with cookies and other goodies in the house at all times. I guess we are who we are, from start to finish!! For my 50-something girlfreinds out there--and you know who you are--I hope you'll take the quiz, too, and share the results.
I’m off to the jungle for a week of workshops and service projects. I’ll report in later with the latest happenings at the Lodge and the villages we are visiting—Palmeras II and San Pedro de Manati. Hasta más tarde!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
A Tentative Landing Home...
Greetings, once again, from the rainforest of Peru! I'm finally home after two months in the States in which I had a particularly good time visiting family and friends and meeting many new friends, as well. Thank you all again for treating me so well, taking me in with your hospitality and generally wining and dining me. FYI, as I expected, I put on 10 lbs. while in the States--ah, the good life! :)
But all good things come to and end and it was time to get back to “mi vida” here in Iquitos. It's been quite an eventful and trying first week back. As I've described to myself and others I just don't have my “mojo” back yet and I want it--now!! I returned to Peru but first spent three days in the city of Lima in an attempt to start the process of getting my “green card” or whatever it is they call it here? I'm not sure what or when anything will happen but things are in motion. Upon my first full day here in Iquitos, as I was getting myself unpacked, a nice storm kicked up. I ran out to close the windows and promptly slipped on the wet cement, fell hard on my left bum and elbow. I thought that was the worst of it but then I saw blood on my elbow with a big gash. One of the hazards of living alone are it's difficult to reach certain places in which to place a band aid but I patched myself up as best I could. The next morning, I could barely move my arm so off to the clinic and X-Rays which showed a nice fracture. Painkillers and a sling were in order so that has been a hassle for the week and it will continue for another six weeks or so. Work has been nutty after two months away with lots of fires to put out and pressing information to pass on to others. However, by the end of the week it was coming together so maybe next week will turn around my luck! On the way home from work one night, I had a near miss with a motorcycle who swerved to avoid hitting a motokar but then headed for me—so "my sling and I" we quickly jumped to safety :) Then the icing on my week was spent entertaining one of the biggest donor partners for Conapac on Thursday, International Expeditions. We went to Butterfly Island, a rustic wild animal reserve for a tour. While listening to the guide, one of the monkeys (who I've encountered before) was not happy when I bent over to pick up something she had dropped. She promptly attached me in the head then took a big bite out of my hand, drawing blood and now a big, very sore bruise. This really added insult to injury on my first week back but as I say, “welcome to the jungle”. I expect everyday to be an adventure here but sometimes having nothing happen other than a simple day at work and home can be quite comforting! Let's just say I'm very glad this week is behind me!
Some good news coming from CONAPAC! Many of you have read my stories about the environmental garden we are organizing in one of the local public schools in Iquitos called Las Malvinas. This is a departure from the majority of work we do which is in the rainforest in very rural and remote communities. Las Malvinas is a school of about 1200 kids (all from poor families and neighborhoods)with grades first through high school, running in two shifts. We have developed a lovely garden which grows examples of tropical trees, flowers, medicinal and ornamental plants as well as a vegetable garden. There is also a working fish farm and turtle pond. The kids are learning all kinds of practical applications using skills in math, science, art, farming, and the language arts as some of them will serve as tour guides to visiting tourists. So far the garden has yielded two harvests of veggies for sale . The kids have been reinvesting in the continuing needs of the the next crop plus they have a little money saved, too—all good life lessons. Our donor partner, International Expeditions, has funded it for the first year and we have had some great success. They have just agreed to fund it for another full year (about $11,000) so we are delighted. They have also agreed to fund the addition of a new, full time person to work for CONAPAC. We have such a small staff and such a large area to cover that it's difficult for all our communities to get the attention they need and deserve. This new person will start at the first of the year and spend Monday through Friday on a boat visiting different places each day, doing evaluations, checking on progress of various projects, encouraging teachers and children and generally handling the many follow up details that often take so long to accomplish. So, good things happening at CONAPAC and the start of 2010 is looking very promising.
OK, no more animal stories for this posting but I can't leave without my follow up rant about the TSA (Transportation Safety Authority). As you know, on my way back to Michigan in July, I encountered the most rude, unhelpful employees of this government organization in Miami which did not bode well for my impression of returning to the States. Upon my departure from Detroit last week, they once again rose to the occasion by treating me like a complete imbecile and created such a negative first impression that it took me some time to shake it off as I continued my travels. But, I could live with all that until I got home and unpacked. Now as you know I went shopping for a variety of things that I either can't get here or they are ridiculously expensive. As I was going through everything, sure enough, there was the TSA calling card where they leave a note that they've been searching through your “panties”. I've had this happen before but they wrote on the card what they took. This time they didn't, so I just thought it was a note saying they had opened my luggage for a peek. Then I went to look for THE most important thing I had wanted to bring back—a can of WD40! Well, it was gone and I cannot tell you how incredibility angry I am over this! :( This product is not available here and the fans and other things with moving parts are always gumming up and burning out motors. I really cannot believe that a can of WD40 is going to be a big security/terrorist threat--do you?! They didn't take any other flammable sprays I had such as hairspray, bug spray, nail polish remover, perfume and other personal items. I'm convinced that whoever opened my suitcase just needed some WD40 at home and took it...it's really quite expensive for a large can. So that has, once again, left me with a really bad opinion of these folks. Give someone a little power and....well, you know the rest! So, if you're heading my way and want to give it a shot, I'd still love to have a can of WD40—a girl really needs and wants so little :)
OK, next posting I'll tell you about my continuing saga to buy a patio table and four chairs. Maybe by then there will be some resolution--but then again, maybe not!! Have a great October!!
But all good things come to and end and it was time to get back to “mi vida” here in Iquitos. It's been quite an eventful and trying first week back. As I've described to myself and others I just don't have my “mojo” back yet and I want it--now!! I returned to Peru but first spent three days in the city of Lima in an attempt to start the process of getting my “green card” or whatever it is they call it here? I'm not sure what or when anything will happen but things are in motion. Upon my first full day here in Iquitos, as I was getting myself unpacked, a nice storm kicked up. I ran out to close the windows and promptly slipped on the wet cement, fell hard on my left bum and elbow. I thought that was the worst of it but then I saw blood on my elbow with a big gash. One of the hazards of living alone are it's difficult to reach certain places in which to place a band aid but I patched myself up as best I could. The next morning, I could barely move my arm so off to the clinic and X-Rays which showed a nice fracture. Painkillers and a sling were in order so that has been a hassle for the week and it will continue for another six weeks or so. Work has been nutty after two months away with lots of fires to put out and pressing information to pass on to others. However, by the end of the week it was coming together so maybe next week will turn around my luck! On the way home from work one night, I had a near miss with a motorcycle who swerved to avoid hitting a motokar but then headed for me—so "my sling and I" we quickly jumped to safety :) Then the icing on my week was spent entertaining one of the biggest donor partners for Conapac on Thursday, International Expeditions. We went to Butterfly Island, a rustic wild animal reserve for a tour. While listening to the guide, one of the monkeys (who I've encountered before) was not happy when I bent over to pick up something she had dropped. She promptly attached me in the head then took a big bite out of my hand, drawing blood and now a big, very sore bruise. This really added insult to injury on my first week back but as I say, “welcome to the jungle”. I expect everyday to be an adventure here but sometimes having nothing happen other than a simple day at work and home can be quite comforting! Let's just say I'm very glad this week is behind me!
Some good news coming from CONAPAC! Many of you have read my stories about the environmental garden we are organizing in one of the local public schools in Iquitos called Las Malvinas. This is a departure from the majority of work we do which is in the rainforest in very rural and remote communities. Las Malvinas is a school of about 1200 kids (all from poor families and neighborhoods)with grades first through high school, running in two shifts. We have developed a lovely garden which grows examples of tropical trees, flowers, medicinal and ornamental plants as well as a vegetable garden. There is also a working fish farm and turtle pond. The kids are learning all kinds of practical applications using skills in math, science, art, farming, and the language arts as some of them will serve as tour guides to visiting tourists. So far the garden has yielded two harvests of veggies for sale . The kids have been reinvesting in the continuing needs of the the next crop plus they have a little money saved, too—all good life lessons. Our donor partner, International Expeditions, has funded it for the first year and we have had some great success. They have just agreed to fund it for another full year (about $11,000) so we are delighted. They have also agreed to fund the addition of a new, full time person to work for CONAPAC. We have such a small staff and such a large area to cover that it's difficult for all our communities to get the attention they need and deserve. This new person will start at the first of the year and spend Monday through Friday on a boat visiting different places each day, doing evaluations, checking on progress of various projects, encouraging teachers and children and generally handling the many follow up details that often take so long to accomplish. So, good things happening at CONAPAC and the start of 2010 is looking very promising.
OK, no more animal stories for this posting but I can't leave without my follow up rant about the TSA (Transportation Safety Authority). As you know, on my way back to Michigan in July, I encountered the most rude, unhelpful employees of this government organization in Miami which did not bode well for my impression of returning to the States. Upon my departure from Detroit last week, they once again rose to the occasion by treating me like a complete imbecile and created such a negative first impression that it took me some time to shake it off as I continued my travels. But, I could live with all that until I got home and unpacked. Now as you know I went shopping for a variety of things that I either can't get here or they are ridiculously expensive. As I was going through everything, sure enough, there was the TSA calling card where they leave a note that they've been searching through your “panties”. I've had this happen before but they wrote on the card what they took. This time they didn't, so I just thought it was a note saying they had opened my luggage for a peek. Then I went to look for THE most important thing I had wanted to bring back—a can of WD40! Well, it was gone and I cannot tell you how incredibility angry I am over this! :( This product is not available here and the fans and other things with moving parts are always gumming up and burning out motors. I really cannot believe that a can of WD40 is going to be a big security/terrorist threat--do you?! They didn't take any other flammable sprays I had such as hairspray, bug spray, nail polish remover, perfume and other personal items. I'm convinced that whoever opened my suitcase just needed some WD40 at home and took it...it's really quite expensive for a large can. So that has, once again, left me with a really bad opinion of these folks. Give someone a little power and....well, you know the rest! So, if you're heading my way and want to give it a shot, I'd still love to have a can of WD40—a girl really needs and wants so little :)
OK, next posting I'll tell you about my continuing saga to buy a patio table and four chairs. Maybe by then there will be some resolution--but then again, maybe not!! Have a great October!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Missin' Perú...
Yes, indeed, I am missing home. Folks have asked me, "When do you have to leave?" and I correct them by saying, "You mean when do I get to leave?" As you might imagine, I am ready to pass the Equator and avoid the first frost!
I have done a bit of shopping here, buying odds and ends which I can't find there. Some examples: A pointed can opener (for canned milk), a seam ripper, decent (and cute!) underwear, WD40, an oven thermometer, maple syrup, Good & Plenty, and so forth. I'd like to take some books back with me too, but man, they weigh a lot and I'd rather take more M & M's (I have my priorities!) As I've done my shopping I am further reminded of the differences between here and Iquitos. One thing is the how to pay for the items. Of course, here you can give the cashier just about any size denomination (except for maybe gas stations) and they happily take your money then kindly make change. In Iquitos, each Friday I take $100 (or about 300 soles) out of the bank upon which to live for the week. The money machine always gives me 2-100's and 2-50's. This is a problem. I have to find someplace to buy something that will take the 100's so I can break it down--this is not easy. The 50's are really no easier and I have to constantly look for ways to make change. The markets where I buy most of my food require very small coin. Often if they don't have enough change on hand, they send a runner somewhere to make change. Just when you think they will never return, they do but it's a hassle. Well, hurry up and wait is the motto! Therefore, plan out my buying for the week by getting the more expensive items first then working my way down the list. Another striking difference is the customer service. Here I am quite shocked when I receive unfriendly, unhelpful service. In Iquitos, it's the opposite. I'm bowled over when I get friendly, fast, helpful service and it quite literally makes my day! Another challenge is the timing--one must get to the market very early to buy fish, chicken or meat. No need to explain why but let's just say it has to do with potential intestinal problems! You know, we live a life of such ease and comfort here and frankly one that lacks "adventure" on a daily basis. I wonder if that's why people often have nothing else to talk about than the weather or how long it took them to travel from point A to B or what kind of gas mileage they got along the way? Or my perennial favorite,the price of gasoline? Well, for some folks that is adventure enough!!
I continue to stay in contact with Pam and the goings-on at CONAPAC. I have tried to do what I can from here but I know much will be waiting on my desk. I truly prefer going to work each day, doing what needs to be done and then heading home. Working from a distance is not my cup of tea. I feel quite out of sight, out of mind here and it's difficult to remember who's on first! However, Claire (from the Detroit Zoo) and I have gotten our September newsletter written for the Adopt-A-School program; the grad students (David and Christie) return at the end of September to continue with their work on our water systems; two more water workshops have been presented in my absence (Irlanda and Timicuro Grande); I have received word from a donor family that they will be funding a water treatment plant for us in Canal Pinto; and we've received further donor funding support to help get our new bakery, in the village of Irlanda, off the ground. We continue to be strongly supported in a variety of ways by the Detroit Zoological Society, as well as, the commitment of many returning previous volunteers for the AAS deliveries in April 2010. It's so much fun to look forward to seeing old friends and follow volunteers when they come through for their annual visit--and they usually bring me and Pam goodies, too! :) So work continues and progress made on the many programs and opportunities CONAPAC offers those who live in the rain forest. If any of you are interested in receiving the AAS quarterly newsletter, please let me know either by email or through the comment section. The newsletter is send via email.
Enjoy what's left of the season...perhaps September will surprise us by making up for the "lost summer of '09"...hope springs eternal!
I have done a bit of shopping here, buying odds and ends which I can't find there. Some examples: A pointed can opener (for canned milk), a seam ripper, decent (and cute!) underwear, WD40, an oven thermometer, maple syrup, Good & Plenty, and so forth. I'd like to take some books back with me too, but man, they weigh a lot and I'd rather take more M & M's (I have my priorities!) As I've done my shopping I am further reminded of the differences between here and Iquitos. One thing is the how to pay for the items. Of course, here you can give the cashier just about any size denomination (except for maybe gas stations) and they happily take your money then kindly make change. In Iquitos, each Friday I take $100 (or about 300 soles) out of the bank upon which to live for the week. The money machine always gives me 2-100's and 2-50's. This is a problem. I have to find someplace to buy something that will take the 100's so I can break it down--this is not easy. The 50's are really no easier and I have to constantly look for ways to make change. The markets where I buy most of my food require very small coin. Often if they don't have enough change on hand, they send a runner somewhere to make change. Just when you think they will never return, they do but it's a hassle. Well, hurry up and wait is the motto! Therefore, plan out my buying for the week by getting the more expensive items first then working my way down the list. Another striking difference is the customer service. Here I am quite shocked when I receive unfriendly, unhelpful service. In Iquitos, it's the opposite. I'm bowled over when I get friendly, fast, helpful service and it quite literally makes my day! Another challenge is the timing--one must get to the market very early to buy fish, chicken or meat. No need to explain why but let's just say it has to do with potential intestinal problems! You know, we live a life of such ease and comfort here and frankly one that lacks "adventure" on a daily basis. I wonder if that's why people often have nothing else to talk about than the weather or how long it took them to travel from point A to B or what kind of gas mileage they got along the way? Or my perennial favorite,the price of gasoline? Well, for some folks that is adventure enough!!
I continue to stay in contact with Pam and the goings-on at CONAPAC. I have tried to do what I can from here but I know much will be waiting on my desk. I truly prefer going to work each day, doing what needs to be done and then heading home. Working from a distance is not my cup of tea. I feel quite out of sight, out of mind here and it's difficult to remember who's on first! However, Claire (from the Detroit Zoo) and I have gotten our September newsletter written for the Adopt-A-School program; the grad students (David and Christie) return at the end of September to continue with their work on our water systems; two more water workshops have been presented in my absence (Irlanda and Timicuro Grande); I have received word from a donor family that they will be funding a water treatment plant for us in Canal Pinto; and we've received further donor funding support to help get our new bakery, in the village of Irlanda, off the ground. We continue to be strongly supported in a variety of ways by the Detroit Zoological Society, as well as, the commitment of many returning previous volunteers for the AAS deliveries in April 2010. It's so much fun to look forward to seeing old friends and follow volunteers when they come through for their annual visit--and they usually bring me and Pam goodies, too! :) So work continues and progress made on the many programs and opportunities CONAPAC offers those who live in the rain forest. If any of you are interested in receiving the AAS quarterly newsletter, please let me know either by email or through the comment section. The newsletter is send via email.
Enjoy what's left of the season...perhaps September will surprise us by making up for the "lost summer of '09"...hope springs eternal!
Friday, August 7, 2009
I'm Home...Or Am I Visiting?
At the moment this is the burning question in my mind. My friends ask me if they should say “welcome home” or “welcome back”. I’m not sure how to respond, for of course, Michigan Iquitos
Coming back to the States is always a shocking difference from where I’ve been but this time, it seems more so than ever before. Despite all the economic despair and reduced circumstances of many in the country and particularly in
I’ve had a couple of engagements to be the speaker at local Rotary clubs and a few more lined up while I’m here. It’s a great opportunity to talk about my current life situation and about the programs CONAPAC has to offer. I have enjoyed visiting friends and family, eating my favorite “gringo” foods, and spending time with my grandson, Jack. He’s quite the young man now and such an interesting little person. Although he doesn’t really know me well or remember much about me, he has quickly warmed up and we are planning some activities together over the next few weeks. Earlier this week I had an opportunity to join my friend Joanie in visiting a friend of hers who is from
Well, folks, I’ll check out now and catch up in a few weeks when I have some news from the jungle. Pam and I are continuing to work on CONAPAC business via the Internet so I can stay in the loop while I’m here in
Friday, July 24, 2009
Leavin' Paradise
As I now come into the home stretch of leaving town, I can’t believe how quickly the last 9 months have passed. On the other hand, it feels like I’ve lived in Iquitos and Peru for a lifetime. As many of you know, I have to return to the States to get my passport updated and take care of other personal items which were left hanging at the end of 2008. Although I look forward to returning to see family and friends, I’m already missing the action here. I also worry about losing the Spanish skills I’ve acquired so far. Well, maybe this will be a good opportunity to stay in touch with my friends here but only by writing to them in Spanish! And maybe I can stop having my friendships dependent on Facebook as I'll have the chance to have some real "face time" with family and friends!
I just returned from three days in the jungle assisting with our first water workshop and although it went very well, I was thrilled to get home to my little home in the garden and back to my own bed. For this workshop, there were about 10 of us assisting and we stayed in the village for two nights. We were provided with mattresses, sheets and mosquito nets from Explorama and the village provided us with the floor of the school building. As you can imagine, it was quite grubby and as basic as it gets. I’ve mentioned before, the first question I ask when I come into a new village is how bad are the “baños”? Well, this one was pretty bad. The only good thing about it was that it was close to the school and it had a door. However, I still chose to “hold it” all night and I can tell you it was a painful experience! For breakfast we had salted fish, boiled manioc and plantains, bread and a cup of lemon grass tea. Our hosts provided us with the best they had and we were quite grateful for their hospitality.
The water workshop itself went very well. There were two days of information presented to all age levels, games and songs, opportunity to see the difference between clean water and dirty water at the microscopic level. At the end, a new, clean 20-liter bucket was presented to each family who attended. All the children got their own new blue, plastic cup with the message to only drink clean water printed on the side. Joining us for this workshop was Christie Chatterly and Dave Sparkman. They are both from the University of Denver working on their PhD’s in clean water systems for developing countries. They have been a great asset, helping CONAPAC by evaluating our systems--plus they were just plain fun to have along! Also, this past month, there have been a number of medical students working in the area who are also from the University of Colorado. I met with them about possible collaboration in the future and they also joined us for the water workshop. What fun it’s been for me to have so many English speaking people working together in the rainforest. They all spoke Spanish, too, so the kids enjoyed their ability to communicate and I appreciated the interpreting they did for me!
Now for some animal stories: Lizards, rats and bats, & chiggers. What do these have in common? Well, perhaps many things but mainly they are interested in spending time in my life! A little over a week ago, I noticed a small, baby lizard in my living room (interesting color, almost an albino). Anyway, he was there for a few days but I kept expecting him to exit at some point because this would not be his natural environment for long. I’ve had lizards in the house before but they come and go quickly. Well, when I got back from my last trip to the jungle, I was relaxing in my “mesadora” and what do I see but my lizard--but now he's almost twice as big! (I know it’s the same one because of the odd color). And what do I see him do? He is busy eating dinner, running up and down my living room wall grabbing bugs. No wonder he’s getting bigger and maybe he thinks he can live there forever? I don’t know but as long as he stays out of my bedroom, I am considering him my pet. Any names suggestions? Now, I wonder where he poops??
As I mentioned before, I was staying in the village school, sleeping on the floor along with 10 other people. Both nights, after everyone was settled down with no more snoring or other “noises” (besides bats flying overhead), what do I hear?--Crunch, crunch, crunch…a family of rats had moved in to eat from the food stash we brought with us to share in the village. I’m not sure what they were the most interested in—dried beans or spaghetti—but I wasn’t going to stop them. The good news is I was at the opposite end of the room from the food and I had my IPOD. Needless to say, I plugged that baby in and cranked up the volume. Sometimes what you don’t know (or hear) won’t hurt you! And my last souvenir from Santa Teresa is my third case of izangos (or chiggers). As my previous readers know, this is not my favorite thing but I am optimistic this time they won’t drive me quite so crazy. Despite almost bathing in DEET, they do know how to find the most hidden corners of your body. Well, mosquitoes and black flies await me in Michigan so I will be well-prepared.
OK folks, I’m heading back to the States. Can’t say I’ll have much to say about the rainforest while I’m there but perhaps some reflections on the culture shock I’m sure to receive…stay tuned!
I just returned from three days in the jungle assisting with our first water workshop and although it went very well, I was thrilled to get home to my little home in the garden and back to my own bed. For this workshop, there were about 10 of us assisting and we stayed in the village for two nights. We were provided with mattresses, sheets and mosquito nets from Explorama and the village provided us with the floor of the school building. As you can imagine, it was quite grubby and as basic as it gets. I’ve mentioned before, the first question I ask when I come into a new village is how bad are the “baños”? Well, this one was pretty bad. The only good thing about it was that it was close to the school and it had a door. However, I still chose to “hold it” all night and I can tell you it was a painful experience! For breakfast we had salted fish, boiled manioc and plantains, bread and a cup of lemon grass tea. Our hosts provided us with the best they had and we were quite grateful for their hospitality.
The water workshop itself went very well. There were two days of information presented to all age levels, games and songs, opportunity to see the difference between clean water and dirty water at the microscopic level. At the end, a new, clean 20-liter bucket was presented to each family who attended. All the children got their own new blue, plastic cup with the message to only drink clean water printed on the side. Joining us for this workshop was Christie Chatterly and Dave Sparkman. They are both from the University of Denver working on their PhD’s in clean water systems for developing countries. They have been a great asset, helping CONAPAC by evaluating our systems--plus they were just plain fun to have along! Also, this past month, there have been a number of medical students working in the area who are also from the University of Colorado. I met with them about possible collaboration in the future and they also joined us for the water workshop. What fun it’s been for me to have so many English speaking people working together in the rainforest. They all spoke Spanish, too, so the kids enjoyed their ability to communicate and I appreciated the interpreting they did for me!
Now for some animal stories: Lizards, rats and bats, & chiggers. What do these have in common? Well, perhaps many things but mainly they are interested in spending time in my life! A little over a week ago, I noticed a small, baby lizard in my living room (interesting color, almost an albino). Anyway, he was there for a few days but I kept expecting him to exit at some point because this would not be his natural environment for long. I’ve had lizards in the house before but they come and go quickly. Well, when I got back from my last trip to the jungle, I was relaxing in my “mesadora” and what do I see but my lizard--but now he's almost twice as big! (I know it’s the same one because of the odd color). And what do I see him do? He is busy eating dinner, running up and down my living room wall grabbing bugs. No wonder he’s getting bigger and maybe he thinks he can live there forever? I don’t know but as long as he stays out of my bedroom, I am considering him my pet. Any names suggestions? Now, I wonder where he poops??
As I mentioned before, I was staying in the village school, sleeping on the floor along with 10 other people. Both nights, after everyone was settled down with no more snoring or other “noises” (besides bats flying overhead), what do I hear?--Crunch, crunch, crunch…a family of rats had moved in to eat from the food stash we brought with us to share in the village. I’m not sure what they were the most interested in—dried beans or spaghetti—but I wasn’t going to stop them. The good news is I was at the opposite end of the room from the food and I had my IPOD. Needless to say, I plugged that baby in and cranked up the volume. Sometimes what you don’t know (or hear) won’t hurt you! And my last souvenir from Santa Teresa is my third case of izangos (or chiggers). As my previous readers know, this is not my favorite thing but I am optimistic this time they won’t drive me quite so crazy. Despite almost bathing in DEET, they do know how to find the most hidden corners of your body. Well, mosquitoes and black flies await me in Michigan so I will be well-prepared.
OK folks, I’m heading back to the States. Can’t say I’ll have much to say about the rainforest while I’m there but perhaps some reflections on the culture shock I’m sure to receive…stay tuned!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Peruvian 4th of July..It's Not The Same
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 :)
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 :)
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...
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 bag 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!
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 bag 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 bed sheet 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 goes 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 lovelier 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. 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 goes 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 lovelier 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. 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 familiar 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 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 temperature 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 mayonnaise. 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 describe 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 is 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 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 sustainable 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 fingers crossed for me and the program!!
As you know, I have been trying to find a Spanish class or tutor 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 program 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 are following my blog. And if you're not on Facebook, consider giving it a try! I'd love to have more friends!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
¡Sies meses más!
Well, my most current news is that I have just returned from the Peruvian border with Colombia and Brazil. It was an interesting trip, to say the least. I went with two of Pam's daughters, Gina, who speaks no English and Arianna, who is bi-lingual, but we had a great time together despite the usual struggle to communicate. We started on a transport boat (like a Greyhound bus) about 5:30 AM and headed down river. The trip took 10 hours but it wasn't too bad of a ride, with breakfast and lunch served on board. The ride back was 12 hours as we were coming up river but that boat was a little nicer--it had drop down video screens which played a lot of 80´s American music videos! Made me want to peg my pants, grow some Farrah Fawcett hair, and get up and dance! The food wasn't bad but the usual fare of chicken and rice for breakfast and lunch. We did have to share our space with a few cockroaches but none in my food--at least that I found!
Getting where we needed to go was interesting. We landed in a small village in Peru, found the immigration office, got our passports stamped, and then took a small, wooden boat across the Amazon to a town called Tabatinga in Brazil. There we had to walk to the border town of Leticia in Columbia and find the airport (about 5 miles away) to have our passports stamped that we were entering another country. (Tabatinga does not have a customs office) It's all quite informal as no one looked at or checked any bags coming or going. Then we had to have money exchanged. I had with me dollars and soles but in Brazil its reales and in Colombia its pesos. Each has a different exchange rate and some places took one thing and some took the other, etc. It was all very confusing and I never really could figure it all out. I just know how much money we went with and what we had when we returned. We had to stay four days because there was no boat back to Iquitos right away. Not much to do but we walked a lot, bought some shoes and ate out, although the food was not great. One day we found a moto-taxi and drove out to the "beach" which turned out to be something more like a watering hole. But it was cold and clean and 90-something degrees out so it wasn't a bad diversion. We took the closest thing to what I've seen here as a highway and actually, it was in pretty good shape--probably about 7-8 miles from Leticia so it was a nice ride. There is quite a large, attractive and well-built military base in this town in Colombia. It's the nicest facility of any kind I've seen here. As everyone knows there is a huge American presence in Colombia it made me wonder whose tax dollars paid for this base?? I will say though, that Colombia is a nice place and I think it's not as scary as it sounds from the States.
The boat back to Iquitos was leaving at 4 AM. We got up at 2:30, in the rain and dark, crossed the river again in a small boat, loaded with people and cargo, to reach the loading dock. It was pitch dark and no lights as we headed back up to the immigration building. We knocked on the door and clearly the guy was still sleeping so we waited while he dressed. By candle light he stamped our passports and asked me how many days I wanted? I said 90 at first (which is supposed to be the maximum) but then Gina piped up and asked if I could have more? He shrugged and then gave me 180 days!! I'm not sure why--maybe he's unhappy with his superiors because he's stuck in this border town in the middle of nowhere!? All I know is I got out of there ASAP and got on the boat before something changed. Who knows what will happen when I get to Lima in July but I suppose they'll let me out of the country, so no worries!
Lots of work at the office with much catching up to do. I've starting researching and writing for grant possibilities for CONAPC. I'm finding that I rather like grant writing and I hope to pull in more money this year from alternative sources for the programs CONAPAC is doing. I was asked to do the voice-overs for a promotional video that Explorama produced to be used for travel agents and other interested groups. It's about a 12-minute video of all the lodges and other sights in the Amazon region. They have two versions, one in Spanish and one in English. It was kind of fun to do but I kept tripping over the pronunciations of the words that are common to both languages. I hope to bring a copy or two of the video home with me in the summer to share a little more about the place I now work and live.
I had a few more animal encounters this past week. I have found several interesting toads and tree frogs in my apartment plus some rather humongous moths and spiders. One morning I got up and was finishing some dishes I had left in the sink overnight. They were soaking and as I scooped out the final pieces of silverware, I also found in my hand a dead mouse! Apparently he had drowned overnight. I felt bad for him but what an interesting way to catch mice--less messy than a trap. Later that same day, I was at work and out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the tall waste basket under the desk. There was this mouse jumping up and down trying to get out of the bin! He was exactly the same size, type and color as the one I found earlier in the day. It was a little eerie, like my morning mouse had been reincarnated! Alex, in the office, took him outside and let him go but a couple of days later, he returned again. This time Pam was alone in the office and she had to handle it. Oh, well. I've been trying to buy a mousetrap here. Apparently they have them but so far I haven't found a store that carries them. I finally got some screening up on one of my windows so now at night I can leave one large window open and that should keep any unwanted guests out.
I've had a lot of opportunities to speak in Spanish and I continue to work on it daily. I have several books (novels and non-fiction) that I am plowing through. They are at about the 3rd grade level and I'm finding them extremely difficult. I guess a third grader can read a lot more than I remember! I've done a bit of entertaining this week with several local friends. All of them primarily speak Spanish so it's very helpful to just have casual conversation about everyday things to pick up useful vocabulary--and, of course, some more slang :) Scroll down to the bottom of this site as I posted a new photo. This was from last month as I was coming or going from some village. It's a great way to commute. I know many of you who follow my blog are also on Facebook. I am going to start posting more photos on that site rather than this one for ease and accessibility. For those of you not yet on Facebook, you really should try it. It's tons of fun and quite additive but a great way to stay connected with family and friends, especially when you are many miles apart. Saludos de Iquitos!
Getting where we needed to go was interesting. We landed in a small village in Peru, found the immigration office, got our passports stamped, and then took a small, wooden boat across the Amazon to a town called Tabatinga in Brazil. There we had to walk to the border town of Leticia in Columbia and find the airport (about 5 miles away) to have our passports stamped that we were entering another country. (Tabatinga does not have a customs office) It's all quite informal as no one looked at or checked any bags coming or going. Then we had to have money exchanged. I had with me dollars and soles but in Brazil its reales and in Colombia its pesos. Each has a different exchange rate and some places took one thing and some took the other, etc. It was all very confusing and I never really could figure it all out. I just know how much money we went with and what we had when we returned. We had to stay four days because there was no boat back to Iquitos right away. Not much to do but we walked a lot, bought some shoes and ate out, although the food was not great. One day we found a moto-taxi and drove out to the "beach" which turned out to be something more like a watering hole. But it was cold and clean and 90-something degrees out so it wasn't a bad diversion. We took the closest thing to what I've seen here as a highway and actually, it was in pretty good shape--probably about 7-8 miles from Leticia so it was a nice ride. There is quite a large, attractive and well-built military base in this town in Colombia. It's the nicest facility of any kind I've seen here. As everyone knows there is a huge American presence in Colombia it made me wonder whose tax dollars paid for this base?? I will say though, that Colombia is a nice place and I think it's not as scary as it sounds from the States.
The boat back to Iquitos was leaving at 4 AM. We got up at 2:30, in the rain and dark, crossed the river again in a small boat, loaded with people and cargo, to reach the loading dock. It was pitch dark and no lights as we headed back up to the immigration building. We knocked on the door and clearly the guy was still sleeping so we waited while he dressed. By candle light he stamped our passports and asked me how many days I wanted? I said 90 at first (which is supposed to be the maximum) but then Gina piped up and asked if I could have more? He shrugged and then gave me 180 days!! I'm not sure why--maybe he's unhappy with his superiors because he's stuck in this border town in the middle of nowhere!? All I know is I got out of there ASAP and got on the boat before something changed. Who knows what will happen when I get to Lima in July but I suppose they'll let me out of the country, so no worries!
Lots of work at the office with much catching up to do. I've starting researching and writing for grant possibilities for CONAPC. I'm finding that I rather like grant writing and I hope to pull in more money this year from alternative sources for the programs CONAPAC is doing. I was asked to do the voice-overs for a promotional video that Explorama produced to be used for travel agents and other interested groups. It's about a 12-minute video of all the lodges and other sights in the Amazon region. They have two versions, one in Spanish and one in English. It was kind of fun to do but I kept tripping over the pronunciations of the words that are common to both languages. I hope to bring a copy or two of the video home with me in the summer to share a little more about the place I now work and live.
I had a few more animal encounters this past week. I have found several interesting toads and tree frogs in my apartment plus some rather humongous moths and spiders. One morning I got up and was finishing some dishes I had left in the sink overnight. They were soaking and as I scooped out the final pieces of silverware, I also found in my hand a dead mouse! Apparently he had drowned overnight. I felt bad for him but what an interesting way to catch mice--less messy than a trap. Later that same day, I was at work and out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the tall waste basket under the desk. There was this mouse jumping up and down trying to get out of the bin! He was exactly the same size, type and color as the one I found earlier in the day. It was a little eerie, like my morning mouse had been reincarnated! Alex, in the office, took him outside and let him go but a couple of days later, he returned again. This time Pam was alone in the office and she had to handle it. Oh, well. I've been trying to buy a mousetrap here. Apparently they have them but so far I haven't found a store that carries them. I finally got some screening up on one of my windows so now at night I can leave one large window open and that should keep any unwanted guests out.
I've had a lot of opportunities to speak in Spanish and I continue to work on it daily. I have several books (novels and non-fiction) that I am plowing through. They are at about the 3rd grade level and I'm finding them extremely difficult. I guess a third grader can read a lot more than I remember! I've done a bit of entertaining this week with several local friends. All of them primarily speak Spanish so it's very helpful to just have casual conversation about everyday things to pick up useful vocabulary--and, of course, some more slang :) Scroll down to the bottom of this site as I posted a new photo. This was from last month as I was coming or going from some village. It's a great way to commute. I know many of you who follow my blog are also on Facebook. I am going to start posting more photos on that site rather than this one for ease and accessibility. For those of you not yet on Facebook, you really should try it. It's tons of fun and quite additive but a great way to stay connected with family and friends, especially when you are many miles apart. Saludos de Iquitos!
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