It’s been so long since my last posting and so much has happened that I don't know where to begin? I left off the last posting getting ready to bag 900 packages of soap, toothpaste, etc. for delivery with our wonderful Conapac friend and long-time supporter, Linda Lownds from Canada. All went well as she, her daughter, and two of her daughter's friends joined the trip to make deliveries to seven different villages over a five day period. We also purchased 3600 pieces of bread from our new community bakery in Timicuro Grande which bakes the bread in a brick oven/furnace, fueled by burning wood only. I had a chance to watch the process and it is quite lengthy but the finished product is great. This is the first bakery in the rainforest region where Conapac services communities. We soon expect to have another one as Linda has indicated her willingness to support a second bakery in the village of Irlanda. Thank you Linda for all you do and all you've done over the years!
During my two weeks in the jungle, I met a number of interesting people and in that process realized how starved I am of thoughtful, stimulating, and engaging conversation in English. Along with Linda’s gang (all young female, practicing attorneys) I also met Joe Krupp and his son, Tyler, as well as, Jon Holstrom. These two gentlemen were here to plan for the new clinic that is being built near the Lodge to replace the old one, which is falling in the river. Jon was the original architect and is now back to do it again. Dr. Linnea Smith (La Doctora), who runs the clinic, was there as well, and many good and interesting conversations were had over our various meals together. In February, about 40 Rotarians from Wisconsin are coming to the jungle to do a "barn raising" and get the clinic built in about three weeks. I hope to have an opportunity to get back out to the Lodge for a couple of days and watch the show! Also in these last two weeks I met a number of really nice folks from the Midwest and, really, from all parts of the country. One group was on a National Geographic trip around the world, touching on all seven continents! They were a wonderful group of people and I got an opportunity to meet many of them. They were very generous and several gave donations to the Adopt-A-School program. I hope to maintain contact with some of them as they were very interested in all the happenings in the rainforest. One gal I met, the advance person for the tour group, was very interesting. It turns out she was born and raised on the east side of Detroit and now splits her time between Florida and Gaylord, Michigan! We plan to connect again this summer when we're both in Michigan and get a little better acquainted...a truly small world! And another fun encounter was with two representatives from a tour company out of England called SAGA. (Similar sort of thing as AARP) They service the over-50 crowd and are looking for ways to add new programs in the area of "voluntourism", which appears to be quite a growing market. Together we hope to place well-qualified, Spanish speaking, professional teachers in various schools for 4-6 week commitments. This area of tourism continues to grow and Explorama and Conapac will be at the forefront by placing these committed and motivated volunteers for service.
On a more personal note, my friends from Michigan arrived, though a day late due to a nation-wide strike which shut down the airport in Cuzco. But, none the less, they made it here and it was a wonderful treat to see friends from home. Mark and Becky Cook, Heidi Shefferly, Norm and Lorna Souve, along with several other team members were here as VOSH volunteers. VOSH is a volunteer group of eye doctors and this team returns each year to set up a week-long clinic in Coya, Peru. Once they completed their work, they came to the jungle for a little R & R. And along with bringing themselves, they brought a big bag of goodies for me! My daughter, Erin, had graciously gone shopping for me back home, running around town to several different stores to fill my order. It was just great to get some things that I simply can't get here and thus far haven't quite been ready to give up! Anyway, we all had a chance to catch up on a variety of topics and again my intellectual plate was filled. It's going to be difficult to beat the last two weeks for an abundance of good friends, good conversation and, of course, good beer!
This last week at the Lodge was a good one for funny animals. In the bar one night a bug was flying around the bar that even spooked the guys. It was some kind of wasp, which was so big that I had to take a photo (once it was almost dead). I put a stapler along side it for a point of reference to its size...yikes! Glad I wasn't alone with it. One day my toilet was running so I lifted the lid and out of the water came a lovely frog! Who knows how long he'd been living there but I did rescue him and sent him on his way. Another night, I was walking along the boardwalk to my room and thought I saw a big pile of mud. It turned out to be the biggest, most wonderful tree frog with those big padded feet. I had no camera at that moment but it was a treat to see him (or her) without having to hike through the rainforest. Last week, as you know, was the inauguration. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to see it as I was going to be out of the city. But at the Lodge they now have cable TV for the workers but it only runs at certain hours. Well, the power came on right at noon and the guys indulged me by allowing me watch the swearing-in ceremonies during their lunch hour (the TV is in their lunchroom). It was great to see BUT, it was dubbed in Spanish. It kind of lost its deep emotional effect but later that night one of the guides let me use his laptop and I went on line to read the speech. I know there are many challenges ahead for our country but if anybody can do it, Americans can!
Well, as always, my blogs get rather long. There is so much happening and I know I can only touch on a few things but thank you for indulging me. You may remember from one of my earlier blogs that I had lost my ATM card a week after I arrived here. It's been quite a challenge working this out but I was able to borrow money here and so far I haven't starved. Back home, I had to connect with my bank, Erin had to get the card, PIN the number, then go to various stores and banks to make sure it worked. I was concerned that my bank wouldn't let me process it once I got the new one so there were many emails back and forth to my contact at the bank. Then Erin had to get the card to Becky Cook to bring it to me this month when she came. Well, it turns out Becky and Mark got the airport (Metro) and she realized she had forgotten the card! What to do? Well, she got a hold of Rick (my former husband) and he graciously stopped working, drove to Becky's house, found the house key, found the ATM card, then drove to the airport from Brighton (a good 45 minutes one way) to meet with the Cooks and give them my card. What a fiasco! Once again, I know I could not live here without the help and support of my family and friends back home. And I am very, very happy to report that finally returned to Iquitos and went to the bank. My card worked perfectly and I was able to get money for the first time in three months. Thank you everyone for all your help and follow through!
Before I sign off, I thought I'd throw something out there for my regular readers. Since I write what I find interesting it gets to be a bit one-sided. I would like to invite you all to send me questions you may have about what I'm doing here or some other aspect of living in the rainforest which interests you! Please send these questions through the comment section below and I will follow up on them as the opportunity presents itself. Well-wishes to all and remember the days are getting longer. :)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
¡¡ Feliz Dos Mil Nueve or Happy 2009!!
¡Hola de la selva!..well, not the jungle technically, but Iquitos for now! I've just celebrated my first Christmas and New Year's Eve south of the Equator. I can't say it felt much like Christmas with palm trees and extreme heat but the hustle and bustle was definitely in force everywhere you went. Then right after Christmas, the streets were quiet and everyone slowed way down, so in that regard, it wasn't much different. I enjoyed Christmas day with Pam and Ari's family, opening gifts and enjoying a Christmas brunch. I had gifts for several people in the office and all the staff at La Casona. I enjoyed my time shopping for these things in the much same way I do at home as it was about thinking of others and finding just the right gift. I can't say there was much in the way of decorating here. There were some things out in the streets and in stores but not the "over the top" sort of thing you see in the States. On Christmas Eve, it felt more like New Year's Eve with people waiting for midnight to happen, hundreds of people in the town square and the neighborhoods out and about enjoying the lovely night. New Year's Eve was a little more wild, however, with lots of firecrackers and fireworks. Also, earlier in the evening as I was riding through town, there were all these stuffed bodies (like effigies for lack of a better description) laying by houses and in the road. I had no idea what this was about but I found out at midnight...they light them all on fire!! So, all over town there were these burning fake bodies, which was kind of spooky and pretty but very smoky. I understand this to be a tradition to burn up the old and bring in the new!..or something like that? Not sure that would pass any fire safety codes or air pollution regulations back home so don't try this at home!
I went to my first "chocolatada" as I reported earlier in my blog I was planning to do. However, it was at a different place and with a different person than I had orignally expected. The owner of La Casona, Fabiola and her family, hosted this event. We arrived about 4 PM on the outskirts of town. The event was hosted at the home of one of her employees who had a rather large back yard. There were already families waiting when we got there and by the time it was over, we had served just over 300 children! There was a clown, music, hot chocolate cooked over a wood fire, special bread called panetones with butter, gifts for all the kids and used clothes to pass out to those who needed them. Also, lots and lots of candy which I spent most of the afternoon passing out, one piece at a time to avoid a riot. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to bring a camera so I have no photos to share but needless to say, it was well-received and I was very happy to be a part of it!!
Well, a couple of new purchases recently. The laundra-mat I use not only lost one, but two pairs of my best pants. Of course, they claim they never received them in the first place (as best as I could make out with my limited Spanish) but I don't have that many clothes with me here so I know when something is missing. This meant having to find pants to buy that fit me in Iquitos. Now most of the styles here are for VERY young girls, e.g. tight, low hipped, sequined and embroidered on the legs and pockets. Definitely not my style (although I do loosen up a bit when I'm here when it comes to fashion). But anyway, finally, I found a place that is sort of like an Old Navy. Way in the back corner of the store were these very plain, very basic capris in khaki and jean material, so I lucked out there and now I have enough pants to wear. I have also continued to lose weight which is another problem with my old clothes fitting. I find the heat really limits my appetite except for a cold beer. But with my new apartment and its kitchen, I imagine I'll be cooking more and picking the weight back up so never fear! Another new item in my life, other than my new apartment, is a cell phone! Can you imagine? I could barely operate or handle a cell phone in the States and now I have one here and it's in Spanish! I could change the language menu but it only changes for the most basic words which I already know so I might as well get used to it. It's very expensive to have a phone here. There are a couple of options but what I did was I bought the phone (about $30 US) and then I buy minutes. Well, if I use the same network (Claro) then it's about .10 cents a minute but if I call out of my network (Movistar) it's about .45 cents a minute. I can assure you the minutes go by fast. But you don't get charged if someone calls you so I guess that's a bonus. As I mentioned, I moved in over the weekend into my new apartment. It's absolutely lovely and better than I ever imagined I could find here. It didn't take me long to move as all I had was a couple of suitcases and a few extra bags of food and books. I walked the two blocks from where I was to the new place so it was the easiest move of my life. The new place has most of the furniture I need although I do intend to buy a type of rocking chair that I've only seen in Iquitos. It's made out of re-rod and some kind of plastic mesh. Everyone seems to have them here. Really, they're kind of tacky but very, very comfortable and cool to sit in, so I must have one while I'm here!! Maybe I can order a "tasteful" neutral plastic color weaving like beige or taupe and avoid that "alien green" or "landlord brown" everyone else seems to favor?! And my favorite discovery about my new home is I have a wonderful rooster who lives right next door so every morning about 4 AM he starts crowing. I don't mind and I know I will get used to it (like living next to train tracks). It's a wonderful, natural backdrop to the start of my day. :)
This week I started to do my running around getting together all the things I need to create 900 gift bags of detergent, bar soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste to be ready for delivery to seven different villages next week. We have a very generous donor who not only sends us the money to buy these things but also comes and delivers them herself. She was here in May of 2008 doing the same thing and it was a project I had coordinated just before I left for the States. Even though I did it once, the logistics in this are still daunting and I do hope to pull it off. I went with another staff member today to help find what was needed. We ran into the fact that some places are doing inventory and others are low on product due to the holidays having just passed. I still need to find over 400 toothbrushes somewhere in the city at the right price by tomorrow afternoon. Pam is leaving for Chicago this week so I am on my own to make sure everything gets to the right place at the right time in the right amounts. No easy task when you're delivering by boat and need to get it right the first time! Also, I need to have 3600 pieces of bread baked in the new village bakery of Timicuro Grande and then have that ready to be delivered to the right lodge at the right time. Pray for me, won't you!!?? I'll report about the results in my next posting as I'm sure it will be an adventure.
Well, I'm off to the jungle for the next 2 to 3 weeks. I hope to be able to post something during that time but if not, I will when I return. While I'm gone, I'll be doing inventory at the medical clinic, a couple of service projects with Marcos, meeting with prospective donors and seeing some friends from the States who will be here for R & R after they work at an eye clinic in the southern part of Peru. At the end of the month, I will also be heading to Columbia for a 10 hour trip, one way, by riverboat to spend the night and have my passport stamped so I can stay in the country another 90 days. As I often say, it's always an adventure here! Thanks to everyone who has sent me well-wishes for a Happy New Year and as always, thank you for staying in touch!
I went to my first "chocolatada" as I reported earlier in my blog I was planning to do. However, it was at a different place and with a different person than I had orignally expected. The owner of La Casona, Fabiola and her family, hosted this event. We arrived about 4 PM on the outskirts of town. The event was hosted at the home of one of her employees who had a rather large back yard. There were already families waiting when we got there and by the time it was over, we had served just over 300 children! There was a clown, music, hot chocolate cooked over a wood fire, special bread called panetones with butter, gifts for all the kids and used clothes to pass out to those who needed them. Also, lots and lots of candy which I spent most of the afternoon passing out, one piece at a time to avoid a riot. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to bring a camera so I have no photos to share but needless to say, it was well-received and I was very happy to be a part of it!!
Well, a couple of new purchases recently. The laundra-mat I use not only lost one, but two pairs of my best pants. Of course, they claim they never received them in the first place (as best as I could make out with my limited Spanish) but I don't have that many clothes with me here so I know when something is missing. This meant having to find pants to buy that fit me in Iquitos. Now most of the styles here are for VERY young girls, e.g. tight, low hipped, sequined and embroidered on the legs and pockets. Definitely not my style (although I do loosen up a bit when I'm here when it comes to fashion). But anyway, finally, I found a place that is sort of like an Old Navy. Way in the back corner of the store were these very plain, very basic capris in khaki and jean material, so I lucked out there and now I have enough pants to wear. I have also continued to lose weight which is another problem with my old clothes fitting. I find the heat really limits my appetite except for a cold beer. But with my new apartment and its kitchen, I imagine I'll be cooking more and picking the weight back up so never fear! Another new item in my life, other than my new apartment, is a cell phone! Can you imagine? I could barely operate or handle a cell phone in the States and now I have one here and it's in Spanish! I could change the language menu but it only changes for the most basic words which I already know so I might as well get used to it. It's very expensive to have a phone here. There are a couple of options but what I did was I bought the phone (about $30 US) and then I buy minutes. Well, if I use the same network (Claro) then it's about .10 cents a minute but if I call out of my network (Movistar) it's about .45 cents a minute. I can assure you the minutes go by fast. But you don't get charged if someone calls you so I guess that's a bonus. As I mentioned, I moved in over the weekend into my new apartment. It's absolutely lovely and better than I ever imagined I could find here. It didn't take me long to move as all I had was a couple of suitcases and a few extra bags of food and books. I walked the two blocks from where I was to the new place so it was the easiest move of my life. The new place has most of the furniture I need although I do intend to buy a type of rocking chair that I've only seen in Iquitos. It's made out of re-rod and some kind of plastic mesh. Everyone seems to have them here. Really, they're kind of tacky but very, very comfortable and cool to sit in, so I must have one while I'm here!! Maybe I can order a "tasteful" neutral plastic color weaving like beige or taupe and avoid that "alien green" or "landlord brown" everyone else seems to favor?! And my favorite discovery about my new home is I have a wonderful rooster who lives right next door so every morning about 4 AM he starts crowing. I don't mind and I know I will get used to it (like living next to train tracks). It's a wonderful, natural backdrop to the start of my day. :)
This week I started to do my running around getting together all the things I need to create 900 gift bags of detergent, bar soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste to be ready for delivery to seven different villages next week. We have a very generous donor who not only sends us the money to buy these things but also comes and delivers them herself. She was here in May of 2008 doing the same thing and it was a project I had coordinated just before I left for the States. Even though I did it once, the logistics in this are still daunting and I do hope to pull it off. I went with another staff member today to help find what was needed. We ran into the fact that some places are doing inventory and others are low on product due to the holidays having just passed. I still need to find over 400 toothbrushes somewhere in the city at the right price by tomorrow afternoon. Pam is leaving for Chicago this week so I am on my own to make sure everything gets to the right place at the right time in the right amounts. No easy task when you're delivering by boat and need to get it right the first time! Also, I need to have 3600 pieces of bread baked in the new village bakery of Timicuro Grande and then have that ready to be delivered to the right lodge at the right time. Pray for me, won't you!!?? I'll report about the results in my next posting as I'm sure it will be an adventure.
Well, I'm off to the jungle for the next 2 to 3 weeks. I hope to be able to post something during that time but if not, I will when I return. While I'm gone, I'll be doing inventory at the medical clinic, a couple of service projects with Marcos, meeting with prospective donors and seeing some friends from the States who will be here for R & R after they work at an eye clinic in the southern part of Peru. At the end of the month, I will also be heading to Columbia for a 10 hour trip, one way, by riverboat to spend the night and have my passport stamped so I can stay in the country another 90 days. As I often say, it's always an adventure here! Thanks to everyone who has sent me well-wishes for a Happy New Year and as always, thank you for staying in touch!
Peace, love and rock & roll! Sintia
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