¡¡ 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!

Peace, love and rock & roll! Sintia