tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54258155338678149952024-02-19T23:54:40.175-06:00...the one less traveled by...A simple collection of reflections/comments as I explore the world of professional volunteerism in developing countries and the adventures that come with the job!
"Two Roads diverged in the wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference."
~Robert Frost~Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-91752436695918643052016-10-27T06:35:00.000-05:002016-10-27T06:35:02.973-05:00Stepping Through a New Door...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I was
heading into uncharted territory, eight years ago today, I created my first
blog<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHn6VqFqW0KkaA1jRlYAfgtn4VrEEEHPtylJP0nAXTUIXWkTVRLL7J0bT5LvHJ2jGjnyp4fGgmp3EJe0nTMmCmfnHuKSueWAyHP0g1sDoihWrQya4K8qED1BikLO7ZSA1GscqM1c-jXI/s1600/AAS+evaluation+team+2008+%25235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHn6VqFqW0KkaA1jRlYAfgtn4VrEEEHPtylJP0nAXTUIXWkTVRLL7J0bT5LvHJ2jGjnyp4fGgmp3EJe0nTMmCmfnHuKSueWAyHP0g1sDoihWrQya4K8qED1BikLO7ZSA1GscqM1c-jXI/s200/AAS+evaluation+team+2008+%25235.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">My 1st AAS Evaluation Team</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
post on October 27th. The year 2008 seems like yesterday yet so much happens in eight
years. As an aside, I recall moving to Peru just a week or so before the historic
election of Barack Obama. I’d been an Obama Mama early on, thinking I could not
face 4-8 years of discord between Republicans and Hilary Clinton, thinking
Obama would be a better option to avoid the constant discord. Little did I
know! I remember being frustrated as there were no news channels in English
(nor internet access) so I watched election returns in Spanish--not having a
clue what was being said. But the good news is, numbers don’t lie and I could
see the results as they came into the networks. Now, as I move on to a
new chapter in my life and leave Peru, I find it ironic that I’ll still be here for another historic election, but this time my options for watching
election night returns are much greater—and I can understand Spanish, too! And Pamela and I will again share the evening watching the returns. Anyway…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many of
you have followed me from the beginning—others have checked in now and then.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaQdwYSasdE06-KbcanVc3VdOrybvvzD_TAk-WpUSQbTujM7ZYVEmG8X5ltLTv6r7rCc9vbM2gI3wVwyophiR-2R1bpDmp7PPtPmQ4-5IEB7MRlWtNM2pPE9sRT2h60b8pEniIzq48RY/s1600/IMG_7308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaQdwYSasdE06-KbcanVc3VdOrybvvzD_TAk-WpUSQbTujM7ZYVEmG8X5ltLTv6r7rCc9vbM2gI3wVwyophiR-2R1bpDmp7PPtPmQ4-5IEB7MRlWtNM2pPE9sRT2h60b8pEniIzq48RY/s200/IMG_7308.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">My favorite community--NSJ</span></i></td></tr>
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I’ve gotten some interesting and mostly positive feedback—so thank you. My time
in Peru has been a profound experience. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s
willing and able to “step out”, where ever that might be or whatever you might
think you’d like to try. You will not be disappointed. But if, for whatever reason you are aren't able to pursue your passion in this way, the support you give those who do is invaluable.
We’re all inter-connected, inter-dependent in a vast varieties of ways, large
and small. Among the many lessons I’ve learned during my time here, that one
has been repeatedly reinforced. None of us are in this alone. I truly hope my blog--or your personal experience here with me--has given you joy and a better understanding of this place and these people. Reminding ourselves that we truly are citizens of the world is only best done once we leave our comfy lives and "step out". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Reflections
on my time in Peru:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There really is magic in the jungle, I’ve seen and experienced it many times—or in <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRCAWwkkB_tHRkPZE2rTra4gzUhniYn7oVjzBkMQHDAFA3PvXqfNtaPkPEwTVDvLZtwPmhs4H2-IvjazcP-lDKPBsOBz0BgQ0AtPyuT_tgQyTynuJrRAapALdcGIm4ECZxZAOJmLrwSU/s1600/2016_Jan_26_16_49_37_P1000247_Amazon_Peru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRCAWwkkB_tHRkPZE2rTra4gzUhniYn7oVjzBkMQHDAFA3PvXqfNtaPkPEwTVDvLZtwPmhs4H2-IvjazcP-lDKPBsOBz0BgQ0AtPyuT_tgQyTynuJrRAapALdcGIm4ECZxZAOJmLrwSU/s200/2016_Jan_26_16_49_37_P1000247_Amazon_Peru.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Victoria Regia lily pads</span></i></td></tr>
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other words,
things just work out in the most mysterious ways.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Life in
Peru is messy—but where isn’t it? The West just has better window dressing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ve
learned that people here have an awful lot of room in their hearts for many people beyond their own families and friends—even for a gringa like me. Whatever
religion, political party, culture, sex you are…none of this matters—they just
take you as you are, looking for the good inside.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hasta
mañana is a real motto that people live by—thus American and Peruvian time are
two very different things.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After 8
years, I’m still the one and only person who brings her lunch to work each day.
I’ve never learned to go home for lunch and a nap before returning to the
office for a few more hours. Of course, they all think I’m crazy to sit and eat alone out of a paper bag—ya think?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No thank you, I
don’t want to eat dinner at 10 PM--and never will get used to it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
Amazon River and rain forest are challenging, vibrant and dynamic—but incredibly
vulnerable to man’s many abuses and careless disregard.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ve met
some wonderful people who have embraced me, taught me, loved me—always the
hardest part of saying goodbye are the many individuals one meets who make life worth
living.</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8l2IpL4-JrbOsi5PVJPuxWLR7keiSkKr7e89RBIqiFebSUBlc2N228vN7hqi5uPJ7ewCSwmagmc5u0GeXLbqvsI8EN3C_eTUwcqEPjsbpPE9sCaDa5NdPQPXRBU1vW0YM-jFSkmhwGw/s1600/IMG_7306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8l2IpL4-JrbOsi5PVJPuxWLR7keiSkKr7e89RBIqiFebSUBlc2N228vN7hqi5uPJ7ewCSwmagmc5u0GeXLbqvsI8EN3C_eTUwcqEPjsbpPE9sCaDa5NdPQPXRBU1vW0YM-jFSkmhwGw/s320/IMG_7306.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>The future of the rain forest</i> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CONAPAC,
Explorama, the Adopt A School Program, Clean Water and our rain forest
libraries will continue working to provide opportunities to the many people who
live along the rivers here—the stewards of this precious resource called the Amazon
rain forest. It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Peru, as well as the many volunteers and co-workers who are too many to count but not forgotten. As
in most things, during my tenure in Peru I’ve received far more than I’ve given. I hope
my friendship and work here has touched at least one person, making their life
better with long-lasting, positive outcomes. I have one more <i>Adopt A School</i> volunteer
delivery event to execute at the beginning of next year. I will train our new
executive director, along with help from my staff, the volunteers we work with
in Peru and the great support we receive from the Detroit Zoo personnel. I will
continue serving on the CONAPAC board of directors for the coming years. For a kid born
and raised on the streets of Detroit, this little non-profit in the middle the
rain forest will always be in my heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtHg8pQ1yyxX1usaZnpFxqmKW770dVymDxWISzu5ijuZRhEd1-wtWsrLR9LS7_fCDfrMm40TynYJDftcBSjSflTovvwYX0gvL_2xPxbs9KBhyphenhyphen-ZD9SafDjNNRy7yXw2gNzeqMOw0ok-0/s1600/IMG_7157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtHg8pQ1yyxX1usaZnpFxqmKW770dVymDxWISzu5ijuZRhEd1-wtWsrLR9LS7_fCDfrMm40TynYJDftcBSjSflTovvwYX0gvL_2xPxbs9KBhyphenhyphen-ZD9SafDjNNRy7yXw2gNzeqMOw0ok-0/s200/IMG_7157.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>My 60th Birthday with James</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What
next? Well, some of you know that I’m getting married soon. Besides all the
other reasons I love Peru, without it I would never have met the love of my
life, James. We met in the dining room of the ExplorNapo lodge in 2010—the rest is history. Next year, we’ll finish <i>Adopt A School 2017</i>
together then spend next summer in the US. Before the leaves turn, we’ll be on
our way back to Perth, Australia, a place I will now call home. Until now,
I never imagined living outside the States for almost nine years--but always
assumed I’d return. But life is short, I gave the USA 51 years, Peru 9 years so
why not a few more in Australia? With luck, it will be quite a few more years filled with the love and joy that centers my life. Perhaps a new blog should be
started—life in Australia? It’s definitely a different culture and another world—and in a very nice way, for sure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you,
again, for your support. Peace be with you always! Cynthia </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-53441106913692312962016-01-08T06:26:00.003-06:002016-01-08T06:26:51.917-06:00An ambassador for the Cuban people...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2grEW7RfsvlXMbriSyPBp4eDWIKtssm67LvhvKYCneZhr30PjpxR5LW36miD4SBZTIPKs9yZyWq2DFktZnI24iVQxT3EkTRh90ZJ5d8Y_SaWW6AfY9QFr7-peRxcNOVH466-24JHbw/s1600/IMG_6750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2grEW7RfsvlXMbriSyPBp4eDWIKtssm67LvhvKYCneZhr30PjpxR5LW36miD4SBZTIPKs9yZyWq2DFktZnI24iVQxT3EkTRh90ZJ5d8Y_SaWW6AfY9QFr7-peRxcNOVH466-24JHbw/s200/IMG_6750.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CUBA: Wow!! or why?? This question--asked by our
expedition leader (C.J.) as we prepared the night before our trip to the island--was both thought-provoking and on-point. As our fellow travelers gathered, CJ asked us
which of these two replies we'd received from family and friends when we shared
our travel plans for Cuba? I had not thought about it but, indeed, our family
and friends did fall into two camps: "Wow, you’re going to Cuba—I’m so
jealous!" Or, "Why in the world would you
want to go to Cuba—Isn’t that a bit dangerous?" And you know what? I was
not alone in our group of travelers. Everyone shared the same stories and
perspectives from their family and friends. Cuba continues to fascinate and frustrate Americans, as we’ve carried on more than 50 years after Fidel Castro took power from
Fulgencio Bastista in the 1959 Cuban Revolution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrkqhPJxgFbhPp5t4U3zzRedigaHUPyWPKxbo_6iC_cK-0P4vwOtgnfhBrzw_IRjZAV_0LRSy1WxQ3tFOaeQib8g4aUCOc1-PcER-G8NXEajQExJ2Rxd34XvSNrrWWD0jOK2x6z3eHzA/s1600/IMG_6146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrkqhPJxgFbhPp5t4U3zzRedigaHUPyWPKxbo_6iC_cK-0P4vwOtgnfhBrzw_IRjZAV_0LRSy1WxQ3tFOaeQib8g4aUCOc1-PcER-G8NXEajQExJ2Rxd34XvSNrrWWD0jOK2x6z3eHzA/s200/IMG_6146.jpg" width="200" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, Cuba is a still-life historical portrait. Not much
has changed since the '59 revolution. Someone traveling back in time
wouldn’t realize it’s 2016, except for perhaps some 1980’s-era TV’s in hotel
rooms or a few Soviet-era autos, along with the shinny new tour buses crisscrossing the
island with eager Western tourists. The old cars that Cuba is so famous for are
everywhere and in various states of repair--but they're still utilized by all
Cubans for their everyday needs. However, you’re just as likely to see horse-drawn carriages transporting people and products to market as you will see old cars. These are found on side roads, small towns and major highways—highways that are
large and board yet ghostly vacant with no more than a handful of vehicles.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcWOWQhxqhEoMhcY5jJ8ax1pDB_zXxk_KqSsR7O2oLxZlKApZa8YzTCbEhxtYsTcxUwE7WEEhT_T_S6LzWGy8VcA0KqGCz2GmGd0dqx9Xjdq15qkKpf5EnoNEIt2fE2c1vzxT7bAdd2M/s1600/IMG_5979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcWOWQhxqhEoMhcY5jJ8ax1pDB_zXxk_KqSsR7O2oLxZlKApZa8YzTCbEhxtYsTcxUwE7WEEhT_T_S6LzWGy8VcA0KqGCz2GmGd0dqx9Xjdq15qkKpf5EnoNEIt2fE2c1vzxT7bAdd2M/s200/IMG_5979.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have so many impressions of Cuba and it’s people.
Our expedition leader and our in-country guide were full of information and
completely open to our many questions--no matter how sensitive. Our travel
companions were all curious about the politics of Cuban and American
relations—and as you might expect, there are two sides to every story with the
truth somewhere in the middle. The people we met were incredibly enthusiastic
about the thawing of relations with the US. They are eager for development and new opportunities, but they’re also very proud of their country's ideals of the
revolution—something that’s woven into the full fabric of Cuban society. They
welcome the opening of US-Cuban relations and are happy to see their country change. But they were
clear they don't want to change what’s in their heads. The goals and
accomplishments of the revolution--full educational opportunities and health
care for all has been accomplished. They’re not eager to give this up or believe otherwise. With
virtually 100% literacy rates and good health outcomes for the majority, it’s
hard to argue with that desire. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I found my Spanish useful. Since there were
no limits on who we could speak with or what</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qzAHMQFfv00oE-fcqbHHYh493KFWGkJ5xVyYdnSicBqqvYf95-SKo72p9SSXx0NtW-iSqpsMhJQgscWhM43oWjv3X_r7zIqRChTm0CryjuA3zC6masnqEUG_H4o3DCKVgS5dws22yUs/s1600/IMG_5955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qzAHMQFfv00oE-fcqbHHYh493KFWGkJ5xVyYdnSicBqqvYf95-SKo72p9SSXx0NtW-iSqpsMhJQgscWhM43oWjv3X_r7zIqRChTm0CryjuA3zC6masnqEUG_H4o3DCKVgS5dws22yUs/s200/IMG_5955.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> we could photograph, I was able to
chat with any number of regular folks on the streets, in stores and cafés. Americans are still quite
rare in Cuba, as most travelers<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are Europeans or
Canadians. I think the questions coming my way were just as pointed. To say that
we felt safe and unmolested by anyone in any situation is a complete
understatement. Yes, we saw police here and there but no more or less than
anywhere else we’ve traveled. Only once did I see a soldier and that was at the
monument to Che Guerva, Castro’s Argentinian counterpart in revolution. Everyone just went about their business and tourists are now part of the backdrop in everyday life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgPR_F8ljwhCDSUSL9mWFww0RfjjKFphYUnFxstm3Lm6_LVCt6WEvYGBL45gT681WGIaOId7rvuSHKR1dvO5cb4hUMyvYdKp5KVkxzHLyr9lVa9LME6y5Xk8kAV3cuzDBsFDDsN0GfS0/s1600/IMG_6530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgPR_F8ljwhCDSUSL9mWFww0RfjjKFphYUnFxstm3Lm6_LVCt6WEvYGBL45gT681WGIaOId7rvuSHKR1dvO5cb4hUMyvYdKp5KVkxzHLyr9lVa9LME6y5Xk8kAV3cuzDBsFDDsN0GfS0/s200/IMG_6530.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Are streets, building, stores, homes, plazas, etc. in
great need of repair? Yes, but being from the city of Detroit, it all seemed
quite familiar and I’ve certainly seen worse in the US and elsewhere in the
world. What’s intriguing is there are so very many old buildings built in the
late 19<sup>th</sup> and early 20<sup>th</sup> century, just begging to be
renovated and repurposed. Between these endlessly charming old buildings and
the odd juxtaposition of 1950’s era autos with these old buildings, you simply
cannot be anything but charmed by the possibilities. Yes, US investment will
come but I have less fear Cuban will become “Disney-ized” than before we
arrived. The leadership and the people seem to have a good sense of priorities
and that means not leaving anyone behind as things in Cuba start to improve
economically. Already there are limitations on exterior renovations for historical buildings and those old cars will only become more valuable as new ones start to arrive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGJ_AyiKsXYWNXlmj5_afGPQMg3-mbAiGxo50-Q80HsbCFbMuutS4hOfmydIu2SybdgAr_qVZpkw5rd0AKGtZcz4cFkImmojbfJ-Hw9YUHGHsJ6oMvuwYZlYlfHEdfuiTrOL_RlHIWYg/s1600/IMG_6199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGJ_AyiKsXYWNXlmj5_afGPQMg3-mbAiGxo50-Q80HsbCFbMuutS4hOfmydIu2SybdgAr_qVZpkw5rd0AKGtZcz4cFkImmojbfJ-Hw9YUHGHsJ6oMvuwYZlYlfHEdfuiTrOL_RlHIWYg/s200/IMG_6199.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Perhaps the most striking observation is the lack of
Castro propaganda. Remember this guy has been considered the most evil of
evil-doers, on the same level as other dictators we've seen cross the world stage. And what do you find
when you arrive in these other countries? Large life-like statues of these dictators in
each town square, larger than life posters, billboards and painted signs
everywhere you turn. Banners and flags glorifying the country’s “beloved”
dictator. And when these countries fail, break apart or are conquered in war
the first thing that comes down is all this propaganda. The Cuban people have overwhelmingly supported Castro through many difficult years--but what is it, the man
or the ideals of the revolution? Perhaps both but what you simply do not
see—anywhere—are statues, monuments, posters, flags, souvenirs, or billboards
of Fidel Castro. Yes, here and there you see political references in the form of Che Guerva and the ideals of revolution, but that’s because he’s long died and considered a national hero—our George
Washington. The likeness of any living politician is nowhere to be found. On
the highways you will see a sprinkling of billboards glorifying the revolution, but the public promotion of Castro's influence over the decades is none existent. (I wonder, was American’s fight for independence a
revolution? And was Cubans revolution a fight for </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6MQtwCK3W1YeRMWij7AdQGHDPYAlSPpcsmeuUiXnf3CjaNz-FABKoQwShUQicBSPzTGDYxM0AxPoWXhl0zhl95FPHS2jeN6vt0kzOyccsLwzeq4DgPAao1KBYMZHT8jTnN4HVQGBYWY/s1600/IMG_6128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6MQtwCK3W1YeRMWij7AdQGHDPYAlSPpcsmeuUiXnf3CjaNz-FABKoQwShUQicBSPzTGDYxM0AxPoWXhl0zhl95FPHS2jeN6vt0kzOyccsLwzeq4DgPAao1KBYMZHT8jTnN4HVQGBYWY/s200/IMG_6128.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">independence? Words mean
something and it’s all in how you perceive these words. One man’s revolution is
another man’s fight for independence.) I know that is not an original thought
but try it out in your mind when you think about how negatively Cuba has been
portrayed in the US press and at every level of government. Is Castro and the
revolution perfect? Of course not but what is? Does the country need to continue being ignored 90 miles from Florida when we have so many greater risks to consider? And Cubans are natural entrepreneurs. They will quickly take up any opening and opportunity, work hard and hustle for a better life--even with what many might call a full "welfare state". <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Cuban people have suffered long enough. Yes, in
many ways they’ve suffered by the </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW2Xli2tmrVX-SLado4YvIFVwsPl4REGfyFkax9QXc95_dV-zyD2xC5eQ6W6gtlCitVEDOWDO26X_C18jnorgdT2W9WLQtIgEqz-bFPP1A8SA2Fap0AIAv9c8mKEv3hJ7pL9hGXGqzSo/s1600/IMG_6445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW2Xli2tmrVX-SLado4YvIFVwsPl4REGfyFkax9QXc95_dV-zyD2xC5eQ6W6gtlCitVEDOWDO26X_C18jnorgdT2W9WLQtIgEqz-bFPP1A8SA2Fap0AIAv9c8mKEv3hJ7pL9hGXGqzSo/s200/IMG_6445.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">hands of their own leadership. But the American
policy toward Cuba, in order to make a political point, has made it much worse than was necessary and for much too long.
Meanwhile during the 55 years of sanctions, we’ve "kissed and made up" with numerous countries where we once had
differences—China, South Africa, Viet Nam, to name a few. Let’s call this family feud what it is and move on. America needs more friends in the world,
certainly not more enemies. This one is
right at our own backdoor, so let’s open it and invite them in, shall we? </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-39196969472858216342015-10-31T19:28:00.000-05:002015-10-31T19:28:07.019-05:00Meet Carmen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEaZXKwRZSXP9ueFWZRMwjyyjNz2w9LJG-qxyrtiEt-UYiTbuNXEP841V7MNRCtotMwpFjec4n9eCZc9u1g8f7QCkKEK8395IVPMK4Su7pl3J-wU3vWZO6ex-mkFLjxwOa02OyZUP4Ws/s1600/IMG_3625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEaZXKwRZSXP9ueFWZRMwjyyjNz2w9LJG-qxyrtiEt-UYiTbuNXEP841V7MNRCtotMwpFjec4n9eCZc9u1g8f7QCkKEK8395IVPMK4Su7pl3J-wU3vWZO6ex-mkFLjxwOa02OyZUP4Ws/s200/IMG_3625.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen & her little shop</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some of you reading this post will already know who Carmen is and her
involvement in my life in Iquitos. For others, I’ll introduce you to Carmen Del
Rosario Ruiz Sanchez—or what I like to call her Carmencita (little Carmen).
Carmen is a street vendor and craft artisan who works on the main promenade of
Iquitos, called the Malecón. Within weeks of moving into my apartment in January
2009, Carmen befriended me in a way that I could never resist. I barely spoke a word of Spanish then and
certainly couldn’t understand it--but that didn’t stop Carmen from providing me
with a glowing smile. Her coy little giggle and greetings of “hola, gringita”
continued until we could finally exchange names. I’d see her on my corner or along
the street as I came and went through the years. She’d always inquire about me
and give me her toothless smile, picking up on my moods and insisting on hugs
and kisses. Despite her obviously minimal circumstances and difficult life, she
never asked me for anything. (Mind you many people over the years have
befriended me, or tired, but it was more about being a handy ATM rather than a
sincere desire to know me). Even through the years, as I learned to communicate
with Carmen at higher and higher levels and better understand her troubled life, she
almost always presented me with her bubbly personality and easy going style. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Besides suffering a lot of city bureaucratic rigmarole, an economic downturn in
2010-2013 that seriously reduced the number of visiting tourists (her
customers) and ultimately the complete destruction of her vendor stall (along
with about 30 others) by a raging fire, Carmen got up everyday, come into the
city to work and continued to fight and move into each new day as best she
could. She has no other means of support or way to cover expenses other
than these small sales made from the natural products she makes herself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpp0MVZs5pAVhTBEElLfv6Olu8HOxPgre8T_Avt4_L_TKo_npFJDAWJ9J1f95KH3Lj2wCAqjLveMW64rghNKQcQy_C0N8VyxCykUYvyh5GZgfjJKnDVVBJY8Kjr_L8KViqv8WBnPc_Ys/s1600/IMG_4259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpp0MVZs5pAVhTBEElLfv6Olu8HOxPgre8T_Avt4_L_TKo_npFJDAWJ9J1f95KH3Lj2wCAqjLveMW64rghNKQcQy_C0N8VyxCykUYvyh5GZgfjJKnDVVBJY8Kjr_L8KViqv8WBnPc_Ys/s200/IMG_4259.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't she lovely?</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About two years ago, there was a particularly vicious storm that passed
through town. With high winds and rain, many people lost their roofs and/or
walls, as the poorest house are made of minimal materials and cobbled together, at best.
Carmen lost part of her roof and a whole back wall in the rental lean-to in
which she lived. The landlord took no notice to make repairs and the patched
together house offered her neither protection from the weather or security from thieves, both of which are common--especially for old, venerable people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the first time, she asked me if she could borrow some money in
order to buy used, replacement corrugated metal for her roof and plastic tarp for the walls. I agreed and
somehow, some way she paid me back over time. She’d told me that she had a small
plot of land that was hers, located right next door and someday wanted to build
a house there. I decided to check it out and see where she lived and the plot
of land, too. Her house turned out to be no more than the most ramshackle,
tumbledown building that you and I wouldn’t house a pig or cow in, let alone a
human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this was the best she
had and proudly showed me around with no embarrassment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that visit I started stewing on her
situation, attempting to find an easy solution--one that would somehow help her and ease my own conscience about the excessive good fortune in life. However, as the
months passed and I kept interacting with her, I knew that half-measures would
never do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-z1n0XEWeD-s4UvdmHRqop_3WXdNAzf_wGkLPlyCwjgGEF2vI3Aqb5dnVvUUWkFnBWbn9vDpofzaPURbZA4DrXaBuTSGRXUepQDmvSEnknn9t7i09gdJ0Nf3Y-mzCsgqZvNZ9cumd38/s1600/IMG_2374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-z1n0XEWeD-s4UvdmHRqop_3WXdNAzf_wGkLPlyCwjgGEF2vI3Aqb5dnVvUUWkFnBWbn9vDpofzaPURbZA4DrXaBuTSGRXUepQDmvSEnknn9t7i09gdJ0Nf3Y-mzCsgqZvNZ9cumd38/s200/IMG_2374.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen's original home</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With crowd-sourcing groups catching fire, I decided to try a personal
appeal to my own family and friends, describing the project and the person who
would benefit--sort of a personal Habitat for Humanity idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not surprisingly, people stepped up with
large and small donations, which quickly added up to enough to build Carmen a
very simple home. In February, construction began and was completed in about 8
weeks. Since then, Carmen has moved her things in and made it a home. I’ve
tossed in some paint and bought her a few pieces of furniture. And she’s now making
her various crafts at home under a very bright fluorescent light fixture. She
has plants rooting in buckets, created a small kitchen in the corner and added
some homey touches on the walls. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
meantime, she continues to go downtown each day, 7 days a week to sell her
products and do the best she can. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Who is Carmen? I didn't know as much as I should so with a friend, we trekked out to her house one Sunday afternoon to chat. Everyone has a story to tell and Carmen is no
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born January 3, 1950 in
Iquitos, Perú, she has lived her whole life in the city and never gone or lived elsewhere.
She was the oldest of 5 children and it was clear as she spoke about her parents
that they were a kind and loving family unit. Unfortunately, when Carmen was 13
years old, her father—a radio operator for the naval station in Iquitos—was
working when lighting struck. He was wearing headphones and the electricity came
down the tower to his head. He was rushed to Lima for treatment but died a day later. This
left Carmen, her mother and 4 siblings with no means of support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her mother had no skills and could only sell
scavenged fruit on the street. A classmate’s family bought Carmen her schoolbooks
until she was 15 and gave the family S/5 a day for food for years. Carmen cried as she
told me how she was so careful with her books and notebooks. They were very
precious to her and she knew her mother could not replace them. A few years later, Carmen left school but continued to care for her brothers and sisters
so her mother could scrape out a living. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxYK4qJtQSGKSLaCWVtYqJR7SZeJgTKBI2mKb4sLWMwyk5Vv8uOcXV2E1ffyaCXf5hyOfGDpHJQ3LaiEDNXS5WqzaeX52radlHaURJRlxJnCuHHAs0VGJlsFkIVRCBN40mSnini7fkYE/s1600/IMG_5369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxYK4qJtQSGKSLaCWVtYqJR7SZeJgTKBI2mKb4sLWMwyk5Vv8uOcXV2E1ffyaCXf5hyOfGDpHJQ3LaiEDNXS5WqzaeX52radlHaURJRlxJnCuHHAs0VGJlsFkIVRCBN40mSnini7fkYE/s200/IMG_5369.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing & catching a breeze</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In her twenties she took a three-year vocational course for the production of
artisan crafts from an institute in Iquitos. Along the way she had a husband in her
life but that didn’t last and he left her with three small boys. She provided
for her family by selling these artisan crafts and still does to this day,
maintaining a fierce independence. All her children have moved to Lima and for
whatever reason she rarely sees them but now and then they do call. However, her
old classmate--whose family helped her out all those years ago--comes to
Iquitos every Christmas to visit family. She always seeks Carmen out on the
street and brings gifts of Christmas bread (panetones) and chocolate. Also, her
younger sister calls her every day from Lima to check in and stay connected. These
two women provide a lifeline and network of people who care about Carmen and
her well-being. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In 1996 she was hit by a motorcar and severely injured her leg, which
troubles her to this day. And her toothless grim is to be blamed on a thief in
the night who broke in her house 8 years ago, stealing clothes and personal
items, including her front bridge. And I don’t know to what extent, but she’s
suffered more than once from malaria, dengue fever and giardia, just to name a
few risks that living on the edge will present here in Iquitos and the rain
forest. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglh_rdKQ0w0mkX4AW4sz-8cxhkxU0lwofu-HHlRN_sYejIwR8tSfQ6aKCbsoe-ATmNmckgaflRbmTI5TIYwZ-HUImLcfnGuxABXWggMGQJ7xdJ2uUM9LEDpz0QH9G1HXHR1eHcW0OdbZU/s1600/IMG_5374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglh_rdKQ0w0mkX4AW4sz-8cxhkxU0lwofu-HHlRN_sYejIwR8tSfQ6aKCbsoe-ATmNmckgaflRbmTI5TIYwZ-HUImLcfnGuxABXWggMGQJ7xdJ2uUM9LEDpz0QH9G1HXHR1eHcW0OdbZU/s200/IMG_5374.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home, sweet home!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I asked Carmen with such a troubled, seemingly limited life how she maintains
her happy, positive self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With so little
to call her own, she still shines through with light and joy. What’s her
secret, I asked? She gave me her shy smile, not sure what to say but eventually
stating the most healthy of sentiments. She simply fights to keep going each
day because life is still good. Her friends and fellow vendors on the street
are her family. They watch over her and love her. When she has a sad day, she
goes to bed to rest and the next day feels ready to take on a new day. She puts
each day behind her—letting the past go--and does her best to look for the good
in her life, counting all the things that are right, not wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She inspires me! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Considering her age and health, I don’t know how long Carmen will be
around and who knows what will happen to her little house when she’s gone. But it
gave me incredible pleasure to provide one kindly old woman who befriended me a
home to call her own for as long as she lives. Where our relationship will go
from here, I don’t know. When I have to leave Iquitos now, we say our goodbyes
and she cries even as I assure her I’ll be back. When I do return, it’s a reunion
of pure joy. One day I will leave here for good and say my final goodbyes, but
that’s a ways off and in the meantime I’ll continue to share her joy in the
simplest of desires—a home of her own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>NOTE: A final thank you to everyone who pitched in with donations for this
project. You know who you are and I will always have a special place for you in
my heart. Sintita </i></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-59231613656820607672015-03-18T19:51:00.003-05:002015-03-18T19:51:35.275-05:00It's Been 10 Years and Counting...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYGL6SA5cfDmfWF360Xo9t-ovkhPUw9u-jUVc_oHsldKJJFdPQt6NuqUcTIYmniNfn0PbGGxUvaadcsMYDmgwLnPdDtpUluxA5AEFazk1w1hJRajDy-VHve6jBVyOTBpyMDgSyT5b4hQ/s1600/internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYGL6SA5cfDmfWF360Xo9t-ovkhPUw9u-jUVc_oHsldKJJFdPQt6NuqUcTIYmniNfn0PbGGxUvaadcsMYDmgwLnPdDtpUluxA5AEFazk1w1hJRajDy-VHve6jBVyOTBpyMDgSyT5b4hQ/s1600/internet.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign of things to come</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why does
life always feel like it’s in fast-forward? I thought I’d come to live and work
in Peru in order to slow down and disconnect, but I fear the speed of events reaches even the remotest regions of the Amazon rain forest. This year is no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Peruvian government has focused on
education and poured resources into most aspects of educational needs for
teachers, students, schools-- and they've created elevated expectations along the way. When Adopt A
School started 22 years ago, one of its biggest challenges was convincing
parents to send their kids to school everyday--instead of staying at home caring
for babies, fishing or toiling in the family farm. Now, no one questions that
children go to school and that life in river communities is more closely gauged by the
school year than anything regularly occurring in nature. During this past year,
most communities that have a high school received internet towers with solar
panels and batteries. The goal is to connect all schools as soon as
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was unimaginable just 2-3 years ago. We expect this change to bring both opportunities and
challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned for how internet
connectivity will change the schools, students, teachers within our Adopt A School
program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituV-O0x8FMmBY8LesbYv4WYS7nN7gUsTIorNNqW7HMrXg68KCoOyWf3WbrPcY0v6XwLudcKBTvIodMNdp73m8GOsUACLsjHha9uRsZoWqZI0JhGWmAQx9IdgrHOGXP3dewtYC-JhIVYQ/s1600/Salvia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituV-O0x8FMmBY8LesbYv4WYS7nN7gUsTIorNNqW7HMrXg68KCoOyWf3WbrPcY0v6XwLudcKBTvIodMNdp73m8GOsUACLsjHha9uRsZoWqZI0JhGWmAQx9IdgrHOGXP3dewtYC-JhIVYQ/s1600/Salvia.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salvia Huanari</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4CQNWgg3-nVYP_kBtTWF3V1oMF-LnPDXEioKrYS8tjXzkSdm0wWdbhkgmj18s9cBx5EH8tpkSWb6IKDkYhqMIwt18H1PM_sa3xtdcbia59ZWrTjFrjEyLndEIT3D7dBT78fDpct2sgc/s1600/Boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4CQNWgg3-nVYP_kBtTWF3V1oMF-LnPDXEioKrYS8tjXzkSdm0wWdbhkgmj18s9cBx5EH8tpkSWb6IKDkYhqMIwt18H1PM_sa3xtdcbia59ZWrTjFrjEyLndEIT3D7dBT78fDpct2sgc/s1600/Boat.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New CONAPAC boat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CONAPAC
has hired a new, full time employee--education specialist Salvia Huanari. and we've bought
a new larger boat and motor. This will be the third boat in our “fleet”. These
two additions to our program will provide much needed support for teachers in
our communities with the added ability to make more regular visits with two boats. Our Sawyer clean water program will be a primary focus of continuing education and Salvia will work closely with teachers and students, raising awareness and
reinforcing the importance of always drinking treated water. With our smallest third boat, the <i>Evan Summers,</i> we have plans to turn it over to the library
staff and create a program of loaning books to surrounding communities that are
unable to regularly travel to either of our library locations. The library is always looking for outreach opportunities. A "book boat" can help expand knowledge to anyone interested in learning more about the world around them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzZNCDj-3K1a0Qgnk3tDQLI-YBDr_-cRjiDeI0of5Q_hWUf1aJw3lBe1ooAwr0wHEjKoj4lHjuhyphenhyphenFYkopR2CZmYbuc9MaKnyOpCv1DZlxng25eMSx3WhAYPPOe5JpgwLQRMuhD0d9FNE/s1600/Carmen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzZNCDj-3K1a0Qgnk3tDQLI-YBDr_-cRjiDeI0of5Q_hWUf1aJw3lBe1ooAwr0wHEjKoj4lHjuhyphenhyphenFYkopR2CZmYbuc9MaKnyOpCv1DZlxng25eMSx3WhAYPPOe5JpgwLQRMuhD0d9FNE/s1600/Carmen.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen Ruiz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On a
personal note, James and I spent December in Perth, Western Australia and January in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We traveled through California for a few weeks by
car along the Pacific Coast Highway, visiting my daughter, Samantha, along the way in San Francisco. This was
followed by a few weeks in Michigan to see family and friends, as well as celebrating my father’s 80<sup>th</sup>
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived back to Iquitos just before the first winter blizzard and
since then we’ve been building a new home for a local street vendor, Carmen
Ruiz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carmen is 65 years old, with
little to show for her life in the way of material goods--but she has this
incredible spirit, marvelous smile and enthusiasm for life that comes through
even as she lost everything in a street fire that burned out her small stall, along with about 50 other vendors, right after Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
has worked to recover her inventory, making everything by hand to recuperate her stock as
soon as possible. Her tumble down home—a rental that wouldn't house a dog or a horse in the
US--is all she has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James and I decided to reach out to our family and friends and created our own "crowd-sourced, Habitat for Humanity" project to contribute to the cost of a new home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work started
in the middle of February and the house should be completed by the end of this
month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many family and friends have made one lovely old woman a very happy lady! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EyL2J5zJng2MDu2XmtvoxyR_iLs4So_7FSfNoqgUghcYu6BwDBVcgD-55h2odH0HtHxci-5di8vFQslXFkcqZUerrX8LNZdAdXESuoUO9g1NI3liWCH6fQkqI5mK8l9opkTombve7eE/s1600/Nolte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EyL2J5zJng2MDu2XmtvoxyR_iLs4So_7FSfNoqgUghcYu6BwDBVcgD-55h2odH0HtHxci-5di8vFQslXFkcqZUerrX8LNZdAdXESuoUO9g1NI3liWCH6fQkqI5mK8l9opkTombve7eE/s1600/Nolte.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tammy, Me, Dan, Tina, Karen & James</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At the
beginning of March, we hosted dear friends for a week in the jungle. Karen Nolte
(whom I’ve know since Kindergarten) and her wife Tina, came to Peru for the
first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joining them was Tina’s
sister and brother-in-law. The six of us had a great time doing jungle
excursions, playing cards, eating unusual food and just sharing perceptions
of the Amazon. I have so few friends from my past life who come to visit me
that it’s always a thrill to share my new life with those who "knew me
when".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These old friends also had an opportunity to get better acquainted with James and needless to say, like most Aussies, he was very
well-received.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks, Karen, Tina,
Tammy and Dan for coming our way in South America!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And some
final good news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears the river is
going to cooperate this year and not go any higher than average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is great news for our Adopt A School
deliveries (Week #1) and our AAS community service project (Week#2). We’ll have
a lot of new faces this year so I’m excited to share this part of world with
them for the first time. And several of the new volunteers include friends from my Rotary club in
Brighton, Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">More on our Adopt School volunteers and experiences on my next blog).</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Finally, guess
what I got?? Netflix!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a South
American version that is very affordable and I’m in my glory watching movies,
documentaries and getting caught up on <i>Breaking Bad</i> and <i>House of Cards</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Now that we have relatively higher speed internet most days, James and I can sit around watching movies on my little 13" computer screen but, hey, it works! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">...a lot has happened since I first came to Peru in 2005 to volunteer for CONAPAC and the Adopt-A-School program. I never imagined a one week vacation would so utterly change my life, but then again, that's the point of going down a road less traveled. </span><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-34008890953344748982014-10-13T22:18:00.002-05:002014-10-13T22:18:37.300-05:00Reflections on change...Or not? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The pace
of the jungle never seems to change. Yes, there is WiFi now at the lodges and
even one of our communities on the Amazon (Palmeras II) now has it for the school. Almost everyone--or at least someone--in even the remotest community
has a cell phone, canoe with a motor, a few solar panels scattered about which
light lights and run communal TV’s for entertainment at night. But as a whole,
the rhythm of life continues as it always has—the river goes up and down
seasonally, rice is planted and harvested, fields are cleared for planting</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, fish are caught,
music and celebration (along with masato or jungle beer) make regular
appearances. Kids go to school but it’s a casual and flexible approach. Moms
cook, nurse babies, and wash clothes; dads hunt, fish, farm and care for their
families with regular home repairs and improvements when extra money
allows—like a metal roof instead of palm fronds. I continue to believe that one
day, when the “grid” of our lives implodes--and we don’t have a clue how to
function outside our technical, electricity-driven world—the folks who live on the
river and in the rainforest will carry on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZVxmOMO9gRw0HpYFO_hBo4PZK-8RP0ZK6ODsfYAZhv603lCCwWiexK-HOW9Lpkw1pjeH13EH2J7cCa7qWH-9fXUSqs3YfyWU4gCqrOYQRZLzKJ04lQG7F9vccZOZEpfBjZOkxjYIvKw/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZVxmOMO9gRw0HpYFO_hBo4PZK-8RP0ZK6ODsfYAZhv603lCCwWiexK-HOW9Lpkw1pjeH13EH2J7cCa7qWH-9fXUSqs3YfyWU4gCqrOYQRZLzKJ04lQG7F9vccZOZEpfBjZOkxjYIvKw/s1600/blog+1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moms & Kids never change</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They
won’t notice the difference much and they will simply continue to do what they
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he jungle will continue to grow
and recover from the many assaults it regularly endures from our Western need
for more wood, more oil, and more beef. When I read world events from
here—ISIS, ebola, Syria, the falling stock market, shrinking middle class,
useless politicians—it feels very much like I’m not part of that. I can be
immersed in a place that offers peace, solitude and life-giving reassurance
that even if we (those from the West) muck it up beyond recognition, the humble
people from the rain forest—and the rainforest itself—will heal and grow and
carry on. Ultimately, I don’t feel quite so discouraged by the things I read
happening “out there”. It would be wonderful if everyone could find that one
place, as I've found, that feeds their soul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbzm9r0tDKl7cHqAgamEvF2KjiFuE5QdA9ZoNKx3qssz1xBFQYAYdgGiMVcC1ndVTudYHSgz8XXpLe8aS1kXqgAHPoSKy8-JaLLAOvmVpjACuKtipMHY8HF1LGsM5KqeFB_a8NGMsiiY/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbzm9r0tDKl7cHqAgamEvF2KjiFuE5QdA9ZoNKx3qssz1xBFQYAYdgGiMVcC1ndVTudYHSgz8XXpLe8aS1kXqgAHPoSKy8-JaLLAOvmVpjACuKtipMHY8HF1LGsM5KqeFB_a8NGMsiiY/s1600/blog+2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New water tower-Jorge Chavez</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Too much
has happened at CONAPAC during the last few months to share it all but the most
important thing has been our annual water program audit, handled by graduates
students and professors from the University of Colorado-Boulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The students were here this past summer for a
month and did extensive, but random, surveys in 15 rainforest communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their report has just been delivered and is
available on the CONAPAC website. www.CONAPAC.org<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, things are trending in the right direction with consistent
usage rates continuing to climb. However, the report made it clear that our
work is not complete. We must continue to "up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our game" with more operator training, regular reviews of accounts, and
overall mentoring of communities—encouraging them to make drinking clean water
a top priority in the life of their community. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJzy2H9wIAo7BfVoIkpKiOn0uL1xnIuVtUnFb7WOzUaHU3EfJUDOttiEmeTR2PV_ys1JCxPGi3G9zPOnijOdbF-MJJbY4xD7zG9hYSF8xQu2ECLBmoXBuaqYBZGMXhsI3WHh6fh4W83U/s1600/blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJzy2H9wIAo7BfVoIkpKiOn0uL1xnIuVtUnFb7WOzUaHU3EfJUDOttiEmeTR2PV_ys1JCxPGi3G9zPOnijOdbF-MJJbY4xD7zG9hYSF8xQu2ECLBmoXBuaqYBZGMXhsI3WHh6fh4W83U/s1600/blog+3.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cedro Isla-Sawyer water filters</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We also delivered 50 Sawyer water systems to families in a community called Cedro Isla. Along with water, they also received books and school supplies through the Adopt-A-School program. The village is up river quite some distance from Iquitos and is sponsored through donations from International Expeditions. IE is one of our biggest donor partners and the desire of its leadership is to expand education and clean water in more areas of the Amazon basin. Next year, through CONAPAC,more families will receive this important life-giving resource. To provide clean water for one family, a simple donation of $195 will do it! For more info, visit our website or International Expeditions at www.ietravel.com </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonoma Valley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfmB9ldSkWk0fyVCyLkDs3NrYai3iEm8qyrHLFVRwfx8DtXRKE2qi_vquuu0qqdFv43ux5xLaKgM6p59HJ1qFz0ffKdQMs7owO8kBRv1rGUm90OpyEVSuuLJpc_cWTCabY2DjgruaTPE/s1600/blog+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfmB9ldSkWk0fyVCyLkDs3NrYai3iEm8qyrHLFVRwfx8DtXRKE2qi_vquuu0qqdFv43ux5xLaKgM6p59HJ1qFz0ffKdQMs7owO8kBRv1rGUm90OpyEVSuuLJpc_cWTCabY2DjgruaTPE/s1600/blog+5.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doolin, Ireland</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally, this summer James and I had a wonderful, month-long trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was the perfect time of year and among other things, I now better understand what they mean by an English garden. I’ve never seen so many
beautiful and brilliant examples of color and life as I saw in these three
countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And despite the awful
reputation that the UK for its food, I can’t say we had a bad meal the
whole time we were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it was a
bit different but chefs have invaded this place, too, and really taken the most
humble of food and remade it into something memorable. In August I went to
California with my daughter, Erin, to visit my other daughter, Samantha, who
now lives in Sacramento.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did San
Francisco, Sonoma Valley and the Muir Woods National Park. Also, a great visit
to Davis, CA (where Sam works at UC-Davis) and then Sacramento, which is
actually quite a nice town--for a capital city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although CA is in serious drought conditions, I’ve never seen so many
green trees, grass or flowers in a city center as I saw there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very walk-able, bike-able, and dog friendly
place with great outdoor cafes and pubs, too! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-8067757624280285512014-05-04T20:33:00.001-05:002014-10-13T09:02:05.733-05:00Seeking Balance...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If the truth be told the primary
reason I came to live and work in Peru was that I wanted to escape my previous
life. It wasn’t an awful life--but since life is short, why not live two in
one? And then maybe have the opportunity to improve a bit on the first half it. However, my daily motivation to stay for these many years has
been the idea I could help people in some way that might be useful, whether
directly or indirectly. Over the years I’ve had many opportunities to say “Yes”, but far more to say “No”, as one person can’t save the whole world. There is need everywhere in all forms around the world, whether in a developing place
like the Peruvian jungle or our advanced societies like the US or Australia.
However, the needs that are here are in your face everyday. On the
street there are countless sights of what one can only assume are sad stories,
non-existent opportunities, and wasted lives—whether it’s abandoned people or
discarded pets. It’s a very fine balance to walk the streets everyday and
neither be consumed by guilt for having so much creating a constant sense of obligation, nor a complete lack of caring producing tunnel vision only for the needs of your own
life. How to have the wisdom to lend a hand without creating dependence or
opening the Pandora’s Box of endless entreaties is never far from my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don’t know if I’m finding that
balance. At times I feel overly generous and practically anyone who
crosses my path with some need, I find a way to help. Other times, I blow
people off, turn a cold shoulder and pretend I don’t see. I try to
be kind to myself when recriminations seep in that I'm not doing enough. But avoid falling into complacency by remembering that we are all
interdependent. Americans like to think they’ve made their own way
and rugged individualism is our call to arms. But who among us has not been
helped by a family member or friend through the years with a small loan to buy
a house, business or go to college; received leftover food when there’s is too
much for one; shared in sweat-equity for a building project; enjoyed tutoring
in our studies or mentorship in life; or were gifted with kind words and loving
hugs at just the right moment? I can recount numerous times in my life when
exactly these small gestures made the difference in my path and lifted me to
the next level. This has been my intention while living and working here in
Iquitos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don’t know if I’ve been successful
in all things. I’d like to think the time I’ve shared with others
has provided the benefit I intended. Friends here have shown interest in my thoughts and experiences and seem to gain from them. I've given countless small loans and handouts, offered rescue and care to street animals, cooked gringo food and
shared it with others. I've donated mounds of clothes and household goods, and spent time celebrating other people’s joys and sorrows (who are not of my culture or
my language) yet seemed appreciative for my presence. These things can be done anywhere but somehow here, where there's so much obvious need, they seem to mean more. My aim is not to get
philosophical or spiritual in this post, but rather to remind myself (and maybe you)
that each day is a gift. The least I can do is find a way to give a gift in return--however small or inconsequential--because you just never know, now do
you?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-31095347299323672122014-01-18T04:55:00.000-06:002014-01-18T04:55:58.698-06:00Ah, 2014!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeppHElJM8ch8fzBqBLVOrvP06ljf2dH_-WLdGhF6c_uHt5IBU2msxsG_kt9dQ84Sd0YwCJRdRvUk_3cEM8ZBK_4_jCntm_uUqk3Iec6DFqS4u9tHZ4uDR26oywCOP-bJ1lKJJL2acRGk/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeppHElJM8ch8fzBqBLVOrvP06ljf2dH_-WLdGhF6c_uHt5IBU2msxsG_kt9dQ84Sd0YwCJRdRvUk_3cEM8ZBK_4_jCntm_uUqk3Iec6DFqS4u9tHZ4uDR26oywCOP-bJ1lKJJL2acRGk/s1600/blog+1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel a year-long party coming!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ouch!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been two months since I posted. Where
did December go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m back in Peru and
back to work. I’ve never felt better--and full of enthusiasm for my work and my
life here in the rainforest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time was
a soft landing home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite a 40 hour door to door trip from Perth, I didn’t have any jet lag other than goofy sleep
patterns, which took about four days to settle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I always like starting things fresh on the first of the month or the
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to get back to
Iquitos on the last day of the year to wake up on January 1, 2014 in my own
bed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was five years ago on January 1,
2009 that I first moved into my apartment. I still love it--it’s small but well designed, with lots of
glass and a jungle garden right outside my doors and windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I can't believe I've been here just shy of six years as it continues to be a life-changing experience. </span>Remember, my door is always open for
visits—my couch and hammock are free, the water is hot and the beer is
cold!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xZHZSaWhrSyM4qffkFZkGmnCCnDo8ox7Z1DmNu3m4WRp63IS0A22q1TZJdEkyfku1Nk5qIGmSV6Za_UYPx7rDrHb_r1inb7Ft5uVDXh5-URQj538S-tyK2Pqa7RcoXUbU8q0a7cKUhA/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xZHZSaWhrSyM4qffkFZkGmnCCnDo8ox7Z1DmNu3m4WRp63IS0A22q1TZJdEkyfku1Nk5qIGmSV6Za_UYPx7rDrHb_r1inb7Ft5uVDXh5-URQj538S-tyK2Pqa7RcoXUbU8q0a7cKUhA/s1600/blog+2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sawyer PointONE<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The big push is on to get ready for Adopt A School. There’s still time and space to join our volunteer expedition trip to deliver books and school supplies the first week in April. If you want more info, let me know. We’re going to place Sawyer PointONE filters and buckets in all our classrooms this year. There will be 200 new water systems thus each child will have access to clean water during school hours. Many of the student's homes have clean water options, but not all. CONAPAC is still pushing for more donations to complete the final 12-15 communities that need clean water systems. In the meantime, kids without clean drinking water at home will at least have it at school. It’s a start so here's the link to help further: http://www.conapac.org/water_plant.html </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also check out <a href="http://www.sawyersaves.com/">www.sawyersaves.com</a> for more insight into this lifesaving water filtration system. To place one Sawyer filter with related delivery, set-up and training support costs $175 per family. Once we finish with the classrooms, we’ll move on to those final families still waiting for clean water. The bucket and Sawyer filter in this photo is in my flat. I don’t drink the tap water so this is a great solution for me, too! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></o:p></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With luck
I’ll be living and working in Peru for three more years. James will join me for a good part of the time next year--the next step in our implausible, but joyful relationship. Unfortunately, the wheels
that turn here are coming off. I can’t
renew my contract and reinstate my work papers despite officially documented
proof of the reason for my absence. I
have to start all over again. This is
complicated, time-consuming and costly.
It will require communication with a lawyer in Lima, at least two plane
flights to Lima to go to immigrations, a visit to INTERPOL, and a vast
gathering of documents. Along the way there
will be fees, taxes and bribes--yet no guarantee of success.
They sure don’t make it easy to do the right thing but I will press on
and see what happens. If I’m meant to
stay and continue my work, I will. If not, then the journey has only detoured
not ended. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJXl9C3oWD9ena4AtvDpZkYHDSseE0LA0FQzzBsFdv4QJ9fr6vPiVwxoisl0jMjs9it-wUvRft9pR5ev1n2ReM6_1aYo_RXWsxP7jACyjPfyZCdJlILdbdOKmbSM5HNUsf7v4o7xbC2g/s1600/CONAPAC-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJXl9C3oWD9ena4AtvDpZkYHDSseE0LA0FQzzBsFdv4QJ9fr6vPiVwxoisl0jMjs9it-wUvRft9pR5ev1n2ReM6_1aYo_RXWsxP7jACyjPfyZCdJlILdbdOKmbSM5HNUsf7v4o7xbC2g/s1600/CONAPAC-sign.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As
always, if you'd like to follow the work we're doing here in the rainforest of Perú, go
to www.CONAPAC.org to see how you can help financially or participate directly. Remember,
our US parter, the Detroit Zoological Society--a 5-Star Charity--receives and
manages your donations to CONAPAC. Literacy & Clean Water--A winning
combination!</span></div>
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--><div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
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Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-84221597513876527542013-11-13T13:39:00.001-06:002013-11-13T13:39:42.075-06:00A Life Simplified?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjjIn9JKSxqp243av-p8TawcZwSGkfao3kuSnoeq8gZN4AMfFcVC8_E7E3AJZ_ZnENixgyRK_amVS_r4slcPTYIwzQ2NxbMY4N1-eMwaa1Cul9vYIzDOBLBsVTif0A9pD-T120SAW_58/s1600/yellowstone+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjjIn9JKSxqp243av-p8TawcZwSGkfao3kuSnoeq8gZN4AMfFcVC8_E7E3AJZ_ZnENixgyRK_amVS_r4slcPTYIwzQ2NxbMY4N1-eMwaa1Cul9vYIzDOBLBsVTif0A9pD-T120SAW_58/s200/yellowstone+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellowstone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Am I traveling
light? Hardly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you may recall that the reason I departed Brighton, MI and the USA in general was to "simplify" my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sold or gave away most everything I owned and left
behind a very small number of personal items in storage. I paid off all my debt and packed two suitcases to move to South America. For a long time I didn’t
have a computer and used the local Internet cafes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have a cell phone, a car, a house or
apartment, a TV or even a toaster!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
lived out of a suitcase at a local hostal and when it was time to move into a
small apartment, I packed my too suitcases and walked the three blocks it took
to arrive—unpacking and moving into my new place in less than an hour. Then I
settled in and didn’t return to the US for almost three years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE4ZikhUxcYpzCiZdbB1rH213p2V2xEn_VkAv7IUcUsEOwt39DTdgiKRaNHktWV0-vcHD_HtfwSDhwO45L2Z6_u1D_6eGLN127CBeKmcNMGQAdTBgypIM2U7-Pds2nVA5udoTI8QGQmY/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE4ZikhUxcYpzCiZdbB1rH213p2V2xEn_VkAv7IUcUsEOwt39DTdgiKRaNHktWV0-vcHD_HtfwSDhwO45L2Z6_u1D_6eGLN127CBeKmcNMGQAdTBgypIM2U7-Pds2nVA5udoTI8QGQmY/s200/blog+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wyoming or Idaho?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How times
and circumstances have changed. My simple life becomes more complicated yet
rich and and fulfilling with ever passing day. With the infinite wisdom that only comes with advanced aging, I choose to fall in love with a man from
Australia!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding someone in South America
or maybe somewhere in the US apparently just wasn’t bizarre enough for me. I now
have clothes and shoes stationed in Iquitos, Peru; Perth, Western Australia; and
Brighton, Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My US address is my
brother’s house Michigan, my shipping address is at a friend’s house in
Brighton, my mailing address is in Peru, and my favorite man and weather is in
Australia. To complicate matters more, I go and get breast cancer, have it
treated in Australia then follow up in the US. I now have oncologists in both
countries and my suitcase is more full of paperwork and medical records than
clothes or my favorite consumables--which I can’t get in either Peru or Australia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJirsO066f7xkYzET_0iIV7dHQlyAKxvJYgdwwbY-zmGuKvimrkYeFCzVizE8ChxIhbef287QX6gg-kDZaiC-jYd_2Nlfof_TaOdKu7T3KAcPOj5C8LvBe6nsNAdbD0LWHZzP0_QjPCow/s1600/blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJirsO066f7xkYzET_0iIV7dHQlyAKxvJYgdwwbY-zmGuKvimrkYeFCzVizE8ChxIhbef287QX6gg-kDZaiC-jYd_2Nlfof_TaOdKu7T3KAcPOj5C8LvBe6nsNAdbD0LWHZzP0_QjPCow/s200/blog+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cultural Adaptation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I now
have a laptop, a cheap flip phone, and IPhone, a Kindle, a camera, a toaster
oven, a blender, a TV, and and an Internet in Peru that’s slower than dial-up
(for those of you old enough to remember dial-up!). Is my life more
complicated, essentially living part time in three countries on three different
continents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For sure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it the most exciting, fulfilling and
adventure packed life I could lead? Absolutely!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Am I happier and more at peace than ever before? No doubt! I love my
family, my friends, my man, my work, my opportunities and my ability to have
found the world again through fresh and exciting eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it’s complicated but as in all things,
one day at a time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmfwACCibjHAf447eMTp0gwlR-_h0G87xEmIH1C5IYf_-9QVCt8E8Vz70RM1pf-mNPAgA2eskGutoiPxAG7Rmtw80a08i8sQ1vyuU-N3pmcNNpIhVU1-ALgFmNupqREuMs2lcXNpnlJA/s1600/blog+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmfwACCibjHAf447eMTp0gwlR-_h0G87xEmIH1C5IYf_-9QVCt8E8Vz70RM1pf-mNPAgA2eskGutoiPxAG7Rmtw80a08i8sQ1vyuU-N3pmcNNpIhVU1-ALgFmNupqREuMs2lcXNpnlJA/s200/blog+4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmm, can't remember!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m
heading back to Australia for December then Peru on New Year’s Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will give me great joy to be back home as
I ring in the New Year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consider 2013
to be a “reboot” year for my health and my attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goals and interests haven’t changed but
the cancer has put a finer point on the subject and I fine myself not wanting to
lose any time doing all the things I want to do, see all the people and places
I want to see, eat all the yummy food I can enjoy, and reach as many of my
professional goals as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks
for going along on this ride with me—as we all know, it’s not the destination
but the journey and the company you keep along the way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaYnW0XUMB7niZhATpjlN-9PQftobObRZnct6CrBV-pROAHBlY8N1LHbMMjZjJeaCruXu1T6NPDM0HGshacSTl5QeOlR2fYqC-U7DRwc6oI9ckCYrP0MUrmLsEIZcUpyp0fP45V1ReW8/s1600/blog+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaYnW0XUMB7niZhATpjlN-9PQftobObRZnct6CrBV-pROAHBlY8N1LHbMMjZjJeaCruXu1T6NPDM0HGshacSTl5QeOlR2fYqC-U7DRwc6oI9ckCYrP0MUrmLsEIZcUpyp0fP45V1ReW8/s200/blog+5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life <i>Is</i> Wonderful!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally,
James and I took a wonderful trip out West for the month of October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited eight states, saw countless
mountain ranges and enjoyed endless natural beauty—and in so doing put 7,000
miles on our rental car. I’m so happy to know that these irreplaceable wonders
of nature are being preserved and maintained by our federal park system. In the
meantime, we did eat in a lot of restaurants and enjoyed a variety of
interesting meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you may recall
from one of my earlier posts, I found Australia to offer outstanding cappuccino
virtually everywhere you go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so here
in the US, at least in the Brighton area<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and the Midwest—although it can be found here and there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When James and I did find a cup of cap, we
started rating them, the name of the café or restaurant and in what town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our list and ratings are as follows and will give
you an idea of our October journeys:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Petals & Perks, Frankfort, MI--3 ½ stars <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Brass Café & Saloon, Mt. Pleasant, MI--2 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Wooden Spoon, Brighton, M--2 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Afternoon Delight, Ann Arbor, MI--2 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Diana’s on Main, Rockford, MI--3 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Bean & Leaf, Royal Oak, MI--3 1/2 stars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Gandy Dancer, Ann Arbor, MI--3 ½ stars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Common Grill, Chelsea, MI--1 star<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Starbucks, DTW Airport, Romulus, MI--4 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->New Moon Café & Bakery, Nederland, CO--3 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Yellowstone Hotel, Yellowstone, WY--4 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone, WY--3 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cowboy Coffee, Jackson, WY--4 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Higher Grounds, Kamish, ID--2 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="color: red;">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: red;">Le Café de Paris, Boise, ID--5 stars <i>Perfect I</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Shivers & Jitters, Venal, UT--3 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Sweet Cravings, Moab, UT--3 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="color: red;">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: red;">Mon Ami Cabi, Las Vegas, NV--5 stars <i>Perfect II</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Crema Café, Cottonwood, AZ--3 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The Avalanche Café, Silverton, CO--3 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mountainview Mall & Café, Chama, NM--3 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Lamberts, Toas, NM--4 1/2 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Midtown Bistro, Santa Fe, NM--4 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Root Down, Denver, CO--4 ½ stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Steve & Rocky’s, Novi, MI--3 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPU9NOk_HbBOZI0zHW9AoiSfAHIg3XH1uSgc6GCsshnP15UPeEmGv-uoERCoKsMjsKryyYhr-DY4Y6FL54NfEhTJxSG9X6q61Tix0pAGdpv84sSuMLimjz5PWbDhC0_OqaZxn8fFtwLQ/s1600/blog+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPU9NOk_HbBOZI0zHW9AoiSfAHIg3XH1uSgc6GCsshnP15UPeEmGv-uoERCoKsMjsKryyYhr-DY4Y6FL54NfEhTJxSG9X6q61Tix0pAGdpv84sSuMLimjz5PWbDhC0_OqaZxn8fFtwLQ/s200/blog+6.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cody,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our
system was one to five </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJhMLvzCiJgMg_Lglvxr9T6hxvm_6hwHqZYrn1VpejoFe7fApDOW_O80s3XTehkNoi2Q_7smwvqcUvVm0B81bu1LX4aRn97GaRsyyyjdjvTIefvkFePeliN35TiWN3mDY2gorZQihFCE/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJhMLvzCiJgMg_Lglvxr9T6hxvm_6hwHqZYrn1VpejoFe7fApDOW_O80s3XTehkNoi2Q_7smwvqcUvVm0B81bu1LX4aRn97GaRsyyyjdjvTIefvkFePeliN35TiWN3mDY2gorZQihFCE/s200/IMG_0222.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wyoming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">stars. Only two were perfect they were both found in French cafes.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What can we say, the
French simply do some things better than anyone else!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>See you
again in the New Year as Perú beckons one more time :)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-1124549912422866692013-09-24T09:27:00.001-05:002013-09-24T09:27:42.732-05:00I Just Keep Moving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfY1NVxLRV_LevOxopjrlA63vAaK87zGsOkj21nde43pQln_WTz5QlTGQgLcIAvfl6aOiCEBV8nex8BMQPFiVpYFISbeI8m4IPSXuROf3m-zqpITAd0Wg-pSMKedmNktwPoRvU0IGPkM/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfY1NVxLRV_LevOxopjrlA63vAaK87zGsOkj21nde43pQln_WTz5QlTGQgLcIAvfl6aOiCEBV8nex8BMQPFiVpYFISbeI8m4IPSXuROf3m-zqpITAd0Wg-pSMKedmNktwPoRvU0IGPkM/s200/blog+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam & some Peruvian friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oops—a
long break between posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When last I
posted it was early July in Perth, Western Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I sit in Brighton, Michigan with two
months of Iquitos, Peru in between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
become quite adapt at shifting in cultures with different foods, money,
procedures, measuring systems, cultural expectations and, of course,
language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be sure, I am never bored
and often in a state of wonder!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a
joyful life my path has taken me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSkGNpr0etRjoJRFSTM6kbsYuub7X0sensXfsC0C_a8wF-Dul_vJxzOSKjV5SkzTI3fdjbLNrgQECP1rRpw7auNSyvpAsJVNL7C0tuSKthBbQLJD1mVE0Spi2pb871iuCvjB6SE2BIOI/s1600/Blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSkGNpr0etRjoJRFSTM6kbsYuub7X0sensXfsC0C_a8wF-Dul_vJxzOSKjV5SkzTI3fdjbLNrgQECP1rRpw7auNSyvpAsJVNL7C0tuSKthBbQLJD1mVE0Spi2pb871iuCvjB6SE2BIOI/s200/Blog+1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam & Fred, the anteater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arriving in Iquitos
was a bit of a hard landing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After being
yanked away so expectantly for over seven months, I simply couldn’t wait to
return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once in town, I found myself
having doubts that returning to the jungle, my job and my life there was the
right choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after about two
weeks I was back in that place where I loved every waking minute of my day and
knew returning to Peru was the right choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Getting back to CONAPAC and seeing all my co-workers and Pamela was
wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first day back found me
attending a surprise party in my honor with cake, balloons, songs, photos,
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone in the office attended and
I was truly touched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to arrive
the first day at work without a hat or scarf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first time since the start of chemo that I’d gone bare-headed but
this is why I love Iquitos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone
just took it all in stride and I’m sure those on the street just thought I was
another loony “gringa” with a nearly shaved head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How empowering!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My neighbors and friends quickly turned up
and within a very short time, life in Perth faded in the background and the
liveliness of the rainforest took hold.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A lot happened
during those two months with visits from donors, students from the <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpEY5F8OI3KVe-drpWtJy15ti98HmzAdVw0FHLnKbkCt5FFCuWV8Zy8dYt4hyphenhyphen2TOPyDBwNpXrviYdTjehR14c9oh2MjyAXpxemDvU99GEXXhzhGFeTBQ_FmRqcT1WzrkZ3nRaHXSbQVs/s1600/blog+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpEY5F8OI3KVe-drpWtJy15ti98HmzAdVw0FHLnKbkCt5FFCuWV8Zy8dYt4hyphenhyphen2TOPyDBwNpXrviYdTjehR14c9oh2MjyAXpxemDvU99GEXXhzhGFeTBQ_FmRqcT1WzrkZ3nRaHXSbQVs/s200/blog+4.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Attack!</td></tr>
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University
of Colorado, doctors and med students from Michigan State University, and may
daughter, Samantha. Between catching up
on all the work news and friends; inventory and orders for 2014 Adopt A School;
and a serious search for additional donations, my time in town absolutely flew
by and I found myself back in the US of A in no time! On that note, more to
come but it has been great to see so many family and friends and especially my
grandson, Jack—who with his mother, Erin, will be coming to the rainforest in
February to experience the adventure of a lifetime! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CU-Boulder Water Audit Team</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what
did I find changed in Iquitos after seven months? Not a whole lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was just the same, which I
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The massive municipal sewer
project is still not done nor close to being connected or operational. There
was an odd new restaurant here and there. Also, there does seem to be a few
more autos on the roads and more glass windows and doors in the shops so the
city seemed a bit more prosperous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
continue my battle with the Peruvian government to settle up the dispute over
my medical absence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems they’re not
sure I really had cancer and the necessary treatment but rather that I’m scamming
them in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose until we
come up with the right bribe, it will continue to be up in the air—ugh! More to
come on that issue, I’m sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m now heading out West for a month-long road
trip covering Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico
with a focus on the national parks. And finally, I can use my Spanish while here
in America!</span><!--EndFragment--></div>
</div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-67081605962297785912013-07-08T01:39:00.000-05:002013-07-08T01:39:43.677-05:00Perth, I'm Going to Miss You!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4U81yPi8Rn6o8O8lfwMZdBq6zXU2l6zN7pqL1U5oGe-Cu7eOvoqgpSmqxQ8E16enjaKQsKhHwonYhR9e4GrKC-RfFZl5yItBnDV-13QjPVaB9XwTypVRfXcnxm94Boh2UPW03G2ds6-4/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4U81yPi8Rn6o8O8lfwMZdBq6zXU2l6zN7pqL1U5oGe-Cu7eOvoqgpSmqxQ8E16enjaKQsKhHwonYhR9e4GrKC-RfFZl5yItBnDV-13QjPVaB9XwTypVRfXcnxm94Boh2UPW03G2ds6-4/s200/blog+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just thinkin'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, the day has finally arrived and I
return to Peru!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After an unexpected
six-month stay in Perth, Western Australia, I’m heading home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life in Perth has been exceptional!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t say enough about this city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first impression, when I was briefly here
in August 2011, was way off base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I
thought I saw was a quiet, non-descript, homogeneous, boring town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How wrong I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7Mc4tw-nAW83sgw0TWBsvvhS6NVQP8BkLhiavvq0vKYs8QdRGhRETB6aurxb_dYpTf-tZGkn5IFoYSVEIeM70EPAm2XeOPHW4Erj-V7c6BybXOMbZje7fzmDwzio7arWAdlghWx4rJc/s1600/blog+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7Mc4tw-nAW83sgw0TWBsvvhS6NVQP8BkLhiavvq0vKYs8QdRGhRETB6aurxb_dYpTf-tZGkn5IFoYSVEIeM70EPAm2XeOPHW4Erj-V7c6BybXOMbZje7fzmDwzio7arWAdlghWx4rJc/s200/blog+4.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perth public spaces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Perth, on
the farthest edge of the continent, is as isolated from the rest of the country
as in some ways is Iquitos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you can
get there by road from Sydney or Melbourne (unlike Iquitos which you cannot
arrive by any roads) but why would you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even by air, it’s a five hour flight from Sydney and there’s not a whole
lot in between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this reason and for
many years Perth remained somewhat a big country town—but no more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The population has swelled to about 2.2
million and growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are now
restaurants, bars and cafes at all levels of price and quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public transportation (by bus and rail) is
clean, convenient, affordable and widely available. The cultural scene is
world-class with concerts, traveling art exhibits, museums, plays, and foreign
film festivals. The weather is like San Diego which means lots of sun, green
trees and flowers blooming all year long, miles and miles of sandy public
beaches, countless public parks, foot and bike paths, plus numerous playgrounds
for kids and walkable neighborhoods with shops and cafes in every suburb. Shopping is excellent with many small dress boutiques still viable in
the era of big box stores and generic shopping malls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the very best thing about Perth is the
cultural diversity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feared coming here
I’d stand out as an American in a sea of Aussies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are large numbers of Indians, Africans, Asians, Muslims, Greeks,
Italians, and of course oodles of Brits—and even Peruvians!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They influence the food scene with countless
ethic cafes and restaurants. There are lots of specialty shops for homesick
ex-pats all of which only increases the interesting things that are now Perth. When
James and I take our daily walk and pass others on the footpath, barely one in
four overheard conversations are in English! And then don’t forget the
Aboriginal population that is finally being widely recognized, embraced and
included in the larger public life of white Australian culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNf-iQfMhUqj5JzbnmGiPtoGM2gqksbhDtye6L0Dm1HI4htmM3HL9jQ8lamir_x2hx_pBiRmLujpeG-rb_CiIVamN6fV8oCTA22rI5fdGYa9n5yz7m6SK3o9Zal1PQzOLAf903ZTb7zfo/s1600/blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNf-iQfMhUqj5JzbnmGiPtoGM2gqksbhDtye6L0Dm1HI4htmM3HL9jQ8lamir_x2hx_pBiRmLujpeG-rb_CiIVamN6fV8oCTA22rI5fdGYa9n5yz7m6SK3o9Zal1PQzOLAf903ZTb7zfo/s200/blog+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite neighborhood cafe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My time
here has also allowed me to understand the political system which is
parliamentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know much about
it before but it seems fairly sensible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is hardly a noticeable “election season” and there are few
political ads as we are endlessly bombarded with in the US. Oh there’s lots of
vitriol as the world has just seen with the ouster of Prime Minister Julia
Gillard, Australia’s first female PM, but it’s done in such a matter of fact
way, that is seems to leave few hurt feelings behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there are big egos and much to be
potentially gained by being in politics but it certainly seems to me that most
politicians are truly in the game to be public servants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when their time is up, they have other
“real lives”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to return to and enjoy. The
thing I like the best is how the federal government does its budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no party wrangling and endless years
with no formal budget in place as in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, each year the party in power decides on and presents a
budget—Done!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s good for one year and
spells out where revenue is expected to come from and where it will be
spent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they should deem taxes go up or down,
programs should be added or cut, unusual events should be paid for then so be it. The budget is presented--period, case closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes there are deficits and sometimes not but overall it’s a
sensible, practical, professional and adult approach to managing a whole
country as fine and livable as I’ve found Australia to be. Oh, and PS, voting
is mandatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t vote then you
pay a fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The system works hard to be
sure everyone is part of the process not excluded. How refreshing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0cMxV3_jyL-A_TVq0U27X0zPrGneOXgramylZyM6A7nz01IBuL0Vg84VtSP6w5e5ruC1SESQcAfhM3o15Sh-An4Bczf6stL8EUZqx_54hk9XwnGC5XPx0yU9JFkQf4l520WzZQ23zJI/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0cMxV3_jyL-A_TVq0U27X0zPrGneOXgramylZyM6A7nz01IBuL0Vg84VtSP6w5e5ruC1SESQcAfhM3o15Sh-An4Bczf6stL8EUZqx_54hk9XwnGC5XPx0yU9JFkQf4l520WzZQ23zJI/s200/blog+2.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfection!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last but
not least, perhaps the thing I will miss most is a quality cup of cappuccino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You simply cannot get a bad cup of cap
anywhere in the city, from the lowliest milk bar to the finest restaurants.
Real baristas are trained and employed everywhere making for a wonderful experience
each time a cappuccino is served—and always in a real china cup and saucer,
too. America, the land of the bottomless cup of coffee, could find some real
inspiration here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now on to
Peru….a posting to come in a few weeks once I’ve figured out where things stand
and what’s new and exciting in the Peruvian rainforest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-7952335350319484262013-05-13T21:26:00.000-05:002013-05-13T21:26:23.139-05:00The End...& New Beginnings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWR4eTRuexU-YtFYfoDoxS19sOF8chnrZiukdCR6Cm1H2gAy-Orvz4ndHYrysdc6mXEuVYPDsWd53d7WH6koK5CccN6XTmm67XE7jsmnp1xz5mZZ7L-hgxpQlfXyRgNwzRI_H5L2K0VLM/s1600/IMG_2978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWR4eTRuexU-YtFYfoDoxS19sOF8chnrZiukdCR6Cm1H2gAy-Orvz4ndHYrysdc6mXEuVYPDsWd53d7WH6koK5CccN6XTmm67XE7jsmnp1xz5mZZ7L-hgxpQlfXyRgNwzRI_H5L2K0VLM/s200/IMG_2978.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No hair yet but it's coming!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, a
long delay for a new blog post but since my preference is to discuss topics
related to my life in Peru, I’ve not had much too say while I’m here in Perth.
However, to update my followers, I have completed my four cycles of chemotherapy
and slowly recovering from the side effects. Overall I’m feeling really good,
doing a lot more exercise to work out the bugs, and eating regularly. Yesterday I started a six-week course of
radiation that I’ll complete at the end of June. For now, it is the end of my initial treatment
but, I suppose, the beginning of the rest of my life--which will now be colored
with the knowledge that cancer has visited me and will be a constant
companion. Most days I feel confident
and consider this a one-off event with an excellent prognosis. Other days, I wonder/worry about the future
but all the more reason to get on with life, do the things I want to do now,
and fully enjoy each day as it comes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMi4phlauzNtqcmaZ7Q5bzYq0lzwC-lAt-Ly9GpiDino1dfo0RE9mNcWdn-8m47ppdzqARTj3KGz11PCb7vfNRNnHXlUEgJnfj0JQ3th0Z8dMmD1fZXHfdvOZaytJSTAeE1TLttUaWb-8/s1600/P1030071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMi4phlauzNtqcmaZ7Q5bzYq0lzwC-lAt-Ly9GpiDino1dfo0RE9mNcWdn-8m47ppdzqARTj3KGz11PCb7vfNRNnHXlUEgJnfj0JQ3th0Z8dMmD1fZXHfdvOZaytJSTAeE1TLttUaWb-8/s200/P1030071.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you for your support</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On July
11<sup>th</sup>, James and I arrive in Iquitos.
I am very excited to get back to work and my life in the jungle. So much has happened while I was gone,
including the 2013 Adopt-A-School deliveries, teacher workshops, a new computer
lab for the library, and the implementation of this year’s pilot project using
the Sawyer water filter system in three communities. The largest number of volunteers ever came to
the Amazon to help with the deliveries and the Sawyer project. Many arrived early and stayed late to help
with all the preparations that I would normally have handled. Despite my
absence, volunteers, CONAPAC staff and Explorama employees all came together to
make it an overwhelming success. I will
be hard-pressed to top it next year! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Regular
readers may remember an earlier post or two where I lament the crazy level of
paperwork and bureaucracy that awaits anyone trying to do business in Peru.
Just before my trip here in December, I had a large number of hoops to jump
through for my immigration status but once this was completed, I figured I was
in good shape for awhile. Then I came to
Australia and my cancer journey began.
It became clear that I needed to extend the terms of my visa bought here
and in Peru if I was going to receive my full level of treatment and return to
Peru in the near future. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The process for
this extension in Australia was as simple as filling out a form on-line, faxing
over supporting medical records and writing a check—done! Peru? Well, quite another matter. I won’t go through all the steps but suffice
to say more emails between my boss, Pam, and our Peruvian attorney with more
twists and turns were exchanged than even the best convoluted novel could
conjure up. I simply could not have made
up all the steps and stamps and fees and copies and signatures that
had to be completed before I could “express mail” my paperwork back to
Iquitos. My express mail was to take
three days—it took 15 to arrive in the jungle.
Now, after all these steps, in reality I really don’t know if all's well and approved or not? No one can quite tell me
anything for sure, so I’ll return on a tourist visa in July and hope for the
best. Whether I can return to work in
January 2014 full-time and with my work contract intact remains to be
seen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I’ve said before, there
certainly is bureaucracy in the West but at least it’s transparent. You can
figure it out, with a high degree of certainly and confidence, that if you
fill out the right paperwork and pay the right fees, all will be well. Not so
in Peru-- but you know what? I still love the crazy place and can’t wait to
return. After a trip to the US in the fall to see family and friends and a quick return to Australia in December for a one-year check-up with the docs, I travel back to Peru to live and work through 2014 and likely beyond. I will hope for continued good health and a return to the work I love so much!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-73055789258694102062013-03-03T01:21:00.000-06:002013-03-03T01:21:31.806-06:00Life Moves in Mysterious Ways...But You Knew That!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNDj4Ms89FR3CObXIKV0-a_X115ntWdgYCgICc27_4APhOdUJARp_b4Fxqhw0nkRFtF5tJRnZq5PbBOcR59UGGMiiJSR6-KEZpbLMuQb2HRVS7kpcZOtdPoapychTwddMs8TLd9yOSXs/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNDj4Ms89FR3CObXIKV0-a_X115ntWdgYCgICc27_4APhOdUJARp_b4Fxqhw0nkRFtF5tJRnZq5PbBOcR59UGGMiiJSR6-KEZpbLMuQb2HRVS7kpcZOtdPoapychTwddMs8TLd9yOSXs/s200/blog+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No Hair? No fuss, no muss!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I won’t dwell much on the subject of my adventures in cancer as many others have been written or spoken extensively on the subject. Let’s just say, for me, it’s
been both a challenge and a joy. Although there are bad days and worries about the
future, there are far more good ones.
When I’m feeling good, I’m living life to the fullest. Yes, there have been “losses”, if you will,
in my life by having to surrender to this.
But there have been far more silver linings, I count them every day and
take delight in their gifts. I’m now on
round two of four cycles of chemotherapy. James is taking outstanding care of
me physically and emotionally. He has no
other pet name for me other than “gorgeous”, which he started to call me the
first time we met and has not stopped to this day--bald eagle and all! I feel loved, pampered and protected. I couldn't ask for anything more. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I continue to work at my job from
afar via Internet. My boss, Pamela, at CONAPAC has
been a shining light and picked up where I left off. This is our busiest time of year with annual
Adopt-A-School deliveries coming up in April.
Both experienced and new volunteers alike have agreed to step up to do everything
they can to execute this very important program. I have no doubt that, once again, 4,000
students, teachers and community leaders will be provided with school supplies
and related classroom materials.
Flooding is a concern—again!—this year so we may need to make delivery
adjustments, but with last year’s flood experience under our belts, I'm confident things will
work themselves out and a great time will be had by all! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5OB4xg3eziCATgvY0MehrETCOl2IPMZFO0PGg7TE6Ei2C95ux9nPjg6VKSknsqTUmkiQAdlAUTdnk8TZ681dHgGdPDh0DgioMhRGC8i8bhRXFFs54EWWrsnip19pTVArnUDXgRmKLdQ/s1600/workshop+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5OB4xg3eziCATgvY0MehrETCOl2IPMZFO0PGg7TE6Ei2C95ux9nPjg6VKSknsqTUmkiQAdlAUTdnk8TZ681dHgGdPDh0DgioMhRGC8i8bhRXFFs54EWWrsnip19pTVArnUDXgRmKLdQ/s200/workshop+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly Certified Water Operators</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m working on a new pilot
project for this year in the area of clean water. Last year we hosted an intern from the
University of Colorado who really helped beef up our operator training program. Many operators were certified with more to follow later in the year. Our expectation is improved water quality and consistent access to clean water by community members. For this year’s pilot project over the course
of six months, will we place 100 Sawyer clean water bucket systems in three of our
partner communities. These individual
bucket systems could allow us to provide clean drinking water to our more remote and
smaller villages. We are eager to see the results. Although I won’t be there for most of the
year to oversee the pilot project, my staff, the CU-Boulder students and the
Detroit Zoo Volunteers will do a great job implementing and monitoring the project. If we decide this is a winning approach and we want to place more Sawyer bucket systems (we have about to 2,000 eligible families), watch out as I’ll be
looking for donor dollars! Check out the Sawyer link: http://www.sawyer.com/sawyersaves/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2FICbBOe9OMREwKsBYQbADc5BtAFRmQ4V1a95sm-Wf5TDCMjNFaAVU5F-EEZTCkPWWMCeqbr-gIuLQy7Tqx7AW5XXV8s_Tl8mjj_ulIYNM1MWQskMwndXQFzJEw2ryF7XYSOiyT0OiA/s1600/blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2FICbBOe9OMREwKsBYQbADc5BtAFRmQ4V1a95sm-Wf5TDCMjNFaAVU5F-EEZTCkPWWMCeqbr-gIuLQy7Tqx7AW5XXV8s_Tl8mjj_ulIYNM1MWQskMwndXQFzJEw2ryF7XYSOiyT0OiA/s320/blog+3.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I still wear many hats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A final observation about living in
Australia. Although they speak English
it’s often quite a challenge for me, not just the accent but the use of different
words for common items. I find I’m
becoming tri-lingual by speaking American English, Australia English and
Spanish. We all know they say boot instead of trunk and bonnet instead of hood
for a car. And no matter how old you are or what sex, if it’s a sweater,
jacket, sweatshirt or coat, it’s a jumper. But some other little turns of
phrase are subtle. Instead of math it’s
maths; instead of “sports” it’s “sport”; and instead of cereal it’s cereals. They don’t say what’s your given name but
what’s your Christian name? They don’t say business hours but trading
hours. Come around for tea usually means
dinner, so go hungry. They don’t say lakeshore or the river’s edge but they
call it the foreshore. For electrical
plugs they’re not grounded but earthed. Kids don’t color they color in and old
bitties are old ducks--and I’m not a chick but rather a bird. The final odd thing that
I never knew but maybe you all do is that the letter Z is not pronounced zee
it’s pronounced zed (like Ned). I guess
it’s the same in the UK and Canada, too.
Well, just another way to expand my mind and ward off Alzheimer’s. Now I just have to remember which country I’m in when I open my mouth! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-47820495760375650362013-01-07T01:59:00.001-06:002013-01-07T01:59:58.275-06:00A Whole New Kind of Adventure for 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH3bmaVuuQ0T8BeBPO6ysw4bhkJ28E9Plso2p0Q1WsmgeB0V23vA9bdRPAW_v6YaLakY75suRvT5GmvpHfukvPenaxc5D7hgTfYdZ3sVgjQKTDgSOiAw4gKdHxNJ2cG5Jc6eb8e_o2zA/s1600/IMG_2859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH3bmaVuuQ0T8BeBPO6ysw4bhkJ28E9Plso2p0Q1WsmgeB0V23vA9bdRPAW_v6YaLakY75suRvT5GmvpHfukvPenaxc5D7hgTfYdZ3sVgjQKTDgSOiAw4gKdHxNJ2cG5Jc6eb8e_o2zA/s200/IMG_2859.jpg" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January 1, 2013</td></tr>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cancer—you can’t seem to swing a dead
chicken without hitting someone who has cancer, is in recovery or a survivor. Well, quite unexpectedly one of those people
is me. Arriving in Perth just before
Christmas, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">I expected to be here until the 18</span><sup style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> of January.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">Now I’m not sure when I’ll return to Peru but
with good luck, I might just make it back for the start of Adopt A School for
2013—the 20</span><sup style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> anniversary of the program. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will be staying on with James in
Perth to seek my surgery and follow-up treatment. So far the medical system here has been great
and very responsive. From what I can
tell there is little difference in quality of care and service, yet prices seem
very reasonable and transparent. I will,
of course, be living with James during this time and he and his family will
help out with my care and doctor appointments. (I haven’t learned to drive on
the left side of the road yet--a little scary--but it must be faced soon! :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So another adventure begins—this time
in Australia. I daily count my blessings,
opportunities, family and the many friends around the world who have already jumped in to
offer their support and encouragement. I
will work on-line from here on all things CONAPAC, as others in Peru do what they can in
my absence. I expect that our programs
will continue without disruption and all will be well when I return to Iquitos
later in the spring. I’ll update progress on my blog as this adventure for 2013 unfolds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Peace, love and joy—and above all,
acceptance! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-54910094041674904902012-12-01T19:20:00.001-06:002012-12-01T19:21:15.861-06:00Paperwork....and More Paperwork!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Living in Peru is one thing, coming and going is another! As I’ve</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">mentioned before, Peru has made bureaucracy a fine art form. If one<br />more piece of paper, one more stamp, one more fee or one more trip to<br />immigrations can be thought up, it will be done. Each year, there are<br />“gringo taxes” to be paid and this requires several trips to the<br />immigration office, as certainly nothing can be done quickly and<br />efficiently. (Actually there are two gringo taxes but the system has<br />designed it so that you cannot pay these fees at the same time of the<br />year, thus more trips). My most recent experience required seven<br />trips to the office as each time my immigration officer came up with<br />something else I needed to do to satisfy the requirements. At first,<br />one gets angry and frustrated but ultimately, resigned (like everyone<br />who lives here, why fight “the man”?) In the meantime, during my last<br />two exits from the country, when I arrived at customs they were not<br />happy with my lack of proper paperwork to depart the country.<br />Basically, they want to know if I’ve paid all my taxes. I’m always<br />happy to meet any necessary requirements but getting a correct answer<br />to what those requirements are is another matter. I finally figured<br />out that the accountant, who does our books, needs to visit the income<br />tax office (SUNAT) to pick up and fill out a certain type of form.<br />This took her several trips to figure out, too. Finally, just days<br />before my latest voyage out of Peru, I essentially received permission<br />to “stay” in the Peru (from immigrations) and permission “leave” Peru<br />(from the tax office). Ironically, when I got to the immigration<br />officer at the airport, she looked over my Peruvian work card and my<br />passport and stamped me through. I said, don’t you want this paper<br />work--that had taken me so long to get and so many other times I’d<br />been lacking? Hmmm, she glanced at it and literally tossed it in a<br />drawer filled with all kinds of odds and ends. A tad annoying after<br />so much preparation but I guess better than the alternative—a Peruvian<br />jail!<br /><br />This latest trip was a brief but fun one that gave me an opportunity<br />to see more of South America. James and his family arrived for a<br />visit to the jungle and time in Iquitos. We followed this with stops<br />in Cusco, Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro and finally Buenos Aires.<br />Although on the same continent, these locations, cultures, food, music<br />and drink couldn’t have been more different. I’d been to Machu Picchu<br />a few years ago and the place was no less magical. Seeing it for the<br />second time and now knowing much more about Inka culture, I thoroughly<br />enjoyed the opportunity to see it with fresh eyes. Lots of other<br />interesting Inka sites were visited then we were off to Rio. What a<br />different place this is! I had few notions of what to expect and my<br />first few hours there did not “wow” me. But by the end of the day, I<br />found the place to improve greatly. Although a very big, urban area<br />with tall apartment buildings crammed into any available space between<br />the mountains, it is essentially a beach culture. The white, sandy<br />beaches go on and on for miles and there is no time of the day or the<br />week when they aren’t teaming with sun worshipers and beachcombers.<br />The area is nicely developed with lots of places to buy food and drink<br />while beaching it. Chairs and umbrellas for rent, handy restrooms and<br />storage lockers, vendors selling whatever you need without having to<br />move a muscle. Oh, and they have lots and lots and lots of shoe<br />stores, ladies! Next we were off to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I found<br />myself very happy to be there as they speak Spanish and I could once<br />again communicate. Brazil is strictly Portuguese, thank you very<br />much! No Spanish or English spoken there. BA is very European in<br />dress, manner, architecture, food and even the look of the people.<br />One thing they have that can’t be beat is the Tango! Some of you out<br /> there may cringe, but James is quite taken with it so there may be<br />lessons in our future—although I don’t know how many qualified<br />instructors we’ll find in either Perth or Brighton?!<br /><br />Finally, October brought a lot of work at CONAPAC for this year’s<br />pilot project. Our intern from the University of Colorado was here<br />for two months and did a great job. She spent extended time in many of<br />our communities that have clean water systems, living and working<br />alongside the operators. In October, she was back in the city where<br />she and the CONAPAC staff spent countless hours on development of our<br />new operator training program. Although our water program has<br />developed well for being just five years old, we’ve found the<br />consistent weak link to be qualified operators on the village level.<br />The world is littered with clean water projects and good intentions<br />but most fall into disuse or disrepair quickly without consistently<br />qualified people on the ground to insure the projects continue to<br />function. We believe this intense operator training (to be started in<br />2013) is the link to lasting water projects in the communities where<br />we serve. Our water program continues to grow as we install more and<br />more water systems. The goal to provide access to clean drinking<br />water for all our Adopt A School communities by the end of 2015 is on<br />track. With the help of our donor base, CONAPAC staff, and our<br />partnerships with Amazon Explorama Lodges, the Detroit Zoo and the<br />University of Colorado, it’s been an adventure and a pleasure to work<br />together on this worthy goal. Stay tuned for more good water news in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">the near future!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’m now off to Perth, Australia for Christmas and most of January. I</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">think I've counted something like 31 airplanes that I’ve flown one this year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It really is a miracle to start in<br />the morning in one part of the world and wake up the next day on the<br />other side. But I’m ready for a break from airports, customs,<br />security and the lot. Although I’ll travel some next year, I have a<br />long stretch in Iquitos with much to do so the break will be welcome.<br />But soon enough, the travel bug will come my way and off we go! Merry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Christmas to all and a great New Year in 2013 ☺</span></div>
Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-61435299972613599642012-09-23T20:21:00.000-05:002012-09-23T20:21:03.515-05:00Ancient Lands<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8Bph7RvWKQFnsdXbaxKDZAmGZ7BGNOXlB-BhQn6xCXl0PAmrJ0SdnIyXLiANI4NmsTDR9xqa25oUbIJA7Qm5jd63v6F3CR1CDcCeVCrlMxqEKcoY6ZWpovnyJpMo4wr1TP2iCYNe1t8/s1600/IMG_1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8Bph7RvWKQFnsdXbaxKDZAmGZ7BGNOXlB-BhQn6xCXl0PAmrJ0SdnIyXLiANI4NmsTDR9xqa25oUbIJA7Qm5jd63v6F3CR1CDcCeVCrlMxqEKcoY6ZWpovnyJpMo4wr1TP2iCYNe1t8/s200/IMG_1967.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Proud Country</td></tr>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">I just returned from a country that has enchanted
me.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">Along with its beauty and ancient
history, it is an easy, safe and accessible place to get around.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">Where in the world can you see endless Roman
ruins; lovely beaches and seaside resorts; eat delicious, healthy food day and
night; find well-maintained roads and sidewalks; see well-constructed
buildings; encounter clean, public toilets in even the smallest town; find
parks everywhere and well-manicured street-scapes along most highways; houses
and apartments loaded with solar hot water tanks and satellite dishes; clean,
new cars, trucks and buses; no litter; few stray dogs or cats; gas stations and
convenience stores everywhere; no graffiti; and hard-working people providing friendly service
in a country that is 99% Muslim? It can only be the Republic of Turkey!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4j_p1jzOyZf2D7oWos5V7L07dehwRlfLLH9w8fGOTV8QMR7YJG-q3gGXcp4Z4sUo18WtXaqT4tDp3Ddd1eJTJJ2Ls5r3lgcrdpptVsCWlMoNAicYBXbmYm4uEsoMswFFXM5s49-pGGc/s1600/IMG_1985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4j_p1jzOyZf2D7oWos5V7L07dehwRlfLLH9w8fGOTV8QMR7YJG-q3gGXcp4Z4sUo18WtXaqT4tDp3Ddd1eJTJJ2Ls5r3lgcrdpptVsCWlMoNAicYBXbmYm4uEsoMswFFXM5s49-pGGc/s200/IMG_1985.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Street Market Display</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I simply can’t say enough about my time there
and great desire to return. I never felt
the least bit uncomfortable or unwelcome as a woman and an American. Our group visited numerous mosques and holy
sites along with fun places like Cappadocia and the city of Istanbul with its many
palaces from centuries past. Despite being an overwhelmingly Muslim country, constitutionally
it is secular and has no official state religion. Every city, town and village
sports a mosque or two and five times a day one can hear the call to prayer.
Many women (but not all) wear at least a head scarf and coat to cover arms and
legs while a few wear the full, black burka. However, at no time did I feel
uncomfortable or out of place even when wearing shorts, a tank top and no head
covering. Citizens are free to express
themselves however they’d like. While we
were there, the US Embassy in Libya was bombed and Americans murdered, which was
followed by protests in many countries over the amateur video posted on <i>You
Tube</i>. And what happened in Turkey where there
are so many Muslims? Nothing! There were no protests, no show of anger,
little mention in newspapers or on TV—basically people just got about their
business of work, school, and home by living their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCza5jWWEg9je-a22vRQGN8U2h70DqT4_TXXXP5F_eYIoTLg98ZLzqlnWMYcOA365qn077S6JsVfrv_InvpiQpnZyzkIk7u_bQ9BX8GKy-bcB2klUZa8Nw9oTbVf96dA67e5qCVVj1bM/s1600/IMG_2121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCza5jWWEg9je-a22vRQGN8U2h70DqT4_TXXXP5F_eYIoTLg98ZLzqlnWMYcOA365qn077S6JsVfrv_InvpiQpnZyzkIk7u_bQ9BX8GKy-bcB2klUZa8Nw9oTbVf96dA67e5qCVVj1bM/s200/IMG_2121.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkish Delight</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why the difference? I can’t say but my observation is they have a
logical divide in their society that allows the state do its thing while
citizens are allowed to pursue their own religion—in other words, clear separation of church
and state. In addition, the country
simply works! It’s clean,
well-organized, secure, and people have access to credit and jobs. Food and homes are available and affordable,
the police are present but not oppressive, and opportunity and education are
accessible to everyone. The culture is
rich and family life is the focus. We
saw no beggars or homeless anywhere on our journeys—why? We were told it’s shameful for a family to allow
such things to happen to other family members, thus the family must handle this by looking out for their own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTUF3-qSb6QSVjr5uFVOzbhMTb7XGz8VuGGhSJyKsFRFEu6RXgAPQoa7FzC7BC8MKHJzsEpmGOth2fTEDyXWfea0qcOoY8wI-sAuv2nFMPcXsmoexVHUI207VxDLBbhkP3zXKGviWco0/s1600/IMG_2170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTUF3-qSb6QSVjr5uFVOzbhMTb7XGz8VuGGhSJyKsFRFEu6RXgAPQoa7FzC7BC8MKHJzsEpmGOth2fTEDyXWfea0qcOoY8wI-sAuv2nFMPcXsmoexVHUI207VxDLBbhkP3zXKGviWco0/s200/IMG_2170.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ephesus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Turkey is a critical ally to the
United States and a real bridge to other Middle East countries that are in such
turmoil. I think in the US we have the
idea that a secular, Islamic country is not possible but there is one and it's been
functioning since 1923. More Americas should have this great destination on
their "bucket list". They will not be disappointed and maybe even enlightened a
bit about a part of the world that consumes so much of our news, our foreign
policy and our future. I know I
was! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">PS I should mention that James and I
also visited Greece prior to traveling to Turkey. Although no one can deny the beauty of
Greece, especially the islands, there is no comparison between countries. Right now,
Greece is a very depressing place and there is a palatable, negative spirit in
the air. There was none of that in
Turkey and I’m so glad the majority of our trip was spent there! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-3448062015380993942012-08-18T14:49:00.001-05:002012-08-18T14:49:52.961-05:00
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U of C & CONAPAC unite<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wow-time flies! I've been home for about month and a half and now it’s time to leave again
for my next travel trip with James. A
lot of work has been squeezed into a small space but overall it’s been highly
productive. The students from the
University of Colorado, who come each year to audit our water program, have
come and gone. What a great time we all
had amongst a lot of hard work. We now
eagerly await the results of both the community surveys and water quality
testing which were conducted in 11 villages along the Amazon and Napo
Rivers. Now our U of C intern, Lia
Brune, continues on with this year’s pilot project until the middle of
October. She’ll be living and working in
a variety of communities during this time.
Her goals are to observe how operators are actually treating the water not
just what they tell us. She’ll then play with different outcomes from water
samples looking for the optimum combination of treatment chemicals from
different water sources typically used in the jungle villages where we work. Once
she’s done with this part, she and our CONAPAC staff will work on training
manuals and workshop modules for all our operators. Our program of monitoring, training and
testing continues to evolve with each step.
I continue to strive for excellent return on investment for my donor
base and consistent quality for our water plants and the community members which
they serve. Both deserve nothing less!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in the jungle</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the middle of July, the jungle and Explorama had an
unexpected guest—the President of Peru, Ollanta Humala! He and his whole staff of ministers were in
the city for a meeting on Explorama’s own Amazon Queen! They cruised down the river and had their
cabinet meeting on board. It was
interesting to see security around the visit.
Certainly nothing like our own president would have received but nonetheless,
an exciting process to watch. I’d happened to return from the jungle just a
short 15 minutes before he arrived. He
came through and shook many employees’ hands, including my own! I doubt I’ll even have the chance for the
same experience with a US president but I suppose I can now add this to my
resume J A
couple of week’s later he was back—why?
Well, in case you missed the news, the Rio Amazona or Amazon River has
been voted one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the world. As you might imagine,
there was a grand celebration in Iquitos with all kinds of activities, music,
dances, parades, demonstrations and good fun was had all the way around. Unfortunately, this time I missed it as I was
in the jungle--but there was some live coverage on the TV at the Yanamono Lodge
so I got a peak of the action. http://www.n7w.com/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRemS0sVtjBAQXO5Ak2CEVVBTyjSE_w6PWo69nG7uBrbofRhyphenhyphenvixieVAE19Yf10O2Ksrz4fNBbcQhiBxtHEzrt4C-wIXAyk_myYksM-RbS-acvUClt0qmFefEyf2p3de00ITyfXYDq9Ow/s1600/sintia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRemS0sVtjBAQXO5Ak2CEVVBTyjSE_w6PWo69nG7uBrbofRhyphenhyphenvixieVAE19Yf10O2Ksrz4fNBbcQhiBxtHEzrt4C-wIXAyk_myYksM-RbS-acvUClt0qmFefEyf2p3de00ITyfXYDq9Ow/s200/sintia.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water workshop at Leon Isla</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The rhythm of life continues here—the river’s up, the
river’s down and it’s summer year round.
I love it but shortly I’ll be leaving for a different kind of summer as
I travel to Greece and Turkey with James.
This will be my first visit the region and I’m very excited to
experience a new place and culture.
James has made all the arrangements so it will be a real vacation where
I won’t have to think about any details other than just showing up and enjoying
myself. Also, it will be a non-working
vacation. I will not have a computer or
smart phone nor do I plan to visit Internet cafes while I’m gone other than to
let my family know I’ve safely arrived.
It’s been a long time since I didn’t have to “check in the office” while
I traveled. Sunny and dry weather,
beautiful landscapes, good food, good wine, good friends and a great man in my
life—what more could I ever ask for?
Once again, I count my many blessings knowing that I’m a very lucky
woman, indeed. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-87814418267534866802012-07-08T15:39:00.000-05:002012-07-08T15:39:51.790-05:00<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today is the 4th of July in Peru. The weather is perfect for a BBQ, swimming, parades and fireworks, just like home. Unfortunately, I’m working but it’s the easiest, most fun job ever so how can I complain? Most Peruvians know the date of America’s independence—do you know when the Peruvians declared theirs? July 28th and it’s a big deal here--everyone is very proud of their country. What do they do? Well, BBQ’s, swimming, parades and fireworks! I feel right at home ☺</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m back out at Explorama Lodge (50 miles downriver from Iquitos) after having spent a wonderful month in Michigan. I’m not sure anymore which is the dream—being here or being there? This trip finds me working with a couple of groups from the North Carolina Museum, specifically educators and others interested in intense learning here in the rainforest. There are several scientist who will be speaking so a wonderful chance to learn more about where I live and work. On this trip, there are three Peruvian teachers joining the group for the week, participating in all the activities. These teachers speak some English and are part or our Adopt A School program. Their expenses are all covered by the museum and they should come away with some real insights about the jungle, teaching tips and Americans! They really seem excited about the chance to spend time with native English speakers, which is a rare opportunity. Just like me, there’s nothing like speaking and listening to the natives to learn a language well. Books just don’t cut it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The river has dropped dramatically since the first of June. Many crops were wiped out, such as peanuts, thus there is no peanut butter to be found in the city. We are hosting a large number of American students this summer expecting to have their P, B & J’s for lunch. Not sure how that will be received but when in Rome so I guess they’ll be eating more juanes! I noticed coming down river that rice is being planted again and little my little new crops will go in. The good thing here is plants regrow in a 1/3 of the time that one might expect in the northern hemisphere. Although there is hardship at the moment, by the end of the year, cash crops will be available for sale and life can get back to some semblance of normality. As I’ve commented before, these folks in the rainforest are resilient and pragmatic. If the “grid” ever implodes in the West, we’ll all be clueless how to survive but these folks won’t know the difference. They will continue on with their subsistent lifestyle as they’ve done for millennia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_hZ8ySnln8qucKJJMmCH-K3-JGkvQJQ_AEUPL8wWbF3HbM8nFzHMbgmBknkXF_PIBqXj550s9cN5dPqEQG4osbOsBaRx9mFQ2xfIiyFCT2wd0uXTtdOQiP9z2vuhZeuAMxrIgqRyypw/s1600/IMG_1215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_hZ8ySnln8qucKJJMmCH-K3-JGkvQJQ_AEUPL8wWbF3HbM8nFzHMbgmBknkXF_PIBqXj550s9cN5dPqEQG4osbOsBaRx9mFQ2xfIiyFCT2wd0uXTtdOQiP9z2vuhZeuAMxrIgqRyypw/s200/IMG_1215.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Life goes on for me here in Perú but slowly the pull of the “West” is calling. More on that later!
</span>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-48640169807775782322012-05-27T19:49:00.000-05:002012-05-27T19:49:20.709-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAYkvjs5dxsBSa3k9yo-eKi1Gih5iy6z05Z6lYRx4jN5jHWXkluWH80lvuCDScamrCAYZw_WEkwaam7TwWMEPPsONlxKojnQ46kJ86J0ETlvwSJs1KMnBMg2P4oXzGZNroSdhyphenhyphenFkQ7Zs/s1600/flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAYkvjs5dxsBSa3k9yo-eKi1Gih5iy6z05Z6lYRx4jN5jHWXkluWH80lvuCDScamrCAYZw_WEkwaam7TwWMEPPsONlxKojnQ46kJ86J0ETlvwSJs1KMnBMg2P4oXzGZNroSdhyphenhyphenFkQ7Zs/s200/flood.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">As I reviewed my blog posts from 2012, I realize that each one discussed the historic flooding which took place this year. It really has consumed everyone’s attention and it still continues to impact many today who live in tents along the highway and in the rafters for their jungle homes. The waters are slowly receding but not soon enough for some. Many classes are still canceled, both in the city of Iquitos and the jungle. Villagers are still not able to rebuild as water levels remain too high. Many businesses are under water and even the local animal shelter, Amazon Cares, the only shelter in a city of 500,000 people, was destroyed. For my dog loving friends, check out: https://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/store/ars/item/49701/ </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Also for those who are interested, this is a great website by the Peruvian Navy that is updated daily. Here we watched it like a weather report each day as the water rose before our eyes: http://www.dhn.mil.pe/app/menu/servicios/rioamazonia/index.asp </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As the water recedes, new threats are posed. The CDC in Atlanta released a warning to tourists traveling in all of Loreto (the state where I live). But like the US embassy’s kidnap warning for earlier this year and last year’s dengue fever outbreak, life goes on—as it should. Recently, concerns for upcoming travelers prompted one to contact Dr. Linnea Smith, our resident American doctor who founded and still runs the Amazon Jungle Clinic. Her response was just right—she writes:
<i>“Well, I am in Wisconsin and have not heard anything in particular, but leptospirosis has always been around, especially in Belén. The flood has been so large that any animal urine is pretty well diluted, especially out where we are. (Note the CDC's mention of 'urban areas lacking sanitation" as being at higher risk). I don't advise drinking the Amazon ... but if I had to choose, I would take that water over the Wisconsin River, which not only has sewage and animal wastes but also has chemicals and pesticides that we do not have in the Amazon.
The CDC has an obligation to warn everyone about everything. But there is no place in the world without risks. Right here in Wisconsin we have an outbreak of whooping cough, and there is St. Louis Equine Encephalitis and Lyme disease and histoplasmosis, oh my. Personally, I am not worried about leptospirosis”.</i>
I always appreciate Linnea’s clear-headed and practical advice. She is not an alarmist and that’s just what’s called for if you’re going to live or travel anywhere along the Amazon River or in the Peruvian rainforest. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGfnk8W6zJoxV9ZRPSXekHprA2P-kCV2-C5a4NmQSs_e0VP5xt2z4knIUcDHFxdb2H2U1dk0ZiujGRdEVU4yMdjlMa8ZIbZYAm8p4cTEyKyhd_Sl6KIn8aIZSuxb3jCYCeJX7F5sk__8/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGfnk8W6zJoxV9ZRPSXekHprA2P-kCV2-C5a4NmQSs_e0VP5xt2z4knIUcDHFxdb2H2U1dk0ZiujGRdEVU4yMdjlMa8ZIbZYAm8p4cTEyKyhd_Sl6KIn8aIZSuxb3jCYCeJX7F5sk__8/s200/blog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A fun story about how the Internet makes the world smaller. About a year ago, I wrote of two British gals who were volunteering at a nearby orphanage called Santa Monica. A few months ago, I found an interesting email in my in box from a young woman in the United States. She had been doing some research online for the Santa Monica orphanage and during the search, a link was made to the mention I wrote of it in my blog. And why was this young lady researching the orphanage? Well, she lived there until the age of 6 until she was adopted by a couple for the states! She’s from Iquitos and wrote to say she found it interesting that I’m an American living here and she’s Peruvian and living there. We had a nice conversation back and forth and made friends on Facebook. She’s now about 19 and just finishing high school due to a year’s delay. When she arrived in the US, she did not speak a word of English so this took some time to learn but kids are soooo great at picking up new languages. Her writing is flawless English and she claims to have retained none of her Spanish. However, she very much hopes to return to Iquitos one day and make a visit to the orphanage, perhaps even to help by volunteering her time. I really hope I’m still here when she makes her first visit. It will be quite the culture shock but I’m sure she retains many strong impressions of her time here and I’d love to meet her to discuss it further. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fore!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This past weekend was busy with last minute details before my trip home to Michigan. I’ll be there for the month of June and really look forward to seeing my family. Jack, my grandson, will be turn seven at the end of June so we’re all going to Cedar Point for the weekend. Talk about living dangerously! Before I left I attended a fun gringo gathering Sunday at the Amazon Golf Course. Yes, there is such a place and it was quite pretty. For real adventure golfers, this is the place. For $25 you get a 9 hole course, 12 balls, clubs and a machete! And you can go around as many times as you’d like. There was food and drinks and good conversation. I can’t say it was a Memorial Day weekend BBQ as many of the attendants were British but Megan and I thought of as exactly that. And from what I saw on the Michigan weather forecast, I think it was hotter and more humid there and here! In fact, a torrid jungle rain came through about 3 and cooled everything down. Once it passed, Megan and I took a turn on the course with one of the investor-owners, Bill Grimes who’s from Indiana! He and his wife, Marmelada run a local watering hole in Iquitos called Dawn on the Amazon. Anyway, the course was really beautiful and they’ve even imported some kind of crazy short grass for the greens that grows well in the tropics. Check out www.amazongolfcourse.com</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I hope everyone enjoys the start of summer this weekend and I look forward to wearing only my shorts and flip-flops on this next visit to Michigan, just like here. It’s much easier to get the day started when the weather is always warm—Love it!!.</span>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-21259478973284130502012-04-28T21:10:00.002-05:002012-04-28T21:10:40.777-05:00High But Not Dry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oDFew2DBDfGy_ifOfbhqn4eS0IcQfQVeKCdcJjdah93Tk5VuNBNqwWfCkjoo6ryOTeZWc5qO8kt_2fCbjdpzQSBx_KRAJeyRduFQfPxi55KvjDbWUE7aGQ2oe5vlaV5OcRO6BnR22YM/s1600/chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oDFew2DBDfGy_ifOfbhqn4eS0IcQfQVeKCdcJjdah93Tk5VuNBNqwWfCkjoo6ryOTeZWc5qO8kt_2fCbjdpzQSBx_KRAJeyRduFQfPxi55KvjDbWUE7aGQ2oe5vlaV5OcRO6BnR22YM/s200/chickens.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the chickens took to higher ground</td></tr>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You may have been following the news
and know that the Amazon River has reached historic flood levels this year.
We've just finished delivering all the Adopt A School supplies for 2012. I
had a large group of volunteers here and things went well, despite the hardships most communities are experiencing. Fully 3/4 of the villages in our
program (about 45 or so out of 58) are completely flooded. We had to
change our system this year where instead of doing 58 separate deliveries, we
set up central delivery sites at the few villages not under water.
Communities were asked to come to us for pick-up as we used a floating
barge for a storeroom and delivery site. We didn't know what to expect
since not everyone has the appropriate boat or canoe to make the trip. Well, we
were overwhelmed with the response and thankfulness these folks showed.
Not only did the community leaders make their way but most of the
children did, too. Our normal policy is that we do not hand out a supply packet to any student who is not present--unless unforeseen
circumstances come up such as a health crisis or injury. This year we
decided that if at least the teacher and/or a community leader showed up with
the list of registered students we would simply hand them the number of packets they needed.
However, that was rarely necessary--except a few times as all the children
and parents came. What a great showing of commitment to
education! We have been reassured that what we’re doing is making a
difference in their lives, As we now move into the 20<sup>th</sup> year of
Adopt-A-School, we look forward to whatever challenge Mother Nature might throw
our way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ940bU96frDOlYuJDmKTQozqLBIsQfy923SYwTuHbrDfkWuNhHzaQC7AEtFCZn7ImkqJqkxSsibg32t_qHmil6L8V1pYZx0Kuzc9DzqBg0ranEX-P1caU3jCCkuEBLRaxY3ScL9LvtNY/s1600/blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ940bU96frDOlYuJDmKTQozqLBIsQfy923SYwTuHbrDfkWuNhHzaQC7AEtFCZn7ImkqJqkxSsibg32t_qHmil6L8V1pYZx0Kuzc9DzqBg0ranEX-P1caU3jCCkuEBLRaxY3ScL9LvtNY/s200/blog+3.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the Napo River</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoteLevel1CxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was great fun for me to see many
returning faces and friends who came back to volunteer again this year--and new
friendships have been formed along the way, as well. Our second group of volunteers arrived at the
end of week one deliveries. They handled mop-up deliveries then we next moved to community
service projects. This year we helped
rebuild a community playground, a new concrete water plant, and we did many fun
craft projects for the kids along with games, songs and dancing. One of our favorite songs which the
volunteers sang this year for the community was “Take Me Out To The
Ballgame”. I don’t know what they all
thought about that but we sang it as a group several times and I know we had a
blast!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTwjOFJT2XthqweQ016YnGx_ztBmiCr0gy0P9nM3_7epaNjEpYx4K1STmrrx7OUnPkRfoCHxETCj0v6t29nX4QBs8BqUR8ap522-Bc_v3-X3OJxOcGlWnWcaaCth0cNaIbIbM4LI8yUY/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTwjOFJT2XthqweQ016YnGx_ztBmiCr0gy0P9nM3_7epaNjEpYx4K1STmrrx7OUnPkRfoCHxETCj0v6t29nX4QBs8BqUR8ap522-Bc_v3-X3OJxOcGlWnWcaaCth0cNaIbIbM4LI8yUY/s200/blog+1.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynn with a student</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In total we welcomed 23 volunteers
recruited through the Detroit Zoo. One volunteer who came was my dear friend,
Lynn Cluskey from Brighton, Michigan. As you know, I don’t get much company
from home so it was a rare treat to have a good friend come for a visit. She arrived a few days before AAS started so
we had quality time to catch up with each other and enjoy the nuttiness of
Iquitos. Then we headed down river and
Lynn was quite concerned about mosquitoes and other unidentified flying objects but she was
quite the trooper and managed well even with cold showers 6 days in a row. It
was great fun to have her along and I hope she took home a souvenir of
memories she’ll never forget. Thank you to all Zoo volunteers, Pamela and Nancy,
CONAPAC and Explorama staff, guides, boat drivers and department of education
volunteers for making this year so much fun! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-40395774476423686362012-03-22T13:46:00.007-05:002012-03-22T14:10:01.500-05:00Pest Report II<img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; height: 150px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722797383320053362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LG7bUa6OezGYaJ_vnvjP831PRtDKOdoUFoWnkywqb81mph349sfpH9m5YUu9xrErjxEuyK-lupnOCom6JONYLBYbk50VCerVboP14PwoO8N5ar7Ub6i2PJvHvwTj5WyQ02iew0CarO8/s200/6891304803_9f638fd39b_b.jpg" /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Rats? Ants? Mosquitoes? Over the last few years I’ve written many times about the trials and tribulations of these various annoying pests. However, for whatever reason they have been quite out of sight for months. In fact, since I returned from the US in December, I’ve not seen a single ant in my apartment, even if I leave food out or dirty dishes in the sink. It’s like the whole village or army just picked up and moved away--very strange. And although a rat got trapped in my house overnight a few months ago and ate its way out through the screen, they too have been quite remote. And mosquitoes? Well, that's a given but truly they're much worse in Michigan. Does this mean I am now animal/pest-free? Well, no. My latest guest has been some giant frogs that seem to find their way in the house while the doors are open and then hide under my bed. A few weeks ago one was found flopping and hopping about and we (me and James in the middle of the night) finally persuaded him out the door after much confusion. Again last night we heard this weird sound and knew the frog was inside again but couldn’t find him. Back to sleep. Then awhile later, I heard all these bottles tipping about on the floor. In my kitchen I had several empty wine bottles for recycle waiting by the door. The frog had found his way there and like bowling pins they were toppling all over the ceramic floor and woke us up like an alarm. This time, we easily found him and sent him on his way. I guess we need to do an under-bed check now but I’d much prefer these huge frogs (or are they toads?) in the house than rats or ants any day! </span><div><div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The river is rising…and rising…and rising! Will it end soon? Not sure but based on Peruvian Navy maps and charts it’s shaping up to be a record year for high water season. Can there be any snow left in the Andes or a glacier? Yes, it’s rained for months here and that adds to the river levels so the combination is proving to be a complete reversal from last ye<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHL5sNwld_DNyPRWZHA7VM-y2eatKLJYbRWOJXe6QlV7AguRjSYcqHQXZFA8oNvvqUq4CIXKs5bNRvgKCyjP5zh9m4cCe4mDeIctHtQIw8wEQAF-yRrUupG7-jMks-OOKH9NRdOk88R4/s1600/blog+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; height: 150px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722797121541138466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHL5sNwld_DNyPRWZHA7VM-y2eatKLJYbRWOJXe6QlV7AguRjSYcqHQXZFA8oNvvqUq4CIXKs5bNRvgKCyjP5zh9m4cCe4mDeIctHtQIw8wEQAF-yRrUupG7-jMks-OOKH9NRdOk88R4/s200/blog+2.jpg" /></a>ar’s historic low water levels. Wow, do I feel like a yo-yo here. The good news is the weather has been very cool, fresh and breezy for months. Truly, you would never know you were 3º south of the equator here. But just like the US had a mild, almost snowless winter, we’ve hardly seen the sun for months. I love it! I just hope the cool weather now holds out for the Adopt-A-School deliveries which begin in just over three weeks. The photo above is at one of the lodges where they dug up the ornamental plants and moved them to higher ground. Next it will be the whole lodge. Adopt-A-School deliveries are going to be very interesting this year! </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Big news in Iquitos is there is a high-level security warning out by the US Embassy in Lima that Westerners (read Americans) are considered kidnapping and ransom targets here in Iquitos--seems pretty insane to me! For the first time, the Embassy actually sent a representative to meet with interested ex-pats. Yes, there are people who find their way here to hide out from something or escape from somewhere but not because they have lots of money. This would be Cayman Island stuff where there are hidden bank accounts and such. Or Columbia or even Lima but Iquitos? One of the grubbiest, most unattractive places you will find but it does have heart and that’s why we all seem to love it so. I have no doubt there are few, if any, wealthy Americans here worthy to be kidnapping targets in this part of Perú. None the less, I’ve been advised to alter my route to work (kind of tough to do) and not become to conspicuous or stand out from the locals (impossible to avoid) so I guess I just keep on being me and hope I don’t get run over by a motorcar or fall into an open hole in the street—frankly a much more likely possibility in my opinion.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Finally, once again all the wonderful people I’ve met over the years here in Perú have slowly been making their way back to Iquitos this winter—some folks migrate to Florida but others come to Perú and I’m glad they do. It’s starting to feel like regular fam<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnLHqZBEWq-cZD5cqak7-pKiQj1TmjyXjkDjzA5iAPJ_60bz7aGG1WAfKwLW_idXhO8nVTCTQK0fgMeUhpAg6NozI_cJXtD-YW7uQutbcmFPWhSxbpLkVG23DqQih6CS7Rs6fRrd6qNk/s1600/connor+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 165px; height: 200px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722796495595329298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnLHqZBEWq-cZD5cqak7-pKiQj1TmjyXjkDjzA5iAPJ_60bz7aGG1WAfKwLW_idXhO8nVTCTQK0fgMeUhpAg6NozI_cJXtD-YW7uQutbcmFPWhSxbpLkVG23DqQih6CS7Rs6fRrd6qNk/s200/connor+2.jpg" /></a>ily members passing through for the holidays. Thanks to Dave and Dottie Bonnet who always have a kind word for our work here AND bring me, Pam and Megan lots of fun gringo goodies in their luggage. Then Ron Rossi and his Sacred Heart student-volunteers are a wonderful addition to my life. La Doctora has been here since January keeping us all on our toes. My newest friend (pictured here) is Connor from Georgia. His grandmother, Pat Sullivan brought him down for his first visit to the Amazon. I have no doubt he’ll be back again! Soon Pachita will be here and all the AAS volunteers—old and new. Plus for almost a month James has been visiting from Perth. We’ve had a great time doing nothing—it’s really a gift, you know? We’re becoming quite talented at this (kind of like retirement) and look forward to more of the same as we travel around the world. Learning to enjoy the most basic daily routine, even in the middle of the rainforest, is a wonderful way to live one’s life. Learning to just BE is not easy but it has its rewards. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hasta el mayo mis amigos—gracias para tu interese en mis palabras del Perú!</span></div></div></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-250501283476481032012-02-06T13:37:00.007-06:002012-02-06T13:51:15.289-06:00Rain & Rats<div><div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Rain, rain and more rain here in the rainforest! Hmmmm, well I guess that’s the point but truly this has been a particularly well year so far. February has proven to continue with much rain over the weekend that poor Megan woke up to a flooded house today—what a way to start a Monday! Not too much damage but a hassle for sure and a mess to clean up. The river is unusually high for this time of year but I have to say so much prettier. You <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r00Vni986OfKgB2S-GOt3dLV0LAofY9FV2UKE9mZOjhwbOzj-F4KEP5aygHKyC5OZAuRrgE1RvHjbCRtFuNJX1MRpEluyhvwjy72L6qtwZDnSEWmFLw7GVkeT8KYtitVC2rud69y9ok/s1600/blog+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; height: 150px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706112396299630738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r00Vni986OfKgB2S-GOt3dLV0LAofY9FV2UKE9mZOjhwbOzj-F4KEP5aygHKyC5OZAuRrgE1RvHjbCRtFuNJX1MRpEluyhvwjy72L6qtwZDnSEWmFLw7GVkeT8KYtitVC2rud69y9ok/s200/blog+1.jpg" /></a>see less debris on the shoreline and fewer sandbars. However, high water, so early in the season, has been a hardship for communities who normally plant rice in the fall and harvest it six months later. This is done on the sandbars which form when the water goes to its lowest level. Unfortunately, with the river rising prematurely this year, rice crops have been lost and/or the growing season cut short. Last year, the river was too low in the winter and villagers had a hard time getting into the city due to dried up streams which lead to the main river--quite a long way to carry a canoe. This year they can get to the markets in Iquitos but they don’t have much to sell. Ah, Mother Nature! </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Rats, unfortunately, don’t drown when the water comes up but instead seek higher ground like homes and lodges. I wonder why God didn’t make it so that rats couldn’t swim--wouldn’t that have been sweet justice and kept down overpopulation? But I digress—anyway, rats have been showing up more in the lodges and areas where normally they’re not found. I recently lost a piece of the temple for my glasses due to a rat. I’d left my glasses on the night stand while staying at the Lodge and in the morning the whole end was clipped neatly off—like someone took a pair of pliers to them. There’s enough remaining to hold onto the side of my head but just! I will have that temple replaced later this year when I’m in Michigan—thanks Heidi and Mark! They love to come in and chew up things to make nests and trim their teeth. Nothing can be left out overnight or they move right in. More toads have turned up, too, as they’ve been flushed out in the city by all the rain. However, for some reason they just don’t seem as scary and spooky as rats are but instead a delight when they come hopping into my house. :)</div><div><br />Things are heating up at CONAPAC as Adopt-A-School starts in two short months. Our first full year managing the new library is underway and we’re excited about all the possibilities. This year, we’ve found donors to support two students from our AAS and Library program<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmBP9IWgxIBfSGltTrSQNTzlQWMum7e1K6VIjuKGLSua6m9oyxrgsLoKcSxGFio-LC2xTgumwb72xtwxpmhPFamPgAqr-Di9ID4aH_WrNmMyyNvvnPZl3_lkfmfA95uVF_XnIly5kYJA/s1600/blog+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 227px; height: 152px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706111769816958898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmBP9IWgxIBfSGltTrSQNTzlQWMum7e1K6VIjuKGLSua6m9oyxrgsLoKcSxGFio-LC2xTgumwb72xtwxpmhPFamPgAqr-Di9ID4aH_WrNmMyyNvvnPZl3_lkfmfA95uVF_XnIly5kYJA/s200/blog+3.jpg" /></a> to attend university level classes in Iquitos. This is a three-year commitment from the donor, the student and the parents who will need to provide support for living expenses. We’ve hired a new full time staff member to run our water program and this year we’ll build six more water plants. The University of Colorado students will be back to do their yearly audit in July after which one of the student will stay behind as an intern for 3-4 months. This year we’re developing a pilot project to make the training, testing and monitoring of our water plants more sustainable. We will teach and pay locals on the ground to learn how to be water techs and make regular visits for on-going support to communities who have water treatment facilities. We have lots of service projects lined up for the summer for visiting Explorama guests and in the fall, the annual spelling bee, evaluations and Christmas concert with be held. For me, I’ll be traveling more. Although I’ve signed a new 3-year contract with CONAPAC, I’ll be taking more time off to visit family and seeing the world with James. Yes, I’m going to have a very mobile/global office!</div></span><div> </div></div></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-65008768946985050462011-12-16T11:14:00.003-06:002011-12-16T11:25:57.790-06:00Swanning Along...<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, I find myself back in Peru after my Aussie-American vacation this the fall. Although I’m glad to be back it’s been a tough landing. I have to admit, I was getting used the various conveniences and indulges that are the “West” but all good things must come to an end. Iquitos hasn’t changed much. A few new stores opened, a few closed, the sewer project continues to vex everyone, the weather is great, the beer is cold, wish you were here!!<br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Things at CONAPAC “swanned” along beautifully while I was gone—not sure they need me but don’t say that to my boss, Pamela. She’d faint with fear of my leaving. But it do<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2fM2Jh3fWho1-y-6jwUnnXbkFWlg5kJK7td5g61ymQ4_DqpUy5pso-j1pWg2yrbiWGhVTvLnajCJ4zakZSjBK_bUUHRsmI4tmzstsoSCz3msQ_JoWhk4ddB3oS5Ne_ziXzp8KRTACmU/s1600/blog+foto+1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686776755938065474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2fM2Jh3fWho1-y-6jwUnnXbkFWlg5kJK7td5g61ymQ4_DqpUy5pso-j1pWg2yrbiWGhVTvLnajCJ4zakZSjBK_bUUHRsmI4tmzstsoSCz3msQ_JoWhk4ddB3oS5Ne_ziXzp8KRTACmU/s200/blog+foto+1.jpg" /></a>es pay to work with committed professionals who have a passion and love for the rainforest and the Peruvian culture. In my absence, four new water plants were built followed by four water education workshops in the communities. This year we completed seven new water plants and our pilot project in one community to provide individual mini-clean water systems in river houses. Along with Adopt-A-School, the Las Malvinas garden project, teacher and communities workshops and evaluations, 16 tourist/community service projects and the incorporation of the Amazon Jungle Library, it’s been a particularly busy year. While I was in the States, I met donors and wrote a number of grant requests. Folks continue to be very supportive and generous of our programs and 2012 is shaping up to be another positive and productive year. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><div>Christmas will be spent around town. I’ll be doing quite a bit of cooking and a bit of entertaining. My American friends, Pamela and Megan, who live here, will be part of this along with a number of Peruvians who never miss a party. With the weather so hot it’s not much like a Michigan Christmas. It feels silly when I play Christmas music so generally I don’t. The kids certainly get into it here, like all kids, and it’s fun to watch them be thrilled over the cheapest little trinket as their needs and expectations are so small. Christmas Eve around midnight brings everyone out into the streets and the plaza square downtown. There is more of a carnival feel to it than a sacred season but the next day, everyone seems to be more low-keyed and the streets are quiet. I look forward to Christmas coming then going. I always like the New Year. It makes for fresh starts and a feeling of accomplishment for the current year and hope and enthusiasm for the next. </div><br /><div>My guy, James will be here for the month of March then in April, I’m anticipating one, possibly two friends from Brighton to join the Adopt-A-School volunteer expedition for 2012. They’ll come a few days before we head to the jungle and stay at my place. As you can imagine I don’t get too much company so it’s a thrill to have “out of town” guests! After that I head back to Michigan for June and beyond some special travel is being planned for me and James. It’s going to be a very good year. Live well, love deeply, sing loudly and enjoy your life! Best wishes in 2012 and beyond! </span></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-87446008866019413712011-11-19T23:03:00.005-06:002011-11-19T23:34:30.997-06:00Hello & Goodbye--Again!<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJcUH7Zn__KuZSajNxBzmSn7iWUWRq_HrwXF5S8Svj2GHikuekXDBBNbajxvMD15yUI8YimAZD5jWwn_ZeCaANLIgD2M11WYP_rBn2JJMmwpZ_Xs0hVDOIMQNuY5-odAq19wcxYWy6sE/s200/me+and+jack.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676941938792797666" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It’s been almost 3 ½ months since I left my home in Iquitos, Perú to make this long-awaited trip back to “civilization”. It’s been a particularly good visit, both here in the States and on my stopover to Australia along the way. I’m seen o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ld friends and lots of family, as well as, visited many sights while being a tourist here and in Oz. As expected, I’ve gained a few pounds as the food is just sooooo good! And I’ve done a bit of shopping, finding those simple, everyday items which are impossible in the jungle to obtain. Overall, I’ve slipped back into my Western way of life with little effort. However, no matter how long I’m here, I doubt I will ever get used to all the incredible levels of choice one finds in the stores—particularly the grocery store. I find it overwhelming, to the say the least. On the other hand, so frustrating as the opposite is true in Perú where there is very little choice. Somewhere there has to be a happy medium but thus far I’ve not found it. I did again stock up on Thanksgiving fixings. Although I’ll be in Michigan for Turkey Day and eating at my Dad’s house—YUMMY!—I’ll be back for Christmas in Iquitos and I’ll make a turkey dinner at Pam’s house in her new stove—yeah! And once again, pumpkin pie will be on the menu ☺</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Tonight I was scrolling through the endless channel choices on my friend's big, flat screen HDTV where I came across the Discovery Channel. They were showing the program “Walking the Amazon” with explorer Ed Stafford, the first man to walk along the Amazon River--from its beginnings in the Andes of Perú to the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil--in 860 days. What a trek!! It was fascinating but what it really did for me was made me homesick and long to be in the jungle that I love. Although it’s a harsh and unforgiving place, I have the luxury of living and working near it enough to thoroughly enjoy it but at a safer, more observant distance. However you look at it, it’s the most fascinating and fragile of places. I’m so glad I live in Perú, where much less primary rainforest has been cut, unlike Brazil where the destruction seems endless. There is only one Amazon rainforest—let’s hang on to this precious environmental treasure, shall we?<br /><br />So the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, I’m off again for Perú. I’ve done some public speaking while here and met with donors. I’ve also kept in close cont<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuUB_1u7WpogmULTkZ0MBFTOVnW8K_XORcEU_r9Q4QqM9BOheqnWpzJBl0_Uulg29UDhmU72PCSifE2dab8_9xg_BEwhwMKWaodOgegtnKafVovG7Y8a-iygnpnxXfrbWytC-po48zNI/s200/butterfly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676942018966093490" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 200px; " />act with the staff at CONAPAC and written funding requests and letters of introduction about our NG</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">O in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">the Amazon. Whether here or in Perú, the work continues. I consider this now the next chapter of my journey in my new and different </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">life. The last three years have been about learning the job, the culture and the language. I’</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ve come a long way but there is much yet to learn and more to accomplish. I’ll be working with CONAPAC for the foreseeable future as I’m eager to continue the work I’ve started. I plan to continue my blog and keep the conversation going about the happenings in the rainforest. To all my readers and followers--whoever you may be--thanks for coming along on this wide and wonderful ride!</span><div><div><br /></div></div></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-16586286900795617922011-07-31T11:07:00.009-05:002011-07-31T11:30:06.562-05:00<div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635551588446969362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nd3iG6x0HUmJCYqSOmrWPvICd52XlhssRch4OukfhNbZjowqzBizePkW_aOlQgWrRJby429Y3yufdc-X14DunOQskKu4dqEP85NWM7ug-0nzBZ4X2cU_SyrFiROo2yJIR_TuNn-2gbM/s200/blog+1.jpg" /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The jungle continues its stately ebb and flow with few variations on a theme. Unlike North America, which just six short months ago was suffering from a historic deep freeze, has now recently suffered a debilitating heat wave! I always found that a wee bit schizophrenic and constantly needed to know what to wear each day--but here things are just the same most days. The river is quickly receding and it takes longer to climb up steps and hills in order to arrive at communities but residents carrying on--whether in flood stage or dry season, they roll with it all!<br /><br />June found me very busy with service projects and other donor groups. As I had mentioned earlier, we have a donor out of Denver who funded a pilot project to install individual water systems in jungle homes. This was accomplished in April and the donor arrived in June to see the results. We had a great visit, the feedback from residents was very positive, and our donor shows strong signs of continuing his help with more mini-water treatment systems<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCslBFGo0Het7p2dbnLsXNB-QKIwyL_lBeLvejqewKM6q-J9d8Vh7YFwaLtVhTPqIYF_lfSLNIA9EBU0H0nvDzhAIx_L6FOl2xBcjKXPTUqOBtX2BIfHqeLab-suH3hIegwqntxdsHaI/s1600/IMG_3167+blog+water.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635552277611548066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCslBFGo0Het7p2dbnLsXNB-QKIwyL_lBeLvejqewKM6q-J9d8Vh7YFwaLtVhTPqIYF_lfSLNIA9EBU0H0nvDzhAIx_L6FOl2xBcjKXPTUqOBtX2BIfHqeLab-suH3hIegwqntxdsHaI/s200/IMG_3167+blog+water.jpg" /></a>. We are considering the idea of installing them in classrooms, especially for smaller communities where there is no clean water system. When I’m in Denver this fall, I’ll be speaking to my donor’s church congregation with more details. This should be fun and the best part of my job—when I get to talk!! CONAPAC also hosted the annual water project review where a third party comes in and evaluates our systems. Our partnership with the University of Colorado, Boulder, has proven to be invaluable in accessing the effectiveness of our water program. Four grad students and their professor were here for a month making many visits to our communities and executing in-depth interviews with the residents. We are eagerly awaiting their final and full report sometime in August but preliminarily, we have been encouraged by the anecdotal observations which the team made before departing. However, as always, we still look forward to more suggestions for improvement!<br /><br />July brought changes as CONAPAC took over the CCC Amazon Library, adding one more major project to the CONAPAC family. Started 13 years ago by Dr Nancy Dunn, the library boasts over 4,000 titles, computers, music programs, and after school instruction. There is a second branch in a community down river about 30 minutes so things are growing and we hope to add more branches soon. Dr. Dunn decided it was time to move on in her life so she gave CONAPAC the library as a gift and we have now taken full responsibility to keep it running. Megan Thomas, a former Peace Corps volunteer, who also originates from Mi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFHWFy947K-gh23mG_J8ECTDd7c0pSzW0-5u2SwPhMW1rSoUc2H-qdhvetOUNmbT4UXkaBY0ly6PrJRFjXYJe2c-6TqeeV_qk8g-JuTYC-ne63YpaVhZcLs2meuhYLX7C3zjyG5qa_2s/s1600/IMG_3451+blog+rotary.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635552780684530914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFHWFy947K-gh23mG_J8ECTDd7c0pSzW0-5u2SwPhMW1rSoUc2H-qdhvetOUNmbT4UXkaBY0ly6PrJRFjXYJe2c-6TqeeV_qk8g-JuTYC-ne63YpaVhZcLs2meuhYLX7C3zjyG5qa_2s/s200/IMG_3451+blog+rotary.jpg" /></a>chigan, has taken the reins and the transition is complete. In July we hosted our first Rotary water workshop. CONAPAC’s reputation for education has spread and although Rotary International does a great job building water treatment plants, they don’t have an education piece. We were hired to facilitate the first one in the jungle. It went very well and we expect to be doing more very soon. Also, in July I had the honor of a visit from one of our most committed water project donors—Janice Lee, who is the Director of the SAGA Charitable Trust from the UK. Janice’s organization has consistently funded more water projects for CONAPAC than any other entity. She was here 2 ½ year ago and thought it was time to return and see the work we are doing. She and I made several community visits and we both had a chance to really chat with folks and hear their feedback about the value of drinking clean water. Overall, a very positive and productive visit! And finally, the 28th of July was the 190th year of independence for Peru from Spain and Inauguration Day for a new president, Ollanta Humala. Peru continues to show strong economic growth and the citizens expect no less from their new president. Folks out there in the West, it’s a great time to visit Peru. If it’s not on our radar screen, it should be! And, as always, if you want a highly personalized, behind the scenes visit to the jungle and jungle communities, I’m here to be your guide!!<br /><br />In Iquitos, the truly crazy process of installing a city-wide waste disposal treatment system continues. I suppose there’s some method to their madness but thus far I’ve not figured it out. Streets seem to be closed a random, but barely. Gaping holes are left for days; piles of sand and dirt are in a crazy patch work of locations; the workers make huge cement pip<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUfkew3TWKsp2fuC5VdoutT-oDreZnvEZ4A2LkjdO-Gc2tFgSHTT6BIHw4ETxD8crmkFftEZzJllMnY_krRHiyf9b7jpDVp_cJI6iFVJEG6skTKOEPRcwIBKbTAVdFU3kFxBnKqBx4hY/s1600/IMG_3461+blog+sreet.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635552943687827938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUfkew3TWKsp2fuC5VdoutT-oDreZnvEZ4A2LkjdO-Gc2tFgSHTT6BIHw4ETxD8crmkFftEZzJllMnY_krRHiyf9b7jpDVp_cJI6iFVJEG6skTKOEPRcwIBKbTAVdFU3kFxBnKqBx4hY/s200/IMG_3461+blog+sreet.jpg" /></a>e transitions right in the street where they’re working; then bulldozers and backhoes freely go to work around motorcars, buses, trucks, cars and pedestrians—all of which have to jockey for an opening in which to cross the street or continue on. Western attorneys would have a field day with these non-safety minded workers and their bosses. However, somehow in Iquitos it all works as do so many other seemingly incongruent activities of everyday life. Hmmm—solution? Well, when in doubt, a cold beer!<br /><br />So, this current phase of my time in Peru is quickly coming to a close. In a little over three weeks, I'll be on my way to Sydney, Perth and Cairns, Australia followed by my return to the US, mainly Michigan and Colorado. My time in Peru has been priceless and I have <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIT2yNQciJddkjOZyjDzmlMTMt82fagv8oFwFYYa7OyL98mzGr9Y_YIUwWT_ATwOEgvHxEjLEd2fTxQ-wdXn_iXQJmkF0YnYmPKovEECTOsPANwzGdm0zV2Qtust11YsEUpwDwTIp0YM/s1600/IMG_3178+blog.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635553142574069298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIT2yNQciJddkjOZyjDzmlMTMt82fagv8oFwFYYa7OyL98mzGr9Y_YIUwWT_ATwOEgvHxEjLEd2fTxQ-wdXn_iXQJmkF0YnYmPKovEECTOsPANwzGdm0zV2Qtust11YsEUpwDwTIp0YM/s200/IMG_3178+blog.jpg" /></a>no regrets about the various choices I've made and the time spent in this beautiful land. Since I'll be returning here in December to continue the work I stated three years ago, I'm not leaving on any kind of bittersweet note. This is pleasing and I'm thrilled to know I'll be home again soon—namely Iquitos, Peru! But it's now time to re-connect with my family--especially Erin, Samantha and Jack--and my incredibly supportive network of friends. It's amazing how small the world really is. Email, Facebook and Skype have made my time away seem more like a trip across the country than to another hemisphere. And then there's James in Australia who has been patiently waiting five months for us to see each other again! Without technology this long distance relationship would be unlikely but with it the world is a smaller place and I'm taking full advantage of its many little joys. So watch for my postings on FB--once the TSA lets me back in the US of A--and let's make some dates to get together. I look forward to seeing each of you very soon!</span></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425815533867814995.post-18161930841064145502011-06-08T13:26:00.003-05:002011-06-08T13:34:49.953-05:00A Season of Changes<div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For those of you who have followed my blog since I started it in November of 2008—first, thank you so much for your support!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But second, do you remember why I started this blog?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was heading to a posting in the Peace Corps, somewhere in Africa, but then got detoured here in Perú--and what a blessing it’s been! You may also recall that this was a 27 month commitment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well, unbelievably, the commitment will be completed at the end of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_0s-igR_hpxKEG2RIbhxzHESt0NH8hyphenhyphenTOkJSZ10ZVWIs8GXLGwcM0mV_-Eus77pHpmiZCOKJjM2SnDkerPjwWMHc94WupsIm3a0XfgYpVWqYaTV9HrbW6aIJN4Z9k3P9sVghR0I9g2w/s1600/blog+1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 151px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615918197678708786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_0s-igR_hpxKEG2RIbhxzHESt0NH8hyphenhyphenTOkJSZ10ZVWIs8GXLGwcM0mV_-Eus77pHpmiZCOKJjM2SnDkerPjwWMHc94WupsIm3a0XfgYpVWqYaTV9HrbW6aIJN4Z9k3P9sVghR0I9g2w/s200/blog+1.jpg" /></a>this month. It’s flown by for me and now I’m at a crossroads—what to do next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well, once again I’m blessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve heard stories of many PC volunteers, who at the end of their commitment are simply not ready to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But, alas, they have no choice as they must move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well, I can tell you that I’m not ready to leave here yet either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I feel like I’m just now coming into my own with all the programs which we’ve managing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Also, the language barrier (which is still there but much improved) has slowed me down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, more and more I can conduct meetings and get things done in Spanish plus write and read items which come across my desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I love the climate, the lifestyle, the people, the music, the jungle, the beer—ah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How can I leave just yet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well, I’m not as I’ve signed on for another year and told my boss I’ll take it a year at a time but with more time off to travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So, before things start for 2012, I will be coming back to the States for a three month visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I do hope to see as many of you as possible when I’m in Michigan from September through November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But if not, remember Iquitos is not that far away, my home is open, my couch is free, my beer is cold and the Amazon Rainforest of Perú beckons!</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In my time here, I’ve gotten accustomed to the sort of insanity that is Iquitos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I no longer look at it will fresh eyes and I take the strangest sights as just another day here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sometimes I think nothing really changes but in the last three years, I think a lot has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are more “regular” stores and restaurants with more to come (this is a little difficult to explain but if you ever come here you’ll understand the remark).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Internet connection here keeps getting better although by Western standards is more like dial up—but I’m thankful for any connection at all. However, I still see plenty of naked locals walking down the street, kids doing their business in the nearest gutter, live pigs and chickens being carried around for sale and motorcars bearing the weight and size of unimaginable loads of cargo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The latest, and maybe most exciting thing going on here is the whole city of Iquitos and surrounding suburbs are getting sewers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That’s right, every single home and business is going to be hook<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnKSibAJ-mPB0e7FABvriWAt6B9TdFiP9gmK63w15-O9WH7ZewOUwalB5CA7ItLoal2hplJN8gaLfJmnxONlV_TcErijrveRbdTacLgPd7jqo5sW49WlKqPqoFYRUYM0_VZl2uGhYvgY/s1600/blog+2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615918201165510610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnKSibAJ-mPB0e7FABvriWAt6B9TdFiP9gmK63w15-O9WH7ZewOUwalB5CA7ItLoal2hplJN8gaLfJmnxONlV_TcErijrveRbdTacLgPd7jqo5sW49WlKqPqoFYRUYM0_VZl2uGhYvgY/s200/blog+2.jpg" /></a>ed up to a waste disposal treatment plant which will be built in the Port of Nanay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So, now every street---most of which are paved—is being dug up and sewer lines laid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How long this will all take is anyone’s guess and it makes for some very tricky detours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But in the end, Iquitos will finally step into the 21<sup>st</sup> Century and no longer be dumping its waste into the Amazon River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Do you realize how many small towns and large cities around the world still dump all their raw sewage directly into nearby lakes, streams and oceans?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The majority!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This will be a real feather in the cap of Iquitos, smack in the middle of the rainforest to finally become a bit more “environmentally correct”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A group of Chinese investors are making this possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not sure what their motivation is but hopefully it’s win-win for all. As for Belen and other floating houses on the river—well that’s a story for another day, as my photo shows! </span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, Peru has a new president—Señor Ollanta Humala.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s been a neck and neck race and in the end, a very close call with his competitor, Kieko Fujimori.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Humala has ties to Hugo Chavez from Venezuela and he’s an ex-military guy who leans quite far left with lots of populist promises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He’s not the choice of anyone with a business or major investments in Perú.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The day after the elections the Peruvian stock market dropped 12.5%....h<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4gh0A1Q2s2QS_XVLs74KjJX3ERhk8higIMvZ-q9RszjydFmp8eXhNnO4FwIGaN89vl2T1P_BNo4CNgS02Utv6j5lj6OSjvrXOwG3XG3DIkCG1FL-dpettPN2VfN8Sqsmjm0uikCj0v8/s1600/large-state-peru-flag.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 136px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615918208719142946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4gh0A1Q2s2QS_XVLs74KjJX3ERhk8higIMvZ-q9RszjydFmp8eXhNnO4FwIGaN89vl2T1P_BNo4CNgS02Utv6j5lj6OSjvrXOwG3XG3DIkCG1FL-dpettPN2VfN8Sqsmjm0uikCj0v8/s200/large-state-peru-flag.jpg" /></a>mmm…we shall see!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But the good thing is the whole process was done in a very democratic way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Everyone votes (it’s mandatory) so everyone has their say. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>The campaign was run over the last few months with political ads and marches—all very peacefully—and in the end, the vote outcome was accepted, the peaceful transfer of power will take place later this summer, and life will go on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m very proud to see Perú continue forward into the future with as little fuss and muss as possible, using solid democratic principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m happy to be here during this process—seeing the people of this emerging nation handle themselves in such a mature and thoughtful way is a rare opportunity.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><span style="font-family:Calibri;"></span></o:p></p></div></div></div>Sintiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796667757229204302noreply@blogger.com1