2011~Ring It In...Bring It On!

Another year working for CONAPAC and living in Perú has come and gone. In February it will be three years since I first arrived and thought I might volunteer for a few months. Now it's my life and so it seems, my life's work. Keeping Adopt-A-School on track and building more clean water systems seems to have taken on a life its own. Much was accomplished last year and our donors continue to generously respond. As I see what's on the horizon of 2011, I'm already tired--but a day at a time, right? :) December was a great month. The first part of it I spent in the jungle doing student and teacher evaluations. As expected it's a mixed bag of results—some schools are just awesome and some barely function. But there's always hope and our team continues to search for new ideas and refinements of what works. The water plants are doing well and we continue to encourage communities to make the care and maintenance of the systems a top priority. This year we plan to build eight more—little by little, our goal of providing access to clean water for all our AAS communities will be a reality.

The end of December brought my daughter, Samantha, here for an eight day visit! She had been here in June of 2009 so this was a nice follow up visit. We had no particular plans but quickly filled the time with conversation, Christmas activities, excursions and a short visit to the jungle. Lots of tears were shed when she left town as she was not yet ready to leave her “mumzie” however, some good news awaited her. Out of Lima, her plane was late leaving the country by two hours thus she missed her connection in Newark back to Denver. This was when the great Christmas snow storm was just sorting itself out. She could not get a flight out until the next day plus she needed to get to La Guardia where her connection would be made. She knows no one in the area and had never been to New York City. Using her SmartPhone and Facebook, she put out the word and found someone who offered her an apartment in Manhattan for the night. Then she learned that her best friend and college roommate, Christina, (who lives in Cleveland) was going to be in the city for the night on business! They connected later in the day and hung out, caught up on news and generally enjoyed the unexpected visit together. To top all this off, when she got to the airport the next day, she found that the airline had bumped her up to first class! What a treat and an unexpected bonus—although I told her not to get used to it! She couldn't have written a better script for a nice way to end her vacation. She was able to make it home in time to get to work—she tends bar in downtown Denver and certainly New Year's Eve is the best night of the year for tips so it all turned out great. Thanks to social networking and a PMA, she rang in the New Year in a most delightful way! :)

While Samantha was here we checked out a really interesting NGO working in Iquitos. It's called AmazonCares. They pick up street dogs and bring them back to health. Stray street dogs with mange, injuries and severe illnesses run rampant here. Sterilization is almost unheard of and puppies are regularly turned out to fend for themselves. Internationally recognized AmazonCares, brings in vet volunteers to help with the process of neutering dogs and accessing care. Sam and I visited the remote shelter site where about 35-40 dogs are cared for and brought back to health while looking for a new home. Interestingly, here in the Iquitos, the stray dogs are as laid back as the people. They run in packs and sometimes fight among themselves but I've never felt threatened or uncomfortable around any of them. Many of the dogs at the shelter—all which are mutts of some kind—were so nice! I'm not much of a dog person but I could see they were just starving for a little love and attention now that they're regularly fed and cared for. Sam and I went in the common area with about 15 dogs at once. They were all over us but surprisingly well-behaved for street dogs. There are many needs here in Iquitos, human and animal. CONAPAC is looking for ways to assist AmazonCares in what its trying to accomplish. For more info check out: www.amazoncares.org

Thanks to everyone out there who continue to follow my blog posts. It's fun to do but sometimes I think I'm only doing it for myself--but when someone leaves a comment, I know I'm connecting somewhere! As I posted on Facebook, if 2011 is even the slightest bit better than 2010, my cup will not only run over but it will threaten to flood the floor! Thank you, life, for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me and know that I do not take any of them for granted—each day is a gift that I wake up to with joy, enthusiasm and acceptance. I wish nothing less for each and every one of my readers. Embrace 2011 for what it is—another year in your glorious life!

Post TG Review

How could my Thanksgiving dinner have been any better? Despite the lack of a pumpkin pie, I still wouldn’t change a thing! The day was perfect. All week it had been insufferably hot and sunny but on Thursday, I woke up to clouds, cool temps and a nice breeze. This held all day and into the night never getting over 78 degrees--which is quite unheard of this time of year. I had to have the turkey in the oven all day and was dreading the added heat but it turned out to be a non-issue. Everything on the menu came out as planned and timed just right. I had to use three different ovens in other apartments to cook everything at once but that all worked great. My guests arrived, the wine flowed and everyone has second portions on the food—which is always the best thing that can happen to any cook! So for all my friends and fellow travelers who made this happen, thank you so much! Know that I was thinking and thanking those, who through their extra effort, brought all the necessary parts which allowed me to create a truly American Thanksgiving dinner in Iquitos, Perú! Notice my photo—as I was opening the turkey to rinse and find the gizzards, I pulled out the neck and as you can see the head as still attached, followed by the two feet. Man, they don’t waste anything here, do they? Well, I kept the gizzards for my gravy but decided my Peruvian neighbors would know better than me what to do with the head and feet. I’m sure a good turkey soup was enjoyed by the whole family thus Thanksgiving was spread a little further around the neighborhood.

I mentioned in my last blog that I had an Aussie here as a guest and that I would tell you more about him later. Back in August I was out at one of the lodges working on some CONAPAC projects. It was evening and I was alone reading a book. A large group of Australians came in and one of the men came over to ask me if I would like to join them for happy hour. I declined but did join them for dinner and chatted with this gentleman that night and the next day he was here. Well to make a very long story short, he returned from Perth for a two week visit in order that we might get better acquainted. I will tell you that we had a great time together, and I expect to be seeing him again very soon as he's planned a return trip in February. And who knows, a visit to the Land of Oz (once again) might be in my future. Stay tuned! :)

As a final note to my Thanksgiving dinner, my boss Pamela was there and absolutely delighted with the results. As my fellow American, who has now lived here for 25 years and does not cook, she has never made a traditional TG or Christmas dinner. After my successful dinner Thursday she has asked me to do it again for her and her family for Christmas this year. Of course, I readily agreed but was reminded of my good friend, Tony Sincic’s advice—if you are competent people ask you do things—and often too many things. If you’re not, no one ever bothers to ask you to do anything--so be careful what you want to reveal about yourself. I guess despite trying to unwind my commitments and live a bit more in the moment by choosing the jungle as my home, I still find myself committed. But no worries, Samantha will be here and my new friend, Megan from Freemont, Michigan, as well. Pam will almost have her house outnumbered with Americans to Peruvians for the first time! And the best thing of all is Samantha will bring me my pumpkin and we’ll have two big pies to make up for the lack of one at Thanksgiving. Once again, things work out and I continue to receive abundant and overwhelming blessings in all areas of my life. :)

Life Is Good--Part II

Many of you are my friends on Facebook so you might hear me repeat my stories--sorry for any redundancy. October was a busy month here despite the heat of summer and what should be the “off season” for both Explorama and CONAPAC. We hosted several large groups flying in to the Amazon as their first stop for an around the world tour. I’m not sure if this is the place to start or end a big trip but we’re glad to be included in their itinerary of exotic places. Many of you may know “The Lonely Planet”? It’s an organization that reviews and ranks hotels, restaurants and travel attractions around the world. Check out this link and see which top 10 cities for 2011 were included in their list, particularly number six! http://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru/amazon-basin/iquitos/travel-tips-and-articles/76165

As Thanksgiving inches closer, I am eager for my guests to arrive. I now have 8 committed with a possible 9th, depending on boat schedules. My cans of Libby pumpkin, which my friends were bringing from Colorado, were confiscated by the TSA! My friends were not doing checked luggage so the cans had to bring it as carry on. How insane does this get? I know there’s a shortage of Libby pumpkin and, in fact, some people are buying and hoarding it then selling it on-line for inflated prices. Maybe the TSA guy needed to take some home to the wife? Hey, where does all that stuff go that gets confiscated? There must be a mountain of it things from all over the world which has been left behind—might make for a fun news story?! Well, I guess it will be apple and pecan pie this year.

I know elections just ended in the States. My CNN cable connection has been out since last week so I was able to avoid the hoop-la. Whoever won, what goes up must come down and so forth! Last month they had country-wide elections here although for everything except the presidency. The time leading up to the election was just as nutty as in the States (and annoying) but I doubt anywhere near as much money was spent. It’s interesting to me how Americans are always complaining about the economy, jobs, etc. but somehow millions of dollars still got raised for these elections. Well, I suppose some folks had jobs in the process. Anyway, two interesting things about elections here: One, you HAVE to vote as it’s mandatory. If you don’t, you get fined and if you can’t (because you have to work and can’t get to the city) your employer has to pay the fine; and two, voting is held on Sunday from 8 AM- 4 PM. From Friday at noon until Monday morning there are no alcohol sales, even bars and restaurants. I didn’t know this until I was trying to buy some beer on Saturday afternoon. Really, they should have exceptions for gringos who can’t vote anyway! Iquitos was a very different place that weekend—so serious, quiet, and dry—including me! The lines to the voting booths on Sunday were quite long but it was an event with people outside selling food, beverages and entertainment for the kids. It had been a very, very hot month but that particular day it was cloudy so as folks waited in line, it wasn’t quite so unbearable. So what do you think? Mandatory voting for the USA—it’s mandatory in Australia—Just a thought! (A photo of a future Peruvian voter, Charles)

I got to Lima last month for a few days with friends. Lima’s not my favorite place but it was a change of scenery. We went to a couple of nice attractions around the city and enjoyed some good food. We got to a mall which normally wouldn’t do much for me but it was refreshing to be in a place more like what I’d be familiar with in the US. The stores may be Peruvian but the idea is virtually the same—even the “Sodimac” store we shopped at which is like Home Depot! There’s nothing like this in Iquitos. The best was the grocery store where I found several more varieties of cereal including Honey Bunches of Oats and Banana Nut Crunch. I brought home four boxes on my carry-on. What a treat but it was quickly gone and I’m back to my one choice in Iqutios, when I can get it. Not only has the low river slowed down beer deliveries it’s also impacted cereal which all comes from Lima. Well, if I just liked rice more I’d never have a problem finding food as there’s always plenty of that!!

I was thinking about why I love my job so much? It’s not the work, per se, but the variety. One day I’m doing mindless paperwork or packing school supplies, then another day meeting interesting people and learning new things. Last month had me helping with the private jet tour, meeting great people from all over the US; restocking and buying new things for the gift shops; writing reports and requesting money for our budget funding; helping with a baby turtle release on the Sucarsi river and watching baby turtles hatch at Las Malvinas school; meeting with grad students from the US who are doing a study on NGO’s around the world; planning for visits by more volunteers in December with their unique requests; meeting Jack Hannah and assisting with his film crew at Monkey Island; assisting an injured 71 year old passenger who broke her arm in at the Ceiba Tops and needed help for two days at the local hospital until she could return home; and much more which somehow quickly fills the days. Who has time for CNN?! How I got here and how long I’ll stay remain mysteries but I’m full of peace and joy that these opportunities have come my way and I never take them for granted!

Final best news of all--Samantha, my younger daughter is coming here for Christmas this year! I have spent the last two here alone and although my Peruvian friends have kindly attempted to fill the void, there’s nothing like family to be at your side. Each day is a gift and I open it with eager anticipation and appreciation.

Low, Dry, Hot & Humid!

Wow! September is almost over and I’ve yet to write a blog post. Some of you have commented on this so here goes! It’s been a particularly hot and dry September in Iquitos--Day after day of sun, a few clouds, and virtually no rain. They say there are no real seasons here, only high water and low water season, but I beg to differ. The river is at historic lows creating problems for everyone as cargo is nearly impossible to get into port and when it does, everything takes that much longer to unload and be staged for delivery. Nearly everything that comes into Iquitos is still carried off the boats on the backs of young, and not so young, men. Sand bars are everywhere making boat navigation trickier than usual with big and small boats, houses, swimmers and debris concentrated and competing for space in ever narrowing strips of shallow water. I was on the Itaya River last night heading to a restaurant by boat. It was a particularly hot and close evening which made the smell of concentrated open sewage less than pleasing. I do feel for so many who live in floating houses on this reduced flow of water. There is no sewage treatment in Iquitos and everything runs directly into the rivers but normally there is so much water flow and such a high dilution factor, that it’s a tolerable situation. Those of us who live high uphill don’t have to wallow in this toxic stew. The poor continue to suffer the most and I walk by it each day. But like anything else, one seems to get “used” to it—isn’t that sad? I don’t like to think I’ve become immune to it all but sadly, I’m afraid I have.

The last month has been full of a variety of little projects requiring my help mainly for Explorama. I’ve been helping with the gift shops and working with passenger guests. I find that so many of my past life experiences have been called into action while working here, whether it’s for CONAPAC or Explorama Tours. It’s nice sometimes to pull out my old waitressing skills—really my most favorite job of all time! The season of funding requests has begun for next year so much of my time is focused on finding money to “keeps the plates spinning” as Pamela would say. We’re looking to build seven new water plants for 2011; seriously increase monitoring, training and oversight; plus start the process of installing smaller, individual household systems for some communities where large, centrally-based water towers do not make the best sense. I have set a personal goal of providing access to clean water to all the Adopt-A-School communities within which we serve before my time here ends. This will represent improving the lives of about 13,000 people. We’ve come a good distance in just two years but we’re only about quarter of the way there. Lot’s more to do! Yes, I’m coming home next year but I will be returning to Iquitos to finish the job! :)

I have a new neighbor—can you believe it?—another American woman! This is so rare and I’m delighted. She’s from Iowa, about 40-something, decided one day to quit her assembly line job and start living. She gave up her job, her boyfriend, her house and all her stuff. Decided to move to Iquitos for awhile, volunteer her time in an orphanage and then move on elsewhere to explore the world then someday return home. She’s an incredibility upbeat gal and I like her very much. I’ve invited her to my Thanksgiving dinner so my contingent of Americans is growing. I have a very special guest who will be joining us for TG dinner—I’ll tell you more about him later! Pam asked me to host a dinner party at my house for nine people last week. It gave me a good dry run for the holidays by pushing the limits of my small kitchen with its mini stove and fridge. But I do have my two neighbors’ stoves and fridges to use as they’re invited to dinner so we’ll have food spread around the complex. I’m now just waiting for the last installment of “TG parts” from home—cans of Libby pumpkin for pies!

Enjoy the season…whatever it may be, wherever you may live :)

I Like It Like That!

In general, the residents of the jungle are quite easy going and ready for a celebration any time of day. This translates to the city of Iquitos, too. The residents are mellow and rarely do I see or hear a cross word. In fact, violence is rare and in the almost two years I've been here, I've never seen anything until just last week. A man was trying to steal an orange or two from a street vendor. The vendor chased him off with a stick then the thief in turn started throwing chunks of street concrete at the vendor. It was quite a show but a little unsettling for Iquitos. Anyway, this got me thinking about the things people like here and the things they don't. Or at least my perception, so take it for what it's worth.

The most prominent thing you'll notice about the city is the love of cement and concrete—it's everywhere--and besides buildings, other things are made of concrete, too. Park benches, flower pots and tree stands, balusters and railings with faux turned posts, decks and sinks, kitchen cabinet frames and counter tops. I even visited at a house that had built-in concrete couches with cushions and pillows to add a bit of comfort. In the middle of the rain forest, where rot can practically be heard happening, I suppose it makes good sense but the unfortunate issue is that here is no architectural interest in the least—and with their love of re-bar or re-rod second only to the love of cement and generously used as a decorating element--you can imagine that Iquitos is probably one of the most unattractive places on earth. I find this ironic since it's smack in the middle of one of the most beautiful natural environments in the world but then again, maybe Iquitos knows it can't compete with the natural world, so why try? Or maybe it's just more practical— simply choose cheap, durable, rot resistant products by which to build your house and home!

Another crazy thing that they like is White Out or Liquid Paper. They LOVE this stuff and everyone, everywhere seems to have a white-out pen along with their regular pen or pencil. They sort of lust after them and you have to watch out that your's doesn't disappear. When I first came here I just cracked up and thought what in the world does anyone do with this stuff? But now I, too, am addicted! Maybe it's a need to be neat and tidy in paperwork and not to waste things. In the US, I'd just get another piece of paper or make another copy but the white out does have it's place to salvage something. Of course, there's lots of “white out graffiti” too! Especially on school desks and park benches but perhaps I could look at it as another art form then I'd take less offense by it?

Some more things they love are plastic bags of literally every size and color for every imaginable use. Whole stores are dedicated to selling only plastic bags. Don't even think about leaving a store or walking down the street without a plastic bag! I regularly bring my own "earth friendly" bags which the clerks look at me strangly but I somehow still end up with so many more plastic bags than I can use. Then there's chicken. Now I like chicken, too, but really, it's the only thing in quite literally every local restaurant you can order! Don't try opening a new restaurant for the locals with anything different—it won't fly. Mickey D's and Taco Bell?--Don't even think about it! Of course, there's cumbia music and nothing else will do. Inka Cola, parilladas (chicken BBQ's), ice cream, and any kind of holiday, labor strike or celebration will be reason enough to take a day off work and call it a party!

Of course they love futbol here and when they get tired of that, they play some more. Although every park and school yard has basketball hoops, I've yet to see anyone play it nor have I ever seen a basketball for sale in the stores. They love hot, humid weather and quickly bundle up when the temp dips below 80ish (of course, I join them on that one). Street shows are a great attraction, some with more value than others—but always watch your wallet. Clowns on stilts and mimes are common. On the main boulevard downtown where the beggars, thieves, hanger's on and tourists meet, there is always the lure of a tattoo show. Although I have a few of my own, the last thing I wanted was an audience when I got them--but spectator sports sure can vary around the world. :)

Perhaps my last observation is a bit silly but it's striking. Whether folks live on the river or in the jungle with the muddy Amazon close by or back in Iquitos, there is a great emphasis on cleanliness. When we do our school deliveries, the kids and parents will be wearing very clean, white, pressed clothes and in the city all kids, whether in public or private school, will be wearing sharp, clean uniforms. Their homes are of a standard which is often less than our Western dogs and cats enjoy yet when they step out unto the street, they're dressed, pressed, showered and ready to go--big sales here in colognes, too! They eat lots of onions and garlic so fresh breath is important too—thus street vendors and stores are always hawking gum and mints. And since the Peruvian greeting includes cheek to cheek kissing, even when you first meet someone, it's important not to offend. People regularly offer you mints or gum so take no offense—it's just the sweetest place on earth!

Summer Greetings!

I went to my first “Quinceaños” or 15th birthday party for a young girl, soon to be a woman. This is comparable to the idea of a Sweet Sixteen party but can be on the level and grandeur of a wedding! The party is a symbolic passing from childhood to becoming a woman. Always present is a special dress with a color-coordinated theme, cake, dinner, music and dancing. The one I attended was extremely humble relative to many here in the area but still quite a show considering the financial circumstances of birthday girl’s parents. Where I live there is a 24 hour guard/groundskeeper who lives with his family in circumstances little different than those in the jungle. Their oldest daughter was the birthday girl. For them to host even this modest party was quite the event. Evila wore a darling green dress and all the family members were more dressed up than I’d ever before seen them. Although the party was on a weeknight, it still didn’t get started until about 9 PM when Evila and her dad came in together, (arm in arm like a bride and her father) then shared the first dance. My young friend was crying which seemed to be a bit of happy and afraid mixed together. I am sure it is the first time in her life she’s been the center of so much attention and never before had she worn such a lovely dress. There was a champagne toast, a very nice dinner, followed by the special cake. I’m sure I’ll get to several more parties like this while I’m living here and no doubt they will be on a much grander scale, but this first one will always be a favorite memory.

CONAPAC continues to build more water plants and funding has been strong, but we are continuously challenged by resistance to drinking clean water. Residents certainly understand the value but at times the effort is great and old habits die hard. Next year we hope to seek more funding in the area of monitoring and training not just construction. We’re also looking into offering individual household systems for homes which lie some distance from centralized water plants. Of course, all this takes funding so you now know what I’ll be doing more of for the rest of the year! We also work in a school in the city of Iquitos called Las Malvinas. We have a large environmental teaching garden which also has a turtle and fish pond. At the end of April, we stocked the fish pond with fry and since then they’ve been steadily growing. The senior class is in charge of this project and last week we did our first harvest. The kids netted, counted, measured and weighed over 400 fish which was a great learning opportunity. Some fish will be taken for sale this coming week with the rest to stay for further growth until the final harvest at the end of the school year in December. To see more photos check out: http://amazonamigos.ning.com/ or visit our website at http://www.conapac.org/

I’m sorry but it’s been dang cold here!! I know you all are experiencing a particularly hot summer in Michigan and the US in general. Well, I can tell you it’s the reverse here. Yes, low 70’s in the day and low 60’s at night doesn’t sound bad but when everyday is usually 20 degrees hotter, it’s very tough to adapt. Part of the problem is I simply don’t have enough warm clothes nor do I even have a blanket at night — only sheets. So I’m sleeping in layers and wearing socks during the day. Of course, there’s no snow and ice but I’m afraid there is still those pesky mosquitoes! I had the flu, of all things, in July. The flu here is very rare so it must be a gringo disease! It lasted a good five days but the good news is, it was while the weather was very cold so I was able to curl up in my PJ’s, close all the doors and windows and sip tea and other hot drinks. If it had been its usual 90-something outside my discomfort would have been compounded so for these little things thankful. During this time my friend, Mike from the States, arrived with my new computer. I bought myself a little HP Notebook (it's red :) from Amazon.com and I couldn’t be more delighted. I am a little sad it’s not a Mac but you know, when in Rome. It’s the system I work with all day now so I’m familiar with it. Once I return home permanently, I will again purchase a new Mac. Anyway, I am on Skype and would love to hear from you. If you have Skype, too, email me and we can exchange numbers. It’s amazing, you know? Living in the middle of the rainforest in the middle of South American with no roads in or out of the city yet I can have a perfectly clear conversation for as long as I want for FREE! Now if this is an amazing miracle, I don’t know what is?

Enjoy August—See you in September!

Random Thoughts...

I’m not sure I have enough to say to weave a story so random thoughts in passing for now:

Our fearless leader for Explorama, Peter Jenson—affectionately known as Don Pedro—passed away in June. Not unexpected as he had been battling cancer for about 9 months but a shock none the less. Per his wishes, his ashes were sprinkled from the top of the Canopy Walkway (120 ft) to be returned to the earth from which he came. His incredible legacy of commitment to the Amazon Rainforest in Perú will not soon be forgotten as family, friends and co-workers carry on his vision to maintain this precious, unique place on earth!

The World Cup is on everyone’s mind here although there will be no South American team in the final match. Interestingly, most folks don’t seem too keen on Spain winning—no love lost there, apparently. I’ve learned a lot about the “Copa del Mundial” and have found the process interesting—although I just got a copy of someone’s Men’s Journal from June and one of the stories is “Why the World Cup Sucks”…haven’t read it yet but it should be an refreshing spin.

I spent quite a large amount of time in the jungle in June working with student groups and other volunteers. We built two water plants, planted trees, painted houses, built a playground, painted murals, plus did a large variety of art projects with the primary-aged kids. Working on the subject of clean water continues to consume me mentally and I hope to make further strides in this direction for 2011 and beyond. The need is great and donors are generous—it just takes so much time to get it all done here with the logistics and educational parts to be implemented. Well, one step at a time.

When I got home from my long trip, I walked into the courtyard area of my apartment and there was this lovely duck! This being an unusual sight in our garden (although not in Iquitos in general) I asked the guard/keeper if this was a permanent addition? He said oh no—his daughter is having her 15th birthday late in July and they were having the duck for a special birthday meal! Fattening it up, I suppose. Having your 15th birthday here is a BIG deal and some families throw these elaborate affairs (like a wedding). But these folks are quite poor so buying a duck for dinner is a wonderful treat for the whole family. I hope I’m at work when they get ready to “prepare” him. I’m going to take the daughter (Evila) shopping so she can pick out her own gift—I haven’t a clue what a 15 year old in Iquitos would like to have so this will be better and more fun, too!

Oh, a big treat coming my way—next week the 3rd movie from the Twlight Series opens in Iquitos. I’m so excited because it’s one of the very, very few movies here which are in English, not dubbed in Spanish. It doesn’t take much to amuse me these days!

Is it me or is it hotter in the States right now than here in the jungle? Hang in there folks, this too shall quickly pass and you’ll stop complaining about the heat and have the snow and ice once again!

My grandson, Jack Holley, turned 5 years old in June—I can’t believe how quickly he’s grown and how it seems only yesterday he was born. I had bought him a gift when I was in the States last fall and made arrangements for my Dad to make the delivery on his birthday. Erin (his Mom) told me he said to everyone, “This is from my grandma in Perú—where is she?” I guess he hasn’t quite connected the distance dots but someday he will. I hope by the time he’s about 10 years old I can bring him here and he can see the rain forest for himself. What a living laboratory for a kid to explore insects, snakes, birds and animals. I’m counting the days…

You know, there are so many things here in Iquitos that one could only describe as insane. At times, of course, I think to myself--I gotta get outta here! But when I really put my mind to it--when I watch the news or read certain stories--I've come to the conclusion that everyone, everywhere in the whole world is nuts...it's just packaged a little differently in each case. And maybe our attempt at making some sense or order out of the of it all is just another form of nuttiness? However I look at it, though, I continue to find myself caught between two cultural worlds (the US & Perú), not really part of either but only passing through. Do any of us really belong anywhere in particular if the only criteria are where we were born and to whom? I know, I'm getting too deep for my own good...I'm missing my conversational buddies back home who love to probe the unanswerable questions of life. Deep breathe...Thanks! I needed to get that off my chest...until next time don't take any of it too seriously and I will try to take my own advice, as well.