My Peruvian Life

Hola! Como esta? I am doing very well, and keeping busy learning many new things everyday in my new home at km 38 in Peru. It’s called km 38 because it is 38 km from Pucallpa, the nearest town on he map. However, it is only 4 km from Campo Verde, a little village where we buy a lot of our food. In Peru buying food is very different from the States. I think most are familiar with farmer’s markets. They are the US equivalent to the grocery shopping options here. It makes it fun, because you can barter for things and the fruit and veggies are seasonal, so there’s pineapple, mango, and papaya seasons. Here a dollar is equivalent to three soles, and things in general are much cheaper then in the US, making it kinda nice for poor SM’s like me! We spend about five soles a day on food for each person here, and we eat very well; at least relatively. Ansley was here the first couple days and we ate like kings and queens, but we have had some trouble figuring out how to cook so well. Her cooking spoiled the Peruvians we live with, and working on watery oatmeal and a small banana doesn’t go far in the hot sun. But, we’re learning quickly, and the meals are improving. As is our Spanish! Praise the Lord, I can see progress, slow but sure, even since the first couple days. I understand a bit more and communicate pretty well, broken and incorrect though it may be. Margy, a Peruvian who is a good friend of Jenni, is living with us and giving us daily practical Spanish lessons, which are very helpful. I’ve also been making flashcards of the never-ending verbs.
So, now that I have shared bits and pieces of my life in Peru, let me give you an over view of what is going on over here (Down here). Arriving here was not such a culture shock as I was expecting. I think attitude and flexibility has a lot to do with adjusting to new surroundings and culture. I am really enjoying experiencing all the new things Peru has to offer. We (Laura, Tara, Kristin, Kaitlin, and I) arrived late (1 am) Tuesday night in Lima and stayed in a youth hostel. We were in a rickety old two-story building with damp drafty rooms and large statues throughout the vaulted hallways. I also noticed some rotting skulls with hair still semi-intact behind some glass next to the desk as we were checking in. Evidently it’s some Incan thing.
The next day we flew to Pucallpa where Ansley and Carly, the two SM’s, picked us up in the project truck. We loaded our many bags into the back and headed through town to km 38. That was fun! The traffic in Peru is insane, especially in the city. Drivers are generally very good, because they have to be. In the city there are many one way streets, and on any two way road there are no lanes. Motos (motorized rickshaws), bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, taxis, and combis (buses) all wind their way to wherever they’re going. The horn is just as important as steering, as it is used almost constantly to get people and traffic out of the way. Pedestrians have no rights in the road, so watch out!
The next few days were spent settling in, learning our way around Campo Verde and Pucallpa, and getting to know the group. Brent, the only guy here so far arrived Friday. We have four Peruvian friends who live with us. Manuel, Edwin, Mauro, and Nitia. Edwin and Nitia are married. Nitia is 17 and Edwin is 30. Quite an age difference, but it is common here. Mauro is 17 too, and Edwin’s brother. They are all a lot of fun, and we have a great time trying to communicate and laughing.
We also have some pets. Lola and Cheva are our watchdogs and Joey the cat prowls the house for cock roaches. We are thinking about getting el mono (monkey) because there are many for sale in Pucallpa and they are fairly cheap (50 soles), but we’ll see.
Sabbath we attended the little iglesia (church) at the end of our drive way. It’s small, but the people are very nice. At the afternoon meeting I had an experience with the common bathroom scenario in Peru. Most poor families have a building with boards covering a pit that they move aside when they use the bathroom. I like to call it the squat and pee method. Needless to say, it takes a special talent that I don’t have.
When we arrived we had only a pit with a toilet cover over it and maggots in the bottom and a bucket shower surrounded by a tarp, but within a couple days we had a beautiful bathroom and shower attached, curtesy of our Peruvian friends. We even have a homemade toilet paper holder! It took me a few days to learn to put my toilet paper in the trash can. Here the sewage system can get stopped up very easily if you don’t.
Anyway, on to the present. We have started going over our job descriptions and responsibilities, and are now working on planning and preparation for the clinics and health/kids programs. Yesterday we went swimming in a lake down the road, but I couldn’t stay in for long. I kept thinking about alligators and piranhas. We’ve also made a trip to the Natural Park, like a zoo in the states. The animals were in small cages, which was sad, but it was really neat to see the big cats and el monos. And, one thing is for sure. We gringos and gringas make a commotion wherever we go. I feel like a celebrity here! Children, guys, and really everyone watches and follows, trying to talk to us. We took pictures with strangers at the park who wanted to take pictures with the Americans. I thought afterward I should have charged some soles! We were interviewed by a local TV station as well.
Although I may feel like a celebrity, our living conditions are quite rustic. We have no electricity and sleep on hard wooden bunks. But it is home, and I have adjusted to it for the most part. It’s all part of the experience. That’s it for now, I will write more next time about what my nursing and teaching responsibilities are over here, and the new stories as they develop.