While we are stuck here in Lima for the day waiting to head back home later tonight, I would say that things are starting to sink in that our three months in South America are coming to a quick end. Given Patricks excitement on Thursday night, lots of medical run around on Friday, travel plan changes and preparations for the Seeds of Hope Christmas party on Saturday, and the Seeds of Hope Christmas party and packing up yesterday, we have not had too much time to even contemplate the changes in our plans. One thing that has come through though is that it is very true that you never know what is going to happen when you wake up in the morning, and you have to suck the marrow (aprovechar) every moment. I think we feel content leaving early because we have had such a rich experience here. The icing on the cake is the fact that we were able to complete the whole month of volunteering at Seeds of Hope, including the final Christmas party for all the kids.
I have decided to think of our time here as three months in the Andes, instead of a trip to Ecuador and Peru, as this is the distinct place and culture that has been our home for the past 11 out of 12 weeks down here. We have come to know the people who live in these mountains and learned a lot about the people who used to live in these mountains. Being here in the flat, hot, deserty vastness of Lima definitely makes me feel the absence of the mountains already.
It will be interesting to return to Rochester in the peak of Christmas. Our experience of Christmas here has been in some ways similar to home, and in ways totally different. Take the Christmas party we had yesterday for the 50 Seeds of Hope children, and a few of their family members who came along. All the kids are totally psyched that it is Christmas — they have off from school, there is a magical quality to the air, and they will hopefully be spending a good part of time with their families. But instead of wearing new Christmas clothes from the mall, more than half of them came to the party yesterday proudly wearing their new used clothing we had given their parents the day before — whether that was a t-shirt, a hat, or a pair of shoes. For decorations, we had just 50 balloons, two hanging banners saying Feliz Navidad, and some streamers, but they thought every decoration was amazing. Every child got one present courtesy of a very generous donation from the Huaraz area, and I do not think that they will get much, if anything more on Christmas morning. And most striking to me of all is the fact that this is probably one of the only parties these kids get to enjoy all year, and even more rare to have a party just for them. They do not have birthday parties or go to parties of friends. These kids come from families that eek livings out of nothing, that waste nothing, that aquire some sort of food and shelter for an amount of money I consider to be close to nothing. But it is still Christmas and all the true beauty assocaietd with it.
I will miss being in the Andes with all my heart. It is very emotional to be leaving, but I sure am glad to have been here.
Wow, what a time we’ve had in Peru. We walked across the border into the country on October 20th and fell in love almost immediately. We’ve spent 62 days here and have really enjoyed the diversity of topography, the friendliness of the people and the amazing historic sites. Here’s my list of thoughts from our time here:
1.Spanish is the national language and is necessary for lots of the day-to-day business, but a little bit of Quechua could also come in handy.
2.The Andes will take your breathe away, literally, they’re up there.
3.Chachapoyas is well worth the hassle to get there – everything cool is nearby. My advice is to skip Gocta, but definitely see Kuelap.
4.Dogs are everywhere and probably out number people 3:1.
5.Peru has tons of varieties of food. They can grow tropical, high altitude and everything in between. Also, Peruvian chicken, papas and salad can go a long way towards Thanksgiving abroad. Take it easy on the Chaufa and don’t have the Aji twice a day for a month.
6.Seeds of Hope, Peru… great organization. Volunteering was the single greatest activity of our trip.
7.Machu Picchu is worth the hype. It does not disappoint and arriving by foot is pretty dramatic. Hike up to Winay Picchu, too. Want more? Check out our Machu Picchu page and the PeruTreks company.
8.Trixie was absolutely a Peruvian street dog.
9.Beards are fairly novel. For some reason, kids want to touch a buzz cut and facial hair all the time.
10.Four pairs of underwear is definitely enough, but I did pick up another T-Shirt in Peru.
11.Peruvian buses are really nice, peruvian roads are not. When we sprung for the full cama on Crux del Sur, I was living the lap of luxury.
12.The cure for nearly anything can be found in a well placed movie.
We’re glad to be heading back to the land of the free, but will leave a part of hearts and minds here in Peru. We’ve both been captivated by our time in the Andes. We were able to visit several Inca and pre-Inca sites, learn about the having of the good techniques and make some great friends along the way.
The numbers look like this: 58 videos and 519 photos from Peru (not including the 150 photos from the Inca Trail and 105 photos from Machu Picchu). 2 long treks and countless hikes and day trips to see mountains, lakes, waterfalls, ruins, artisans and even our future dog.
Thursday night we had some excitement here in Huaraz when my Gall Bladder seems to have freaked out, prompting a trip to the private Emergency Room for an ultrasound. The doctors in Huaraz were very professional and took excellent care of me. Currently, I have a couple prescriptions to manage the pain, which are working very well. Also, I am on a strictly no-fat diet and have activated Dr. V’s recommendation to stick to the BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce and Toast), which I think could translate to spanish as dieta de SAPP (or something like that for Salsa de Manzana, Arroz, Platanos y Pan).
It’s important to note two things: we are not planning to have any surgeries while her in Peru and I am very comfortable here at the house — resting in the cama and keeping to my PJs. We’re still trying to get all of the medical tests figured out here and are looking at how this development could affect our travel plans. One thing is for certain: I am EXTREMELY lucky to be with Mary and to have her as my permanent travel companion. She has been wonderful at holding my hand (even during needle-time), getting me to the ER and translating back and forth, under pressure. A big hooray for that lovely lady!! We’ll post again later today or tomorrow with any updates.
In case you’re curious about what exactly is going on inside, here’s the ultrasound image that we got from the ER:
My apologies if this looks like I’m pregnant… I’m not, I assure you!
I just wanted to add a few more thoughts on my previous post regarding making a donation to Seeds of Hope. My mother (Katy Votava) has very graciously offered to be the central U.S. collection point for donations, which she will then forward on to me in bulk so that it is easier to receive them here. We would like to get any donations figured out by the middle of this week so that we can work with the people here to decide what to do with the money before we leave. So let me know if you were thinking of making a donation and we will figure out how to make it happen!
Thanks to the people who have already contacted us about making a donation! We can’t wait to report back on what the money will be used for.
And here’s the picture to prove it:
It’s the highest we’ve both ever been before. The sign says 4450 meters, but we had to walk down to get there… hence, we’re calling it 15,000 feet above sea level.
Just a quick post about my amazement at prices in Peru. First off, I’ve been sick with a cold that I can’t seem to shake. When I missed school during an afternoon this week, we decided it was time to head to the doctor. We didn’t know what to expect, but wanted to make sure that my cough wasn’t something serious… it’s not. We got a recommendation for a clinic that our boss trusts and has visited a couple times: Medico Clinico Internacional. It’s nearby and we walked in, waited for about 10 minutes to be seen, got my vitals checked by a very friendly nurse (the gringo-smile goes a very long way in Huaraz). When we were done, the doctor prescribed two courses of action:
First, I got a dosage of Cortiprex (20mg of the steroid prednisone) for what the Doc described as a “dry trachea”. It’s not pnemonia, not a problem in my lungs, but might be what we know as Bronchitis in the US. The dosage is 1.5 pills every 12 hours for 5 days = 15 x 20mg pills.
Second, I have a problem with Radicels Libres (Free Radicals) running amok in my chest, which causes either too much or too little oxidation (still unclear) on the cellular level, which makes new cells die too quickly. For this, I have Fluimucil which come as 600mg effervescent tablets that (when taken with copious amounts of water) will gobble up and eliminate the free radicals. I’ll take one pill everyday for 5 days.
Finally, I’m on strict rules not to eat chocolate, fruit juices, cookies, soda or other overly-processed foods that will likely spike the free radicals, until I’m healthy again. Because my body is a temple, I’ve coined the phrase of going “Buddhist Monk” on the sweets (i.e. cold-turkey using mind control).
The grand total for everything: S./35 for the doctor’s visit (all told, $11.35 USD). For the drugs, it was S./22.50 for the prednisone and S./17.50 for the fluimucil (all told, $12.90 USD for the drugs). Keep this startling fact in mind, for nearly-immediate, walk-in service at both the pharmacy and the doctors office, I spent roughly $25 and I’m talking about payment-in-full, these-ain’t-no-copay prices.
A second example of prices in Peru (AKA how we are traveling for 8 months on our savings):
We’ve had a few dinner parties here at the house on nights when our deliciously-inspired amiga doesn’t cook, such as on the weekends and holidays, etc. They’ve been really good and we’ve only contributed towards the drinks for the table, for example maybe a $3 box of wine or some soda. We decided that tonight is our turn and have prepared one of our specialties: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, lentils to feed an army and sauteed spinach. We bought everything this afternoon for our dinner party and have just put the 6-pound bird in the oven. The food to feed 10 people very well and we’re expecting left-overs cost just under S./35, which amounts to about $11.30 USD. Let’s call it an even $1/person for what may prove to be the closest thing to an American meal we’ve had in Huaraz. The funny thing is that we feel, relatively, that this was a splurge or doing-something-nice-or-at-least-our-fair-share-for-the-housemates. The thing that I’m most proud of is the lack of rice in my diet today.
Well…we will still be in Huaraz, Peru, which were psyched about. We’ll be volunteering with the kiddies until they break for Navidad It’s really nice to be in one place for this holiday season to make some friends and also feel like we’re doing a little bit more with this time off.
A few people have asked us about donating to Seeds of Hope. That would definitely be appreciated as they are a super small organization living month to month to provide a place for these children to come to receive help with their school work, some food, and love and support — all or some of which is lacking in their schools and homes. Seeds of Hope does not currently have a good way to receive donations online, so Patrick and I talked to them and they thought the best thing if anyone reading this wants to donate would be to coordinate with us to receive the money, we will then pass it on to them, and we will work with them to discuss the best use for it. This place is very grassroots, so the donating capabilities are too.
Some ideas kicking around for using the money are to use it to help get a Christmas present for all the children, or to help upgrade a computer they are currently trying to rehabilitate so that the children can have access to one in the classroom. There might also be a big need for a particular child, such as needing glasses in order to read better, that we can also inquire about. They of course are always in need of food for the children, new books, and school supplies like notebooks and markers.
So if you were interested in donating or want to ask us anything about it, just send us an email and we’ll be happy to tell you anything about the organization or figure out a way to get your donation to them. Mary’s email is Mary…@gmail.com and Patrick’s email is Patrick…@gmail.com .
And…..we finally have some pics of the kids. Here are a few and we’ll be putting more up on our flickr account soon.
Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season =)
Mary and Kati learning to summarize
Patrick and Bladamir tackle their favorite subject - MATH!
Mary and I have been teaching for a week and a half, which has been a great experience. Everybody that we talk to on the phone seems to be curious about how the language barriers have been at school. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about for the past few days:
First, working with the kids is extremely rewarding. Having grown up in a top-notch education system has shaped my mind and skills into a competitive force in the international market place. It is my goal, everyday, to help shape and clarify the minds and skills of our students so that they have similarly grand potential. While I am aware that my kids have mountains more adversity to overcome (especially when compared to my suburban, and extremely comfortable, upbringing), I burn for there eventual success and happiness. So, I get a huge rush teaching something that my students start the session with no idea about (like volume of a cylinder, the history of South America’s independence or how to look up words in a dictionary).
Next, I remember a certain apprehension when we first started stemming from the fear that I wouldn’t know what to do, that language would be a severe hindrance to both myself and the kids. This fear has been totally unfounded. I believe that I am being as effective in Spanish as I would be doing similar work in English. There are three main reasons that I feel effective:
First, I am working with kids who understand and are relatively patient with my lack of nuance in their language. Alot of my work has been pointing to their papers and asking them why they think that’s correct (Que piensas de este correcto?).
Second, I have been filling the spot of science and math helper (with the occasional English homework thrown in for fun). With science and math, I either understand the problems or the kids have a textbook that I can use for reference. The time consuming piece is not translating the text in my mind, it’s the repetition of rules (e.g. the volume is the Area of a Base times the Height, of say, a cylinder).
Third I always work with a Spanish-to-English diccionary, so that when the going gets tough, I can (slowly) get the gist of what’s going on. I have done enough homework in my day to understand the context of what we’re looking at and what I would want to see if I were a real teacher.
Here’s Mary and I in our Seeds of Hope T-Shirts:
And another where we’re overlooking the view of Huaraz and the Cordilleras Blancas from the roof of the Seeds of Hope volunteer housing:
I was pondering our mission the other day and believe the following statement:
Education seems to be an internal coming-to-terms with a void of some knowledge and relentlessly filling that void with new and varied experiences. Sometimes, the void can be filled with help from others, but the most efficient teacher is to learn to fill the void on your own. My meaning is essentially equivalent to the proverbial man teaching himself how to fish before you’ve ever arrived.
Last night, everybody got together at the Seeds of Hope volunteer house to wish Kenya a safe voyage back home. He’s been in Huaraz, working as a volunteer for a year and half. Before dinner, we shot this video that shows what folks were up to after a long day working with the kids:
Friday Night at Seeds of Hope
After a week of helping to kids, this is the calm before the storm at the Seeds of Hope volunteer house. It’s the last night in Huaraz for long-time volunteer Kenya and we’re all excited about the dinner he’s made.
Kenya made pasta with pesto sauce and papas with a yellow/spicy sauce… delicious! We all shared some wine and beers to offer toasts to the upcoming concert and thank Kenya for his work. After dinner, we headed over to a local bar, 13 Buhos, to watch Kenya, Yury Grande, Yuri Pequeño and Josh from Colorado play some music. Good times were had by all!
On Saturdays, there are no classes for the kids, but we went over to the school to finish a project with Isabelle (our ‘boss’ and S.O.H. volunteer coordinator). We’re prepping for Christmas already so that all 50 kids can get a present this year. In addition, there are donated clothes to sort and divide up for the kids depending on sizes and need.
Tomorrow, we’re going to try a hike that we read about in the Rough Guide to Peru. There’s a large glacial lake up at about 4800m (or roughly 15,840 feet) that offers spectacular views of the valley. Afterwards, we can relax in the natural saunas in nearby caves heated by hot springs. Monday, we’ll be back to work for week #2 with the kiddies.
We’re fresh off our first week of volunteering with the Seeds of Hope project in Huaraz, Peru. It’s been an extremely rewarding experience and we know — everyday — exactly how and what we’ve done to help our children. Initial thoughts are that the kids are all super cute and very similar to kids from the US. There are a couple major differences, which were quickly apparent:
One, these kids have very little worldly possesions… they wear the same clothes everyday (now, I have also been wearing the same clothes, but our water was out for a few days and have only just taken a shower/changed into something clean).
Some of our kids are also, seemingly to us, extremely starved of positive reinforcement and simply need an occassional adult to talk to them about their world, tell them that they’re doing a good job, give them a hug or read them a story. It seems so simple, but we’ve both witnessed just how far this energy can go.
A third thought relates to our kids’ homelives. Some have moved with (some without) their families to the big city of Huaraz (approx. pop. 100,000) to have the opportunity to live near a secondary school (most towns seem to have grades 1-6, but nothing more). Additionally, not every kid knows about modern luxuries like flushing toilets and tooth brushes.
Something that everyone at S.O.H is involved with is brushing teeth after snack time. We’ll either have snack right at the beginning or just after homework time. The typical ritual goes like this: Arrive and prep snacks [fruit and oatmeal (AKA Quaker)], line up and let the kids into the center, quiet kids and wash hands, homework time for 75 or 90 minutes, playtime for 15-30 minutes (a particular favorite is taking turns on the homemade stilts), wash hands, pray and have snack time, figure out the “points” for each student, line up again to brush teeth, dismissal with kisses, hugs or handshakes (for most of the boys).
Mary and I seem to be in charge of the walking-over-early-to-make-the-Quaker routine and we’ve been finetuning our recipe all week. Roughly, it’s 3 liters of water, a cup and a half of oats, a chocolate packet for flavor and about a cup of rice. [I'm far more likely to steal a banana at the end of the week than to trust my own Quaker recipe.] Tonight, a longtime volunteer, Kenya from Japan, is making dinner. It’s his last night in town and he’s playing music at a bar in town with some of the other guys here. I can smell the food wafting through the volunteer house and am headed down to see what’s up in the kitchen. Stay tuned for a picture of us together wearing rocking out in our Seeds of Hope T-Shirts
Recent Comments