choke hold

Kleyder and I have grown old during this adventure.

thoughts on cooking

On this fine day, some thoughts on cooking:

It is a fine priviledge to have a table on top of which to cut; a knife with a handle; to have a floor that is not dirt; to have a latrine far from where you wash potatoes.

The poverty I witness is interesting: the latest fashion. We have TVs, DVDs, CDs, and VCDs; blenders, gas stoves, stainless steel pots and pans; consumers of goods from China and whereabouts.

We have clean water in a bucket and roosters on top of it; wood burning ovens and wooden chairs to burn.

We have worm-eaten lettuce and potatoes, and chickens injected with contaminated water.

We make do and continue to cook.

día del amor y la amistad

From left to right: Giovana, Rocio, Nelson (siblings), Ximena, Gisela cooking up a storm for our Valentine's day dinner. We are to dine on Aji de Gallina, then exchange handmade gifts, and finish off the evening by watching "My Sassy Girl".

roger

Once a "promotor" himself, now heading his own initiative within SES, Roger is a good friend and agent of change. Here we were, chatting of the woes of being a volunteer.

C

we

At a tour of a vineyard in Chinca home of Pisco. From left to right: Collin, Luzmila, Holly, Chloë, and Alicia.

las chicas

Ditto.

los chicos

After a laid-back afternoon at the pool, los chicos, "promotores" for this new year, pose for the camera.

islas ballestas

This past weekend SES sponsored a field trip to the Ballestas Islands, south of Lima. According to our tour guide, the bird guano collecting on the rooftops of these great rock formations, was collected and sold as fertilizer to pay off Peru's foreign debt. Sounds like good business practice.

voley

Vanessa "matando" in a casual Friday afternoon game of voley.

under water

Roberto and Nelson, two new promotores, enjoying the underwater fun. Picture by Collin.

of chile and peru

Elaine and I returned recently from a trip to Arica, Chile. Our objective was to renew our visa and spend some time under the stars at Lauca National Park.

We booked a flight on Peru's own AeroCondor airline to Tacna, a town in a free-trade zone (whatever that means) and near the border with Chile. We then maneuvered our way to the bus terminal and booked seats on a mid-sized bus heading South to cross the border.

A month ago, Elaine and I were in Cuzco where we witnessed a throng protest LAN's presence in the Peruvian airline scene. The slogans went to the tune of: "Get out LAN! Support Peruvian Airlines!"

As stated, AeroCondor is a Peruvian airline. LAN, is a Chilean enterprise.

Perhaps the protester's message left an imprint in my sub-conscious and led me to support a Peruvian airline. Or perhaps the cheap airfare convinced me. AeroCondor offered a round trip to Tacna for $94.13 while LAN neared $120.

I can't say I regret that decision, but I will say that I hope not to fly AeroCondor again. On the way from Lima to Tacna and again from Tacna to Lima, we were delayed over 1 hour. This was something definitely worth taking in stride. Unfortunately, it is indicative of the consistent and frustrating delays and inconveniences found here.

But let me not dwell on that too much, I'm over it.

Arica is now part of Chile but was once part of Peru. It's a shame for Peru since they lost fine dessert beaches and access to some breathtaking Andean landscapes. Elaine and I spent a day at the beach before heading out by bus to Lauca. We eventually settled in the small town of Parinacota (population: 15) at circa 4,400 meters above sea level. Parinacota is the only town in the park and offers a breathtaking landscape in every direction. We met a Polish national who had bicycled from Buenos Aires to Parinacota. We saw the Milky Way like I've never seen it before.

We also got sick from the altitude. Our evening was fairly sleepless and cold. The next day we tried to venture out to visit the Lake Chungara, a lake at the base of the Parinacota volcanoes some 4,600 meters above sea level. The path was beautiful and we saw many birds, viscachas, alpaca, and llamas. We reached 4,600 but not the lake. The sun and the altitude got the best of us. I was ready to die.

Fortunately, we reached a road and after some time, hitched a ride back down to Parinacota where we picked up our bags. I convinced the family that picked us up to let us hitch our way down to Arica. On the way down we spoke of Pinochet, and other things.

After a long day of adventure, we finally arrived back in Arica, home of some fabulous pino empanadas (tiny bread pockets stuffed with beef and onions). We rested and took the next day at the beach, at sea level, with no alpacas in sight.

young folk

Another great picture by Collin: from left to right, Kelly, Breyson (in front), Jonathan and his sister, Wilder and Rebecca (brother and sister).

charles

This is Charles, one of the promotores juveniles. He is 22 years old and is transitioning into young adulthood. Picture by Collin.