Ameila, Caitlin and I saw a Quechuan Healer. It was something that I will NEVER forget. We drove just 5 mins away from our house with Marisol, our house mom if you will whose grandfathers had been healers so she has a very expansive knowledge about herbal medicine, which is something that I am very interested in learning more about and my mom has been all about natural medicine before I was born. Anywho, we pull up to a normal looking peruvian home- tin gate and walls made from mud and rocks - we entered into the "courtyard" to find chickens, dogs, and kittens roaming freely. The Healer was with someone at the time so we waited in what looked like a bedroom with mud floors but a tv and computer on the table. We all were very excited and anxious about what she was going to say! Oh, so back up to what we needed to bring to the healer. . . White flowers and a live GUINEA PIG. . . I had a guinea pig as a pet but here they're used as food and thought of as sacred which is a complete 180 from how our culture treats guinea pigs.
So we are called into the healers room and there are only two simple benches and a small shrine that everyone was able to face. Marisol is translating for us the whole time because the healer only speaks Quechuan. Caitlin is up first, she is getting the Guinea Pig treatment.( Before going into this session I knew about the Guinea Pig passing because of my friend Shelley had a similar experience on her trip to South America. But supposedly once the guinea pig is passed all over your body it dies and when you skin it, wherever it's bleeding you are feeling pain in those areas ) The healer reads Caitlin's coco leaves, while smoking a cigarette and chewing coco leaves herself for protection from Caitlin's ailments. After the leaf reading the healers orders Caitlin to take off her shirt just leaving her bra on so that it's just animal to skin touching! The whole time Amelia and I were grabbing at each other as this small Peruvian woman rubs this animal all about Caitlin's torso and limbs. It was very disturbing to watch but as we found out later that wasn't the worst of it. . . After the rubbing is over the guinea pig is supposed to be dead. . . however, he was still alive. ughhhh still sends shivers down my body! So then the women skins the guinea pig alive and squealing. I will spare you of the most gruesome descriptions but basically the guinea pig was bleeding everywhere Caitlin was having problems - SO FREAKY. She has blood clots in her lungs we had said nothing to the healer and the guinea pigs lungs were bleeding all over! During the whole thing the healer was smoking puffs of the cigarette and we had to too, for protection. I didn't want any of Caitlin's problems! I thought we were going to have some type of séance or something it was so strange. Since the guinea pig finally had died so will her problems, after the healer cooks and eats the guinea pig! It was probably the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life, and I will never forget it! Marisol nearly fainted she needed to sit down during the middle of it!
Then it was time for Amelia and me! We weren't doing the guinea pig, but we were having an egg passing - basically the same idea as the guinea pig but not with a live animal and instead of skinning an animal she opens the eggs into a glass of water and analysis them! The passing of the egg took about 5 mins, half the time of the guinea pig!! I felt so badly for Caitlin because she was just trying to be still and the thing kept nipping at her while he was being passed! AHHH anyway, the healer read our coco leaves - told me a lot of true things about myself, pretty weird, then she passed the egg, lightly hit me with white flowers and put shit special oil in my hair. Amelia had the exact same process. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that we had to take our shirts off. . . We're going back on thursday 31st to drink this root so that for the new year we're all going to be rid of our bad energy and be healthy!! Now and for the rest of the day Caitlin has to stay inside because she's very vulnerable for bad energy! so she's tucked up on the couch watching a movie and drinking tea! The healer said that I'm having stomach problems which i think is related to the amount of wheat we've been eating! Oh also I forgot to add the whole time it was POURING, and rain hitting a tin roof is the loudest thing in the world! it made the whole experience even more wild! We sneaked a few pictures so those will go up soon, but i couldn't take the pictures of the skinless guinea pig. . . blah i think that image will haunt me for a while!
xo until next time
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Entry #6, Papa Noel!!
How do I describe the indescribable? I guess I'll just tell you everything we did on the days surrounding Navidad! On the 23rd we started to create cards for the prisoners (elderly men, 60 and above, the kiddies and their mothers) we were part of Santa's or Papa Noel's staff! We had to make over 160 Christmas cards with various sayings in them and for the elderly men and the kiddies we personalized them! It was actually a really great time between all of us volunteers! Our common room was like a red, green and white explosion! Colors everywhere! Then we made over 10 bags of colored popcorn to be passed out between all of the prisoners! It was awesome when we got there, we had everyone come to the Cuna, cradle in spanish, which is where all the kids go to play with the other kids when they want to get some kid on kid time! Everyone sat in a circle and we passed out the food and then one of the elder men had brought his violin and he played some music for us! Then the oldest of the elders, Roberto, read a poem/blessing to us about how much we've touched his life because even during such a family oriented holiday, his had forgotten about him, and had for a few years now. He also sang us a song, this little cute 87 year-old-man singing in his high voice, in the midst of the chaos of the prison his voice brought a moment of peace - very moving to say the least! Then we had beanie babies for all the ninos, so those were distributed. Then everyone sang Feliz Navidad! Ha it was great!
After that we went back to our house to eat lunch, and then we slip into two groups, one went to an elders home and the other went to help out at an after-school program Non-Profit called Kids at the Crossroads. This woman GiGi quit her job, sold her house and moved from Oregon to start this amazing program! Kids from all over the area come to her house to participate in an after school program which is where the kids basically have a period of a second schooling. It was an amazing program to participate in because GiGi said that the teachers of the local schools have asked kids where they've been getting extra help because she's made such an impression on their education! The kids played games and she feeds them a snack, always consisting of a protien, starch and veggie! Most of these kids don't come from good families so they depend on this program. I'd say from what I observed that a good 75% of them come on their own free will because they love it! There were between 120-130 kids in the backyard of her home. She also teaches the kids about hygiene and the importance of small things that we take for granted in our every day lives. I hope to go back to help her out at least 3 times a week next week at the after school program!
On actual christmas we went to the orphanage. The normally don't want volunteers to come to the orphanage because they don't want to get the hopes up of the kids, but since Amelia and I had been there before they allowed us to go! It was amazing, the kids not only recognized me from before but attacked everyone with their love! The kids only wanted to be loved and payed attention to which was what we could give them. The little boys were a little nuts at the beginning all hyped up on their christmas presents from Papa Noel - donations from people, I hope to start a donation service for these kids for clothes and toys when I get back. But just running around with their plastic bags so happy for the smallest gifts! They kept screaming MIRA MI ROPA GRINGA ( to those who are like WHAT i can't believe they called you Gringa - EVERYONE does - it's not offensive or anything, i'll be in the market and people will just call at me gringita (small gringa) But enough about that, it was hysterical to watch this little kids! We all went outside to join the rest of the kids, and everyone was showing their new toys or wearing their new clothes! I've never seen kids so gracious in my life, it was truly wonderful to see! Then there was Melissa. She was telling me she was feeling a little sick so when we were standing in the middle of the courtyard I was scratching her back like my mom used to do to me and she actually fell asleep STANDING. I didn't know that was possible, but it honestly just melted my heart. Then we went to sit down and she just curled up in my lap and passed out for a while. When it was time to go she cried and asked if I could come back tomorrow - I couldn't but I will be back next Wednesday, so hopefully she'll be there.
Xmas dinner we made breakfast for dinner, it was awesome! We told the cook and cleaning staff that they could have the day off to be with their families, and it's a good thing because Paulina our cook had a baby boy last night!! We're so happy for her, I think we're going to make her something! He's christmas miracle hahah It was very strange to be away from family and friends christmas, but I was able to Skype with my wonderful friends and family from home, thank you for that!!! Kara especially - who yelled at me for not giving her this blog address, hopefully she'll read this and be grateful for the personal shout out I'm giving her! Love ya girl!! I hope that everyone had a very enjoyable christmas with their family and or friends! I encourage everyone to give back a little this year, you can change someone's life, whether a 87 year-old prisoner or a small orphan girl, it makes you feel wonderful! Little steps go along way, that's the lesson I've learned thus far!
sorry for the deep stuff at the end, ha, I can't wait to share some pictures of the kiddies and everything else!
Until next time!
Heath
After that we went back to our house to eat lunch, and then we slip into two groups, one went to an elders home and the other went to help out at an after-school program Non-Profit called Kids at the Crossroads. This woman GiGi quit her job, sold her house and moved from Oregon to start this amazing program! Kids from all over the area come to her house to participate in an after school program which is where the kids basically have a period of a second schooling. It was an amazing program to participate in because GiGi said that the teachers of the local schools have asked kids where they've been getting extra help because she's made such an impression on their education! The kids played games and she feeds them a snack, always consisting of a protien, starch and veggie! Most of these kids don't come from good families so they depend on this program. I'd say from what I observed that a good 75% of them come on their own free will because they love it! There were between 120-130 kids in the backyard of her home. She also teaches the kids about hygiene and the importance of small things that we take for granted in our every day lives. I hope to go back to help her out at least 3 times a week next week at the after school program!
On actual christmas we went to the orphanage. The normally don't want volunteers to come to the orphanage because they don't want to get the hopes up of the kids, but since Amelia and I had been there before they allowed us to go! It was amazing, the kids not only recognized me from before but attacked everyone with their love! The kids only wanted to be loved and payed attention to which was what we could give them. The little boys were a little nuts at the beginning all hyped up on their christmas presents from Papa Noel - donations from people, I hope to start a donation service for these kids for clothes and toys when I get back. But just running around with their plastic bags so happy for the smallest gifts! They kept screaming MIRA MI ROPA GRINGA ( to those who are like WHAT i can't believe they called you Gringa - EVERYONE does - it's not offensive or anything, i'll be in the market and people will just call at me gringita (small gringa) But enough about that, it was hysterical to watch this little kids! We all went outside to join the rest of the kids, and everyone was showing their new toys or wearing their new clothes! I've never seen kids so gracious in my life, it was truly wonderful to see! Then there was Melissa. She was telling me she was feeling a little sick so when we were standing in the middle of the courtyard I was scratching her back like my mom used to do to me and she actually fell asleep STANDING. I didn't know that was possible, but it honestly just melted my heart. Then we went to sit down and she just curled up in my lap and passed out for a while. When it was time to go she cried and asked if I could come back tomorrow - I couldn't but I will be back next Wednesday, so hopefully she'll be there.
Xmas dinner we made breakfast for dinner, it was awesome! We told the cook and cleaning staff that they could have the day off to be with their families, and it's a good thing because Paulina our cook had a baby boy last night!! We're so happy for her, I think we're going to make her something! He's christmas miracle hahah It was very strange to be away from family and friends christmas, but I was able to Skype with my wonderful friends and family from home, thank you for that!!! Kara especially - who yelled at me for not giving her this blog address, hopefully she'll read this and be grateful for the personal shout out I'm giving her! Love ya girl!! I hope that everyone had a very enjoyable christmas with their family and or friends! I encourage everyone to give back a little this year, you can change someone's life, whether a 87 year-old prisoner or a small orphan girl, it makes you feel wonderful! Little steps go along way, that's the lesson I've learned thus far!
sorry for the deep stuff at the end, ha, I can't wait to share some pictures of the kiddies and everything else!
Until next time!
Heath
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Entry #5, some cool stuff! ha
Since my last post, yesterday, we've done a bunch of really fun stuff, so I thought I'd share it with everyone as a little something to read before the madness of the holidays! So last night everyone started the impossible task of making xmas/new years cards for ALMOST everyone in the women's prison plus the elder men, who are so freaking cute! Our common room is still covered with scissors, white,red and green construction paper, glue, snow flakes - even though that doesn't remind them of christmas because it's summer here - didn't think that one through until 1/2 of them were made, but whatever. we're sharing something from our traditions to theirs! Papa Noel - aka peruvian Santa, is somewhat represented among the cards, but then we decided to make red and green popcorn por los ninos, which was special, to say the least. a few batches and consulting the internet for the recipe for food-coloring popcorn and we had a successful red batch! WOO Los ninos are going to be very happy! Their mom's are going to want to kill us because the amount of sugar that's in the recipe is going to leave them wired for when we leave, oops!
But today, Amelia Catlin and I (who are interns) went to the country side to see small villages that were virtually eliminated by the Shinning Path in the 80s. There are 8 or 9 provinces, some of which are only accessible by walking an hour or 2, but we went to the 2 main ones, one of which has the only clinics for all 8 or 9 regions and they don't have a doctor just a nurse, obstetrician and a nurses aid. The clinic was brand new and was actually nicer than the ones in Ayacucho, but still hard to believe that people have to walk up to 2 hours just to come visit the nurse if they're sick. Then we visited a kindergarden where the kids were just absolutely adorable. The school was so surprising nice and modern, it looked very similar to the schools in the states, which is a shock for us who are used to seeing schools in Ayacucho that are semi-rundown. Since school is almost over here, because it's their summer, the kids were just playing! But they were so freaking cute! The school also kept the kids hygiene surprisingly in check! Everyone had a bottle and a toothbrush that was kept in the classroom!
Then later today we had this speaker come to talk to us about the Coca production and the history of that. THEN we had the speaker individually read our cocaleaves aka our futures. IT'S WAS SO COOL!!! Peru is so amazing!
But today, Amelia Catlin and I (who are interns) went to the country side to see small villages that were virtually eliminated by the Shinning Path in the 80s. There are 8 or 9 provinces, some of which are only accessible by walking an hour or 2, but we went to the 2 main ones, one of which has the only clinics for all 8 or 9 regions and they don't have a doctor just a nurse, obstetrician and a nurses aid. The clinic was brand new and was actually nicer than the ones in Ayacucho, but still hard to believe that people have to walk up to 2 hours just to come visit the nurse if they're sick. Then we visited a kindergarden where the kids were just absolutely adorable. The school was so surprising nice and modern, it looked very similar to the schools in the states, which is a shock for us who are used to seeing schools in Ayacucho that are semi-rundown. Since school is almost over here, because it's their summer, the kids were just playing! But they were so freaking cute! The school also kept the kids hygiene surprisingly in check! Everyone had a bottle and a toothbrush that was kept in the classroom!
Then later today we had this speaker come to talk to us about the Coca production and the history of that. THEN we had the speaker individually read our cocaleaves aka our futures. IT'S WAS SO COOL!!! Peru is so amazing!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Entry #4, LA COSTA
Holaaaa!! This weekend my group and I all went with our friend Pancho to la costa! More specifically Ica, Nazca Pisco and a few other towns! The drive was so freaking long, ugghh, 7 hours in the back of this van. Pancho was our crazy driver who is basically the man. He owns a restaurant in Nazca we kept calling him the major! But the drive was pretty sketchy, the policia stop whatever vehicle or car whenever they want and choose to search the car for drugs or whatever. But luckily we were stopped a bunch but never searched. It was actually terrifying but Pancho wouldn't have let anything happen to us! So we got to Ica at night so we had no idea where we were except for a small oasis in the center of the VERY small town. The next morning we woke up and I thought we were in Arabian nights from Aladdin. We were completely surrounded by ENORMOUS sand dunes and actually realized why our hotel was called the American Oasis, because we were literally at a natural oasis in the middle of the desert!
That day we woke up super early to go on dune boogies and go sand boarding which is SOOOO fun! I sat in the back of the boogie with Kasia and Catlin and we were being tossed around like crazy! It was just amazing, nothing in sight just sand EVERYWHERE. The sand boarding was awesome, we started on small dunes then finished with una loca grande! a few people in the group burned their elbows but no one was seriously hurt. We left that afternoon to drive 2 hours to Pisco and visited a winery where they make pisco the cultural drink of Peru. Then we left and drove to Nasca where the next day we did the coolest thing - took a plane and viewed the nasca lines from the air!! If anyone doesn't know about the Nasca lines, they're old lines that create images of a spider, humming bird, and various other lines. the Nasca people created these unreal creations a few thousand years ago and only discovered in the 20s. The pilot had the plane basically doing barrel rolls so that everyone could see them, we almost had a few people get sick, but the pilots had a special cure! After that we went to a special local place where this grandmother and her grandson make unique nasca pottery! It was so magical. Then we went to a museum where this shaman read everyone's energy and gave those who were low in energy this special flower oil, it looked like gasoline but it smelled wonderful. He said that I had the highest positive energy of the whole group and didn't give me any of the special flower oil. Then we went back to Ica to stay at the same hotel as the first night. we met some people from ireland and NZ had a good time and left super early the last morning to go to the coast to see penguins and sealions which was so cool!!
overall an amazing amazing trip! then we had the dreaded 7 hour car-ride back through the Andes. It was a great weekend, but only to be followed by an even better week! This week we're going to make small gifts for the kids of the orphanage and prison for christmas, and even though I really miss my family I am so happy to give these kids a christmas they wont forget!
Until next time!
Heather aka Lola - the prison woman can't pronounce the letter 'H' so they all call me Lola!
I hope everyone has a fabulous christmas and santa is good to everyone!!
That day we woke up super early to go on dune boogies and go sand boarding which is SOOOO fun! I sat in the back of the boogie with Kasia and Catlin and we were being tossed around like crazy! It was just amazing, nothing in sight just sand EVERYWHERE. The sand boarding was awesome, we started on small dunes then finished with una loca grande! a few people in the group burned their elbows but no one was seriously hurt. We left that afternoon to drive 2 hours to Pisco and visited a winery where they make pisco the cultural drink of Peru. Then we left and drove to Nasca where the next day we did the coolest thing - took a plane and viewed the nasca lines from the air!! If anyone doesn't know about the Nasca lines, they're old lines that create images of a spider, humming bird, and various other lines. the Nasca people created these unreal creations a few thousand years ago and only discovered in the 20s. The pilot had the plane basically doing barrel rolls so that everyone could see them, we almost had a few people get sick, but the pilots had a special cure! After that we went to a special local place where this grandmother and her grandson make unique nasca pottery! It was so magical. Then we went to a museum where this shaman read everyone's energy and gave those who were low in energy this special flower oil, it looked like gasoline but it smelled wonderful. He said that I had the highest positive energy of the whole group and didn't give me any of the special flower oil. Then we went back to Ica to stay at the same hotel as the first night. we met some people from ireland and NZ had a good time and left super early the last morning to go to the coast to see penguins and sealions which was so cool!!
overall an amazing amazing trip! then we had the dreaded 7 hour car-ride back through the Andes. It was a great weekend, but only to be followed by an even better week! This week we're going to make small gifts for the kids of the orphanage and prison for christmas, and even though I really miss my family I am so happy to give these kids a christmas they wont forget!
Until next time!
Heather aka Lola - the prison woman can't pronounce the letter 'H' so they all call me Lola!
I hope everyone has a fabulous christmas and santa is good to everyone!!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Entry #3, Day 1/2 at Prison!!
Placement Day!!
awake by 6:30 to do yoga on our deck with the sun and the mountains was an amazing way to start our day! Kerry, from SD, was the leader of the session, then the bells rings for breakfast at 7:30. Breakfast is the same every day: yogurt, fruit, pita/englishmuffins butter and jam. already by day to we're all sick of the uniform breakfast. but whatever, today is placement day! Everyone is really nervous, but I'm looking forward to going to the prison.
Alejandro drives us to our placement, it rained a little yesterday but the streets are still full of mud so the cars have to drive on crazy streets just to get us to the prison. We arrive, and the prison is so far away from everything - clearly it's a prison - but we have 3 separate checkin areas where we need to bring our passports and they hold on to them. then we're searched for any type of weapons and padded down. We get a total of three stamps, two on one arms and one on the other! we look like we've been out all night clubbing or something. Then we're lead by Mariscol - our 'house mom' she is our intern coordinator and is super cool. her husband and son live in New York right now, but she isn't a citizen yet which is why she's still in Ayacucho. But then we have to wait for the prison guard to unlock the first sets of doors to the women's section, once inside it is a huge open courtyard with women lining the walls to be protected by the super strong sun! It's about 70 - 75 during the day and sunny! But today we brought music for the women to do some dancing! ALL of the women are knitting or making a rug, everything they make is amazing! they can literally make anything you want. There are some kids running around but most of all they're attached to the mothers legs.
After about an hour of talking to the women and being given a tour by Emma, an inmate (we saw her cell that she shares with about 8-12 other women, it was horrible. I can't believe that these women who are so lovely and nice live in such horrible conditions) three other volunteers and myself got up and turned on the music that we brought them for the day. It was awesome, one of the volunteers is Indian and she taught us this whole intricate dance and then some of the women joined in as well. We were in the middle of the courtyard so everyone was basically watching us and it kept everyone entertained because we were clearly horrible at this intricate Bailliwood dance but it was fun none the less.
Then we got back to our placement, had lunch, walked around the town, had a speaker come talk to us about the Shinning Path, because what I was unaware of was that it basically started in Ayacucho, the town where I am! But the Shinning Path isn't a problem anymore after a huge civil war in the 80s.
Today is Wednesday, I couldn't finish my blog yesterday bc of the computer situation, but today we don't go to the prison because it's visiting day every Wednesday so Mimi and I are going to the orphanage then we have a tour of the Inca ruins set up which should be super cool!
peace out
ps this weekend we're going to the coast to see the Nasca Lines from an airplane!!! so freaking cool!
awake by 6:30 to do yoga on our deck with the sun and the mountains was an amazing way to start our day! Kerry, from SD, was the leader of the session, then the bells rings for breakfast at 7:30. Breakfast is the same every day: yogurt, fruit, pita/englishmuffins butter and jam. already by day to we're all sick of the uniform breakfast. but whatever, today is placement day! Everyone is really nervous, but I'm looking forward to going to the prison.
Alejandro drives us to our placement, it rained a little yesterday but the streets are still full of mud so the cars have to drive on crazy streets just to get us to the prison. We arrive, and the prison is so far away from everything - clearly it's a prison - but we have 3 separate checkin areas where we need to bring our passports and they hold on to them. then we're searched for any type of weapons and padded down. We get a total of three stamps, two on one arms and one on the other! we look like we've been out all night clubbing or something. Then we're lead by Mariscol - our 'house mom' she is our intern coordinator and is super cool. her husband and son live in New York right now, but she isn't a citizen yet which is why she's still in Ayacucho. But then we have to wait for the prison guard to unlock the first sets of doors to the women's section, once inside it is a huge open courtyard with women lining the walls to be protected by the super strong sun! It's about 70 - 75 during the day and sunny! But today we brought music for the women to do some dancing! ALL of the women are knitting or making a rug, everything they make is amazing! they can literally make anything you want. There are some kids running around but most of all they're attached to the mothers legs.
After about an hour of talking to the women and being given a tour by Emma, an inmate (we saw her cell that she shares with about 8-12 other women, it was horrible. I can't believe that these women who are so lovely and nice live in such horrible conditions) three other volunteers and myself got up and turned on the music that we brought them for the day. It was awesome, one of the volunteers is Indian and she taught us this whole intricate dance and then some of the women joined in as well. We were in the middle of the courtyard so everyone was basically watching us and it kept everyone entertained because we were clearly horrible at this intricate Bailliwood dance but it was fun none the less.
Then we got back to our placement, had lunch, walked around the town, had a speaker come talk to us about the Shinning Path, because what I was unaware of was that it basically started in Ayacucho, the town where I am! But the Shinning Path isn't a problem anymore after a huge civil war in the 80s.
Today is Wednesday, I couldn't finish my blog yesterday bc of the computer situation, but today we don't go to the prison because it's visiting day every Wednesday so Mimi and I are going to the orphanage then we have a tour of the Inca ruins set up which should be super cool!
peace out
ps this weekend we're going to the coast to see the Nasca Lines from an airplane!!! so freaking cool!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Entry #2, Day 2 in Ayacucho
Here I am in Ayacucho, Peru and it couldn´t be more beautiful. I´m at this internet cafe where the computers and speed are from 1980 but that´s fine because I don´t plan on spending much time here. Anyway, getting here was in itself an adventure. I spend the night in the airport, so I can check that off my list! I had emailed with my group before and we agreed to meet in the food court, which wasn´t hard to find, but I was the first to arrive and everyone was getting in to Lima almost 3 hours after me. . . awesome. So there I was sitting in the Starbucks, trying to get by in my broken spanish. I order an iced tea only to remember halfway through that I wasn´t supposed to order anything with ice, so mistake #1 check. Then I had the whole Lima Airport Starbucks staff calling me ´New York´ which was funny until all the paying customers joined in as well.
But by 1:30 am I´m was worried I was in the wrong place because the rest of my group was no where to be found. around 2 I did find them and we all click so well!! There are 8 of us total, and one guy, named Jon. Poor Jon, I told him to write a book or something after speinding 2 full weeks staight with just girl! There were 3 other girls who will overlap with us one week, then go home for the holidays. Our group has decided to do a secret santa for xmas which should be fun!ç
Okay about Ayacucho! So we left Lima at 6 am, so I had be awake for about 24 hours at that point, but we took this small plane through the Andes at sunrise and it was amazing, the clouds were low but the peaks were exposed it was so beautiful. Our landing was a bit sketchy, it was at the beginning of a clif so if the pilot had been a little off, SPLAT, into the side of the mountain, but we were lucky. we´re going down the runway which is the so bumpy it makes one of the oxygen masks launch out of the ceiling onto a passanger. we´re in baggage claim and i realize that i´ve forgotten something from the plane, I take off running back through the doors only to be chased down by the policia because they thought I was trying to do something dangerous. it was a rough morning to say the lease.
But Ayacucho is just amazing. It is surrounded completely by mountains and we´re a good 9000 feet up, which didn´t effect me at all but made a bunch of ppl really sick when we got here. the town is small but very poverished. the older women wear traditional peruvian clothes. the homebase is acually very nice. there are some 12 rooms with 2 bunks in each, I´m rooming with Mimi, whose from England and Kathryn whose from South Carolina, they´re wonderful, but so is everyone else in the group!! Yesterday we went exploring in the afternoon and after about 2 hours we went to this cafe to get a drink and it downpoured on us. . . i have never seen rain like this. we should have brough a boat with us because it would have been easier than a car to get back to the home base. the waitress Anna, who´s english was amazing, kept asking us if we were scared and that the rain would probably last a few hours!! we were expecting her to say a few mins or something but nope 4 hours later it was dinner time!!
Today we went around to the volunteer locations which was really awesome to see where almost everyone was going to be. One place we went, the children´s house the three boys had locked the ´mama´out and drank the biggest bottle of cocacola to them selves and were so freaking cute. the mama had been locked out for an hour! haha those three boys were going to be trouble for our volunteer. Then we went to a clinic where a woman was actually having a baby, but with one doctor and one nurse we were hoping for the best for her. last we visited the outside of the prison. apparently it is the most rewarding place to work because most of the women are tricked into drug trafficking or wrongfully accused. I am actually really pumped to be working with them because the three other girls who we´re over laping with, 2 of them work there are cried today about leaving! tomorrow is day 1 in the prison.
this computer is so old and the connection is so slow that i need to get off to insure that this will go through! hope you, again who ever reads this, enjoyed reading about my first day.
until next time
heath
But by 1:30 am I´m was worried I was in the wrong place because the rest of my group was no where to be found. around 2 I did find them and we all click so well!! There are 8 of us total, and one guy, named Jon. Poor Jon, I told him to write a book or something after speinding 2 full weeks staight with just girl! There were 3 other girls who will overlap with us one week, then go home for the holidays. Our group has decided to do a secret santa for xmas which should be fun!ç
Okay about Ayacucho! So we left Lima at 6 am, so I had be awake for about 24 hours at that point, but we took this small plane through the Andes at sunrise and it was amazing, the clouds were low but the peaks were exposed it was so beautiful. Our landing was a bit sketchy, it was at the beginning of a clif so if the pilot had been a little off, SPLAT, into the side of the mountain, but we were lucky. we´re going down the runway which is the so bumpy it makes one of the oxygen masks launch out of the ceiling onto a passanger. we´re in baggage claim and i realize that i´ve forgotten something from the plane, I take off running back through the doors only to be chased down by the policia because they thought I was trying to do something dangerous. it was a rough morning to say the lease.
But Ayacucho is just amazing. It is surrounded completely by mountains and we´re a good 9000 feet up, which didn´t effect me at all but made a bunch of ppl really sick when we got here. the town is small but very poverished. the older women wear traditional peruvian clothes. the homebase is acually very nice. there are some 12 rooms with 2 bunks in each, I´m rooming with Mimi, whose from England and Kathryn whose from South Carolina, they´re wonderful, but so is everyone else in the group!! Yesterday we went exploring in the afternoon and after about 2 hours we went to this cafe to get a drink and it downpoured on us. . . i have never seen rain like this. we should have brough a boat with us because it would have been easier than a car to get back to the home base. the waitress Anna, who´s english was amazing, kept asking us if we were scared and that the rain would probably last a few hours!! we were expecting her to say a few mins or something but nope 4 hours later it was dinner time!!
Today we went around to the volunteer locations which was really awesome to see where almost everyone was going to be. One place we went, the children´s house the three boys had locked the ´mama´out and drank the biggest bottle of cocacola to them selves and were so freaking cute. the mama had been locked out for an hour! haha those three boys were going to be trouble for our volunteer. Then we went to a clinic where a woman was actually having a baby, but with one doctor and one nurse we were hoping for the best for her. last we visited the outside of the prison. apparently it is the most rewarding place to work because most of the women are tricked into drug trafficking or wrongfully accused. I am actually really pumped to be working with them because the three other girls who we´re over laping with, 2 of them work there are cried today about leaving! tomorrow is day 1 in the prison.
this computer is so old and the connection is so slow that i need to get off to insure that this will go through! hope you, again who ever reads this, enjoyed reading about my first day.
until next time
heath
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Entry #1: Preparations for Peru
Wednesday Dec 9, 2009
As you - who ever you are - know I will be volunteering my time and energy in Ayacucho, Peru. But what most of you don't know is that I was placed working in a women's prison - is that a joke. Hence the name Peruvian Penitentiary PenPal. . . I will be working with the women and the children of the prison, helping them with arts and crafts, keeping the children entertained but most importantly teaching/helping the women create crafts to sell in the markets so they know the legal way to make a living. Drug trafficking is the main reason the women are in the prison. I am nervous but more than excited about helping these women and children have a better, LEGAL life.
I will write on this blog as often as possible so that people can follow and see how life in the prison is treating me! Comment if you'd like, if not I hope I can entertain you with some stories from my adventures!!
Until next time,
Heather
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