Play Night

27 Mayo 05

Play night and a packed house here at the refugio. The children are so excited in their full costume and makeup and end up doing a fantastic job performing for their parents, professors and friends...we are left awfully proud...Nearly all of the children leave with a family member...crazy pots of jam...(Dan borrowed the computer for a moment...) after the performance to spend the weekend with them and we are left with a very quiet house here.

Kike, Rosemary, Ruth and Marcus are the only children that remain. With the addition of Angelica´s family that live on site, Lucy and Manuel, myself, Dan, Ibar and Maria, who joins us for the evening. We all head to the children´s school where a community gathering is taking place...musica and dance folklorica, and Ruth is performing.

I kick myself for forgeting my camera...believe it or not...as Ruth was dressed in traditional Peruvian costuming. I danced around to the music with sweet little Kike on my shoulders...we kept the little ones up until they were ready to drop and then made our way home. Sweet Lucy prepared us a late evening meal and we all sat together over drinks.

28 Mayo 05

Joined Jose, Briged and Javier to discuss one of Javier´s current environmental projects, his was also the sustainable school project. Fascinating guy. He gave me a ton of useful information on local flora and I was able to pepper him with questions about the refuge site water systems, local resources for material donations, native vegetation, books and website resources. Afterwards he spared me the two hour bus journey to Lima by giving me a lift to meet up with the gents, Ursula, and Padre Hilario for lunch.

The guys had a brief discussion with Hilario about the two children that were the next hopeful placements at the refuge...after two months they still have yet to arrive. We have been given several different stories about why they aren´t here yet...Mostly that there was difficulty in obtaining birth certificates, etc.

Turns out it is the ridiculously over-complicated, crap politics of an unqualified group of board members arguing about this and that while these two children are currently being abused in their current situation...why can´t such matters be resolved simply and proptly?

None of these board members wants to be held responsible for the decision making and therefore point their fingers at the other members of the board. Now it appears that these two children may not be able to come to the refuge afterall. One last hope is to speak directly with Carole in the UK to raise up a fuss...there is really very little to loose though it may piss off a few people here...stepping on toes.

Came back to the refuge quite late this evening and repeatedly rang the bell to no avail. Not sure if anyone is actually here this weekend or not. Dan ends up scaling the 15 foot wall after I attempt it and land on my tush in the dirt street. Spry gent that he is. Its lonely and quiet here with the exception of all of the neighborhood dogs that we have managed to wake...

...Now all is quiet and I am refreshed from a brief nap in the cab ride home on Dan´s lap and I lay on the trampoline searching the cloud covered sky for stars by myself...

Dress Rehearsal

24 Mayo 05

Walked the children to school this morning and was unexpectedly asked to judge a speech competition in front of the entire school. Based upon clarity, supportive gestures, creativity and comfort of speech. Two of our little ones were participating...hard not to be swayed by them...

25 Mayo 05

Discovered that our two children both happened to come in first place in the competition...I swear we were objective....people are raising their eyebrows as they think that the cards were stacked...

Spent most of the day painting a back drop of Machu Picchu for the children´s play, interupted by me making my hugest ever batch of fresh salsa, using fresh ajis...(Shawny you have got to try these! Our chili competition is never going to be the same...I plan to smuggle some killer chilis back for you!) Overall, the only ones that seemed to care much for it was the volunteers here....much too pica for the others....isn´t it always the case with my food?

A quick trip to Puente Piedre for some last minute items for the play and I have a couple new observations...First, is yet another comment on just how much I seem to stand out around here. It just never ceases to amaze me. It´s like I am from another planet...the blue eyes, the light hair, the skin colour, my height (believe it or not 5´ 5" is tall here). Children literally grab their mum´s hands, desperatly attempting to gain their attention, stare wide mouthed and point at me....While the mother says something like "Look, it´s a Gringa!" with equal excitement, I feel like a monkey in a zoo sometimes!

Returning to the refuge by bus...another unique experience. A good old traditional Peruvian bus ride as it was loaded well over capacity...all seats occupied, every "standing space only" spot taken, all of us crushed together "don´t be shy" close and the bus door can´t close as two others are hanging out of it holding onto a railing.

This is the setting when the two gents next to me decide to start brawling. I was looking at the two as they furiously tongue lashed eachother, pushing and shoving, when I realized that I was most likely going to get hit myself at some point and that, as I had very little choice in the matter due to the circumstances, I would prefer the blow to the back of the head than to the face...fortunatly the crowd forced one of the guys off of the bus before too much more happened...

Dress rehearsal for the play this evening and the kids look fantastic. Their excitement seems to result in a much better delivery even. Friday will be the big night...some of the children´s parents will come, all of their professors have been invited, as well as loads of additional friends, etc...All accompanied by family. We have no idea how many will actually attend, though we suspect quite a group. We have prepared programs, treat bags and plan to purchase flowers for all of the children in congratulations for all of their hard work. Can´t wait!

In Lima once again

23 Mayo 05

This morning over breakfast I was asked quite seriously by Dan..."Rebecca, if you were a pot of jam, what flavor would you be?" Insert Dan and Ibar patiently awaiting my answer with straight faces and Rebecca questioning whether or not she had heard these two lunatic friends of hers correctly...pause...deep breath..."ummm...maybe strawberry or blueberry?" Having two options was not very satisfying to Dan and Ibar. They were left none the wiser by my answer and I continue to break into fits of giggles at their abstract sense of humor...

And, on to the next tangent...though completely unrelated to the previous one and spurred primarily by a conversation with a fat Irish guy from the consulate in Miraflores while we attempted to get Ibar´s stolen passport reissued...

Sometimes I feel like people just don´t deserve to hear about the refuge and the conditions in Las Laderas. As when they have asked me about my work here in Peru, I begin to explain and they respond disinterested with a "yeah, yeah, yeah...big problem..." while they look around themselves distracted. Absolutely uninterested about the current conditions of their own country, as they pat their fat bellies and wear their nice clothes, they obviously don´t give a shit and can´t be bothered. These people don´t deserve to hear about the special experiences I have had here, the beautiful people that I have met, and the tender place that is Zapallel and Las Laderas...and therefore I will refuse to share it with them and keep it locked away from them within my heart...I am catching a cold and feeling a bit moody today...

Then this sends me into my next tangent...one I haven´t written about yet as I was so disappointed to the overall response that I had gotten to my journal entry entitled "Las Laderas".

I am definitely willing to admit that my writing skills are far from spectacular but I try my best to describe my experiences in the hopes of sharing a bit of my heart with everyone that should like to read about my adventures here...That particular entry was a heart felt one that I wept most of the way through as it was incredibly difficult to revisit.

One bit of the entry touched on a struggling clash between two very important entities in my life, the volunteer work that I am doing here in Peru and the morals behind my chosen Vegan diet. Unfortunately, in the greater scheme of the experience, my diet played a very small role in that entry and yet was the overwhelming focus of response...which broke my heart. Now I wonder if there really is any way that anyone other than those that are experiencing this with me could actually begin to understand the desperation here. In general, it made me feel quite alone.

I am certain that it is my sarcastic nature that warranted the responses that I received and that I failed to represent my experiences properly and I only hope that the entry might be revisited with fresh eyes by those who care to read it as it would mean a lot to me...

With my cold induced crabbiness out of the way, I move on to the next topic...

Crazy taxi ride back to Zapallel - the taxi was overheating the entire ride and we were forced to stop three times to put additional water into the radiator. The driver kept shutting off the engine and coasting while driving down the Panamericana to let it cool momentarily...in addition the motor was knocking as if it had only one more drop of oil left in it and the transmission sounded as if it was a moment away from dropping out of the vehicle...I wished him luck on his return to Lima.

Kids were absolutely estatic to see us upon our return, Nearly as pleased as I was to see them. Run down by little ones climbing us like trees and smothering us with kisses-strangling us with hugs...I love them.

Gringos, Ica, Nasca y Pisco

19 Mayo 05

Headed to Lima...again...to snag a bus to Nasca. I plan to meet Dan and Ibar there in a day or two. I just love traveling around by myself for a while (though sometimes it can be scary as hell!). It forces me to speak the language and I love being able to decide my own schedule...in the same breath...I miss the gents tremendously and really look forward to seeing them soon.

The bus ride...I thought that I would be the only Gringa...turns out there was a Gringo that was very conveniently seated next to me. Stick the Gringos together! Darrin turned out to be a really sweet guy from Dublin, Ireland...a very handsome companion as well...

We chatted the entire trip down to Ica, his destination, at which point I impulsively jumped off of the bus, raced into the bus station to get information on whether or not I could catch a later bus to Nasca the following day. Darrin had lured me with promises of the Ica Oasis in the desert and Piña Coladas by the poolside...but...there was no bus that would arrive in Nasca in time to meet the gents. So...I got back on the bus and continued on my way.

So, now, here I am...all by my lonesome hoping for a little bit of trouble to liven up my first evening in Nasca....

Um...I found it! It came in the form of two Mormon missionaries from Utah...I was nearly molested by them! Needless to say, I excused myself from that situation very quickly and went back to my hotel to find, none other than...Darrin waiting for me in the hotel lobby. Creepy or just plain cool? Turned out to be just plain cool, I think he just wanted to hang out with someone else.

We had a great night out, dinner and drinks, then on to check out some unavoidable live music that was blaring until 3am at the hospital across the street from our hostel (a bloody hospital of all places...insert geriatrics wobbling about with walkers...how did all the sick people sleep?)

Got completely abused/scammed at the hostel. I was shown a room and told that it would cost 30 soles with breakfast included (as it turned out, it wasn´t included when I attempted to get it in the morning). I stepped out for a beer and came back to my things all moved into a broken up, closet sized room that had a window wide open just above my backpack which just so happened to contain all of my important documents, camera, etc...I was absolutely livid and made a huge fuss with the owner...unfortunately it was just too late and I was just too tired to demand my money back and find another hotel at that hour...tomorrow I will be energized enough to raise a bit of hell.

20 Mayo 5

So sleepy, I wake after only four hours of very interrupted sleep with earplugs in to prepare to collect the gents at the bus stop. I set out but am told by the guy at the front desk that they have yet again missed their bus and that they will not be joining me in Nasca until the following morning. So, I head out to breakfast, after being denied the "free desayuno" in my hostel, with Darrin who was awaiting the weather to clear for his morning flight over the Nasca Lines.

While chatting over breakfast three locals in a car hop out and come into the restaurant asking if I was Daniel...not the last time I checked...I said my friends name was Daniel at which point they let me know that he and Ibar had arrived in Nasca and checked into an alternate hotel. Are they here or not?...Yep! Big hugs and smootches, I am really happy to see them both.

Unfortunate news, however, Ibar has had his backpack lifted in Arequipa. He has lost all of the most important items, his glasses, his passport, etc., etc. What shit luck. Now he has to contact the Consulate to see if he can replace his passport before he leaves Peru on the 3rd of June as there is no way he will be allowed to enter the United States en route to England without it.

After attempting a few phone calls we headed to the airport and boarded a 6 seater airplane in which to fly over the Nasca Lines.

An absolutely incredible feat, the Nasca Lines span about 500 square kilometers in the Pampa Colorada. They were made by the removal of the black stones from the desert´s surface and with the piling of them on either side of the lines exposing the light in colour gypsum soil below. There are elaborate animal designs...a lizard (180 meters in length), a huge monkey, a condor (130 meters across), a killer whale, a hummingbird, a spider and this alien-like figure which creeped me out a bit....Dave, they really are out there, even the people of Nasca were trying to contact them!

Their purpose is still a total mystery, though there are a few different speculations. One is that they are some kind of astrological calendar developed for agricultural purposes. Others say that the people of Nasca knew how to construct hot air balloons and that they used them to observe the designs from the air...that guy has probably been admitted to a psychiatric ward in my humble opinion...Yet others think that they were created and dedicated to the worship of water in this sun-baked desert...which is ironic because the Nasca culture met its demise due to an immense rainfall...

In the afternoon this fantastic boat of an old Dodge shows up to our hostal, 1972 olive green with gold detailing...Serious bling! This grinning Peruvian gets out with the hugest, most perfectly round belly, with booming laughter and wide bright energetic eyes! His name is Jesus! He gave us a tour of some of the local highlights here in Nasca, with repeated claims to be the local specialist! What a character.

He brought us to tour a local ceramics factory...not so interesting and the guy presenting his work seemed absolutely bored stiff with us. Then a gold processing center that was quite interesting. The process seemed rather complicated and involved what appeared to be rather terrible mining conditions and the handling of mercury. The most interesting part of it was the final filtration part of extracting the ore from the rock which involved the use of a large scale mortar and pestle if you will, designed large enough for a person to stand on top of it and rock back and forth on a huge stone crushing a mixture of minerals and water beneath them in the large manmade bowl. They rock back and forth in the most artful way...they appear to be dancing. Apparently after several hours of this process the ore and mercury sink to the bottom of the "bowl" being the heaviest...it seemed like a lot of work.

Then on to the cemetery of Chauchula on the outskirts of Nasca where we walked around a series of old tombs that had been opened and ransacked by tomb robbers and scattered haphazardly across the desert at one point. The tombs date back to between 1000 and 1300. The mummies have now been rearranged inside of various tombs with clothing fragments, bones and pottery still scattered all over the earth outside of the tombs...Overall really eerie and I felt really wierd traipsing about on top of and through this cemetary.

Later that evening we headed to a lecture at the Maria Reiche Planetarium on the Nasca Lines. Absolutely stunning show...would be an incredible date spot! After the show the lecturer allowed us to view Jupiter and four of its surrounding moons through this amazing telescope he had...I have decided that I now need one! We were able to zoom in to Jupiter close enough to fill the eyepiece with the entire planet, witnessing its crystalline surface...it made my belly flop as it was so stunning and I had a nonstop smile on my face, not sure I have ever experienced anything like that before. I kept sneaking to the back of the line to view it one more time! Currently adding one more must have to my next partner in crime...must have a telescope!

Off to a beautiful local restaurant where we ate huge portions of local food for the equivalent of $3 followed by beer and more mad skill lacking sessions of pool.

21 May 05

Found Jesus (just like saying that!) for a 7am tour of the Paradones Ruins, then on to a viewing place down the road that just happened to be another cemetery...it is so wierd to walk through scattered bones, ribs, skulls, pottery (which I contemplate knicking to bring home to Dad but can´t force myself to do so...it just seems so wrong). From here we were able to view, as the people of Nasca did, long lines on the soils surface and triangles delineating the direction of water sources.

Off to the Cantallo Aqueducts. These are still in working order and used for the irrigation of nearby agricultural fields. A series of spiraled (for air intake) and concentric circles (for air output) both descending into the earth over the aqueducts. These spiraling ventanas (windows) are still used today by the locals to clean the aqueducts out.

Bid Jesus goodbye and gathered our things to load a bus to Ica then to Pisco. The bus had some fantastic music playing. Dan asked what the name of the musician was and the bus driver took the tape out, which was an unmarked copy, and gave it to us to keep. Now we need to figure out who it is that is playing on it, high hopes that Manuel can help us out.

We get into Pisco, and immediately get a hostel that has a full game room as well as a swimming pool! Pool tables, table tennis, and Fooseball sessions then Dan and I brave the swimming pool which turns out to be quite nice though I had to do it in my underwear!

22 Mayo 05

Picked up at half seven to tour the Islas Ballestas by boat. We saw the Candelabra, a giant figure carved into the coastal sand dunes (150 meters high by 50 meters wide). Again, one can only speculate what its purpose was... some connect it with the Nasca Lines, some say it was a navigational guide for ancient sailors, others yet say that it was linked to the star constellation - The Southern Cross. Still others think that it represents the local Peyote Cactus.

I bought a new baseball cap especially for this boat trip as you are gaurenteed to get pegged by one of the many guano producing birds on the island. Guano is in fact what is harvested from these islands as it is great for the local agriculture and is so thick on the islands that they are continually white in colour. (I resist saying that would be a shitty job...and fail) We saw arches and caves, sea lions, dolphins, pelicans, penguins, the Guanay Cormorant and the Peruvian Booby...sounds a bit naughty doesn´t it?

We wrapped up our day with a visit to the Reserva Nacional de Paracas. Lovely desert landscape and cliff side views over the ocean. Our guide gave me several tiny clam shells that he said were four or five million years old (that seems like a lot of time for error if you ask me). Beautiful rock colours, rich in various minerals, producing rich tones of reds, greens, yellows and blacks...local Peruvian colours.

Lunch at what the gents refer to as a fantastic restaurant. Fish pulled out of the sea only meters away...fresh ceviche...the rabbit ate a squishy salad fortified by Cusqueña...sometimes you have to make the best of things! The sun warms my body, I smell and hear the ocean and sounds of a sexy, smoky voiced Peruvian man playing drums, guitar, and belting out Musica Negra...dressed in his proper clothes looking like Stevie Wonder...warrants a ten sole note from me.

Hopeful bus back to Lima only to end in disappointment as we were unable to see Star Wars III and there was no fried yucca to be found.

Care Packages Anyone?

17 May 05

Jose took me to the Fe y Alegrio No. 43 - La Salle School today. We spent the whole afternoon touring the local school that he works at four days a week. It is run primarily with principles of sustainability.

All of the refuse collected at the school is recycled and turned into compost for the plants on site. The school experiments with different types of compost for different plants striving to find the ideal mixture for each. I was able to visit their huge hydroponics garden which was absolutely beautiful, made of very cheap, recycled materials. I am now thinking of how we could incorporate many of these principles into the refugio site, it would be relatively easy to pull off and could be quite beautiful as well.

Spanish check....it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to speak in English here which makes me absolutely thrilled! Even though my Spanish is still horrible, it is now the language that I am beginning to think in and reach for first....which makes me very, very happy!

After leaving Jose and getting off at the bus stop, I began walking back to the refugio. Two young boys I didn´t recognize, Paul 15 and Fernando 19, quickly caught up to me and began walking me home. They must have recognized the local gringa because they knew exactly where I lived in Zapallal. Though they didn´t talk to me for quite some time...I believe they were accompanying me home, making certain I was safe and sound. Very sweet!

Today is Naysha´s birthday, (so many birthdays!) so Lucy made yet another lovely birthday cake, a pineapple cake this time. I bought a tiny regalo for Naysha this morning at the marcado, a little bag of butterfly clips for her hair and snuck it into her hand after the children´s dinner which made her get all coy and giggly.

Alana and I were invited to Bridgette´s house for dinner so we made our way to Puenta Piedre to try to find her house which proved difficult and we were, as a result, half an hour late....we claimed we were just following the Peruvian way! Bridgette´s house is huge and lovely and she has a beautiful rooftop garden all to herself...she only pays about $115 a month for it!

Jose joined us for dinner, then walked Alana and I to the bus stop. Alana and I stopped to play pool at a tiny shop just down the street from the refugio...yet another Peruvian pool table....the pockets were incredibly small and the table was warped....I am blaming the extreme length of our game on those two things and sticking to it!

18 May 05

I have been contacted by a new friend, Don Ball Carbajal, who stumbled across my blog recently. On Don Ball Carbajal´s South American blog site I have learned of a website that you use to ship a weeks worth of staple foods to people in Peru. Inspired by the following excerpt from his journal and the many requests that I have received from my friends and family to ship packages of goods to the refugio, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to get people to send these care packages here to the refuge as well as to the community that I visited in Las Laderas.

Don Ball Carbajal wrote....
´What I find fascinating is that besides ordering every kind of consumer product imaginable, you can use Iquiero to stock someone's pantry. They offer baskets of staple ingredients at several price points. The biggest basket costs $52 and includes the items below. For someone living and working in the U.S., $52 would seem like a pittance, yet it could set up a loved one with enough groceries for a week (remember, big families). If one could find the name and address of a family that is struggling to feed their kids (and believe me there are lots of them) , it would be a lot of fun to surprise them with a gift like this. It would be the "random acts of kindness" thing, done up e-commerce style. Anyone game? I'm sure I could dig up some names from my friends...The "Complete" Grocery Basket, from Iquiero.com

3 cans of tuna
1 pack of soda crackers
3 bags of rice
2 bags of sugar
2 bottles of cooking oil
3 bags of beans
2 packs of noodles
1 bag of oatmeal
1 jar of marmelade
1 bag of table salt
1 jar of mustard
1 bottle of ketchup
1 bag of flour
6 cans of evaporated milk
1 large can of coffee
1 can of cocoa
1 can of peaches
1 can of fruit salad
1 can of spaghetti sauce
1 can of gelatin
1 envelope of chicken bullion
1 box of chocolate pudding
1 envelope of pudding
1 bottle of vinegar´

For the full journal entry, please see Don Ball Carbajal´s blog at http://sajournal.blogspot.com/

Anyone interested in participating in this? These baskets can be shipped either here to the refuge care of Lucinda Taboada Peña De Odar or to Rosa Romero Sancho for distribution to the many families in need in Los Laderas at...

Lucinda Taboada Peña De Odar
Proyecto Peru
Mz. P2 Lt4 Calle Santa Patricia
El Dorado - Zapallal
Puente Piedra
Lima 22
00.51.1.5502209 Refuge phone number

Rosa Romero Sancho
Mz. E Lote 19
Las Lederas de Chillon
Peru
00.51.1.5510015 Rosa`s phone number

Feliz Cumpleaños y Discotechs

13 May 05

Friday the 13th and everything is grand here in Zapallal!

Spent the morning studying the site and attempted to do some work which proves incredibly difficult to do when you have dozens of children that want to play dozens of different games with you at the same time!

I have come to realize that most of my work will most likely take place once I leave Peru. So, for now I play, study, and learn...

Alana, Maria, and I went to Puenta Pierdre today. Maria needed ingredients at the market for the weekend´s meals, I needed more fabrics and materials for costumes and wanted to purchase the fabric that Lucy was oogling at, I also bought the ingredients to make a monster apple crisp for the kids.

I spoke to Lucy and Manuel about doing Yoga sessions with the children and they are super supportive of it, so I will hold my first Yoga class tomorrow morning in the Cholsa.

What an incredibly huge apple crisp I made, it had to feed nearly forty...absolutely enormous! It tasted great if you ask me, though two children started complaining of stomach aches before bedtime....please don´t let it be because of my cooking! The children where eyeing me suspiciously but kept assuring me that it wasn´t my torta!

Another run through for the play, the kids are getting so good! We will hold a dress rehearsal soon as the costumes are getting close to being completed! Lucy is a whiz with the sewing machine and I am as slow as a turtle and probably cause more problems for her than I help! She is incredibly patient with me.

14 May 05

Serious face painting session for the children today, took the entire morning to get through everyone! We had butterflies, Geishas, Batman, Spiderman, monsters, clowns (scarey!), etc. The kids just loved it! Lots of great photographs to post at some point.

Spent a couple of hours getting my photos organized and uploaded today. The kids were totally intrigued with photographs of my Peruvian adventures with Dan and Ibar, photos of my family and friends, and love to see images of themselves, so I organized a bit of a photo viewing for them.

Lucy made one of her infamous cakes for Angelica´s birthday tomorrow. The children taught me how to make a special frosting for it...the cake turned out beautifully, they decorated it with tiny, brightly coloured candies.

Alana and I left the refuge to tear up the town for a bit with a friend of hers. We snagged the refuge key so we didn´t have to wake the entire neighborhood upon our return to the refuge (there is a super loud bell that rings to get someone to open the front gate).

After collecting Maria in Santa Rosa, we took about seven different bus´s to our final destination, which had about a dozen different discotechas. We settled on one that boasted Salsa, Merengue, and Techno. Our dancing caused quite a ruckus with the locals, Alana said that people were trying to mimic our dance moves...they will surely be all the rage next weekend at the discos!

We flailed like absolute idiots!....fortunately, no one knows us here...Everyone dances in couples here and they seem to have one dance step that prevails over every dance genre. It was really refreshing to have guys continuously approach us asking us to dance, very chivalrous, you never see that in the U.S.

Maria turned out to be quite a spitfire...I will have to hang out with her again, it was her birthday the night we went out. Her boyfriend was fantastic buying us flowers and drinks, as well as being a hell of a dance partner! He and Maria had concocted a plan to bring dates-dance partners for us that evening...unknown to us...

Alana is absolutely fantastic, its great to have another crazy female to let my hair down with. A much needed night out on the town! We stumbled back to the refuge around 3am, let ourselves in, topped the night off with a quick trampoline session as the roosters began their crowing....which set me into an absolute fit of giggles...then bedtime...needless to say we slept very late the next morning for the first time since I arrived in Peru.

15 May 05

Very late start to the day...up in time to snag a bus to Lucy and Manuel´s for a beautiful lunch with them, their four sons, and corresponding wives.

Lucy brought out dozens of photos that dated back to when she and Manuel were first married. The family history...

Their home was beautiful and their family was absolutely lovely. Two of the women were expecting little ones in a couple of months.

In Peru, the women move into the man´s family home when they marry, at which point a new story will be constructed above the parent´s home for each son´s new family. Its really lovely how close the families remain.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention...the lovely birthday cake for Angelica was madly consumed by one crazed group of chocolate faced children just after breakfast....I´m surprised it lasted that long honestly!

Alana and I brought a huge bunch of fresh flowers back for Angelica´s birthday...which only spurred her more to do something even more special for our evening meal. It makes everyone here so happy when they can do something special for you. I feel so fussed over and guilty about it but there is nothing you can do about it except be gracious as otherwise its insulting.

Refuge Site Description Minus Site Plan

A description of the Refugio for Isabel´s input and to describe future site construction and Rebecca´s current work here...

´This may prove a bit difficult but I will attempt to explain some information about the site and feel free to ask as many questions as you want! It is incredibly difficult to do any work on the plans here as I constantly have half a dozen little monkies pulling me away from my work! I think that most of my work will have to take place when I get back to the States, so for now, I mostly study the site, talk with the local Architect, study local materials and plants and learn more about what the people here want and need.

To begin with, the plans that you have seen...the buildings are either completely new or additions to existing structures. The existing buildings will have newly built second floors now to house more children and to provide space for additional volunteers. For the most part the first floors will provide space for community workshop spaces, gathering spaces for the children, kitchens, libraries, dining areas, administration, and classrooms.

Beginning with the ´PLANTA GENERAL 1-100 PRIMER PISO´ sheet...(North is in the upper right hand corner of the plan)

In the lower left the ´Taller´ is essentially a community room or gathering workshop for the children and community and will probably host things like performances and community educational classes. Outside, the ´Miradors´ are open air patios that have an overhead structure...these can be designed as seen fit, in fact, suggestions can be made to any and all of the development for that matter as they are very open to my comments. There are no plans for a second story for this building.

The existing building above the ´Taller´ entitled Almacen (primarily storage space), Comedor (dining area), Cocina (Kitchen), Biblioteca (library) won´t have a second floor either and does have an overhead structure proposed. This building is currently used as the primary meeting space for the children and is very important as it is where all of the little ones gather for absolutely everything, meals are a hugely important gathering time for them.

Above that in plan are existing bathrooms for the girls and boys with the primary drinking water source located outside of it (to its right), designated by a double square on the plan.
Above the bathrooms, there is the existing buildings, currently being used as dormitories for the girls which will become storage rooms (Almecen) and class room space (Salon de Clase) on the first floor. The second floor to this building will be all dormitory space and bathrooms for the children.

This building shares an open air hallway and staircase with the building to its right which will be solely used as dormitories and bathrooms for the children, both floors. There are proposed overhead structures for these buildings as you can see on the plan.

Above the dormitories, you will see a ´Silo´ designated on the plan. This is currently an outhouse or bathroom that is no longer in use and I will propose that it is filled in and taken down as it is no longer necessary.

Above the ´Silo´ is a lovely ´Rotunda´ placed upon several terraces of earth and built stone walls. This ´Rotunda´ serves as an outdoor classroom and entertainment area (our morning yoga sessions!) for the children and is definitley a highlight for the site. There is opportunity all around it, however, for additions and plantings, etc. Not shown on the plan is a stairway that enters the rotunda through the terracing entering from the NE.

Above the ´Rotunda´ is a ´Chancheria´ which translates to a pig sty...I will also try to discourage this idea as it is really the last thing the kids need here...I may suggest a place for chickens so that the children can collect fresh eggs instead...Several of these children shared sleeping space with pigs in the past, its the last thing that they need here!

Moving to the right of the ´Rotunda´ is the ´Pozo´ which is an existing well that contains polluted water that can be used to water plants and trees on site. We can run a relatively simple drip irrigation system to vegetation.

To its right is a proposed multi use sports field....the kids adore sports of all kind, especially volleyball, basketball, and soccer. They also have a trampoline that was donated to the refuge that will need to be properly located.

At the far right of the plan, below the sports field is an eternally locked entry gate onto the site and the entire site is surrounded by a brick wall that is about 15 feet high for security reasons. I would like to see this gate used as the only car access to the site, if they insist on a need it for that, with parking for a possible 1-3 cars (I am trying very hard to keep cars offsite, but it is being argued!)

Below the gate is a new building that will be used for dormitories and bathrooms, both the first and second floors. Off to the right of, and connected to the dormitory space will be another large event space-classroom area (Salon de Juegos) with its corresponding overhead structures.
This dormitory building will similarly share an open air hallway and stairway with the building located below it in plan. This is an existing building that will be reconstructed with a second floor that will house volunteers and volunteer space. The first floor of the building will be for administration, reception areas, meeting spaces, classroom space, and have an additional dining area and kitchen for the children.

In plan there are two additional rooms shown that have been decided against. One is labeled as ´Tienda´ (originally proposed as a shop for the children to sell baked goods, though this would have meant that they unfairly got up each morning at about 3am to bake!), the other room is located to its left. These, along with this gate entry will be removed from the plan and become an additional garden (´jardin´) space for shade and quite activities and relaxation.
Finally, to the left of this administration building is the current primary entrance to the site, a.k.a. the front door and main street address.

As to the open spaces and the needs here...

The primary courtyard is, of course, located in the middle of all of the new and proposed buildings. This is were the children spend the majority of thier outdoor time. Aside from a great place for the kids, I envision a plaza area, seating and shade structures, with paving material (to cut down on all of the dirt, dust and pests, including Scorpions!) and a possible water feature, etc. It is such a lovely entry possibility, being the first thing that everyone sees upon waking and entering the site.

The open space between the children´s dormitories, the sports field and the entry gate is currently used for the children´s sports field so will now be an opportunity to design, keeping in mind that we may need to, unfortunately, make some space for a couple of cars in this area.
The entire area to the top of the plan, where the ´Rotunda´, the ´Pozo´, and the sports field are located are filled with various fruit trees, this area would benifit greatly from a redesign, of course, and all fruit trees can be relocated easily enough. They have bananas, papaya, mango, etc. etc.

I would love to provide them with all sorts of fruit and vegetable producing plants, both for food production and educational purposes, so I want to propose a vegetable-herb garden which would most likely be located along the terraces of the ´Rotunda´ or below it where the ´Silo´ is currently located.

The entire site has a very slight and even slope (maybe 2%) from the top of the plan to the bottom (in general NW to SW). The soil is very, very bad and most likely highly polluted as all of Zapallal (including the refuge) is built on top of a cemetary which means that all digging on site will unbury loads of skeletons which will need to be discreetly relocated.

There is currently very little (in fact close to none) ground cover and paving and I really want to add a bunch of it because the dirt and dust are incredibly difficult to keep up with and the children and facilities are constantly filthy as a result.

I have uploaded many photos (not really proper site photos, but they might help a bit) of the refuge and children onto my flickr site if you want to review what the place looks like a bit and hope to have additional photos transfered shortly to cd´s so that I can do the same with the proper site photos I have taken recently.

I envision loads of bright colour, Luis Barragon, loads of excitment, art work, Peruvian colours and culture, flower gardens, roof top gardens (they are all accessible and currently host lines for laundry drying), perhaps a bamboo climbing structure or enchanted forest, tree house, interactive, etc....

As to plant materials...I am researching further but they seem very similar to Californian coastal plants and opportunity and need for them is good. The sites enclosing walls are awfully ugly and though the murals that have been painted on some of them in the past were a great idea, they are incredibly difficult to maintain so I think covering them with something like Bouganvillea would be great, providing a living fence with tons of bright colour that is absolutley resiliant to constant attack of these little monkies!

As far as material, everything must be absolutely dirt cheap, recycling materials would be great, as there is very little money to spend. There is a local paving stone, deep grey in colour, slate like colour, that is readily available. Much concrete, bamboo, and adobe brick that has a lovely deep red or grey colour made from the local earth. I will work on getting other materials donated to the refuge for construction as well.

...And that´s the nuts and bolts of it!´

Sand Dunes and Scorpions

11 May 05

Woke completely refreshed and very happy to be here at the refuge. Rushed to clean up and make it to breakfast in time for the morning prayer...the children always seem to include me in their prayers...it grabs my heart each time! The kids are now doing a mad clean up session provoked by an hour long lecture about cleanliness from Lucy and Manuel and I hear it continue now into one and a half hours. Lucy and Manuel are strict but absolutely excellent house parents and threaten to overflow with love for these children. In their absence the older children Joaquin, 18 and Ruth, days away from turning 18, step in to reprimand where needed. And they never abuse this.

Today Lucy and I will go to purchase large quantities of materials for costumes for the children´s upcoming play and I will begin to help her (help or hinder her?) to sew them up. We also plan to get some additional medical tests run for little Kike.

Side track...nearly had a heart attack this morning as I have discovered that Peru is loaded with Scorpions....I witnessed the children crushing one in the yard this morning...found myself extremely relieved that I had no knowledge of their presence during my Inca Trail trekking!

Lucy motions for me now and says ´Vamos´!

At the market Lucy and I pick out massive amounts of fabric and detail accessories for the costumes, I also notice Lucy eyeing one particular fabric that she would like for herself...I make plans of buying that later as well...

I grab a huge bunch of flowers (for a mere 1 sol!) for Lucy as a belated Mother´s Day present for her, the house mother. Lucy´s heart is the size of Texas and she is absolutely sweet as pie!

We spend much of the afternoon sewing costumes together while singing songs...everyone is always so happy here, making the absolute most of every little thing.

In the evening we run through the play again and Kike falls asleep in the middle of it. I pick him up and bring him to his bed...the tiny little tough guy wraps his arms around my neck and nestles his face into my shoulder while I carry him to his bed.

I have learned more about why Kike has been so ill. He has a problem with his lungs - one is very small and unhealthy. Kike´s story isn´t known too well, like that of many of the other children. Apparently he was found searching for food at the assumed age of about four, his real birthday is unknown and he has been given a new one to celebrate, turns out he is almost nine years old and he is just extremely small for his age.

12 May 05

More costume making with Lucy and much research of native plants and materials native to Peru for the future design of the site. Having a bit of difficulty finding information as there isn´t much readily available. I have learned that if I decide to dig on site anywhere, I must be prepared to uncover loads of skeletons as all of Zapallel was at one point a cemetary.

A previous volunteer returned today for a couple of weeks. Alana is very sweet and the kids are absolutely besides themselves with excitement at her brief return.

Lucy, Alana, and I take the children to some makeshift sand dunes which look suspiciously like a dump site with many caution and danger signs surrounding it. We all race up and down the dunes, the kids love it and we are all absolutely filthy with sand in a very short time.

The children are warned to stay away from the Scorpion holes in the sand. Of course, the boys like to provoke them every chance that they get!

Clean up, dinner, then the Comidor is emptied so that we can crank Cuban and Peruvian music to dance to. The kids love it...me included! Once soaked in sweat from dancing...a quiet round of song swapping. The children constantly beg us to sing...I need to learn many more songs, especially since most of the ones that I know or have written are filled with angst and absolutely inappropriate for the children. In this instance I am thankful that they don´t understand much English!

Alana and I spend the remaining hours of the evening chatting with Manuel and Lucy about the corrupt politics that manage to interrupt the lovely flow of the refuge.

Lucy and Manuel, the heart of the refuge, are madly underpaid in the grander scheme of the things and are shown much disrespect in addition. There is talk of people not distributing supplies properly to the refuge and surrounding area and misuse of earned monies as intended...I have quickly discovered that in order to make the most of all donations, it is best to send them directly to Lucy and Manuel.

Home sweet home

9 into the10th May 05

Evening bus ride back to Lima. The gents are Southward bound. I miss them already and I just kissed them goodbye. Greatly looking forward to getting to see the little Mugaloos tomorrow evening however...

Bus ride nearly killed me. Twenty one hours with a hefty Peruvian man occupying his seat as well as half of mine and crushing me up against the window. I think I may have cursed at him during a phase of half sleep-half awake...finally dawn comes and it doesn´t feel half as bad having no sleep as it did during the darkness. What a barren land we are traveling through. Absolutely nothing grows here.

Once the gent next to me wakes, I discover that he is quite a nice guy. Shows me his new tatoo which he can´t even show his own mother because she would ´kill him´, helps me to sort out my luggage as we have discovered it was tagged to go some place other than where I wanted to go.
....finally we are in Lima.

Have I mentioned that it is especially difficult to be a white American woman here by herself? I am getting very tired of being taken advantage of and my politeness has been spent...as a Scorpio my patience level isn´t incredibly high to begin with!

Here is the scenario....

A taxi driver comes up to me to see if I need his services. I asked him how much to get to Zapallel. He says 40 soles, at which point I laugh and decline, knowing that it should cost 25 soles and telling him so. To which he repeatedly says okay to 25 soles and I make him repeat the destination I have given him.

Transaction agreed upon, I get into the car and we manage to make it around the corner before the driver changes everything and says we agreed upon 35 soles....insert Rebecca giving him all sorts of hell to no avail, insisting he stop the cab which only happened because we hit a red light, and an irate Rebecca jumping out of the taxi yelling that his word is bad!...not really sure if that translates well or not!

Okay...second taxi...seems like a trustworthy fatherly type, agrees to 20 soles to the set destination, even says he lives nearby and offers up the name of the refuge as he is familiar with it. He chats me up the entire way and really seemed quite pleasant until he starts playing what I have come to call ´the gringa game´ with me, saying that the destination was much further than I had told him...though he lives nearby and knew of the refuge....hmmm?!

I gave him 23.50 soles - still a great deal for me - telling him that was all I had in my pocket, took my back pack, rang the door bell to the refuge and walked in allowing the driver to bitch all by himself after telling him that his word was shit too...I just couldn´t be bothered with it anymore, it´s the principle that bothers me.

Aaahhh...the little Mugaloos, back home in Zapallel and so happy to see the little ones, though barely enough energy to fully enjoy them. Smothered with hugs and kisses and tickles and questions of how my trip was...sheer happiness.

The remainder of the day was spent catching up, learning that one of my little sweeties, Kike, had been very ill and in the hospital but was beginning to feel much better...super sad because he is normally an absolute fire cracker, accepting anything he interprets as a challenge with a strong and determined clap to the chest and a ´Kike can do it´!

Little tough guy he is with an extra gooey soft spot if you look for it. I found it by learning how to do his favorite whistle, and sharing it with him as soon as I got back to the refuge. Maybe I am crazy, but I think he was impressed with my new skill!

Went to church with Lucy and the children in the evening, we all hold hands and sing and dance on the way there and back. There is always a huge struggle for who gets to hold my hands, my arms will suffice as well and I usually have about six little ones that will be holding onto my hand or arm or hip or petting my hair....starved for affection they are, perfect combination for me!

Church services are very short and lovely - not religious myself, I go solely because I so adore listening to the little ones belt out the hymns while they giggle and watch me struggle with the lyrics in Spanish.

Afterwards, we had a quick run through of the play so that I could see the children´s progress. Lucy and Manuel have obviously been very busy and their efforts show.

Early to bed...I think that I made it until 9pm!

Choquequirau

2 May 05

Took a bus to Chinchero, a tiny little village known as ´the birthplace of the rainbow´ to the Incas, not sure if a village name could get any better than that! Traipsed through the Inca ruins and terraces, large rocks carved into seats and staircases, contrasted by the Colonial Architecture of the local church and the Andean village.

On the bus ride a young musician serenaded us with Peruvian songs of love, accompanied by the Charango, a Peruvian ten string guitar, and a Zampuña, a set of panpipes made of bamboo canes...Musica Folklorica. I would love to have a man sing like that to me. Constantly awe struck by how beautiful the Peruvian people are.

In trying to locate the ruins after getting off of the bus, Dan asked a local gent for directions and we all struck up a conversation.As it turns out, he is a local painter. After wandering around in the sunshine over the ruins we went back to his shop to see his work and meet his wife.

I bought two beautiful Peruvian sweaters made of Alpaca fur and watched as this gent turned his beautiful paintings into woven blankets and wall hangings, mixing loose coloured wool together and placing it in the tapestry little bits at a time, literally painting intricate designs with the coloured wools. They were such a lovely couple.

Afterwards we caught a second bus to Urubamba for a beautiful lunch in the sunshine...lots of lovely Peruvian dishes in a flower filled garden.

Off to visit Ollantaytambo next, another village with a massive Inca fortress clinging to its mountain sides. Such a quaint little village. Lovely little cobblestone streets, a beautiful central square surrounded by tiny shops filled with local handicrafts and markets of fresh produce.

I hiked to the top of the ruins and perched myself on top of a small rock to soak up the afternoon sunshine like a kitten and stare off over the surrounding mountains and valley filled with agricultural lands...a colourful patchwork of fields.

Terrace after agricultural terrace climbing the mountain interrupted only by a long vertical staircase. Intricate water systems chiseled by hand out of the rocky mountain side to ultimately pour into ceremonial baths and fountains.

Ride from psychotic collectivo driver back to Cusco listening to shit 80´s music. Lunatic in the back seat that knew all of the words = more disturbing.

Dinner and a return visit to the Shisha bar for mint Shisha, hot tea, chess, and an excellent and ecclectic selection of music.

4 May 05

Dan, George (one of our guides from our Machu Picchu trek), and I took a bus to Moray this morning. Moray is a deep amphitheatre with different levels of concentric circular terraces, each of which has its own microclimate. Moray was used as a type of crop laboratory to determine optimal conditions for species of Inca plants.

After a brief lunch in a local woman´s house in Moras we hiked to Salinas about an hour away through a hot desert like landscape surrounded by snow capped mountain peaks. We hiked around the salt pans which was amazing.

Used for salt extraction since Inca times, the site has a hot spring at the top of the valley that discharges heavily salt laden water. The water is then diverted into various salt pans then evaporated in the sun. I tasted the water and craved a hot soak, then nibbled on a bit of the salt pieces and craved something sweet.

5 May 05

Up at four am to jump back on the Inca Trail...gluten for punishment. This time we are heading to Choquequirao which is apparently the last refuge of the Incas. It is an immense archeological complex still under dig and restoration.

It is a much more intimate group this time and isn´t structured as Machu Picchu was, which should be quite an adventure. Only me, Dan, and Ibar accompanied by a cook, guide, and someone to care for the horses. My knee is feeling a bit rough, hope there is no ´Dead Woman´s Pass´on this trek.

After getting off of the four hour bus ride we all piled into a taxi...four days worth of food and equipment, the six backpacks, a driver, three guides and the three of us....I envisioned us as a headlining circus attraction! How many gringos can you fit in a taxi?

The ride to the trail head was the experience of a life time, honking at pedestrians and various farm animals to get out of the way, skidding around treacherous corners at break neck speeds on dirt roads that were covered in washouts and pot holes. I think that Dan, as he was unfortunate enough to be sitting to my right, might have a hand print on his knee where I was clenching it...

First days trek turned out to be relatively easy, not on the knees though as it was all down hill on really loose ground...stone and sand, much slipping and sliding. Papa plant which I know as Agave thrusting forth flowers that are up to 30 and 40 feet high, becomes the only forest around in this desert setting. The air is filled with the scent of roasting plants in the hot sun and sweet peas which comes from a beautiful yellow flower found in clusters at the tip of bright green stems along the trail .

The views are outstanding, breathtaking peaks, rivers, speckled with groups of horses, cows, pigs, sheep, butterflies everywhere and landing on us.

Puma land, I would die to see one, though I imagine that we are making far too much noise. Camp turns out to be a residence made simply of bamboo with a thatch roof made of husks. You can see in from outside. Lovely location peppered with an orchard of mangos, papaya, bananas, lime, and chirimoya.

A lovely and shy little girl with a grubby face smirking and flirting with us, we share our sweets. A universal language. Turkeys, chickens, pigs, ducks and dozens of guinea pigs running around the yard. I noticed that one of the guinea pigs had escaped and I begged it to run for its life, as it is not only a house pet but, under the guise of Cuy, becomes dinner as well...it stupidly ran back into the house...I suppose this is how we weed out the weak guinea pigs.

Very early night. We all share a tent. Tomorrow is supposed to be all up hill.

6 May 05

Up at five am...first thought in my head...´happy birthday my lovely sister, Jenny, happy 30th, I LOVE YOU!´

Now, let´s start this entry out with all the lies we have been spoon fed today....

1. We were awakened at five am this morning and though its not a actually a lie, it was just plain yucky.

2. We were fed Quaker (pronounced Guakay) which has turned into a food that we threaten each other with as it is usually really runny and served in a mug. Beverages just shouldn´t be chunky. The gents have taken to passing the time with the Quaker game...it goes something like this...´which would you rather do? Drink seven glasses of Quaker or´....insert one of the worst tortures you can imagine...The outcome is never to drink the Quaker.

3. Today´s climb was all steeply uphill, and, after my Quaker breakfast, not only was I gasping for breath at the steep ascent but my stomach threatened to reject that putrid substance.

4. Joaquin, the Arch Deceiver Lord of the Lie, informed us that we would have a steep two hour incline, followed by a gently sloping two hour incline, followed by a flat two hour hike to the ruins...this is where the lie part comes into play...it turned out to be two hours of murderous climb, followed by two hours of torturous climb, that was about as flat as Pamela Anderson´s chest (but wasn´t nearly as lovely (thanks Ibar!)).

Fortunately for the Arch Deceiver we were far to knackered to lynch him...

5. Yes, I forgot to mention that I am peppered with measle-like bug nips, and I am smeared with mud and horse shit.

It was a good day.

Now, Dan, Ibar, Joaquin and I lie on the grass in the sunshine listening to the wind and buzzing bees at the peak of Choquequirau...breathtaking views of mountains and ruins as it is located at the junction of three valleys. The site exhibits clear religious and agricultural elements.

Choquequirau was recently rediscovered and is a ridge top Inca site that is extremely remote and only accessible by foot. We were really fortunate to be the only people there at the time.

A bit of sketching, then I looked up and saw a monstrous Condor soaring overhead, they have a six or seven foot wingspan. We saw three before we began our return trip to camp. As the sun was setting and we were close to our campsite we startled a flock of parrots and they took off squawking just before us...breathtaking.

7 May 05

I think Joaquin was trying to make up for yesterday`s dissillutions in that he allowed us to sleep in until almost six am. We woke to squawking parrots and lovely fresh, mild weather.

Side track...

Experienced a ´toilet with a view´ this morning...A sparse bamboo structure on three sides, the downward facing mountain side open to incredible vista. The view made up for the two holes in the ground - best view I´ve experienced in a toilet in a long time.

What took us five hours to ascend yesterday took us just over an hour to descend this morning as we ran down most of it leaving us plenty of time to play in the lovely Apurinac River (Speaker to God, I believe it translates to), lovely light olive green waters. Lying in the shade and watching the sun creep down the hillside towards us. Cold, cold rushing waters, and me warming my body by lying on sun soaked flat rocks. Good to wash the dirt, sweat, sunscreen and bug spray off and to be bathed only in the sunlight.

Forty five minute hike straight up in the heat of the day - absolute heat exhaustion...the gents waiting for me and me begging them to go on so that I could be sick to myself. We each have only one 600ml bottle of water to drink throughout the day until more can be boiled later this evening as water isn´t drinkable otherwise. So rationing out one bottle of water per person = dehydration and Rebecca loosing her breakfast.

Aaaahhh occasional glimpses of shade....

I had stupidly made the assumption that we would wait for the day to cool a bit before continuing our upwards trek but after an hour long lunch we were off reluctantly again.

Nothing more to say than up, up, and more up...very slowly, crawling really. Felt quite elated when we finally completed our ascent...we had to in order to get to a site with water running nearby. Another accomplishment, only about three hours of trekking to do tomorrow as we really squeezed about two days trekking into today.

When we stopped to camp, I help to unload the horses, fed the guys full of chocolate, then off to bath in the nearby stream. Dusky views of snow capped mountains...sunrise promises to be breathtaking.

The guys we are traveling with are so cool, Joaquin, Leonidias and a gent caring for the horses (unfortunately, I can´t recall his name). Definite animal lovers. They seem full of joy and laughter, and have constant cheeky grins on their faces.

I think about tomorrow and how I intend to buy a huge bag of carrots for the horses and several beers for the gents, they have been great fun and very kind.

For our final dinner together the guys prepared a huge feast...it really could have fed twice as many people...of vegetable soup, a vegetable rice (for me, the guys had meat rice) a lovely noodle dish, fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and lemon juice, and the finale...Chile peppers stuffed with various vegetables and legumes battered and fried - called Recoto Rellano and absolutely spectacular. I plan to try preparing them when I get home, I´ll attempt to get the recipe today.

During his dinner preparation, I put my head lamp on the chef´s head, as he was cooking by candle light. He was absolutely tickled pink by it, may just have to leave it with him...

8 May 05

Well rested, wake to the horses shuffling about outside of our tent, snorting and stomping. I love horses, someday I hope to have two, one for me to ride and one for my pal, they are lovely and tender animals. Bright blue skies, immense snow capped mountains dressed in drifting clouds. I am sun warmed and listening to chirping parrots.

Upon the completion of our trek, we went to a couple of local vendors to purchase carrots and beer for the horses and guides (in that order). The gents appreciated the beer but they laughed at me trying to feed the horses carrots as the horses refused them. I was told that they didn´t like them...I stupidly assumed horses world wide would enjoy carrots...who knew?

After lunch we had a second psychotic drive back up to the bus stop. Seven people and equipment packed into a taxi, dodging squealing pigs and yipping dogs (insert Rebel with her hands covering her eyes and occasionally peaking through parted fingers), up to wait for the bus to drive us back to Cusco. We sat in the sunshine sipping beer, swapping recipes, and chatting.

Recipe of the day...

Recoto Rellano

- 7-8 Peppers
- Sacar pipas del recotos. Raspar del su adentro.
- Hacer herviir en el agua bastante limon y un poquito de azucar.
- Cinco minutos - los recotos en el aqua.
- Zanamoria, ava, alberga, arroz, mani, alderezo
- La masa - huevo (sin huevo para mi!), comino, sal, roal
- Un minuto friar.

Mmmm. Mmmm. Good!

Bus ride from hell...two many people, not enough seats, my legs are too long for reclined bus seats and nobody seems to like to ride with the window open...

Sweet Sissy

1 May 05

Day of rest today, not much to say except that my body is tired and insists that I take it easy while my mind is anxious and wants to move. The three of us are getting on eachothers nerves a bit and I excuse myself to be in solitude for a while.

Sweet note from my sissy today. She misses me lots and I miss her too. I miss all of you. Phoned the sissy to check in and see how she was doing and suffer my first twinge of home sickness. I love you Penny, I´ll be home soon.

Backpacking trek of the Inca Trail

26 April 05

Let´s start off with this lovely bit...

"I heard splashing on the boat
her bare feet
and sensed in our faces
the hungry dusk
my heart swaying between her
and the street, the road
I don´t know where I found the strength
to free myself from her eyes
to slip from her arms
she stayed, crying through rain and glass
clouded with grief and tears
she stayed, unable to cry
Wait! I will come
walking with you"

Sigh.

Errands day, and we are taking it easy. Laundry, packing our bags even lighter, preparation for our backpacking trek. I am so excited.

Ibar and I went to send a package home to the States. Such a make shift box. What I needed was a box about 12" x 12" x 4", what was provided was a box 24" x 12" x 18", nice and big so everything could flop around and break itself. I insisted on rebuilding a proper box and while it was being prepared (it took ages and ample amounts of tape), Ibar and I decided to amuse ourselves by drawing up a list of things to do...on my hand. The hand that holds all of the most important things to do...we were bored...

- bring passport on the Inca Trail Trek
- buy playing cards
- cash travelers checks
- buy stamps
- make incredibly complicated box
- send incredibly complicated box

...and because we wanted the instant gratification of checking off some of our items...

- bring our arms
- acquire University degree (I got to check this off twice!)

...simple amusements.

Dan´s not feeling especially well today - hopefully out of his system before tomorrow´s trek. We head off to a sports bar to get some lunch and to watch a footy match.

Afterwards the boys let me do some sketching for a while in the Plaza de Arms...boy am I a bit rusty!

We went to visit the Museo de Incas, which was filled with a huge collection of various relics. The building hosted a beautiful interior courtyard, with an intricate cobblestone paving design surrounded by an arcade. The columns of the building are stone carvings of mythical creatures and nude women.

Late we went in search of dinner and settled on an eclectic restaurant that served Thai food. The restaurant also had a huge pool table. My first Peruvian pool experience...I literally witnessed one of the balls coast slowly along the table, then turn abruptly at a 90 degree angle! Ibar and I play the longest game in the history of pool! No mad pool skills here.

After packing and repacking our back packs in the attempt to make them as light as possible we retire for the evening.

27 April 05

An early start to catch the bus that will take us off to begin our trek to Machu Picchu. You can no longer back pack the trail without a guide so we will be in a group of eight accompanied by three guides. The bus ride was about 3 1/2 hours. Once we arrived at our hiking start point, Kilometer 82, the Porters prepare us a huge meal for lunch and we begin our trek. Like everyone else, my pack has been slimmed down to about 12 kilos. but the additional weight was amazingly difficult to carry in these high elevations...I take continuous inventories of what else I might be able to get rid of but realize I need everything I have packed.

We hike until about 5:30 pm through breathtaking peaks and gorges. Flocks of parrots flying overhead, lizards darting through desert landscape and vegetation. It´s extremely hot and I am instantly soaked in sweat. One of the guides, Roger, is a Naturalist of sorts and, upon learning of my profession, proceeds to show me dozens of beautiful plants and to share their medicinal uses with me.

Beginning to see numerous Orchids and Bromeliads all over. Our tiny trail meanders through small villages selling soft drinks, snacks, and water to trekkers passing through. We are passed frequently by Peruvian women driving mules loaded up with supplies and large amounts of Chicha. These women must be in amazing shape.

When we arrived at the evening´s camp site, I immediately begin a long Yoga session for my absolutely knackered body. I fear how sore I will be tomorrow! Large camp dinner at 6:30pm followed by a long session of card playing for everyone, then off to bed, bunking with Dan....my bunk mate because I assured him that I don´t snore nor bite.

28 April 05

Nearly no sleep last night. Barking dingo of a beast dog lying just under the flap of our tent all night. No sleep but we weren´t eaten by a Puma...fair trade, I suppose! Up at five am to crowing roosters and Guides tapping on tents...apparently no one got any sleep, as it gets very cold in the evenings. Repacked our packs, ate a huge breakfast (toast and jam for me, pancakes and caramel, etc. for all else) and off we went for our second day of backpacking. I notice areas where bruises are sure to appear in a day or two, but feel very pleased that my muscles aren´t in tremendous pain and that I managed to not get too sun burnt.

Nearly our entire trek today was straight up hill, monster steps.Almost immediately my body and burning lungs felt the fatigue. Stunning views keep you going, I still can´t believe that I am here doing this, seems quite surreal... No one else would understand what I am feeling right now and I am finding myself so relieved that I am here with Dan and Ibar as they are there whenever I need to release the building steam that is my overwhelming happiness by way of huge hugs and kisses. I so appreciate being able to share this beauty and experience with others.

Todays trek was beyond difficult. Each moment of my hiking, my heart is beyond its target rate and pounding out of my chest, I am heaving for breath and my muscles tremble from absolute exhaustion...and here is the point where I toot my own horn because I am so fucking proud of myself...I am considered part of ´el groupo rapido´ which continues to make destinations before approximated times. Honestly I can´t believe that I am able to keep up with these gents.

The altitude increases and at points I am so hungry and exhausted that I am not certain that I will be able to make it to the top of the peak. It is all straight up and in the odd chance that you get a spot where it is relatively flat you cherish that step or two of rest before once again commencing your accent.

While feeling this way, wanting to be left alone, my Naturalist friend begins to profess his adoration for me, ´I love you´ came out, along with another battering of compliments and questions about my love life in Spanish. Why don´t I have the words in Spanish for ´Fek off´yet?

One mention of how uncomfortable this guy was making me and Dan and Ibar very sweetly won´t leave my side. I really adore them both with their kindness and endlessly ridiculous humor!

The Porters...I was told today that they make 20 soles each for a 4 day trek. That is the equivalent of about $7.00. I have never seen the likes of this in my life. They are young and very old with leg muscles that are huge. Their makeshift packs must weigh at least 60-70 pounds and they are basically running through the Andean Mountains, sweat streaming, racing to break down camp after we leave, pass us in our climb, and set up camp before we arrive. I feel really guilty at how unbelievably overworked and underpaid they are. So, we feed them our supplies of chocolates and decide to tip them generously at the end of our trip. They put our efforts to shame.

We are all constantly drinking tea and water with coca leaves in it. Provides us with added energy and relieves the negative effects of the altitude on our bodies.

When about 100 yards from todays peak, the gents of ´El groupo rapido´ started cheering and clapping for me (they were ahead of me). As soon as I got to the peak, I collapsed using my bag as a bed, but Ibar insisted that I get up immediately to look at the opposite side of the mountain, which turned out to be an ocean of clouds floating in rainforest. Absolutely stunning and I literally squealed with pleasure at the sight of it!

I did another Yoga session at the peak as we waited for the remaining trekkers to arrive. Another perfectly spiritual spot for Yoga. I can´t believe I made this peak!

The rest of todays hike was almost all down hill, very tough on the knees, into the cloud forest, past a tremendous waterfall - washing two incredibly sweaty, dirty days off in the coldest water I have ever experienced - instant headache!

We all had a huge lunch, I am absolutely starving all of the time, so much exhortion. Then we laid our exhausted bodies down for a much needed rest...reading, writing, dozing in the warm sunshine, and we get up again a few hours later for more Coca and a huge snack, followed by a huge dinner two hours later. Its growing dark now and the cloud cover is swallowing up everything, the air is cool and moist and good. Lush green and bright flowers, rushing sounds of water and lovely exotic scents...and my heart might just explode with all of the happiness it is holding.

29 April 05

Five am start again, up before Mr. Sunshine himself. Awake to ´Good Morning, I´m your alarm clock´ greetings and offerings of tea from the Porters. We repack our bags and head up to join our group for breakfast. Everyone eats omelets, they have made a special one for me out of vegetables, grain, water and oil...Semolina, is what I think they are calling it. Its ´interesting´ - one of those all encompassing words! Interesting, fine, unique, special...fills the void any ways.

Afterwards we set off on another days trek, up hill start but not nearly as steep as yesterday - yet my body is certainly beginning to complain strongly. Mostly my calves and my big toe reminding me that I abused it a couple of months ago very badly by fracturing it in seven places.

Orchids everywhere once we begin our decent, and getting larger and larger, and more and more lovely. Thinking of Mum and how much she would love the Flora here. Views of snow capped mountains and high cloud forests. Cliff hugging trails winding their way up, down and around the mountain sides.

I learned today that yesterdays killer assent is colourfully tagged as Warmi Wañusca, a.k.a. Dead woman´s pass....I almost became a statistic!

During todays hike we passed a couple of small swampy lakes. Our guide tells me how the first one is a magical place and no one can camp there anymore because people have been awakened numerous times to their legs being tugged towards the lake. Apparently its inhabited by mermaids and mermen...I wanted to give the Mermen bit a try!

We hiked on further to a beautiful overlook where we all stopped to feed our endless hunger again. I am an absolute health nut but when one of our fellow travelers broke out the Oreo cookies, I was all over it! I´m constantly famished!

The ruins of Sayacmarca were amazing and I got another opportunity to do some sketching as our Guides are taking it a bit easier on us today. We hike on through fertile smelling forests, stop for lunch, then on through amazing cloud forests, dripping lush vegetation, Inca tunnels, winding trails and stunning overlooks. We stop to rest at Phuyupatamarca, ´Town above the clouds´, the site has a series of beautiful ceremonial baths and a spectacular view of further ruins.

I had a much appreciated period of an hour or two where I got to hike in solitude which was amazing. My own pace, my own silence, my own observations...mmm...heaven.

Went to Huiñay Huayna, which translates as ´forever young´and camped at a very large camp site at the utmost edge of a cliff. We went immediately for an icy spring fed shower and then beer with our group. Again a monstrous snack hour with tea, we are all absolutely exhausted and need to get up at four am tomorrow to begin our trek to the Sun Gate, an entrance to Machu Picchu, in time for sunrise.

Dinner was enormous and extravagant, piles of fried yucca, papas rellanos, pasta, rice, meats, veggies, loads of beer and wine with dessert.

Tried to stay up past nine pm to dance some Salsa with two of the guides but had to collapse into my sleeping bag with mental and physical exhaustion instead.

Dan woke up in the early (earlier than 4am) morning. Sick from something he ate. I feel bad as there is nothing I can do to help him, so I hold his hand.

30 April 05

Dan´s much better, we are up before the sun. The Porters must have been up for two additional hours as I have been listening to them pack and prepare for the remainder of their trek.

After a quick breakfast, we race for Intipunku, the Sun Gate, with headlamps in the darkness, which proves rather difficult on the damp stone steps. Unfortunately, there is no visibility due to the thick cloud layer so we move on to Machu Picchu and wait for the clouds to lift. Very mysterious glimpses of the breathtakingly beautiful site through eerie, ghost like clouds drifting in and out of the Andies.

The surrounding mountains...I have never in my life seen anything more beautiful! Daddy, you would have had your socks knocked off, wait until you see my photos!...I have already taken about 800 in the short time that I have been here, so start cooking up the popcorn!

After a tour of Machu Picchu, exhausted and staving as usual, the group made a plan to meet at an appointed hour for a final meal in Aguas Calientes, the terminis of our trek.

Dan, Ibar, and I pushed on to our final accent (which nearly killed me, might I add?) to Huayna Picchu. This is the extremely well photographed, steep mountain at the back of the ruins of Machu Picchu.

The hike was absolutely worth the final push as it offered an outstanding view of everything around, Andies, Machu Picchu, etc. as well as several exhilarating and heart racing places to climb in, on, and around. Incan stairs, caves, cliffs, topped off with a treacherous descent along a vertical series of rounded, wet stairs that had no more than a two inch tread in many places. I am thankful that I am not too fearful of heights. Even at this high peak there is a local man working the agricultural terraces, planting and tending to the gardens. Amazing!

Tremendous sense of accomplishment relished at the final push up and down Huayna Picchu and at just having survived the Inca Trail trek. I am currently feeling as strong as an Ox!

After a lovely final meal together we extend our many thanks to the Guides and Porters and board the train back to Cusco at which point we pass out for most of the four plus hour journey.

At one of the stops, I manage to purchase beautiful little handmade presents for Austin and Jordan out the window of the train from a beautiful Peruvian woman.

All I remember after arriving in Cusco was...hot shower...food...bed...zzz...