Reluctantly Wrapping Up
8 June 05
Spent much of the morning mapping trees on my site plan for the refuge. We have no running water again today so we are back to basics and an outhouse open to the sky.
Making arrangements for visiting all of my new friends one more time. Setting up the older children with email addresses so that I can write to them and giving Miguel a brand new notebook and a package of coloured pencils so that he can begin to draw and write in it, later passing it on to all the children for me to take home. I previewed his first drawing of a soccer player...these kids are such tremendous artists!
Marco phoned at three and, like whenever a man phones here for me, it roused a huge "ooooohhhhh!" from the children along with comments and questions about a Peruvian boyfriend. They are constantly attempting to find me one so that I will stay here with them!
Marco took me to the Museo Oro del Peru in Lima which was called out recently for containing a collection that was, incredibley, 98% fake. Apparently, now it is all authentic.
The museum was filled with embroidered ponchos, made with hundreds of solid-gold plates, huge earrings and nose rings, pottery, highly polished mirrors of black stone and ancient brushes, and decorative weapons. Most made out of solid gold.
We also went to the Arms Museum, the largest in the world apparently, filled with a huge collection of ancient and often bizarre firearms, suits of armor from all over South America, etc.
After this Marco brought me to see the hugest collection of animal parts and heads in the history of animal parts and heads....Y no me gusto mucho!
The way I see it, some bastard is rotting in hell right now for murdering all of those poor animals...several of which are now threatened by extinction! Who would really decorate their home with an ice bucket made of an elephant´s foot? Or chairs made of zebra feet and antelope horns? ¡Es malo!
Marco is a fascinating gent and he is quite the entrepreneur. He is currently obtaining a parcel of land in the Amazonian jungle on which he will construct a jungle lodge. Eco tourism is understandably huge here. He talks of it being environmentally friendly, using local materials and employing local artisans, working closely with the community to maintain and strengthen local culture and heritage, using various tools to educate and inform.
Before dinner we went to pick up Marco´s new car, brand new 4wd, I felt absolutely spoiled driving through the nicest part of Miraflores, in a brand new SUV with an air conditioner and stereo and all the additional luxuries...I have been riding in the collectivos packed in like a sardine for too long and this felt really decadent.
We had a lovely dinner together then I headed back to the refuge. Lights are all out at 9pm for the children, Lucy y Manuel stay up until about 10 or half past, I got home around half past 11...Felt a bit like a kid missing curfew as all was quiet...I ended up having to scale the 15 foot wall surrounding the refuge. I did this successfully but not without tearing my sweater, getting covered in dirt and cutting my wrist open...overall, though...successful.
9 June 05
Spent most of the day collecting various treats for the children and all of those that I have to thank before I leave...I don´t want to leave...avoid, avoid, avoid...oh, I have got big plans for a huge shin-dig here for the children! Pinata and treat bags for the kids. Everyone that I go to purchase stuff from is happy to discount it for me, so I am able to get much more for my money. These kids are going to be coasting on sugar for a week after I leave!
Not much more to say about today...very similar to every other day...just trying not to sleep so that I can spend as much time with everyone as possible...fixing hair for the girls, playing dolls with the younger children, soccer with the older ones, needle work with the older girls and Lucy, doing homework with the younger children...then into the kitchen to create what I decided to name "postre loca".
I finally stopped trying to be such a nutty crunchy, health nut with the children and created a dessert with the highest content of sugar and food colouring imaginable...well for this vegan anyways...As it turns out, it is also the easiest thing to make as well!... the equivalent of Trix cereal coated in a thick layer of melted chocolate and marshmallows and topped with more marshmallows...served up in a bowl..the kids were ecstatic...finally! Now they won´t stop talking about it! Needless to say, it went over a lot better than the apple pie.
10 June 05
Finished mapping existing site...Then, spent several hours trying to produce as many bolsas as humanly possible with the older girls and Lucy...I plan to sell them once I get back to the United States, later, funneling profits made back into the refuge.
I´ve also started writing a speech for my final night here at the refuge which will be also celebrating three of the children´s birthdays...it is going to be a big event!
Every event in Peru seems to be accompanied by several lengthy speeches, by adults and children. They are expected and it is an honor to give them here...wouldn´t be like that in the U.S...worst of all, I need to give it in Spanish, which should be very interesting indeed...wish me luck!
Tonight Marco came over for dinner to visit with the children and see the refuge. We plan to catch a film later but end up going dancing until 3am with a bunch of his friends instead.
Spent much of the morning mapping trees on my site plan for the refuge. We have no running water again today so we are back to basics and an outhouse open to the sky.
Making arrangements for visiting all of my new friends one more time. Setting up the older children with email addresses so that I can write to them and giving Miguel a brand new notebook and a package of coloured pencils so that he can begin to draw and write in it, later passing it on to all the children for me to take home. I previewed his first drawing of a soccer player...these kids are such tremendous artists!
Marco phoned at three and, like whenever a man phones here for me, it roused a huge "ooooohhhhh!" from the children along with comments and questions about a Peruvian boyfriend. They are constantly attempting to find me one so that I will stay here with them!
Marco took me to the Museo Oro del Peru in Lima which was called out recently for containing a collection that was, incredibley, 98% fake. Apparently, now it is all authentic.
The museum was filled with embroidered ponchos, made with hundreds of solid-gold plates, huge earrings and nose rings, pottery, highly polished mirrors of black stone and ancient brushes, and decorative weapons. Most made out of solid gold.
We also went to the Arms Museum, the largest in the world apparently, filled with a huge collection of ancient and often bizarre firearms, suits of armor from all over South America, etc.
After this Marco brought me to see the hugest collection of animal parts and heads in the history of animal parts and heads....Y no me gusto mucho!
The way I see it, some bastard is rotting in hell right now for murdering all of those poor animals...several of which are now threatened by extinction! Who would really decorate their home with an ice bucket made of an elephant´s foot? Or chairs made of zebra feet and antelope horns? ¡Es malo!
Marco is a fascinating gent and he is quite the entrepreneur. He is currently obtaining a parcel of land in the Amazonian jungle on which he will construct a jungle lodge. Eco tourism is understandably huge here. He talks of it being environmentally friendly, using local materials and employing local artisans, working closely with the community to maintain and strengthen local culture and heritage, using various tools to educate and inform.
Before dinner we went to pick up Marco´s new car, brand new 4wd, I felt absolutely spoiled driving through the nicest part of Miraflores, in a brand new SUV with an air conditioner and stereo and all the additional luxuries...I have been riding in the collectivos packed in like a sardine for too long and this felt really decadent.
We had a lovely dinner together then I headed back to the refuge. Lights are all out at 9pm for the children, Lucy y Manuel stay up until about 10 or half past, I got home around half past 11...Felt a bit like a kid missing curfew as all was quiet...I ended up having to scale the 15 foot wall surrounding the refuge. I did this successfully but not without tearing my sweater, getting covered in dirt and cutting my wrist open...overall, though...successful.
9 June 05
Spent most of the day collecting various treats for the children and all of those that I have to thank before I leave...I don´t want to leave...avoid, avoid, avoid...oh, I have got big plans for a huge shin-dig here for the children! Pinata and treat bags for the kids. Everyone that I go to purchase stuff from is happy to discount it for me, so I am able to get much more for my money. These kids are going to be coasting on sugar for a week after I leave!
Not much more to say about today...very similar to every other day...just trying not to sleep so that I can spend as much time with everyone as possible...fixing hair for the girls, playing dolls with the younger children, soccer with the older ones, needle work with the older girls and Lucy, doing homework with the younger children...then into the kitchen to create what I decided to name "postre loca".
I finally stopped trying to be such a nutty crunchy, health nut with the children and created a dessert with the highest content of sugar and food colouring imaginable...well for this vegan anyways...As it turns out, it is also the easiest thing to make as well!... the equivalent of Trix cereal coated in a thick layer of melted chocolate and marshmallows and topped with more marshmallows...served up in a bowl..the kids were ecstatic...finally! Now they won´t stop talking about it! Needless to say, it went over a lot better than the apple pie.
10 June 05
Finished mapping existing site...Then, spent several hours trying to produce as many bolsas as humanly possible with the older girls and Lucy...I plan to sell them once I get back to the United States, later, funneling profits made back into the refuge.
I´ve also started writing a speech for my final night here at the refuge which will be also celebrating three of the children´s birthdays...it is going to be a big event!
Every event in Peru seems to be accompanied by several lengthy speeches, by adults and children. They are expected and it is an honor to give them here...wouldn´t be like that in the U.S...worst of all, I need to give it in Spanish, which should be very interesting indeed...wish me luck!
Tonight Marco came over for dinner to visit with the children and see the refuge. We plan to catch a film later but end up going dancing until 3am with a bunch of his friends instead.
posted by Rebel at 11:34 AM
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