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Well what an interesting week. After being saddened by Minstrels death, we had a BBQ party on Saturday in honour of Tristans birthday. Me and the globals (as we are now called) bought a cake under the pretense of Tristans birthday but really we just wanted to eat a big cake. Stephanie came back to Huaraz. She was in the group before us doing the programme, and she decided to come back for a few days before she went home. So we all piled in a taxi (Me Tom Lauara Jess Stephanie Liz and Ben - it was a tight squeeze!) and went up. Unfortunately when we got up there there was more bad news. There were blood stainted towels and bowls of bloody water everywhere. Blade was hit by a combi (a minivan) and was badly hurt. His his was dislocated and poking out of his skin. He had just gone down to Huaraz for an operation. Everyone had just seen it happen so it was quite a dampener on the celebrations.
There was a trampoline and 2 cakes, and jelly and I felt like such a little kid eating loads of the cake and jelly and then bouncing
until I felt sick. By the end we all started making balloon animals and I started out making very convincing snakes and worms, but eventually moved on to poodle and giraffes. And I even made a really ugly hat which Trustan loved. It was a funny night.
Tristan also got the coolest present EVER. A walk on piano, like the one in BIG. The adults had more fun than the children on it!
Then Sunday nothing much else happened, Balde came back and had an operation. No vets would see him so Alex eventually went to a human doctor who operated on him. Unfortunately this turned out to be a rip off and he didn´t fix him at all just sewed him up. So Alex ran off to Lima with Blade to get a proper operation. He is back now and properly fixed and even has a big collar to stop him liking it. Poor boy, I hope he gets better.
So because of the dillema with Blade our homestays weren´t fixed on Monday so we went to work as usual. Rather boring uneventful day. And on Tuesdays Thomas took uys to our new homes.
I was impressed, my house
looked quite modern from the front, but really it was very basic. The kitchen was blackened with smoke, because all the food is cooked over an open fire and there are no chimneys. And guinea pigs are running al over the floor, which was quite charming really. The toilets was a hole in the ground with some coverings for privacy. I had an actualy bed and mattress and my own room. It did get very cold at night because I didn´t have a widnow just a hole in the wall. They had sheep and 2 pigs, 2 donkeys and a cow. Plus lots of rabits as well and a couple of chickens. The woman I stayed with was called Lucia and was very friendly. She adopted the, I thought, very English way of speaking to foreigners which was very loud and slow to me. I appreciated it because I understood her much better that way.
The first thing I did was say hello to her children, the 5 year old just staed at me, and when I smiled and waved at the baby (one and a half years old) he just started weeping hysterically. I made sure not to scare
him again, I felt very bad. And then she dissapeared to Llupa, a town about 40 mintues walk from the house) and I had no idea what to do, so I watched the kids and read a book outside. Then another lady came and gave me some food, potatoes and rice, and that was very confusing. I couldn´t remember if it was Lucia or not as she had diffetrent clothes. This happened alot during my homestay. There were three different woman who would give me food ro just appear in the house, with different children. It was all quite weird.
She took away the children so I was alone in the house. I decided to go back to the Lodge to fetch my pillow and a jumper and another book, as I had finished Of Mice and Men that morning. I also used the chance for a flushing toilet, I was very glad of that.
I came back and Lucias eldest son, edwin, took me to the sheep and we moved them so they had more grass to graze. And then we went back and sat in front of the house and all the neighbourhood children came out to giggle
at the gringa.
I shwed them some English and South African money that I had, whihc they were fascinated by, and all the children found it hysterically funy when they wore my hat and sunglasses. The baby came out again and again cried at the sight of me. That was quite disheartening.
Then me and Edwin went to bring the sheep back to thier home. Peruvian woman use a technique to herd thier animals my making clicking and shhing noises whihc is very effective actually. They all laughed when they heard me making the sounds.
That night we had potatoes and rice again for supper, it was quite nice actually. The potatoes were in a maize sauce and it was quite salty. As I went to bed Edwin came and stared at me.
I slept quite well althugh I was very cold. And the guinea pigs kept sneaking into my room to nibble my shoes and hat. They are very noisy animals but I quite like thier sounds. Reminds me of my old guinea pigs. Anyway They all woke up at 5am, but I didn´t get up and they didn´t wake me. I woke up at 7am with Edwin staring
Rainbow
Its so beautiful. Notice how clear and sunny it is in the next valley. at me. He watches me as I sleep whihc I found quite creepy. He was 9 years old, and should have known better.
In the morning I had bread for brekkie and some tea I didn´t really like. I had brought a 2 litre bottle of clean water so had my own supply.
Again bread for brekkie, potatoes and rice for lunch, but in the evening she killed a chicken (it was pretty gross) and We had chicken soup and she gave me a leg. I took the sheep out and helped her tie together branches of coca leaves to sell. It was fun. All the children drew pictures in my diary which was sweet.
And the next day pretty much the same again, except this time I lñet all the kids listen to music on my mp3 player. They liked Panic at the Disco the most. Weird.
On my last day just before I left a huge storm came blowing in. The winds were gayle force. I walked up the hill with my big rucksack (which was empty) and being blown about by the winds. It wasn´t fun. I came home on a Friday and last had a shower
Sunset
Spectacular on monday but because of the rain when I walked in Mindi goes "ooh you look nice a fresh had a shower?" Hahahah that was funny.
Then we went down to Huaraz on Friday night and we are staying there all weekend. The resturaunt reopened with a new chef so there was a party last night. Everyone got very drunk and then went out, but we didn´t because we were tired. The next morning Bruni was still in her dsame clothes (mini skirt!) and had her make up. Methinks she had an allnighter. It is strange to think of her as the mother of a three year old boy.
Anyway just shopping now really, am sending back some gifts for ma family. AWWW.
OKIES phototime lovelovelovelove
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Anne
non-member comment
Hi Gringa!
Hi, Becky, I am enjoying your blogs so much, and your pics are amazing. What a beautiful part of the world - it looks far more interesting than my archaic school geography book made it seem! But life sounds pretty tough in some respects. Opie also enjoys news of you and sends love. Keep well - lots of love, Anne