Huancayooooooooo!


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South America » Peru » Junin » Huancayo
May 31st 2010
Published: May 31st 2010
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Huancayo is a city that is over 3 kilometres in the sky, nestled in the Peruvian Andes “far off the gringo trail”, according to the Lonely Planet. It’s air is thin, it’s people happy, and it’s dogs wild and free. To get here, our bus from Lima climbed steep and windy roads, but they were mostly bitumen and in good condition. I was asleep for most of the trip, and looking back on it, it may have been the change in atmospheric conditions that made me drowsy, because I was dead to the world for hours. I did manage to wake up for lunch and to watch some of the in-bus movie: The Lovely Bones. But that soon sent me back to sleep. I did fare far better than two ladies in seats in front of me, who wore their lunches on their knitted wool jumpers and blouses, and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. I guess car-sickness and altitude were a deadly combination.

On arrival Malaika, Cally and I were met by an agreeable Peruvian fellow named David. He spoke little English, which matched perfectly with my broken Spanish. However, I do have to say that I understand more than I can speak so I generally got the gist of what was being said. He was the father of Patty, the woman through whom we organized our volunteering programme at the medical centre. We had arranged a home-stay in Huancayo, and as it turned out, David would be our host.

His place was a modest one with a large living area decorated with knick knacks and gifted photo frames. There was a bold orange feature wall, if you could call it that, and the lounges and chairs covered in a deep red Peruvian themed fabric. He lived there with his wife, Aurora, who was a determined hostess. She would prepare all our meals during the week, keeping us fed and happy. She smiled often and when she did the corners of her eyes crinkled in a way that made them twinkle.

Later that night, we met Juan Jose, who was the director of the volunteering programme that we had enlisted into. He ran a couple more programmes, apart from the one at the medical centre. There was also an orphanage, an after-school school for “street kids”, and a mobile clinic that went out to the jungle. He explained what we should expect of the next few weeks. He soon left us to sleep, because, as he explained, some people experience some symptoms when they arrive in Huancayo due to the altitude. Mostly headache, fatigue, nausea.

He was right. That night my sleep was disturbed by a pounding relentless headache, and my feet were pricked by pins and needles. I drowned tablets of paracetamol, brufen and diamoxx in gallons of water. I arose the next day unrested and dazed. However, over the passing of the next day, all this seemed to subside, which I was grateful for.

Malaika, Cally and I made ourselves at home and over the next few days, got acquainted with Huancayo, as well as some of its people. We met other volunteers who were also in a homestay (with Patty and Juan Jose) although, they were in a house with 7 volunteers altogether, and I was grateful to not have to contend with such a house. These volunteers were mainly at the school for street kids. One girl, who was a nursing student from Minnesota, was also at the same medical centre we were allocated to.

And so, after 3 days, on Sunday night, the last of our group, Tim, arrived. He seemed tired, but excited. He was just in time to start at the medical centre on Monday.


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