Peru for the second time

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Quilmaná, Lima, Peru
Wednesday, June 6, 2012

PERU FOR THE SECOND TIME

Margaret and I have been married for 33 years and I seldom take a trip without her. She, on the other hand, has often traveled without me---trips to see the granddaughter, trips with her girlfriend Connie, trips to see her family. So, when my Peruvian friend, Miguel, told me he was going to see his family in Canete, Peru, I got excited. Margaret said "Go!" and that was all the encouragement I needed. We had taken a 2009 trip to Peru and had seen Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Cusco, Lake Titicaca and Lima; when we arrived home, I longed to return. This trip would involve a much more primitive venture to an arid region 85 miles south of Lima, five miles from the Pacific Ocean. We would stay with Miguel's family and, hopefully, be of some assistance with the family farm.

I left from the Tampa Airport Wednesday, May 2, with three suitcases and a backpack: shoes, pencils, Beanie Babies, clothes, towels, laptop, lighters, dolls, soccer balls, scissors, flashlights and so many other items that I was almost overweight! I brought only a change of clothes, trying to reserve all the extra space for my gifts. The smiles on the faces were what this trip was all about.

I landed in Lima, went straight to my hotel and crashed. Miguel would not arrive until the next evening, so on Thursday I toured a museum and a cathedral, ate a Chinese lunch and went back to the airport to wait for Miguel. His Mother, Valeria, and brother Elvis recognized me (I don’t know how!). We spent two hours with my fractured Spanish (they know NO English) and finally, Miguel’s Taca flight landed. After a three-hour bus ride (to go 85 miles!), and a taxi ride (hard to find at 3 AM), we ended at Valeria’s home near Quilmana.

I woke up Friday morning to a whole new world Valeria’s home is very basic but large and accommodating; the bed is great. Breakfast consists of yogurt, yucca, oatmeal, tamale, milk and fried potatoes. Miguel and I began pumping up the ten balls I had carried; some would be given to family, some to the school. Miguel took me on a guided tour of the farm after which we ate lunch. Next we walked to the school and believe me, they already knew a stranger was on his way! The director barked some orders, the children followed them, and Miguel gave a speech as my Spanish failed me. Soon the footballs, volleyballs, pencils and a bag of Beanie Babies turned the serious faces into happy ones. Mission accomplished! Then Miguel and I caught a bus to Imperial (six miles away) to buy a fan to replace the one I broke during the night. Also Miguel went to see a dentist (one of the main reasons for his trip). The return trip was very friendly—28 people packed in a 10-person van!—and then it was time to distribute gifts again.

By Saturday I had grown accustomed to the frequent power outrages; my new fan wouldn’t work without electricity and that made sleep more difficult. After breakfast, I went outside and found the kids jumping off a wagon; Fabricio, a six-yr.-old who had attached himself to me, had to be the star even though he is the youngest. In Quilmana Miguel attended church while I climbed a steep hill above the zoo. The zoo exhibits few animals: an ostrich, monkeys, horses and donkeys were all that I saw. There are many statues however: Adam & Eve with the snake, monkeys riding zebras, elephants, dancers, lions, matador with bull, dinosaur, frogs, a band. At the top of the hill is a statue of Christ with a flimsy guardrail along the steps to reach it. In the middle of the town of Quilmana is a divided paved road lined with fancy light poles; I assumed it was constructed for show, perhaps for parades. I was told that the lights were never turned on. Back home we met more family (the extended family is enormous!) and distributed more Beanie Babies. Later I rode a donkey cart, visited a cotton mill, and ate street food, meat on a stick.

Miguel, Valeria and I left at 8:30 AM Sunday for the mountains, Huancaya and Vilca the final destinations. The journey was long, slow and dangerous. At first the road was paved; as we got higher the pavement gave way to dirt, potholes, loose rock. Of course, there are no guardrails (they don’t call this the “Death Road” for nothing!), but the scenery is spectacular. The river parallels the road and patches of green appear around every bend. Late in the afternoon we reached Huancaya, a small tourist town. It was almost deserted as this was the off-season. Even the small store we patronized was attended by two small children; their parents were likely working in the fields . Our shared room cost us 60 soles, about $22.90 US. For 24 soles, a bit less than $10 US, we all had dinner.

Monday morning we all woke up on the wrong side; I had a bad night due to the racket that the owners made but I was fairly warm. On the other hand, Miguel and his mother said they froze. The water was frigid, so no shower; even brushing my teeth froze my hands. After breakfast we left for Vilca, just 15 miles away. The cab we hired was pretty sorry, bald tires and a radiator that leaked so badly that we had to stop after every hill to add water. The windshield was frosted from mud off the wipers; the windows were kept shut to keep the dust from coming in the doors. Poor guy—what a rusty heap! Add the condition of the ride to the challenge of the treacherous road and I thought he earned his soles! I was having a hard time getting accustomed to the altitude, more than 12,000 feet. We finally stopped to see the waterfall and investigated Vilca, where the former Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori, kept a vacation home. We returned on the same route, arriving back in Huancaya, convinced the cabbie to drive us ten miles, got a cab in Vitis, drove to Llapay. Along the way we stopped at a memorial to Miguel’s cousin who died when the bus he was driving went over the edge into the river; ten others perished with him. We finally arrived in Magdalena where we waited six hours for a bus for the final leg of our trip. Needless to say, riding the Death Road in the dark was quite an experience.

It was difficult to rise early Tuesday after our big trip Sunday & Monday. Miguel and I took a ride on Miguel’s cousin’s motorcycle. We both took turns, riding past the Roldan Chicken Farm which employs a large portion of the population. The gas station where we stopped to fill up the tank was rather unique; the pumps are inside and the hose is pulled through the window by an attendant! Later we took the bus to Imperial and went to the market.

Wednesday I went to Quilmana to call Magaret, taking a bus there and missing one on the way home. That meant a three-mile walk in the dust. Elvis, Miguel’s brother, took me to eat chicken. When we got home, no power, so that was the end of my words for today!

Miguel wanted to buy his uncle a beehive, so off we went to Lima again on Thursday. After purchasing a hive, bee tools and a bee suit, we left for the market, the very same market Margaret and I had visited three years ago. I love markets because of the colors, the flavors, the textures; even the noise is invigorating! There is such a myriad of foods that we never see in the US. We went to visit more family in Lima where we sat around sampling the many flavors of honey Miguel had purchased.

We went to Imperial to get change on Friday, then we went to another school, quite a bit smaller with younger children than the first one. The kids sang us some songs and the teachers insisted on feeding us. Next I helped Uncle Joe cut sugar cane and fix the goat fence; I decided that his wheelbarrow would have to be replaced. I took care of that with a bright red one; I think I saw tears. I also helped put up the new TV antenna that Miguel bought.

Saturday was wedding day! A couple who had several grown children was going to be married; the wedding was prompted by the desire of their grown daughter to be married herself. Because the parents had never been married in the church, the daughter would not be allowed to do so. Hence the parents were having a much belated church wedding. I felt honored to have received a verbal invitation. After the church ceremony, a reception was held at the bride and groom’s home, complete with a sopa seca dish (spaghetti, chicken & beef), quite tasty. Over 50 pounds of spaghetti was cooked by a caterer who had won second place in the local sopa seca contest recently. The wedding couple’s parents were given a complete cooked rooster on a platter with flowers and fruit decorations. The wedding toasting went on forever and was quite complicated. Suffice it to say many glasses were shared and I learned, after a few gaffes, to pour only a LITTLE wine in my glass. A good time was had by all and I’m glad I went!

Sunday was good-bye day, a trip to Lima, then to Miguel’s family there, a long wait at the airport and two flights HOME! I am grateful for the hospitality of the Peruvian people once again and hope that my presence there will bring them fond memories, too.

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