Much needed update

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Sorry!

Top Five Most Interesting Experiences so far:

5. Riding in cambis. In case you don’t know, cambis are the hundred-thousand little vans that buzz around the streets of Lima taking peoples’ money and getting them from place to place. Each cambi has it’s own little man sticking his entire upper body out the window, shouting and pointing at at anybody who is not already in a cambi, begging all to ride. He uses a very rapid, almost indecipherable language to tell the destination. At every stop light and slow point in traffic, he hops out and tries to wave random people into the cambi, even if the cambi appears to be very full. If you choose to ride in a cambi (which I do every day) you are in for a fun time. It’s like riding a roller coaster, playing bumper cars AND playing twister all at the same time, if you can imagine that. And if you’re really lucky, you get the vibrating ‘seat’ over the engine… and by ‘seat’ I mean small, unfastened box with a piece of carpet draped loosely on the surface. At least it’s cheap.

4. Visiting the kids at the hospital in Central Lima with Pamela and other members of Opus Dei. Also, returning to the church afterwards and trying to explain how I’ve survived without being Catholic.

3. My luck. For example, I went out looking for a guitar store, got out of the cambi at a random stop, took a left down a random side street, and found an entire block lined with about a dozen guitar stores.

2. Volunteering at Toñito. Toñito is a neurological insitute serving autistic and down syndrome children in Lima. I heard about them from my friend (and host here) Maria Grazia. A few years ago she worked on a documentary there for one of her classes, and she noticed that they could use some help. I visit them for three hours a day, every weekday after my morning Spanish classes. I help with physical therapy, where oddly enough, my AIKIDO knowledge comes in handy. I seriously thought that class was a bunch of useless you-know-what… but yeah, doing physical therapy with autistic children requires ‘gentle force’ just like I used in Aikido. I can turn random spasms and surprisingly strong resistance into compliance, without causing any pain. It’s like magic.

1. Learning Spanish. Granted I am not totally immersed (Maria Grazia and her friends speak English to me because it’s easier than trying to deal with me in Spanish), I have had many awesome opportunities to practice. I love speaking and understanding a foreign language! It’s exhilarating. It opens up a whole word of information that I never had access to before. Now I can talk to the taxi drivers, order food at panerias and fruit stands, understand instructions at Toñito, get directions, talk with random curious strangers, understand generally what the Balarezo family (with whom I am staying) is talking about over lunche (although I can’t always tell exactly because they speak very fast!), I can even have phone conversations (which is very exciting because then I can’t rely on hand gestures). I love that it’s only the beginning.

Other experiences I’ve enjoyed:
I love going out dancing on weekends. I am flattered when people think I am South American. I learned to salsa (kind of). I have eaten the best food in the world (including manjar blanco which I am now addicted to). Oh and drinking legally (sorry mom and dad).

This first month I am experiencing the wealthier Peru. Next month I will be in the central highlands, working with street kids, and experiencing poverty. Walking two worlds… what an opportunity. I wonder what my world view will be when this is over.

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Photos

The view from my room
except now there's two mor stories and a gazillion more constuction workers (in case you were wondering, the Constuction Worker Mating Call is the same around the world)

Comments

[Nicole]

Hey darlin!
It's so good to hear from you, way on the other side of the world. I miss you tons, and wish I was there too. All my current travel plans have fallen through. But I might be going to the Burning Man Festival in August. Weird! Miss and love you. I can't wait to hear the rest of your stories. I wish I was there! (Or at least somewhere else...) Much Love, Nicole

[Marco]

Hey Katie, hope you remember me (the swiss traveler :). Unlike for you, my travels are over now, and it's time to look for something new. Your blog is really interesting. Enjoy your trip, get new experiences and return safely and enriched... -Marco

[annie88]

HOLA
The cambis sound really exciting. I like your description of them, especially of the guy who tries to get as many people into the cambi as possible. Those pictures are BEAUTIFUL. It makes me feel like I'm right there with you. I can't wait to see all the pictures- I hope you're taking as many as possible. I want to hear about what happened when you talked to the people at the church. I also would really like to hear more about your volunteer work in Tonito. THE AIKIDO CAME IN HANDY! Wow... that is like magic. I'm glad I could be part of your journey into such a wonderful culture. Hopefully, one day, you and I will go to a Spanish-speaking country together. I'm really happy that you're having these experiences. You deserve them and I can't wait to have discussions with you about what you saw and learned. (I'm sorry it has taken me so long to subscribe. I feel like an asshole.)