Thanks Hi - thanks Lesley for taking us on your journey with you. You write with such enthusiasm and conviction.
I will be meeting up with Eileen and Wendy tomorrow and thinking of you and other absent friends.
Vicki :-)
thank you dear lesley
thank you for your great blog! it was very intresting to read it and i was hoping every day to find a new blog when i started the computer!
you did a great job how you wrote and your thoughts were very deep, interesting and let me think also a lot about the big contrasts between our safe swiss (european) live and the one in peru or any other poor country.
i will miss your blogs!
take care!
we will hear each other soon!
esther
Turbulence Scary flight by the sounds of it. Mark says it could be as a result of your being in the ITCZ (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone) in which there can be severe turbulence, especially in cloud. Or it could be Clear Air Turbulence which can give rise to downdrafts (or updrafts) which can easily throw an aircraft 1000ft vertically. All stuff that aircraft are built to withstand, apparently. Not that this information would make you feel any more comfortable when it's actually happening. I am just thinking how far my vomit would travel within the cabin under such circumstances!!
So glad you recounted the story once we knew you were back home safe and sound.
Looking forward to photos of your humidified hair and other aspects of your jungle experience.
Vicki
Earthquake Sad to hear about the devastation from the earthquake - I expect it will take years to recover. Glad to hear the Isla Ballestas were not so affected - I loved my trip there - before I met you guys! I just loved the penguins.
Wendy
Incommunicado Hi,
Just as you are on your way home I am finally catching up on your recent blog entries (have been without a phone line at home for a few days, still dodgy, I'm blaming BT, Mark's blaming his DIY). No internet! I feel like one of my arms has been chopped off!
I've loved reading your blog entries which have brought lots of memories of 05/06.
Hope your journey back has gone well.
Vicki :-)
cant find 25th blog only me again. think im ready for putting this machine with the aid of your poxy boys oot the windae. chuckie is no help whatsoever prancing all over the key board!!! your aunt joy even managed to get thru to your blog and thinks (the word is thinks) she might have sent you a comment or a message. Uncle Bill has been up in his chair and even managed to get to the nurses station under his own steam which is fabulous. took charlotte for her perm today but it was so windy and rainy it didnt look anything but the girls did a great job . had lunch with sandra at the council place - very nice. be sure and wrap up warm for coming home. very very windy and very very wet. cant wait to see you and hear all your news.
have a safe journey home. take care. love you
mum grumpy chuckie, galway, and my abandoned boys sparky and albertz xxxxx
thanks for your great blogs again! hi my dear! thank you again for your great writting! i think you must change work either you should be a writter or better: a social worker !!! i thinks you would be just a perfect person for this job, so much understanding, feeling and warmness for people! think about it!
we are fine here - thanks for your text! marsali has not very good results, i had flu for over 10 days now and getting better now everyday! hope you are enjoying your last days in peru! looking fwd to your next blog!
take care!
esther
Water , a precious resource More good photos Lesley and thoughtprovoking experiences. You are so right about us taking water for granted. We are very fortunate to have a cheap and plentifull water supply in Scotland. From your blog I can see that this is clearly not the case in Ica. It made me think about water and a few google clicks later I found out this about water - of all the water on the earth 97.5% is salt water, and of the remaining 2.5% fresh water, some 70% is frozen in the polar icecaps. The other 30% is mostly present as soil moisture or lies in underground aquifers. In the end, less than 1% of the world's fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human uses. So, I guess it is the supply that is the problem.That 1% is unevenly distibuted. And if you are poor its even more unevenly distributed. I wonder how long it will be until it is water and not oil that countires fight over? Leonardo da Vinici said this about water "It is sometimes sharp and sometimes strong, sometimes acid and sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet and sometimes thick or thin, sometimes it is seen bringing hurt or pestilence, sometime health-giving, sometimes poisonous. It suffers change into as many natures as are the different places through which it passes. And as the mirror changes with the colour of its subject, so it alters with the nature of the place, becoming noisome, laxative, astringent, sulfurous, salty, incarnadined, mournful, raging, angry, red, yellow, green, black, blue, greasy, fat or slim. Sometimes it starts a conflagration, sometimes it extinguishes one; is warm and is cold, carries away or sets down, hollows out or builds up, tears or establishes, fills or empties, raises itself or burrows down, speeds or is still; is the cause at times of life or death, or increase or privation, nourishes at times and at others does the contrary; at times has a tang, at times is without savor, sometimes submerging the valleys with great floods. In time and with water, everything changes". It appears to me that the water distibuted to the people in Ica by the SU certainly helps change their lives. Take care. Paul
Earthquake aftermath Hi, I was really interested to read your comments on and see your photographs of the region affected by the earthquake last year - as you said, really so different now from when we visited in 2005. I took a particular interest at the time of the earthquake in the work of 'Telecoms Sans Frontieres' who did some marvellous work helping survivors to contact worried relatives outside the region and contributing to the rescue and reconstruction efforts by providing communications specialists on the ground. The account on your blog made me remember, in areas of natural disasters, just how long people have to live with the problems of lack of basic infrastructure.
Besitos a todos los niños. Vicki
well you never were happy unless you were in the middle of things! As always you make very interesting reading. So you are now a Peruvia water wummin eh! Knowing you - you enjoyed the experience - here we are having scooshie water gun fights etc with our wee ones and these people are so desperate for water. Roll call is as usual the whole of the West of Scotland and south east Wisconsin. Everybody here is well especially your poxy cats - still giving me a hard time but at least I dont have to go looking for Galway Boy - the weather is so dire he is usually home when I get here and Chuckie is still Chuckie - he had a tantrum the other night about his medicine so rather than have the two of us stressed out he didnt get any - but have told him no more of his
s--t Im in charge until Saturday at least. Mind you I did think Galway boy had spate out his pill so there I am in a very undignified position trying to get him to take the pill again onlyto discover Im trying to get him to swallow a small piece of white cat litter - you dont have to worry he didnt swallow it - he has more brains than me (dont dare make a comment on that one ). Weather still on the hellish side but would you believe you have wee snowdrops blooming in your garden. Still remembering to feed the wee birds and they seem so be okay. Not much more happening - have the meeting at the Church on 23rd so all the arrangements are made for that but would you beleive I have to be down there for 9.30 am and that is in the morning and on Thursday I have the Pilates class starting at the same time and then my line dancing in the afternoon - Friday I am taking Charlotte for a perm and a hair cut and I think we are having lunch with Sandra that I get home to flick the duster over your place. Going to the fiba with Rose on Wednesday and then depending on when your plane arrives on Saturday Rose might get my ticket for Ibrox. Love and miss you every day. See you on Saturday. Take care and keep taking the malaria tablets and remember the rules about paddlingand swimming in the Amazon. All our love
Mum, sparky, albertz and your poxy boys chuckie and galway xxxxx
good to catch up hi there - onlu me again. just getting over my visit with rose to strictly which was fabulous. sometimes this piece of technology works for me other times im out the window. aunt helen was on the phone for your latest update and sends her love. your poxy boys are still poxy and giving me a hard time - guess they k ow they are the boss and just put up with me. still spending every second night at your place. now much more happening here. going to watch the football with rose on her setanta after church today. norman mackie wants to speak to you about being a sort of role model for pupils at govan high who are willing to knuckle down and work - said you would phone him when you get back. glasgow amateurs giving a sort of concert thing in the blue star on 15th feb - got you a ticket charlotte and john rose cathie irene and i all going. if you dont want to go thats okay. glad to hear you are still enjoying yourself. take care. see you soon. miss you love mum sparky albertz and the poxy ones chuckie and galway
Hi Lesley, excellent blog today. Your report on the work the Vine Trust and SU do with street children was fascinating reading. I was stunned by the attitude of the 'good citizens' and by the granmother burning the boy's feet. Life must be incredibly hard for these children. Those who make it to centre are very lucky indeed. I pray that The VT and SU can continue their work to help these children. Makes me realise how lucky us westerners are - we have it easy in comparison. Love the photos. P x
Busy, busy, busy Hi - thanks for the latest update. What a huge amount you're packing into your trip and what amazing, selfless people you are encountering along the way.
Thinking of you from the dreichness of Witshire.
Vicki
Week 2 Hola Lesley! Just catching up on your blogs and I'll bet you were sad to leave the sparrows. You'll be back though, I know you will. The SU work for street children sounds fantastic and the stories you've shared are harrowing. My children need to read this!!!! I've printed them out for them to read. Loved the pics of the tapestries. What fantastic colours. Intrigued by the Inca trail and you might have two companions......let me know what's involved and we'll see what we can do! So glad your meetings went well and you've got things to keep you gainfully occupied when you come home. Let me know if I can do anything. Still praying. God Bless, Hazel xxxx.
hi from switzerland hi my dear,
i'm happy you like your trip and all your experiences! wish i could be there with you - would be interested to see and learn about all that too! it remembers me so much about my exeperiences in russia...
i check my mail everyday to see if i find a blog from you! thanks for writing so intresting and the great photos!
we are fine - only marsali's results were not so great - will mail you when you're back home!
maybe i can pass my love and regards thru this comment to my scotish mum?! do you manage to read my comment - jean? hope you are fine - marsali says thanks for the nice card!!!!
lots of love to you all!
love esther
Hi there Hi Lesley,
Glad your trip is going well - I've been looking at your photos which are great, keep them coming. But no pics of Lima? - it must be a terribly dull place to stop you and your camera.
Anyway, see you soon,
Ian (and Jo)
hianethere lesleyjane so much for the wonders of moder technology i press one thing on this so and so thing and get everything but what i want. I know I wants dont get ; Anyways caught up with your Lima blog and airport chaos - never a dull moment. Everything here just fine your poxy boys are still poxy and Chuckie tells me every day how pissed off he is at you and Galway boy is just Galway. Finally got the glass shelf for the unit so will be getting Grans glass all washed and stacked. Having problems trying to type on this and keep Chuckie from waltzing all over the keys. Rose and I looking forward to Saturday for our girls day out as our Rangers day out was cancelled on Sunday due to the very verywet weather. Not much more happening, Glad you gave the money to Gil and it went to an excellent cause. Everybody in the west of Scotland and Wisconsin asking for you. Joan Watson is home at the moment and doing fine. Love and miss you. Take care and remember what I said about swimming and paddling. Good luck with the Blue rinse and pearl brigade !!!
Take care. Got my rah rah pompoms and Fran and Anna outfit all ready for Glasgow Airport. Love you. Mum, Sparky, Albertz and the poxy twosome Chuckie and Galway
God speed to Ica Hi,
Glad you arrived safe and sound, if a little grumpy about the check-in arrangements.
I guess you'll be heading off down the Pan Am to Ica soon. Hope it's an interesting visit - will be interested to hear how things are in that area after the earthquake. I wonder if that awful hotel in Chincha Alta is still there (remember? trucks parked in the 'swimming pool', insomniac rooster, no towels and unmentionables found under the bed).
Maybe you will spot a condor this time - having slept through my sighting.
¡Que tengas suerte!
Vicki
I don't believe it was your last day in Ayacucho I cannot believe it was your last day in Ayacucho - you will go back one day, I just know it.
Naughty girl, getting locked out of your hotel - that made me smile. As did the new jumper - I see your taste in colours has not ameliorated!
I hope your journey back to Lima is OK and the activities over the next 10 days go well for you.
Filling up reading about los gorrioncitos and Gil and Chantal, special, special, special.
Ten cuidado.
Vicki.
Vicki
Thanks Hi,
Thanks again for a heartfelt and thought-provoking blog entry which I enjoyed reading.
Thanks also for emailing the pasteleria photos. Rigo's place could be either. I shall just have to return to Ayacucho one day to check it out and avail myself of a coconut biscuit or two!
Hope you enjoy your evening out with Sue and that she's as nuts as ever!
Have a wonderful final day in Ayacucho (until you return, which I'm sure you will) and a good journey back to Lima.
Gracias por las memorias.
Vicki
Inca Trail Not sure I could do the entire thing, but if it were at a leisurely pace, I might give it a try. Of course I'll be 71 in 2009 so I might need a mule or donkey part time, like that Brit. author who did it with her 9-year old daughter - we had the book at CCS House. Like the color, by the way. Is Rudy still the manager?
Do let us know what they do about eye care. And say Hi to Sue, I hope she is doing well.
Hasta luego.
Manuela
no i havent been abducted by aliens being kept up to date by Rose. cant get my bloody e mail to work
so sending this on your machine thing. Just so glad you are having such a good time and loving being back with the sparrows. Would be impossible to give all the names asking for you. Your poxy boys are just fine taking the usual p--s out of me but I am surviving. Doing one night at your place and one night at mine so they are having plenty company but sparky and albertz cant figure it out Had a dreadful storm your down the street neighbours brick wall fell down. Now its so cold its like an openair Crossmyloof but we are managing. The poxy brigade send their love as do I. Cant wait to hear all your stories and news remember just do not repeat not go paddling or swimming in the Amazon. Love and miss you every day.. Love to the sparrows gil and chantal. I'll be back
Mum
Hola dear friends Here is Gil,the father of all these kids of casa hogar Los Gorriones,
here in Ayacucho-Peru.
I profit to thank all off you for your interesses for what we're doing over here,I think that all of you know our website :
www.casahogarlosgorriones.org and here you can find more information about us or the children.
I will thank some of you also for the help you give for the kids since
a while,thanks in the name of the kids.
We're very pleased that our best friend Lesley is with us,for a short time,but it doesn't matter,we profit from every moment she's with us.
We like her very very much.I know she stays only a few days...but it is better than nothing.
And maybe one day...when God agree,she will stay longer.
Where love is King.
Thanks also Lesley for this beautifull blog so we all can follow your travel...it's my way to travel,reading your storries.
Big kiss from all little sparrows,to all of you...this door will be open for all of you...we like to have visit,hahaha.
See you!
Gil and Chantal and los gorrioncitos
you are great! lesley, you are just great to spend your afternoon with these children! i had tears in my eyes about the description of the children! do the sight handicaped children have also special therapy to help them beside physio and massage? like low-vision therapy...
i think we have so much luck to live here in well organised switzerland with our children, having access to all therapy and medicine they need!!!
lots of love and a lot of positive wishes!
esther
Vicki Gilbert
non-member comment
Thanks
Hi - thanks Lesley for taking us on your journey with you. You write with such enthusiasm and conviction. I will be meeting up with Eileen and Wendy tomorrow and thinking of you and other absent friends. Vicki :-)