Hola, Gringo

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So, a lot has happened since I last wrote.

Work has continued to be great, but I was ready for a break on Friday. After work on Friday, we left with a group of about 20 to go to the coast. This was one of the coolest experiences of my entire life. no lie. The bus ride was about 9 hours long, driving through a 15.000 ft pass in the Andes in a 12 passenger van. Lots of bonding time.

But something eve more exciting about the drive and trip: the landscape was absolutely phenomenal! Ayacucho is in the South-Central Highlands and is more or less a dust bowl at 9.000 ft, looking much like the western US/Sierra Nevada. Climbing slowly out of the valleys, we moved to the towering Andean cliff faces, speckled with small villages, complete with beautiful stone walls, wild alpaca and llamas, and the smiling faces of native Peruanos. I feel a need to describe it accurately, however. While the scenery on the drive was absolutely amazing, the poverty and governmental neglect of the people in this area is horrifying. I have learned that 70% of the Ayacuchan State lives on less than 2 dollars a day. Your heart really has to go out to every hunched back you see of an elderly woman carrying her bucket of water from the contaminated water source she and her family drink from every day. Nevertheless, every time we stopped for the bathroom, it was those same people who smiled so widely and said simply "Hola, Gringo." Strong people.

After descending from 15.000 ft to sea level, we stopped in Ica. Ica is a region full of desert. And I don´t mean like the Arizona Desert. I mean, it looks like the Sahara! Rolling hill beyond hills of only sand! I had never seen anything like it. We went into the desert with sand buggies and sandboard and tore that desert up. We got onto our stomachs on our boards and just slid off the edge sand dunes that were over two hundred feet high! So amazing. Throughout the trip, we just kept saying "How is all that we´ve seen in one country!?" Keep in mind, the Amazon river basin is also in Peru. This country has sooo much to offer.

We then went to Nazca, home of the famous Nazca Lines, lines that have been carved into the rock ground and have lasted for over 900 years. When you go up in a plane, you can see them clearly. Most are larger than multiple football fields! So cool. They are amazing pictures of things like Condors, Space People (No lie, looks like the typical alien Hollywood presents up with. Crazy, i know.), and a huge Spider (Go Richmond.). After that, we took a boat to these bird-infested islands, affectionately called the Poor Man´s Galapagos. Really cool to see all the different species. But the whole thing smelled like...well you can imagine.

The drive home was great. Beautiful also; however, getting out to use the bathroom at 15.000 feet when you´ve been at sea level makes you nearly pass out. I almost lost it. Gotta be careful...

This week at work, i have not been in the clinics. There is a huge national campaign in Peru to vaccinate all children with the Hepatitis B vaccine. This is a big deal because, many of the fathers in Peru have, for years, been refusing the vaccinations for their children, believing the use of them to be a sign of weakness. I have been traveling to the schools with small teams of ten nurses and helping them to draw up shots before they give them. I have gotten to see a true national health campaign first hand, and it´s been really awesome to be somehow a part of it. I feel like God continues to give me amazing opportunities and experiences that I never expected. The cultural barriers may be unique to Peru, but children´s fear of shots is universal. I have used my Spanish a ton this week to help calm the kids down and explain why they need the shot. It has been so cool.

Well, that´s a lot to recap, but I hope I did it some justice. This place is really incredible. I am, however, starting to miss the comforts of the US. Fun fact: I have yet to have a shower here that is not borderline ice-particles. I´m getting good at doing the Hokey Pokey into the water though.

I miss you all, and love you. I hope life is great, and I would love to hear from you. Email me!




ps. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW, ROSIE! I´LL CALL YOU! the shout-out is my only true birthday gift i can give to you from here. There´s cool Peruvian stuff on the way though. I´m praying for you as you´re about to conquer the world with Fran and Mom. Buena Suerte, y no puedo esperar para verte. Go be G´s Rep (please get that).

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Comments

[Mom]

WOW
Thanks for the great narrative! I could understand your weekend so much better in writing than I did with all the background noise on the phone. It sounds amazing and so do you! We love you and miss you.