All Saints Weekend

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Hola!

Well it is All Saints Weekend down here. There has been festivities abound. Tomorrow is the actual holiday, so there will be no business conducted and just fiesta. We are going to go to the Wari ruins tomorrow morning. It should be interesting. The Wari was a civilization that predated the Inca and was at one time the largest city in the world, larger then Rome.

Yesterday we spent a good portion of the day relaxing and then went into town. In the main plaza they had different schools competing to make these giant merles in the street. They were made out of all natural stuff; flowers, dirt, chalk, leaves, and ect. It was inspiring to see the people celebrate freedom and the end of the oppression that the Shinning Path had on this community.

Today was really busy at the clinic, had a good verity of complaints. Even one emergency, a little girl fell out of bed and was not unconscious. She was Ok, her mother was really in a panic and that heighten the situation. Had some guy who got in a gang fight and had his lip split wide open by a knife. It was really bad. Doctor was going to let me help a lot on this one, but our buss came and we had to go. I taught Dena, one of the other volunteers, how to draw up and give vaccinations today. She really appreciated my showing her and it was good for me to teach. Wednesday she is going to do most of them and I’ll show her how to give medications in the butt!

This afternoon Marisol took us up to Santa Anna for the Running with the Bulls. It’s like Bull Fighting but the bull has all the advantage and the men have no weapon. The Bull has a rope around his horns so that they can control him a wee bit……. Not that it did much good. It’s true Bulls really to stomp at the ground and snort right before the charge. Saw this one guy get flipped completely over and then stomped on a bunch. It is kind of a Rite of Passage for the young men and well worth the risk in their minds. I think they are completely NUTS!

Well till next time, Machelle

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Photos

Chalk and Flowers
The different schools were competing to make chalk and flower pictures in the street to celabrate the years of peace since the Shining Path was defeated.

Santa Anna
The view of the plaza from he roof of a freind of Marisol's.

Santa Anna
The main plaza at Santa Anna in preperations for the Running with the Bulls. It is part of the comunities celabration of Alln Saints Day.

Da' Bull
Made as a hornet!