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Published: November 14th 2005
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Massive green pumpkins!!
Imressive, aren´t they?? Hello all,
Thinking about all my friends in Church today and especially Girls Brigade. It´s the Armistice service in Church. Hope that we had a good turnout from the girls, that they behaved, and that it wasn´t too cold at the service at the Cenotaph.
It´s a beautirful day here today. I spent most of the morning on the roof reading and relaxing. Have been trying to find out where the Methodist Church is in Ayacucho, but no one sems to know. As a last shot, there is a religious stall in the market. I´m going to take the name of the Church down there and see if they can point me in the right direction.
My roommate Caroline woke me up just around 8am this morning to tell me that she´d had a shower and the water was roasting. That was sufficient incentive for me to dive out of bed. My shower started off so hot that I had to add cold water to it (amazing I know!!). Committed to shaving my legs as the water was so hot!! Needless to say I got one done and had to complete the other in freezing cold water -
Truckload of water melons!!
This one is especilly for Billy and Paul - much easire form of transport Billy!! so much for that!!
After that, we went for a wander to one of the local markets. I have never seen so much fruit in all my life in the one place - and the size of some of it!! Apparently, the noise that normally wakens us at the weekend in the sound of trucks filled with fruits from the jungle thundering through Ayacucho to deliver to the local markets.
Have attached a couple of interesting photos (at least I thought they were!!) - some green pumpkins and a truck full of water melons especially for Billy and Paul. Enjoy!! After our tour of the market, there was time for a wee snooze in the sun on the roof just before lunch.
In the afternoon, Eilleen, Wendy and I decided to head into Huanca, another village approximately one hours drive away which is slightly lower down the mountains than Ayacucho. A dance festival was advertised there Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
We managed to find a taxi that would take us, and endured a particularly hairy ride there!! I was in the middle in the back between Eileen and Wendy, and there were two Peruvians squeezed into the front seat beside the driver. All I´ll say is that I prayed a lot en route!!
We arrived in Huanca to discover that the festival had only been on Saturday and not Sunday too as advertised!! We went for a wander round the local market, but the people were in the process of packing up, and as it was Sunday, there was very little else open!! We decided to head back to Ayacucho.
The only transport we could find was the local bus. Eileen and Wendy were in front with the driver and I was in back with the locals. The bus was a sort of mini bus - a bit like the one we use for the Church walking group, but ten times older!! I got chatting to two local girls who were sisters (23 and 25 respectively) travelling back to Ayacucho with their 10 yr old brother. Using my unique form of "Spanglish" we managed to chat all the way back home. They had lots of questions about Scotland and Europe, and were asking me how I liked Peru and where I had travelled. Like all the local people I´ve spoken to, they were amazed to hear that I´m 34yrs old, unmarried with no children. This is very unusual in Peru. They were quite keen to set me up with some of their male Peruvian friends, which I declined, telling them I preferred to be "solo"!! I´ve given them a note of my e-mail address, so hope that they will be in touch. They were really nice and the eldest (sadly) was an accountant!!
The bus journey was much less scary than the taxi trip - maybe because I was distracted chatting to the girls. It was pretty hilarious, because the whole of the back of the bus was listening into our conversation!! There was a collective gasp when I told them I was 34, single and no ninos!!! They also made my day by telling me they thought I was about 22. I know, I know, I´m living in fantasy land - but it was nice to hear!!
When we arrived back, we decided to go for a beer in one of the places we hadn´t visited yet. There is a place close to the CCS house with bamboo doors which looks lovely inside, so we decided to head there. We entered to hoots of laughter - obviously a place for locals rarely frequented by "gringas". We stuck it out though - it´s the only way we´ll ever get to know any of the local people. Had a nice relaxing beer and blether and then headed home for dinner.
I was in bed by 9.30pm and slept right through until 7am this morning with no interruptions - bliss!!!
Anyway, that´s all my news for today. Something different seems to happen every day I´m here!!
Take care one and all!!
Lesley x
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Hairy taxi rides
will swap stories with you about one Rose and I had in the Holy Land. Mad taxi driver with a hair pin road hanging onto the side of a mountain. Kept the eyes closed and like you prayed an awful lot but he we lived to tell the tale