Im some place where I dont know where I am

---

Today I saw it all. The good the bad and the ugly of Peru. It was the best day so far. We spent part of the morning at the university in Lambayeque. We then hopped a taxi to San Jose, a dusty fishing village about 10 miles from Lambayeque. The main road to San Jose is a bone rattling dirt road, the main road mind you, through some of the poorest landscape I have ever seen. The campo, or country side, is a series of adobe dwellings, most with no paint and seem to have only one room, kept very tidy as they have no possessions to “junk” the place up. The faces I saw in San Jose said everything there was to say about the current state of things. Most buildings were crumbling or worse and all streets but one were dirt in origin. Great fishing boats maybe a mile long down the misty beach served as the towns main income, and possibly robbers as once again all big white eyes were glued to the yellow headed gringo. Humberto’s gas gauge always read EMPTY as we left San Jose down yet another jittery unpaved road, passing fragile donkeys pulling frail carts, full of chickens, garbage and children. A resort town of sorts, Pimental is the Hyde to San Jose’s Jekyell, full of smiling faces and even the occasional gringo. Even the dogs were happy here. We ate the best meal yet, fried fish and potatoes in an open air café. I saw it all today and sadly, this is what I expected of Peru. A country with a wealth of poverty with secluded sprouts of prosperity. I wish everyday could be like this.

---

Photos

mototaxi
On the way to San Jose.

foggy Pimental
Locals in the mist.

food
What $2.50 will buy you in Peru...Muy Bueno!!!

San Pedro
San Pdero in Lambayeque

Comments

[Nixie]

Very Interesting
Hey Travis, This should be very fun and educational for you. How's the weather? In the school are there people speaking english or do you have to converse in Spanish to everyone? Were still cleaning up from the ice storm. Today its 65 degs here.

[GoTravis]

Nixie, the weather is great, sunny everyday, about 80 in the day and maybe 65 or 70 at night. If I knew spanish I would speak some in class, but id ont know much so I wont. Im the only teacher of about 30 who dosent speak spanish. No ice storms here.