La Ciudad de l´Amistad

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Back to bloging after a few weeks (ok, a few months...) of silence. We’re staying in Chiclayo, known as the city of friendship. The weather is hot and sunny, the beaches are nearby and the people really are friendly. Everyday we get up and jump into the cramped Combis (minivans that act as buses and carry up to 29 people!!!!) or Colectivos (personal cars that give lifts to people for a few coins), if your lucky you get to sit on the handbrake!! Both of them have hot salsa or cumbia blazing away. They also drive like they’d risk their lives to get a few extra passengers.

I started off working with IMAR Costa Norte, an NGO specialised on irrigation systems for agriculture. I was part of a project for the development of artichoke production in the region surrounding Chiclayo (please don’t laugh). Unfortunately it was scrapped after a few weeks because of a problem with the budget. So now I’m working with the "Junta de Usuarios de Agua de Chancay Lambayeque" (a governmental organisation distributing water), on the TAYMI project. The idea is to stop farmers from illegally taking water from the canal TAYMI, a canal that carries water from the mountains to the coast. In practice we’re helping them organise themselves and their irrigation systems so they can charged for their water uses and therefore become legal. Of course it’s quite a difficult job and a lot of social work has to be put in as some of the farmers are quite stubborn. All in the whole it’s a great experience as we spend most of our time traveling across the Peruvian countryside taking measurements, talking to farmers and planning new installations. I’m also getting a nice tan as well as plenty of bites from all the new species of insects I’m making friends with.

Pierre is working for IPR on a similar type of project, although he spends most of his time in an office. We decides to work for different organisations in order to integrate more and perfect our Spanish. We’ve made a few friends and got ourselves into a nice routine and know that it will be hard to leave. Not to worry though, the money is getting short so we should be back by May- June as planned!!

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Photos

Streets of Chiclayo
Villareal, a rather well-off part of Chiclayo

Chiclayo
View from the center square

Combi
Up to 29 passengers!!!!

Peruvian Food
The North coast of Peru is renouned for its tasty food.

Toilet paper streetseller
Just in case of an emergency

Lucho and his family
This is the place where we eat almost every day

Fruit seller
Yeah you can also buy fruit

View from my window
View on La Victoria, the southern part of Chiclayo

La Panamericana
A not so unusual sight from the Panamerica, the road that crosses the whole of Latin America, North to South. People stack just about anything on their roofs.

Presidential Elections
Alan Garcia, the second favorite for the elections, makes an appearance in Chiclayo

Electoral Campain
It reads: \"For a Government without thiefs\" , and pretty much sums up what politics meen to Peruvians!!!

The local beer
Dunno why I took that photo actually

El Canal Taymi
Kids fish out firewood from the canal as an old woman passes by with her donkey

The Project Team
From left to right: Cesar, two farmers, Edgar, Juan-Carlos

View from the Canal
Water used to be stored in that hut

A Rice Field
Uses lots of water, and me and my colleagues are not happy about it!

A Bridge on the Canal
Was used in a famous Indiana Jones film

Working with Imar
Helping the farmers organise themselves

Una Motobomba
These are the things we're trying to get rid of. The famers use them to steal water, but usually they are not protected by a cage

Comments

[maria Batlle]

hey! this is really amazinng! I am really happy you are enjoing your experience so much. How is your spanish now?? we have to talk someday, I would like to do something similar!!! Good luck!