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Published: February 6th 2015
Mancora was a chance for us to slow down for a while and spend a few weeks in the same place. We even got to unpack our backpacks! Quebrada was the name of our new temporary home....a nice, basic apartment above the landlords residence. It was a short five minute walk to the beach across the street, which usually took longer because of the ensuing conversation with the locals and especially the Tuk-Tuk / Cab drivers.
We met up with friends too as our Dutch amigos came to town also. Kim & Artur were a cool, funny couple whom we had met while rafting the Apurimac. I think all the Dutch folks that we met were fun, but these two cracked me up. Kim & Artur had a funny, commentary-style, banter that they delivered time and time again. One of the days I rented a surf board and before heading into the water, I was doing a few beach sprints and exercises to warm up ahead of the not so warm water....
(In classic Dutch accents.) Kim: What is this he is doing, Sarah? Why is it that Bref is now running up the beach? Wait...now he is
jumping..yes it looks like he is doing the jumping jacks. Why is this? And the surfboard is on the ground...
Sarah: Well I think...
Artur: He is dong the running and the jumping as a form of preparation to the colder waters. The waters must be 15 degrees, so he is warming up.
Kim: 15 degrees? I think not 15 degrees, but maybe 18 degrees. And look now he is stretching...
Ah, we love the Dutch.
While we did enjoy lazing on the beach and sipping 'Agua de Coco' or chowing down on the delicious fare (Ceviches, lomo saltados, even the pan con jamon y queso), some of the most rewarding time was spent by Sarah who volunteered at KIYA Survivors, a not for profit organization whose mission is to provide a new beginning for children who have special needs or have been abused or abandoned. Sarah went every day for two weeks to help around the house and play with the kids, while I overcame a nasty bout of food poisoning and worked on a Google Adwords program. One of the days that I went to help at KIYA, I met young Hector who
Sarah had just brought to the dentist. The removal of a tooth was painful enough, but the painkillers didn't seem to agree with him much either unfortunately - poor fella!
Speaking of dentists, it was here in Mancora that we met John Patrick Stewart, a Peruvian born fella with Scottish blood. We became friends over a few drinks and got to know him a little. Next thin you know we're having dentistry work done. JP took care of it and it was much more affordable than having fillings done in the US!
While in Mancora, we also enjoyed the 4th July with a nice group of American ex-pats and a Canadian bloke! The party at Doug and Karen's impressive beach house was a lot fun including an All-American Barbeque and plenty of beer. Sarah had got to know Doug and Karen through KIYA - they kindly donated use of their home and pool to the kids and volunteers to splash around in.
We'll always look back on Mancora with fond memories.
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