Peace Corps: Peru

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Location: Lalaquiz, Piura, Peru

Thursday, April 03, 2008

LLUVIA!!!

For the past 3 days I have been patiently waiting here in Piura city to be able to return home to Tunal. Due to the phenomenon La Niña we’ve had a very abnormal rainy season. It has not rained this hard since 1998, the last time the area was affected by El Niño. It has cause a lot of problems in the area such as crop damage, mudslides, cutting off towns and districts, an increase of sicknesses etc. To get to Tunal one must pass through a number of small ravines as well as Rio Seco (Dry River). Rio Seco which is normally almost completely dry (thus its name) has become a roaring river. Busses and trucks can no long cross it forcing passengers to cross on intertubes and horse drawn carts. It is quite an experience. The past few days it has actually rained even more than before making a mess of the dirt road leading to Tunal and making the ravines impassable.

I spent nearly the whole months of March in Tunal in which I saw some of the hardest rains I think I’ve seen in my life. One particularly hard rain caused two house to collapse and a lot of other damage. Needless to say, it’s been a pretty adventurous season. I planted a field of corn in February which, like a lot of crops in the area is looking pretty bad because of the excessive rain. For me it’s obviously not the end of the world, but for my friends and neighbors who depend of the harvest to support their families it’s a source of a lot of preoccupation. Forecasters have said that it appears that the rain will continue for at least another two weeks. I’m waiting for any opportunity to venture back to my home!

In February my buddy Timmy came to visit. We had a very good time in the Iquitos on a very brief jungle tour. It was great to reconnect with him and to be able to spend some quality time together before he ties the knot in June!

My brother Jonas also just visited me. We spent a few days in Lima and also took a 15 hrs bus ride to a city called Arequipa. We didn’t really do very many touristy activities, but rather did what we do best: Eat good food!! He treated me to the first Indian dish I’ve had since coming here (at the only advertised Indian restraint in all of Lima!). We ate the whole spectrum, from the traditional Peruvian dishes including the famous fried guinea pig to pizza, pasta, Mexican food…and even a big mac at Mcdonalds! What a treat! It had been a long time since we’d been able to enjoy a good 4 days together. It’s also the last time I’ll see him before he becomes a father in May. (congrats Joe and Priscilla!)