Lake Titicaca

A Quechuan word meaning "stone of the Puma," Lake Titicaca reminds me of the Aegean Sea with it's vastness and the islands scattered around. We departed from Puno and headed for the first of the 3 islands we would see. Our journey was a short 25 minutes, on a small (maybe 38ft boat) with a top part for some people to sit, to San Pedro which is part of the Uros Islands. The Uros Islands are all floating islands. There are blocks of reeds from the plant that grows (only in this area of the lake) that rise up due to water movement.
These blocks are about 3 meters deep, or so. They are tied together and then reeds are thrown down over them on which to walk. The islands are then anchored so they don´t move too much. When an island is being built, each month more reeds are thrown on top to secure ways to walk around. Houses are constructed out of reeds as well. There were about 8 homes directly where we were. There was an extension of San Pedro that held more homes but in a more private area. The area we visited was mostly for tourists. They use solar panels to get electricity so some families do have televisions, dvd players, telephones and computers. One of the Uros Islands has a telephone for national and international phone calls.


From the Uros Islands we headed another 3 hours out into the bigger part of the lake (although we were always on the Peruvian side--60% of the lake versus Bolivia's 40%)toward Amantani.
This is the island where we were to stay for the night. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by women in traditional dress. This consisted of brightly colored skirts just below the knee that poofed out to give the illusion of 10 layers. The skirts were accompanies with white cotton shirts with embroidery and black sandals. If their legs were cold, they wore, knit tights that were more leggings than tights. In groups of 2-3 we were placed with a family. Christina and I met an Irish girl, Sarah, and the 3 of us decided to be placed together. We met Flora. Flora has 2 daughters who were probably around 6 or 7 and a baby. She lives with her parents. Flora spoke little Spanish and mostly Quechua. Her parents both spoke more Spanish and so did her children because on Amantani, children are taught in Spanish.

Our room had 4 beds and a table in the middle. Although there was wiring for electricity, we had a candle for our light. The bathroom was an outhouse just a few meters from the house. There was a cow who watched our every move every time we headed for the outhouse.
At one point, the cow actually looked at me and mooed! After getting settled, we met the rest of the group in the plaza to head up to the top of the island to watch the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful! We could see part of Bolivia and some mountains that were still part of Peru. The clouds, the moon and the sunset were breathtaking. After the hike, we were to meet Flora for dinner before a dance party they were hosting for us.

Dinner was quite an adventure. We ate in their kitchen. It was a small room with dirt floors and a small fire in a stone area. We sat on a small bench eating soup and then some rice and potatoes. While we were eating, we heard squeaking noises. I thought maybe it was mice or rats. Christina and Sarah didn´t like that idea at all (neither did I, but what could we do?).
Eventually, the squeaking got really loud and we looked at Flora´s parents as a plea to tell us what was going on. It was their cuyes!!! Guinea pigs!! They had 8 adults and 4 babies and as Flora´s father was explaining this, one ran right between Christina and me across the kitchen floor!I watched it´s furry little butt wiggle as it went. Shortly thereafter, we finished eating and it was time to get ready for the party.

We were told we would be wearing traditional dress but weren´t sure what exactly that meant. We each were given a poofy skirt: green, purple, red. We were given embroidered shirts and a black shawl for our heads.
We wore the skirts over our jeans and although we looked ridiculous, headed toward the Plaza for the party. There was a band of boys, the oldest nearly 12 and we danced, mostly lead by the little girls. There´s a lot of running around in circles with a group of at least 20 people crammed into a small room with the little girls yanking our arms back and forth. It was fun. Eventually, the party moved outside temporarily and Flora asked us if we were ready to head home, so we obliged.

The next morning, we waved goodbye to our families and headed off for our last island, Taquile. Such a tranquil place with amazing views. We headed up to the top of the island, right off the boat.
We congregated in the plaza, about an hour after embarking to find a ceremony going on. Peru´s Independence Day was on July 28th so there is a week long party that goes on, on Taquile. Women wore their traditional clothes while dancing and the men played their music.
They did this for the officers of the 8 communities on Taquile. During lunch, we were shown how the dress of the men differs depending on whether or not they are married. What changes for the women is the colors they wear. It was quite interesting.

After lunch, we walked down exactly 540 steps, no not 541 or 539 but exactly 540 (they make a point of telling us) down to the boat for our 3 hour ride back to Puno. I sat on the top of the boat and had a wonderful time. There really is nothing like Lake Titicaca and unfortunately, I do not believe my description has done any justice.

Funny Picture

This photo is from local bar for tourists. It cracked me up, though probably not as much as for the staff who watched me take the picture.

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

For two days I've been thinking about what I want to say about my stay in Cusco and I am still not sure. As my time comes to an end, I realize what an experience and how quickly the time has gone by! The hospitality, the friendliness and graciousness of those we've met has been overwhelming. A population that has suffered much continues working toward a better life.
We have met people of the highest class here and those who have literally nothing left to their name. I have tried to have an understanding of where I fit into all this but I realized, that where I fit in, is as an outsider. I may never endure poverty like what exists here. I will, hopefully, be able to find proper schooling for my children and while I may not always agree with my government's decisions, I am granted much more protection than the citizens are here. I am completely fascinated by my experiences here. The positive energy from people here evokes a sense of gratitude.
I am sad to leave my life here but am also excited for the adventures ahead. From Cusco, we go to Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, a small town known for jewelry and ruins and then on to the Amazon. Who knows what will happen in the next chapter of this trip...

Jesus Mi Luz

Not a 15 minute walk away from the Plaza de Armas sits Jesus Mi Luz orphanage. A home for boys whose families cannot take care of them.
Most, if not all, of the families are in Cusco and some of the mothers actually visit their sons. They usually come with even smaller children on their backs but provide some support to the lifestyle of the boys in the orphanage.

A few blocks off a main street, there is a huge red steel door that is locked all the time. To get in, you have to ring the bell. The wait can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 20 minutes depending on who has the one key and where that person is. The complex has two main buildings and a shed.
One building has administrative offices downstairs and upstairs is the library and the dormitories. The other building houses the kitchen which would catch anyone´s attention for it provides food to a group that is hungry nearly all the time. One large tree stands in the middle of the grounds providing a feeling more along the lines a yard and not grounds of an orphanage. Walkways are lined with multi-colored cement stumps to indicate the preferred way.

Once permitted entrance, various scenarios can be at play. Boys playing on the basketball court/soccer court, boys washing their dishes or helping in hard labor on the grounds, or on rare occasions the boys will be inside, upstairs in the library. When they are in school, the boys usually have play time until 3:00 and then have to work on homework until 6:00 when it is dinnertime.
When they´re not in school, which was the majority of my time here, they still go inside at 3:00 (on the rare occurrence that we´ve been able to convince staff to keep the kids outside, they can stay out later)and look to us volunteers for entertainment. Big hugs and smiles are usually at the front door waiting.

Being a governmental organization and being low on supplies, the boys are usually dressed in an eclectic style. Pants that are too small and shoes that are too big. Sometimes there are no shoelaces and floss has to be used or no shoelaces are used at all. Unfortunately for these boys, there is no toilet paper or kleenex to help them with their chronic runny noses.
It took me asking three boys if they needed toilet paper and them telling me yes and me telling them to get some only for them to reply that there isn´t any before I caught on. Because of this, they have learned to blow excellent snot rockets or just continue on with a very runny nose. I usually want to laugh and cry at the same time as I watch them struggle. Lotion is not very commonplace, either, and these boys suffer from cuts due to extremely dry skin. Some are shy and won´t respond when asked how they are doing but a quick soft touch or a small crack of a smile tells me they know I´m here.

Most want to play professional futbol and it has been great for me to get to play with the boys of all different ages from the small ones at 8 years old to the older boys of 15.
Taps is a huge game for the boys to play and it involves thin, little plastic coin shaped toys that are tapped on each other. It takes less than a minutes for groups of boys to congregate to play Taps.

Just in many situations, there are the bullies. There are three that come to mind and they usually run everything. They decide who gets to play futbol, what toys the younger kids can play with and they will threaten the other kids if they don´t get their way. They can also be the hardest working kids if they want to be. As I watch them interact I realize how they´re just such young boys and they just need love. Tough love, soft love, whatever kind of love...they need it and more of it.
I watched one kid go from being a bully to being his 12 year old small self in a matter of seconds when I took his toy away. The most ironic of situations is one of the smallest boys at 8 years old who is a natural leader and can sometimes control the older boys. Such big britches for such a small boy. They usually travel in packs together and when they can´t find anything better to do, they´ll look around for the easiest target and smack him and then run.

While at times, this work has been difficult, it is most rewarding. I don´t know if or how I have impacted any of these kids. Maybe to communicate to them that there are people out there who care. Their smiles will make your heart melt. Each of them deserves a good home and I wish I could provide that for them. Their excitement in playing games and getting help with homework makes the hard moments worth it. There are infrastructural issues, which can affect how the system as a whole is run, but ignoring those (which can be extremely difficult), these boys are what matter. I am sad to leave them, especially not knowing what will happen to them, but I know they are in better hands than they would be if Jesus Mi Luz didn´t exist.

Laguna de Huacarpay

Growing up, camping was always a summer feature. Once each of us (there are 3 children in my family, of which I am the youngest) reached a certain age, my father would take us camping. Tent camping of course. I wouldn't know the first thing about pop-ups or RVs. Luckily, REI has come up with easier fashioned tents so it's quicker to put up a tent than to have to fiddle with the splintered wooden sticks and the metal fasteners. Camping here in Peru was a different experience, but one I would do again and again. I'm sure people in the States have experienced car camping, but this car camping was unlike any other I've seen or heard of. The only planning done was what food to bring, who was going and the general vicinity of where we were to camp: Laguna de Huacarpay. (I would try to spell it phonetically, but that would cause more confusion than help).

We arrived at the Laguna (it's not like Peter Pan's Laguna, it just means a smaller lake...pretty much anything smaller than Lake Titicaca is a Laguna) and drove around looking for spots to settle down. A hay/grass area under a tree was chosen and we parked.
A fire was started mostly just of grass...no need for technicalities because we had an endless supply of grass to pull from and it gave the kids something to do. All in all, I believe there were close to 20 people crammed into 3 cars. One grandpa, his 7 children and some of their spouses, 4 grandchildren, a couple cousins and 2 gringas. What a party!

A makeshift pan that was made earlier in the afternoon was used to cook beef kabobs with peppers and onions, served on a real plate with a mountain of fried rice and potatoes. Most definitely, it was the best, most gourmet looking meal I've had for dinner while camping. It comes a close second to my father's breakfast of sausages cooked in peach juice. Mmmmm. I was lucky to help the other women in preparing the potatoes and getting things ready for dinner.

Frequent trips were made to the road, away from the fire to look at the stars, so close it seemed like I could just put up my hand and touch them. Jupiter was out, the Southern Cross, and somewhere was the star we named after my grandfather. It was very tranquil to stand there and look up, especially when shooting stars flew by and we got to make wishes.

It wasn't until about 1 or 2 in the morning that the craziness started. Rum and coke is a common drink around here. Pitchers are filled with the two and a sippy cup(half a Dixie cup) rotated around while everyone warmed up around the fire. The first game was Hot Potato but every time you were caught with the ball, you had to act out an animal.
I'm not a very outgoing person in this area, so I blushed and giggled just about every time I had to go. My first animal was a horse (a joke for Christina and me because we kept using the word for gentleman- caballero- instead of horse-caballo- for a few days until we got it straight) and then I did a fish. Christina did a bird and a frog. Then the game was the same except that you had to SING! That made me even more nervous! Christina got it right with the Beatles and then I had to come up with UB40--at least some of them knew what I was singing.

All the while music was playing and we were all laughing. After Hot Potato, we played a game of mimicking dances. Each person would have to do a dance move and everyone would follow. Hehe. Christina and I just did funny dances from the States like the Running Man and Roger Rabbit. It was hilarious.

We didn't go to bed until after 4 in the morning and Christina and I slept in the backseat of one of the cars. There was even a couple in the trunk! (Yes, the trunk was open).

Once we got up a couple hours later, we went to a nearby field, right next to the lake, and played soccer for about an hour. It was fun, but I had a few respiratory problems since I'm not used to running at 10,000ft. Then, we packed up and headed out.

Just like the Quinceañera (it was the same family who invited us to that), this family took us in again for their camping excursion. They want us to stick around to go up into the mountains
(I thought we were in the mountains) to go to their cabin. The hospitality is overwhelming and more than we could have asked for. Language barrier or not, they took us in and treated us like we were part of the family, as if we have always been part of their family.

A Condor, a Llama and Jesus

No this is not the beginning of a horrible joke.

This is a photo of an actual Condor we saw at ruins nearby Cuzco.
It is considered an endangered bird but is a large symbol for Cusqueños. There were trainers with the bird to protect it.


This picture of a llama cost me 1 sol because the woman who owns the
llama was cleverly standing 50 feet away and after we took the picture told us we owed her money.


And, this is a huge, overwhelming, statue of Jesus that sits on a hill overlooking Cuzco. It looks quite beautiful with the sun behind it.

Quinceañera

Imagine a black tie wedding reception for 200 people and instead of it being a wedding, it's a birthday party for a girl turning 15, where only 50 of the people are adults. A club mimicking Incan ruins was rented out. Little booth type sitting areas were backed with fake rock ruins, scattered around the whole club. One bar was in the middle and the other was tucked in a corner. Disco balls twisting with all different colors dancing on the floors and walls. Pop music played with pods of kids placed all around. Throughout most of the place, boys are on one side of the dance floor and girls are on the other side. Some small groups are mixed but mostly they are in groups of their own kind.

Compared to everyone around us, we looked like school teachers (sorry, I don't have a picture to show...Boris, Christina's friend, has them). Boys wore suits or tuxedos. Girls wore formal dresses, most of them strapless with elegant, intricate designs and heels. Most, if not all, had their hair professionally done.

Once Candy, the birthday girl who is Boris' niece, arrived, the dance floor was cleared and the music stopped. Candy's parents walked onto the dance floor and then 15 of Candy's girlfriends, wearing black cocktail dresses, walked in with candles. Once Candy arrived, her father gave a speech and then her best friend made a speech and then Candy, herself made a speech. She had a dance with her father, then one with her date and an interesting event occurred... Candy changed part of her dress and danced a choreographed dance for everyone and then she did another one with her friends. Once her dance was over, the party started.

Food was carried around on plates, while everyone danced. Boris' family moved to a more private part of the club where they had their own little dance floor and area to sit.

It was interesting to see the type of party thrown, the money and class to do so, and the dichotomy of children dressed as adults. It was like nothing else I've ever experienced. It was definitely a perfect example of wanting to experience a culture its dynamic characteristics, not just its tourist attractions.