These are those older brothers of the little girl holding the duckling. They are about 30 feet away from where we're standing and up about 10 feet in a tree. 
This is our group. We are on the roof and soon to be 4th floor of the Teclides institute, an English institute run by our CLWR host in Lima; Cesar (the Peruvian in the picture).
I just looked at my blog and was shocked to find I haven't posted in two weeks, oops! I'm back from Peru and trying to get back into the swing of things here in Saskatoon. I returned last Saturday (Jan 20) in the afternoon and came home and slept most of the weekend. Sunday afternoon my friend Shalisha arrived for a visit from Vancouver. I picked her up from the airport and we came back to my house and had a nap, yay! We had a lovely dinner Sunday evening and then came back to my house where I quickly crashed. I don't make a great host when I've just returned from a 3 week trip, sorry! Monday classes started. Fortunately Mondays are pretty relaxed for me as I don't have class until 1:30. I had also wisely got my evening library shift covered, I wouldn't have made it through the shift, too tired! Shalisha rented a car Monday morning to drive out to Carrot River and visit family and the former family farm. Monday night as I was waiting for her to come home I got a phone call from her, she had rolled her car an hour outside of Saskatoon. Fortunately she was ok and was waiting for an ambulance because she had some back pain. I met her at the hospital ER and stayed with her until 3AM when they put her in a quiet corner so she could get some sleep. The next morning I returned to take her home. All X-rays and scans were clear, yay! The snow cushioned her roll according to the paramedics who brought her in. She flew home Tuesday evening. The rest of my week has been fairly uneventful, going to classes, buying books, sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. The trip was exhausting and I'm still trying to recover. I'm also frantically trying to get CPE applications in so I have a place to do CPE this summer. It never ends. This year I just go from one thing to another with very few breaks in between! Now I need to get back to the homework I've been avoiding.
Well I´m in my last week of my time here in Peru. It has been quite the adventure. We´ve seen lots and done lots. We have been back in Lima for a few days and tonight we head out again for another overnight bus trip (my least favourite part of the trip) to Casma where we see the work of Diaconia in some of the river basins. We met with the director of Diaconia at the beginning of our trip on one of the first days in Lima (seems like a really long time ago!). Today we met with the president of ILEP (Iglesia Luterana Evangelica Peruana, Evangelical Lutheran church of Peru) and attended worship in a Lutheran congregation, followed by a lunch with the congregation. This afternoon we had some free time and so I napped, had ice cream and bought water. I have to head back soon and pack yet again. I´ll be glad to be home to unpack once and for all for at least a month or two!). Last night we went to a dinner theatre show where we saw examples of at least 6-7 different traditional Peruvian dances and had traditional Peruvian food. The food has be been great. We have been fed really well. They have 600 different kinds of potatoes here in Peru and so potatoes come with everything. I have fallen in love with the people of Peru, they are so gracious and warm and know how to do hospitality in the most amazing ways. Being together all the time as a group of 12 has begun to get trying as we get more tired and more comfortable with each other and our true colours begin to show. It´s nice to know we´re in the home stretch. Tomorrow we check into the hotel in the morning and visit a river basin, Tuesday is another river basin. Wednesday is day off (we haven´t had a whole day off the whole trip!). Wednesday night we travel back to Lima and then Thursday we have a visit to an institute in the evening, free time for shopping in the afternoon and possibly another meeting in the morning. Friday is our debriefing morning, farewell lunch and then free afternoon. The Peruvian handicrafts are beautiful, I look forward to visiting the markets this week and picking up some items. Friday night we are at the airport at 12 for our 2 35AM flight home, arriving in Saskatoon at 2 35PM on Saturday afternoon. And then I plan to sleep for a long time! Time to go pack!
Well we have been here for 6 days now, 1/3 or of our trip. Each day has been completely packed with stuff to do, see and learn. Last night was a major highlight for me. We stayed in a small village with local families. Jann (prof), the two other female students and I stayed together with one family. The guys left in the afternoon and we were toured around the crops by the campesino (farmer) who farmed it and was our host for the evening. Then we went to the second floor of the home which had half walls and a roof and watched the rain storm. We then chatted with the couple who owned the house over tea and bread and went to bed. Illness is starting to hit people here but seems to be passing in a few hours to a day. Tomorrow we travel out to some of the oldest ruins in South America Chavin de Huantar and then board a bus tomorrow night for an overnight bus ride back to Lima. We stay in Lima for a good chunk of time which will be nice as we get a chance to sleep in the same bed for more than one night. Well it´s time for me to get to bed. I´m exhausted. I can´t wait to get home to be able to post pictures and hopefully more coherent blots!
I made it to Peru. We arrived at about 3AM this morning at our hotel after two flights and running through the Toronto airport. We had breakfast this morning, some time off and then off to a welcome lunch at a very fancy Peruvian restaurant. After lunch we met with people from a few different NGO´s and heard about their work that we will be visiting over the next few weeks. Tomorrow we have a tour of Lima before embarking on our first of four overnight bus trips. Tomorrow night we head to Huaraz for a few days and then back to Lima. While in Huaraz we travel out of the city to spend a night in a village in families homes which should be an adventure for sure. I´m shocked by how inexpensive things are here. Internet is about .66 canadian for an hour. A bottle of water is .30. I´ll try to blog again soon. Keep the prayers coming, the taxi drivers are crazy and rumour is the buses aren´t much better.
I'm off to Peru in about 4 hours our flight leaves Saskatoon and we do a bit of flying around the country (Saskatoon - Calgary - Toronto) before boarding a flight to Lima, Peru. I didn't get much sleep last night, too excited I guess so I'm hoping to sleep on the planes. I will post if I get a chance when I'm down there but will for sure post lots when I get back. Please hold my group and I in your prayers as I hold all of you in my prayers.
I wish a very happy new year to all of you who read my blog. I had a great time at home and left Vancouver earlier today and arrived in Saskatoon this evening. Unfortunately my luggage didn't make it so I'm hoping it will arrive tomorrow morning so I can get unpacked and repacked again, yikes! I head to Peru on Wednesday morning so the next day and a bit will be busy getting ready for my trip. I can't wait to go, I think it will be great fun! Please remember our group in your prayers that we may be safe and healthy throughout the trip. I will post blogs and pictures either from Peru if I get time and internet access or right away when I get back on January 20th.
Have a very blessed New Year!
