The Christmas Pig’s intestines are right outside my door.

I came home this morning and Jesse was playing with something that looked rather disgusting. She said, “Guess what this is?” I said, “Intestines?”
“Hahahahaha.”
“Um, so yes?”
“Yep, they’re intestines.”
Awesome. Then she continued to play with them. She has a lot of cool toys but sometimes I guess you just have to play with pig tripa. Hmm…
I went all the way to San Marcos today to meet with this girl at noon to go to her grandma’s house way far away somewhere and the silly girl didn’t even show up.

I’m addicted to coffee…

I learned something about myself today. Life seems better when I’m caffeinated. This might be a problem. I had an OK day today with some parts being even “good” or “great” but most of it I was annoyed or upset and I think it might have been the lack of a cup o’ joe this morning. That’s depressing.
Anyway, today I saw a traditional Quechua ceremony celebrating the beginning of rainy season and the planting time at the Chavin ruins in Chavín de Huantar, a town about twenty minutes down the road from San Marcos. There were several parts including a few monologues (in Quechua), the sorting of the coca leaves, typical music, and many different dances from different parts of the sierra. It was the first time that the people in Chavin have put a ceremony like this together and it brought a lot of attention from different Peruvian television news networks and journalists from all over the country. I found out about it by one of my friends who used to live in Chavin (she now works for a tourist agency in Huaraz) who called me on her cell and said, “Come over to Chavin now! They’re dancing and it’s pretty!” So, I lazily rolled out of bed and didn’t really want to go because, well, dancing Peruvians isn’t really a new thing. I didn’t even bring a camera so sorry guys…no pictures. :) BUT, I might get some from one of the photographers there who was a friend of a friend so we shall see.
I then got some errands done and talked to some people I needed to talk to… I found out that the municipal radio of Chavin has been suspended for a while so no expanding the radio show to Chavin for the time being. Also, my one contact to this small community that I worked in and have a school garden officially moved to Huaraz so I’m not sure how I’m going to contact them now.
Oh well, plans were made, plans were stopped, and culture was exchanged. That’s basically what happens over here.

Random Pictures

Sometimes you have to take a boat across the raging river.

Hey, I said it would be random...

Visited my host-family in Lima!

During these days in Lima, several of them have been filled with very little to do. So, a group of us decided to go over to Chosica and visit our host families that we had in training! Here's me with the host family, we're all making out Peruvian faces (aka-not smiling....)

Why Gold's Gym in Miraflores is Still in Peru

After one year of Peace Corps service all Peace Corps volunteers gather in their country's capital to get checked by various doctors in a series of uncomfortable and awkward procedures. But, we make the most of it by being in Lima and doing things like joining gyms. :)

Yes, there is a Gold's Gym in Lima. Who knew. I certainly didn't. So, for the humble price of 90 soles (about thirty dollars...aka, not a humble price) we got a week membership. Yay! This gym is intense, looks just like a really nice gym in the states in many aspects: treadmills, ellipticle machines, aerobics classes, weight machines, etc. But, if you look, you will realize that indeed this gym is still located in ... Peru. So, I present you:

Why Gold's Gym in Miraflores is Still in Peru

1. The aerobics instructors drink Inca Kola during their work out classes. [Drinking water here is not really done, if you have thirst, most people reach for a soda usually Coca Cola or Inca Kola, a bubble gum flavored soda.]
2. The gym is in the planning stages of it's intense aniversario celebration. [In Peru, there is always a reason to party. Most of these reasons are anniversary parties. In my site, the anniversaries of the city, the high school, the elementary school, and the health center are intensely celebrated often by parades, dancing, drinking, etc.]
3. There are two water fountains at the gym: agua fria and agua helada (basically tepid water and really cold water). I was going to get some water and found 10 Peruvians in line for the tepid water and no one for the cold water. They'd rather stand in line than have cold water. [Almost every Peruvian I've met is irrationally convinced that cold water will hurt them in some way.]
4. Everyone in aerobics classes knows how to dance.

Sunsets are prettier in Arizona...

Sorry Peru, AZ has you beat...