30 September

This morning we drove up to the Chancay hot springs. It is located further into the hills from Santa Cruz and has a beautiful vista across valleys. The hot springs are reported to be medicinal mineral baths. The baths are organized by rooms which accommodate anywhere from 2 to 20 people. Our room for two had a changing area and a pool that was probably 3 x 9 yards. It was very relaxing and we soaked for about 20 minutes.
On our way back to Santa Cruz we stopped in the small village of Chancay for something to eat. We sere servers a soup made from Casga, a river fish that has a hard "shell" like a lobster but looks something like a small catfish. The soup was very tasty and getting to the meat of the casga was interesting as well. All in all, quite a tasty meal.
Upon our return to Santa Cruz, we were offerred lunch. All three of us declined, as we felt the fish soup had served as lunch. If nothing else, our hosts wanted us to be well fed!
The second course of the bullfighting came this afternoon. The same three matadors competed with very different results! One of the bullfighters from yesterday that had such a poor performance had the best performance of the afternoon. He earned two ears as well so there was a tie for first place.
On our way home from the bullfights, there was a minor accident involving the truck carrying the matadors. In the back and hanging off the rear were their helpers. Apparantly, someone bumped into the truck from behind which could have been serious if one of the helper's legs had been inbetween the bumpers. Tempers flared and the matadors were out of the truck and attacking the driver. However, it was all over in a matter of minutes. The girls in our van were both excited to be in such close proximity and concerned for the welfare of Fernando, the famous Peruvian bullfighter. Such teenage idolatry. " Ohhhh, Fernando!"
After dinner we gathered in our hosts living room and drank beer and visited. The principal of the school came by and we discussed what the most urgent needs of the school might be. Most of the classrooms had ancient chalkboards and the chalkdust was creating some health problems for the teachers. Even more ancient were the computers in the lab. The school has a total of 14 computers for class sizes of 40, which meant that there were 4 students per computer during a class. They did have internet access which was controled by the ministry of education and was pulled from a satelite. None of this was very reliable. They were also hoping for a language lab where they could teach english. The ministry sent them the CD's but the school doesn't have a way to deliver these lessons to multiple students at a time. After much discussion, we proposed the following;
1. Doug and I would look into buying white board material in the states and transporting along with our household belongings.
2. Our friend Ed was going to try finding donations for more up-date computers or people willing to donate the cost for a new one here; $350.
3. Ed was also going to check with local schools in his area to see if they had out-dated language lab materials that might work.
4. We also offered to begin a fund for "speedy" internet access. The problem being that once they declined the ministry's satelite service, they would never be able to go back to it. So Ed and I donated a total of $1500 to be used for this purpose. That would guarantee them three years of service. That would give everyone some time to think about how to maintain that balance for them.
5. I also volunteered to return in March or April to teach a week of english.
After visiting the school, I realized how easy we had it in Wilsonville. We did our share of complaining, but these teachers deal with what they have and are still cheery.
After some hours of visiting and discussion, we went to bed early.

29th September

After breakfast this morning we went to see a motocross race. The course was set up some distance from town, so we took a mototaxi partway and then hiked another mile. We were one small part of the exodus from town. This was the first time motocross has come to Santa Cruz and it seemed like everyone wanted to see it. There were three races; starting with some very young kids and the other two races were run by older kids/adults but differentiated by the size of the bike's engine.

After lunch the first of three bull fighting events took place. There are three matadors; one from Peru, one from Mexico and one from Venezuela. They will compete for top honors over the three days. Before the actual bull fighting, there was an exhibition of marinara dancers and folk dances by school kids in the region. The costumes are so festive with bright colors and elaborate embroidery.

After the first two matadors, I began wondering what the attraction was. The stands were overflowing with spectators, but I didn't get the draw. Very shortly after the bull ran into the ring and the matador and his assistants had teased him, a large draft horse came in looking like a medieval horse in a lance competition; his belly, legs and body were wrapped in rubber and draped over that were heavy blankets like the ones we use in moving furniture. The horses eyes were covered and I don't hink he could see anything. The rider has a lance that he jabs into the bull's upper back, presumably to weaken the bull. Then the matador teases the bull with his cape with much posturing and showmanship. The basic idea is to get as close to the bull as possible and then have the bull chase the cape while the matador stands still. Once the bull passes, the matador will reposition himself for another pass. At some point, the matador, or one of his assistans will stab the bull with the picadillos. Generally there are two sets put in to further weaken the bull. The picadillos are about 24"long, brightly decorated with a viscious barbed point at one end. The matador returns with his cape and teases him further; weakening him further. When the matador judges the time to be right, he uses a sword to hopefully deliver the death blow. The best strike would into the animal's heart. Once the strike is made, the matador's assistants, two or three at a time, tease the bull with their capes hoping the bull with collapse. Once he has collapsed, another stab is made into the brain to finish him off quickly. If it's a good fight with the cape, style, crowd appeal and a quick kill, the matador may be rewarded by being given the ears cut from the bull. A lesser performance may earn the matador only one ear, or nothing. A great performance might earn the matador the two ears and the tail.

The first performances were not what I had expected. The matadors didn't stand while the bull passed and often just ran away. The kills were long and drawn out whilte the bull suffered. No great attraction.

The third matador from Peru, was very young but is very famous in Peru. He is know as a "rock star". He came into the ring with tons of confidence and very smooth moves. He was definitely entertaining without beign outrageously pompous and arrogant. His kill was clean and quick. He was awarded two ears and was carried around the ring on someone's shoulders; the champion for this night's performances.

Putting aside the cruelty of it all, (no small thing), if it was performed well, it was entertaining.

We stayed in the stadium to let the crowd dispurse and were soon drawn into a group drinking beer. We probably stayed and talked for a couple of hours.

For dinner we met Tony and Franco, two brothers from the village that now live in the US. Tony manages a hotel in South Beach, Florida. Franco is a graduate student in Texas studying diplomacy.

Then after dinner we went to the dance. The organizing committee had hired a band from Trujillo for this event. It was very loud and well attended. And as is typical in Peru, you don't stay standing around watching. They will draw you onto the dance floor in not time. Small groups fromed around cases of beer and most everyone danced and drank until the wee hours of the morning. Many stayed until 5 or 5:30 in the morning. We wimped out at about 1:00.

28th of September

We had a leisurely morning and didn't get out and about until after 10:00. There was a mass at the church followed by a procession through the streets. They took the statue of El Senor del Costado out of the church and walked through town surrounded by much of the congregation and townfolk. A band went with them playing music throughout. Every once in a while the procession would stop and prayers and blessings would be said. Many families had decorated their balconies in celebration of El Senor del Costado and the women had made streamers of flags to hang across the road. A man with a long bamboo pole accompanied the procession. His job was to lift the electrical lines and any other obstructions up so the statue could proceed. The procession itself took about an hour and a half.

Then after lunch there were cock fights. Doug and Ed went while I rested. They only stayed a short time and then left. The Peruvians love their cock fights and they love to bet on them. Gambling is big here. Doug and Ed could now say they had been to a cock fight, and will probably not go to another.

During the late afternoon, we were invited over to Luis' brother's home for "coffee." It was not only coffee, but a full meal with cuy, rice, beans and bread. And yes, these cute little creatures are raised in backyards for eating. Cuy is considered a basic meal for these people.

During the evening we drank beer with our hosts, Wilmer and his wife Magali as well as the mayor of a neighboring town, Luis, and Ed. After dark we went to the square to see the fireworks which were early because of the huge dance being put on. We went back to Wilmer's house and resumed the drinking until 2 a.m. Wilmer was asking us about raising children in the US as his impression was that the family unit was not strong there. He was also asking about what role the Native Americans had in today's society. It was interesting to hear his views and to recognize that his information about the society in the US was limited at best, and often erroneous.

he

27 September

This morning Doug and Ed were out and about while I slept in. They went to breakfast with the band. Each day a family hosts the band and the committeemembers that sponsor the activities for that day.

Then they went to Renato's (Luis' cousin's) home for another breakfast. They had a great time; playing with the kids and visiting.

Later in the morning, I joined then and we visited Luis' childhood home. The home has basically been abandoned as his father remarried shortly after his mother died and live in another house. His brother stays there on occasion but there isn't any runningwater. There are people staying there during the fiesta.

Luis' sister became pregnant at 15, which created a big scandle and his parents social standing suffered. Her mother died before the baby was born and the general feeling is that she died of shame. Luis' father remarried within a month which created a chism between the kids and their father. The home has now been put into the children's names (all 6 of them) and they now have to decide what to do.

Then Chelo, Luis' sister took us to the fair. It was very similar to our county fairs; there were artisans showing their work, people displaying their produce and also typical dishes served in Peru. Cuy, guinea pig, was very popular.

After lunch we went back to the fair to watch the marinara dancers; the competition had three age groups. They were impressive and all really enjoyed themselves. Afterward the judges performed which was entertaining as well. Each of the winners received S/. 100 (about $30) and the girl was given a sash to wear like the kind beauty queens wear.

After the dance competition, we watched the Peruvian Paso horse competition. Only two horses were entered; and each had their strong points. Once a winner was decided, each horse and rider showed off the various tricks they had taught their mounts.

Tonight we went to a reception dinner in honor of those that had contributed money to support the fiesta. The reception was held in "La Casa del Maestro", the house of the teacher. It was a large hall with a stage at one end and was built by the teacher's union. The invitation said the reception was at 6. Luis said we'd leave the house by 6:45. "Nothing ever happens

on time," he says. And sure enough, when we arrived at 7:15, there were about a dozen people sitting in the plastic chairs that line the two walls. No tables, no music; just people waiting. On the stage were several women with four or five huge pots. At least two of the pots had been used over a wood fire. Imagine how heavy they must have been! By 8:00 our host arrived, set and things began. First, a toast with sangria; brought around on trays like at communion. Dinner was pork, rice and potatoes brought around for us to eat in our laps. Bottles of beer were distributed and were drank in the Peruvian way; one glass, one liter bottles of beer shared among five to ten people. And finally, shot glasses of "agua caliente" were served to flush out the fat of the pork. This liquor is made from the sugar cane; something like white lightening?

After dinner we went to the town square to listen to the various bands and to wait for the fireworks to begin. The square was very crowded with all sorts of people but I think we were the only gringos. One of the firework displays was in honor of Luis' mother. It too was built of bamboo and had her picture and El senor del Costado on a banner that unfurled as the fire

works went off. There were also several of the paper hot air balloons that were launched.

26 September

We met Luis and Ed McMullen, from Georgia, this morning for breakfast. Ed is a retired school teacher and lawyer who has known Luis for many years. He jumped at the chance to visit Luis' village for this fiesta. The village of Santa Cruz is definitely not on the tourist map and we felt honored to be invited to share this time with the local Peruvians.

Luis said we should bring towels, soap and pillows along with the usual toiletry items. So before we left Chiclayo, we stopped to do a little shopping.

We left Chiclayo about noon. Luis' sister and cousin also joined us. The first 20 kilometers was a paved road that then turned into a dirt road. It shortly became a one way dirt track. Anytime you met another vehicle, someone had to pull off. The trip to Santa Cruz was another 80 kilometers from the end of the pavement. This 80 kilometers is the roughest, curviest road I ever remember being on. It was one switchback after another and in some places the river or streams ran across the road and we forded through. 80 kms in three and a half hours. As the crow flies, I'd wager the distance is at the most a quarter of the 80 kms. Even more amazing, large passenger buses travel these roads frequently from Santa Cruz to Chiclayo. There were parts where it was a sheer drop off on my side of the van; I can only imagine what it would feel like in a huge bus!

Once in Santa Cruz, we were taken to the school that Luis went to. Some time ago, Doug and I had donated some money to the school to help them build a cement patio or courtyard at the school. Previously it had been a dirt area that became muddy during the rains. Ed had also donated some money. We were treated like royalty; seats of honor, toasts, and speeches. The students performed for us; two young children (4th-5th) grade performed a marinara dance that was extremely well done. Another group of 8 students did a folk dance that had some intricate patterns. The school band played and an honor guard presented the Peruvian flag.

Dinner consisted of cuy (guinea pig), rice and potatoes. Afterwards, we walked to the town square. There's a large park in the center. We attended mass, then joined the crowd in the square where another school band played.

Throughout the square and adjoining roads there were stalls selling clothes, shoes, watches; you name it. There was also an area for slot machines, air hockey, and other carnival games.

To top the evening off, there was a fireworks display. This display was like nothing I had ever seen! They build towers out of bamboo. Each level was a hexagon of bamboo panels about a meter high. Once they built one level, they would build and put another underneath the first. They continued to do this until the tower was twenty levels high! Each level had some kind of formation; circles that would whirl, or flowers that would light up; figures would appear or a line of fireworks would go up the center of the tower. On the very top, something was spelled out. The tallest structure tonight spelled; El Senor del Costado. That is the patron saint of the village and in whose honor the fiesta was put on.

There were also paper hot air balloons that were being launched. What a festive evening!

I will post an album of photos of the fiesta on Facebook.

25 September

Victor drove up to the house at about 9:00 p.m. We had both laid down to rest; I was listening to a story on my iPod and Doug rested but didn't sleep much. When 11:00 came around, we gathered our stuff, knocked on the car windows to wake Victor and we were off to the bus station.

The bus didn't pick us up until 12:30. We climbed up the stairs and found our seats. We had to wake up a couple men who were in our seats before we could sit down. Virtually everyone had reclined their seats to sleep. The seat bottom moved forward while the back reclined. The head of the seat in front came into your lap while your feet scooted underneath their seat. It looked a lot worse than it was. I slept most of the way while Doug remained more vigilent. The bus itself was a double decker; seating on the top and cargo underneath.

We arrived in Chiclayo at 6:00 a.m. There were numerous taxis and mototaxis awaiting the bus but since Victor was so insistent we not take one of these, we went into the station itself. Office personel didn't come in until 8:30-not wanting to wait, we called the hostal and they recommended a taxi service. As soon as we got to the hostal, Victor called to be sure we had safely arrived. We napped for a couple of hours and both enjoyed a HOT shower.

Chiclayo is a world different than the beach area. It is on the coast, but is a port town. It is definitely a bustling city with crowded cobblestone streets and pedestrians going every which way. As we maneuvered our way around, we also had to watch out for mortar falling from construction above the sidewalk, mounds of sand and debris across the sidewalk and into the street, and uneven sidewalks. Taxis, as opposed to mototaxis, are the norm here. You see many private cars, but they are still outnumbered by the taxis.

We met with the architect at 11:00. He had totally redesigned our house. He gave us four reasons for the change; 1. The original design did not take the topography of the land into account. It currently has three distinct levels that vary by 2 - 2 1/2 meters from one another. The ground is very rocky and hard so it would be very costly to level it completely. 2. The original did not take the view into account. Doug and I had already recognized this and talked about rotating the plans accordingly. 3. He also felt the original plans were a bit disconnected. He felt that typical Peruvian beach houses were designed in a different style. 4. He took into account the wind patterns for this area.

25 September

Victor drove up to the house at about 9:00. We had both laid down to rest; I was listening to a story on my iPod and Doug rested but didnt' sleep much. When 11:00 p.m. came around, we gathered our stuff, knocked on the car windows to wake up Victor and we were off to the bus station.
The bus didn't pick us up until 12:30. We climbed up the stairs and found our seats. We had to wake up a couple of men who were in our seats to get them to move. Virtually everyone on board had reclined their seats to sleep. The seat bottom moved forward while the back reclined. The head of the seat in front of you came into your lap while your feet scooted underneath their seat. It looked a lot worse than it actually was. I slept most of the way while Doug remained more viligent.
We arrived in Chiclayo at 6:00 a.m. There were numerous taxis and mototaxis awaiting the bus but since Victor was so insistent we not take one of these, we went into the station itself. Office personel didn't come in until 8:30. Not wanting to wait, we called the hostal and they recommended a taxi service. As soon as we arrived, Victor was on the phone checking up on us to be sure we had a safe arrival. We then napped for a couple of hours and both enjoyed hot showers.
Chiclayo is a world different than the beach area. It definitely is a bustling city with crowded cobblestone streets and pedestrians going every which way. As we maneuvered our way around we also had to watch out for mortar falling from construction on the 2nd floor above the sidewalk, mounds of sand & debris, uneven sidewalks. Taxis, as opposed to mototaxis, are the norm here. You see many private cars but they are still outnumbered by the taxis.
We met with the architect at 11:00. He had totally redesigned our house. He gave us three reasons; 1. the original design did not take into account the topography of the land. It currently has three distinct levels that vary by 2 to 2 1/2 meters from one another. The ground is very rocky and very solid so it would be very costly to level it completely. 2. The original design did not take the view into account. Doug and I had already recognized this and talked about rotating the plans accordingly. 3. He also felt the original plans were a bit disconnected. He also felt that typical Peruvian beach houses were designed differently. He also took into account the wind patterns when he came up with his design. We agreed to meet when we returned from Santa Cruz and he would have a floor plan for us.