Well Hello!!

I hope my last post didn’t scare too many of you. Before I left to come here, people who knew Peru only told me two things of it…its poverty, and its danger. So with that in mind, I was fully expectant of the recent happenings (tough as they might be), and count everyday I get into bed safely a blessing.

So what has been happening!?!? Well, seeing as I am here for the Orphanage, I thought I should probably start on that topic right? Fair enough. So this new orphanage I have been at…I’m still not sure what to make of it. Peru as it is, is a country that almost seems content within itself. Although there is a minimum wage of 3 Soles p/hour (about NZ$1.50), and an astounding 70% unemployment rate who don’t even see that amount money, it has been surprisingly hard to find a specific need to fill. The new orphanage that promised the construction of new rooms, and storage areas has left much to be desired. I spent my first 4 days shelling beans in an open field for the entirety of each shift. When I commented to my supervisor that I felt I could contribute different ways, the ‘different’ that followed involved separating peas from the hay that they lay in. I couldn’t help but laugh. Construction? Kids? Painting rooms? Nope, more vegetables!! Everyone has heard of finding a needle in a haystack…well, although I didn’t come across any of them, I sure saw my fair share of peas in my numerous haystacks. After a few more days in the field I went again to my supervisor and made a further attempt to share my desire to fulfill any number of needs. Now, although I’m still unsure what my calling is in life, I can say for sure that it has nothing to do with the painting of window frames. The amount of streaks, painted glass, and missed edges I have left has made it fairly obvious that I should pursue other avenues. The guys I am working with are choice though. They speak no English, so my with my limited Spanish our conversations are limited to about four things…futbol, music, painting, and futbol. We have heaps of fun, and are laughing all the time, though half the time I don’t even know what we are laughing at…I just join in.

Last weekend a group of girls and I (I say girls only to highlight that I am the only male volunteer with 12 females…anywho…) went to the jungle. We arrived in La Merced late on Friday night, and promptly found a guide to take us on a tour the following day. Our guides, two 16 year old boys armed with one rope between them, met us Saturday morning and we were off. Our tour consisted of a bunch of information I didn’t understand and hiking along a stream that contained significant waterfalls that we scaled throughout. We got absolutely soaked, rock filled shoes, and many good photos (see my Facebook page). The national day is 28th July, so the following day incorporated many warm up marches in the square. After dancing for hours the night before at a club we found, all we wanted to do was sit an enjoy the culture. Eventually we made our way to a zoo that has been set up taking in all sorts of injured animals. Some I have never seen before…and some I never want to see again!!

The toughest part right now is the goodbyes. For whatever reason, there was an influx of volunteers around the same time I arrived, though most people only signed up for 3-4 weeks, and now their time is up. I made particularly good friends with the other new people when I arrived, and so seeing them go is like losing some of the memories my time here. Still, I’m sure I will make many other good friends throughout my stay in Peru, and I have been known to rave on about how great my friends and family are back home.
So that’s it for another entrance! Phew, that came out a bit longer than I had expected. Thanks for the read, I’m off to the sauna. We only get cold showers in our house, so I figured treating myself once in a while to some warmth is not too excessive. Cold showers, at 7am when its 5 degrees outside…priceless. It’s a brilliant water saving mechanism though, no one showers for more than a minute anymore.

So with that in mind... Phil out!