As promised, I would like to dedicate this post to Kim and Ken’s visit. First, I am overwhelmingly grateful that they can fully understand my life here in Pueblo Libre. While FaceTime is a blessing, there are things that just can’t be achieved through the phone: like Mom chatting with my health colleagues about the Peruvian health care system and generic vs. brand name drugs, or Dad doing his classic “press this button” trick for the kids in my English…
I have promised myself that my next post will be dedicated to the time spent with my parents, but right now I want to write about something that is fresh in my mind. I spent the last week in Huaraz, the regional capital of Ancash (about 2 hours from my town), studying Quechua. 4 days, 6 hours a day, alongside my fellow Ancash volunteers and taught by Orlando, one of Peace Corps’ finest. Orlando was born and raised in Huaraz,…
30 miles, more than 5,000 feet of elevation gain, and a maximum altitude of 15,583 feet – The Santa Cruz Trek was a calf-burning, hyperventilating, beautifully rewarding experience. After a week in Caraz for my second Peace Corps health training, and reuniting with fellow volunteers, I set off on the 3-day backpacking trek with two buddies. The trail started in Vaquería, about a 3-hour drive from Yungay (only 20 minutes from my site). It ended in Cashapampa, a 1-hour drive…
If I had a sol (Peruvian currency) for every time someone said I was going to find myself a Peruvian man, get married, and never leave, I’d be rich. Well, yesterday I got to see my future by attending my very first Peruvian wedding! To my surprise, there are many couples here that aren’t married. There are also many who have gotten married “civically”, though not in the church, which have two VERY different meanings. There is not much hoot…
Well, on April 18th I passed the first of two birthdays in Peru. The big 2-4, and the farthest I’ve ever been from home during a birthday. When I look back on my 24th year, I’ll always think of Peru – it is the only age where I will be 100% in Peru. Half of 23 was spent here, and I’ll pass half of 25 here, but all of 24 will be dedicated to this adventure. I want to shed…
During training, most of the volunteers were hoping to get placed in Ancash. There were 5 potential regions – Ancash, Junín, La Libertad, Cajamarca, Amazonas – and we didn’t get to choose. Word (and photos) got around that Ancash was full of snow-capped mountains (called ‘nevados), turquoise glacier lakes (called ‘lagunas’), and hikes to your heart’s desire. The rumors were not wrong. In the 4 months I’ve been here in Ancash (to the day), I’ve experienced a number of breath-taking sights that…
After 3 months in site, all of the health volunteers were reunited once again. There are 40 volunteers in total (started at 44), though half of the crew are Youth Development volunteers, while the rest of us are focused on health. Since arriving Dec. 4, I have been able to see those within my region, though I got to reunite with everyone else over the past week in Lima for Early In-Service Training, or EIST. Unfortunately, it was a training…
It’s been a month since my last post, and many-a-thing has begun. Let’s start where we left off – New Years. New Years consisted of eating 12 grapes at midnight and making a wish after each one, while standing on the road outside our house and watching fireworks go off all around us. Catucancha, my village, is high up and surrounded by lower pueblos, so while we didn’t have a firework show of our own, we got to watch dozens…
To all my friends and family out there … Merry Christmas! Miss you all more than you know. Today, the 24th, is what Peruvians call Buena Noche. It’ll start out with a visit to a religious image up in the mountains (I think, not 100% clear on that one), followed by a huge turkey dinner. We ended up killing the turkey of an extended family member, so the one in my back yard will live to see another day. At…
First things first: my address has changed! If you ever feel inclined to send me a card, send it to my new P.O. box in the regional capital, which I’ll visit at least once a month: LUCIE RUTHERFORD OFICINA SERPOST CASILLA Nº64 AV. LUZURIAGA NRO 714 HUARAZ – ANCASH – PERU COD. POST. D2001 And just like that, 11 weeks of training is up. Since Site Exploration, life and training has been a blur. More than anything, volunteers used these…