Blog entry

Friday--July 3, 2009:  Here are a few more details and descriptions of our first couple days, for you moms and spouses out there who won't find them too boring!

PTL, our flights arrived safely and so did ALL our baggage.  The flight from Miami was delayed a bit for some minor problems but made up the time in the air.  Jimmy still maintains that he loves plane food.  Our luggage was almost the last off the conveyor belt, so we did not finish going through customs and immigration until probably 11:30 pm.  We were met by our intern, Tyler, who is pretty bilingual, and a local church pastor and wife who spoke no English but chattered happily away at us anyway.  We thought for awhile that Jimmy and a couple guys had been sidetracked upon their exit from customs (you can't imagine how many people were pressing in in a U around the exit, waiting for disembarking passengers!), but it turned out our IncaLink intern had sent them off to the bus with one of our hosts.  Poor Ben was pushing his way through the human crush looking for red shirts for a good while before they were located. We perfected the assembly line method for loading ALL our luggage on a bus, something we would repeat often in the next 24 hours.  With all finally on board, the pastor guided us to the home of a host family from the church who opened their flat for us to crash for the night.  Since it was already into the next morning and we would be up again at 5:30, Tyler instructed us to leave all our luggage in a heap in what looked to be the family's dining room and just sleep as we were.  We did our best to share what toiletries were to be found among us, and most everyone was able to at least brush their teeth by the time we left next morning.  The host family also spoke no English so our communication was minimal, but we were very impressed with their gracious willingness to open their home to so much chaos at such a late hour.  The senora of the house kept appearing with sheets, blankets, cushions from furniture, even bath rugs--anything for us to ball up and use as a pillow, bed or covering.  We slept sprawled all over her floors and some draped over small sofas.  Carolyn and Ashley actually got a bed.  Most eventually fell asleep to the sounds of passing traffic (the toot-toot of small car horns is constant day or night) and barking dogs, though the guys say that was drowned out by snoring among their number.

Next morning found our gracious hosts up early to squeeze fresh orange juice and make ham-&-cheese sandwiches for the entire group.  We re-loaded the luggage and set off for the bus station.  This was our first, brief glimpse of Lima by daylight.  The city is very busy at all hours with lots of foot and vehicle traffic.  The public transportation system is inexpensive and widespread, so there are buses everywhere, darting in and out of small traffic openings and tooting their horns.  We passed many shops and apartment buildings, all painted in various differing colors, and passed through what looked to be an older part of the city with government buildings of more classic architecture (think Capitol Building in the US), but in pastel colors-not just the American gray and white.  Our hosts warned us that the bus station would be the most important time to keep our luggage close, but by God's grace all went smoothly yet again and we all were on the bus and headed for Trujillo by 9 am. 

The bus was pretty comfortable, like a US charter bus, and even showed an en route video!  It was some German-made film about a treasure map and soldiers and not sure what else, but since it was dubbed in Spanish, we had fun making up our own translation of what the characters were saying and what the plot might be.  Most early guesses revolved around the theft of mangoes. : )  Anyway, it soothed all our rumpled, sleep-deprived crew into a stupor and most were sleeping soon.  And yes, we have LOTS of pictures of that.  After awhile we revived, though most drifted in and out of naps all day, and we were able to watch the scenery a bit.  Lima sprawled for a long time, and we passed through a couple other largish towns along the way, but most of the trip was brown, sandy or rocky rolling hills that resemble sand dunes.  We often remarked that it could be a setting for a Hollywood movie set on Mars.  The day was overcast, and hanging mist here and there added to the surreal image.  We saw a few cactus plants, and now and then a stretch of irrigated farming--some corn, sugar cane, and not sure what else.  In the cities, we were amused to see dogs (which we see alot of) on the flat "roofs" of houses.  Not sure what they are doing up there...

We had a traditional Peruan lunch at our only stop, either rotisserie chicken or marinated beef strips, with rice and vegetables, including yucca, which is very like potato.  We had Coke in real glass bottles and some were brave enough to try the local soda "Inca Cola."  It is yellow and most say tastes like bubble gum!  I won't tell you about the bathrooms.

So we arrived in Trujillo at long last around 6 pm (see how my sense of time is getting Latino-- 6 pm mas or menos).  We changed buses to get to our final destination, stopping at the C&MA church for a delicious dinner--more of the beef strips, mixed veges and rice.  The cooks would not let us even clear our own tables but sent us on our way with smiles. We walked the several blocks to the guest house where we are staying (it was dark by then--no daylight savings time here).  A number of people were out for a stroll (the weather is mild and humid--very comfortable), but the setting felt more suburban neighborhood and safer than anywhere we had yet seen.  The houses string together kind of like townhouses or row houses, only they have several stories and each has its own facade.  Many of the houses we saw while on the bus had one level finished and painted, then another on top still in the concrete/brick looking newly completed phase, with rebar (sp?) sticking right out the top of that level, just waiting for the next level to be built, whenever that may be.

We were so glad to see the comfortable accommodations at the guest house, and especially the plentiful showers!  (We are still trying to figure out how to make the hot water just as plentiful.)  The guest house is an odd set-up to us, though from what we have seen it may be very traditional Peru style.  It has several floors, and the rooms seem to go in a circle (maybe lika farm house but with a kitchen in the middle-I think), with a couple different staircases that connect here and there, and doors everywhere that you aren't sure what they connect to.  We are all pretty lost still.  We were laughing about it this morning as we prepared to move out, because Jimmy was assigned to collect each person's cash that they wanted exchanged to soles.  So everyone kept wandering through the 2-floor maze saying, "Have you seen Jimmy?"  "Oh, he just went that way," and off they went in and out of doors and up and down stairs.  It reminded me of the old Scooby Doo cartoons where the characters were running from the ghostie--in and out of doors, popping up everywhere!  So by 9 am (mas o menos), everyone was ready to move out to the construction site at the orphanage, where we will be working most of today.  Well, everyone save one who woke up at 5:30 today with the stomach ailment.  He is medicated and resting now, and I (Dawn) am staying to watch over him (there are a number of others locals working at the guest house so we are not alone).  Pray for all our health; we are trying to be good about brushing our teeth with bottled water and whatnot, but it will be a challenge.  Thank you for your prayers--all has gone, I would say, MIRACULOUSLY smoothly, and all are getting along well.  Pray for our sick one-that the duration would be short and uncomplicated.  THANKS and Buenos Dias!