We started worked early this morning after eating breakfast at the Coqui cafe. We got there and met a man named Augusto. He is assistant to the foreman, Alejandro. And brother in law. He showed us how to mix up cement and lay the stones on the walkway. I can get used to this!! It was really fun and very satisfying. It was similar to weeding a garden for me, very therapeutic and can work on it all day :) The whole group ended up working on the walkway, Shay put some music on and away we went. On the property there is a little house lived in by a small family. They look after the place when no one is there. the woman is Lizette and her little girl is Kimberly. Not sure of the husbands name, we have not met him. But Lizette and Kimberly are there every day. There is a tap that comes out of a pipe in the ground and everyday Lizette and Kimberly come out to wash the dishes in a little wash basin. Afterwards she washes up the clothes. She sits on a little paint can and Kimberly plays nearby and gets into trouble. She is 15 months old. The place where I go and cool off is in the stairwell of the school, and is right next to where Lizette does her washing. Kimberly warmed up to Karin and I in no time. We love to take breaks from working to play with her. Sometime in the late morning Lizette has a visitor come by with a little boy named Isaac. They sit together all day while the kids play together. Isaac is about 2 1/2 I think. Karin and I played ball with the both of them. Isaac is sure a good little soccer player! He can kick that ball better then I can! Little Kimberly is still to little to kick so mom helps her. But she rolls the ball really good :)
At noon, Nancy brings us lunch and we eat in the admin building. She brings fresh buns, chicken, tomato, lettuce, avocado, rice, tea and inca cola. It is a little bit different everyday but mostly its that. We eat and relax out of the sun. about mid day the sun gets very hot. I don't think it feels any more hot then home but the truth is, if I were outside at home working all day in the direct sunlight it would be just as unbearable. I know that the sun is much stronger here so I did make sure to wear sunscreen. But at home, it seems I can be outside for a few days in a row without sunscreen and not even tan. Most people likely burn in one day out in the sun. So I thought if I wore sunscreen, by the end of three weeks I might have a nice tan. But it only took half a day to get a good tan, and a burn on the back of my neck and shoulders. Even with sunscreen on. So by day two I wore long sleeves and a hood.
We only work until 2 because the sun is so hot. So after work we have free time to roam around, shop, eat, sleep, do whatever we want. We meet at 6 or 7 for supper. The whole group decided to check out the artisan market that Karin and I stumbled upon the first day. Karin and I decided to go down some of the streets to explore a little further. There a lot of street vendors, some with food or candy or, whatever really. We walked by a little place and could smell something really delicious so i thought I would investigate. Right there in the doorway of this little shop was a stove top of some sort with a pan cooking up something wrapped in corn husks. They smelled so good!! I didn't know what they were but I knew they cost only one soles (less the 50 cents) cant hurt to try it for one soles. This sweet little old lady came out to wrap one on up for me. Once I walked away I opened it up and saw that is was the most delicious warm fresh piece of cornbread. I walked back to ask her what it was called and that it was "muy bien". She called it Humitas. which seems to be a version of the tamale.
That evening we went to eat in a place called Donatellos. Pizza and Pasta. I ate a veg pizza and it was delicious. I have to say, we a very well fed here. And are very very lucky. When going into a third world country you never know what you may get. But here we have a clean hotel room, great food and friendly people. I had a little bit of wine with supper.. and it didn't mix well with the altitude...
Amber Lee
DWC Participant
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