Takeoff - Arrival - Off to the races
I will begin right where I left off last time. I had just posted my first blog updating all of you that I missed my plane by 5 minutes and was waiting to see if I could get on the flight going from Atlanta to Lima. This flight left a day later than my original flight so I had already stayed one night in Atlanta and even though my first experience eating grits went well, I didn't want to spend another day eating them for breakfast.
So right after writing my blog I walked over to the gate to inquire about my flight. My Mother had called and informed me that online it showed that my gate had changed so I was interested in finding out if that was true. So I went and asked the Delta attendant who was working at the time if my gate had changed. She informed me that it indeed did. I said thank you and started to walk away but stopped and thought it was worth a try to see if I could get off "stand-by" status which meant I would only get left over seats on the plane. So I said "What does it mean on my ticket when it says seat-requested? What is the chance I will actually get a seat?" I asked. She said it looked likely that I could get a seat and not to worry. Well, by this time I learned out airlines worked so I didn't give up that easy. I said "ok, well what is the chances? Are they good? I mean, is it 1 out of 100 or 1 out 50? How many seats are open?" I learned that being persistent was the only way to get answers. She smiled cautiously and realized that I wasn't going to leave so easily. She said, almost under her breath, "well I could get you confirmed but you can't tell anybody . . ."
I almost starting jumping at the chance to get confirmed. I said "Oh trust me, I won't tell anyone" smiling a smile bigger than people standing in line for free grits. So she took my ticket and as I waited patiently, watching her hit keys and press buttons, I could barely keep my excitement in. She gave me a new ticket with an actual seat number assigned! 43D on Delta 349! Now I was set! I almost hugged her but didn't want to press my luck.
So after waiting in the airport for a few more hours I finally boarded my plane destined from Lima, Peru. The flight went well and I can really say I like the bigger planes much more than the smaller ones. Much more room and a lot less swaying.
We touched down in Peru in the middle of the night but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I had landed safely in the country of Peru! However the excitement was soon drown out by more lines. I stood in line for about another 45 minutes and then made my way to pick up my luggage. As I watched bag after bag pass me I started to wonder if my bags were stolen or if they were still in Atlanta. Well I didn't know which one happened but by the time the bags quit coming around I was still holding an empty cart wondering where my luggage was. I don't know which thing I hated most, the fact that I didn't have my luggage or the fact that I had to stand in line for yet another hour to tell them I didn't have my luggage.
I knew that my Uncle Garry was waiting for me outside though so before trying to tell a Spanish speaking Peruvian that I hated everything about flying and only wanted my luggage because it was 2:00 a.m. I thought it would be a good idea to call Garry and let him know I was only going to be an extra hour. But after trying my cell phone and only hearing Spanish recordings telling me that I was a stupid American and that the number didn't exist, I figured I would try the pay phone. But Peruvian pay phones don't take quarters so I needed to exchange my "dolares" for "soles" (the currency of Peru) Thankfully there was a place to do this at. This is where I got my first foreign speaking experience. I went up to the counter and said "I need coines for the pay phone please." The lady looked at me and said in perfect english "I do not speak English. Sorry." haha So I said ok "necessito coins" as I couldn't remember the spanish word for coins. She smiled and said "necessita monedas!"
"Ah yes! monedas! monedas!" I said remembering that this was the correct word for coins. After getting the monedas I was able to make the call to Garry and finally get back in line to get my luggage. Turns out that the luggage wasn't there but they could deliver it tomorrow if it happened to show up. So I said I would call them later and left the airport. I met Garry and Chano (Chano is a friend of Pat and Garry who is 19, soon to be 20, years old) I was so glad to have the security of fluent spanish speakers. Off we went back to Garry's house where we made it to bed around 3:00 a.m.
Monday December 22nd
6:00 a.m. came very fast. Garry woke me and Chano up and said we needed to get ready so we could catch the bus. Everything seems weird at 6:00 a.m. anyways but with only 3 hours of sleep and a 6 and 1/2 hour plane ride, it really seems like a daze.
We made it to the bus and were now on our way to Pisco, Peru where Pat was already helping start the program. It felt great to relax on the bus. It was a really nice bus too, they even served us some food. I had a pork sandwich with a slice of Camote (Camote is sweet potato and is common to be eaten with sandwiches in Peru)
I was so tired on the bus but I didn't want to sleep because there was so much to see. The 4 hour bus ride to Pisco went through interesting cities, and a lot of beautiful dessert so it was hard to fall asleep but I was able to force an hour or so to quickly rest as I knew my body needed it.
As we arrived in Pisco I could tell this city was much more poor than Lima (the Capital of Peru). The roads were all dirt and the city was basically all the same color: color sand.
There were very few large buildings, the biggest were probably only 2 stories high. I was able to see wreckage from the earthquake even a year and a half after it had happened. While some places cleaned up quickly, others buildings had yet to be attended to.
As we made our way through the city, the thing that surprised me the most were the people and the excitement. Hundreds and hundreds of people filled the main streets of Pisco where the markets where. Market stands selling everything from raw chicken to baseball caps to wrenches to fish nets filled the streets. Walking through the streets I felt like I was at a fair. The only difference was the dusty smell and the spanish language. Oh, and how could I forget car horns! This is probably one of the most interesting things of Peru.
Instead of stopping for pedestrians, using turn signals, or driving cautionsly, car drivers here simply honk. And if they don't get what they want, they honk louder. Everyone honks. It's almost like a constant horn bouncing around from car to car. However, no one gets made. While car honking in the U.S. reminds me of a lot of yelling and middle fingers, the people here simply honk and continue driving. No one gets mad. It's just a way of communication for the cars.
After making it through the crowd we found Pat waiting for us at the hotel. It was so good to see her and final be all together as a group. The hotel was very nice with real floors, flushing toilets, showers, and even cable TV. It was definitely top-noch for Pisco.
Next we went to eat at a restaurant where I got my first taste of an authentic national dish of Peru. Ceviche (raw fish marinated in lemon juice) is a popular dish in Peru so I had to try it. I was nervous at first but after trying it I have to admit I really liked it. I would compare it to a sweet tasting shrimp but I wouldn't want to make any Peruvians made for making such a comparison so I won't.
After taking a long nap, Pat and Garry woke me and Chano up (we stayed in the same room) and showed me some new shirts that I could wear along with Garry's socks. I was already wearing Garry's shirt. (Remember I lost my luggage and had already stayed one day in a hotel with only my carry-on luggage.) I was pleased with this but still needed underwear! Me and Garry were able to buy some on the market. There is a funny story about this but I will leave that for later. Ask me if you want a laugh :)
The next day was the day of Chocolataras! This was what I had worked so hard for and was most excited about. I couldn't wait to see all the children and to give out presents, Paneton, and chocolate milk. But since the first program didn't start until 2:00, and the second didn't start in 4:00, we had some time to kill. So for only 10 U.S. dollars me, Chano, and Garry took a boat ride to the islands of Paracas, Peru. This was the first time I ever floated across the Pacific Ocean and I have to say it was beautiful. I saw penguins, dolphins, sea-lions, and many many fish all on the same trip. This was a great time to catch my breath and also see some fantastic sights.
From here we took off to the first Chocolatara in the village called "Neuvo Amanecer" which means New Dawn. This is kind of ironic because this is probably the poorest place in Pisco. Picture a village of houses build of cheaply woven plants or plastic tarps wrapped around posts stuck in the ground. There were probably 50 of these so-called "homes" at the bottom of a hill. In order to get to the village we had to drive down a steep, bumpy, dirt road that led into the dessert. No playgrounds, no drinking fountains, no stop signs, no Christmas lights could be found. No water supply or electricity were around either. Water was brought a few times a week so I guess it was imperative not to run out in between deliveries.
Once we pulled in with out cars and cameras it didn't take long for the children to come out and see what was going on. The adults seemed a little less curious or maybe they were simply being cautious. I know they have seen cars before, but I am sure they were still wondering what we were doing.
As I started to figure out how to act around the kids, I soon realized that all I had to do was get down on their level and give some attention to them. I knelt down on one knee and started asking them their names. It wasn't long and the crowd of children surrounded me. I had my sunglasses so when the kids came up to me they were fascinated that they could see their faces from the reflection. They liked this but next they asked me to take them off so they could see my face. Of course I took the glasses off. Next the focus went on my camera. "Mira!" (Look) says the children as they point at my camera. They could see the picture on my digital camera and were more fascinated with this then they were of my sunglasses. They all gathered around and almost buried me to get a look. I had to give my camera to an adult to change the focus. haha
Next we all went into the tent where the event was going to take place. I sat on a bench with probably 20 kids surrounding me asking questions and wanting to play games. I can't remember how it got started but one child came up to me and wanted me to count her fingers. I remembered a funny joke I had learned as a child where you put your hands together, one clasping the other, but in a way where one finger is hiding beneath the others. Then if you count the knuckles of your clasped hands and you can only get to nine since one is hidden. I don't know what made me think of this but I thought it would be neat. So I showed my trick to one of the children. After I taught one child the new trick, it was like setting a field of dry grass on fire. In a matter of seconds every child was lined up around me begging for me to count their fingers. "Cuantos Son! Cuantos Son!" I did my best to count each of the nine fingers that were shown and laugh with each child as he or she tricked me with the joke. It was an amazing thing. These children were so smart and so interested to learn whatever I had to show them. I could have taught them calculus with that kind of attention.
The children were so happy to accept the gifts and were probably still in shock when we had to leave. I really didn't want to go but it was time to go to the next village named "Vista Alegre" which means "Happy View" in Spanish. Still another ironic name considering the village was in the middle of the dessert located directly next to a cemetery. The Chocolatara event here was very similar to the other yet the children were just as unique as could be. I saw so many faces and so many smiles it was really hard to hold my own emotions back. Once young girl I caught on camera looking at her new shirt, holding it, and showing her family and friends. She was so proud of her new gift I could just tell that we had given her a gift of a lifetime. She was so excited. Her Mother, or maybe Grandmother, saw me taking a picture of her and pointed me out to the little girl. The girl ran over to me and thanked me personally. The sparkle from her eyes was enough to melt me heart right then and there. I asked her for a picture and she was more than willing to show off her new shirt. I have posted the picture in this blog to show you.
I am not sure how I will thank everyone who has helped Brighten the Christmas' of these little children. But for me, this smile is thanks enough.
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