A Visit to the Jungle???

So after the initial fast pace of travel, bus rides and Christmas celebrations the pace of things were able to slow down for a few days. This was actually a good thing because even though I have been excited, my body really needed a rest. So for a few days over Christmas, I have been able to rest here in Lima but that hasn't kept me from checking out the city.
Things actually worked out well because a group of college students planned a trip to arrive here in Lima while I was still around. So I was able to go with my Aunt and Uncle as they show the students around the town. We all attended a Church service, visited an old Inca ruins, and ate some authentic Peruvian food (which by the way is some awesome stuff! I think leaving the food here in Peru will be harder than anything)
Since we had some free time, we decided to travel with the group while they visited the Church in Comas. (Comas is basically a suburb of Lima an hour away from where I am staying) Their main objective was to interview a woman who had many stories about the previous communist party of Peru called "The Shining Path". I didn't think this was so special at first but after hearing her story I was very moved. She explained how the group initially because funded mainly from coca plants (those used to make cocaine) and how the group was able to grow at a tremendous rate. Before anyone could tell what was happening, the communist group was so large that they were fighting the government. At this time it was so hard for the people of Peru because the government was also corrupt. So first, the communist group would come into the villages and accuse the people of befriending the government. To flex their muscle they would kill a few of the locals, a lot of times women or children, in order to scare the people. But after they left, the government would come in and accuse the people of befriending the communists. So to flex their muscles, they would cut off fingers or toes. It was so hard for the people that a lot of them fled to find saver villages.
The woman telling the story was very good and able to give a lot of detail. Of course we had to translate her Spanish since most of the group only spoke English. But I could tell that the stories hit a lot of hearts. She continued to say how this affected her and has changed her as a person. She has since learned to trust God and feels that He is calling her to do work here in Peru. Her and her husband have since decided to do their part in cleaning up the drug business. They currently live in the Jungle of Peru where fields of coca plants can be found in large numbers. Since they believe that drugs was the cause for so much evil in the past, they have decided to purchase a field of coca, take out the coca plants, and replant other agriculture such as corn. They want to show their neighbors and other locals in the Jungle that other fields can bring money as well and that you don't have to grow coca in order to make a living. I thought this was extremely interested and that her work was very noble. It can be a dangerous thing trying to covert coca fields as usually the owners have a lot of money in this type of field. Since coca can be harvested 4 times a year and has a higher value than most other crops, it is a very lucrative business.
Another cool fact, is that this woman who wants to convert the coca fields is also the mother of Chano. Chano was the Peruvian student who traveled with me and helped with the Christmas celebrations for the children in Pisco. He is to be 20 years old soon and is an awesome translator. It is amazing that he and his family is so interesting.
But converting fields of drugs is not the only thing Chanos parents do. Chano's mother, Rosa, also is in the process of starting a Sunday school for children in her area. She has 60 children already who come to participate! She has such a love for these children and has promised to bring them back a Christmas celebration "Chocolatara" just for them. These are the same children I briefly explained before that have never received gifts for Christmas. This will be the first time they get anything for Christmas.
Being a spoiled brat myself, I was very touched by this fact. Riding the bus back home that night I kept thinking about her and her story. I felt such a strong feeling and desire to somehow help this woman who was so courageous to help the people around her. She has seen the horror with her own eyes and knows what dangers lay ahead for the children in these areas. I couldn't stand it anymore, I wanted to know more about her, her family, and the children she lives by. So that night I told Pat and Garry how I felt. They agreed that she was a loving person and that it would be neat for me to learn more about her. "So how about you travel back to the Jungle with her and her family when she goes?" Pat and Garry said. They explained that Chano would be going with so I wouldn't have to worry about the language barrier. I could spend a few days with them and make it back to Lima to catch my flight. I thought this would be a great idea! I was so excited to go. I was so excited, that it didn't take long for the excitement to rub off on both Pat and Garry. Soon they decided that they could move things around just enough to give them the same opportunity to go. I thought this was great! A chance to see the jungle, a chance to see the mountains, and a chance to see how the woman plans to help so many children, not only in her own area by giving gifts and being a mentor, but helping children all over the world by eliminating a whole field of coca.
But wait! In the jungle there are many mosquito's and some carry diseases such as Yellow Fever. And what about Malaria? I did not get these vaccinations in the U.S. as I did not plan to go to the Jungle. So no trip?
Don't think so fast. The government here sells vaccinations and I have money to buy them. But how much do these vaccinations cost? Well we were going to find out. So this is where my New Years Eve adventure begins.

New Years Eve
The plan was to walk down the street about 2 blocks and hopefully pick up vaccinations for both Malaria and Yellow Fever. The Malaria vaccination comes in pills while the Yellow Fever comes in a shot. So at the worst, we would have to make a quick trip to the hospital to pick up the shot. Well the plan is always easier than what actually happens.
After walking the two blocks, the clinic says that they don't sell the vaccinations there and that we will need to go to another clinic in another part of town. They are courteous enough to give us the address and tell us which bus to take. So we thanked them and left. This was around 9:15 a.m. After waiting for the bus and riding it to the area, we were able to find the clinic. But once again we were left empty-handed. The woman at this clinic said that they too do not sell the vaccinations and that I would have to go to an actual hospital. Again she gave directions but informed us that we must hurry because it is New Years Eve and the clinic closes at 11:00. It was now 10:00 so we had an hour. The man working at the office was nice enough to get us a taxi but he must not have known we were in a hurry. He kept telling the taxis to go on after hearing how expensive they were. He wanted to get us a good price which was nice but also annoying knowing that we only had an hour. Finally we get a taxi. It was 10:10.
Most taxis drive like the world is coming to an end but this driver had a brand new 2008 car and was acting like it wasn't going to get a scratch on it. So instead of going 95 mph, flying past children, and missing oncoming traffic by centimeters, he was taking his time and driving like we had time to kill. He also must have been confused on the importance of getting me vaccinated. He even took a longer route so he could drive in 2 lanes of traffic instead of 3 or something. I think this is the only time I have been annoyed at a taxi driver going too slow the whole time I have been here in Peru.
Finally, we arrived at the hospital. It was now 10:37. Now I know what you are thinking. A hospital: one building, a main entrance, signs to tell you where to go right? Wrong. This hospital was more like a college campus with a different building designed for each department. We walked by a laboratory, a bone specialists, and a few other departments that I could not understand in Spanish. Finally we were able to find the building we were told to go to all the way in the back. But this was pediatrics? Could the lady been confused and thought I was a child needing a vaccination instead of an adult? I only had a matter of minutes now so there was no time for confusion. I thought for sure I was in the wrong place. But the desk explained that I was in the right place and that the vaccinations were done in the same place as pediatrics. So I was relieved. And with 10 minutes to spare! This was great. I showed them my passport, smiled as the teenage nurses starred at me giggled at me(I am guessing because I had white skin), and sat down in line to get my shot. 10 minutes later, almost at 11 o'clock sharp, I got the prick and was vaccinated for Yellow Feve. Don't worry anyone, we made sure the used new needles. Actually, I feel that I was treated better than the locals. Sometimes this happens because the locals are so excited and proud to have an American at their business.
So now this was over but was about Malaria? We still didn't have the pills. So after lunch, and some other errands, we made it over to another hospital that would surely have malaria pills right? Wrong again. The only things open were the Emergency room and the drug store. After talking with the nurses and doctors in the Emergency room, we were discouraged to find out that they did not sell these pills. They promised us they were not in the pharmacy and that we would have to go somewhere else. We asked several times just to make sure but the answer was always no. Me and Garry walked out of the building hanging out heads. I just knew that I was going to get bitten by that one Malaria carrying mosquito.
"Well you want to ask the Pharmacy just to make sure?" I asked Garry. "Sure, it's work a try" he said. So we went directly next door to the pharmacy and asked if they had the pills. Guess what? They did! We couldn't believe it. We had just been told by doctors and nurses that none were available. But now we had as many as we needed. But that's not the best part. I thought the cashier said 50 soles (which is about 15 to 20 U.S. dollars) so I started to whip out my wallet, but Garry said no, that what he really said was 50 centimos which is less than 33 cents. Really? That cheap? Yes that cheap. I was able to get 5 pills for less than 7 cents a pill. Isn't that crazy?
Just to put icing on the cake. The shot was free since it was from a government hospital. How is that for living in Peru?