#BlameitontheAltitude

Disclaimer...I don't use #hashtags, but they and the phrase 'Blame it on the Altitude' were commonly used in conversation in Peru last November, so I had to name the post in honor of the experience.

So, remember that one time I went to Nepal with Singular Humanitarian Experience (SHe)?  Well, I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go on SHe's 2013 expedition to Peru last November, and I loved it.  I thought I'd share some of the highlights :)

Day 1 was spent exploring Cusco with fellow expeditioners, then meeting together as a group to discuss the week and finishing off with dinner. Sunday morning consisted of church services in Spanish and it was fabulous. A dog had to be shooed out of the sacrament meeting, the children put on an amazing primary program that even the non-hispanohablantes could understand (primary songs are very recognizable), and a handful of us stayed to enjoy Sunday School as well. It was so good, and little phrases like 'entonamos el himno...' that I haven't heard in ages just made me happy :)

That afternoon we drove to Chaupimayo, the village where we would spend the week. After setting up our sleeping arrangements, we had a welcome ceremony, and ate a great traditional meal...the first of many that our wonderful cooks prepared for us throughout the week, complete with herbal tea, soup/appetizer, main course, and dessert.

Throughout the week we worked on various projects. The construction team had several things going on, from sanding and painting the elementary school, to hauling 40lb adobe bricks (we referred to this as Cross-Fit Peru training), to digging large pits for a septic tank for the new bathroom that we were helping construct, to reforestation. Plenty to keep us busy.
Being a Spanish speaker meant that I got to wear a cool bandanna and got even more variety by spending two days in the health clinic
translating for our optometrist. Most of the women didn't speak Spanish, so we had to have a 2nd translator in some cases, to translate from Spanish to Quechua.  What a great experience. It was also interesting to see how some of the older women (one in particular) reacted to us and scared some of the elementary boys away from the dentist.  The boys were sitting in the clinic, happy as can be (they knew what they were getting into b/c some children had been to the dentist the day before). I think they were a little nervous and scared, but they were tough and we joked around with them to help them feel at ease. Next thing we know, this old lady is over speaking to them in Quechua and the boys went away in hysterics and couldn't be coaxed into returning :(  Sad day! At least the majority learned how to brush their teeth :)  There were so many generous donations that I think everyone in the village got a toothbrush and toothpaste...so for awhile they'll have clean teeth, and hopefully the habit of 'cleaning' teeth will take hold.


We played "tourists for a day" midweek and visited some cool sites in Maras. We saw rings in the earth that they believe were agricultural testing circles, and some cool salt mines. We headed back to the village in the evening.

We spend the rest of the week working hard to finish up the projects. The elementary school was completely sanded, painted, and one of our expeditioners was an art person, so she designed a mural for the school. The bathroom structure (walls and roof) was finished, we got the two septic holes completely dug, and we planted lots and lots (thousands) of trees (hopefully they are high altitude trees!). The education and health teams had a lot of participation in their clinics and trainings, and a lot of generous donations were provided, so hopefully the villagers and educators will implement the principles they learned/reviewed throughout the week.

In our down time, we taught the kids 'pato, pato, ganzo' and they danced for us.

An interesting comparison: In Nepal, we worked alongside the villagers from day one and they would 'hang out' with us in the evenings.  In Peru, I don't think the local villagers (apart from the ones who had worked with Ascend Alliance to get us here) were trusting of us coming into their village. We were the first group to ever visit their village and I don't know if they hadn't been prepped enough, or if they are just not initially trusting of strangers. Some of the difference might be explained between Choice Humanitarian and Ascend Alliance's model as well.  I think Choice picks out villages that are poor, but not completely destitute, while Ascend works with some of the poorest of the poor. In the beginning, Chaupimayo villagers worked on their part of the construction project, while our team worked on our part, separate from them. By the end of the week that had changed and it was nice to see everyone working together. I believe there wasn't as much interaction in the evenings because it was cold and not conducive to hanging out outside.  Finishing up the bathroom structure was a very collaborative effort, and during our last supper in the village they expressed their gratitude for us coming to their 'forgotten village'.  They called us to be true Christians and expressed their desire for us to return.

New bathroom structure

I loved it! I loved the village and the people. I didn't love the altitude headaches, but you adjust to that 13000+ ft. I loved the cross-fit training, and the interaction with like-minded singles and with lovely Peruvians. I loved being disconnected for a week. I didn't necessarily love the not-so-nice shower facilities, but you survive. I loved being able to use my Spanish and the beauty of new places and cultures, and working and serving.

Maybe this year I'll apply for Kenya :)  For now, some fun photos.

Huarqui Valley

Albi y Gregorio (Ascend)

The Chefs

Turkey Sandwiches for Thanksgiving

Llamas

Cuy

Ready to chase bubbles

Working woman

Dentistry

Hats

Cuteness

Reforestation

Lightning storm

Cross Fit Peru

Cusco at night