Well I have been
lost for the past month. I lost someone close to me recently who was a huge
part of my support system. A support system is very important during a
volunteer’s service, because we
often are critical of our work, doubtful of our skills and struggling with the
various obstacles that come with living in a foreign country.
Losing this person
has been a challenge I did not foresee and I very nearly decided to end my
service. Luckily, I took the time to talk to my fellow volunteers in Piura and
throughout the past month I realized that there are many people who care about
me HERE in Perú.
Unfortunately, I
allowed my projects to stall while I dealt with my personal issues. I took a
much-needed vacation with a group of volunteers to Huancabamba, a city 4 hours
further into the mountains. After we arrived in the city, we traveled another 2
hours by car to a small town (around 3000 meters above sea level).
On the trip up the mountain. Very skinny roads...
The clouds were swirling around us as we drove up.
Our destination was
a large lake. But what was so special about this lake? Well it is known for its
properties to cleanse the soul of its woes and maladies. Brujos/shaman
(witches) perform a spiritual ritual, after which one must dunk themselves into
the freezing waters 7 times, purging their soul of the bad within. It was a
very serious affair and as ridiculous as I looked and felt, I kept a solemn
demeanor to respect the shaman’s
beliefs. It was a very cool (pun intended) experience, and definitely worth the
5 hours of hiking.
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A friendly farmer we met on the way up |
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They told us it takes 8 days to weave the fabric. Very vibrant colors |
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This woman showed us a short cut. Very beautiful photo (credit to Brice) |
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A rest and a view |
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Almost there! |
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Laguna Shimbe |
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The brujos at work |
Video of Ritual
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SUPER cold. And I did it without clothes (better spiritual cleansing) |
I also recently went to the beach. The mud baths were a lot of fun! We floated like corks, so much fun.
Mudbath: Video
But it hasnt been only vacation, I promise. At the end of June, I participated in a Improved Cookstove training exercise. 10
volunteers brought people from their community and together we were taught
how to build the stoves ourselves. The two Peruvians who ran the workshop did
an excellent job and I now feel confident with my adobe stove building skills. We built 9 stoves in 2 days. Its very simple once you have all the materials at hand. Now my trouble is finding the funding to pay for the supplies!
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Making the concrete top |
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Adding some rebar support |
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Adding a little flair to the top |
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Lunchtime! |
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The old stove. No ventilation tube. The black walls show how bad their lungs are. |
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The kids wanted to help too! |
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Adobe base |
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Combustion chamber |
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The completed stove! |
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A little model I made to show the families in my community |