My Day in Iquitos........
Update October 8, 2006
Picture with me if you will a 1994 large, old Land Cruiser, weathered white on the exterior and black, soiled material on the interior, but large and in charge. Once I open the driver side door, I take a run and jump attitude to hoist myself into the driver’s seat and begin my excursion to the land an hours’ drive away, but more like three hours by the time I actually arrive.
First we stop at the tienda de mayolica, the tile shop. It’s really your miniature version of the mom and pop hardware store at home and a step up from the smaller shops around here. We make our order after much discussion, pay, and they send a “runner” to pull the supplies off the shelf, and load them into our truck. It’s great! This is really upscale here! They so appreciate our business, they even offered us T-shirts with the store logo for all the business we’ve given them over the last month. I’d wear it if I could, but those Peruvian sizes are just a tad small for this gringo American, I am sorry to say. But, I like the marketing they were demonstrating. That is great.
After about an hour and a half, on a good day, at the tile shop picking up cement, tile, grout, paint thinner, etc. we are then on our way. I maneuver my way through traffic again, taking my time to pull out into the flow of oncoming motor bikes pulling carts! I started to get a little cocky the other day about the drive until someone almost plowed into the side of me as they pulled out of traffic quite suddenly and without noticing the big faded white car. Considering my vehicle was much the greater weight, I would have done much more damage to him. It was a little motorbike with a seat-cart behind them, and a passenger in tow. The thought of them smashing into me was more than I could bare, so my attention heightened, and I was on high alert as I weaved in and out of the cart-traffic again.
I have become accustomed to this drive now to be absolutely in love with the country side. It is lush and beautiful as only tropical vegetation can be! After passing several small Peruvian villages where the people are either busily working on some project, or on the other spectrum, napping beside a roadside tienda (shop) that consists of a few palm leaves roof being supported by some lanky poles, where they sell warm pop and fruit. I can only imagine what they think of this gringo woman driving a large truck. Surely they are as accustomed to me as I am of them by this time.
In an hour we pull up to the location of the Children’s Center. It is an absolutely beautiful setting and devoid of all the city noises of motorbikes and the like, but full of the peacefulness of the country. I know I am there when I see the sign of the last village, called 10 de Octubre. No joke! That is the name of the village right before the Children’s Center. Apparently, some large massacre happened on that day years ago, and to commemorate it, they named the village for it. The village before that one is the 13th de Noviembre. They both have a calendar-kind of ring to them, don’t you think? I’ve been looking for September and December ever since!
Next I will send info on what we are doing at the construction site.
Hasta Luego.
Leigh (Senora, Leigh, that is)
Picture with me if you will a 1994 large, old Land Cruiser, weathered white on the exterior and black, soiled material on the interior, but large and in charge. Once I open the driver side door, I take a run and jump attitude to hoist myself into the driver’s seat and begin my excursion to the land an hours’ drive away, but more like three hours by the time I actually arrive.
First we stop at the tienda de mayolica, the tile shop. It’s really your miniature version of the mom and pop hardware store at home and a step up from the smaller shops around here. We make our order after much discussion, pay, and they send a “runner” to pull the supplies off the shelf, and load them into our truck. It’s great! This is really upscale here! They so appreciate our business, they even offered us T-shirts with the store logo for all the business we’ve given them over the last month. I’d wear it if I could, but those Peruvian sizes are just a tad small for this gringo American, I am sorry to say. But, I like the marketing they were demonstrating. That is great.
After about an hour and a half, on a good day, at the tile shop picking up cement, tile, grout, paint thinner, etc. we are then on our way. I maneuver my way through traffic again, taking my time to pull out into the flow of oncoming motor bikes pulling carts! I started to get a little cocky the other day about the drive until someone almost plowed into the side of me as they pulled out of traffic quite suddenly and without noticing the big faded white car. Considering my vehicle was much the greater weight, I would have done much more damage to him. It was a little motorbike with a seat-cart behind them, and a passenger in tow. The thought of them smashing into me was more than I could bare, so my attention heightened, and I was on high alert as I weaved in and out of the cart-traffic again.
I have become accustomed to this drive now to be absolutely in love with the country side. It is lush and beautiful as only tropical vegetation can be! After passing several small Peruvian villages where the people are either busily working on some project, or on the other spectrum, napping beside a roadside tienda (shop) that consists of a few palm leaves roof being supported by some lanky poles, where they sell warm pop and fruit. I can only imagine what they think of this gringo woman driving a large truck. Surely they are as accustomed to me as I am of them by this time.
In an hour we pull up to the location of the Children’s Center. It is an absolutely beautiful setting and devoid of all the city noises of motorbikes and the like, but full of the peacefulness of the country. I know I am there when I see the sign of the last village, called 10 de Octubre. No joke! That is the name of the village right before the Children’s Center. Apparently, some large massacre happened on that day years ago, and to commemorate it, they named the village for it. The village before that one is the 13th de Noviembre. They both have a calendar-kind of ring to them, don’t you think? I’ve been looking for September and December ever since!
Next I will send info on what we are doing at the construction site.
Hasta Luego.
Leigh (Senora, Leigh, that is)
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11:59 AM
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