The first few days in Peru...

Peru so far has been amazing, and my experience so far has been incredible. A reason, for me, for doing this trip is because of all the Spanish-speaking patients I have encountered, and will encounter, in the health care field. I’ve also always wanted to travel to South America, and expose myself to an entirely different culture and learn and grow from the experience. My host family is incredible. Else and Douglas are wonderful home away from home parents, and keep me well fed.

Yesterday the highlight of the day was sandboarding, which basically is snowboarding on sand. No tow ropes were involved, so we had to climb up the mountain. We were all drenched in sweat by the end of the day, and I keep finding sand everywhere. The guys really took advantage of the experience, while the girls (mainly me) kept getting stuck in the sand as we were going down. It did make for a great opportunity for a new profile picture because the pictures made it seem like we were doing extreme sports. 

This morning we went to a cooking class. The first thing made was Papa a la Huancaina, which is a potato dish with a creamy, spicy sauce. Next we made Lomo Saltado, a stir fry beef. The chef let some of the students make it, and I swear I thought the kitchen was going to burn down. Last we made a cocktail that Peru is famous for, called Pisco Sour. Muy delicioso!

Today we celebrated “chocolatada,” the Peruvian celebration of Christmas approaching. We went to a local village called “El Progreso.” The children are very poor and do not have much, and they really appreciate us being there, even if it’s just to play. They loved when we gave them piggy back rides and played tag. One of the volunteers, Efren, dressed up as Papa Noel and surprised the children with gifts and hot chocolate.  We are very thankful to Efren, because his costume prevented him from seeing, and the children took advantage of this and attacked and jumped on him for two hours straight. Overall, the experience was eye-opening, and gave us the opportunity to see children who grew up in completely different environments that we grew up in. The children do not have much, but appreciate the things that they do have and are so thankful for the little things in life.

Most volunteers on this trip can speak Spanish very well, however, I am the exception. I took a year of Spanish, approximately 10 years ago and all I remember is how to say “Me llamo Carolyn.” It is incredible how much I have learned over the past couple of days. Everyone is so helpful in MAKING me learn Spanish, which is what I need! My host family has been wonderful with explaining to me what they are talking about, as well as the other volunteers I live with. So far, I have learned many animals, the meals, many foods, basic speaking skills, and I am starting to learn some basic verbs (“to go” is mucho complicated!). Another mistake I keep making is saying “tengo hombre” instead of “tengo hambre.” That leads to confusion.

 Overall my Peru experience has been one of a kind. I never expected to meet so many welcoming people, from Lima to Trujillo. Everyone is so willing to teach and very patient. I have also never seen such crazy drivers, Chicago is nothing compared to the streets of Trujillo. I cannot wait to see what my volunteer work has in store for me, this week and the rest of the weeks to come (if I can survive the Peruvian drivers of course).  I’m nervous to figure out the Micro taxis, and how to get to work everyday. But I am honestly shocked how much I have learned so far, and I could go on for hours talking about everything that has happened in the past couple of days. In the next two and a half weeks I know I will learn so much and come home with many stories!



Ciao,

Carolyn