Down in Lima again in order to take our volunteer, Francesca, back to the airport (successfully done) and get started on the lengthy (why doesn’t that surprise me?!) paperwork process to leave the country next month. I was pleasantly surprised today though to find that I was able to pay the administration fee and hand in all the bits of paper within 5 minutes and that there were no nasty surprises, like needing 5 different documents stamped in triplicate on top of the ones I was submitting.
Aug 082011
Jul 292011
At last, after a very long period of silence, both husband and wife (the couple we had been couselling) in Chincha have made contact again. Wife M sent Rachel and email apologising for their silence – not really giving a reason, but nevermind. Husband A, having been finally asked to not come home because of his continued unfaithfulness, made contact again and seems to have a renewed desire to sort out his personal problems. Whether this will last we don’t know. Two days ago Rachel gave him a task to do, (generally tasks put him off as he seems to want answers given to him on a plate), and we haven’t heard from him since, but we are now on national holidays so we probably won’t hear anything until next week if he does make contact again.
Paul has to go to Lima next week to take Francesca to the airport and so he will take the opportunity to go down to Chincha for the day to catch up in person and also say goodbye to folk down there.
Not long before we leave now!!
Jul 222011
Three times this week Francesca and I have been out to build stoves and so I thought I’d share some of the snaps
Jul 192011
With Francesca, our short-term volunteer, here at the moment with her passion for cooking, we decided to introduce the gastronomy students at the Training Centre to a feast of English cuisine (shepherd’s pie – pye de pastores; apple crumble – crocante de manzana; bread and butter pudding – postre de pan y mantequilla) for the day. While Francesca managed the main course, we took turns to teach the desserts, which we reckon are the best bit of British cuisine. It was occasionally pandemonium, but many students valued the opportunity to be introduced to new foods and new ways of cooking.
Francesca came out with me yesterday. We left bright and early to go to Aco for the famous lamb soup and to pick up the remaining batch of combustion chambers. Then, in the afternoon she had her first taste of stove building, which was great since my other volunteers didn’t turn up again. However, last night, she spent all of it being sick and unable to shut her eye. Thankfully the doctor doesn’t think that she has an allergy to stove building, but has picked up a stomach infection (from eating poorly reheated food we think) and conjunctivitis. She’s feeling grotty and will be out of action for a few days and has come to stay with us for a bit of R&R.
Meanwhile, my day hasn’t been that great either. Firstly, my transport turned up half an hour late to pick me and building materials up, which meant that the volunteer I’d arranged for the morning probably decided we weren’t coming and went home (I’m being generous; the track record suggests that they probably didn’t even arrive) and then when we finally made it to the house to build the stove we found that the family had gone out and it was deserted. Still, their loss….
Jul 082011
Had to work by myself today as my volunteers didn’t turn up and Francesca was too tired after travelling, so it was a late one, but I did manage to get the base done and return in time to do my teaching at the Training Centre.
Jul 062011
Hot-footed it down to Lima yesterday in order to pick up Francesca, a volunteer who has come over for 5 weeks to help with the smokeless stoves, but also do some community-based drama workshops with children over their winter break. No problems at the airport and we spent the night and the next morning staying with friends in Surco, but thankfully we have now returned to Huancayo – Lima doesn’t get any better with the passing of time.