I was walking down the street yesterday when a man approached me in a panic, “Excuse me sir, do you speak English?” I acknowledged the obvious and he asked if I could help him. “What’s the problem?” I inquired. He held up has hand and said that someone had robbed him of all his money, …
Last night I took my leftovers from the restaurant to Rita, Ruth and Maria. When I walked in with the food Rita started crying, I knew immediately the kids had nothing to eat. This morning I got up at 5am to catch the sunrise, which was beautiful. I also caught two guys diving into the …
How Can A Place Be So Beautiful, Yet So Difficult? Read More »
The other day Ruth was complaining about a tooth ache and Paul has a volunteer dentist in town so it seemed like an easy connection but nothing is easy in Peru. I stopped by her house to pick her up and before I knew it I was headed to the dentist with seven children, two …
Well it has finally happen, I have been Iquitocized. Last night I went with a group of friends to see Illusion, a local band. The only illusion I got was when someone stuck their hand in my pocket and stole my video camera. It was particularly crowded because it was an outdoor amphitheater and there …
When I caught up with Ruth’s Mom, Rita, yesterday she told me Ruth was sick and had diarrhea and had been vomiting all night. Believe it or not diarrhea is one of the top 5 killers in developing countries and has claimed many children’s lives in Belen. I called Paul to see if we could …
There is something about swimming in a river where you know there are piranha and alligators that can keep you on edge but when you are with a bunch of orphans after a tumultuous week it was a welcome relief. The Nanay River, a tributary of the Amazon, offers a beautiful sandy beach when the …
On Monday night America celebrated Halloween with all the ghosts and goblins and kids running from house to house filling their bags with goodies but the root of Halloween comes from the Catholic holiday called All Saints Day or Día de los Muertos, (Day of the Dead) which is celebrated in many Catholic countries on …
I headed out yesterday anxious and excited to get back to my friends and the kids in Iquitos. After 9 hours of flying I landed in Lima. I knew my next step was going to be the rough part, sitting in the Starbucks in the Lima airport for 7 more hours until I could catch …
I have been trying for days to put a blog post together but it seems like there hasn’t been a second to spare. So here is a brief review of our time so far in Iquitos. Sorry no pics, when you barely have time to finish a blog post it is difficult to get pictures …
The morning started early as we headed towards the SacredValley. We had a couple of stops along the way, a llama farm and the Pisac market, and then it was off to start our trek through the LaresValley. At least that is what we thought. When we got to the road leading to our base …
We are off and running again, back to my second home Peru. Only this time I have 11 amazing kids for our 2011 Globetrotter trip. This morning started early, 6am, putting all of our baggage together, 18 laptops, monitors and keyboards. Several duffle bags full of give a gallon donations. It was a smooth start …
I finished my last days in Iquitos soaking up the life and culture one more time. I made my last visit to Belen to purchase the rest of Nebes floor. Total cost of a roof and a floor in Belen, $150. The water had come in even further forcing makeshift bridges all over town made …
I am one of those who was and still am furious about our new health care system but sometimes it helps to keep things in perspective. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, going to the hospital in Iquitos can be a harrowing experience. Paying for services in advance, expected to supply your own …
Birthdays play an important role in this society but none more important than a girl’s Quinceanera, 15th birthday. Like a Bar Mitzvah, a Quinceanera signifies a girl’s transition into womanhood. I had my first chance to experience a Quinceanera last night, Nelcy, one of Paul’s girls, turned fifteen. The party guests are lined up anticipating …
Went down to Belen today with my Spanish teacher to finish the job we started on Tuesday. Found our mother with the first load of palm fronds installed on a small platform to live on. The water had encroached ever further. To get to her we had to hire a small boat, we chose an …
Each year as the snow melts on the Andes and winter rains come the level of the Amazon River rises as much as 30 feet flooding most of Belen. The raw sewage and waste mixed with all kinds of trash are picked up into and around the homes. Most homes are on stilts for this …
It’s amazing how there are times when fact is better than fiction, such is the case of Fitzcarraldo. The story goes that Fitzcarraldo braved hostile Indians, snakes, disease and unspeakable hardships as he used Indian labor to pull, drag and winch a ship across a mountain in the Amazon jungle. The baron, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, …
The Amazing Fitzcarraldo – fact can be better than fiction Read More »
I stood on the dock as they loaded provisions wondering to myself how this adventure would turn out. Ten five gallon jugs of water, a huge cooler full of food, tents and two Clemson co-eds and off we went. I’m wondering why we need 50 gallons of water since we are only going for one …
Iquitos remained a sleepy little village stocked with Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries trying to convert the native Indians for many of the years since the discovery of the Amazon River by a retired pig farmer, Conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Although the Aztecs and Mayans had used “caucho” for many years in their daily lives, Iquitos changed …
Tonight I headed for Poppy’s House (the orphanage) to check on our new visitors, Annalise and Mary Vaughn from North Carolina. Everything was going fine until I hit a road block on the main street. There apparently was an accident and instead of directing traffic around the accident the rocket scientists decided to close the …