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 my flight to Iquitos.
About 5am I was tired, my eyes were burning and nowhere to lay down and sleep the doubt and questions start swirling in your mind, “What
in the world are you doing?” but as my Iquitos flight started over the Andes and I looked down at the snowcapped mountains, so rough and desolate but so raw and beautiful. It’s easy to see how millions of years ago as the South American continent broke off and drifted away from Africa until it reached the tectonic plate that pushed the land up 20,000 feet creating the majestic Andes and reversing the flow of the Amazon River which began flowing east to west but today flows west to east.
During the short 1 ½ hour flight you really get a taste of the Peruvian geography from 30,000 feet. The mountains quickly turn to jungle. Like
a giant green Capel rug laid across the earth with a big brown swath, the Amazon, cutting through the middle of it. What looks so soft and beautiful from above you know is unforgiving and relentless on the ground, whether in the Peruvian mountains or the jungle.
By the time you reach Iquitos you have been up for about 30 hours but the adrenaline keeps me going. Setting up home again and searching
out my little friends. I’m not sure if Ruth and Maria are doing well in school so that will be the first order of business this week. Just like all of our
kids the need guidance and direction which is absent from many parents in Iquitos.
Finally I caught a siesta and recharged the batteries just a bit. As dusk set in I pulled out my Halloween candy and within minutes I was deluged with kids. I had also brought down the shoes that Sharon and company and donated and started fitting shoes on some of the kids. They were so cute getting their new shoes. Most were thrilled but one little baby was not so happy about a gringo fitting her with new shoes.
Finally I had to say No Mas, as the crowd had grown to a number that I knew I couldn’t handle but it reminded me why I am here and how
much there is to do. I love these kids.