Next Stop: Bambamarca

Important: I understand if you’re sick of reading these entries about our trip and have resorted to just skimming since I’ve written a novel about each leg. However, if nothing else, I would suggest you jump ahead to paragraph five to find out very important information about my future!!!

We arrived exhausted in Lima and decided just to do peanut butter and jelly for dinner. We stayed at the same hotel we had stayed at when mom and dad first arrived two weeks earlier (and incidentally the one I stayed at the day we all swore in as volunteers) and although mom and dad thought it was just average the first time, it now seemed to rank right up there with the Ritz Carlton – HOT water, clean sheets, real spring mattresses, electricity, and carpet! All three of us took about a 45-minute long shower to clean off all of the dirt that had caked up since the last shower five days ago and snuggled into our warm covers. Now this is the life!

The next morning we walked to Parque Kennedy (yes, named after our president) and visited the black market for computer programs. It was extremely overwhelming, but a great experience for mom and dad – not to mention a great benefit for them since dad acquired about $1,000 worth of computer programs for around $40! After using all of our energy to pray for our lives as we weaved in and out of Lima traffic, we finally made it back to the hotel and headed for the airport. The most exciting part about the airport was lunch. Mom wasn’t hungry, but dad and I wanted something. I told dad he could get Peruvian food, but I was definitely getting Pappa John’s. He said, “yeah right, I’ve been eating Peruvian food for two weeks – I want pizza!” Hahaha. I was laughing so hard because in the beginning they were so gung ho about eating authentically – as you can see, that gets old after a while.

The flight to Cajamarca was beautiful, but unfortunately I didn’t think ahead and mom and dad were sitting on the wrong side of the plane (seeing mostly desert until about 30 minutes outside of Cajamarca). We were picked up at the airport by our hotel, which was really living the high life. Dad made it clear that he wanted to stay in a hotel with guaranteed hot water and comfort so we stayed at the nicest hotel in town. It’s owned by the Ramada so it’s nothing to write home about, but since I’m practically Peruvian now, I felt like royalty staying there. Dad has never been one to care so much about luxuries, but it’s amazing how quickly our opinions change after being in a third world country for a few weeks!

We had invited Lindsay to stay the night with us at the hotel so mom and dad could have some time to visit with her. We had an excellent dinner at Don Paco’s and talked poor Lindsay’s ear off about our trip. She was the first English-speaking person we had seen since we got back and opened a can of worms when she asked about our trip. I was pretty sure she’d never want to spend time with the three of us again since we attacked her with our stories, but she was a really good sport and seemed to really enjoy them. She deserved a night at Costa del Sol after that! After dinner we headed to Cascanuez – the best dessert place in town – to meet Reannon and Joseph and treat mom and dad to the best Cajamarca has to offer. I had been ranting and raving about the hot chocolate there so I was dying for them to try it. Of course dad pretended to think it was just okay, but I know the truth! It was a really nice night, but needless to say, we were happy to finally get back to the hotel and go to bed. (And by bed I mean talk to Lindsay until 5 am – at least mom and dad got a good night sleep!)

Before I continue, I must fill you all in on some news I heard between dinner and dessert. The day we arrived in Cajamarca was incidentally the same day Giff had his drop, where they find out what planes they will be flying and where. I was so excited/nervous all day because I felt like my fate was being decided – wherever he goes is where I’ll be moving when I’m done with Peace Corps. I called him after dinner while mom, dad, and Lindsay waited and was shocked to hear we were moving to JAPAN!!! I thought he was joking at first because I thought I heard him tell someone in the background he was going to Dover AFB in Delaware. So when he asked how I’d like to move to Japan, I said I wouldn’t! He said, “well if you want to be with me, that’s where we’re going – Okinawa, Japan!” What a HORRIBLE girlfriend I am. I felt sooooo bad, but was so shocked I didn’t know what to say! Luckily I came to my senses and started to realize what a great opportunity it would be for us. I told him that we’re in this together and that if he’s going to Japan, then that’s where I’ll go too. I think he was relieved to hear that – especially after my initial reaction, what a jerk I am! At first I was really scared and couldn’t believe I was about to embark on two more years outside of the U.S., but the more I think about it, the more excited I get. I think it’s an incredible opportunity and when else in our lives will we be able to do something like this? I think it’ll be hard at times, but at least we’ll be together – and from what I’ve learned, that’s half the battle. We’ve been doing a lot of research and it looks like an amazing place. It’s at the same latitude as Hawaii and the Bahamas so it’s not such a bad assignment! Plus, our foreign exchange student, Chiharu, is from Okinawa so we already know a local family. Although I’m a little sad to be gone from home for so long, I’m really excited about the next part of our life! From Peru to Japan – who would have ever guessed???

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and were on our way to Bambamarca. I really got a kick out of this part of the trip because this was mom and dads’ real “Peace Corps experience” and it was fun to watch their reactions. I will preface all of this by saying they were GREAT SPORTS and I am so impressed how well they handled all of the challenges. I am so lucky to have had such a great trip with them and as you can imagine, my community LOVED them.

Mom and dad were pretty surprised by all of the vendors that come on the bus trying to sell you jello (a staple here in Peru), bread, cakes, etc. I forgot how bad some of the food smells – and the bus too – so it was funny to watch their reactions. Then the bus starts moving and an “infomercial” starts. Usually the infomercial is some guy lecturing for 30 minutes (in a VERY loud voice) about nutrition and then tries to sell us all of these supplements – Jessica actually bought something from him one time, I could have died laughing. That day the infomercial was a guy with a disability – he has all of these rods going through his legs that looks incredibly painful and asked us to buy some chocolate from him to help pay for his surgeries because he can’t work. We actually did buy some chocolates from him and after his spiel, he got off the bus. And that’s when the music began. Hahahaha. On bus companies here in Peru, they like to BLARE the music so you can’t even hear yourself think. I guess Peruvians are used to it because only once in a great while do you hear someone complain about it, but this gringa cannot handle it and I always ask them to turn it down. They always look really annoyed with me, but eventually turn it “down” to the point where you only have to talk in a loud voice, rather than shout, to communicate with your neighbor. Well when they turned on the music that day, I thought mom and dad were going to have a heart attack! I guess you do get used to it after a while – or maybe I’m going slightly deaf – because I didn’t even think it was that loud that day, but mom was dying (dad doesn’t hear as well, which in this case, was a benefit to him). They would turn it down, but poco a poco the volume seemed to creep back up and we gave up on the idea of talking. I ended up falling asleep since I had barely slept the night before, but mom and dad enjoyed the scenery. The ride takes about four and a half hours and passes by the third largest goldmine in the world, Yanacocha; goes over a pass of 12,000+ feet; and passes another goldmine, Goldfields (or “Golfis” according to the Peruvian pronounciation) before starting the decent into the valley where Bambamarca is located. Although the landscape is spectacular along the way, I think the bus itself and the drivers were the most impressive to dad as they maneuver around those narrow, steep, dirt roads like it’s nothing. He told me if he ever becomes in charge of Greyhound bus companies, he is going to fire all of the drivers and come down here to hire all Peruvian drivers!

By 4 pm, we had finally made it to Bambamarca. Dad wasn’t sure they were going to give us all of our bags (I think we had 8 bags checked underneath) so he took the liberty of climbing into the underneath compartment of the bus to retrieve them and came out looking like he had just emerged from a dust storm. Oh boy. We hired a tricycle-wagon to get the bags to my house where this little 5’0” man carried them all my steep stairs – Peruvians are so tiny, but man are they strong! My family didn’t seem to be around when we arrived, but after the first one emerged and met my parents, they all seemed to appear within two minutes because they were so excited to meet mom and dad. Unfortunately Karina (my best friend here) wasn’t home because she had to go help her parents (my host grandparents) on the farm, but we were planning to go and visit her there because she’s been counting down the days of my parents arrival since they got their tickets back in February.

Mom wanted to make them dinner as a sign their appreciation to my family so we made chili and cornbread (from Trader Joe’s – we don’t mess around). I was just as excited as my family since I never get to eat so well and that is one of my favorite meals. I was worried they wouldn’t like it since it’s so different from what they eat, but it was a huge hit and they even finished the leftovers for breakfast the next morning! Chili for breakfast – that’s a new one. My family was all on their best behavior and gave my parents such a warm welcoming. They seemed so honored to have them in the house and couldn’t stop talking about how much they loved having me as part of the family. Mom did her best to practice her Spanish with them, which she is actually pretty good at – understanding more than speaking – but my family loved it! After dinner we gave them all of their presents my parents had brought and they were so touched. One of the presents was UNO so six of us played that until about 10:30 when we finally had to call it quits because we were about to fall asleep at the table. I was so happy how well the night went and how well everyone got along. It was by far one of my best nights with them because I actually felt like part of the family that night, and not just an outsider. Although I really missed having Karina there, I think it was probably better because it put the spotlight on my host mom and that is exactly what she needed.

We had a lazy morning the next day, organizing our stuff and separating our laundry to be done. Dad washed every single thing he brought with him except the clothes he had on because he felt so dirty and thought he smelled really bad (he didn’t though). My family invited us to have lunch with them (even though we had just finished eating breakfast) so of course we graciously accepted. While they were preparing lunch, my parents and I walked around town to get a feel for market day. I wanted them to see the huge difference between market day and a “regular day”. Considering Bambamarca is about the same size as North Adams (where I grew up), my parents were shocked to see how much commerce happens there. It is quite a bustling metropolis since we are so isolated from anything else. It was really fun to walk around since everything from hardware to lingerie, and livestock to fresh produce is found in Bambamarca on market day. While we were lost amongst the commotion, my family called to let us know lunch was ready and it was time to come home. I thought my parents’ eyes were going to pop out of their heads when they saw the portion sizes we were given (even though I had warned them) especially since we weren’t hungry at all. The norm here is to serve soup and then the main course. I’m pretty sure mom and dad were full after the soup so they almost fell out of their chairs when they were each served a plate of rice, with a little chicken, large enough for four people! It was a really nice gesture of my family to invite us though so we all put on a happy face and did our best to stuff our faces as to not offend them.

In the afternoon we headed over to the doctor’s house. It was father’s day so they had a few people over (Consuelo and her baby, Honsler, and the new doctor at the health center). They were all drinking so the doctor insisted on making a cocktail in honor of my parents. I told them dad doesn’t drink, but I told mom she’d probably have to suck it up and drink one drink. She was very good about it even though the drink was pretty strong and not very good (Pisco – a liquor made of grapes – with carob syrup….). The doctor had also made a cake (which I was shocked about – since when does he bake??) so they gave us some of that too. Remember we had just eaten a huge lunch at my host family’s house so I have no idea how we managed to get that food down. Then we gave presents and talked for a while. Chabu really wanted us to stay for brochetas de pollo (chicken kabobs) and even though I told them were were STUFFED, they obviously wouldn’t take no for an answer. So while we should have been laps around town to burn off some calories and make room for more food, dad and I played UNO with Martin, Carol, and Honsler, while mom worked on putting Carol’s present together (a loom to make beaded bracelets, etc.). Shortly after the kabobs were ready and even though we weren’t hungry AT ALL we ate every last bit because Chabu is such a great cook. We visited a little longer and then headed back to my house for a quiet evening.

The next morning we got up early because we were going to go to La Paccha (where my host grandparents have their farm) to visit Karina. Even though it’s a four hour round trip, I was looking forward to going because the drive is absolutely beautiful. It’s on the east side of the Andes and if you were to continue on past La Paccha you would reach the jungle so the vegetation is much more tropical and it’s really beautiful. However, Rosa told me to call Karina before we left to coordinate with her and she told me she wouldn’t be able to meet with us that day. We decided to go the next day instead when she had more time. [Sidenote: This is exactly why I didn’t plan anything for our time in Bambamarca because no matter how much you plan ahead, it never goes according to plan. I had lots of places in mind I wanted to go with mom and dad, but by the time you introduce them to everyone and go to all of the lunches and dinners you are invited to, there is no time for anything else.] We were supposed to go to lunch at the doctor’s house the next day, so I called Chabu to ask if we could go that day instead. Of course she said yes and made us an excellent lunch – what does she make that isn’t delicious? We had a nice visit with them and spent the afternoon visiting the health center, walking around Bambamarca, and meeting more of my friends. Believe it or not, meeting everyone and doing all of that translating was exhausting and we were all ready for bed by about 8 pm every night. Before bed we used the internet, which mom and dad loved because it’s practically my second home here, and Karina’s business, so they were happy to check it out.

Our plans to go to La Paccha the next day fell through because Karina surprised us by coming home late the night before. Her parents agreed it wasn’t fair to make my parents travel so far to see her so they let her go back. She was so excited to have my parents there that she made sure to be free all day so we could spend as much time together as possible. We were going to go to Naranjo (on the way to La Paccha) where there are some thermal baths, but of course by the time everyone was ready to go, there weren’t any cars and we missed that opportunity. Instead, Karina took us on a little city tour of Bambamarca. She was so cute and really excited. At the end of it we treated her to lunch at our favorite restaurant in town (that is actually really good) and then headed home to REST – we were starting to hit the wall from all of our travels. At night we visited Rita and her family. We had SO much fun at their house and laughed a lot. They loved when mom practiced her Spanish and thought dad knew a lot more than I gave him credit for as he had really learned his colors from playing UNO so much! We all felt so comfortable and Rita kept saying she felt like she has known them forever. She said she had been for that day since I arrived in September and she couldn’t believe they were actually there in her house. She also told us that it made her really excited that one day she and Freddy might be able to go visit Mélany living in another country like I am. It was so cute how excited she was. They were so loving towards my parents and gave them lots of gifts. After dinner Freddy took us on a little night tour of the city in his new combi. I know Freddy was really happy to do it for us and my parents were incredibly grateful and really touched.

We had such a nice time with Rita and her family that they begged us to stay a little longer. They really wanted to make us lunch the next day and take us on a paseo (outing). Dad said he’d stay as long as we didn’t have to spend another night because he was dying for a hot shower! Luckily there is an afternoon bus so we were able to stay and get the best of both worlds. Freddy picked us up around 8:30 the next morning and after filling up the combi with his family – sisters, parents, nieces, nephews, and cousins – we headed to San Juan de Lacamaca (a small town about 30 minutes outside of Bambamarca) where we harvested corn and beans from his family’s small plot of land. Dad LOVED it and jumped right in to help. After picking corn for a while, we walked down to the plaza and enjoyed the day while we waited for them to finish up. I was really glad we had that opportunity because San Juan is a beautiful community and gave mom and dad a taste for what a small town is like (population is about 1,000 compared to Bambamarca’s 10,000). We arrived back in Bambamarca in time for lunch where Rita made us cuy (guinea pig). Luckily it was cuy in some sauce (made from a fruit called berenjena – also the word for eggplant, but it’s not eggplant) so we were only served a piece of the cuy rather than the whole body like they serve to you when it’s fried. We all thought it was just mediocre, but mom and dad were great sports about it and ate as much as they could. We thanked them about a million times because it’s a really big honor to be served cuy and we wanted them to know how grateful we were – even if we didn’t finish it.

By the way, by this point I was exhausted from translating and started to make a lot of mistakes in Spanish. At one point I translated for my parents from Spanish to Spanish without even realizing it. When they looked at me with a blank face and everyone started laughing, I realized that I had just repeated what was said in Spanish, rather than translated into English. The worst, though, occurred during our conversation at lunch. We were talking about the difference between foods in the U.S. and Peruvian food. Dad wanted me to tell them that a lot of foods that are sold in the States have a lot of preservatives. I was so tired by that point that, without thinking, I said, “La comida en los Estados Unidos tiene muchos preservativos.” As soon as Rita came back with “preservantes” I remembered that preservativos means condoms! That’s right, I told Rita and her family (including her in-laws) that our food has a lot of condoms in it! Oopsie! I decided that on that note, it was time to wrap things up and go. Who knows what I would say next!

Back at the house we used the bathroom one last time and walked to the bus station. I think mom and dad were so excited to be leaving, knowing that they’d never have to use that bathroom again. It’s actually pretty luxurious compared to what many of my friends have – at least we have a toilet (no toilet seat or paper though) – but luxury doesn’t matter when the water is constantly being turned off. We have about 10 people sharing that bathroom and unfortunately, nature still calls even when there is no water. I’ll leave it up to your imagine to picture what it looks like in there when everyone just has to do their business on top of what the previous person left behind….Ewww! Anyway, we had said goodbye to everyone in the morning. Marta and Wilder gave my parents a wheel of cheese and some pictures of them that they wrote really nice notes on. It was really sweet. They really became attached to my parents in that short time and seemed genuinely sad to see them go. Of course mom and dad cried! Karina really wanted to walk us to the bus, but wasn’t home when it was time to leave so I was sad we were going to miss her. She met us at the bus though with a present (a hand-woven purse that says Bambamarca)! She is so cute! It was sad saying goodbye to her because my parents and she really enjoyed each others’ company. After a few pictures and lots of hugs, we boarded the bus and were shortly on our way back to Cajamarca.

I hope my parents enjoyed their time in Bambamarca as much as I enjoyed having them here. It means so much to be able to introduce them to my friends and family, show them the schools and health center I work at, where I buy my bread, and where I take my laundry to be washed. I know I’ll be talking about my experiences here and the people I’ve befriended for the rest of my life so it’s nice that they will be able to share in those memories. I know my town LOVED my parents and will be talking about them until the day I leave. Rita has already told me she wishes my parents could come back and stay in Bambamarca for a month because she could never get tired of them! She said mom was just how she imagined her, but she thought dad was going to be very serious. She said, he was actually really jovial – even more so than your mom!

Thanks, mom and dad for being such good sports. I know you were really tired and stuffed to the brim most of the time, but you continued to put on a happy face and eat what was put in front of you and that meant the world to my community. I am so grateful that you wanted to come and share in my experience. It means so much to me and is something I, nor my fellow Bambamarquinos, will ever forget. I love you guys!