Still on strike...

It's been a bit of a rough week. I've been sick with some sort of stomach bug for the past 4 days (feeling a little better now), and, even after three weeks, all the clinics are still on strike. The strike has hit dangerous point; Marisol (CCS staff), told us of multiple cases where the strike has directly lead to a severe worsening of patient illness/death over the past few weeks. A lack of low-cost healthcare is devastating to this area, as it's the only place the the extremely poor population of Ayacucho can afford to go. We keep hearing "next week it'll be over", and to be honest, we're starting to become immune to that statement. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if it was three more weeks until it's truly over. Laura, Natalie, and I are trying to stay positive, though. Afterall, it's not like we're sitting idle in the CCS house. We've been going the the Drop-In Center, the Old Folks Home, and the Prison on weekdays, and we might be able to help one of the Santa Elena Clinic staff give vaccinations to the women at the prison! Here's to hoping...

We've also just bought bus tickets for a weekend trip to Lima! I did spend the wee hours of the morning in the Lima airport, but I haven't been able to see the city at all. I'm excited!

Last night was the craziest rain storm I've seen to date... That's saying a lot for having spent my entire life in Seattle. Let's just put it this way: about two hours before I took the picture below, I was getting a sunburn. 

This is our street, 26 de Enero, about a half hour after it started raining. Not a picture of a river! Along with the torrential downpour, the lightning and thunder were unbelievable; one of the thunder bouts was so loud that it set off car alarms outside our house!!

Ayacucho F.C.!

We went to an Ayacucho F.C. soccer (fútbol) game on Saturday! We got the cheap seats, so the view wasn’t great, but soccer games in foreign countries are crazy regardless. At one point there was a (unintentional) fire in the stands due to celebration fireworks, and at halftime, the three referees were escorted off the field by nine cops in riot gear… Soccer fans are bit crazier down here, that’s for sure.

At the fútbol game!
(We bought hats so we would "fit in")

Little girl trying to get a better view...
Dangerous, but I can't blame her.

The Ayacucho F.C. mascot, "Inti Gas Man", haha.
We assumed that "Inti Gas" was the team's big sponsor.

These little boys just sat right down next to us and started talking.

Inti Gas (i.e. Ayacucho) lost the game. :(

Below is unrelated to the soccer game, but I've been meaning to post pictures of these little "Moto Taxis" that Ayacucho has about a million of. They're insane. It only costs one Sol to get from our house to the Plaza in one of these things, but you feel like you're going to die the whole time. They fit maximum three people, rattle violently as if they're going to fall apart, and for whatever reason, all their drivers motor around like maniacs... Even when up against a double decker bus. Scary!

A week of random volunteering

What a crazy week it’s been!

Since all the health clinics are still on strike Laura, Natalie, and I have been floating around volunteer placements. Tuesday and Wednesday we worked at “InaBif”, or what we call the “Drop-in Center”. It’s this little building in the middle of a market where children who work at the market can come to hang out (i.e. not work) for a while. We bring art supplies, cards, games, etc. and just play. On Tuesday we played soccer at a nearby blacktop for a while with the boys, and then played endless clapping games with the girls (Quack-diddly-oso was a big hit). On Wednesday we brought some fruit loops and string to make fruit loop jewelry, played cards, and more clapping games. The niños are beyond adorable, and they loved all their “gringa Profesoras”!

                                

Kaitlan, Drop-in Center niños and I

Betsy painting my fingernails with marker

                                

The Drop-in Center is in the middle of this market

Later that day we had a lecture on the role of the Coca leaf in Peruvian culture. It was crazy! Basically, Coca plants have been cultivated by Peruvians since before the Incas, and because of this, use of the leaf is a huge part of their culture. The reason for its original popularity comes from the fact that when chewed properly, Coca leaves release trace amounts of naturally occurring Cocaine alkaloid, giving the chewer energy, simultaneously decreasing appetite and thirst. Apparently the only negative effect of chewing Coca leaves is a discoloration of the teeth; it’s not addictive and hasn’t been linked with any heath problems. Because of these properties, it’s been used for centuries as offerings to gods, given as gifts, chewed, and used in food. In Peru alone, they produce 110,000 tons of dry Coca leaf annually, and of that, 10,000 tons are use for legal purposes. (FYI: Coca-Cola still uses Coca leaves in their soda, sans the Cocaine alkaloid; they import over 170 tons of Coca leaves per year!). As you might guess from the large difference in total tons produced and tons used for legal purposes, the remaining 100,000 tons of Coca are used for the illegal production of pure Cocaine. Peru produced 310 tons of pure Cocaine in 2009, half of which was made in the Ayacucho region (as it’s one of the few provinces that has Andean jungle; the only place where Coca can grow).

After the lecture we had our Coca Leaves read; the Peruvian version of Taro cards. It was so fun! The Professor warned us before hand that since Quechua is the traditional language of Peru, he would have to speak to the Coca leaves in Quechua. In the midst of all the Coca-confusion, though, he spoke in French, English, Spanish, and Quechua mixed together…A little confusing to say the least. As for my results, apparently I will be a doctor one day, as long as I’m willing to work really hard for it, I have weak ankles, I should never drink ice water, and if I’m going to Asia anytime soon, Northern India, Japan, and Thailand are okay, but I should avoid Cambodia and Vietnam… How does he do it???

Thursday Laura and I went to the “Casa Para Los Ancianos” (Old folks home), which turned out to be quite the experience. First of all, the building is huge and beautiful; the women’s courtyard even has a garden whose centerpiece is a giant birdcage that houses peacocks and doves. When we first walked out to the courtyard of about 30 ancient looking women, we were greeted for the most part by a few nods and stares—the obvious exception being our greeting from Tomasa. This mute (but by no means silent) woman ran up to us, gave us each an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek, and immediately wanted to see what we had brought for activities. We were told by other volunteers to bring paper and markers, a ball, and some Legos. I was skeptical that any of these women would be interested in coloring—let alone playing catch—but I was very wrong. When Tomasa saw we had brought coloring gear, she scurried off and came back with her own Little Red Riding Hood coloring book, and we ended up coloring for the better part of an hour. Slowly, more and more women joined our group, and when interest in coloring and Legos ran out, we played catch for another hour or so. Tomasa—very spunky for her age—kept faking like she was going to throw the ball really hard at someone’s head, and when they flinched everyone would laugh. She only actually pegged someone once (with a very soft ball), and luckily they were a good sport about it.

                                

Tomasa and Laura... I think this picture sums up Tomasa pretty well!

Bonafacio. Her and Tomasa kept pointing to 

eachother and gesturing that they're crazy, 

but we could tell that they were friends.

Friday we went to the prison, knitted (an extreme obsession at the CCS house; I’m currently working on a hat with a “knit two, purl two” pattern), played with the kids, and talked with the women, etc. After lunch I then rushed off to “GiGi’s school”, which is an after-school program run by an American woman. It’ a really amazing program. GiGi is essentially trying to fill in the educational holes for elementary school kids who have been victim to the sub-par/inconsistent Peruvian education system. She focuses on the basics: math, reading, and writing, with some “special lessons” mixed in, like hygiene, controlling emotions, and healthy eating. I definitely want to go back there again!

As a side note: Peruvian aerobics classes are nuts! I’ve gone twice now, and both times I’ve wished I grew up dancing like a Latino woman, because it would make the moves they do in class a lot easier… haha. Great workout, though!

Another side note: I couldn't help but post this picture below... Someone's prized cow tied up on a busy street in Ayacucho. Only in Peru.

Carnaval Parade!

We danced again today, but this time in the real Carnaval parade. It was judged, televised and everything. Crazy experience! We were dancing with the Comisión de Salud Mental (Mental Health Commission), where CCS sometimes sends volunteers. Generally how Carnaval parades work is that organizations and neighborhoods form dancing groups, and starting from where they live/work, they dance, sing, and drink their way to the main plaza where all the crowds and the judges are. (During Carnaval, drinking on the streets is legal and encouraged.) We all had our traditional matching “Huamangina” (Ayacuchen) outfits, and a full bottle of Johnson’s baby powder each. I’m still not sure about the significance of the powder, but it’s tradition to put it all over your face, and when you’re dancing, shoot it into the air every once in a while. We were covered in baby powder by the end of the parade!

It took us quite a while to get to the plaza, but when we did, we were glad we had had a beer or two; There were at least 3,000 people there to watch the parade, and we—as usual—stood out, and got a little more attention than we bargained for. We’ve really been tossed right into the Peruvian culture here this past week thanks to Carnaval!

                                

Some of our dancing group

Holding up traffic

Dancing our way to the Plaza!

(I'm the one closest to the camera)

It's Carnaval, anything goes...
p.s. those are potatoes

Baby Powder attack

Pageant and Parade

We went to the prison again on Friday, but this time under much more relaxing pretenses. Usually on Fridays, the volunteers go to the prison to pick up the kids, and take them out to the zoo, etc. Yesterday was the anniversary of the prison (a celebratory event, I guess) and there were fewer guards on duty, so they didn’t want us leaving with the kids. Instead we just hung out in the women’s courtyard and played with them. I made tons of origami balloons and star boxes; they were a big hit with the niños!

Later on Friday we went to “Señorita Identidad Sumaq Wataya 2010”; a pageant in which they crown the “Rural Miss Ayacucho” for Carnaval (the night before was the pageant for the city girls). The traditional costumes were way cool! We tried to guess who we thought would win, but we were way off. There were only 3 or 4 girls who didn’t look scared out of their minds, and the winner ended up being one of the more nervous looking girls. She hardly smiled the whole time! It turns out that the competition was less about personality and beauty, and more about authenticity and knowledge of the region they came from. Overall an interesting cultural experience. (Pictures below)

The winner of the competition

Saturday was--somewhat--a day to relax. We got to sleep in, which was great, and then we went to the first day of Carnaval parades at the main plaza. This seemed like a good idea at the time, but we didn’t realize that the water balloon throwing was at its peak, and will be until Monday. It’s literally stressful going outside. Not only do you begin to flinch every time a bird or butterfly flies by (because it may or may not be a water balloon), but the sound of children’s footsteps also becomes nerve-wracking. Top that off with incessant catcalls from drunk Peruvian men, and being laughed at by any and all locals because you are a “gringa muy mojada” (soaking wet white girl), and you have essentially become the butt of everyone’s joke. Needless to say, I’m ready for Carnaval to be over.

We actually didn’t end up dancing with Santa Elena Health Clinic today because they recently decided to join the strike, and weren’t sure if they were going to participate in the parade. Since there aren’t any other health clinics that CCS sends volunteers to, it looks like Laura, Natalie, and I won’t be working in a clinic for a while. Although I am disappointed about the strike, there are a lot of other really cool places we will work in the meantime. I’ll keep you posted!

Below are some pictures from around Ayacuho.

Girls from CCS in the Plaza Mayor
(Brunette on left is Kaitlan, blonde in the middle is Laura,
and the tall blonde on the sidewalk is Natalie)

Statue of Antonio José de Sucre, a pivitol character in
Peru's independence from Spain

Carnaval parade

The "Pedestrian Street"

Dancing at the Prison

2.11.10

Today was quite the experience. We got up this morning, put on our Peruvian carnival costumes (see pictures below), and headed to the prison. A passport check, three checkpoints, and a security pat-down later, we were in the courtyard where the female prisoners spend the majority of their days. When they saw us, they all started chuckling, calling us “las Humanginas gringitas” (little white Ayacuchen women), and immediately wanted their picture taken with us. We were a hit.

Some of the prison women in costume.

The prison Carnaval festival itself took place in a bigger courtyard, and both men and women were present (they’re normally separated). We were essentially the “guests” of the festival, and were just dancing for fun. The rest of the groups, though, were competing for a grand prize of 500 soles (about $160). Most of them were from villages around the city of Ayacucho, and each had their distinct traditional costumes. The common theme, though, was color, color, color.

To our horror, we were the first group to dance. Imagine being surrounded by nearly 1,000 criminals (some innocent, others not), wearing multiple layers of clothing in the beating sun, and then proceeding to dance a routine that you have only practiced once before. It was interesting to say the least, and also really fun. I don’t think we embarrassed ourselves too much… I hope.

After we danced, the real competition started, and in general each group’s routine consisted of a singer, flute player, a leader who dictated by whistle, and a group of dancers, ranging from 5-70 years old. They all started with a (semi) coordinated dance, and then moved on to some sort of theatrical display. One group threw prickly pears at each other and the crowd, another did a kind of wrestling match, and another literally whipped each other’s legs with what looked like horse whips made of straw. Marisol (one of the CCS staff) explained that the whipping was a way of empathizing and appreciating the pain that Jesus endured for them; and as Carnaval is—ironically—a religious festival, that made sense. Still doesn’t change the fact that the whips make a terrifying cracking noise that I would steer clear of at all costs.

Getting ready to crack the whip... scary.

Later Laura, Natalie, and I went to Santa Elena Health Clinic to practice our dance moves for Saturday; they told us that since we were now employees of the clinic we had to dance with them on Saturday. Bring it on. 

Santa Elena, Quinua, Wari Ruins.

(This is a long one, but there are lots of pictures below!)

Working at Santa Elena Health Clinic today was great. I went there with three other people, and worked in the same area as one of the girls, Laura. We observed an Obstetrician, which was really amazing. I noticed that the doctor-patient relationship was very much the same as in the states. The doctor was very professional, and well educated in her trade. Patients listened attentively, and trusted the advice she presented. The outstanding difference, though, was the setting. Unlike Los Licenciados, which was a brand new government-funded building, Santa Elena is pretty much a house. The paint is chipping, the floors are dirty, furniture is scarce, and medical equipment is very rudimentary. Laura is an EMT, and noticed that the supplies and equipment at Santa Elena are similar to those found in an ambulance: basic and few.

At the beginning of the day, pregnant women from the surrounding neighborhood line up outside the door to the doctor’s office, and wait until they are called. Some may wait over three hours for their appointment, as there is only one Obstetrician working on a given day, and there are no “time slots”. Patients are told a day to show up, and they are seen in the order they arrived. If you get there too late, you might not be seen that day. There just aren’t enough resources to run the clinic otherwise.

Every appointment we saw was different, but one common theme throughout the day was diet; la alimentación. The doctor asked every patient what they were eating, how often, recommended proteins over fruit, and told them to eat balanced meals. I’m sure this is a key topic for pregnant women around the world, but it seemed especially important here, as a decent, balanced diet is not a given in many cases. Around noon, a woman who had been anxiously waiting outside all morning came in and told the doctor about “unos duelitos” (little pains) that she was having. She was in labor, and the doctor did an exam to see how far along she was. The woman was only dilated 1cm, so the doctor instructed her to walk around as much as possible the rest of the day, breathe deeply when the contractions hit, and come back when they were closer together. This being her first baby, and only 22 years old, she left looking scared and in pain, and I couldn’t blame her. Yet regardless of the fact that the setting for delivery is primitive, I’m sure she will be fine.

After lunch, we did a whirl-wind trip to the market to buy our costumes for Carnaval. It’s looking like I’ll be dancing THREE separate times this weekend: Tomorrow at the Prison (sounds weird, but I’ll explain in a minute), once on Saturday with the staff of Santa Elena, and once during the big parade on Monday. HA! Should be interesting. We learned the steps last night, and they are pretty simple, so hopefully we won’t have too much trouble.

As for the prison, it’s one of the places our volunteers go, and their job there is to socialize with the imprisoned women. The female prisoners are mostly undeserving victims of the Cocaine trade, i.e. they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our program director, Rudy, was saying that many of them had either been forced (by their husbands) to smuggle Cocaine and were caught, or their husband was caught, the authorities later found Cocaine in their house, and tossed the wife into jail for good measure. The most depressing part about all this is that many of the women have young children, who until the age of four live with their mothers in the prison. They really have no other choice. On top of that, women are put in cells meant to sleep three or four people with almost eight or nine. So having volunteers there is great for them. Volunteers play with their kids, socialize with the women, and take their crafts to sell in the city once a month. I haven’t been there yet (I will be going Thursday and Friday), but from what I hear it’s a very rewarding experience.

After buying costumes at the market, we went to Quinua and the Wari ruins. Quinua is a small artisan town up in the hills, near the Peruvian Independence monument. They specialize in ceramics, and the town is very cute.

 Adorable kid at a ceramic shop

Above is my favorite picture I've taken so far. 

Peruvian children are beyond cute.

I just liked the sign.

                            

As for the Wari ruins, they are the remnant of the Wari civilization, which existed 4,000 years prior to the Inca. The ruins were nothing like Macchu Piccu; there are only some partially excavated tombs, houses, etc., but it is interesting just the same. (See picture below)

This is thought to have been the spout of a Wari water fountain

As you can probably tell from the length of this blog, today has been a long day. I’m ready to sleep tonight! 

Side note: Below is a picture of the CCS Ayacucho Program director, Rudy. This picture really sums him up, haha. The thing in the middle of the river is how he gets to his "Country Home" and back. Apparently there is a real bridge going in soon... I think that's for the best. 

First Clinic Day

Today was my first day volunteering at Los Licenciados Health Clinic, and unfortunately they were on strike. Most of the public clinics—as well as the main Hospital—are all on strike, and no one really knows how long it will last. They are protesting the fact that the national government passed a law promising all sorts of money and contracts to public clinics, but since they expected the regional government to pay for it, they haven't received any such pay. We’ll just have to see how this one pans out.

Since there were very few people in my clinic today, I really didn’t do much. I did observe an Obstetrician while she did some OB consultations, but she finished those at 10am in time for her meeting. Tomorrow I will be going to the other clinic (Santa Elena) with the other healthcare volunteers, as Santa Elena is not on strike.

On another note, here are some pictures from our city tour:

The view from the highest point in the Aycacucho... BEAUTIFUL.

Cacti! Prickly pear is a big food source here, and 

the bugs that feed on the cactus are used as purple dye for many textiles.

The life and death of Jesus Cristo

I'm in Ayacucho!

2.8.2010 (date above is wrong)

After what seemed like forever (and was in fact over 30 hours of traveling), I finally arrived in Ayacucho! The city is beautiful, and the “home-base” is great. I have two roommates, both girls that arrived here the same time as I did, and they’re awesome (as are the rest of the volunteers). We spent the first day just settling in, and got a little tour of the city from volunteers that have been here for a while already. Today we did our orientation, and got a tour of the rest of the city. The orientation was an eye opening insight into the economy of Peru: They are number one in the world in the exporting of Cocaine, producing 600 tons per year, all sent to Europe. The program director assured us that this was (in the short term) a good thing, as it basically funds the whole economy, and keeps more than half the population out of poverty. He also assured us that Ayacucho is perfectly safe, and while many of the people here do make money through the drug trade, there has never been violence or crime here as a result. (Mom and Dad, I promise I’m safe.)

The local crafts here are AMAZING. It’s all bright, colorful, embroidered/woven stuff made with alpaca wool, and walking around the city I’ve seen so many women dressed traditionally, hats, braids, skirts and all. Pictures soon to come!

I start working tomorrow; I’ll be at Los Licenciados Health Clinic. Doing what I’m not really sure, but I guess I’ll find out!