We drove up the dusty road to the village of Pumamarca about 9.30am on Monday… this is the village in which we will be working over the next month.
It takes about half and hour to get there or one and a half hours to walk… which we are yet to do.
Day one of volunteering was checking out the school and in the afternoon having our first 2 hr Espanol lessons.
Hola!!!
Pumamarca is very poor. The average family farms a small plot and makes about 5 dollars US a week. It is a a hard life… living in mud brick house… often 6 to a bed and sleeping with an open fire in the one room house…so this adds to the respiratory and other health issues. Water of course is the main culprit with the local supply being tested at 200 times worse that the accredited safe drinking level… they don’t seem to have an option.
The school is a positive focus for the community and what Perus Challenge is doing will ensure the efforts are sustainable when they eventually leave.
It reminds us quite a lot of Romania but the poverty is even more severe here.
The water situation is not much better in Cuzco where we are staying and washing up takes a long time as you need to be very vigilant and careful… washing everything twice in boiling water.
The big brother crew are going well…10 people sharing 2 bathrooms was fine until ours blew up… Oh well as we keep having to say… This is Peru!!!
You guys are having some amazing experiences. Love the blog. Boiling water 2x for washing up! We have it SO GOOD here and take so much for granted. What’s contaminating the water? You obviously have power since you can blog, or is it wireless? End of school – yay!
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10 bodies 2 bathrooms….you are up on me when I lived at Stanmore (last century) 20 people shared two bathrooms and two kitchens!! it is surprising what one can do with a pitcher of water and a washer!!
Our movie house is just FANTASTIC .. I have seen every production except the neo nazi one you Sonia told me to ‘give a miss.’
Love from Carol and Len too; am going there for dinner…..Mum
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You guys are an inspiration – just acknowledging and understanding the hardships many societies suffer is a plus (not that you were not aware before)…..actually “our” Romanian village looks like an Eden next to where you are…..at least WATER is not a problem.
Have been requested by a number of folk for the address of our beaded bangle supplier….hope Angela gets more orders….they are often commented on.
JUST make sure Gordon they do not give you an jobs UP a ladder!!
Lots of love….Mum
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