The trick to the traveling.....

is all in the company! Thanks guys-for being part of this experience with me.

GSE Team Reflects the Rotary 4-Way Test

Our Chimbote Rotary hosts treated us to Sechin, an archaeological wonder dating from 1600 BCE in Casma. The guide descibed the 4m-high bas-relief carvings of warriors and captives...very descriptive of the human capacity to torture. In the full sun of the day the walls exuded an energy and message of how permanent the actions and 'things' of our lives can be. What messages do we want to leave for the generations to come? We had a capstone event on our last day before the overnight trek to Lima. What could trump this?!

Over our four weeks in Peru, the unique personalities and talents of the team members enhanced the experiences and heightened our learning. It is through the eyes and hearts of each that I gained yet more from the amazing hospitality of our Rotary hosts and their tours of community projects and issues, culture, and historical sites, and life with wonderful host families.
Here are some of these special qualities...as they underscore the Rotary International guide for living into its vision of world friendship and peace.

The Rotary Four-Way Test

of the things we think, say and do….


is it the truth?

...nicole

active learning,
analyzing, comparing,
assessing boundaries!


is it fair to all concerned?

...molly

compassionate soul
caring of others and self
challenging limits!



will it build good will and friendship?

...maria

jump-in, ready help
joking, engaging new friends
joyful energy!



Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

...gabriella

brilliant, artful eyes
building sane, healthy futures
balanced and gracious!



with my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to each of these remarkable women! n

Hasta Pronto

It's 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 30. Our group spent four days in Chimbote, taking the night bus to Lima at 11:30 p.m. yesterday and arriving here in Lima at 6:00 a.m. We are passing the hours at an apartment of a Rotarian family who splits their time between Chimbote and Lima. ¡Muchíssimas gracias por la caldorosa bienvenida!

Our time in Chimbote was full of interesting and fun activities: a church built into a hillside (and our walk down the hillside!), an amazing visit to a high school, and a warm welcome from our last Rotary Club visit (R.C. Buenos Aires with Interact and Roteract, two Rotary youth groups). I don't think any of us had much internet access during our stay in Chimbote, but I hope we'll be able to post more details and stories in the coming weeks.

About thirty seconds ago, I said "hasta pronto" to Gabriella, who is now on her way to the airport to catch a flight to Cusco with her sisters. Today our group will go our separate ways: Maria and I are spending one night in Lima before she goes to Cusco and I head south to Páracas, while Nancy and Molly are catching a red-eye flight back to the U.S.

It's a strange day. We have spent a lot of time together, to the point that I can sense when someone in the group is missing, and I automatically start looking for them. We have learned so much about Peru and Rotary International here, but speaking for myself, the more I've learned here, the more I've realized how little I understand. There are good parts and bad parts and parts that aren't good or bad, but one thing that has been consistently amazing is the reception from our host Rotarians. I know I speak for the entire group when I say that we will ALL miss our Peruvian Rotarian family very, very much.

So, on our last day together, I raise an imaginary pisco sour for brindis to my Nancy, Molly, Maria, Gabriella, and the entire cast of characters in the U.S. and Peru who made this adventure possible. May there be many more pisco sours in our future. :)

a visit to the orphanage

Some of the kids we met today at the orphanage

So, How's the Corn?

Dear Mom:

I'm not surviving on corn. I promise. Really, you don't have to worry.

Ok, fine. You want to know what I'm eating. Here we go...

Beverages/ Bebidas

Inca Kola. Looks like yellow highlighter fluid, tastes like bubblegum. Everywhere.

Hot fish juice with lemon and herbs. Seems to be everywhere on the coast.
Yes, you read that right. Cheers!

Sweets/ Dulces

Shredded coconut fried in coconut oil and sprinkled with sugar. Outside Piura.

Lùcuma ice cream. Everywhere.

Grains/ Grano

Cancha. Dry roasted corn. See Maria's post. But I promise I'm not just eating corn and sweets, really! Found everywhere in every restaurant.

Corn, lima beans, peas, onions, and farmers' cheese salad. Huaraz.

Potatoes. Everywhere, especially Huaraz.

Kiwicha, a grain related to quinoa that looks like millet. Huaraz.

Rice and beans. Actually, I've only eaten this once so far.

Seafood/ Pescado y Mariscos

Andean trout, stuffed with cheese and served with potatoes. Huaraz.

Cebiche/ ceviche. Raw fish "cooked" by marination in lime juice. Found everywhere on the coast.

Various seafood... mariscos. This is battered and fried squid, octopus, and other seafoods. Found on the coast.

More seafood. Clams with red onions in their shells. Coast (Piura).

Octopus with olive sauce. Coast (Piura).

Tropical Fruits/ Frutas

I'm blanking on the name of this. It's good, whatever it is.

Mango ciruelo. A cross between a mango and an apple. Piura.

Coconut! Piura.

Again, I'm blanking on the name of this fruit. This was from Huaraz.

There are a lot of other amazing foods that I'm leaving out: ajì de gallina, papas a la huacaìna, chaufa de mariscos, and about 1,000 tropical fruits. But I'm not surviving on corn, I'm not starving, you don't need to mail me a care package. I promise.

Love

Nicole

Corn for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

I am not a strict vegetarian, but I do avoid eating meat, and I don´t eat any sort of flour products for many reasons. So, this leaves my host families with not too many options. What to feed me? Basically, in Peru, I eat fish, rice, potatoes and the ubiquitous corn. Yet in Peru, corn isn´t just corn. It´s a way of life. There are apparently lots of different types of corn, and hundreds of ways to prepare it. At a restaurant, while waiting for a main course to be served, it´s common for waiters to bring you "cancha" to "pick on." Cancha is a special type of corn that is fried and salted. It´s eaten like Americans tend to eat peanuts at bars. It´s also served alongside chifle, which is fried plantain. For lunch today, I also tried just a little bit of a tamale made with corn. I was warned that the tamale would be "heavy," not easy to digest; but I found it to be quite good and not at all picante. This, too, was unexpected. It seems everything in Peru is either spicy or really spicy. Oh, and for breakfast, the last few days, I have been served choclo, which is another type of corn. Its kernals are fat and juicy. Choclo is boiled and served with fresh cheese. To say that I have a new appreciation for corn and all corn products would not be an exaggeration.

An outsiders guide to horn honking in Northern Peru

When doing a cultural exchange program, one would expect to learn the language spoken in that country. Before i left for Peru i thought i might improve my Spanish skills and maybe even pick up a few words in Quecha. However, something surprising has happend! i have discovered a whole new language entirely. This is the very sophisticated art of horn honking. WARNING: Any parents of the GSE team reading this, may want to stop now.
Our experiences riding in cars during our time here has been a test in bravery and valore. There are little to no rules for driving, hence the neccesity for this new language. During our studies we have distinguished the following types of horn honking, each recognizable by the loudness and length of honk

1. The ¨I´m about to pass you on this very narrow road while someone else is coming the opposite direction¨ honk.

2. The ¨I am about to ignore all traffic signs and drive through this intersection without looking¨ honk. (fair warning)¨

3. The ¨Pretty white girl¨ honk.

4. The ¨would you like a taxi?¨ honk.

5. The ¨your door is open in my lane¨ honk

6. The ¨completely useless honk¨ (in a traffic jam or other situation where honking will make no difference.)

7. The ¨the road is in complete chaos¨ honk.

8. The ¨I´m about to pull back out onto a busy road without really looking¨ honk.

9. The ¨someone in front of me (or near me) is on a bicycle or motortaxi¨ honk.

10. The ¨ I heard someone else honking¨ honk.

11. The ¨I haven´t honked in 30 seconds¨ honk.

GSE TEAM--If i have forgotten any or you would like to make any additions, please feel free.

be prepared to answer the following

If you are embarking on an adventure such as this one, be prepared to answer the following questions. I have been asked at least one of these questions, at least once a day.

1. Are you married?
2. Are you Catholic?
3. What do you think of Barak Obama?

How do I say "Thank you"?

Everyday, I am more and more amazed at the work and generosity of our Rotary Families. I´d like to share a few choice stories, some more personal than others.

One of the most beautiful experiences I have had occurred just this past weekend when the Rotary Club of Paita took us to see the marvelous work they are doing for the extremely poor members of the community in Northern Peru. In Paita, the club is working to empower mothers of very little means to feed their families. Besides teaching them how to cook and prepare nutritious meals, the Club has raised funds to support the function of a machine that produces soy milk. With this machine (a vaca mecanica), which is located in a community center of sorts, the women will be able to provide their children with better nutrition. In turn, these children will be healthier and need less medical care.

Similarly, in Piura, there are Rotary Clubs sponsoring a walk to end Polio. The walk takes place on June 14th, and it is a major event. The GSE team took part in a press conference where Rotary Club members talked about the importance of erradicating polio in the world. Television, radio and newspaper sources covered the press conference, and reporteres interviewed GSE team members to talk about our impressions of Peru, the fight to erradicate polio and--of course--the walk! We left the press conference enthused and energetic. Rotary is doing wonderful things in the world, and together, we are enabling our brothers and sisters around the world to live happier, healthier lives.

Finally, I want to mention something that happened when the GSE team was still in Trujillo. I innocently mentioned to my hosts, Erick Barakat and his wife Mary Ann, that over the course of 12 years, I had never gone a day without speaking to my husband, Breton. It was getting late that night, and Erick asked me if I had talked to Breton that day. I said, "No, but it´s not important; I´ll call or e-mail him tomorrow." A few minutes later, Erick pulled out his cell phone and said, "Maria, what is your husband´s cell phone number?" I said, "Why?" He said, "Because, Maria, I am not going to be the reason that you don´t talk to your husband tonight." I started crying and couldn´t speak. Then Mary Ann started to cry. And finally, Erick, who is a tall, strong and quite fierceful looking Peruvian, started to cry. I got up from my chair and hugged Erick and Mary Ann. The two of them are like my brother and sister. They are two more reasons why Rotary means so much to me.

Famous U.S. Citizens, Per Conversations with Peruvians

Seriously, folks, what is UP with the Jonas Brothers?!?

more pictures

5 tips for vegetarians

1. learn to say the following phrases:
nada con cara (nothing with a face)
nada con una mama (nothing with a mother)

2. Ham is considered a vegetable. You are going to have to be very specific when you order eggs or anything else. You never know where it will pop up.

3. Be prepared to explain yourself and why you don´t eat meat in full detail.

4. Try not to sit next to, or across from, anyone who orders ¨cuy¨

5. Be prepared to eat a lot of potatoes.

The Plants of (Northern) Peru

Hello, world:

We're here in Piura, "the city of eternal heat." This is the closest that I've ever been to the equator, but the heat doesn't seem to be bothering me much. What is bothering me is my stomach. All of the octopus, guinea pig, and other exotic meats that I don't eat in the United States (oh yeah, and the beef, pork, and chicken, too) have finally caught up to me. Fortunately, my host family is taking very good care of me, with plenty of tea, soup, and Sportade (Peruvian Gatorade).

I think everyone else is feeling more or less ok, although some of us are starting to feel less rather than more. We are one day past the halfway point of the Rotary portion of our adventure. The two weeks we've been here feel like two months... or two years. Fortunately, we have this afternoon to rest and relax, so hopefully the other ladies will have time to chime in with their impressions.

One thing I've enjoyed greatly on this adventure is seeing and learning about plant and animal species native to Peru. I'd like to share some of the plants that exist here, but not in Ithaca. I'll start with some of the trees and succulents. I'll save the tropical fruits and animals of Peru for another post. :)

The tree of the guayanabana fruit is tall, with very large, egg-shaped leaves. The leaves are a lighter green with darker green blotches. The guayanabana fruit grows in a long, green pod; the flesh of th fruit is white, gently sweet, with large black seeds.

More so in Piura than elsewhere, there are a lot of palm trees. This picture is from Sullana, near Piura, I think.

The almendra tree (almond, right?) has light grey, smooth bark with bright green, medium sized, elliptical leaves. The fruit of the tree is small, orange-yellow, and American football shaped, with a large nut in the middle. This picture is from Piura.

The acacia tree has palm-like fronds and very large seed pods. During the summer, it blooms with brilliant red flowers. This picture is from Piura.
The floripondio tree is small, distinguished by large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers that hang downward. This picture is from Trujillo.
This isn't a tree, but I'll include it anyway. Sugar cane is an important crop here. We visited a sugar cane processing plant outside of Trujillo (I think... the days are starting to blur together!).
There are cactuses in the sierra (the mountainous region, such as near Huaraz), as well as the desert areas near the coast (such as Trujillo and Piura). Here is a typical cactus. I took this picture in Huaraz.

This succulent is known as tuna in Peruvian spanish. I believe that this is prickly pear, correct? Apparently, there is a little critter, which I think is the carmine beetle, that lives on this cactus and is used to made pigments, such as for lipstick. This picture is from Huaraz.

This succulent is known as penca or cabulla. These plants are shaped like our common aloe vera plant... on steriods. I've seen some specimens here that are probably as tall as I am! This picture is from Huaraz.

Finally, I'd like to conclude with a picture from a garden in Huaraz. "Vivir sin plantas es como no vivir." To live without plants isn't to live.