Our final days in Peru

We didn't see much of lima - dermot got a really bad stomach bug and was bed ridden. We were staying in the very upmarket area called miraflores in a bed and breakfast run by a friendly mumsy lady who helped us out loads. I got a bit tired of listening to a running commentary of dermot bowel movements so I spent the day wondering around near the hostal. You could be anywhere. Starbucks, burger king, shopping malls. They even had a Peruvian equivalent to waitrose. I tend to find being in these environments quite disorientating, I get the sense that I'm floating - like I'm not really anywhere. 

I couldn't help thinking about the village we stayed in just the day before. In huarez we had stayed in a hostal run by three really nice brothers. One of them knew an indigenous family in a tiny village only an hour away from the lake we were doing a trek to so we decided to stay with them for one night. Dermot was less keen than me, as we both find the "poverty tourism" trips to be a bit strange and we worry about the impact it has on those involved. 

In potosi in Bolivia you can visit the mines. You pay an agent loads of money then bring the miners TNT, coca leaves and the 90 % alcohol that they kill themselves with (if the working conditions don't first). On one level I think it's important for us to understand what's happening here, and the true human cost of the luxuries we take for granted. But as our friend Becki pointed out, it seems so hollow to see all that and then hop on a bus to your next activity. 

I had heard that there were several organised trips to traditional villages in the area, you stay with a family and visit the school, they show you how they make bread and farm the land etc. Leo, the guy from our hostal, explained that many of the villages are dying out; the land makes farming too difficult to be able to compete with the big farms on the coast. His parents village was already deserted. So the local people were losing their culture and being forced to move to the cities. It is plain to see by the number of indigenous people on the streets that this can be disastrous for many of them. Many can't speak Spanish and have no employable skills for that environment. So some villages and families are starting to encourage tourism simply as a way to allow them to maintain their way of life.

I also wanted to go as I felt that we had been firmly on the gringo trail in Peru and hadn't seen much of what life is like outside the cities. However the agencies I looked at were charging 150 soles per person per night and only giving 10% of that to the community. I've heard so many horror stories about agencies underpaying indigenous communities here. By going through Leo we paid 100 soles between us and all of it went straight to the family which seemed to be a better deal for everyone.

When we got to the village we were picked up by Julia. She took us to her house where we met her two year old son and her neighbour Justina and her three daughters. I was surprised to be met by the women as it is still a very macho society and many of the women can't speak spanish. Luckily both the women had just about enough for us to get by.

I was expecting it to he a bit awkward at first and there lots of uncomfortable silences at dinner. We spent most of the first night playing with the juggling balls with the girls.

The house had a little courtyard inside with very basic rooms, a traditional fire stove in the kitchen and and out door toilet. The electricity wasn't working, which apparently happens a lot, but it was scrupulously clean and tidy.

On the next day we got to know them all better and things were much more relaxed. We visited the school where its only class performed various songs in Spanish and Quechua and asked us about our countries. The kids were lovely and I really liked the teacher. The girls told me that their lessons were maths and oration. I don't think there is a big focus on literacy here. The school was being renovated so all the materials were in boxes but I would be surprised if they had many books; in all the south American countries we've been to books have been shockingly expensive ; around 15 to 25 pounds for a normal paper back - even if it's second hand.

I really wanted to keep in contact with the school, but with no computers or postal service it might be difficult. I'm going to post some things about England and Ireland to Leo and hope it gets to them.

We finished the day teaching the girls how to play dominoes (think we got some of the rules wrong!) and then got ready to take the bone shaking ride back to huaraz. when we asked for some photos they dressed all the girls in traditional clothes and even gave me a set to wear! I really wish we could have stayed longer as it felt like we were just starting to get to know each other.

I'm also really glad I went because we met a really nice  group of people. I hope that its also given me a deeper respect for the forgotten communities here, and perhaps a slightly better understanding of the economic restrictions that face such a large majority of the people on this continent.