Managual Restaurant…A Review

It is a foregone conclusion that on Mother’s Day it will be very difficult to get prompt seating at any reputable restaurant in Chiclayo, so Maribel and I were surprised when we decided to try a new restaurant in our neighborhood and found it to be only half-full.

Managual opened April 27th and based on the quality of furnishings and large seating capacity in three separate dining areas apparently intends to be a contender in the Chiclayo restaurant scene. The interior has a blue-white nautical décor of the Amazon River variety. A connection to the Amazon was further confirmed when the waiter who promptly seated us served compliments of the house siete raices, a liquor common in Amazon jungle towns such as Iquitos, Tarapoto and Pucallpa. Also, listed on the menu is camu camu…one of my favorite Iquitos drinks. There were an unusually large number of employees dressed in white shirts and black pants and seemingly experienced in their duties. So far this was looking like a pretty good choice.

Maribel ordered Causa Ferreñafana while I selected grilled fish. While we were waiting for our food the restaurant gradually filled to capacity, and we watched waiters place additional tables and chairs in aisle areas, making it difficult for staff and patrons to move freely. We began to hear people who had arrived before us complain about not receiving their food. Maribel and I glanced uneasily at each other.

Exactly forty-five minutes after ordering Maribel’s meal was served. It was attractively presented and Maribel said the flavor was not “wow” but okay. The quantity was surprisingly sparse. Five minutes later a woman whom we assumed was either the manager or owner approached our table and asked if I had ordered fish. Five minutes after that a waiter approached and asked the same question. Maribel and I glanced uneasily at each other.

At the one-hour mark, after Maribel had finished her meal my order was served by the same waiter who had seated us. He apologized for the delay, attributing it to Mother’s Day while gesturing at the crowd. I responded that the restaurant was only half-full when we arrived, and that one hour service was not acceptable under any circumstances.  And what was even more puzzling was that two uniformed employees were outside and kept urging passersby to enter even though they could not properly seat nor serve the people already inside.

I had ordered grilled fish fillet with white rice and fried potatoes. What I received was approximately two ounces of fish, a cup of rice and three tiny pieces of yucca. When I finished my meal we half-joked about where to go for lunch.

I can understand a new restaurant being unprepared for a major holiday. That alone would not deter me from going back. It's the skimpy quantities combined with higher prices, and being served other than what was listed on the menu that will keep us from returning. Their advertisement claims they're open 25 hours. I would hope that they use that extra hour to take a fresh look at their operation.

Ushering in Mother’s Day at Todos Vuelven

There were Mother’s Day celebrations last night all over Chiclayo. Our group chose to attend a party sponsored by Todos Vuelven, a restaurant that opened recently near our apartment. The advertisement said the party would begin at 9:00pm and conclude at 5:00am. We arrived at 10:30pm and were the first people there.

The reason we chose this location was because they advertised a type of Peruvian music known as vals. The Pisco sour is regarded as the national drink of Peru, and if there is a national music, vals would have to be considered as a contender. Just as it did last night, hearing it brings out a high degree of emotion in Peruvians young and old as evidenced by lusty hand clapping, swaying body movement and a near fanatical expression of patriotism on their faces.

The music began at midnight when about half the tables were occupied. At 1:00am the place was packed and the staff was placing tables and chairs outside on the sidewalk. Though the prices for food and beverage were high, the service was excellent and the festive atmosphere created by the music and patrons was well worth the cost.

The roses given to each mother was a nice touch. Happy Mother’s Day to Marta, Magali and Maribel, and to Joyce, Cindy, Jan, Natalia, Carol, Mary, Rocio, Nancy and all mothers everywhere.

Edith went Shopping

We’ve discussed in previous posts the poor circumstances Edith and her family live in. Given her situation we wondered what Edith would do if told she could go on a shopping spree with what to her would seem like an unlimited budget. We had the opportunity this morning to find out.

Edith Fuentes works at a store in Chiclayo from 9:00am to 9:00pm seven days per week. She earns $203 per month. She leaves for work at 7:30am and returns home at 11:00pm so really has no personal time. She asked for and was given permission by her employer to take the morning off so we could take her shopping. We met her at the Makro store in Chiclayo at 8:00am. When we began Edith was at first hesitant, looking at us for approval before placing each item on the cart, but when she realized we were serious about no limitation she shopped quickly and methodically. We didn’t stop her…she stopped herself. After placing a fresh chicken on the cart she firmly announced, “No mas.” These are the items Edith purchased:

Rice...........................108 lbs..........$35

Sugar.........................110 lbs..........$29

Beans........................22 lbs.............$16

Noodles.....................22 lbs.............$11

Peas..........................22 lbs.............$12

Oats...........................11 lbs.............$7

Milk............................24 cans..........$19

Peaches....................3 cans............$18

Tuna...........................6 cans............$11

Chicken.....................1 whole..........$6
Cooking oil................5 liters............$12

Laundry soap............10 lbs.............$12

Toilet paper...............24 rolls...........$4

Candy........................1 bag.............$1

Juice glasses............6 pack............$1      

                                   Total.............$194

Depending on where a person lives and what their circumstances are this list may not look very exciting. To a family like Edith’s, where money is scarce and regular meals are not always a sure thing these items represent a bonanza. For Edith they also represent nearly a month’s wage.

Before delivering the food to Edith’s house we stopped at the school in Casa De Madera to drop off the new dry-erase board we’d promised, along with the hardware to mount it. The teachers assured us that one of the village men would have it in place for classes on Monday.

As the truck neared Edith’s house we saw Leslie and Janina excitedly jumping up and down and waving signs to greet us. It’s a nice gesture that we appreciate.

With Edith’s approval we’re going to hold on to the remainder of the money donated for the Fuentes family while we explore the possibility over the next few days of using it for seed money to raise the needed cash to get Julio out of prison. We’re going to look at raffles, bake sales and any other fund raising activity we can think of. If this turns out not to be practicable we’ll give Edith the remainder of the donated money. That’s not normally our practice but we trust her to use the money in the best interests of her family.

To those who donated…thank you. You’ve fed a family of seven for better than a month, and for awhile at least have given peace of mind to Edith and her husband. You can feel justifiably proud of what you’ve accomplished.

News Regarding the Edith Fuentes Family

In a previous post titled The Caserio Casa de Madera I wrote about the family of Edith Fuentes and the problems they’re facing. We talked with an attorney last week to determine what the circumstances are regarding Edith’s husband Julio Campos and why he remains in jail two years after his four year sentence expired. We met with the attorney this morning and were given some very discouraging information, but first let me comment about the attorney.

I am often critical of the casual Peruvian attitude toward time, time commitments and quality of service. Attorney Hugo Zapata Farias is an exception. He is a 68 year old Chiclayo attorney who was a former Supreme Court judge.  He has an office in central Chiclayo that he shares with his son who is also a lawyer. When we met with him last week and explained that we were trying to help the Fuentes family he thanked us for our efforts and waived his normal fee; ultimately charging us only $19 for expenses incurred. He promised that he would have a complete report for us on Monday (this morning) at 9:30am and that is exactly what happened.

Some of what Hugo told us we already knew. In April of 2007 Julio Campos was involved in a fatal traffic accident and was found to be at fault. He was sentenced to four years and a fine of 15,000 soles (not four years or 50,000 soles as I mistakenly reported). In 2011 when his prison term expired he was released under the stipulation that he pay 100 soles per month until the 15,000 soles was paid. Court records show that for over a year payments were made regularly but then became sporadic. According to Edith there were times when it was a choice between putting food on the table or paying the court. After several consecutive months of missed payments Julio was seized and returned to prison.

Before Julio reentered prison the family had paid 2000 soles toward the fine, leaving a balance of 13,000 soles ($5,040 USD) still due. Hugo met with a judge this morning before seeing us in an attempt to negotiate a settlement of some sort but was not successful. The judge would not lower the amount outstanding and said monthly payments are not an option. So either the Fuentes family comes up with 13,000 soles or Julio sits in jail conceivably forever…something we’re powerless to do anything about with our limited resources.

Like I said, discouraging news, but there is a small bright spot. In response to our appeal for donations several people came forward with generous contributions, specifically stipulating that the money be used to help the Fuentes family. Included with one of the donations was a comment we’d like to share:

“I've read your posting about the Fuentes family with interest - a donation should be winging its way to you via the new PayPal button now...

I also read your more recent blog about considering shutting down your charitable work - this is sad news to say the least. I've always been inspired by your doggedness to help those with very little, even though you yourselves have little to help them with. One of the reasons I have donated to Promesa Peru in the past is that I like (perhaps a little selfishly!) to see directly the practical impact the money has - i.e. not to some large multi-national charity where it's anyone's guess where the money actually ends up.

I really hope you are able to keep plugging away on the front-line, finding the people you seem to have little trouble in meeting who need the practical help of others. I can understand the frustration as word of Promesa Peru spreads and people's expectations/hopes increase, but this is testament to what a fantastic job you are doing.”

The encouraging words and contributions came at a time when we needed them most. As the donor suggested we’re going to attempt to “keep plugging away”. The donations received will allow us to provide temporary relief to the Fuentes family. We’ll try to do that this week and post a follow-up report.

Progress in Pimentel

I’ve never been a fan of Pimentel, mostly because I think it’s vastly overrated as a beach town. All it has to offer is a beach that is not very attractive, and a ton of small overpriced restaurants. And the town shuts down at sundown. True…you can buy fresh fish on the beach when the fleet comes in, but you can do that at San Jose and Santa Rosa too, and for my money those are more interesting towns. Anyway, I think it was a little over three years ago that the town authorities unveiled their plans to construct a new boardwalk and refurbish the pier which had been closed to the public because of unsafe conditions. As I recall the schedule called for completion of the project in December 2011. Here we are in April of 2013 and rumors are circulating in Chiclayo that the Pimentel pier is open, so Maribel and I decided to check it out.

We got off the combi at the principal park. Pimentel has a nice park…one of the better designed and maintained parks in the Lambayeque Region. And it’s never crowded…you can walk and enjoy the trees, shrubbery and flowers, and usually find a bench in the shade to sit and watch the world go by.

I’ve got to admit I was impressed with what the town did with their boardwalk. It’s wide and spacious with plenty of benches. It appears that it will be well lit at night. There were no vendors on the boardwalk so I assume the authorities have prohibited that kind of activity.

There’s also been an attractive strip park constructed between the new boardwalk and beach. It doesn’t extend for much distance but it beats the garbage strewn area that previously occupied that location. Perhaps there are plans to extend it to the north.

The section of board walk that’s been rebuilt fronts the residential condos and apartments. The long expanse that fronts the restaurants hasn’t been touched, which means a tourist still has to negotiate a narrow walkway and uneven pavement while saying “no” to the swarms of restaurant employees who accost them.

The pier is not open. Progress seems to be limited to new lighting and a string of mini-kiosks – if that’s what they are, and a modern glass entryway. The reason the pier was closed was because it was dangerous, but as far as I can tell the planking hasn’t been replaced. Maybe that’s in the plans but if so it will be a long way down the road.

Pimentel is still not my favorite beach town, but it’s getting better.

From Morocco to Chiclayo in just 113 Years

History and all things historical have always held a fascination for me. Over my lifetime probably 75% of my reading has been directly or indirectly about history. Occasionally when I feel the urge to change directions for awhile I pick up a Stephen King novel. Anyway, this is a story about two spoons. It’s an incomplete story because there are huge gaps of time between known events, and because the story of the spoons will continue on to whatever their ultimate end may be long after I and anyone reading this has finished our journey.

The spoons were sent to me some years ago by a friend in Poland. The friend knew nothing about them other than that her mother had owned them for many years. I kept them in a curio cabinet alongside other artifacts that only I and a relative handful of people on this planet would appreciate. I know this because I could see people’s eyes glaze over as I explained what I knew about the history of each piece. It’s hard for me to understand why people don’t get excited when holding, for example an original nail from Andy Jackson’s Hermitage, or a minie ball from the Gettysburg battlefield, or an Egyptian coin minted in 256 BC. I mean…it’s not like I was showing them a stamp or plate collection…that kind of stuff would bore anybody!

Other than posting inquires on a couple of antique forums that resulted in no information I didn’t make any serious effort to identify the spoons, but every time I picked them up I was intrigued by two things…one, the design appeared to be either Arabic symbols or writing, and two, the numbers 1320 and 1321. Was it possible that the spoons were from the middle-east, and from medieval times?  

It seems that information on the internet grows daily. I know that in my genealogy research I find church and cemetery records that weren’t available only two years ago. That may have been the case with my spoons when I sat down at the computer one recent morning determined to make an all-out effort to identify them. I started my search with the term ‘snuff spoons’, simply because I thought that’s what they might be. The resulting search images showed lots of small spoons, including a collection of coin-bowl spoons which closely resembled my spoons. Next I searched specifically for coin-bowl spoons and added the number 1321. Bingo!...in under 5 minutes a mystery that had intrigued me for years had been solved.

What I have are two Moroccan souvenir coin-bowl spoons manufactured probably by an artesian by hand from Moroccan coins minted during or after 1903. The larger coins are the Moroccan AH 1321 BE ¼ Rial. AH 1321 is a date that translates to 1903. The coins were minted during the reign of Abdul al-Aziz in Paris, London and Berlin. Apparently Morocco did not mint its own coins. The smaller coins are Moroccan AH 1321 BE 1/10 Rial. The coins are 0.835 silver. The spoon’s stems are hard wound wire of unknown material.

My spoons began their lives as coins minted in Berlin Germany. At some point the coins were shipped to Morocco where an artesian made spoons of them. Then they were either purchased by a tourist in Morocco, or exported to another country for sale. Either way they somehow found themselves in Poland. What other countries and continents they may have visited before arriving in Poland is unknown but it is probable there were several. From Poland they made their way to the United States where they rested for a few years before continuing on to their current address in Chiclayo Peru.

During my search I found that many other countries have impressive examples of antique coin bowl spoons including Peru. The example in this photo is of .925 silver. The bowl is a 1908 Peruvian ½ Sol.    

That my spoons have no monetary value is of no concern. That they don’t date back to medieval times is only slightly disappointing. As with all my artifacts they provide pleasure to me in thinking about what they’ve seen, where they’ve been and speculating about where they’ll go to next. 

Promesa Peru needs Help

During a recent board meeting Promesa Peru members discussed the possibility of discontinuing our charitable activities due to a lack of financial resources. Over the course of our four year history Promesa Peru board members have on average personally paid for two-thirds of all activity costs, the other third coming from donations. Lately it’s becoming difficult for us to continue our activity because the US dollar continues to lose value against Peruvian currency; costs for everything associated with our activities keep rising while donations have not kept pace.

Because of the work we’ve done we’re regularly contacted by schools and communities who have been referred to us by district authorities or others that we’ve helped, and invited to visit them. In the past few months we’ve become hesitant to accept those invitations because, even though we clearly tell the people who contact us that we’re dependent on donations and can make no promises, our simply being there creates expectations. Recently we’ve had to say no to some deserving requests for assistance simply because we’re not confident we can raise the money. That’s a disappointing and discouraging position to be in.

There are kids in school today because of the school supplies donated by Promesa Peru. There are people who have gotten medical and dental treatment because of Promesa Peru’s medical campaigns. And there are children and families who have been able to celebrate Christmas because of a Promesa Peru chocolatada. We believe this work is worthwhile and would like to continue but that’s not likely to happen without help. If you’d like to see the work we’re doing continue please consider helping us with a donation. Thank you.

Joyce Ann Cline – Treasurer, Promesa Peru Inc

Rosario Maribel Mestar Macalupu de Filipowicz – Treasurer, Promesa Peru Chiclayo