The Caserio La Raya

Last February we were contacted by Gilberto Santa Maria, a police officer who works in Tucume. For many years he has helped needy families and sponsored Christmas parties for poor communities at his own expense. Gilbert had learned of Promesa Peru’s charitable activities and invited us to visit La Raya, a poor community located just east of Tucume at the foot of Purgatory Mountain. We finally had the opportunity to do that recently. Gilbert was in Lima on the day of our visit so we were escorted by several village leaders and curious residents; all of them eager to show us their town and answer questions.

There really isn’t anything that sets La Raya apart from dozens of other caserios we’ve visited, other than that it looks a little poorer and a lot older, which it is. The village has existed in the same location for over 100 years, and the land has been continually occupied for at least 1500 years. Purgatory Mountain is surrounded by 26 pyramids and mounds dating back to the Moche culture. In fact parts of La Raya appear to have been built atop mounds.

We began our visit at the school. Our first stop was at the kinder, where we found 35 happy young kids; many of them surprisingly in uniform and in a bright cheery classroom. Carlos Fernandez is their teacher. He has been there 22 years and obviously enjoys his work. He’s got an enthusiasm about him that shows in the kids and in the atmosphere of the class room. The school’s primary grades have an enrollment of 80 students for a total of 115…unusually large for a village the size of La Raya. 

Our next stop was at the medical clinic where we met Dr. Corrales, a young woman who is at the clinic 6 hours each day Monday through Saturday. She sees on average about 15 patients daily, and if there are no patients she visits the homes of people with medical concerns. She told us the single biggest health concern is malnutrition, caused primarily by poor diet and contaminated water. She said that a lack of vitamins is also a problem.

The subject of malnutrition led us to the community kitchen where Maria Sandoval (green vest - the kitchen is behind her) runs the show. The purpose of a community kitchen is to prepare and feed to the poor food supplied by the government. Usually the parents take turns with the cooking. Maria told us that she receives only enough food for 60 people each day. The village has a population of 1000 people, and though not all of them need free food, decisions have to be made as to who gets fed. Maria indicated that there is one family whom everyone agrees is a priority.

This is the home of Luzmila Valdera and her daughters Ruth (9), Romelia (7) and Ariana (2). Luzmila is 27 and is a single mother. Five months ago her husband abandoned the family. The rumor is that he took off for Argentina.  Frankly it’s hard to understand how she’s any worse off without him. Based on what we saw he obviously didn’t contribute time or money toward the upkeep of the homestead. Perhaps there are circumstances we’re not aware of.

Luzmila’s income consists of a few soles for tending a neighbor’s goats and when work is available in the fields she earns a few more coins. The kids get a glass of government milk every morning, and the community kitchen feeds her and the kids a noon lunch Monday through Friday.  Weekend and evening meals are less sure.

The condition this family is living in has to be seen to be believed. She has hung old sheets, potato sacks and plastic bags over most of the holes in the walls in an attempt to keep out the wind and sand, but she can’t cover the gaping holes in what remains of the roof. And after repeated urging from the neighbors that had gathered, that is what she asked us for…a new roof. The problem is a new roof won’t do it. The walls of her home are constructed of cane and mud. They have deteriorated badly and there is no way that house is going to survive another rainy season, which has already started.

And yet despite her poverty she is doing all she can for her girls. If you look closely at the photos you’ll see freshly washed clothing hanging to dry, and the inside of the house with its few meager possessions is as organized and as clean as possible. That is the Peruvian pride and dedication to children we’ve so often commented on in this blog. But Peruvians sometimes also feel shame and despair which, according to Maribel is probably what prompted the tears from Luzmila and her oldest girl during much of our visit in her house.

After leaving Luzmila’s house we had a brief discussion with some of the village leaders. We were told that a replacement house could be built for her at a cost of about $1500. It wouldn’t be fancy…the walls would be adobe brick and the roof corrugated plastic, but it would be large enough for her and the kids and with luck would provide adequate shelter for the next 20 years.

We don’t have the money to do that alone. If you would like to help us to literally put a roof over the heads of Luzmila, Ruth, Romelia and Ariana please visit the Promesa Peru web page to make a donation. If we’re successful in raising the money we’ll post updates and photos of the construction progress. If we’re not successful we don’t know what we’ll do, but it’s not a situation we can ignore.

An Entertaining Weekend in Piura

October is the month the University Of Piura (UDEP) holds its annual internal Olympic competition. The competing disciplines are Business, Engineering, Communication, Education and Law. The competition begins with a parade starting on campus and finishing in downtown Piura. Each discipline constructs its own float based on a theme assigned to them. There is obviously a lot of time, money and effort that goes into these creations. During the parade each float is accompanied ahead and behind by students from the respective career; all of them chanting rehearsed routines at the top of their lungs.  The schools of business and engineering have the largest enrollment, and both of them had at least 500 marching students. The noise and enthusiasm as these groups passed was absolutely incredible.  

Maribel’s son Brian is studying business at UDEP and participated in the celebration (he is holding the second ‘E’ in the photo). That bias aside, it was our opinion and the initial opinion of whoever was judging that the business float was the most impressive.

The theme was American jazz music. At the front of the float were two couples dancing the Charleston. Unfortunately, after at first declaring it the winner the decision was reversed and the float disqualified because, as I understand it, there was an issue about the music played on the float or the music sung (or not sung) by the students.

In the rear ‘Ray Charles’ was playing the piano accompanied by a trio of jazz-singing beauties. The photos of this and other floats do not at all do them justice. They were so large and elaborately detailed on both sides that it was impossible for one picture to capture it all.

At the conclusion of the parade the second phase of the Olympics began in various locations of the city. The games included competition in swimming, some track events, volleyball, basketball and soccer. The school of business triumphed in four of seven events; however this success did not satisfy some of the business students who were already vowing revenge for the loss of this year’s parade float award.

This weekend also marked the anniversary of Piura’s founding 481 years ago. Part of the celebration involved a series of 3-round amateur boxing matches on Saturday night next to the Plaza de Armas in a boxing ring constructed in front of the city hall. The large crowd was very vocal during and after each bout in support of the contestants. The boxing ended at about 10:00pm and shortly after there was an impressive fireworks display lasting until after 11:00.

Sunday morning we watched the flag raising ceremony and parade in Piura; an event that happens every Sunday morning in every town in Peru, and then boarded a combi for the 30 minute ride to Catacaos; a town with a reputation for the unique and beautiful creations of its artisans. There isn’t much to see in Catacaos beyond the 3-block area of artisans shops but it is worth the time to walk through the nearby outdoor market and the principal park for a taste of local culture.  

At 4:00pm we were back in Piura aboard the bus for the three hour ride to Chiclayo. It was a good weekend.

A Birthday to Remember

Saturday evening October 5^th at 8:30pm marked the beginning of a two-day event Maribel had been both looking forward to and dreading. It was an occasion when friends and family from Chiclayo, Lima and elsewhere would come together to help her celebrate her birthday. That part she liked. The part she didn’t like was that the occasion marked her 50^th birthday. Fortunately as of this writing she has made the mental transition (she doesn’t have to worry about a physical transition…she still looks like she’s 30) and we can look forward to another 10 years of peace until the dreaded 60^th looms on the horizon.

Following weeks of planning the party began at the Perla de las Flores (Pearl of the Flowers) banquet hall. After most of the guests had arrived, as is the custom Maribel was formally presented to the guests; first by her son Brian and then by me. The remainder of the evening consisted of dancing, dinner, lots of conversation and laughter, and a clown for entertainment.

A wide variety of music for dancing was played, and Maribel danced with every man, woman and child who attended. At one point I found myself singing the words to the Bee Gees ‘Stayin alive’ and disco dancing with our family dentist. 

When the banquet hall closed its doors at 4:00am the party moved to a private home where the festivities continued to about 6:00am, when everybody agreed to go to their respective homes/hotel rooms for a few hours sleep. The celebration didn’t stop…it just paused while people recharged their batteries for the next phase.

The party reconvened on Sunday the 6^th at1:00pm; the exact time and at the home where Maribel was delivered by a mid-wife 50 years ago. During the afternoon Maribel was surprised (so was I) and serenaded by a mariachi band that her friends and family had chipped in to hire. Following the entertainment there was dancing, and then a delicious lunch of heaping portions of fresh duck and rice, topped off by what seemed to be an infinite supply of birthday cake.

It was in the early evening, when the people from out of town began to leave to catch planes and busses that the party finally wound down. After helping with the clean-up the local people said their goodbyes and the celebration was officially over.

Though I am sure she doesn’t need them, Maribel has a ton of photos and gifts to help her remember this birthday. What I will remember most is how much my wife is loved, respected and appreciated by so many people. When I married Maribel, not only did I gain a great wife…I acquired a large number of quality friends and family, all of whom will be talking about this past weekend for some time to come.

Happy birthday Maribel!

  

La Casona De La Abuelita

Question - where in Chiclayo can you get a generous slice of delicious German chocolate cake and a mug (yes, I said a mug) of good strong coffee with free refills for 3 soles ($1.08) and at the same time help to teach a trade to kids and keep them off the streets? The answer is La Casona De La Abuelita…a recently opened restaurant located in the Boulevard shopping mall patio.

Bill Lipman and his wife Beatrice (not in the photo) are the driving forces behind the restaurant and a bakery located in Pimentel that produces the restaurant’s products. We’ve known them for several years and though we’ve not visited their bakery (the ovens fire up at 5:00am…I don’t do 5:00am) we know that Bill has been unwavering in his mission to help the poor by teaching a trade. And not only a trade, but by working at the bakery the kids also learn about business and responsibility. Bill doesn’t do free handouts. I suspect he is a kind but stern taskmaster and these kids work for anything they get.

Proceeds from restaurant sales are used to support the bakery operation. There is a lot more information available on Face book.

https://www.facebook.com/casona.delaabuelita?fref=ts

Here’s a suggestion…if you plan on eating at one of the restaurants in the Real Plaza mall; KFC, Pardos, Rustica, Pizza Hut, McDonalds or the recently opened Chili’s, save some room for coffee and dessert. Starbucks is close to these restaurants. Don’t go there. La Casona De La Abuelita is just two blocks away and the pastry and coffee are ten…no, make that twenty times better than Starbucks. We guarantee you’ll enjoy it, and you’ll be doing some kids, your taste buds and wallet a favor. Bon Appètit!

Visiting Cuculi

Cuculi is a village of 2000 people that straddles the highway about 15 miles west of Chongoyape. There is nothing visible about it from the highway that would cause you to want to stop and check it out, unless like us just never having been there before is reason enough to investigate.

This house sits by itself at the end of the main entrance road to the town. There is nothing grand or elaborate about it; not like the colonial haciendas of old, but there is a certain majesty about it that suggests a central role in days gone by, and sure enough we learned later that the home was the original home of the original resident in Cuculi.

Señor Meneses is the owner and occupant of the house now, and it was he who spent nearly an hour telling us of the house and town’s history. As I’ve written in many other posts, one of my favorite experiences in these small villages is to watch the people transition from shyly peeking out of their house windows trying to figure out who we are and why we’re there, to tentatively stepping outdoors, and finally to greeting us warmly like old friends after the first smile and “good afternoon” from us.

Senor Meneses told us that besides being proud of their heritage the town has two visible sources of pride. One is this ancient tractor that sits alongside the highway in the town park. We’ve seen quite a few of these relics in agricultural towns throughout the Lambayeque Region. A reader has informed us that they are Fowler Ploughing engines. We did a little checking and found that these engines were made in England during the late 1800s through the early 1900s, and many were sent to countries throughout the world including nearly all of South America. The engine in Cuculi was one of a pair that last plowed a field in 1942. When asked if the village would consider selling the tractor Señor Meneses replied, “that would be like selling our history and dishonoring our ancestors…no, we would not sell that tractor.” We received nearly that identical answer when we asked the same question in Tablazos several months ago. We asked the question theorizing that the proceeds from the sale of a tractor could possibly be used for the betterment of the community.

The other source of pride is the town bell located in front of the village hall. Neither Señor Meneses nor anyone else could give us a detailed history of the bell, other than to say that it is very old, and that it is said to be made partially of gold. There are letters near the top of the bell but we couldn’t read anything other than ‘1717’. Is it possible this bell is nearly 300 years old? The town folks think it is. They say the bell in the past was used to announce community meetings, but now its rung daily only at 5:00am just to “sort of get the folks up and moving about.”

Cuculi has a church, a couple of schools, and a community building for the use of retired people, though it’s locked and appears not to have been used in some time. School was in session and we tried to walk past as invisibly as possible, but as usual we were noticed, and as usual pandemonium erupted. I’m sure we’ve caused headaches for more than one teacher during our village excursions.

Cuculi is a peaceful, friendly community. Walking the quiet dirt streets; stopping every few minutes to chat with the inhabitants and enjoying the clean air induces a feeling of tranquility. Even the pre-school kids will stop their play to say hello…especially if they see that you have a camera. 

The Saint Rose of Lima Holiday

Saint Rose...Isabel Flores y de Oliva was born in Lima on April 20 1586. She felt a spiritual calling early and devoted most of her short life to helping the poor and sick. After her death in 1617 there were reports of on-going miracles associated with her activities. She was canonized in 1671. Every year on August 30^th every community in Peru from the coastal desert to the jungle will have some sort of celebration in honor of Saint Rose. All public and many private businesses will be closed, and there will be pageantry and parades. 

The Karl Weiss Alumni Association chose this day to hold their annual parade. Even though the parade lasted over two hours, there were considerably less participants and spectators this year. One reason is that groups that normally would have participated were involved in other activities celebrating the holiday. Traditionally the Karl Weiss parade is held on a Sunday. Why the association officers chose to deviate this year is unknown.

One of the main competitors for spectator attention was the police department. Saint Rose is the patron saint of Peru’s National Police Department and every year police departments across Peru hold impressive ceremonies. This formation extended for nearly three blocks on Balta Avenue South. It included most of Chiclayo’s national police force; military units representing the Army, Navy, Marines and Air force plus nurses from the police hospital. Also taking part in the parade was the K-9 and mounted police.

The downside to being able to watch the police pageantry is that there are very few police patrolling the streets, which probably explains why two fine, upstanding citizens, one on foot and the accomplice in a moto-taxi attempted to relieve Maribel of her purse as she was walking home from the Weiss parade on a usually 'safe' street . She screamed as loud as she could (her throat is still sore today) and fortunately a man driving a mini-van pulled up next to her, opened the passenger door and shouted, “Get in!” She did and they drove away leaving the thieves empty handed, at least for the moment. My thanks to this man for not being afraid to do the right thing.

There was a time a few years ago when better than 50% of Peru’s population lived in poverty; there was no work available and the philosophy “steal or starve” may have been a necessity for some. No more. Conditions have improved considerably but crime hasn’t lessened. Ironically, the vultures stalking the streets today are doing it because in this improved economy many Chiclayanos have a few more coins in their purse or wallet. And it’s easier than working. I wonder if the spirit of Saint Rose would consider working a few ‘miracles’ on these scavengers?

An Evening with Traditional Clothing

Chiclayo’s cultural center sponsors a wide range of exhibitions throughout the year including crafts, art, customs, and last night a presentation of traditional clothing worn all across Peru. The clothing was modeled in combination with traditional dances from each represented town/region, and there were many of them during the two-hour event. All of the presenters were from the Chiclayo area and did multiple presentations, which means they were not only well acquainted with dances from the various regions, but were also adept at quick costume changes.

This couple began the evening by dancing the Tondero in clothing worn throughout the northern coastal regions.

The clothing this couple is wearing representing the village of Inca Wasi (which in Quechua means ‘house of the Inca’) is worn not only at festivities but also for everyday use.

Despite assurances from Maribel that this guy is wearing traditional clothing from Callejon de Huaylas in the Ancash Region, I had a tough time believing it. I’m thinking 1930s Zoot suiter in the USA or some Bohemian enclave today. Anyway, they’re dancing an up-tempo version of the Huayno.

One of my favorite dances to watch is the Festejo (slave dance) here performed by these people representing the village of Zaña in the Lambayeque Region. Zaña has a large Afro-Peruvian population dating back to the days of slave importation in the early 1500s.

My favorite of the evening was this couple representing the village of Jauja in the Junin Region. They danced a slower version of the Huayno…their movements so graceful, deliberate and sophisticated that the entire audience was held spellbound.

The evening would not have been complete without purely traditional Inca clothing worn here by dancers representing Huancavelica.

The performance finished with a curtain call that was greeted by a standing ovation and a rush of photographers.

Admission to cultural center events is usually free and last night the audience was served finger sandwiches while seated during the performance. What a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday evening in Chiclayo!