011 Back Yard, Cold Shower

011 Back Yard, Cold Shower, originally uploaded by walterjii.

This is a picture of our back yard in Los Lomas just south a few miles from the Ecquadorian border on the Pan American Highway. Giovanna is cleaning up our jury-rigged shower system, black plastic curtain- makes us feel right at home. You will find more pictures in our library at www.flickr.com/photos/walterjii - It was here that I developed a serious case of the creeping crud, a fungus common to athleets and those living in high heat and humidity conditions.

Living in Los Lomas was wounderful, very hot, but cool in the evening, a small village deep in a valley surrounded by major hills or small mountains. The town was established back in the 1930.s and is a major rice producer for the Peruvian ecomony.

Here cattle, dogs, goats, pigs, you name it roam free, no fences to speak of, yet return home for feed at a predictable time. Great to get up in the morning at the beck and call or a bunch of roosters harmonizing at 5:00 AM
and then to go outside to see a sow and a litter of small pigs on their way to the local garbage dump or nieghbors back door.

Most of these houses have tin roofs, very noisy late at night as the cats hunt on the roofs for eguaneas, rats and brown bats. We were here two months beginning in early January and were able to put in a workable outside shower, toilet and outside cooking range out of adoby and reclaimed brick. Just before leaving in late February, the misquitoes became abundant and it was quite hard on Giovanna, being a city girl and not used to blotches and itching as is common with such critters, not to mention the big pinching beetles with huge horns and wing spans of up to six inches visiting your abode at most unexpected moments. You sometimes had electric and then maybe you didn.t, just the same as the water, yet everybody took that in their stride as just part of life up there. Happy people, you did not see hungry children, farming community with considerable abundance and everybody worked doing something, no welfare, just living as it should be.

Prior to leaving, the local Doctor, across the street in the Health Clinic gave us one of his pippies, a german shephard-terrier cross who we put in a box for the long bus ride to Lima, 14 hours South. If you would like to stop the word and get off for awhile, then Las Lomas is the place for you !!!

Dad Robb - Lima Mall

Dad Robb - Lima Mall, originally uploaded by walterjii.

Finally was able to purchase a small digital camera from Radio Shack for about $22.00. It is not much larger than a book of matches, holds 20 pictures and this is one of my first test shots. Great little camera, complete with software and carrying case. Not good for distance shots.

Back From Las Lomas

It has been awhile since we updated our blog so here it is. I had to leave Lima in the first week of January and cross the Ecquadorian border in that my visa for Peru was about to expire, then re-enter Peru for another 90 days, othewise I would have to have paid $1.00 per day plus penalties. That is about to happen again, but now that I have a Peruvian wife, the options have expanded.

Las Lomas in NW Peru is a wonderful town of some 8,000, mostly rice farmers and the associated supported businesses, hardware stores, ag. supply points and implement repair shops. Not far away though are gold mining operations. Here the culture and time contrasts were pronounced. You may see a gold miners new ford pick up truck following a little girl and her donky hauling water barefooted escorted by little brother and sister. Getting up in the mornings was great with all of the loose goats, pigs, chickens, dogs just off your doorstep making their early rounds forraging for breakfast.

Food was always fresh and plentyful, people very friendly with lots of gossup being the only American in town, the local Gringo, but all in all, I fitted in well. Spent a lot of time remodeling the home we stayed in complete with outside toilet, no inside plumbing at all, securing water daily, no laundry, dirt floors, lots of misquitoes and hotter than hell being just south a few miles of the equator, yet I loved it and want to return. Evenings always cooled off and simply and mix of two centuries right in front of you. The Village was even giving away building lots to encourage community growth. Should you ever wish come to this beautiful country, I would be delighted in sharing some dos and dont.s with you.

As soon as I have our film developed and placed on a CD, I will then upload here for you to see, first hand, the reflecions of our treasured experience in this rice centered communtiy. Lastly, I am moved to tell you that there are not a lot of Americans who could adapt to this type of simple living absent all of the traditional American conveniences, just like living in the wild west of150 years ago. These are tough simple people and makes me concious of just how far we have removed ourselves from the real world. I think the coming photos will express that thought.

Diaz Family

9, originally uploaded by walterjii.

Diaz family plus WJR

7, originally uploaded by walterjii.