Holy Week Trip with Friends from the States

Picture: Hometown friends visiting Peru. Tacama Vineyard, Ica Peru

Picture: Mountain bike riding from base of Volcano Misty to the City of Arequipa. Arequipa, Peru

We went down hill almost the whole time. Beautiful scenery!
Picture: Holyweek Procession downtown Arequipa.

Arequipa is one of the nicest cities I have been to in Peru. Worth the visit. During holyweek, the streets fill with religious processions.
Picture: Dune Buggying with friends, Ica Peru

Scary. Like a roller coaster without wheels.
Picture: Huacachina Oasis, Ica Peru

Amazing scenery and charm. Huacachina use to have 5 or more oasises similiar to this one but the nearby vineyards are sucked them dry by taking all the grown water. Each week the city of Ica brings water in to maintain the life of the last oasis.

US Embassador visit

Last March I was honored to host a visit from US Embassador Struble, USAID director Paul Wisenfelf, and our Peace Corps Country Director Michael Hirsh. What took hours and hours in preparation just for a two hour visit paid off in the end when we recieved acknowledgement and compliments for the hard work we have been doing with the kids. There were so many things we did in preparation for such a special visit. We handled most of the details such as painting the facility down to making sure water was in the right spot at the time to making sure there would be enough chairs. I was sooo stressed out up until we got everything done. I felt like I was the wedding coordinator for a queen´s wedding. In the end it made me realize that I want a simple wedding someday! Picture: Me with the US Embassador to Peru and fellow Peruvian National Police Counterparts

Picture: Embassador Struble recieving gift from children whom participate in the Polices´s program from Child laborers.

Can you Believe it?

Can you believe that I got bit by a bat? The Peace Corps doctors were a little suspicious when I called at 3am saying that a bat bit me. So I took pictures to prove it. A few weeks ago after coming home late from a circus (the plot thickens) I entered my bedroom that is not connected to the rest of the house. As I was getting ready to go to bed a bat flew in from out of no where and landed by my foot. I love bats and am curious about them since I have never seen one up close. I picked it up with a towel. It didn´t like that at all. As it was struggling to free himself his head popped out of the towel and reached over and bit my thumb. There wasn´t a lot of blood but it was enough to make me think about rabies. I called the doc and he told me to keep it somewhere until tomorrow. To make a long story short, the bat escaped from its overnight storage place (my clothes hamper) and hid in my room for a half day until I found him under my bed. The doctors sent a rabies vaccine from Lima since Piura didn´t have the newest one, only the one that requires 12 injections in the stomach....no thanks. I still get teased about turning into a vampire from the PC doctors.