Tuesday June 16, 2009
If yesterday was all protocol and diplomacy, today was all logistics. Devon Brown and William (Will) Huguenin were greeted promptly at 7:30 am in the hotel lobby by the Director of the Concepcion School District and off they went to make their marks for the next 6 weeks. Concepcion is a town about 30 minutes from our hotel in Huancayo, the capital city of the Junin region.
Becky Young and Lee Warnecke were also picked up by a representative of the Miraflores school district, a town about 20 minutes from the hotel, just before 8 am.
We then boarded the government car provided by DREJ, the Junin regional department of education, to bring Olivia Hughes and John Danello to their school in Jauja, the farthest away, taking nearly 40 minutes of scenic countryside driving. The last 3 miles of which were pure dirt road pleasure, with plumes of dust kicked up by our car, but as long as we kept moving forward the dust stayed behind us. Until we had to stop and it caught up to us! Or when there´s another car in either direction, at which point we were engulfed in the big bang of dust. We really felt for the 4 people in the open cab in the back of the pickup truck and tried to rotate the pleasure of sitting in open air among the guys. Trying to outrun our own dust clouds didn´t always work either. Such as when we were brought to a stop by an indigenous family that was contentedly lumbering in the middle of the road … mama cow and her calves.
The Molinos village officials had accorded Olivia and John sleeping quarters right on the village square, above the mayor´s office, and right behind the walls of the village auditorium, with an expansive view of the square and the foothills beyond! But despite this honorific gesture of hospitality, we learned that flush toilets, on demand hot water, shower facility, and heat did not come with the honor (but there were 3 layers of blanket on the bed). They just aren´t part of how village life goes on here. And thus everyone scrambled to tactfully come up with Plan B while preserving goodwill among all. With the mayor´s input, Plan B was to have Olivia and John stay at a hotel in the commercial center of Jauja, a 10-15 minute ride each way to the school costing one Sole (2.95 Soles to a dollar) via taxis that circle the routes every 20 minutes or so.
And then there was Plan C … for Alex Fitch and Steven Conrad. They were to deploy to the Chupaca school district (Star Wars anyone?), another town about 30-40 minutes from Huancayo. But something fell through in the last minute and we had to find a new school for them. The Director of the Jauja school district came to the rescue and graciously offered Alex and Steven a school in Jauja (in addition to the shcool Olivia and John are already deployed to). And to extend his grace even further, he treated a small group of us to dinner at the end of the day where Man had his first taste of Cuy Dorado …. crispy roast hamster. Buenissimo.
There are only 3 things that matter in real estates: location, location, location. So the Molinos village offered Olivia and John the most premium real estate available: right by the village square, right on top of the mayor´s office, 3 layers of blanket, and the view … priceless.
The hills may be beautiful but the sizzling anticuchos (grilled meat on skewers) were irresistible
And then there was lunch. Trouts (truchas) are popular on the local menus.
Photo-op in the afternoon with the Director Hector Rivas Alvarez of the Jauja UGEL (department of education)
