Daily Life

Its starting to be a place I live instead of a vacation. I run into people I know on the street, I know which vendors to shop at and who will give me false coins for change, I know how much to pay for things and where to find safe taxis, I speak the language. I stopped carrying my camera everywhere and parades are fun but also represent a road block to my destination. I feel safe. When people strike, I ask them why instead of running, I dont ask the police for anything. I carry my flashlight for when the sun sets but can walk around alone until 9:30 or so since people are out en masse until about 10. I prepare water in the electric kettle in the morning for my evening wash since you can count on them shutting off the water at 7 or 8pm. Ive hit a rhythm here.

News has become a lot smaller. I have an infection in my finger from a tiny cut that blew up when washed in the dirty tapwater here, but spoke Spanish quite well enough to get and discuss antibiotics, iodine, gauze, cream, and surgical tape in the local pharmacy. (yes, all that stuff is over the counter) I have to incise and drain it tonight on my own with no lidocaine. I did it last night and let me tell you, I&Ding an abscess on yourself hurts. A lot. And bleeds a lot. But Ill do it again tonight in hopefully a more successful way.

Ive become the local doctor as well. Mostly because I speak English and Hebrew. I get about 3 consults per day about everything from gallbladder pain to salmonella to STDs and abortions. I tell everyone Im not a doctor and I can only be a source of information, but still there is a steady stream of questions, esp re instructions that they received in clinics here.

My friends here are all great, many Israelis from Chabad, a few volunteers in other programs, a few local Peruvians who Ive met. Especially my Spanish teacher Millie. I hang with her family and am going to her nephews 7th bday next weekend. They speak ZERO English (like most people here), so its a challenging social scene but its great practice. My Spanish is now such that I can communicate fine. With lots of grammatical errors, but Im understood. Every week it gets better.

So thats it here. Regular life. The 24th is Inti Raymi, the biggest holiday here left over from the Incan Sun Worship (it is the solstice), so that should be what to write home about. The town has been preparing for it for weeks and there are nightly concerts, daily parades. I cant wait.