This was an English translation of a Spanish note on the notice board this morning. Once I'd deciphered it, it made me chuckle. The main wall clock is not fast or slow, it's bang on time.
A bit more about leisure time:
This was Friday night on the beach.
It's not very Peruvian but I had smores for the first time. At least the beer was local. I seem to be getting as much of an insight in to north American culture as I am to the local culture, possibly more. It's a nice mixture - a bit like the Spanglish we speak in the house because few of the English speakers have perfect Spanish and few of the Spanish speakers have perfect English. Sentences often start in one language and end in another.
Saturday I saw a bit more of Trujillo - some of which I never want to see again. A few of us went to one of the markets and it was much too hot, too busy and thoroughly exhausting. I earned an afternoon on the beach at nearby Huanchaco, where the surf's up. It's a different world to Trujillo - much more laid back. The beach is black but it doesn't burn your feet like some I've been on.
In the evening, there was a party for one of the volunteers who is leaving. The apartment block where the party took place had a great roof terrace with a view of the whole city stretching back to the mountain skyline. There were regular visits up to the roof just to cool down. The only places with air conditioning seem to be the supermarkets and Starbucks (Yes, I've been to Starbucks. Sorry but it's quiet, cool and has wifi so it's perfect for getting some work done when the house is too hot/hectic).
On Sunday, 4 of us headed north to the Chicama Valley to see a Moche archaeological complex (the Moche civilisation was around 100
BC-650 AD) known as El Brujo (The Sorceror). Unfortunately the famous mummy of an ancient female ruler that was found at the site was "in the laboratory" but it was a fascinating place. Particularly fascinating was the amount of security at the enormous guarded iron front gate when, as we later discovered, you could very easily just walk in around the back.
This is a family that gave us a lift in their pick-up. We were just walking the 4km from the village to the site when they passed, tooted, pulled over and waved us on.When we got out after the 5 minute ride, they all piled out and wanted a photo with us by the truck. There aren't very many "gringos" around here, but still, not sure why we were holiday snap material.(not all of these were in the truck, some were following in a 'support vehicle' behind).
We ate lunch in the nearby fishing village, which, as always, was a major challenge for the vegetarians.
This is a translated summary of the exchange, which is apparently very typical:
-What is there to eat?
-Ceviche or chicharron (fish marinated in lime juice and chilli, or fried fish)
(The meat eaters order either ceviche or chicharron, vegetarians enquire after other options:)
-Have you got salad?
-No, only ceviche or chicharron
-No salad?
-No salad.
-Have you got Cuban rice (rice, egg and vegetables )
-No.
-I don't eat meat
-We have chicharron!
-I don't eat fish
-But it's really good!
-I don't eat fish.
-What?
-Can you do some rice and vegetables?
-No we don't have any rice.
-Do you have beer?
-Yes
-Ok 1 beer please
*she goes away for a few minutes and comes back*
-We don't have any beer
-Ok water please
-Ok
*another few minutes*
-We can do some rice and fried banana with egg
-You do have rice?
-No.
-Ok great.
*rice and banana etc appears a few minutes later*
*a few more minutes and it's followed by the ceviche and chicharron, each served with a load of vegetables and salad*
Turns out that, although delicious, the ceviche was a bit dodgy anyway, which isn't that surprising because this village didn't seem to have any running water and I can't imagine how they keep the kitchen clean...
I'm looking forward to more such adventures next week when SKIP has a week holiday. A group of us are heading north up the coast and possibly over the border in to Ecuador. It's a nightmare to get anywhere here - it's too big and there tend to be mountains in the way so you usually have to go back to Lima and out again. You also have to factor in a day or two to adjust to altitude if you go inland so my idea of heading north and then just 'nipping in' to the jungle or mountains on the way back down was apparently laughable. A bit of research in my Rough Guide and I was ready to throw it at the communal book shelf in frustration (where there are two more identical copies, hardly used and completely free). So it turns out that Ecuador may be easier with only a week to travel. Vamos!
A bit more about leisure time:
This was Friday night on the beach.
It's not very Peruvian but I had smores for the first time. At least the beer was local. I seem to be getting as much of an insight in to north American culture as I am to the local culture, possibly more. It's a nice mixture - a bit like the Spanglish we speak in the house because few of the English speakers have perfect Spanish and few of the Spanish speakers have perfect English. Sentences often start in one language and end in another.
Saturday I saw a bit more of Trujillo - some of which I never want to see again. A few of us went to one of the markets and it was much too hot, too busy and thoroughly exhausting. I earned an afternoon on the beach at nearby Huanchaco, where the surf's up. It's a different world to Trujillo - much more laid back. The beach is black but it doesn't burn your feet like some I've been on.
In the evening, there was a party for one of the volunteers who is leaving. The apartment block where the party took place had a great roof terrace with a view of the whole city stretching back to the mountain skyline. There were regular visits up to the roof just to cool down. The only places with air conditioning seem to be the supermarkets and Starbucks (Yes, I've been to Starbucks. Sorry but it's quiet, cool and has wifi so it's perfect for getting some work done when the house is too hot/hectic).
On Sunday, 4 of us headed north to the Chicama Valley to see a Moche archaeological complex (the Moche civilisation was around 100
BC-650 AD) known as El Brujo (The Sorceror). Unfortunately the famous mummy of an ancient female ruler that was found at the site was "in the laboratory" but it was a fascinating place. Particularly fascinating was the amount of security at the enormous guarded iron front gate when, as we later discovered, you could very easily just walk in around the back.
This is a family that gave us a lift in their pick-up. We were just walking the 4km from the village to the site when they passed, tooted, pulled over and waved us on.When we got out after the 5 minute ride, they all piled out and wanted a photo with us by the truck. There aren't very many "gringos" around here, but still, not sure why we were holiday snap material.(not all of these were in the truck, some were following in a 'support vehicle' behind).
We ate lunch in the nearby fishing village, which, as always, was a major challenge for the vegetarians.
This is a translated summary of the exchange, which is apparently very typical:
-What is there to eat?
-Ceviche or chicharron (fish marinated in lime juice and chilli, or fried fish)
(The meat eaters order either ceviche or chicharron, vegetarians enquire after other options:)
-Have you got salad?
-No, only ceviche or chicharron
-No salad?
-No salad.
-Have you got Cuban rice (rice, egg and vegetables )
-No.
-I don't eat meat
-We have chicharron!
-I don't eat fish
-But it's really good!
-I don't eat fish.
-What?
-Can you do some rice and vegetables?
-No we don't have any rice.
-Do you have beer?
-Yes
-Ok 1 beer please
*she goes away for a few minutes and comes back*
-We don't have any beer
-Ok water please
-Ok
*another few minutes*
-We can do some rice and fried banana with egg
-You do have rice?
-No.
-Ok great.
*rice and banana etc appears a few minutes later*
*a few more minutes and it's followed by the ceviche and chicharron, each served with a load of vegetables and salad*
Turns out that, although delicious, the ceviche was a bit dodgy anyway, which isn't that surprising because this village didn't seem to have any running water and I can't imagine how they keep the kitchen clean...
I'm looking forward to more such adventures next week when SKIP has a week holiday. A group of us are heading north up the coast and possibly over the border in to Ecuador. It's a nightmare to get anywhere here - it's too big and there tend to be mountains in the way so you usually have to go back to Lima and out again. You also have to factor in a day or two to adjust to altitude if you go inland so my idea of heading north and then just 'nipping in' to the jungle or mountains on the way back down was apparently laughable. A bit of research in my Rough Guide and I was ready to throw it at the communal book shelf in frustration (where there are two more identical copies, hardly used and completely free). So it turns out that Ecuador may be easier with only a week to travel. Vamos!
Ah, that exchange reminds me of the Monty Python Cheesemongers sketch...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KBuQHHKx0
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