Giving a Living to a Life in the Rainforests of Peru

As part of our acclimation process as Niyanta described it, "going native" is key to survival in a foreign country. And yet just yesterday we passed two girls in our hostal with the "valley girl" accent. Not to judge or anything, but their interests were "poverty tourism" where they go to third world countries such as Bolivia and watch the poverty, but yet have no interest in a city like Lima because it's not poor enough?!?!?!?

Some really cool things happened these past couple of days. We met this awesome girl: Sefi, who spent the first part of her life in Indonesia and the second half in New York, and now she is pretty much traveling where ever the cheapest flights take her. Through her, we met a group of couch surfers from New York at one of the bars in Lima (which was a nice place to hang out and listen to live bands). Through them, we managed to get a cheap deal for paragliding. Normally, it's $50 but we got it for a third of the price for 50 soles. At the beach, where the wind from the sea is strongest, the wind is capable of blowing a two-person parachute air borne. The hardest part is getting the parachute up, because that's when you have the least control. Amanda had the unfortunate first-hand experience of this when she and her pilot were dragged 50 yards across the field nearly running into the San Miguel sign. It's actually a very calming experience, and the view is gorgeously unique. The best part is the dive in for the landing, when you're pretty much swooping down from the sky.

We also met with Margo's friends from Lima, who were extremely nice enough to take us out Saturday. They took us out at 1 or 2 in the AFTERNOON to this one expensive club in Barranco (for free, cuz we were on the list ). Anywho, the club seems like any other club, except for the fact that there are dining tables around the dance floor, and they serve food (my kinda club!!!). As you can tell, I was in a very very very happy place =DDDDD. By the time we left (we left early for paragliding) the club was packed. There was barely any standing room left (and this was the size of a huge warehouse too). The crowd outside the door was impossibly large, and the line continued down the block. We were told that normally, people stay until about 6 ish. Just imagine! Wake up at around 10 or 11 in the morning to get ready for club/lunch at 1ish, stay until 6, grab dinner, go clubbing at 10 or 11, stay out until 2 or 3am, go home and sleep, and repeat!!!!! Oh, to be a Peruvian!

News to me: The Chinese market (AKA Wong) is probably one of the more upscale grocery stores I've seen in Lima... Ironic much? Anyways, the market reminds me of the grocery store Fiesta back in the states lol. Also, Chinese food here is supposedly better here than back in the states too (as we found out by John, Margo, and Amanda's reaction to the food in Chinatown). I, however, wasn't too impressed (hmm... I wonder why? :p). Oh, btw: there's a Chinatown in Peru (how awesome is that?!?!?) Unfortunately, I think I might have seen maybe two restaurants out of the dozens with an actual Asian working there.

Today, we went to the catacombs under the San Franciscan church. I learned two very important things: They used lime to speed up decomposition (so the catacombs smelled like musty lime). The second thing is that archeologists have sick humor. The bones of the deceased were organized by types of bones (ie skulls in one place, tibia in another),  but that's not the weird thing. In the occasional wells in the catacombs, the skulls were placed along the inside wall of the well facing the center. Then the long bones seperating those skulls from the next row of skulls closer to the center in a repeating pattern until the center was reached. In another well, a different pattern was used. Who does that?!?!?

I am so happy to be here in Lima, enjoying our beautiful hostal and the company of John, Amanda, and Johnathan as well as our fellow travelers.  I arrived late at night, two days behind the others.  Flying into Lima is a very surreal experience.  The last 45 minutes of the flight the plane glides over what looks like an impermeable blanket of clouds that obscure everything below.  Then, just as it makes its final descent, the plane dips through the dense mass to reveal the city close below, sprawling cinderblock homes at far as the eye can see and factories gushing smoke pressed up right against the gray ocean. The blanket of clouds reforms overhead, leaving no trace of sun or moon to be seen from below.  Despite its almost permanent gray aura, Lima is very much alive and saturated with color and life.   Even at this time of the night the city breathes with motion.  Cars rush and dodge at breakneck speeds, only narrowly avoiding the city workers sweeping the streets in their green hooded uniforms.  To get to the hostal we drive along the cost and the smell of salt and fish assaults me.  There is no one on the beaches and the ocean is invisible, just a dark mass beyond the foggy shore.  We enter the neighborhood of Miraflores and the scenery changes, now nice apartments and small parks start to spring up and the streets widen.  We arrive to the hostal and, hoisting my almost body-sized backpack onto my shoulders, I wander tiredly inside.  After a very warm welcome I find my way sleepily to bed, too tired to bother unpacking anything.

I am starting to get really excited about what we are going to be doing and the adventures that await us with each new day.  Lima is a great place to start out and there is so much to do in the city.  Though I have visited Peru twice before, I have never been able to explore like this, from shopping for groceries to haggling for taxis.   We are just enjoying these city luxuries while we can, before continuing on to more remote places.  I am especially savoring the lukewarm showers at the hostal, as I’m not sure just what we will have in the community.

As for this moment I’m relaxing in the living room of the hostal, eating a brownie and talking to fellow travelers while waiting to watch the Lakers-Suns game.  Perhaps later we will go out for the evening and explore a little more of the nightlife here.

Hasta luego!

We have been researching the possibility of potentail markets for both brooms (escobas) and handicrafts (baskets- canastas) in the city of Lima.  After visiting ACE Home Center, local supermarkets (Vea & Metro), street markets (Mercado en Soquillo), and speaking with locals (Christian- owner of Family House Hostel, and with with various street vendors), we have gathered a sufficient amount of information to have a general idea of market possibilities and the lack thereof in Lima. 

Initial Observations:  At a local, average-priced supermarket, we saw that 99% of the brooms for sale were made of plastic as opposed to the classic straw/ plant-fiber style.  The prices however were approximately the same [s/12] (12 soles = approx.  $4.5).  This brought us to wonder why the plastic brooms would be available in such a higher quantity if both styles were of similar style and size, and presumably having an equal lifespan. 

 Our hypothesis is as follows: The plastic brooms were available in vivid colors (the fiber brooms were not); also the plastic brooms had a more clean, streamline, modern look, which might be an important characteristic as far as customer preference of a certain brooms over others in a developing country such as Perú. 

After talking to workers at ACE Home Center and at the street market in Soquillo, it seems like the classic fiber style brooms are predominantly used more outside, especially with the local municipality for whose workers use the brooms to clean the streets. On the other hand, the plastic style brooms are primarily used inside homes.  Also, the plastic brooms can be/are used to mop as well as sweep, which doesn't work so well with the fiber brooms.  In addition, the fiber brooms are rougher, both in appearance and texture, seemingly making them not "suitable" for indoor use. The rough broom handles also are known to give splinters. 

Observations while walking through Lima (Miraflores): Street and sidewalk sweepers are quite prevalent and they, so far, have all been using the fiber-style brooms.   Potential market?

Interviewing the hostel owner (Christian), gave us a hopeful perspective on such a market in Lima.  He said that while there is a strong attraction to the plastic brooms because of their modernity, there is a counter movement for environmental & natural products which would strengthen the appeal of the fiber brooms if advertised as natural, organic, environmentally friendly, etc. 

We have noticed as well that brooms with shorter bristles are more effective as sweeping instruments.   The plastic brooms usually always have considerably shorter bristles than the classic fiber brooms. 

Our theories and conclusions on the viability of  a potential market for brooms in Lima:  The market currently is fairly set in the ways described (plastic used inside, fiber- outside...), which would take a change in mindset to introduce fiber brooms effectively as more than simply an outside broom.  Also, there seems to be a strong trend moving more and more toward the plastic brooms, which seem to be replacing the classic, old style fiber brooms.  Based on how the brooms are currently used, the available markets in Lima for fiber brooms are focused on the municipality (street cleaning) and minimally on the home for outside use. 

Access to existing markets in Lima is limited and would probably require more of an output and especially a strictly regulated output than the Chipoata community could handle, or than would be environmentally healthy and/or sustainable.  For example, in order to be a vendor with ACE Home Center (which is like our version of Home Depot), one must be able to adequately supply products for 15 stores. In this case, the Chipaota community would have to supply 100 brooms per store per month and would always have to maintain a surplus in order to provide immediate shipment in the case that one of the stores sells all of their brooms and needs more. Hence, they would need to be producing about 2,000 per month. Creating a new market seems to have a low chance of being viable due to the low demand for such brooms and seems to be sufficiently met at this time. Hence, creating a niche will take a fair amount of ingenuity.

However, the women at the open street market (en Soquillo) said they would be open to the possibility of trying out our piassaba brooms and even expressed an interest in helping indigenous people by buying their handicrafts/brooms. 

In addition, if, as suggested by Christian, the piassaba fiber brooms were advertised as natural and environmentally sustainable, and as handcrafted by indigenous Peruvians, selling the brooms would be more successful.  Other personal suggestions based on our observations and comparisons would be to color/paint/dye the brooms,  for them to be more streamlined and modern/chic looking (appealing to higher income families that would be able to afford to pay extra for "natural/environmentally-friendly" brooms), and make them with shorter bristles. 

As for the artisan handicrafts, the only ones we have come across are currently marketed to tourists.  However, most tourists shop don't sell baskets or fiber/straw bags (only found 2 shops out of many others).  The reason for the lack of such items is somewhat unknown (at least to us), but it seems there just isn't a large enough demand for them.  If a market for handicrafts were to be established or further explored in Lima, the products would most likely be marketed more toward tourists as decorative items rather than sold to locals for actual use.

Baskets (canastas) are rarely used for practical purposes anymore (i.e. carrying groceries home from the store, etc), and there is little possibility of a movement to return to using them as opposed to plastic (biodegradable) and reusable cloth bags such as in markets and grocery stores.  There does not seems to be much demand or a sizable  market for  handicraft baskets/bags in Lima.

Also, for both the handicrafts (baskets) and brooms, transportation of the products to Lima seems to be highly cost inefficient, meaning that there would need to be a substantial demand for the products from Chipaota to balance the high cost of shipping the products so far. 

Our conclusions based on the research we  have completed so far are somewhat incomplete as we know very little as far the community's current and potential output of brooms & handicrafts, the quality and style of the products, and the current (raw piassaba fiber) markets & contacts they have already established.

Depending of course on the results of our research in Tarapoto, Chazuta, and other small towns, we have decided that Lima is not a good marketplace for brooms or artisan handicrafts.  Our focus will likely shift to Tarapoto & smaller towns closer to Chipoata and towards selling the products as practical rather than decorative products.

Since we're still here in Lima, we thought we would give everyone a little update on the foods that we eat and see. And since I love food, who more appropriate to write this than me? =D Keep in mind though, that this is a straight up food blog and won't be too invigorating to the food fanatic.

In our layover in San Salvador (when we could only venture through the airport), we sampled some of the cuisine at the local bars including pupusa (which is made from a heavy corn tortilla and moderately stuffed with meat and cheese), empanadas, tamales (different from the ones we are familiar with in that they are made from an extra starchy corn-based dough making it very moist and smooth; it also has minute amounts of chicken or beef), and in the second bar we ate chilean empanadas which were accompanied with "ensalada" (mixed vegetables such as carrots and cauliflower mixed in this weird mustard-y sauce) and "papas fritas" (potato chips... not fries )

In Lima, there was ceviche mixta (which included shrimp, cooked white fish and squid, and onions drenched in lemon juice, with a side of the massive overgrown corn, and a sweet potato quarter), Conchita a la chalaca which was clam shells and an itty bitty little clam drowning in a bed of chopped red onions with a few of those steroidal corn and more lemon juice, causa de pollo (a puree of potatoes/ultra-mashed potatoes carefully placed on top of a bed of chicken like a cake).

The general trend of dishes is that beef here has small amounts of fat dispersed among its fibers (not unlike roast beef) giving John a hard time as he dissects the fat away from the beef, rice and beans are almost always served with beef (separated or mashed together), and chicken with rice and potatoes.

Malaya = beef (which looks like a tenderized version of beef jerky and extra spices) served on a bed of rice and whole golden potatoes.

chicha morada = a refreshing drink, made from the purple corn boiled with pineapple rinds, topped with cinnamon, and served cold.

Inca kola = a locally renknowned beverage that's yellow in color and has a bubblegum taste to it.

The ice cream shops here remind me almost of the ones in Spain, where you pay for your order on one side of the store and receive it from the selections on the other. For a cheap snack of 6-8 soles (2-3 dollars) there are waiters and workers dressed in very upscale uniforms.

Oh! and there was a broom pusher whose name was Johnathan (I don't know if it's the same spelling or not, but we're gonna assume so =D). Bembo (which is not the BIMBO that manufactures baked goods in Latin America) is like a McDonalds (even though they already have numerous McDonalds there), and they also serve ice cream. The ice cream there is pretty soft and creamy, but it has a wider selection of fruit syrup toppings.

Chirimoya = you should wikipedia it, the english spelling is cherimoya (I know, big difference huh?) It's really good, the "cortex" has the consistency of a pear, and the "medulla" has a fleshy Lychee-like texture.

Pisco Sour = Amanda knows this one! umm... it's sour

I'm still buzzing from the Pisco Sour- a typical alcoholic drink of Lima, that the hostel workers make each Thursday night.

yeah- It's really strong, and really sour.

Margo should be here in an hour or so if all goes well.

mmm, Pisco Souer, musty captain crunch cereal, and a british guys walking around in his underwear.

Thursdays are good.

Hello world!

So, I'm pretty sure John and Amanda pretty much covered all the nitty gritty details of our travels, so this will be another PERSONAL REFLECTION. When we flew out of San Salvador to Lima, the plane had mist machines and blue ceiling lights... I was so hoping a disco ball would pop out of one of the O2 mask holders and turn the plane into a dance floor.

Ceviche!!!

Walking down the streets of Lima is sorta a safety hazard. If it's not the nasty hazy air that you breathe that kills you, it'll be the total disregard of the local drivers for any sense of traffic laws. But even for these significantly more laid back people, they honk like no one's business if they have to slow down... even if it's because there's a red light.
Ceviche!!!

I'd also like to take a moment to quote Amanda: "Everything's bigger in Peru" from the bilboards and casinos to the corn?!?!?!? YES! The maiz is ginormous. It's like corn on steroids (I wonder what the Peruvian laws say about hormone use on agriculture...). Oh well, it tastes good.

Ceviche!!! I like ceviche but my cravings have died down so it's okay. We went to one of the restaurants, and I got the cebiche mixta. Sadly, they cooked the fish before preparing the ceviche :'( but then a Peruvian came in and sang to musical accompaniment from his guitar and pipes which sounded exactly like "Oblah dee, Oblah dah, Life goes on" (p.s. I don't actually know the name of the song) and made my day =D Maybe yall'd be able to find a video of it somewhere on the blog.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Peru is in it's winter? I forgot to mention that to me :/ so it gets kinda cool, but still warm enough.

In sum, the weather's cool, the hostel's nice, the exhaust is bad, the people are kind, and the food is wonderful. Oh! and I bought a nifty little necklace that I'm taking a liking towards.

John the Andean singer

(written last evening) Today was a great day in Miraflores (an upscale district within Lima…think like the Woodlands of Houston).  We all woke up to a cool, damp, overcast day. There was a thick blanket of mist that engulfed the city, thereby creating a dreamlike, mystical quality to waking from my slumber.

After a cold, refreshing shower and a friendly chat with the front desk guy, Pedro, here at the hostel, we set out for a very long walk. Having skipped breakfast and walking for a couple mi les, we were quite hungry and decided to finally stop at a restaurant to have some Peruvian food.

Eduardo, an over-exuberant young man, motioned us over to a restaurant and proceeded to zealously describe the menu and convinced us to dine at his establishment. Eduardo was very nice and treated us like royalty. He so thoughtfully brought over a nice, young man, John, who was playing the guitar while simultaneously playing an Andean flute…absolutely fabulous! He came over to take pictures with us and sing & play at our tableside.

After waiting for a long time, the waiter brought out some fabulous food. Amanda had pasta, Johnathan ceviche, and for myself, fish covered with shrimp & squid. We also had some delicious plantains and conchitas a la chalacas (i.e. 90% red onion, 7% corn & tomato, 3% fish – all mixed and served on about a

dozen clam shells). After a long lunch, we trotted off to get a cell phone and proceeded to head towards the beach.

Johnathan and I got some ice cream along the way from a Peruvian fast food rest

aurant called Bembos. Upon finally reaching the coast, we were able to see the beautiful shoreline of Lima and hear the amazing roar & rumble of the waves crashing against the gray, rocky surface. There was a massive peninsula to our left, a large island to our right and small bought riding the waves in front of us.

We walked along the coast for a short while and then headed for a grocery store to pick up a few items to prepare for breakfast while staying here at the hostel. We then left with several heavy bags full of drinking water, fruit, bread, milk & cereal to continue about a 2-mile walk back to the hostel.

After dropping off groceries, we had to immediately leave to meet a friend, who runs an NGO here, Nexos Voluntarios, regarding prospects for future projects.

After our friend left our meeting, we volunteers proceeded to discuss this summer’s project and what initial steps need to take place within the next few days, particularly pertaining to performing market research here in Lima to better understand the demand for certain products that the indigenous community will be producing.

After our brief, productive planning meeting, we headed back for the hostel. I was glad to get back so that I could kick my shoes off my tired feet and pop a couple ibuprofens for the headache that the heavy auto emissions had given me. And well now, here I am writing for the blog, checking emails and am about to get ready for bed. Farewell for now.

I have been up for over 24 hours now, except for some attempts at napping during our 8 hour layover in San Salvador, but "esta bien!"  I am in Lima, the capital of Peru, which by the way has huge billboards and awesome looking casinos.

Anyway I am about to finally doze off in a quaint little hostel,  in my room on the roof with a balcony overlooking the neighborhood- yes we got lucky tonight. Our plans to stay at Lucia's aunt's B&B didn't quite work out but with the help of a super nice taxi driver, Jose Maria, we finally found this hostel which we will be staying in for the next week.

That's about all for now, buenas noches!

[Suchi singing la cucaracha in the background]

As we prepare for the upcoming trip at Suchi's, we gather in a bedroom to discuss how to setup this blog. At this point, I feel technologically challenged, but hopefully I'll manage =) so DEAL with it!

As far as my feelings go about this trip, I'm bombarded by so many emotions. I'm excited, anxious, nervous, scared, sad... you know, the usual feelings that precede an international flight to a remote location of a country with a significant indigenous population. This is definitely scarier than traveling to Spain since there were a lot more luxuries readily (somewhat) available. Sad, because I'll be leaving behind loved-ones for longer than I'd like <3<3<3 But ultimately, I'm uber excited (uhhh... muy emocionado =]) because this is my opportunity to immerse myself in a Spanish speaking country without the safety blanket (yay commitment! Spain doesn't count), AND I get to change the world for the better

I am very anxious and excited about this trip.  It will be an amazing experience and I hope that our efforts will be beneficial to the community. I am eager to learn about their indigenous culture and see the wondrous beauty of the Rainforest and Andean mountains. Also, as I have been graciously warned by Marlene, I will be watching out for vampire bats.   The volunteers are all awesome and I look forward to their company on this adventure.  I wish to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who is supporting me both financially and emotionally.  I also want to say hello to all of my friends and wish you all a wonderful summer.