Glacial Lakes

Despite being exhausted from yesterday’s activities we were determined to take advantage of the incredible hiking available in Ancash. We woke up at 5am and set off to Laguna Churup, a hike through the mountains that leads to a beautiful glacial lake. We piled in a taxi and slowly meandered through winding, bumpy roads. As we ascended to the starting point we passed through various small towns where men and women in traditional dress tended to the pigs and cows lining the pastures. When we arrived at the base of the climb we were surrounded by mountains covered by snow and half-immersed by low lying clouds.

As we continued our hike we passed waterfalls, steep rock crevices, and beautiful views. After about three hours we arrived at Laguna Churup, which is an incredibly clear turquoise glacial lake surrounded by snow capped mountains and rock cliffs. Although the cloud cover blocked some of the view, it added to the mystical feel. There is a tradition for Ancash volunteers to jump in as many glacial lakes as they can during their service, so Kyle, one of the proud Ancash volunteers, dove in the freezing water and provided entertainment for those of us who preferred to stay clothed and dry.

Turkey Trots and Epic Feasts

Thanksgiving is traditionally a holiday spent in the most familiar of settings with family and old friends. This Thanksgiving, although far from familiar, was undoubtedly one of the most memorable holidays I’ve experienced so far. When you combine 16 gringos, 25+ Peruvians, hundreds of pounds of food, and a lot of cultural interchanges, you’re sure to have a Thanksgiving to remember.

The day began bright and early with a full-blown “Turkey Trot 5K Gran Marathon”. When we first discussed the possibility of a Turkey Trot, I envisioned a bunch of Americans running aimlessly around the streets of Huaraz. However, John William ran with the idea and transformed the event into an awesome event complete with a police and ambulance escort, prizes, loudspeakers, and a significant number of both Peruvian participants and fans. We arrived in Jungas proudly sporting our 5K Turkey Trot T-Shirts. After a quick carbo-load we piled in a small taxi and drove about 5 kilometers down the main road leaving from Jungas. We arrived at the starting point and several other Peruvians were already awaiting the start. Wearing spandex and running gear, they looked much more serious than our motley crew. The start of the race was marked by a large statue of the “Virgen” with snowcapped mountains decorating the skyline in the background. With the siren of the police car we all took off running, many of us still adjusting to the dramatic altitude difference. Jungas is situated at an altitude of about 3500 meters, or over 10,000 feet, so those of us living in coastal sites could feel our hearts beating faster and our lungs working harder as our body fought to adjust to the lack of oxygen. As we continued through the race we passed combis, curious farmers, lots of animals, and little children who were clearly perplexed by the mass of gringos running through the busy road to their town. When we entered the town we had an animated fan base cheering us on as we circled the plaza and crossed the finish line. In addition to our group, dozens of Peruvian adults and little children also participated in the 1^st annual Peruvian Turkey Trot. The conclusion of the race featured music, prizes, and even a little bit of dancing in the plaza.

Following our “gran marathon” we continued on to the very important task of food preparation. Cooking a Thanksgiving dinner in Peru for over 40 people without running water or many typical ingredients could have been a challenge, but every step of the preparation process was an experience. Boiling potatoes over firewood, cooking turkeys in a huge adobe oven, peeling potatoes with butter knives, crushing cloves by hand, baking pies in frying pans, adapting recipes to meet the available Peruvian ingredients; you name it, we conquered it. After an entire day of preparation we had an incredible spread of traditional American Thanksgiving dishes: Two delicious turkeys, homemade gravy, an enormous pot of garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruit salad, stuffing, apple pie, a spin-off of pumpkin pie, homemade whipped cream, banana pudding, and more. Each of us contributed our own expertise and willing hands to prepare a truly unique and successful Thanksgiving meal. It would have been easy for us to go to a restaurant or cook only amongst ourselves, but sharing one of the most special American traditions with a Peruvian community was a true testament to what I believe is the heart of Peace Corps. As we sat down to eat at a crowded table of Peruvians and Americans in a small town in the mountains of Peru I could help but feel overwhelmed with blessings and thanks. Despite being far from so many I love, this Thanksgiving will be a holiday I never forget.

A Very Unique Thanksgiving

Feliz Dia de Dar Gracias! One year ago I would never have expected to be spending Thanksgiving in the mountains of Peru. I woke up Thanksgiving morning on an overnight bus arriving into Huaraz, Ancash, a beautiful mountainous region of Peru about 11 hours south of Trujillo. Ancash is considered one of the premier mountain climbing destinations in South America, and the snow covered peaks surrounding the city were proof. We were greeted in a happy reunion by other Peace Corps volunteers who live in the department of Ancash and began our Thanksgiving by enjoying an Americanized breakfast at an awesome local cafe. We spent the rest of the day exploring the city. Our hostel was located downtown and we could see the white topped peaks from our room. We ventured to “Old Huaraz” which is the only remaining section of the city that remains intact after the earthquake in 1970. We followed the narrow streets and admired the homes with white facades and red tiled roofs as children shouted “hello” to the misplaced gringos. We continued to the mirador, which provided an awesome aerial view of Huaraz and mountains in the background.

Although we’re saving our large, traditional Thanksgiving feast for Saturday, we decided we would cook a comforting American meal to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We raided the Peruvian grocery store and found the ingredients to cook delicious pizzas, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, and fudge brownies. Cooking was a cooperative event, and we each had our own job; whether it be playing DJ, watching water boil, or preparing the actual food. The preparation and dinner turned into a dance party and sing-a-long as we enjoyed each other’s company and one of the most unique Thanksgivings I’ll probably ever experience.

Donkey Rides and Feliz Cumpleanos

In an effort to reinvigorate a preexisting youth group in Poroto, I’ve been working with a Peruvian NGO to develop the leadership in the group and begin to plan activities to benefit the community. One of the first activities we plan to do is a chocolotada in Huayabito, the furthest and most isolated caserios in the district. A chocolotada is a Christmas activity where chocolate, cake, and presents are given to children and community members in need. Today we woke up early and travelled to the caserio with about 6 teenagers who are involved in the youth group. The trip to Huayabito is about 3 hours walking, but in addition to walking the boys also brought a donkey and a bicycle to assist with our travel. The donkey was not a happy camper, so he needed quite a bit of encouragement to continue up the steep passageways and winding roads, especially when two of the girls decided to ride him. Additionally, the bike wasn’t of much help to anyone as the trip was primarily up hill.

When we finally arrived in Huayabito under the warm morning sun we travelled around to the different houses in the community to inform them of the Christmas event we were planning as well as to generate a list of children’s sex and ages for our gift preparation. It was a beautiful day, although a little sunny. The caserio is far removed from the main center of Poroto and remains isolated from many of the resources available to the rest of the population. For this reason, I think it’s important for the youth of Poroto to acknowledge how others within their community live. The youth seem enthusiastic about reaching out to those in need, and I think this activity should be a good opportunity for them to see a different part of their district. Although poverty is evident throughout Poroto, there are definitely areas with fewer opportunities.

As we were returning from our trip we were all pretty tired from the long walk and early morning. As we descended, two boys were riding their bike down the steep rocky road when they hit a rough patch and tumbled off. Bleeding but laughing they examined the damage sustained by their bicycle, which literally broke in half. From that point the unhappy donkey was forced to carry the bicycle pieces as we scampered down the remaining paths.

Following our morning trip to Huayabito we began preparation for our surprise party for Joshy, my host sister who is turning 17. I made an enormous chocolate cake that turned out much better than my last attempt. They don’t really use mixers here, and my host mom was convinced that a fork wouldn’t be sufficient, so I ended up using my hands to mix the cake batter. I was literally up to my forearms in gooey chocolate cake batter, but it was pretty delicious. We sent Joshy off with her friends as we decorated the living room with streamers, balloons, snacks, and a piñata. As 8:00 approached and we were awaiting her arrival very few people had shown up. In typical Peruvian fashion, all of her friends arrived just moments before her and it was quite a struggle to keep 20+ teenagers quiet in the dark as we anticipated her return. Luckily she was surprised and the party was a success, complete with dancing, lots of food, and music.

Camp ALMA

The lovely ladies of the winning team, Las Panteras Rosadas

Camp ALMA, which stands for Actividades Liderazgos Mujeres Adoloscentes (Leadership Activities for Adolescent Females), is a Peace Corps youth leadership camp that is organized and carried out by volunteers in each region of Peru. This weekend we hosted Camp ALMA for about 33 teenage girls of La Libertad. The weekend consisted of games, activities, leadership workshops, educational sessions, and opportunities for the girls to form relationships with other girls in their region. La Libertad is a diverse department, composed of traditional Sierra/mountain environments and more progressive Coastal areas, so this was a unique opportunity for teen leaders throughout La Libertad to get together and share experiences. The location was beautiful and featured space for camping, swimming, volleyball, campfires, and other games. Both male and female volunteers participated in this weekend camp, but the males were primarily responsible for cooking and cleaning while the females volunteers took a more active role in the activities and workshops (reinforcing the breakdown of gender stereotypes!).

The girls were broken up into color-coordinated teams, and despite their initial whining about being separated from their friends, they were united and exited to work together by the end of the first evening. I was the proud representative of “Las Panteras Rosadas” or Pink Panther Team. Each activity was an opportunity to earn points towards the final “championship”. The prize/mascot of Camp ALMA was a gold mannequin we fondly named “Almama”. Although I personally thought this giant trophy-like doll was somewhat creepy, the girls liked the idea of passing around the trophy depending on the point dispersion. Throughout the weekend we prepare massive quantities of food, executed various games, and facilitated various sessions about leadership and youth engagement. One of the most unique activities we did was the “Human Flag” which involved taping a team member to the wall and decorating them as if they were your personal team flag. I was the lucky candidate, and after rolls of scotch tape were not-so-gently adhered to my skin, I actually managed to stick to the wall. Here I am, stuck to the wall and pretending to enjoy it.

Many of the youth living in isolated rural areas don’t often have the chance to travel or meet people outside their own town, so this was a great opportunity for the girls to meet other teens from their department as well as international volunteers. The weekend was successful and we were even featured in the Trujillo newspaper!

Site Visit

My host mom, host dad, me, my regional coordinator Sandra, and APCD Marko

During the first three months of training each volunteer receives a site visit from Peace Corps staff to monitor progress, meet important community members, and observe current activities. Today Sandra, my regional coordinator, and Marko, the 2nd in command in all of Peace Corps Peru/ temporary youth program director travelled to Poroto for my site visit. They accompanied me to my English class in Shiran, where the director and students were quite excited to have visitors. Following my English class we met with the nurse from the health post to talk about future projects and current coordination with the health post through Consejeras de Salud and other projects. It was fun to have the opportunity to show people around my town and introduce them to the people I’ve been working with. I’m excited to begin future projects and I think it was beneficial for my community to meet my “jefes” (bosses).


Marko, my host brother Max, me, my host sister Joselyn, my host dad Maximo, and my host mom Pascuala. Please note how tiny my host dad is.

After the community tour and meetings we went back to my host family’s house for lunch. My host mom had been cooking all morning and prepared my favorite foods. We started out with fresh white pineapple from their farm which was followed by an enormous plate of ceviche, sweet potato, yucca, and corn accompanied by fresh squeezed lemonade. When I thought we were finished my host mom brought out huge plates of pasta with chicken, which could have easily been an entirely separate meal. It was great to chat with my host family and Peace Corps staff, and I feel really blessed to have a host family that is so outgoing, warm, and welcoming. It can be difficult to explain exactly what Peace Corps is or the role I will be fulfilling, but opportunities like this help solidify the goal of my presence in the community and help bridge relationships between Peace Corps and my town.

Pollo, Verduras, Arroz- Oh My!

Peruvian markets tend to be crazy, and our most recent experience at Hermelinda, Trujillo’s enormous local market was by far the most impressive market I have seen in Peru. Ian and I are on the food committee for Camp ALMA this weekend, so we were in charge of forming a menu and shopping list to feed 60 people for 3 days. Determining the quantity of rice, meat, vegetables, spices, and supplies for Peruvian recipes was quite an undertaking, but we finalized a menu and arrived at Hermelinda armed with our very explicit list of groceries. Fortunately we were accompanied by Chabela, a senora from Ian’s town who turned out to be an absolute life saver. The market is divided into sections, each exploding with mountains of fresh produce and supplies and swarming with experienced shoppers carefully selecting their purchases.

We began in the produce section, and continued throughout the expansive warehouses with bags full of fruits and vegetables. Ian looked like Santa Claus with his enormous market bag swung over his back as we bartered for fair prices on the next item. We literally purchased hundreds of pounds of vegetables, and eventually enlisted the help of a wheelbarrow to transport our groceries to our next location. Buying food in Hermelinda is a delicate science, and Chabela knew exactly which vendor had the highest quality and lowest price merchandise. After several hours of shopping and lugging our gigantic bags around the market, we piled into a taxi with our hundreds of pounds of foods and congratulated each other on an impressive shopping trip in a truly local Peruivan market.

At the risk of giving you too much personal information, I will relay my next experience at Hermelinda that was somewhat less pleasant. Having completed the bulk of our shopping on Wednesday, we returned on Friday to purchase our meat and final odds and ends. Unfortunately, the night before I had eaten Ceviche that didn’t set too well. I woke up at 3am throwing up and continued to throw up throughout the night. I had make my way to Hermelinda to meet Ian and finish our shopping, so I literally drug myself onto the combi and headed to Trujillo. Of course the combi was packed, and I had a child and old woman literally on my lap. Luckily for them I managed to refrain from throwing up all over them. I finally arrived at Hermelinda and was grateful for a breath of fresh air, until I entered the meat section and was overwhelmed with all the smells you can all imagine. We selected our chickens while they were still alive and weighed them in this huge crate, as they were still pecking around. I don’t know how I managed to pull myself together, but I made it through the process of not only selecting our meat, but watching them be de-feathered and chopped up. Needless to say, I was quite happy to escape the market and the many smells that accompany it.

Feliz Halloween

One of the official Peace Corps goals is to exchange cultural experiences of our home country with those living in our host country. After experiencing many Peruvian festivals and holidays, I decided Halloween would be a perfect opportunity to expose Peruvian youth to some of the “holiday culture” of the US. I never realized how bizarre the traditions of Halloween are until I had to explain them in Spanish to a bunch of Peruvians. Although as a child I loved dressing up and walking around to neighbors houses asking for candy or a “trick” it sounds a little strange out of context. The purpose behind Halloween reminds unbeknownst to me, but the girls in my youth group quickly embraced the idea of a Halloween party. We organized costumes, candy and refreshments, music, and balloons (of course). I was pretty impressed by their enthusiasm, and our Halloween party turned into a successful dance party.

Una Casa Nueva

Big news here in Poroto. I am officially living with a new host family. The host family experience is one of the most important aspects of the Peace Corps and essential for integrating into the community and making meaningful relationships with the town. Although my previous host family tried to make me comfortable and involve me in their lives, they were extremely busy with their store and restaurant. The environment was chaotic and there was little space and time for sharing experiences or spending time together. It was an incredibly difficult decision to switch houses, but I think the new situation will be much better. I am so grateful for my first host family and the generous welcome they’ve given me to Peru, but I am excited to live in a more family-oriented house. My regional coordinator came by yesterday and spoke with first host family as well as the new family, and I moved today. It was definitely stressful to explain the situation not only to my family, but to the entire town. In a community of 1200 everyone knows everyone else’s business and in a culture of “chisme” (gossip) I was concerned about the repercussions of switiching. However, so far everyone seems to be understanding of the situation. It will be a bit of a readjustment phase, but I am excited to get to know a new family and feel at home.

My new home is located only about 100 yards from my previous house. I’m still incredibly close to the plaza, but some of the craziness and noise should now be muffled. I have an incredible view from my bedroom- I can see the school as well as the beautiful green mountains in the background. Its amazing how happy a window can make you; I seriously can’t stop smiling when I’m sitting in my room. My new host mom, Senora Pascuala, works in a kiosk in town where she sells snacks and baked goods. My host dad, Senor Maximo, works in the chacra and harvests pineapple, corn, and other fruits and vegetables. I also have two host siblings; Joselyn (Joshy), who is 16 and about to graduate from high school, and Max, who is 20 and studying agricultural engineering in Trujillo.

In a wonderful welcome to my new situation and family, Joshy and two other teenage girls took me for a beautiful hike through the river in town. We left Poroto around 2:00 and were walking for a solid 3 hours through the rocky river bed. Sugar cane, steep cerros, and surrounding fields provided an amazing backdrop for our river walk. As we were hopping between giant rocks we ran into little kids bathing in the river and soaking up the sun who happily yelled “Senorita Kelsi” when they saw me. The surroundings in Poroto are so beautiful, and it’s a constant reminder of the blessings I have here. This little adventure was a great way to bond with my new host sister and provided me with yet another reason to be excited for the upcoming two years.

Biking Adventures Continue

In honor of one of the many Peruvian holidays, today was feriado, which means no school or productive activity of any kind. Ian and I decided to take advantage of the day and went on a lovely bike excursion to Santo Domingo, about 15 kilometers from Ian’s site. We strapped on our helmets and pedaled through the sugarcane lined roads to a beautiful lake called Laguna de Canache hidden within the sand dunes and desert environment of the suburbs of Trujillo. We wondered around in circles in the surrounding areas before heading back and enjoying some snacks along the bank of the lake. We continued our bike ride to check out the site for Camp ALMA, a weekend camp we’re organizing for teenage girls in La Libertad. The location is gorgeous and we were able to visualize the activities and events we’re planning for the event.