Heading to Solo
Monday morning I woke up to the roosters crowing (like every other morning) and got prepared for the day. I say prepared because getting ready isn’t really a good description since all I ever really do is wake up, brush my teeth, and wash my face for the day. Looking pretty or cute isn’t a factor here, which is something we learned even more about when heading to these villages. We ate breakfast and then headed to the village. The ride was about 35 minutes or so and when we got there it looked like many of the other towns around the area, just more condensed. Right away you could hear the rushing of El Rio Maya which is the river that is in the backyard of this community and makes it stand out from so many others. There was running water and electricity in this village but I didn’t quite understand the point of the newer toilets in one of our housing areas. It really seemed kind of pointless because the other toilets were more like outhouses and seemed just as practical if not more. The running water is definitely a plus though when it comes to showers and what not, which I have a newfound appreciation for since I have only been able to shower in cold water and not even on a daily basis sometimes. The community is centered around a large soccer field and the community Tambo which is where we ate and hung out during most of our free time. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by the leaders of the village and also many of the other people who live there including the children, who have stolen a place in my heart forever. After we met many people they showed us where we would be sleeping, which I ended up staying in the same room that they have many guests stay. We had beds with small mattress pads and a bathroom in the “dorm” I will call it. However, like I said before though the shower was nice to have the toilet didn’t seem to always want to work and there wasn’t a door to it, so it was kind of uncomfortable. Once we all settled in we headed back to the community Tambo to find out what we were going to be doing for the rest of the day.
Three days in the village
After arriving on Monday morning we headed up to a Chakra which is farmland of the people living in the village. Now farmland to most of us is flat and planted in rows but this is not how things are in the Chakra. These farmers literally plant on slopes that I can barely walk up and while you are walking you have to watch where you are stepping because the plants are growing all over the place. It’s also incredible to watch the people walk to their Chakra’s because many of them are a lot older than you would think they were. One woman was 78 years old and walking around barefoot without even flinching as she walked up the mountain terrain. The only time she jumped was when there were ants all over the ground so that they didn’t bite her. But let me tell you the terrain is not for people who haven’t been walking around barefoot their whole life, she must have soles of leather to be able to do it. I can’t imagine being able to do that and I thought I had tough feet.
Some of the other things we did while in Solo were also quite fun and interesting. We got to hike up into the forest and find micro-organisms. I even got to use a machete to cut into a log that had the fungi that we were looking for in it. The hike was pretty rough; literally I think everything here is up a straight bank of dirt and leaves. It is definitely a work out though and I am impressed by how easily the people of Solo can move up the banks. We then got to learn how to make the compost with the microorganisms which I videotaped for my dad and Charlotte’s dad because I have a feeling they will enjoy it! Later on we learned how to make the soil that they use for their plants at the community center and also the people use it in their Chakra’s. It was pretty fun to plant some of their seeds as well and just help them out. They also took us in on the last night and dressed us up in their actual clothing for the party that they had. It was so much fun dancing around with everybody in their native attire doing their custom dances and eating/drinking their custom food/drinks.
We all had a great time with the kids of the village too. It was so fun just talking to them and playing with them. One little boy Jay was the sweetest and I think all of us wanted to scoop him up and take him home. There were also a lot of other kids that we all connected to and it was just nice to not have to say a lot of things but just be able to play since many of us didn’t know how to speak Spanish. Many people were asking about my piercings, which I thought was funny because I know my mom and dad don’t exactly love them either. At the end of our stay we spent some time with the whole community and they showed us their traditional fun. I just really can’t even explain it all and I can’t wait to show it in pictures for everyone because it would be way easier to do it that way.
None the less it was a blast and I am so happy that I have had Charlotte here the whole time. I have grown as a person but I also know that our friendship has grown immensely. I will definitely look back at this time that I have spent here and remember a million things and I am happy I will always have someone to share the experiences with. As tough as it has been to be away from my family and friends I know when I get back our relationships will have also grown because of the time we have spent apart. I haven’t been sad or anything just sometimes a little pang in my heart or stomach when I miss people. There are a lot of times where I wish I could just call up home and say hi and just talk/hear their voices. It’s definitely an experience. Tomorrow is the 7th though which means about 11 days until I start my trek home. I know looking back it is going to seem like it flew by so I’m just looking at it day by day and living in the moment. I have come to realize how great my friends and family are and how much I appreciate having them for support and love J
http://www.charlottegoestoperu.blogspot.com/ is Charlotte's page as well and she has more pictures from this immersion :)
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