Peru

4 Days Alone in Puerto Alegria

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Since I left a group from Alabama at the airport on Monday morning, it’s been both a busy and quiet week in Puerto Alegria. Unfortunately, I was unable to come into Iquitos as often as I would have liked to, but this happily allowed me to spend more time with the boys living at the Girasoles home in Puerto Alegria.

Since there wasn’t a work team, there wasn’t much for me to do than play and have fun. Therefore, this past week was full of soccer games, photographs, listening to Michael Jackon/DC Reto/Shakira (their favorite artists) on my iPod, dancing the choreographies, watching movies and making pop corn at night (which they call pop pop) and lots of sitting around and talking. I enjoy having work teams at Puerto Alegria, but it´s always fun to be the only one there too.

This being said, I’m off to the Iquitos airport to meet my last team for the summer. A group from Nebraska arrive today, and on Monday a small group from Berkley will arrive to install solar panels so we will have electricity all the time – which means we’ll now have a refrigerator!

Sadly though, this is my last group and I’ll be leaving Puerto Alegria and Iquitos next Sunday – August 16th – and returning to Lima.

Willy and Luis

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Willy and Luis, originally uploaded by katherinebruder.

I’ve written about Luis before, but this was just too cute to pass up.

Luis is the youngest boy that lives in Puerto Alegria. At just 4 years old, his mother left him in the care of Scripture Union. Since he is so young, he depends on Willy a lot for help – like any other 4 year old would depend on their parents. Since Willy takes a huge role in caring for him, Luis refers to him as Papí Willy, instead of Hermano Willy (brother Willy) like the others do.

When I took this photo, Willy was helping Luis with a coloring book. Actually, Willy was coloring while Luis was just sitting there watching.

A Day in the City

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This morning I took a team from Greensville, South Carolina back to the Iquitos airport after spending a week with them at our abandoned boys home in Puerto Alegria.

Their flight, which left Iquitos at 7:10am, fortunately missed all the heavy rains we have had in the past few hours. People that were out on the streets are thoroughly soaked and those that could, ran into the nearest stores and restaurants to avoid the downpour. Since it has been raining, the temperature has dropped to 72F, which is lovely! (I’m glad I brought as sweater this morning).

Since the flight left at 7:10, they had to be at the airport no later than 6am (ideally 5:30), which meant we all had to leave Puerto Alegria this morning at 4am. Getting up early is fine by me, it was after leaving the team at the airport at 6am that I had to be creative. Stores, restaurants and most internet cafes just aren’t open that early. Luckily, I know of an Internet cafe that is open 24 hours and was able to get some things done.

Since I’m here in the city until at least 4pm today waiting for Gene to run all his errands and meetings, it’s going to be a day of hanging out and exploring the city.

My next team, who is from Alabama, arrives on the first flight tomorrow morning at 6:50, which means another dark boat ride into the city of Iquitos tomorrow morning!

Luis and I

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Luis and I, originally uploaded by katherinebruder.

As I’ve written before, 4 year old Luis is one of the youngest and smallest boys at the Casa Girasoles Puerto Alegria home.

He is frequently climbing up on my lap, whether it be while I’m sitting on a bench in the dining room, riding to & from Iquitos on the boat, or swinging in a hammock. He’s around so much, that one of the caregivers calls him my little boy.

Since Luis is so young and not semi-self sufficient as the older boys, the caregivers has to spend more time and energy working with him (and Oriel, the other 5 year old that lives in Puerto Alegria). There is something sweet and sincere to watch a young man take care of two little boys like a father takes care of his own children. Especially in this machismo culture where men don’t take care of their own children, frequently abandoning them in the streets (hence the Girasoles abandoned boy program), to see the caregivers care for and love boys (not just Luis and Oriel, but all 40) like their own children is admirable.

In this photo, we were out to lunch in Iquitos eating pollos a la brasa (delicious rotisserie chicken) with all of the 40 Girasoles, which is definitely a treat.