Poppa didn't raise no fool.

As usual, we've been pretty busy since Thursday.  Yesterday was bittersweet.  We had a great time traveling to different schools in Sicaya.  At the Florida School, we did our lesson about the importance of washing hands and brushing teeth again, played games with the kids and evaluated the cleanliness and safety of the school.  I seriously must be a "chill kid" magnet, because before I knew it I had the most adorable little boy sitting in my lap who was content just watching the other kids play.  This school actually passed with flying colors (for the most part) and so we didn't end up spending much time there.  


Then we went back to the school we went to the week before, Vincente (something-or-other with a really complicated last name), to celebrate the school's 46th anniversary.  Boy was it a celebration.  We started off with a rather long mass, but it was so great.  There's something about hearing the Bible in another language that puts things into proper perspective.  After the mass all of the school children did peruvian dance in traditional attire.  IT WAS ADORABLE.  I seriously almost pulled an Angelina Jolie and stole a couple of kids, but don't worry guys, I didn't.  I mean, there parents were right there and our living quarters are fairly packed as it is.  Once the oldest kids were done with their dance they took each of us and made us do the traditional dance with them.  Needless to say, hilarity ensued.  Everyone and their mother (literally) wanted their pictures with us.  Granted, there are like NO other gringos here in Huancayo (we actually saw one the other day and pointed and stared, just like the peruvians), but it still made me feel kind of uncomfortable.  Here are these kids that just performed and some of the moms wanted pictures with us instead of them, odd to say the least.


Our next stop on the hit parade was EsSalud, the insurance hospital, for a lesson by their volunteers.  What we didn't realize was that the lesson was on a very complicated dance from the north of Peru.  I couldn't tell you how many times the Spanish words for "to flirt," "conquest," and "intensity" were used.  We were dying of laughter.  Once that was over (and thank God for that) we were off to the school to have a lesson about how to take a medical history.  It was interesting enough but then reality started to set in, our dearest Clare Gillett, one of us was leaving late that night.  We arrived home and were greeted by a spectacular dinner prepared by our housemom, Elena, in honor of Clare's last meal.  We were immediately handed pisco sours (SO much better than the last one I had), oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and Lomo Saltado.  Lomo Saltado is ridiculously good, it consists of pieces of beef tenderloin grilled with onions, tomatoes, and other delicious goodies. We all stayed up to bid Clare "adieu" (she's Canadian and speaks Spanish with a French accent, that's right Clare, I just went there) and then passed out.  


This morning we woke up early to discover a little bit more of Huancayo.  There are these incredible rock formations, called Torre Torre, on the outskirts of the city that we were dying to go to.  We were told by our director Elena and our housemom Elena to go in the morning, since it's in a not so great part of town.  At first, we didn't really understand what they were talking about, the people seemed friendly and the barrio appeared clean.  We were so close to the base of the main part of Torre Torre when we understood.  We had noticed that there were two guys kind of meandering along the side of the mountain and  little kid was following us.  We had a brief pow wow on the path and decided to put Scott and Spencer (the two guys in our group) at the front and at the rear and the six girls (Sarah, Callie, Lena, Emily, Lauren and me) in the middle, and Spencer led the way with his hand on his knife (see Dad, I didn't need to bring my mace!) the entire time.  They appeared to leave us along at first, but the paranoia that has been ingrained in me since I was a wee tot didn't cease (good work, Pops).  


Once we got to the base of Torre Torre I looked up at the steep ascent with little footing and knew that wouldn't necessarily be the best choice for me, so Emily and I stayed at the base while the others crawled their way up.  Sitting there, I just prayed that nothing bad would happen and Emily and I took turns watching the guys and the little boy like hawks.  While I was paranoid, I wasn't physically or visually freaking out (guess what Guatey's!  I DO have a poker face in important situations!!).  At one point one of the guys got on the opposite side of the crest where the path we took to enter was and I knew this was bad news.  Thanks Mr. Schepansky for teaching me the art of the ambush and how it is most effective when achieved with a multi-front attack, because I was NOT about to go back down on that path.  Luckily there were alternate routes and our group slowly weaved our way down the hills and through more gorgeous rock formations.  When we got to a main road we were out of sight of the men and quickly took a taxi to the main square of Huancayo for some sustenance. So Pops, consider my safety a Father's Day present and thanks for brainwashing me to be paranoid :).  And Happy early Father's Day to all!


Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  (...) Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:4 & 6 (Not only was it fitting but it also was one of my Papa Janda's favorite Bible verses.