Urubamba!!!

Just an hour taxi ride and I am in a different Peru. Urubmaba is situated next to the Rio Urubamba in the heart of the Sacred Valley. This peaceful town sits at an altitude of 9,419 feet, and rests below the spectacular Chicon glacier. With a population of 18,000, Urubamba is the largest town in the sacred valley. There are many smaller rural villages close to Urubamba, but is the only one that offers comfortable amenities such as hot water, electricity, restaurants, and internet cafes. I have to admit, I am going through a little bit of culture shock…this place is beautiful, but I am just overwhelmed by new sights, smells, and lots and lots of dirt!

Casa ProPeru is the home-base for all of the interns, and that is where I had my orientation. It is sort of a converted little farm, with a few offices, a kitchen, bathrooms, and BOTTLED WATER!!! A big plus! There is a group of about 30 students and teachers from a high school in Canada here for an alternate spring break. I will be working with them on the stoves project for the next two weeks, and then I will learn the water filter project.

After orientation I got picked up in a moto-taxi by my host mother Dulia and her daughter Allison. Allison is a very animated and energetic four year old, who just started her first day of kindergarden on Monday. Dulia is wonderful too! She welcomed me into her home with open arms! The house is great, very big and spacious which is rare in Urubamba. I have my own room, which is kind of attached to their house so it is my own space which is really nice. Oh ya, we have gallenas!! Or chickens…she raises them herself so that they are organic!

My first full day I went for a Spanish interview. Just a 20 min. conversation to see what level I am at. It will be just me and a teacher for 6 ½ hours a week!!! So I am bound to learn a lot J then it was off to el festival de choclo with my host family. The once a year grand celebration of corn! What an experience! The festival was in the next town over so we took cambys to get there…vans which seat 10 but fit 30!!! They are really safe though mom J I tried some choclo. Delicious and about three times as big as our corn at home! Description of market: 70 year old women carrying 40+ lbs. of food on their backs. Crowds. Noise. Trading of goods. Beautiful colors. Babies carried in slings. The only gringa in a sea of local Peruvians. Lots of potatoes, and delicious fruits. The line to get to the church and say a special prayer for the corn crop was a ½ mile long. Wiping wax of the candles on my face to receive a special blessing. Pure Peru I think!!

Ok, I will surely write more about my stove project in following blogs, but basically we drive to communities even more rural than Urubamba and install ceramic brick stoves. People in these small towns have always cooked without chimneys and the walls behind their kitchens are full of soot and the houses, full of smoke. So these stoves are really a blessing! Wish you could have seen me this morning trying to learn how to make the stoves!! It was quite comical, with guinne pigs running around everywhere at my feet and slapping barro around for hours (mud,guinne pig hair, salt, and animal crap :) together with a large group of highschool kids from Canada, we will be working with them for two weeks, we made nine stoves, in about 4 hours. But even though i was tired and covered in barro, I felt great, and felt like I really did work that will make a huge difference today.

Ok, I am out of internet time and have to get to Spanish class, but I will write more soon….hopefully this link to pictures works!
Lots of love and hugs! Kate

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