Social reality vs tourism

Unfortunately it seems that Tarma is out of the question because of a miners' strike in the highlands which includes blocking the main road on which the buses to Tarma and the jungle normally drive. So it's back to the drawing board for our trip. Maybe Ayacucho and colonial-style buildings?
At the same time, I just received an e-mail from one of the rugby girls saying she couldn't come to practice because her brother had not returned from the city Tingo Maria by car when he should have come on Monday, and the whole family is verry worried.
I'm starting to think Cruz del Sur looks like a nice bus company - they claim to monitor their fleet by satellite and offer internet on the bus (assuming anyone would risk taking their laptop on the bus).

Bruised and battered, but happy

The most positive thing about not having any work, is that I'm able to attend rugby practice regularly, and on Sunday, FINALLY, we had a game against the Newton girls. Final score 25-5, even though we had instances of running around like headless chickens on our side of the pitch...as a result, Sergio our Argentinian coach has promised to try to get Agraria university to give us another hour of floodlights on Thursdays so that he can coach the girls alone. Hopefully more than the average of 1 1/2 girl will turn up!
Yesterday Michael and I bought bus tickets to Tarma, up in the highlands. Thursday and Friday are public holidays here, so we will leave at 10 pm tomorrow night and arrive at 4.30 am(!). I'm a little nervous about the ascent; the highest point of the journey is around 4.8 km over the sea, and reaching it in mere 3 hours has certain impacts on your sensory system, balance and stomach...everyone has his/her own trick, just as with sea sickness. After the peak, we descend to a village close to Tarma, where Michael's cousin's mother-in-law owns a restaurant, and where we will have a room waiting for us. We will then use Tarma as "base camp" for going to La Merced, which is in the jungle, and San Pedro, which is famous for textile crafts. Packing will be tricky too; this winter is colder than ever in Peru, so we need to bring a lot of sweaters and a blanket for the bus and stay in Tarma, but swimwear, mosquito repellant, sun block and hats for going to the jungle! I can't wait!

It never rains but it drizzles

The endearing winter weather of Lima has taken on a new aspect: driving drizzle. I quite enjoy it, because it means the dust stays put on the ground.

Yesterday it was one month since Michael's mother died, which meant we went to the mass at the church in Magdalena to hear her name being read. Then all the aunts and accompanying family (16 people) came to our flat for tea and sandwiches. I impressed the tías with homemade bread.

Today Michael had invited his dad for lunch at Manolo's, our favourite cevichería, as it's his dad's birthday on the 18th. We tried a, for me, new dish: parihuela. It consists of all sorts of seafood and fish in a tomato and chili soup. Delicious, and it looked very nice with a big crab on top!
Michael's dad enjoyed himself so much he hinted several times that this would be a nice thing to do more often...

OUCH!

On Sunday, we (Alumni women's team) were supposed to play against Newton College. Unfortunately after the men started one hour late and because the pitch lacked lights, we had to postpone the game, probably until the 24th and then play two consecutive games instead. With my muscles still complaining about going back to practice on Thursday, I was quite happy.
Michael, who had come along to see me play, was a bit disappointed, but took some nice pictures anyway.

Rugby Newton

On Monday I ventured to an athletics stadium in central Lima, where the rugby people from different clubs are practising running and skipping and other things that will improve their overall performance. I discovered more places which could hurt.

Yesterday Sergio decided to get serious with the "normal" practice, so after warming up we first did exercises running with the ball and then spent half an hour practising tackling. I am now more blue and red than pink. Ouch! Today is definitely resting day.

But Sir, my grammar is APPALLING!

Yesterday I went to the ICPNA, the US/Peruvian cultural institute, to evaluate my Spanish level and sign up for a month's intensive course. The outcome was not as expected. In fact the examining teacher told me to go home and invest in a radio and some books, because they didn't offer the level that I needed. I tried to convince him that under pressure (for example, in a "combi" van, trying to negotiate destination and directions) I am barely intelligible, but he refused to listen. Quite happy, I went and spent some of the course fee on books, and ran into a severely understimulated bookshop clerk my own age. He managed to go give me a summary of Peru's best contemporary poets as well as the general poetry genres in about 15 minutes! It was really funny and interesting, he even managed to include Henning Mankell in the conversation (the books of whom were on the opposite shelf). We also established that we both like W.H. Auden. Then I bought some poetry books, and to his utter disbelief, a Spanish translation of Terry Pratchett. Well? I wasn't going to kill all my learning appetite by starting at the deep end with Señor Cervantes, now was I?!

There are some new photos on Picasa:

Learning how to make Crema Volteada

VIP visit!