| At the end of July I saw a brief feature on local | | | | nicer than most people here, so they like us and |
| TV about a Canadian couple who had mortgaged | | | | protect us, which is great. When I'm on the phone |
| their home to create an international non-profit | | | | downstairs or walking outside at night, they each |
| development organization in Peru, starting with | | | | do a good job guarding me, so I feel pretty safe. |
| shipping a container full of donated medical supplies | | | | The dogs here are very territorial, and I've seen |
| to a small town on the Peruvian coast. I didn't | | | | them show their teeth to strange men, but never |
| catch the person's name, but I did catch the | | | | to any of us. They're both big - one is a black lab |
| website: Once on the site I sent an email, and | | | | and one is a golden colored mix. We've also |
| Josh, the co-founder of this organization, got back | | | | endeared ourselves to many of |
| to me in an email from Peru to arrange an | | | | the kids in the neighbourhood. We have different |
| interview with his wife, Danielle, who had came up | | | | running jokes with different kids, and they're lots |
| with the idea for this project.I had a chance to do | | | | of fun.Last night we were watching a movie on |
| an interview with Danielle who told me about how | | | | our projector, which is like 6' by 7' on the wall, |
| she and her husband Josh remortgaged their | | | | and three kids and a dog, and our Peruvian friend |
| home to raise $30,000 to start a non-profit | | | | Christian all stopped by. The kids were facinated |
| community development organization in a town | | | | by the huge tv thing, touching the wall as if they |
| called Mancora, a small fishing town of 15,000 | | | | thought it was hot.Josh and Sean visited the |
| people, located in northern Peru on the Pacific | | | | centre for special needs kids yesterday, and the |
| coast, just south of the Ecuadorian border. They | | | | kids there were literally hanging off them, jumping |
| already shipped a container full of medical supplies | | | | into their arms and hugging them. Very cute. The |
| to Peru, at their own cost.In August Danielle | | | | centre also hosts a number of volunteers, mostly |
| moved to Peru to join her husband Josh, to help | | | | from the UK, so it's been nice to meet other |
| this Peruvian community of Mancora. Danielle will | | | | volunteer travelers and talk about our |
| be sharing with us regularly how she and her | | | | experiences. Sean and I and another friend also |
| husband are doing in this little town in Peru and | | | | went to see one of our students play volleyball at |
| she'll tell us stories (sometimes humorous ones) | | | | the local stadium Tuesday night. It was a full |
| about cultural adjustment as well as give us | | | | house, and the kids were really good, |
| progress reports of her non-profit community | | | | despite having no kneepads and playing on a hard |
| assistance organiation.Here is her first update | | | | cement surface.So, I'll end this update with a |
| from Peru, sent | | | | funny story....there are many, but this one is |
| --------------------Hi everyone,This is a group email, | | | | choice. I still laugh when I think about it. The other |
| but it's not that I don't love you each enough to | | | | day, Maria, who works with Frank and Cecilia, |
| send you individual updates. It's just that we don't | | | | comes to the door with a friend and asks if we'd |
| have internet at our place yet, and I've been | | | | like to buy some Pina (pinapple) shampoo. In a |
| really busy, so for now, this is the best way to | | | | glass. Hmmm. So we said that that wasn't really |
| let you all know what's been going on.So getting a | | | | ideal, because it was just going to fill with water in |
| phone has been a challenge. There are two | | | | the shower. They started laughing, because they |
| potential problems in getting a phone set up in | | | | knew what we were thinking, but I guess with |
| Mancora. One is that there might not be enough | | | | the language barrier, they couldn't explain. So they |
| phone lines on your block, the other is that there | | | | came back a few minutes later with two glasses |
| may be too many phone lines. We are in the 'too | | | | of thick, chunky pinnaplely looking stuff, and we |
| much phone zone'. So we're still trying to figure it | | | | took it. We figured 'when in Rome....', so Sean |
| out....I've been busy working with 3 teen girls, | | | | decided to try it out in the shower. He was |
| talking, watching movies, teaching English, learning | | | | laughing and yelling from the shower because it |
| Spanish, and laughing a lot. Two of them are | | | | was getting stuck in his chest hair, and he needed |
| young women I worked with last year, and they | | | | regular shampoo to wash it out. As it turned out, |
| are each unique with different struggles. The | | | | it was a dessert served here, similar to a pudding, |
| tough thing here is that besides us, there is no | | | | but it is in fact called 'shampoo'. We learned the |
| one to call for help, no services or infrastructure. | | | | hard way again to always expect the unexpected |
| Cecilia and I are working on getting information on | | | | here, and never to assume things are as they |
| what women's legal rights are here, and we will go | | | | appear! : )So that's all for now. In general, we're all |
| to the provincial centre next week to speak with | | | | feeling very at home and very much part of a |
| the police there. What we've learned is they don't | | | | community. Our house is more often than not full |
| have many rights, but we are working hard to | | | | of visitors passing through (kids from the |
| make friends with the police here so that they will | | | | neighbourhood, friends, dogs....with no phones, |
| enforce the laws that do exist.A couple weeks | | | | people can't call ahead), and we're all getting along |
| ago, one of the women we know was kicked by | | | | well and working out the cooking and cleaning |
| her ex-boyfriend in the street and Josh, Frank, | | | | chores together.I hope you're all well, I miss you |
| Sean and Cecilia were there, backing her up, but | | | | all, and will write again soon, |
| it's hard to do much more. At least for now, the | | | | much love,danielle : )Susanne Pacher is the |
| bad guys know that there is now a posse in town | | | | publisher of a website called Travel and |
| willing to help women.Our house is great. I feel | | | | Transitions ( Travel and Transitions deals with |
| really comfortable and at home here. The guys | | | | unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, |
| did a ton of work in the few days before I | | | | tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with |
| arrived, installing shelves, locks on all the individual | | | | travellers and travel experts, insights and |
| doors, and we have a well-stocked kitchen, lots | | | | reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and |
| of space, and nice furniture. We each have our | | | | many other features. You will also find stories |
| own room, and the spare room has been busy as | | | | about life and the transitions that we face as we |
| well. Chris, another PaM director from Toronto, is | | | | go through our own personal life-long |
| here now, and a friend of Miguel's from | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in our |
| university was here last week. Our first two | | | | first travel story contest ( and have a chance to |
| paramedic volunteers arrive Sept.11th, with 3 or 4 | | | | win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon |
| more coming in October.Our neighbours on each | | | | River. |
| side have dogs, and I think we treat them much | | | | |