Peru journal--Day 4

Day 4: Tuesday, July 19th, 20ll
First Trip to Huambo
We went to the school in Huambo. All the kids were really sweet and obviously were really happy to see us. These kids are pen-pals to Sunday School children at my church. We brought them a lot of things, from stuffed animals, to visors, to school supplies (much is needed at the school in Huambo). The kids at the school range in age from really little to maybe 13? The mothers cooked a meal for us. Learned something interesting. Peru, of course, is home to the ancient civilization of the Incas. There are canals that the Incas made still in existence, and many of the ones we saw were still very much alive bodies of water, and they are still in use, too! I had hoped to take horses to Huambo. However, because of all the things (and people) going to the valley where Huambo is yesterday, we took cars. The St. James Festival is going on right now. The means...A LOT of music and parades and dancing, etc.--a general, but very LONG, party (or fiesta!) Cindy got me to take part in the dancing at Cabana's plaza yesterday, with a whole bunch of other teens, who, sort of surprisingly, excepted me right in even though I'd NEVER done anything like it before. It was chaotic at times but fun. There are bulls, (los toros) that are a large part of the parades. It becomes part of the fiesta, it seems, to run screaming if the bull comes near a group of people. At night, Cindy and I accompanied her younger brother, Leo, and three younger girls who are part of Maria's family, to a place where they had set up a trampoline and a couple other such things, and watched while the younger ones had a blast! I learned of two nicknames I have been given: the Cabana people call me and my mom Las Rojas (The Red-Haired Ones...because of our "red" hair!) and one person said to my mom that I'm a Cabanista (a girl of Cabana) now...I guess because I "fit in" here. Wow...some people still stare, though...but I can hardly complain since, for the most part, we're fitting in a pretty well for a couple of Gringas!

Me and Cindy! :)

Amazing mountains!

One of the Incan canals.

My mom with a bunch of the smiling, excited, and happy kids (as you can see, my Mom's really happy, too!)

Taken inside the courtyard at the house we stayed at in Cabana.

I was happy, too! :) Here I am outside the school with five of the girls.

The kids greeted us with signs when we got to their school.

One of the very little kids in Huambo. :)

The blue church in Cabana with a crowd and a band in front! (There were several different bands, and sometimes they played at the same time, but different pieces of music that sort of blended together! As you can imagine...an interesting...and loud...experience!)

Two of the little kids with their new visors! :)
Photos: Jeanne Allie and Katy Allie