Wow! I'm sorry it took me this long to write about this magical weekend in Chivay, 3 hrs outside Arequipa in the Colca valley. Teaching Monday-Saturday made me hesitant to go and teach on Sunday. However, I knew that whatever I would be doing in Arequipa wouldn't equate to what I would be doing in Chivay (or so I thought). The weekend was free also, as they paid for our Ida y vuelta and they gave us a bed under a thatched roof in the mountains with Alpaca blankets to keep us warm and food to keep our bellies full. Warm Andean grain drink and alpaca meat is the norm in those parts and both make you feel like your in the Andes. Go where the locals go, do what the locals do and eat what the locals eat!
Arriving Saturday evening, a little consado from the long bus ride over and some sleepless nights trying to balance partying and waking up early (hint, they don't really balance) we arrived at casa chapi. The car illuminating the house as we entered was the sign the chickens needed to run out of the coop. It was a struggle to put my foot on the ground as I was afraid I would step on a kid there were so many! Instant love as every kid covered us in hugs and kisses. Smiles, laughs and love were all that was in the air as we ran around and got to know each other.
After playing with the kids and eating dinner the kids were off to bed and the teachers were off to star gaze. The stars and moon lit the sky as if it was full of diamonds, Lucy! One of the clearest sky's I had ever seen, with views of the milky way stretching overhead and star patterns that were clearly constellations, we just didn't know which ones. As we gazed in the unknown with curiosity, we swang on the swing set like little kids!
After such a warm greeting I didn't know they could get even better! We just had a blast all day long. They called me tio Mac (uncle Mac). I had my sunglasses and every single kid wanted to wear them and how could anyone resist (not my good pair!). It reminded me of the movie Big Daddy when he gives the kids glasses and he "disappears" so that he can go into situations where he is uncomfortable or scared. I would look around the playground as everyone was playing and see one kid off in the distance just sitting down wearing my glasses, thinking they were the coolest invisible kid on the playground. We played soccer and it was a lung burner at around 15,000ft!
Above everything what stuck out to me was how great this house was for the kids. A guy named Mike from the US opened up this school for the kids a few years ago. For kids ages 5-13 whose parents cant give them an education or take sufficient care of them so they send them to casa chapi. The parents come and visit every once in a while and I think the kids go to their houses every once in a while as well. While I was there one of the moms was there and she only spoke Quecha. Most of the students understood Quecha but couldn't speak it. It was culturally enriching to be around people from such different backgrounds than me. At the school the kids eat, sleep, go to school, clean their own clothes, rooms, kitchen etc, play, garden, raise animals and have dentist and doctor checkups. Possibly even more than that. The facilities were simple but nice and it just put a smile on my face to see these kids getting opportunities and being a family together.
I was so surprised about how well behaved they were. NO kid was a brat NO kid was mean. While I ws s there to kids cried or fought. It was unbelievable. They just had fun and they all got along. The best parts of kids without having to deal with the worst parts!
Overall, it was one of my most rewarding experiences in Peru so far. Make sure to always push yourself, especially when it's easier not to. And help out. Were lucky, make others feel lucky.
On a side note, turns out their Ducks fans also!!! OOOOOOO!
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