Back in the USA

I may be fairly young still but I do remember hearing a song on the radio with a line going something like this: Back in the USSR, you don't know how lucky you are.

I arrived back in the USA about 2 weeks ago and have settled in at the JAARS center where I am doing my Technical Orientation. Right now I am attending maintenance classes from 8-5 during the day. The classes are specific to the Cessna 206 airplane that we fly in Peru.

Once the maintenance portion is finished in 2 more weeks, I will begin the flight portion of the orientation. Again this will be with Cessna 206 airplanes just like we have in Peru. For those of you that are interested, these are C-206 G models, that have been modified to with heavy duty landing gear, Flint aero tip tanks, GAMI injectors, Continental IO-550 (300 hp) engine, and other structural beef ups including windshield V-brace, and Horton STOL kits. If some of that is Greek to you, then know that basically all these things are aftermarket modifications to make the plane, stronger, faster, and able to take the abuse that is associated with jungle flying.

I am enjoying myself though and prefer the technical classes instead of my Spanish classes for a change. So, even though I am not in the USSR, I still feel excited to be around airplanes again.

Rocoto!

For my "last supper" in Arequipa, my host family made my favorite Arequipan dish. We had Rocoto Relleno, which is stuffed red (hot) peppers. They are filled with hard boiled eggs, meat, cheese, and some other spices. Served with potatoes, they are are a very savory and eye watering dish. I will miss my host home as I will be in the USA for a little over 2 months completing an Aviation Technical Orientation course at Waxhaw, NC. But after my time is finished I will be returning to Arequipa, Peru and completing the rest of my Spanish language school.

Strawberries!

This weekend I was on my way to the bus stop when I saw a street vendor selling something that caught my eye. At first I was not sure what it was but upon closer inspection, I could hardly believe my eyes. There in from of me were strawberries! I quickly purchased one kilo, about 2 pounds, for 6 Soles, or $2.



Arriving home 1/2 an hour later, I washed the strawberries and broke out the blender. With some strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and a little milk, I had myself a real treat. A genuine strawberry milkshake. I was quite pleased even though it was not quite on par with the Village Dipper in Drenthe, MI.

Even 3000 miles away, I had a taste of home. What a wonderful and tasty blessing from the Lord.

Animals

Sometimes you see all kinds of animals here in Peru. Here is a sample of animals that I have seen. Some are pets, some are for working, and some are... for napping?

I hear these actually do not made good pets because of the noise, constant climbing on furniture, and ability to eat anything within reach... just like the thing in the red vest.

Don't have to worry about them running away quickly or chasing cars.

Cement truck for Portland cement! The Yura cement factory is just outside the city.

Any place or time is right for a siesta.

Duck tape

This week I was out hunting for some duck tape. My cast had been digging into my skin a bit in a few areas and I wanted to put the "handy mans secret weapon" on there to stop the rubbing. Now in the USA this would be a 5 minute trip down the road to Menards where I would be inundated with 3 different brands, 4 sizes, 5 different colors of duck tape. But in Peru, things are different...

On Tuesday I spent 1 hour going to 6 different hole-in-the-wall "hardware stores" trying to locate the illusive tape. (there is not such thing as mega stores) I finally found a 50 yard roll for $10. Not wanting to pay that much for something that I needed so little of, I made a mental note and moved on.

On Wednesday I started out on the north end of town by the language school and started working my way south on foot. For almost 2 hours I stopped in 9 different stores and walked about 3 miles until I finally found a store that had duck tape. Amazingly enough it was in a small roll of 10 yards and was only $3.

I made the appropriate modifications and the world is a decent place again, at least until I need to find something else down here...

Earthquake

As many of you know, Peru experienced a 7.6 earthquake yesterday evening. The center was off shore in the Pacific ocean near the town of Ica, Peru. Arequipa, where I am studying Spanish, is about 500 miles away. We experienced a gentle swaying of the houses and many people who were outside did not feel anything. Needless to say the affects here were minimal.

From what I have heard, there are close to 400 people who have died in the Ica/Nazca area of Peru. Incredibly I was in Ica just 2 weeks ago for vacation. See the post entitled SAND DUNES.

Thank you again for your concerns and prayers.

Broken Wrist

Well, this past Saturday I was playing soccer with the other students from the language school and I managed to break my left wrist. The only person I can blame is myself because all I did was step on the ball while I was dribbling. I went right down to the concrete and landed on my wrist. It did not hurt very much so I finished the rest of the game... but on Sunday afternoon I decided that it would be wise to get it checked out since it hurt in certian positions. It was hard to write as well as since I am left handed. Sure enough the doctors said I had a fracture of my ulna bone.The ulna is the forearm bone on the pinky finger side, the radius bone is on the thumb side.

It is hard to see on the X-ray but there is a small crack across the top of the ulna, I am pointing to it in the picture. Thankfully it is not a bad break so it did not have to be set... this can be very painfull as I have experienced that before. I only need a cast for 3 weeks and should be close to 100% after that!

One thing that was amazing was the cost for everything. First off, why don't you guess at what this similar treatment would cost in the USA... Here is break down, converted into dollars, for what I paid here in Peru.

Hospital entry fee: $6

X-rays: $8

Consultation with specialist doctor: $53

Acrylic Cast: $33 (I could have opted for the $7 plaster cast)

Five day supply of Voltaren: $5 (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug)

Total: $105

For some things, it's GOOD to be in Peru! Please pray with me for good healing as in 4 weeks I will be returning to the USA for a two month flight orientation and I need me left hand to fly with. I am also left handed so I will have to learn to do some things differently for 3 weeks. Thanks for praying.

Family Fun and then some.

This past weekend my whole household here in Arequipa went on a short outing together. Currently there are two other students living in the house besides myself. Stephen is from Denmark and Kristina is from Germany. My host parents are Pedro and Cecilia. Juan Carlos is actually one of my Spanish tutors and Ana is in college. I have appreciated getting to know all of them more and more and they all continue to teach me more about Peruvian culture and food.

On our outing, we saw some ancient petroglifs. I am not sure how old they are but I do know they are not tourist attractions as we had to climb through several farmers fields to reach them.

After our jaunt in the country, it was off to a local restaurant for lunch. In the parking lot was a clothsline with Qui, or guinee pig, hanging out to dry. While not particularly appetizing for myself, this sight did not seem to bother the local Peruvians one bit. Needless to say, I opted for some stuffed peppers with beef.