Tech Overview

Now that Tom and I (the last of the tech team) have made it home, it seems a good time to go over what we accomplished along with Leo and Emily during the past three weeks. In this time, we all have been busy getting our hands dirty in trash, sewage and cold, hard science (all while wearing gloves and sometimes Tyvek suits, of course). Here’s a rundown:

1. Trash Characterization

Starting off, we were interested in two projects: a sanitary landfill and a sewage system. So, we began our trip by scouting and discovering Samne’s current systems in place of these. What we found was pretty surprising. For trash, there were a total of 8 sites totaling an estimated 225 cubic meters of trash dumped around the town! Most of these sites were cliffs alongside the Rio Moche where people would just simply come by to toss trash. Foul smell and insects invariably accompanied. Foul smell and insects that we ignored while digging through the trash to characterize and weigh it. Our valiant and somewhat grimy efforts showed us that most of the waste is plastic, though everything from organics to med-waste was found dumped at the sites around town. Some seemed to be regularly burned while others seemed to still have waste from a while back. Out of sight, out of mind was clearly the general perspective on trash.

2. Sewage Testing

Sewage dumpsites were very similar. The pipes going through town were all dumped out through three open pipes at the edge of town. Tests with the Imhoff Cone showed a definite presence of “settleable solids” (read: “poop”). A couple other tests confirmed contamination and no means of treatment. A trip to a nearby small city, Otuzco, a couple days later, however, informed us that government plans to develop a sewage treatment system by oxidation ponds have been confirmed. Though not the most efficient or effective method, this is a definite step in the right direction; however, it means that we handled dirty sewage water while the problem is already being taken care of. Well, we got some useful information about the town, and only one of us got sewage on himself (cough, Leo).

3. River Water Testing

Considering all of these dump sites along with the decades of mining waste dumped upstream of Samne, we decided it was also important to test the water quality of the Rio Moche both upstream and downstream of the pueblo. What we found was that the river water was hard and alkaline with a high pH – all corresponding results. Interestingly, other tests such as those for nitrates and phosphates did not yield extraordinary results. This meant that the river was not polluted in some of the ways we expected. Looking inside and even overturning rocks, however, showed that there were no signs of life except in still ponds where another water source flowed in. Talking to the people of Samne, we learned that some generations ago, the same river was teeming with fish all year long. This tells us that chemicals (possibly arsenic or mercury) for which we did not have testing materials have polluted the river over the years and made it unsuitable for marine life.

4. Samne Drinking Water Analysis

We also conducted similar water tests on the drinking water of Samne once we started talking to the community and considering other community projects. Somewhat disturbingly, we found traces of fecal coliform in the drinking water. Turns out that regularly boiling drinking water was probably a good decision on our part! We also oversaw the routine maintenance of the water source and got a look at their spring boxes and reservoirs. Apparently, the town currently dumps chlorine into the water once a month, all at once. Monitoring the chlorine levels showed us that the day this was done, the levels were out of control. Just two days later, though, there was almost no residual chlorine left. Changes clearly need to be made to this system. One interesting observation this brings up is that while the townspeople of Pitajaya, who get their river from the contaminated Rio Moche, say they try to chlorinate when they can, their system must be even less effective. All the more confirmation of the urgency of a potable water project there.

5. Bridge Diagramming

After realizing how important a more stable bridge, another possible project, will be to the town’s future growth, we also analyzed and diagrammed the current bridge. Though we were convinced of its terrible condition after seeing it dip in a sinusoidal manner every time a car went over it, we actually found that the parts were not rusted and seemed well maintained. The problem seems to be that it was not built for heavy cars to go over it and its 5-ton weight limit (according to Alan, the town mayor) is neared by the combis (small busses) that pass it daily.

6. Soil Testing

Finally, we also ran infiltrometer tests on beds of clay soil on plateaus right next to Samne. The low permeability of the soil we found there showed that they could serve as great liner material when a sanitary landfill project is undertaken in the community. Though the land does not belong to Samne, if these locally available materials can be used, it will make the project less expensive and more viable.

Overall, our work confirmed the necessity and viability of a number of projects in the town. As Samne develops, all the projects we have looked into will eventually need to be completed. Whether we work on them in our five years here or another group completes them at a later time, the data we have collected should provide a solid foundation for development. Meanwhile, we all had a blast hiking through the Andes and the Rio Moche to get data, all while being a part of some real life, outdoor scientific action!

Potential Projects!

Now that the festival of Santa Rosa is over, the streets of Samne are once again deserted as everyone has returned to work on the chacra or in the city. Normal life has resumed as per usual. And like the tourists who so quickly came and left, we too are saying our goodbyes, as today is our last day. As we finish packing and prepare to catch the 1pm combi (actually 2pm PST, Peruvian Standard Time), I thought I would fill you in on the various potential projects we have encountered during these past three weeks. 

1. El relleno sanitario - The landfill

Investigating the trash problem in Samne was the primary purpose of our trip, as we hoped to collect data and make preparations for the construction of a landfill next summer. Indeed we have discovered that the trash problem does exist; however as one usually finds in the field, plans often change, and the trash problem is one of many. (See the list of other potential projects below...) Through community surveying we have found that most people don't consider a landfill a priority, and a good number do not even know what a landfill is. Not everyone separates organic and inorganic waste, and (as we discovered ourselves) this leads to fly problems when trash is stored indoors. Thus for most people it is easier to dump their trash outside at communal dump sites, which are burned bimonthly. This ineffectual system is deeply ingrained into the mindset and daily routine of the people. Another hurdle that surfaced is obtaining the land for the project. Luckily Alan (the mayor) owns a sufficient plot far away from the river which could perhaps be used, and additionally the technical team found an impermeable clay region from which we could take soil for the landfill foundation. We have the tools but need more community support which would involve an extensive educational program, "capacitación" as it is called here.

2. El puente - The bridge

Currently Samne has two routes out of town: the bridge over the Moche River, which links to the paved road, and the long, winding dirt path down the mountain. For transportation of crops, tourists, and large vehicles, the bridge route is preferable. However the bridge's capacity is only 5 metric tons, according to Alan, and thus oftentimes farmers have to make multiple trips across to transport their entire harvest. Even so, when cars under the weight limit make their way across, the structure dips precariously, forming a kind of sine wave that makes you wonder how long it will last... Everyone in Samne agrees that a bridge project would greatly benefit the town, and it is the top priority of la Ronda Campesina, one of the community's most influential and organized groups. Alan however has said the municipality of Salpo has promised to build a new bridge for Samne. Other influential townspeople say that it is out of Salpo's jurisdiction to fund such a project. At this point our goal is to untangle this political web of confusion in order not to waste time considering a project that is already on someone else's agenda. 

3. El sistema de agua en Samne central - Improving Samne's existing potable water system

Many people gave mixed reviews about the potable water system already in place in Samne. Some say they have water all the time; others complain that it breaks monthly and the water is cut. We are not sure if these complaints are a coincidence that coincide with the monthly reservoir cleanings, which require a short period without water. So although a good number of surveys indicate that improvement of the water system is important, we would need to further investigate what improvements are really necessary and which complaints are founded on miscommunication or lack of familiarity with the system.

4. El sistema de agua potable en Pitajaya - Potable water for Pitajaya

Pitajaya is a caserío of Samne, one of the small outer regions, located on the outskirts of the town. It is made up of 36 families, none of which have potable water but instead drink of the polluted Moche River. The people are very motivated and are willing to work hard to install the system with us. Currently there is another nearby caserío, Campo Nuevo, which may be gaining there own potable water system with the help of a Spanish NGO, Engineering Without Borders (they must have copied our name...). We have been in touch and may be able to tap into their water source since Pitajaya does not have a spring of their own. If Campo Nuevo does not install the system or if there is not enough water for both towns, we would have to resort to treating the river water, which would require more extensive research about the waste dumped by the upstream mining companies and other river pollutants.

5. Ambientes para el colegio - School facilities

Samne's primary and secondary school complex is beautiful. It was just renovated in 2009, and kids from all over travel to attend. Some of the old school structures remain, and the director hopes to convert them to additional classrooms, a chemistry laboratory, and library. They are also in need of an administrative facility, roof over the playground for sun protection, more computers, and Internet. Education is a priority for the folks in Samne, although some say improving the recently expanded school is not #1 on their list.

6. El sistema de desagüe - Sewage system

This project is on the top of list for many people. There is a public sewage system in place, but not everyone is connected and there is no treatment. However we spoke with the mayor and he said that the Otuzco municipality has plans to finance and construct a new system. During our visit to Otuzco we verified this fact with the chief engineer of works. 

7. Cocinas mejoradas - Improved stoves

Although popular with the women of Vaso de Leche, we are not sure if there are enough families in need of better stoves to merit this project. People of Samne either use cocinas de leña (wood stoves) or cocinas de gas (gas stoves) or both. Some of the wood stoves need chimneys to direct the smoke away, although many are outside so a chimney isn't necessary. Many of the women have voiced their desire for more efficient stoves that burn less wood and maintain high temperatures. Melissa, a Peace Corps volunteer who met with us during the trip, has ideas she has offered to share regarding better stove designs.

8. Una planta de procesamiento de fruta - Fruit processing plant

One of Samne's biggest problems is the lack of work or economic opportunity. Nearly everyone leaves for their day jobs, unless they work in the fields. Even so, the crops are sold directly to market at a low price. By instead making products from these raw materials (i.e. pineapple preserves, pineapple juice, etc), there would be some work for the women and a possible way to bring more tourism and prosperity to the town.

9. Plaza de armas - Town square

Everyone wants a plaza de armas. It is a Peruvian custom for each town to have a community space, centrally located, to sit and gather and talk. During the festival, a woman approached us about a community fund that she and a group had been collecting for several years to build such a plaza in Samne. However there is no central location available, and the project would require land acquisition. Since designing a plaza does not require as much engineering as other projects, it may not be truly EWB-worthy, despite people's requests.  

Cheese me*

In Peru, finishing one's plate is a gesture of politeness and appreciation, so to ensure that we don't get a reputation around town as picky and ungrateful eaters, we have instituted the Clean Plate Club, the highest general honor conferred on a member of the EWB-Princeton Peru team during regular mealtimes. To make the Club, as you can guess, you have to clean your plate. This can be accomplished solo or with a food buddy; the only rule is that everything edible on you plate must be eaten by a human being (giving food to dogs not allowed).
Luckily, our meals are usually so delicious that making the Clean Plate Club is a reasonably pleasant task. The people at the Restaurante Malú make great meals with impressive variety for being located in rural Peru. Starchy (read: delicious) items make up 60-75% of the volume of each plate, and we usually have two of either rice, potatoes, yucca (pronounced yoo-ka, not yuck-a as yucca haterz are prone to saying), French fries, and/or noodles. For the non-vegetarians, there is a meat item, most often chicken but also lamb, beef, or fish. On lucky days we get our greens in the form of tomatoes, or beets. (Okay, none of those veggies are green but when you're in the Andean Sierra you take what you can get.) Yesterday we even got lettuce!
In order to bring our diet a bit more to life for our dear readers, I have put together (with the help of my compañeros) a list of the many foods that have kept our bellies and hearts happy here in Samne...
Ají. In America we just have salsa, but in Peru they call their spicy pepper condiment ají. I think it's called that because it's made from the ají pepper, although this might be a lie. Malú makes ají fresh, and we always have to ask for a second helping, mostly because Prakhar inhales ají like it's water. 
Carnero. Chicken is always a safe meat choice, but carnero (lamb) really makes a meal shine. It is usually stewed and goes great with rice, potatoes, and menestra (beans).
Lomitos. A Peruvian dish with cumin beef cut into small strips served with onions, tomatoes, french fries, and the omnipresent rice. We had this dish on our Otuzco outing, and despite receiving our food after people who had ordered other dishes already finished eating, we thought it was definitely worth it.
Cuy. Guinea pig, surprisingly tasty and more chewy than other meat, although it's not a universal favorite. 
Menestra. This delicious lentil/split pea-ish side dish complements any meal perfectly, and we also love it because it means that Prakhar, our token vegetariano, can get protein someplace other than from Clif bars. 
Fresh juice. Samne is located in pineapple country, and nothing beats freshly made pineapple juice. Unless maybe it's freshly squeezed orange juice.
Inca Kola. As our Peace Corps friend Brian says, there are some Peruvian meals that are only good to have with Inca Kola. It's the Peruvian national soda, a radioactive yellow liquid that tastes a bit like bubble gum. Don't be fooled by my unflattering description - it's delicious. I grew up in deep Coca Cola country (what up, Atlanta) and even I would choose Inca Kola over Coke if push came to shove. 
Lúcuma drinkable yogurt. In our adventure to Otuzco, we visited what I have decided is my favorite place in all of Peru: La Otuzcanita Productos Lacteos, where they sell delicious drinkable yogurt flavored like lúcuma, a popular Peruvian fruit. Oddly, not many of us are huge fans of lúcuma fruit but we all agree that the yogurt is fit for consumption by the gods (lúcuma yogurt and ambrosia all the way).
Queso tipo andino. La Otuzcanita also has Andean cheese, a semi-hard locally made cow's milk cheese with a firm but smooth texture and a taste in between that of provolone and manchego. *We polished off an entire wheel in just a few hours, using the shorthand phrase "Cheese me" (quésome) to ask for more.
Manjar. Dulce de leche with a more rich and complex taste. To understand how good manjar is, you should know that the jury is split on whether everyone prefers manjar or nutella. There are different scenarios in which I'd prefer either one - for example, nutella on crepes, but definitely manjar on pastries or shortbread cookies.
Picarones. A cross between Krispy Kreme donuts and funnel cake. Plus honey. Enough said.
Granadilla. A fruit that resembles pomegranate from the outside and inside, but tastes like kiwi. I had to ban myself from eating them this morning after I devoured five in a row last night without even blinking.

In an unrelated update, we're on the second day of the Patron Saint Festival for Santa Rosa de Lima! Lots of soccer-watching and dancing (and eating, of course) as we continue to immerse ourselves in Peruvian culture.

And then there were 5

Today is the second day after the departure of our dear friends Leo and Emily. In order to assuage our sadness we have created a list of how our lives have changed.

1) our daily bread consumption has been cut in half from S/. 3 to S/. 1.50.

2) there is much less complaining (cough cough Leo)

3) half the tech team is gone

4) our attempts to finish 2.25L of Inca Kola are pitiful failures

5) our laptop is gone...

6) Fruit Ninja is gone

7) more room on the bed

8) Prakhar gets to have some quality girl time which works out well for him since he knows all the right songs.

9) we only have Prakhar to pick on

10) we only need two tables at Malú

11) we no longer have the critical mass to make our internal parties seem like parties

12) Barbara has a new food buddy who cuts up her food for her

13) it's quieter

14) we have a lot more bathroom time

15) we're missing our caboose

16) no more really weird "would you rather"

17) no more stargazing

18) 28% reduction in quotable quotes

19) our claim to America (la rubia) is gone

20) Tom has fewer translators

21) we cannot field our own volleyball team

22) 100% of our breakdancing ability is gone

23) we can all sit at the table at the same time for breakfast... sort of.

Dear Emily and Leo, if only you had known about hurricane Irene beforehand you could have hung out with us for a couple more days and helped celebrate el dia de St. Rosa de Lima. We miss you and hope you get back safely to NJ!

Toughen Up

Living in a poor town of the Andean sierra has caused me to eschew my previous conceptions about what defines a "normal" lifestyle. After saying farewell to my more high maintenance, materialistic routine at home in the US, I have learned to value the fundamentals of survival. Forget the frills and comforts of home. The possessions and rituals that were so important to me before seem frivolous and unnecessary out here in the wilderness.

How almost two weeks in Samne have made me a stronger woman:

I base the quality of a meal by the amount of meat on my plate.
Reusing dirty socks is a common and acceptable practice.
Showers are cold, quick, and taken only when truly necessary.
I embrace the farmers tan.
Taking care of my appearance means washing my face occasionally.
A little coliform-infested water is no problem every now and then.
Dogs are not friendly companions and should be avoided at all times, as the nicer ones will steal your food and the mean ones growl and attack.
My Nalgene has become one of my closest friends.
Volleyball games are rough and competitive, especially when gambling is involved.
I can sleep in tight quarters and contorted positions if needed.
Cleaning the carpet entails hanging it out on the clothes line and beating it with the end of a mop until all the dust subsides or you run out of energy to continue.
With all the flies around, you will never be without dinner companions. 
Hitchhiking is always preferable to climbing a mountain to reach your destination, although sometimes you have to climb so just do it and don't complain.

Leo and Emily, Signing Off (sort of)

In addition to being engineers who lack borders, Leo and I happen to be super important pre-orientation leaders, and as such, we sadly had to leave the rest of the group to return to Princeton early. We waved goodbye to the members EWB-Peru, our beautiful little house, and Brad Pitt (the german shepherd) from the back of a combi whose windows were stuck open so we had the priviledge of breathing in a lot of dust on the ride to Trujillo, but otherwise had a very pleasant ride to the city.

As we were riding out of Samne I thought back to over a week ago when we first drove up that road and how unfamiliar everything was, and now just 9 days later how much like home it felt. We have been incredibly lucky in our choice of site, having Alan (probably the awesomest mayor ever to take office) to introduce us to all the town organizations and teach us how to make Pisco sours, being accepted by the Samne volleyball-playing community as hopeless but well-meaning teammates who are good for a laugh, and earning our place as "regulars" at the Restaurant Malu (which is good for some complimentary fresh-squeezed pineapple juice, fried bananas, mazamorra morada, and control over the radio to minimize Wino music). I look forward very much to returning again some time next year - EWB Peru and Samne are destined for great things I can tell!

Our Linea bus from Trujillo to Lima got inexplicably upgraded from "VIP" to "Super VIP", which was quite fantastic (although Barbara, I would say not worth the extra S./ 20 - I'll be damned if those seats actually reclined 180 degrees). However upon arrival in Lima, we learned that courtesy of Hurricane Irene, the entire eastern seaboard was shut down and our flights were cancelled. We spent many hours today arguing with airline agents (a full hour and a half was spent on call waiting as a recorded voice told us over and over and over "Your call is very important to us"). We finally now have our travel plans, but are missing Samne and the rest of the group already.

On behalf of everyone still in Samne, I also have an update on the past few days of our trip. We all had internet access on Thursday morning, but the proceeded to meet with the Marianistas of Otuzco. From our meeting with Jose Luis, it sounds like the Marianistas will be able to serve as our contact on the ground for our Samne project, which was very exciting to hear. They seem like a pretty amazing organization with interests very much in line with ours, and Jose Luis was incredibly nice and friendly. When I last spoke with Barbara, the team was in full work mode, taking community surveys and doing trash profiling with the garbage-collection women (so sorry I had to leave before that part, tech team! at least I was around for sewage testing?). And of course, preparing themselves for the fiesta patronal this weekend.
Good luck guys! See you back in Princeton!

Pictures

Between 7 people we have 7 cameras. The result is a multitude of pictures for every situation imaginable. Hopefully we will be able to recreate our travel experience for the rest of the Peru team when we go back to school. Until then, here are a few shots to let you guys see what we've been up to.

Samne is beautiful. Everybody should come visit it at least once and drink pineapple juice.

Why ride on a comfortable car seat when you can ride in the back? Los chicos cool.

And the trash problem. It actually does exist, though not too many townspeople seem preoccupied about it. Emily has many more lovely trash pictures on her camera.

Shout-out to Garrett Disco. This is your bridge! When cars cross it you can dinstinctly see the bending. Seeing it almost makes we want to do some stress/strain calculations.

Team posing in the Pitajaya post our meeting with the community. Afterwards we walked down to a huaca (sacred place from pre-Incan times) that was nearby, but sadly we could only find fragments of pottery.

This is the house we were suppose to stay in, but did not because they had not finished repairing it yet. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the color scheme they chose was orange and black. Coincidence? I think not.

I pretended not to know these guys as they posed while we hiked around the Pitajaya. Seriously, who are they?

Group picture at our house in Samne! The two non-travel team members are Alan, the mayor of Samne, and Brian, the current Peace Corp Volunteer in Otuzco.

Sometimes the tech team actually does stuff. Just kidding. They work hard all the time!

Being in Samne is a lot like going on OA sans the 40-ton packs. Lots of sweating but a million-dollar view.

Group picture with people from the Pitajaya, a caserio of Samne. We met with them to talk about their lack of potable water.

The design team strutting their Tyvex Suits. Yes, even playing with sewage can be fun.

The health post in Samne is well-stocked. There is a doctor, two nurses and two technicians.

Well those are all the photos for now! Expect more at the end of the trip!

This is Tom's Post

On Thursday, August 18, the technical team was scouting the banks of Rio Moche for a suitable location for water quality monitoring. Team members observed an area where surface vegetation and surface soils had been removed. Upon closer examination of this area they observed massive crack in the soil characteristic of those formed when soils with a high clay content are dried. They marked this site to return for infiltrometry measurements.

On Friday, August 19, the technical team did conduct infiltrometry measurements and found that this location required 55 minutes to absorb 15 milliliters of water from the water reservoir. This infiltration rate corresponds to clay soils according to the users manual. The device used was a Mini Disk infiltrometer manufactured by Decagon Devices with the suction control tube set at 2 cm.

On Saturday, August 20 the technical team conducted a second on another portion of the site and found 45 minutes required for drawdown of 15 milliliters which again indicates a tight soil but not as tight as the former site. For comparison purposes the team conducted an infiltration measurement on a bank of sand on the edge of the river and measured a drawdown of 80 milliliters in 30 seconds, characteristic of a coarse sand.

This area and the clay content are significant for the following reason. When a sanitary landfill is constructed in Samne there must be a barrier to prevent landfill leachate from percolating into ground water. Deposits of low permeability clay could potentially be used in lieu of or in addition to a synthetic membrane.

We subsequently learned that this disturbed area is controlled by a mining company that is prospecting for silver. There were workers in the area handling drums of chemicals and mixing them in shallow impoundments.

The outcrop of soil material is obviously sedimentary in nature as the vertical profile has distinct bands of perfectly horizontal strata which vary in color and texture. These horizontal deposits are on top of eroded rubble and boulders on the valley floor. The geomorphology of this site is unknown to the team but the following mechanism is postulated as an imaginary yet plausible sequence in order to further describe these deposits. Perhaps at some time in the remote past a landslide or avalanche blocked the flow of the river and created a large lake. Over a long period of time this lake became a sedimentation basin in which eroded material carried by the river settled under the influence of gravity, and following Stokes Law, the largest particles settled at the upper, shallow end of the lake and the finer materials settled in the deeper regions of the lake. These sediments would then overlay the existing rubble in the river bed as observed. Eventually the material blocking the river eroded away and the lake drained and the sediments emerged as dry ground.

If the preceding hypothesis is reasonably correct then it follows that this large deposit of fine-grained soil material may be a rare phenomenon in the Rio Moche valley. Elsewhere in the Samne region all exposed soil profiles are unconsolidated deposits comprised of rock and soil mixed randomly. This particular outcrop along the river is the only location observed where there is fine soil free of rock. This being the case we recommend that this outcrop be preserved for as source of materials for construction and operation of the landfill.

This exact site is not appropriate for the location of a landfill because it is within the valley bottom and the elevation is probably below the level of peak floods. Therefore a landfill at this site could be eroded during a flood and buried waste would be washed loose and into the river flow. For clarity, it is restated that we consider this material to be good for the construction of a landfill but this exact location to be unsuitable for a landfill.

A New Perspective

As a member of the technical team, before coming to Peru I was really excited about the engineering aspects of our planned projects. This is the first time that I would be designing something real. Something that would actually be realized and affect people’s lives. And in fact, studying ORFE (la ingeniería de dinero as Michelle has so kindly described it to Peruvians), I realized that working with EWB might be one of the few times I could work on engineering design projects. Meanwhile, though I definitely did also recognize the developmental and social aspects of our trip, without seeing the community and the lives of people here, the difficulties of an impoverished life weren’t yet tangible coming from the sheltered and privileged life I have always comfortably led.

Interestingly, though, I have seen people living in severe poverty before. Having lived in India and having visited there many times, I have seen that the experiences depicted in Slumdog Millionaire, though sensationalized by Hollywood, are very real in their most basic sense. However, my personal visits to India have been vacations, and in fact, I have often cherished more luxuries there than in America, including chauffeurs and chefs at my family homes. Moreover, I have never been to India with the intent of helping others and, thus, the lives of those less privileged have unfortunately been out of sight and out of mind with each night’s cozy sleep.

As soon as I stepped into Samne, I saw many things the people here could use help with. Their houses are made of mud bricks and steel roofs. Sewage gets dumped out at the bottom of town, and there is a hillside longer than a football field covered in their piles of trash. There isn’t a paved road in town and pipes are often sticking out in the streets where the thin PVC has been repaired. For a while, I couldn’t bring myself to understand how people could live like this. Still, those on the team who had previous experience with international development kept repeating their surprise about how nice the facilities and buildings in Samne are.

This differences between our perceptions continued to astound me until the reality of poverty hit me full force during our trip to the Pitajaya caserío of Samne. Going there we walked a thin path through the mountainside that was hand carved by the townspeople. After our climb there, the community’s lieutenant general greeted us—his hand calloused and hardened by years of hard labor. As we walked through the town, we passed a little boy, about five years old, whose clothes and skin were patched with dirt and whose toes were sticking out of the ripped front flap of his shoe.

When we got to the community’s water source, however, it immediately became apparent why this is the main source of disease and concern. The water is stored in open concrete chambers with whatever else falls in. Furthermore, it comes directly from the Rio Moche—a river contaminated with mining waste and with no signs of life within. In the meeting that followed shortly thereafter, townspeople mentioned that while they try to boil it and add chlorine, tired workers and children often drink water crude from the source. Unfortunately, with no system of flowing water in houses or filtration, such problems are almost inevitable.

As the meeting passed, the difficulties of life in Pitajaya became further apparent. Parents constantly fear for the wellbeing of their children who are most susceptible to waterborne disease and electricity is something the community will have to wait for because of the impediments of bureaucracy. The one moment I can never forget, though, came around the end of the meeting. An older man repeatedly thanked us for just considering helping them and said multiple times, “Dios nos escucha.” God listens to us. This gratitude was for the basic necessity of potable water. Something that we take so easily for granted, but something for which people all over the world can only hope. This man’s words truly and honestly sent a shiver down my spine and made me realize that the people in this town who work so hard to carve their roads by hand and to bring everything from food and furniture to their homes by foot only barely get by every day.

Nonetheless, meeting with them also made me realize one other thing. It showed me how much hope they had. Despite having hardships in life, everyone in Picajaya seemed content. Though they still do not have electricity or clean water after years of asking the government for it, our presence still made them optimistic for improvement. The trip to Picajaya has helped me realize that people, no matter in what situation, make a fulfilling life for themselves.

From Sao Paulo to Samne

8/21

Being from São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, made me feel pretty much at home in Lima. In fact, except for the (slight) language difference and the Inca Kola instead of Guaraná, everything else seemed very much like what I was used to back home. For example, it took us over three hours and a hundred dollars to retrieve the testing equipment we’d shipped to Peru because of creeping bureaucracy and uncooperative officials – just like it would in Brazil.
However, when I first got to Samne last week I was struck by how different the city and the lifestyle were. Samne is a small town, a winding dirt road up a mountain, with houses on each side of the road. The first thing that caught my eyes was the scenic mountainous landscape: Samne is surrounded by mountains in the Andes, that go up to 10 000 ft. Down below, meanwhile, the houses are made of widely different materials. They range from a few nice brick houses, to a majority made of adobe, and to a few even simpler houses with bamboo walls stuffed with mud.
In economic terms, perhaps surprisingly, the differences don’t seem as big. Most of the families seem to make their living either off agriculture (there are several small plantation sites around) or working in Trujillo, a city about an hour and a half away from here. Some people also have stores, where you can buy very basic things, like bread, milk or chocolate (a daily necessity for us). For everything else, though, you need to go to Trujillo.
The life here in a lot of ways reminds me of an idealized country life. People don’t have Internet access, nor do they seem to spend a lot of time watching TV. They do, however, spend a lot of time playing soccer and volleyball, or simply talking to each other. Every morning, a bread woman goes through the city, house to house. As you walk, everyone says hola or buenas. Everyone knows and talks to the mayor; he even hangs out with us most of the time.
It’s easy to get carried away by this impression and forget about the problems the city faces. While the streets seem pretty clean, if you look closer down the mountains you will see huge trash dumping sites, or the untreated sewage being thrown right into the river. The tap water is contaminated and unfit for human consumption. Samne is a charming city, but it has lots to improve.

8/23

After being in Samne for about a week, I think it is fair to say we all got used to our lives here. The houses that first impressed us because of their simplicity now just seem another element of the landscape. I thought that the rest of our time here would be spent getting more accurate data on the pollution or interviewing more people, to refine our understanding of what they think and what they want. As Lord Kelvin said about Science in the late 19th century, it seemed all we had to do now was improve a few decimal digits the measured values of our constants.
It turned out however, that just as Relativity and Quantum Physics proved Lord Kelvin was mistaken in thinking so, our visit to Pitajaya, a hamlet of samne, proved we were mistaken in thinking we had more or less figured things out. Unlike Samne, Pitajaya has hardly any amenities: no electricity, no roads. Their drinking water comes from Río Moche, one of the most polluted rivers in Peru; it is stored in a pre-Incan reservoir, and is used without any treatment. It was hard for me to grasp how people would live in such a place; Samne suddenly seemed such a nice place to live in comparison.
The people there were very glad to know that we were considering doing something for them. In a little meeting we had (which even had a written documentation signed by all of us and the mayor), they agreed that having a proper water source was their main concern right now. Perhaps we’ve found our project!

I meant to think of a title but never did

As my time in Samne draws to a close, I’m very excited to get back to Princeton and share our findings with the rest of the team. For me, our trip started out with the rude awakening that a landfill would not be an appropriate first project for this community. The interest of the members of Samne was simply elsewhere; as of right now, throwing their trash down the ravine on one side of town puts the garbage out of sight and out of mind, and few people see the potential benefits of a better waste management system. After talking to some of the other volunteers in the area, it seems like this attitude towards waste disposal is a consistent problem all over the country, and changing this mindset, while a worthy project, will require a much stronger relationship with the people of Samne.

As the head of the design team, I had spent many hours of this past year preparing for the construction of a landfill, and even though we knew that our first project was uncertain, it was still disorienting to have to stop the design process in its tracks and start again from square one. Not knowing exactly what project we would be working on with the community definitely made me nervous. So I was very glad when we began asking around town for other potential projects and got a number of good suggestions. One that immediately jumped out was bringing a potable water system to the casserillo of La Pitajaya, a section of Samne that lies off in the mountains a ways and lacks much of the infrastructure present in the main section of town (electricity and potable water for starters).

On Monday, after a ride in the back of a pick-up truck that started out as exhilarating and ended up a little too death-defying for my tastes, we ended up in Pitajaya for a meeting with the town. I was immediately impressed by how hard-working, friendly, and intelligent the people were. They are close enough to developed towns and cities to know what amenities they are missing. They know their water isn’t fit to drink, they know they need to boil it in order to avoid getting sick, but for children playing outside and adults working in the hot sun all day, the reality is that this doesn’t always happen. My respect for the road that brought us there (a rocky, 7-foot wide path that seemed to me like an avalanche waiting to happen) immediately skyrocketed after hearing that they had carved that road out of the mountainside by themselves, completely voluntarily, so that their children wouldn’t have to walk all the way to central Samne to go to school. Lucho, the main representative for La Pitajaya, kept us all constantly supplied with apples from his orchard, and I for one left feeling like these would be people I would be happy to work on a project with.

Overall, this trip has been full of great new experiences, and I feel that I must express my gratitude to Samne for all the adventures we’ve had:
- experiencing my first earthquake
- finally getting to ride in the back of a pick-up truck (Peruvian-style)
- taking sewage sample (and posing for pictures) in Tyvek suits
- learning to set off fireworks from a beer bottle using a cigarette
- realizing that Inca Kola really IS better than Coca-Cola

Of course this is but a small, select group of all our exploits. I look forward to returning to Samne in the future and continuing to learn Spanish, get better at soccer, and make more Peruvian friends.

19. Quotable Quotes

As point 19 on my 25 List states, there have been a lot of memorable statements spoken throughout this trip and I am now pleased to bring you a few for your personal enjoyment. Prakhar definitely wins the “Foot in your mouth” award.

Nicole:
• No puedo ver. Tengo dos ojos!
• If you want to do it then you should do it. If you are indifferent you should think about it. If you don’t want to do it then you shouldn’t do it [generic advice on life]
• If you’re living in the moment, you’re not dying in the moment.
• A lot of people think about you when you are showering

Prakhar:
• Is that coffee? [points to orange juice]
• How do you die from fighting cancer?
• Diarrhea is okay for the toilet. It’s constipation that’s the problem.
• Mi nombre es Paco y estudio ingieneria de computadoras (both lies, but that’s how Prakhar, the ORFE major, introduced himself at the community meeting)
• [upon waking up] My lip is huge!
• That would make me the gay best friend and that’s just not happening.

Tom
• Boy scout motto: be prepared.
• Your chinese is showing [to Michelle eating rice]

Michelle
• With earrings and flowers who needs to shower?
• We basically use fly-killing as our leisure activity.
• Bananas are the slut of the fruit world; they are so easy.

Emily
• The way you lie really scares me [to Prakhar]

Leo
• Stop complaining about my complaining about your complaining.

Brian
• Age and treachery win out over youth and vigor.

Barbara
• Brahd Pit is smart in a very dumb way.

Collaborations:

Emily: I think I’m going to die.
Leo: Well, I think you’ve had a good life.

Backstory: Prakhar is playing with a little boy who befriended him
Alan: Prakhar looks like Michael Jackson before his operations. [Referring to Prakhar’s dark skin tone]
Prakhar: Is that because I’m playing with little boys?

Backstory: Prakhar swore he would take less than 5 minutes to shower in the morning. He took 8. We gave him a hard time and he tried to defend himself.
Prakhar: I showered, put on lotion and combed my hair.
Tom: And now it’s time to put your clothes on.

Backstory: There was one chair and two people, Tom and Michelle.
Barbara: Tom, you should sit down. Age before beauty.
Tom: In that case, Michelle you’re younger. Go ahead.

Prakhar: Ten is the perfect age
Barbara: No, it's 21 because theyn you are legal everywhere for everything.
Prakhar: But then you can go to jail if you kill a man...

Why I Love This Year's Travel Team

As the trip leader I have to be semi-serious most of the time so I will now take this blogging opportunity to vent my silly side. In any case, my minions have written enough insightful posts to satisfy the more academically minded.

Now for anybody who has ever been on a trip before, you know that what can make or break a trip is the people you travel with. I am happy to announce that I love everybody on this trip and here are 25 reasons why.

1. Impromptu sing-alongs and dancing in public are a regular occurrence.
2. Although the team had been pre-disposed to dislike Inka Cola, the Peruvian national soda, they have all learned to enjoy it. We now drink Inka Cola every day with our meals.
3. Love polyhedrons. Alejandro “Alex” Mendoza. Simba/Fred. Extended inside joke. Further elaboration impossible.
4. My food buddy Emily. Together we almost always make the clean plate club.
5. The Clean Plate Club. Only people who regularly finish their mountain of rice and potatoes can join.
6. Everybody on the team will make a good housewife one day.
7. We can fit 3 people in one bed no problem.
8. Fruit Ninja is considered an appropriate use of one’s free time.
9. Chocolate and bread runs are part of our daily routine.
10. Amazing fly swatting skills.
11. They finally learned that “please, put on your shoes” means “put on your shoes and be ready to leave in less than five minutes or else you will be locked inside the house”.
12. Leo’s pyjamas make him look like he just escaped from prison.
13. We always need a second round of aji at ever meal (even breakfast)
14. We have team workouts. Sounds effects provided by Nicole.
15. Tom is a cool cat; master climber, boy scout, all-around handyman. Seriously, where did we find such a good mentor?
16. People were willing to ride in the back of a pick-up truck…the second time around.
17. Everybody tries to speak Spanish and make friends.
18. Nobody has yet injured himself or herself walking down mountain paths.
19. Quotable quotes abound.
20. We do everything like a Prakhstar.
21. Prakhar finally figured out how to turn off his morning cellphone alarm.
22. My daily abs exercise is laughter.
23. It is so easy to make fun of people in this team.
24. Nicole’s facial expressions…there are so many!
25. The girls are more outdoorsy than the guys (except for Tom of course).

Earthquake update & other things

Good afternoon world. Yesterday I received word from my dad about an earthquake in D.C. Today we got to experience one as well as a terremoto rocked northern Peru whilst we ate lunch in Malu. At first we didn't realize what was happening; only aware that the radio had been turned off. Then the restaurant's owner pointed to the drinks on the wall which were shaking slightly. The shaking intensified and we felt the vibrations through the table and floor. Once the peruvians started exiting the building we took it as our queue to take our food and run. As soon as we had made it outside the rumbling subsided and we finished our meal in peace. No buildings fell down and nobody was injured. As far as earthquakes go it was pretty tame.

In a previous post Nicole mentioned we would all be blogging today. Unfortunately our meeting with the Marianistas has been postponed to tomorrow so expect pretty pictures and insightful posts then.

Time for more community surveys. Trip leader signing off.

Peru: Take Two

Why read a book a second time? Why revisit a museum or order the same meal twice? Well probably because you liked it the first time. But oftentimes you find that the second time around, you encounter something new, something unexpected that you initially missed. Round #2 offers a special opportunity to more clearly evaluate your first impressions, without being overwhelmed by the novelty of the experience. 

The Peru to which I returned this summer in many ways was a different place than I remembered. The combis did not seem as rickety and frightening, the streets of Trujillo felt comfortable and familiar, and coming across chicken feet floating in my bowl of caldo de gallina did not phase me in the least. It was strange so quickly transitioning from the naive little freshman who had never crossed the equator in Aug 2010 to one of the oldest and experienced travelers, offering advice and guidance to the rest of the team in Aug 2011. 

In many ways I brought a new set of eyes on the trip this time around. My sense of reality is most certainly less distorted since I have already lived in a poverty-stricken town of the Peruvian sierra. I was not so affected by the differences between my life and theirs as before. Rather than feel pity or guilty about the people's less fortunate situation, as I did last year, I have another point of reference to which I can compare this town besides my home in the US: Huamanzana. 

Upon our arrival in Samne, the first-timers couldn't believe how poor the people were. I, too, was surprised. I couldn't believe how beautiful was the city and fortunate the people. 

With electricity, little shops, two restaurants, a fully stocked health clinic, and a huge school complex, the place seemed a dream compared with the conditions in Huamanzana. Kids wore shoes, people drank milk, and little cars buzzed along little highways visible on the surrounding mountainsides. Sure, the place was not without its needs, but compared to our previous site, the community was more developed and influenced by the surrounding urban areas. Until our trip to the much poorer, rural region of Pitajaya in the isolated outskirts of Samne, did everyone understand why I was so optimistic about the people's lives here. 

After all, poverty is relative. There are certain basic needs for human survival - clean water, healthy food, and safe structures - that absolutely cannot be ignored or dismissed as unimportant. So when people in Samne complain about needs that do not fall under that category - such as the lack of a plaza de armas, or town square - it is difficult for me to truly sympathize with them, knowing how many people only a few miles away do not have clean water to drink. Maybe I just have been desensitized to the poverty. I'd like to think it is not so much desensitization as a clearer perception of what poverty truly is, and more significantly, what it's not. I have arrived with a better understanding of how people live, a sensitivity to what makes them happy, and the realization that a different life from mine isn't necessarily worse or less fulfilling. Just different. 

I am happy to be back once again, and I hope my previous experience will be valuable to the group as we continue building relationships, assessing the region, and paving the way for Princeton's next EWB program in Peru. 

Poco a poco

We’ve been in Samne now for seven days, and things are already starting to feel routine: rise and shine (or grumble) to Barbara poking her head in our bedroom door, carbo-rich meals at the Restaurante Malú, making new friends every day (perks of being on the community half of the Peru team), afternoon sing-along sessions to the Beatles or Juanes … I thought we’d be roughing it in this quaint town nestled partway between the Peruvian coast and sierra, an hour and a half away from the nearest city, but life is good in Samne. Granted, most residents probably don’t live in a house as luxurious as the one in which we are staying, or blow a fortune in soles on our daily chocolate runs. But when one woman asked me if I could get used to life here even after living in America, I had no problem saying yes.
I get a lot of those kinds of questions here. Since I’m on the community team, most of my days are spent getting to know residents through house-to-house interviews and, more commonly, spontaneous conversations that arise outside of strictly “work” hours. “What’s America like?” many of them ask, to my awkward stammers. (How do you answer a question like that? “Oh, you know … different.”) But it’s not America specifically that they wonder about. It’s also Spain, Lima, Trujillo  (the closest big city) — all places that to them hold the promise of better jobs and schooling. For all of Samne’s natural beauty, the people here know that this town doesn’t offer the same promise and opportunity. 
“Somos casi echado al olvido.” We’re practically a forgotten town, I was told by one resident. Another spread her hands in a gesture of pleading: “No tenemos nada.” We don’t have anything. I was initially thrown off because that simply isn’t true. This town has electricity, running water, and pending projects to improve bridges, sewage, and other infrastructure. They’re blessed with an extraordinarily competent and motivated mayor. Their school system is in good shape. In many ways they’re leagues ahead of Huamanzaña, the last community that EWB–Princeton Peru worked in. But that’s not who the people of Samne compare themselves to. What they see is that communities not too far away are barrelling towards urbanization and development and they feel as if the train is leaving without them.
As a result, everyone here is impatient. When we visited the colegio, the primary and secondary school, the director excitedly rattled off a long list of things that the school lacks: a library, administrative offices, a chemistry lab, computers and internet, a recreational pavilion. “Can you do it?” he asked. “We need these things badly.” The inefficiency of the Peruvian political system only exacerbates the community’s thirst for development. During our first town meeting this past Monday, one attendee implored us to choose a project and stick to it so that we could be “seguros como el gato.”* (Ironically, this same gentleman was the corregidor, or assistant, to a past mayor whose term was characterized by an inability to execute any meaningful town projects.) 
The urgency I sense is sobering when you realize that the change that everyone dreams of, at the speed that they desire, is near impossible. Sustainable development takes time. It involves behavioral and attitude change, which means overcoming generations of social inertia. In order for Samne to become the prosperous economic center and ecotourism destination that its citizens talk about, they can’t keep dumping trash into the Río Moche. They’ll have to overcome the cultural unwillingness to pay more for public services like water and sewage treatment, or else these projects will never succeed. Their diet could use improvement, as could their conception of basic sanitation standards, such as hand-washing with soap.
On Tuesday we were visited by Melissa, a Peace Corps volunteer based in a town about two hours removed from Samne. After our meeting, we spent a while talking to her about her experience in the Corps — both about challenges faced and lessons learned. One obstacle that she emphasized was that progress takes place so slowly. “In Peru,” she said with an ironic smile, “we do this thing called ‘poco a poco,’ which means ‘little by little.’” It speaks to the disorganization inherent in Peruvian culture, of course, but it’s also a universal truth of development. And that’s discouraging to anyone involved in any type of development initiative. 
‘Poco a poco’ makes me feel insignificant. It makes me wonder what I’m doing here. If I were inclined toward pessimism, it would make me cynical and maybe even a bit hopeless. But just because progress moves slowly doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing. How many years did our mothers have to hound us just to instill the habits of eating vegetables and making our beds? (To be completely honest, most of the time I still don’t do the latter … You win some, you lose some, I guess.) It’s difficult, for sure, but Peru has  also shown me how to conquer the frustration. 
Samne’s patron saint festival is taking place soon and will feature, among other things, a donkey race with a prize not only for the winner but also for the burro más burro — the most stubborn donkey. I know it’s counterintuitive  that anyone would ever choose a burro as a role model for behavior. Nonetheless, if donkey-like perseverance is necessary to keep up the work that we’ve set out to do, then that’s what I’ll aspire to. With any luck, and as long as our actions are careful and well-informed, we can help our partner communities in some small way to achieve the opportunities that they strive for.

* “Sure like the cat.” I didn’t catch his entire explanation, but the metaphor refers to a cat trying to catch a mouse. If it already has one mouse in hand, then it shouldn’t try to catch more, but rather focus on keeping a hold of what it has. 

Ode to Samne

It has been several days now since we last were connected
And without Internet, blogging is difficult, that's true,
But I figured a few international data roaming fees
Are worth sharing our stories from Samne, Peru

Yes we have finally arrived, and by combi no less
And with us, Brian, the Peace Corps volunteer, also came
You may call him "gringo," pero no seas malito...
His impeccable Spanish and Peruvian insights put us all to shame

The town of Samne is nestled in the Andean sierra
And colorful houses line the twisted dirt highway
We were greeted by Alan, the 26 year old mayor
Who so graciously offered his own house for us to stay

Our casita is lovely, with glass windows and a view
A stove, flushing toilet, refrigerator, tile floor
Yet still I sometimes hear complaining and it's not wino music
Truly we are living the good life and couldn't have asked for more

Right away we got down to business, in true EWB fashion
Getting to know Samne with data calculations and tests
The technical team with equipment and tool kit
The community team with Spanish skills that had interviewees impressed

Los técnicos Emily and Prakhar, with our super mentor Tom
Tested the polluted Moche River and the potable water which should be safe
For ammonia, alkalinity, hardness, and nitrates
Conductivity, orthophosphates, and also pH

They also tested soil and performed infiltrometry
At various locations deemed potential landfill sites
They said they were expert rock climbers and doing the "real work"
But playing with water doesn't give them bragging rights

In fact they should be embarrassed and not boasting I think
After losing a soccer game to a few 10 year old boys
And only making friends with their walking stick Gandalf
And the few passerby's who watched them play with their toys...

No the "real work" was done by the community team
Meeting dozens of folks - me, Barbara, Michelle, and Leo
We spent hours introducing ourselves, going from house to house
Though sadly one member was a traitor and our group became a trio

At the Puesto de Salud we spoke with the nurses
And at the school, with the teachers and el Director in control
We organized meetings with the women's group Vaso de Leche
And la Ronda Campesina, the informal community police patrol

For most of our meals we eat at el restaurante Malú
Only the Clean Plate Club can handle all the chicken and rice
There's even lamb, ceviche, and Pedro's vegetarian plates
Thrifty Barbara is always double checking every meal's price

But breakfast we eat on our own in the house
We buy bread from a lady since the bread bicyclist speeds by
We love "Manty" and marmalade, lúcuma and instant coffee
And for Prakhar, enough spicy ají to make a normal person cry

Housekeeping is fun, especially when the boys wash the dishes
We do laundry by hand and hang it out on the line
Emily is truly a fly swatting machine
Besides the snoring and phone alarms, the sleeping situation is fine

In our spare time we play soccer and the best team has won
Probably due to Alan, who evidently never loses
We also enjoy kareoke, stargazing, Fruit Ninja, and late night philosophizing
And climbing soccer goal posts until we are covered in bruises

In five days we have celebrated two Peruvian birthdays
With two cakes, one piñata, and late night dancing in between
We are learning different types of music and making friends with locals
Who are amused by our breakdancing and fist-pumping routine

Just yesterday we met with Ingeniería Sin Fronteras
Another group just like EWB, but from Spain
We have discussed their work in the neighboring town of Otuzco
With their advice and suggestions we indeed have much to gain

Tomorrow we go to Pitajaya, a poor caserio of Samne
That lacks a potable water system and other basic needs
We won't have Internet again till our Otuzco trip on Wednesday
Then our blog will be updated at the fastest of speeds

Until then, our great EWB adventures shall carry on
News of tomorrow's big town meeting we soon shall send
The complex Peruvian love polyhedron continues to morph
And more stories are bound to unfold until we meet again...

Trujillo!

After a super-luxurious 9-hour bus ride with "VIP" status, we have finally arrived in Trujillo, and in about 7 minutes will be on our way to Samne. We had lunch with our awesome Peace Corps friends - Brian and Melissa - and are looking forward to meeting the community and getting to work. Internet in Samne will probably be...how should I say...non-existant, so this will be the last update for a while! Wish us luck!

Home Sweet Airport

The airport woes... continue...

When I arrived in Miami on Sunday night, I expected to reunite with Michelle and effortlessly make my way to Lima. But her flight was cancelled and so I was forced to make the journey solo. Arriving at 4:30am in downtown Peru without a buddy did not appeal to me, so Michelle kindly coordinated a taxi to pick me up. So although:

1.) I lost an unopened smoothie in security (my fault anyways) and

2.) I arrived at Starbucks right when they closed, unable to replace my lost smoothie

I thought the worst was behind me... Wrong. The adventures were just beginning.

When I arrived in Lima, I waited and waited (and waited) but my suitcase never appeared on the baggage claim. My rusty Spanish was immediately put to the test while I explained to Giancarlo que se falta mi maleta. After filling out paperwork for an hour and learning that I would have to return the next day to pick it up, I missed my so carefully coordinated taxi ride. Somehow among the multitude of Peruvian faces aggressively asking TAXI? TAXI? I managed to find a trustworthy driver to take me to the hostel. The ride should have cost $30. I only paid $18. (I think I bonded with the driver over the fact that he had a daughter named Nicole and plus he pitied me, the sad little gringa who had lost her luggage.)

So at 6am I reunited with Emily and Barbara who were fast asleep... And I crashed.

The next day Leo and Silvana met us at Inka Lodge.

Prakhar and Tom joined us all in the afternoon. We all went exploring through Lima. Off to exchange money, buy SIM cards, get lunch.

Our first meal was chifa! (Peruvian Chinese food)

The waiters looked on amused as many of us had our first taste of Inca Kola, a fluorescent yellow soda that tastes like carbonated liquid bubble gum. (This is my opinion, sorry Barbara.) Tom was very excited to try it and he documented all these new experiences with lots of photos (which also amused the waiters).

First Inca Kola experiences

Afterwards, everyone relaxed at the hostel. Prakhar, Emily, Barbara, and Tom played an intense round of Euchre and then we had a workout session, complete with planks, push-ups, and wall-sits. We all revealed our competitive Princetonian nature (especially Prakhar) as we all tried to outdo each other. At one point I had everyone doing ballet. It was great. Huamanzana training will be put to shame this year, I feel. My abs still hurt. (We miss you Hank.)

How many Princeton engineers does it take to screw a lightbulb in Peru? Three.

• 1 to communicate to the lady at the front desk, climb the bunk, and screw it in (Barbara)
• 1 to watch and pose, pretending to help (Prakhar)
• And 1 to take the photo (me)

At 9pm Barbara and I had to fetch Michelle (and my bag) from the airport. Michelle arrived, safe and sound. But my bag did not. We made a friend in the LAN lost and found, Cristobal, who although genuinely appeared concerned, was unable to do anything. LAN said they didn't have it, call American Airlines. I woke my poor parents at 2am their time and they found that American Airlines didn't have it, we should talk to LAN. It seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

So we waited... after each flight from Miami, we checked with Cristobal to see if it had turned up. 10:30pm no. 1:30am no. After an executive decision we decided to wait till 5am for the next flight. After a few near breakdowns and treating ourselves to snacks, I had my first experience sleeping in a public place. The booths at the 4d restaurant were surprisingly comfortable.

When we left once again at 5am, I felt too familiar with the Lima airport. Workers who had just started their second shift recognized me from the previous day. We got some strange looks. But at this point I didn't care. All that mattered was I FOUND MY BAG and WE COULD LEAVE THE AIRPORT. Finally! The shower I took when we returned at 6:30am was glorious.

And so I think I've already had my fill of adventures and we haven't even arrived in Samne yet...

Contact the Team

For all the parents reading this blog, we now have a Peruvian cell phone number. To call or send text messages from the U.S. dial the following numbers:

011 - US exit code

51 - Peru country code

997-608-534 - Peruvian EWB cell phone number (service Claro)

973-316-033 - Barbara cell phone (service Claro)

976-688-177 - Prakhar cell phone (service Movistar)

Airline Woes

Today has been an epic day. Of all our flights I thought Emily and I were the most likely to miss our connections. Emily was flying from Guatemala and I had two connections with less than 40 minutes between arrival and take-off. Shows how much I know. Right now we are the only two guests of the Inka Lodge with Nicole soon to join us at 6 a.m.

Prakhar and Tom are happily stranded in Santo Domingo.Words from the weary travelers themselves:

There were heavy rains in Newark this morning and the airport was
running behind. Our flight left late and arrived too late for us to
make the connection to Panama City. The only other flight today was
full so Continental gave us vouchers for hotel, cab, meals. We will
spend the night here. Another passenger on our flight had the same
connections to Lima, his home town. His fluent spanish saved us.

Moral of the story. Spanish saves people. QED.

Michelle had even worse luck than those two. Her first flight was cancelled causing her to miss her connection to Lima. American Airlines excuse? They couldn´t find enough crew members. Hmmmm.....

Frantic phone calls aside, it was a very unenventful trip for me. I did experience an "aha, I am in Peru" moment though. Upon disembarking at the Jorge Chavez airport a bus took us from the plane to the terminal. It dropped us off at the baggage claim for domestic flights. I was trying to decide if this was Peru´s new way of protecting the border when the bus driver came frantically running through the doors in order to usher us back into the bus. Apparently TACA airline messed up and told them we were a national flight. Ooops. All the Peruvians on the bus thought it was pretty funny, sarcastically commenting "Bienvendios a Peru".

And We are Off...

After preparing all school year we, the Princeton Peru Project team, are ready to embark upon our pre-assessment trip to Samne! This pre-assessment will build upon our first exploratory trip of the area undertaken in August of 2010. During our three-week stay we plan to gather sufficient community and technical data to satisfactorily complete a new program application for EWB-USA in addition to establishing community contacts with the Peace Corp volunteer on site, the mayor, the school director and other key community leaders.

Tomorrow (it is not today until I fall asleep), everyone will fly to Lima and gather under the roof of our hostel of choice, the Inka Lodge in Miraflores. The respite will be short as Monday will see us taking an overnight bus to the city of Trujillo. If all goes as planned we should be in Samne by Tuesday evening.

I'm getting tired just thinking about all the traveling we will be doing shortly. I just flew back from Houston last night, spent one night recuperating and then dove into the madness that is EWB. I have been up since 8 a.m. (eep!) getting things ready: packing bags, restocking our first aid kit, trying to heal an impending cold, organizing all our documents and finalizing details.

Behold our well-stocked first aid kit!

And our completed travel-binder, filled with more documentation than you could possibly want: emergency contacts, flight itineraries, hotel bookings, schedule of tasks, 501 mock-up, water kit instructions, etc. It's taken me most of the day to put together so I hope it proves its worth throughout the trip.

That's all I have for now. Expect a longer update the day after-tomorrow when I have gotten some more sleep in me.