Dear Family and friends, we did not do clinic yesterday but we pulled off a huge celebration with the Canadian and Peruvian participants in this project. In the morning we took the bus to the Belen market. Belen is the slum area of Iquitos and a very unique community as all the houses are either built on 15 foot stilts or on logs so they will float when the rainy season comes. The market runs every day. There is no refrigeration and no where to store a larderso the food must be fresh every day. Lots of things are sold in little tiny amounts. We saw amazing things. As it is a very poor area, they claim it is dangerous and indeed one of our members saw someone´s pocket being picked. However for $20.00 we had 3 policepeople and 6 other helpers stay with us and look out for us. I´m not sure it was neccessary but we all came back safe and in awe of how people survive in such a tough place.
After lunch we went to the supermarket, and yes there is at least one in this city of 400,000 people. We were there to buy supplies for the fiesta we were preparing for Rotary Iquitos Amazonas and the translators. For all the things that have been wonderful on this trip, the food is not one of them, due to the hotel not the culture in general , as the students had great lunches every day from a caterer for much less than we are paying. A dinner out would have cost a lot and we could not afford to take the students so home cooking it was. The student´s caterer did some of the meal, the hotel did some and we did some in the hotel kitchen which made us wonder why only one got sick! Dinner for 56 takes a while!
We moved the tables and hotel furniture and plants around to create ambiance, picked flowers from the extensive gardens here, made appetizer trays like cheese and crackers and fruit, (pretty basic stuff Susan), and welcoming drinks. For 11 soles (pronounced so-lays), about $4.00, we made an excellant marinated tomato salad that everyone loved. Those were the first tomatoes we had had and they are cheap everywhere so I´m not sure why. We also made Canadian Mashed potatoes with garlic, butter and milk and they were a huge hit. The hotel staff was scooping up the leftovers of that. The Rotarian ladies were extremely impressed that two of our men, Cal and DR. Bruce, made the potatoes, but all our men helped. The caterer made a beautiful cake to top off the celebration. What fun to make the translators ´Canadian´., with a Canada pin and a taste of maple syrup. They kept insisting that the Peruvian flag and Canadian one is the same with the red bars at the ends, with a different symbol in the middle. What great young people they are with lots of possibilities for them with their education and ability with languages.
The Rotarians sure enjoyed the evening. They cancelled their usual meeting the night before, in favour of our gathering. They announced the fact they had just received word that they have been accepted with matching grants to be able to build a Rotary well in Belen, and man, do they need it!!! Their partners are two Rotary clubs in USA on that project.. The World International Rotary convention is in Montreal in 2010, and we have invited the members who can come to that to also come to Stratford and area. That would be wonderful for them to see some of our beautiful country.
I was dead on my feet, but the Rotrians were still partying at 1230! Sleep is a wonderful reviver. Today some are taking a tour up the Amazon, but I will sort out supplies and hockey bags to return to Stratford, give the medical supplies to Rotary to be dispensed where needed, and get ready for the travel portion of our trip.
Thank you all for your interest and support, your love and prayers. We´ve had great weather, yes very hot, but only a little rain which makes it difficult to run a clinic with all the dirt it creates. We have been safe, healthy and extremely productive, and have forged a great friendship and working relationship. Rotary wants to know when we can come back!
Hasta la vista y amor, Jean
After lunch we went to the supermarket, and yes there is at least one in this city of 400,000 people. We were there to buy supplies for the fiesta we were preparing for Rotary Iquitos Amazonas and the translators. For all the things that have been wonderful on this trip, the food is not one of them, due to the hotel not the culture in general , as the students had great lunches every day from a caterer for much less than we are paying. A dinner out would have cost a lot and we could not afford to take the students so home cooking it was. The student´s caterer did some of the meal, the hotel did some and we did some in the hotel kitchen which made us wonder why only one got sick! Dinner for 56 takes a while!
We moved the tables and hotel furniture and plants around to create ambiance, picked flowers from the extensive gardens here, made appetizer trays like cheese and crackers and fruit, (pretty basic stuff Susan), and welcoming drinks. For 11 soles (pronounced so-lays), about $4.00, we made an excellant marinated tomato salad that everyone loved. Those were the first tomatoes we had had and they are cheap everywhere so I´m not sure why. We also made Canadian Mashed potatoes with garlic, butter and milk and they were a huge hit. The hotel staff was scooping up the leftovers of that. The Rotarian ladies were extremely impressed that two of our men, Cal and DR. Bruce, made the potatoes, but all our men helped. The caterer made a beautiful cake to top off the celebration. What fun to make the translators ´Canadian´., with a Canada pin and a taste of maple syrup. They kept insisting that the Peruvian flag and Canadian one is the same with the red bars at the ends, with a different symbol in the middle. What great young people they are with lots of possibilities for them with their education and ability with languages.
The Rotarians sure enjoyed the evening. They cancelled their usual meeting the night before, in favour of our gathering. They announced the fact they had just received word that they have been accepted with matching grants to be able to build a Rotary well in Belen, and man, do they need it!!! Their partners are two Rotary clubs in USA on that project.. The World International Rotary convention is in Montreal in 2010, and we have invited the members who can come to that to also come to Stratford and area. That would be wonderful for them to see some of our beautiful country.
I was dead on my feet, but the Rotrians were still partying at 1230! Sleep is a wonderful reviver. Today some are taking a tour up the Amazon, but I will sort out supplies and hockey bags to return to Stratford, give the medical supplies to Rotary to be dispensed where needed, and get ready for the travel portion of our trip.
Thank you all for your interest and support, your love and prayers. We´ve had great weather, yes very hot, but only a little rain which makes it difficult to run a clinic with all the dirt it creates. We have been safe, healthy and extremely productive, and have forged a great friendship and working relationship. Rotary wants to know when we can come back!
Hasta la vista y amor, Jean
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