Breakfast was a blending of two worlds. Charles and I made French toast, Sister Gloria fried Peruvian bacon and Sister Maria fried good old Peruvian eggs. We are still unsure which came first, but we have seen a lot of chicken and eggs here in Peru!
Our first trip of the day was to Pesco, a small fishing village just south of Chinha. The drive to Pesco was an interesting study in local agriculture and irrigation. We saw cotton fields, tangerine orchards and huge fields of asparagus. Sadly the area between the fields and the highway was covered with tons of garbage and debris. Apparently after the 2007 earthquake, much of the rubble was simply taken out of the city and dumped along the highway.
The Sisters and Yvonne did not accompany us on our boat as they had been on the tour before. The rest of us boarded a large tour boat that held about 40 passengers. We went to Ballestas Island to see several types of birds and a colony of sea lions. Sister Pauline told us that several times each year, men come to the rock cliffs and rappel down collect the bird droppings. These droppings are bagged and sold as fertilizer. The highlight of the trip for many on the boat was a stop at the Candelabra. This is a geoglyph, or a design engraved in the stone, on the side of a sand/rock cliff. This particular design is about 120 meters high and is a very good example of the carvings that are found in the Nasca area of Peru. These are ancient and rather mysterious designs that are important archaeological features, and therefore tourist attractions, in this area of Peru.
The boat tour was followed by an excellent lunch a local, beachside restaurant. Some of the group dined on Cerviche, a Peruvian dish that is marinated raw fish. As it is Lent, I won’t mention the Peruvian beer or the Pisco Sour drink that is made from Pisco liquor, lime juice and whipped egg white. There were a few minutes after lunch that were set aside for souvenir shopping and Lucie and I made the most of it. Pisco had many small market stalls with shell jewelry, purses and other hand crafted items.
An interesting thing happened soon after we got home from the trip to Pisco. I head drums, loud music, and horns blowing and assumed there was a parade going by. I looked out to see the festivities and discovered that the large group of people passing by were carrying a bright red casket in the procession. Now, I have seen some very unusual things during the past week but this was a surprise. I asked Sister Gloria if this was a parade and she said no, a person is dead. Indeed, this is how Peruvians send off their loved ones. There is no Mass as there are about 12 deaths each day in this Valley so the family places the dead relative in the casket, has a procession that is a celebration of their life and walks to the cemetery. There is a small chapel there where the burial prayers are said and the casket is placed in above ground niche. As you might imagine, I had a few questions about this process so Sister gathered up our group and we drove quite a distance to the cemetery. There were stalls with dogs, people selling flowers and food and a large crowd was still gathered there from the evening burials. Apparently there is a half hour time slot set aside for each family and then the next family brings in their loved one. It was quite a learning experience.
We finally had the opportunity to meet Padre Santiago who is the Parish Priest for Fatama Parish and recently was asked by the Bishop to be responsible for Santa Diamingo Parish as well. That leaves him caring for over 75,000 people and 3 parochial schools. He looked very tired and said that he finds much of his time is now devoted to administration rather than working with and visiting his people. He gave us a brief history of the current funding situation at the senior’s home that we visited last night. He thanked the Sisters for their hard work in the Parish and particularly the work done within the senior’s home. Padre expressed his appreciation for the people of Canada and all the donations that they have given to the people of Peru.
Sister Gloria’s Mother invited us to her home for dinner tonight. Many of Sister Gloria’s family gathered to greet us and welcome us. In spite of a language barrier, it was quite clear that she was delighted to have us visit. The matriarch of Sister Gloria’s family is a strong woman who raised a large family on her own in a country where no assistance is given to widows or the poor. She worked and instilled a strong work ethic in her family and a Faith that has served them well. When she wanted to have us come to visit, the family worked together and took time out of their busy lives to do as she asked. A second table was brought into the dining room and we all sat together and enjoyed a delightful family dinner that was prepared by one of Sister Gloria’s nieces who hopes to be a chef. She definitely has a talent. This was a heartwarming visit complete with family stories and all the fun that is part of that dynamic. Unfortunately, while we were there they received the sad news that one of the family had lost the baby that she had been carrying. Again, the Faith that is so ingrained in the fabric of the people of Peru was evident. The baby’s father came to see his family and greeted us warmly. When we offered our condolences, he said that he was Thankful for his three healthy, living children. God has asked much of the people of Peru but He has also given them great Faith. Their faith in such adversity is an inspiration.
Good night and God Bless. Joan
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| Charles, Lucy, and Denis |
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| Joan |
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| Fish meal |
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| Sea lion |
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