Pisco, PERU - Week 6

Early this week Cam returned to the doctor for his final blood tests and was glad to discover that he is clear of Typhoid, although he weighed-in 7 kgs lighter as a result. Thankfully the drugs did their thing and we will both get tested when we return to New Zealand to ensure all is well.
On another happy note I was very stoked to receive the ‘Volunteer of the Week’ award. I was chosen from 60 other volunteers for my project management role when Cam was sick. A very pleasant surprise and a cherry on the top for all the hard work we have done. A reward that we can both be proud of considering he prepared my job and tool list daily!

Our main task for the week was constructing a new fence measuring (8mx18m) for the family. Their old fence was barely standing and mostly rotten with weeds growing through it. We quickly ripped this away and erected the new one constructed of estera (woven bamboo material) and thin poles. We also installed a new wooden door giving access to the yard making the final result look very tidy indeed. Using flattened bottle caps and recycled screws we fastened black tarpaulin to the outside of the fence to provide additional privacy for the family. This is a standard fence design in Pisco, which is more like a wall.

We whipped it up fairly quickly and finished off other odd jobs on the house for our final day of work. Cam installed the hand basin, connected power to the toilet and laundry area we levelled and cleared the remainder of the section to leave them with a thorough and tidy job.



On Friday evening the volunteers that had worked on the project took some beer around to Victor’s to celebrate with the family. We had a great time sitting back and admiring our handy work as well as singing and dancing to YMCA and other such hits. It was the perfect way to end the project but also very sad to say goodbye to such a special family.


Over the past week we learnt how much they struggle financially, for example Victor had no cash to replace the empty gas bottle to cook our lunch -we did a whip around to collect the $15 NZD. But the family’s constant happiness and optimism leads you to forget that they really are living tightly. It really makes you think and we will remember this when we return to the rat-race of life at home. We have it so sweet.
On our last day at PSF Cam and I conducted the morning meeting and said our goodbye speeches. I can clearly remember my first day at PSF 6 weeks ago where people stood to say their goodbyes and about how the experiences had changed their lives. We can now fully relate. We have been very fortunate to begin and complete a project with a family during our time here. It is the type of experience many volunteers wish for as a lot of the projects at PSF are not family based. It was sad to say goodbye to our friends but we know that we will be seeing some of them in the near future - either in NZ or on some other trip around the world.
We leave Pisco with full and happy hearts. We have had the most amazing experience and learnt so many new skills and not to mention a lot more about ourselves. We would highly recommend volunteering at PSF to anyone thinking of visiting Peru.
On Saturday we caught up on admin, washed our whole wardrobes and just enjoyed having no responsibilities for the day. Sunday morning we hit the road, first to Ica and then on to Cuzco. 18 hour bus journey. Bring it on.

Pisco, PERU - Week 5

Our week has flown by yet again. With full days of work in the sun (temperatures now in the early 30s) we often crash fairly early to rise again around 6am and then do it all again.
We continued to make progress at Victor’s - although the house itself is complete we worked on the shower, toilet and laundry. The concrete floor of the shower and toilet was laid on Monday along with concrete tiles for the laundry area. The next day we were pleased to see it had dried well and that the shower drains perfectly! We then laid bricks around the base of the shower and toilet area. It looks fantastic and it was nice to sit back for the day and leave the experts to it - having two boys with previous brick-laying experience do the job.

Cam visited the doctor again during the week, he is still on the antibiotics and will return next week for blood tests but he is feeling much better. On Wednesday he returned to work and resumed his role as project manager. I was more than happy to step down, as the plumbing needed to be completed and the walls and roof constructed. At the end of the week we felt relieved to leave Victor’s with a completed toilet, shower and laundry area (very few people own washing machines but Pilar uses this to generate income for the family). We had a couple of issues but we muddled through and got there in the end. We were rewarded with an incredible sense of satisfaction as the family gathered in excitement to see their working toilet and shower - a basic amenity that we take for granted which will now change their daily lives. We were also able to deliver the good news from management that the family would be receiving a new fence for their property. They are concerned that the toilet and other fixtures may be stolen as their current fence is barely functional. We have a tight budget but the remainder will come from a few of us chipping in to complete the fence next week, our last task before we move on from PSF.

On Friday we worked at the Ludoteca- a child care facility which PSF has received a grant to run. It was passport day - where volunteers present information about their country to the kids and they have their ‘passports’ stamped. We therefore did Kiwi day with a fellow NZ volunteer. This involved telling the kids about NZ, ‘stamping’ their passports (with a red and blue crayon), playing rugby and making poi which naturally turned into weapons. It was a fun but slightly exhausting day.


I have also become involved in a public health project for PSF. Similar in nature to the work I do at home, I have been researching the sexual education and health services available in Pisco. PSF is looking at obtaining funding to assist in sexual education (and eventually wider public health) services. During the week I spoke with the Red Cross, an HIV Counsellor and the local obstetrician. Pisco is a very poor city and a symptom of this is a high rate of teenage pregnancy (11% of 14 year olds have children), high levels of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. With a macho society and a high religious population, there are more barriers than usual facing this project. I hope to continue to remain involved once I leave PSF.
We have grown very close with Victor’s family and on Friday evening Cam & I were invited to celebrate Martin’s 13th birthday. We shared dinner and cake with the family and gave Martin a present- a tool belt (builder’s apron) with a new hammer. It was just delightful to see his excitement and to spend time relaxing with the family. They are patient with our pigeon Spanish but we managed to muddle through conversation and had many laughs along the way. We feel incredibly privileged to have this experience, it is something we will treasure forever and is certainly a high point of our trip.


The weekend was spent relaxing, purchasing materials for our upcoming week at work and planning the remainder of our trip. We intend to leave PSF and continue our travels at the end of the coming week. It will be difficult to leave as we have had such a wonderful time but the gringo trail awaits!

Pisco, PERU - Week 4

Our fourth week at PSF provided new challenges for us both. We returned to Victor’s home to continue the project and to lift his modular home onto the new pad of concrete. Gathering a large group of volunteers we managed to move it in two pieces. Many hands made the actual shifting of the building light work but the real test was joining it back together without destroying the thin wood that it is constructed from.

We also cut a new window, constructed and hung a new door and rewired the home. It was fiddly work and took longer than we expected. But as the week flew by we got on with the job and enjoyed spending more time with the family and eating more delicious Peruvian cooking for lunch.


By the time Thursday rocked around Cam was still feeling very unwell and it was time to visit the doctor. Thinking it was once again Giardia he had a test done and purchased the antibiotics to treat it. However later that afternoon he was called in for further tests and a doctor’s visit to discover he has Typhoid. Typhoid is commonly found in this part of South America and is transmitted through faecal contaminated food and water. Although we had the prevention shot before we left NZ we have since found this is only 50-70% effective. For the remainder of the week Cam had to lay very low - sleeping a lot, trying to remain rehydrated and letting the drugs do their thing. He will return to the doctor next week.
At times like this home and the comfort of reliable treatment (in english) feels very far away. However we feel very supported at PSF, Cam had a Spanish friend escort him to the doctor and we are able to talk to a couple of others here who have had Typhoid before.
As Cam is off work indefinitely I took over as project manager. This is particularly difficult having no construction knowledge apart from what I have learnt here so far. But we continued on and with the help of the skilled people here at PSF (and Cam’s detailed drawings and job lists) we managed to install the plumbing for a toilet, shower and laundry block for the family. They currently do not have these facilities so it is a great pleasure to be able to provide this in addition to the renovations to their house. I spent one and a half days with a plumber who set up the pipes underground but the installing of the toilet, shower and laundry is up to me. Next week should be interesting.

Saturday night was our Mexi-80s party. It was a fantastic night including a feed of Mexican, Sangria and even a giant Piñata. There were some brilliant costumes and we had a great time dancing and kicking back after a tough week. Obviously Cam took it easy but managed to dress up and hang around before the others went out into town.

Pisco, PERU - Week 3

Our third week at PSF was one of hard physical labour resulting in calloused hands, sore muscles and two very tired workers by week’s end.
Monday got off to a great start with Cam and his team beginning a new project near Pisco beach. Prior to the earthquake the beach front was an area of prime real estate, however it has since become a place where the poorest families live and the wealthier people have fled in fear of another quake and tsunami.
Victor, wife Pilar and their 3 children live in a 8m x 4m modular home on their section which also contains a half demolished brick home. When the earthquake occurred the family lost most of their (brick) home; only the front half remains with a roof and three walls.

At the time of the quake Victor’s family took refuge further inland while Victor stayed with the house to protect it from looters. Unfortunately the looters held him up at knife point - the kitchen sink and stove was stolen. Victor has a sick elderly mother who is currently in hospital recovering from a heart attack. When she is released from hospital she will need to live with Victor for full time care. Both parents work incredibly hard to make ends meet but work in Pisco is very limited. They have spent all their money on medical bills and cannot afford to make alterations to accommodate Victor’s mother.
Victor came to PSF asking for help to expand their home and approval for assistance was granted by PSF on Christmas eve. The plan is to relocate their current modular home onto a concrete pad and join this with the remainder of the house that still stands, creating a whole room for his mother to live.
Our first job was to level the sloping section and then pour a concrete pad (12m x 4m). Through moving 150 wheelbarrows of back-breaking fill we managed to level the ground and pour the concrete. Next week we will move the home and hopefully continue to make their home more liveable.

Although the work was hard it was an absolute pleasure for both of us to be on the project. They are the most lovely caring family that your heart just breaks to hear their story. Victor and his son Martin helped us each day along with the neighbours kids’ ranging in ages from 5-12. We were treated to an amazing feast each day for lunch which we sat down and enjoyed with his family. Speaking very clear Spanish we heard his story and learnt more about the Pisco area.

The last two days of our week were spent on other projects as we waited for the concrete pad to harden sufficiently. Cam was driver for the day which includes taking the clunky PSF truck around the city delivering people and equipment to various work sites. Driving here in Pisco is no mean feat; it takes incredible courage as there are no lanes, no speedlimit and instead the horn is used when approaching an intersection, merging or for any other purpose where we would expect a rule.
I took part in cooking again, our team of 3 very capable girls decided to go where no PSF cooking team has succeeded before and make pizza for 45 people. We have a budget of NZ$1.50 per person (which is not a lot even for here) and with one oven and limited pizza making ingredients available such as flour and cheese - many believed we were destined to fail. However, they were all wrong and we came through delivering a range of hot gourmet pizzas served on time and exactly on budget. A very satisfying day’s work indeed.

Our last day of the week was spent on the French School Project, which is a cafeteria and toilet block funded by a French organisation at a local school. Our task was to make form boards for concrete walls. Such fiddley work in ensuring the wall is straight, I will never look at a concrete wall the same way again. It was good experience for us both and I got to use a jackhammer. Excellent.

After our half-day of work on Saturday around 25 volunteers relocated ourselves to the beach in Paracas. The beach is stunning chilly blue waters boarded by stark golden sand cliffs and no sign of civilisation. As the sun set we put up our giant tarp tent, made a fire and cooked up delicious ratatouille and baked potatoes, followed by smores.

We woke to a baking hot day where we made the most of the cool Pacific, ate fresh muscles and generally relaxed our weary bodies. Unfortunately Cam spent most of the time between the tent and the porta-loo, the dreaded Pisco Belly was back with a vengeance.

Pisco, PERU - Week 2 (December 27 - January 2)

Our second week at PSF got-off to a weak start but Cam managed to pull himself out of bed for work on Tuesday. Through comparing symptoms with others we treated him for Giardia and within a few days he was back to normal.
With only a three-day working week we did a mixture of jobs between us. Two days were spent back at El Molino continuing to construct a secure fence and prepare a roof for Juan. I also had my first experience of cooking dinner for everyone - with only 30 people it was a fairly easy task and went well. But after purchasing meat at the market we have decided to eat vegetarian while we are here at Pisco. The hygiene conditions are appalling and the cuts of meat so bad that we are better off not to eat it and to see if this settles the Pisco Belly that continues to plague us.
During the week many volunteers including several long-termers left PSF to return home or continue their travels. Leaving for New Year seemed to be a natural break for many and we were sad to see our friends go. Life at PSF is very condensed compared to that of the real world. We spend a huge amount of time with everyone whether its working, eating or partying and therefore friendships are formed very fast. In January the number of volunteers is expected to hugely increase so we are looking forward to the influx of new skills and energy arriving at PSF.
Friday off work we spent the day settling into our new home. We moved from the main PSF building to the School House which is a far quieter establishment where the oldies hang out! We are glad to escape and have some space. The house sleeps 30 but there are currently only around seven of us, it even includes a small patch of grass which is very rare in dusty Pisco.
New Years Eve was a fairly quiet affair as there was only 25 of us remaining at PSF. We had dinner at the house before heading to the beach for a display of pyrotechnic excellence. A team of volunteers had spent the day constructing a 3-D heart made from scrap wood. We wrote messages of our 2010 angst and put these inside the heart before it was lit with several hundred dollars worth of fireworks.


Later we returned to the house for our own countdown and to once again watch the entire city of Pisco burst into firework brilliance. We had a pretty early one and managed to sleep through the blasting street parties that continued through till the next morning. Peruvians know how to party and love their loud staticy music, a lot.
The 1st as usual was a nothing day. On the 2nd we ventured outside of Pisco, taking a boat trip to Ballestas Island which is known as ‘mini-golapagos’. On route to the Island we saw the ancient giant Candelabra etched into stone beneath the sand. We saw a range of wildlife including sea lions, dolphins, penguins and various sea birds.



The afternoon was spent exploring Paracas National Reserve which is basically one massive desert leading to a fairly impressive coast line. It was nice to get away and even better to breathe some fresh air - with the constant dust, rubbish and ineffective sewerage system here we will never again take fresh air for granted.

We arrived home from our day-trip to a backyard BBQ of fresh fish, salads, beer and later marshmallows by the fire. A great end to the weekend and a pleasant start to 2011.
Feliz ano nuevo a todos!

Pisco, PERU - Week 1 (December 19th – December 26th)

First impression of Pisco through the taxi window was a mild reality shock. We had been told a little about what to expect of Pisco; very poor, fairly dangerous, and an underdeveloped city. Driving through the bumpy dirt streets strewn with litter and amongst the half constructed and crumbled buildings that looked like the earthquake was last week, we had arrived in one of the poorest places we had seen in South America yet.
Arriving at the PSF house we were warmly welcomed by a bunch of hung-over residents. Sunday is the only day off work so we spent most of the day settling in and meeting new people. We chose our bunk room know as the ‘penthouse’, a bamboo and tarpaulin construction on top of the roof of the main house. An adequate place to rest your head after a hard days’ work.
Work at PSF is done Monday to Friday and a half day on Saturday. Every morning we have a team meeting where we get the chance to find out about new projects and choose the project we wish to be a part of for that day. The PSF headquarters where we are staying includes one big house, a work yard, tool shed, kitchen and admin office. This is where all the meetings are held and where we all eat. Alternative accommodation is located around the corner as well as at a nearby hostel if need be. There are currently around 50 volunteers but two months prior they had reached over 100. An organised chaos we can only imagine. It all seems to work very smoothly with everyone taking responsibility for themselves. Breakfast and dinner are cooked by the volunteers as are the daily duties including cleaning and other tasks. Lunch is usually at a restaurant nearby to the work site or is cooked by the locals involved in the particular project being worked on. We were fortunate to sample some local cooking one day during the week where a neighbour prepared a delightful lunch of ceviche followed with two whole fried fish served on rice.

As we had arrived a week before Christmas it was a time when a lot of projects were winding down for PSF. Therefore our first week of work which was only 4 days, included a big range of activities and we helped out where required. We poured a concrete floor, constructed chairs and bunk-beds, played with children at a day care centre, erected a prefab medical centre and built a wall for Juan, an elderly man.

Juan lives an incredibly basic life in the invasion community known as El Molino. This community of shelter housing has only existed since the earthquake. People fled from their homes basically becoming refugees and built what they could on this vacant piece of land. Only now is the government acknowledging their presence and is considering assigning titles to the families so that more permanent homes can be built here. El Molino has no sewerage system and offers little job opportunities for those living there. PSF does a lot of work in El Molino but has been restricted lately with the uncertainty of land titles and therefore having to relocate buildings, a waste of everyone’s time and money.

This mixture of work has been enjoyable but we are looking forward to perhaps sinking our teeth into a longer term project. Something we can follow through the different project phases and hopefully learn more skills. This opportunity may come in the new year once the wave of new people have arrived and more projects begin. However I must say that in one short week of work I personally have learnt to swing a hammer, mix concrete, operate a skill saw, use a drill, and purchase breakfast ingredients for 50 people in Spanish.
Our first impressions of PSF as an organisation are extremely positive, everyone involved is passionate and extremely hard working. The positive impact of PSF in the Pisco community over time is clearly evident; from newly erected schools, homes, a medical centre, murals and even the smile and wave from people as we drive through town in the truck. We are proud and excited to be a part of this organisation for a few weeks.
Christmas was always going to be a big deal here at PSF. With 50 or so international travellers missing the comforts of a home Christmas - PSF went huge and had a pig on a spit. With Christmas Eve off work some of us headed to the markets to buy ingredients for the following days’ feast. With an extremely hot day and hundreds of people looking to purchase their last minute food and gifts – it was one crazy experience. Live turkey anyone?

The remainder of the day was spent helping to prepare the food and finished with mulled wine, mince pies and carols in the evening. Christmas Eve itself is the big deal over here. Families gather to open presents and have dinner around midnight. Also fireworks (which are incredibly unregulated here) are let off at midnight to celebrate. We were treated to a half hour display of fireworks all over Pisco viewed from the roof top of our building.
Waking early Christmas morning I made the trifles. Unfortunately Cam did not make it out of bed due to the dreaded ‘Pisco Belly’ and shortly after lunch I was in bed with the same. We managed to get up and have some dinner that night. The pork was a success and served with turkey and all the trimmings we were certainly very spoilt. However we missed desert and were back in bed by 9pm, ah the delight of living in Pisco!


For Boxing day there was a planned group trip to a near-by beach, but unfortunately the prospect of a night with no toilets was not something Cam and I could face. Again, the day was spent in bed reading, not ideal at all.
Raiding our first aid kits, we can only hope the rehydration salts and antibiotics work their magic to allow for New Year celebrations this coming week.

Feliz Navidad from Pisco

Leaving Copa on Friday morning we set off for Puno, a town on the Bolivarian side of Lake Titicaca. The border crossing was a rather inefficient process with a number of different forms and stamps required. However the official proclaimed he ‘loved all Kiwis’ to everyone waiting in line which made our day.
Our 3 hour journey to Puno offered more agricultural scenery. These people obviously were more wealthy than their Bolivian counterparts and were using oxen to plough their crops and donkeys to cart their equipment. Still painstakingly hard work but the increased efficiency was obvious.
In Puno we had a quick bus change and continued on our way to Arequipa. This bus ride was again overcrowded and longer than it should have been, something we are now having to get used to as we travel through these parts of South America. We arrived 7 hours later into Arequipa for one night.
We had an early night and rose the next day to wander the shops and buy a few essentials for ourselves. This was the first time it has really felt like Christmas for us; the streets were heaving with people bustling to finish their shopping. We visited a large indoor market that sold literally everything and enjoyed a lunch at a funky cafe. Arequipa is a very pretty city we hope to return after our time in Pisco.
On Saturday we took an overnight bus to Pisco, paying the extra dinero we chose a reputable company and were rewarded with a very comfortable bus and great service. Sunday morning we arrived safely to the Pisco Sin Fronteras (PSF) volunteer house where we would be based for the next wee while.
PSF is an NGO which was established after the 2007 earthquake that devastated much of the city. The organisation is helping to improve living standards by rebuilding homes and assisting in all aspects of community development. We heard about it through our friend Ivan in Santiago who has previously volunteered with PSF. At this stage we intend to stay at PSF for three weeks over Christmas/ New Year.
The link to the website which contains more information about the organisation is: http://www.piscosinfronteras.org/
Thank you to everyone who continues to read our blog and for the messages of support. We love to hear your feedback. Initially the blog was for our own record and for our parents to check up on us, but it seems to have reached a far wider network of friends and family. It is nice to know others are interested and that we may have even inspired some to travel. We hope you all have a safe and happy festive season.
FELIZ NAVIDAD from Pisco!