Posted 10:01 AM by MelanieandSteve
WHO AND WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

These days, Melanie is in Peru with the Rotary Club. She was sent by District 5470, Southern Colorado, on the program called GSE, or Group Study Exchange, designed for cultural sharing between young professionals from different cultures. The team, Melanie, Eric, Renee, and Bart are staying in homes of Rotarians in Lima for the month or May. We are spending the days visiting important cultural and historic sites, attending Rotary Club Meetings where we will be making presentations about life in Colorado, and seeing places and professions in Peru that are counterparts to our own work.

This is being posted on Melanie´s Blog because the Internet cafes do not have software necessay to post on the Rotary web site, but these will eventually be posted on the Rotay web site as well, at http://www.rotary5470.org/--ToPeru2006.cfm That site also has an introduction to the members of the team including pictures and mini-bios.

Also, whenever Melanie gets access to USB ports or card readers, she will post pictures at photos.yahoo.com/melsteveph.

LA CLIMA IN LIMA ES POCO MASS EXTREME THAN WE EXPECTED:

In my first Blog from the air, did I say we did ``Spring´´ into ``Fall´´? Well, it still feels more like summer here. They tell us it is warmer than usual, and it is also humid. Renee was smart enough to pack a slew of summer skirts, but Melanie, sweltering in her suit pants soon learned to appreciate the virtues of over-packing. Alternatively, she became aware of the blessings of city-block-sized markets in Lima full of forgotten `necessities`.

THANKS TO FRANK, A FINE DAY IN THE CENTER OF TOWN:

Frank N. met us today for a cruise through Lima Central for a vocational culture day. We drove through Plaza de Armas with its grand Cathedral and Palacio Gobierno, the Government Palace of the President. We also saw the Palacio Justicio, to appease the two lawyers in the team, Melanie and Eric. We strolled through the electrical markets on the Wilson Street and the `everything markets´ of Polvos Azules (Blue Powder). A couple cell phones, skirts, shorts, and a new wallet later, the team was well equipt and we were off to Dina C. S.´s coffee shop, `Starsoles´... (The name means more if you realize that peruvian money is call `soles´, their bucks...) We were treated to a delightful relaxing lunch including tradional Peruvian Arequipan salad ``Soltera con Queso,´´ a Peruvian traditional drink made from maiz called Chicha Morada, Pasta, and ice cream.

MILKING THE MACHINE: LA VACCA MECANICA:

Martin S., Dina´s husband, joined us and taught us about the Vacca Mecanica, (mechanical cow) the metal machine that Rotarians hope to use to produce 100L of soy milk in ne hour from only two kilos of soy beans to get much needed proteins to many Peruvian children who cannot afford meat or milk. We sampled the sweetened version along with bread made from its by-product and both put vegetarians Melanie and Renee into seventh heaven.

NO BLUFFING, LOVELY BLUFFS:

We walked off our lunch on the grassy cliffs over the beach where flowers were planted in shapes of the Nazca Lines. The cool breeze, almost too cool, was a break from the balmy day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND FELIZ CUMPLEANOS

The night brough a birthday party, not for a person, but for a club. San Borja Rotary club was now 31 and after much ceremony and business, the crowd stood to sing ``Happy Birthday´´ to itself. Dinner was served at 11:30 p.m.. We visitors who still have not caught up with the lack of sleep in days prep-preceding the trip were acutely aware of the differences in Peruvian Circadian Rhythm, both in sleep and in stomachs. Somehow, we still had time to journal...

Posted 9:26 AM by MelanieandSteve
WHAT FOLLOWS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON A ROTARY GSE WEB SITE, BUT I WAS NOT TECHNICAL ENOGH TO CONQUER A NEW BLOG SYSTEM, SO I AM BACK. STILL HOPING ONE DAY TO GO BACK AND FILL IN THE TIME FROM LAST PERU IN JULY TO THIS PERU IN MAY NEARLY A YEAR LATER.

Pre-Landing, Written by lap top 1 May 2006

WHAT´S NEW?

We are Off:

After nearly seven months of anticipation, we have finally embarked on our exchange. At DIA At 9:00 a., on 1 May, we were light on luxury items but packed ¨peseoso¨ (heavy) with pounds of pencils and presents for Peru. In only nine hours, Annalisa, Caroline, Jeanette, Steve and Marie had seen all that they would see of us for the whole month of May (excepting Marie and Steve who might pay a visit before we are through.)

¨Seasoned¨Travelers:

We bid bye bye to our babies, our babe3s, and our families, and before evening fell, we had flown right from Spring into Fall.

WHATS NEWS?

These are happening times for us to learn about Lima and Politics in Peru.

1. Elections:

After a close April 9 presidential election between twenty hopefuls, run'offs will occur while we are there. Hot topics include international free trade, treatment of foreign business, human rights, medical costs, corruption, control of cocaine, education, clean water, paved roads, and threats of sabotage by Shining Path Rebels.

a. Early election attention went to close ranking candidates Humala, a once military man who led a coup to overthrow Peru; Flores, the free trade advocate and first serious female contender on her second attempt at the presidency; and Garcia, a prior president who acknowledges letting poower go to his head the first time around thanks to his youth, but now swears he has grown up.

b. Voters elected to Congress the daughter of former President Fujimori who is now imprisoned in Chile awaiting extradition trial. Recently, Fujimori said his ¨I Do´s¨in detention to marry a new wife.

2. Free Trade Agreement: The Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA)

Recently Peru and the States signed a free trade agreement in Washington, but Venezuela´s Chavez got mad and said he would pull out of the Andean Community of Nations (similar to a small'scale EU). The Peru'U.S. agreement is not official until it gets ratified and since Peru´s leading presidential candidate is a friend of Chavez, the signed document is not a done deal.

3. Current Events on Earth´s Crust:

Since February, Volcano Ubinas has been erupting 470 miles south of Lima in Querapi. But a week ago, the ashy explosions got worse. More than 200 people have been evacuated, many animals have died, and President Toledo has issued a state of emergency.

SKY HIGHT WOUTHWARD AS THE SUN SETS: and we wonder what Lima will be like in these times.