The Hermit rests

So thankful for the weekend after a very busy first week back in at work. I have already lived and worked in Peru a year so it should be easy to just jump back into the world of work with our village banks? Easier thought than done.

Maggie and I packed in a full week of nonstop work which included buying women's products, advising women on export markets and meetings with folks that can make some really amazing things happen health and education wise with some of our groups. Maggie also visited a number of possible community center location. Our plate was full. The week ended with a highlight for me that actually didn't involve the women. Maggie and I went out to the countryside to visit a group that creates weavings organically and we were planning on purchasing some of their weavings and also give them export advice for future weavings. We walked on the muddy cactus lined road until we got to the point where the road becomes thinner and you can see the adobe houses and the cows and pigs of the women we work with. One of the loan recipient sons saw me and came running to me with his arms wide open and his face with a grin from ear to ear. He gave me a big hug and said "You're back!" That was what I need to feel the true warm welcome back home in Peru.

When the sun came up on Saturday morning I just wanted to stay on my foam mattress bed and listen to the roasters crow. The one motivation I had to get out of bed was to clean up the awful mess the shower boys had left the night before. Yes, so I had not yet been in Cajamarca for 1 week and my shower broke. Lovely homecoming. It took 2 days and 5 visits to fix it. Not bad, actually. It was a nice first test of my Peruvian patience. Getting anything fixed in Peru is a waiting game. The shower guys said 5pm on Thursday night, then they called and said 6, at 6 called and said 7, 7 turned into 7:30. I didn't wait longer than that and my landlord informed me the next day that they never made it that night. The bright side of all of this is that now I have a sporadically hot shower, not just luke warm, but HOT! Thanks be!

Maggie and I worked a little this weekend labeling women's products, but other than that I was a hermit this weekend. And this hermit is feeling well rested right now. Although, I did make it out to the one and only "Usha, Usha" to sip wine and clap my hands to peruvian guitar and box rythms (and a dance or two). Besides that, there wasn't too much else happening this weekend. This is such a contrast to last year when I arrived in Peru, I wanted to explore everything, taste new flavors and walk the streets and find my way here. This year I am coming back to a familiar place and it was an exhausting homecoming so there was no exploring - only rest this weekend.

Actually, in one sense it was a momentous weekend. My sweetheart Hugo motivated to become a chef. This is an amazing motivation because it is an unusual surprise to find a Peruvian man that cooks for himself, his sweetheart, or anyone else for that matter. We had the gas stove full and made a loopsided "causa;" avocado, egg and tuna stuffed potato. It was even more delicious than it looks like in the picture.

The Hermit is rested and ready for another week of work, whatever that may bring.