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Day 7: Bye-Bye Maslow - Arequipa, Peru

13/7/2014

1 Comment

 

Okay 6-days of struggle were enough and I needed to move on, up, and out! I accepted that there would be no hot (or barely warm) showers for me. My sleepwear would always include a knit cap, sweater, and socks. All that jazz was in the past because today was moving day for my friend Mena and her family.

I know my offer to help them move was a little weird. As I told her Friday, my social choices were limited to wandering around the city to get out of my tomb-chilled room or stay in the dark freezing place. Helping her move meant I was able to see more non-touristy parts of Arequipa and be helpful to others.

The night before, my pedagogy instructor and his wife took me out to dinner. The experience helped my begin making my goodbyes to Maslow and the lower tiers of his hierarchy of needs.




On our way to her old house, in a district I could not pronounce, she pointed out several restaurants as we walked to Plaza de Armas. Apparently, Sunday is the day of school parades and local government activities. This day was a preview for the upcoming independence celebrations on July 27, 28, and 29.



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We took a "camioneta" (a van that works like a bus) to her house. She asked me more than once was I okay with taking it because most visitors don’t travel that way. As long as she was doing the talking in Spanish I was good with the decision, and the fare was about 45cents versus 10-sols!

Traveling with Mena and her nephew, who accompanied her empowered me to buy a few items from a street vendor outside her house coconut Macaroons and sugar cane. The sugar cane was wonderfully memorable since it reminded me of summer time in Detroit when we’d get sugar cane as a treat. I don’t think I’d had this treat in over 35-years (yes, I old)!


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Part of my deal for helping them move was that I’d eat. I took the day off from fasting. Her mother was concerned about me not eating. If her mother was anything like mine – there was no way I could go to her home and help her move without accepting food. We ate a few hours after I arrived to help with the move. After inquiring whether I prayed before eating, I was asked to day the pray then found out that, they don’t really do that sort of thing!




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I also corn-rolled/French-braided Valerie's hair (Mena's sister). I explained why I cut my hair - to see the shape of my bald head and get more sleep since I'd have no hair to comb. 



We concluded I could open a hair-braiding shop and make lots of money should I decide to relocate to Arequipa...
Then the moving began...

Then we had dinner...
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Okay, so I suck at taking selfies.
1 Comment
Gail Brown
8/8/2014 05:00:33 am

If I could only get off of that bottom rung myself. What an AWESOME and inspiring trip - thanks for sharing!

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