Almost home!

We're back in San Salvador, airport number 3 of 4 today. Our flight takes off in a little 4 hours and we find ourselves at the same cafe that we were in on day 1 of our travels. Our hour and a half layover in Lima was anything but, as we were one of the last ones to board the plane once we got done with security and other lines. It was a pretty bumpy ride from Lima to here, with turbulence going on the entire second half of the flight, but we're here. Only our flight from here to SFO and we're back home. What an adventure. Maysa's battling stomach issues again, but it seems as if she's getting a little better. The airline rep lady in Cusco was nice enough to make it so we didn't have to pick up and recheck luggage along the way, so we'll just pick it up when we get home. I'm really craving America right now, so I just ordered a slice of apple pie. It's very American. That prompts me to get to the point of this; we had an idea that hatched the first week of the trip, but it wasn't fitting to write about until now. Just a simple list of things we will miss about Cusco, things we won't miss about Cusco:

Will miss:
- Mama
- The beautiful mountains
- The children
- Los Perros
* Cheap food and drinks
* Being able to go out in whatever the hell it is you happen to be wearing at any given moment
* Not having to drive anywhere
* Picturesque views just about everywhere you look
* Having conversations in English and no one knows what the hell you're talking about
* Pisco sours
* All the walking
* Paying for the majority of things in coin
* Being able to barter on the price of just about everything
* Being the tallest person in 100 miles
* The cool people we met along the way, and the experiences we shared


Won't miss:

- Waking up in the middle of the night with your mouth so dry you can't rub your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
- Paying One Sole to use "public" restrooms.
- Pooping everything you ate an hour ago.
- Cramps in your stomach, cold, sweaty palms, and no restroom in sight. If there is a bathroom, there's no toilet paper... and no soap.
- Getting zapped in the shower.
- Being charged triple the price of anything and everything.
- Nosebleeds.
- Not knowing whether or not you're going to make it alive to where the cab driver is taking you
- People trying to hustle you every 5 steps (like internet pop-ups)
- Thick black clouds of smoke from the tailpipe of every other vehicle
- Thick black clouds of smoke from your lungs when you cough
- NO WATER PRESSURE
- Not being able to drink tap water
- Potatoes and rice at every lunch, bread and butter at every breakfast
- Dirty everything...
- All the walking
- Buses with no headroom, legroom, shoulderroom, etc etc etc...
- Having to barter on the price of just about everything.
- Comfortable beds
- Carpeted floors
- Having to keep your hand in your pocket where your money is when walking around in public
- "No, gracias."
- "Amigo, llevase."
- Hitting my head on anything and everything...seriously, I think I need a CAT scan
- Driving, processed food (I know it sounds weird), being able to order a soda or beer and know it's going to be cold when it gets to you, good service in restaurants, not waking up congested in the morning, sports on TV other than soccer


That's it for now....thanks for reading, following, commenting, and supporting us. We've got a lot more to do when we get back to keep helping out, but I think we'll take a few days off. See you back in the States!

- M&Z

Last day of projects and current happenings

Buenas!

Yesterday morning we went with Rocsana, the head of the orphanage and a few of the children to go purchase uniforms so they would be allowed to attend school. As is the theme for this trip, nothing went quite as we planned it. After arriving at the orphanage and saying goodbyes to the kids who go to school in the afternoons, we walked about a mile and a half to the first school, where we were to buy 5 ties and 5 jackets for the children.

Luciano and Maysa

Saying goodbye to Gino and Ronal

When we got inside the school, these two women who should have nothing to do with children, verbally assaulted Mario and Christian, Rocsana, and ourselves. They said the children weren't disallowed because of uniforms, and it was because they didn't have transfer papers from a previous school. They called the children liars, said they didn't do homework, and said they were talking to a bunch of ignorants. With all of the commotion of recess, I didn't really follow the conversation completely, and I'm thankful that I didn't. I would've slapped a bitch. Maysa, however, didn't hold her tongue and tore into the teachers. They were more concerned with following a protocol than with providing a child, five children, with an education. They just see the children as paperwork and didn't show any empathy for the situation. It takes a lot of nerve and no love to attack a mother of 18 children, only 3 of whom are actually hers, who works sun up to past sun down trying to love and nurture as best she can. But, of course, it's her fault that she can't track down the kids' parents halfway across the country to get their past school records. Maybe she should just do it in her free time....suffice to say it was frustrating. We finally talked to a woman interested in helping get the kids back to school. We purchased the ties, but had to go somewhere else to get the vests made for them. The last woman we talked to let us know that the teachers had said the kids couldn't attend school without uniforms and said she'd write a note excusing them from wearing uniforms for a week while we got theirs made. We then walked to the school that Cliber and Carlitos attend to get ties for them and a vest for Cliber. He was so excited to complete his uniform.

Cliber with his new vest...he was so excited!

 It was truly a great feeling, and the kids were so appreciative. We then went to Jhonatan's school to buy his 'buzz', like a tracksuit. The director there was another man who has no business working with children or in education. He quite obviously neither possesses compassion nor intelligence. Christian used to go to the same school, and the director wanted to charge 70 soles to send his papers to the new school. It only costs ten soles, so he's trying to fatten his wallet, and his stomach, off of an orphan's necessity for an education. Maysa had had it at this point, and frankly, we all had. He was walking away from us and she said, vociferously, "Tu eres un puerco!" And meant it.
- Z

I have never called someone a pig and actually meant it. The guy was disgusting in every way. He doesn't believe in poverty, he believes the children should work for their uniforms. He wasn't happy that we were buying it for them. As he started walking away from us, I called him back and said, "Give me Christian's papers so he can go to school!" He said, "70 soles." I asked Zach to pay it, but the mama of the orphanage told us not to, she is going to take the defense of the people there, she was not going to give him a penny over ten soles. That's when he started walking away. What I actually said was, "He's a pig, that's what he is!" I meant it too. He is a disgusting pig. Anyone who takes advantage of orphan children is a dirty pig. At the school, the  teachers were telling us what bad kids the children were, what a bad mother Rocsana was, how the children didn't pay the eight soles for the party they had on mother's day, etc... I tried reasoning with them. I told them that Rocsana had 18 children, that sometimes they had no food to eat or gas to cook their food. I told them that there was no way Rocsana could be on top of everything, and she definitely didn't have money to pay for parties. I told them they should allow the ids in school. They called us ignorant. They said, "Are we talking to a bunch of ignorants here? There are mothers who have ten children and they have their uniforms and documents." That's when I responded, "You say you're talking to a bunch of ignorants, but I am the one talking to ignorants. You're ignorant. There is no comparison between these children who have no parents, nobody to stand up for them, and children with parents. These are orphans. You should be trying to help them instead of attacking them. Instead of running your mouth and criticizing, why don't you go to their house and volunteer? Help them do their homework. I see you're good at talking, how about some action?" They were pissed! Jerks, aholes! My heart hurts for the children. I'm glad they got to see someone standing up for them. I'm sorry I called the guy a pig in front of them, but hey... it came so naturally. Back to Zach!

-M

After all of this, we did manage to get all of the kids their ties, we're getting the jackets made for the kids, we got the vest we needed, one of the buzos we needed, and we're getting the other one made. They're such good kids, and some of them are very intelligent for their ages as well, I just hope they get the opportunities they deserve in school. We also gave Rocsana some money to buy something nice for herself. She works so hard with the children all of the time, she deserves to be able to treat herself every once in a while.

Jhonathan trying on his new buza

After stopping for lunch and picking up more donations at home, we headed out for Maysa's project to say our last goodbyes. We took the baby wipes and children's vitamins, and along the way picked up 5 boxes of gloves, and some snacks for the children. We went to San Juan de Dios, dropped off the things, Maysa said he goodbyes, then we walked home and let out a collective sigh of relief. We were done.

Donations for San Juan de Dios

After showering up and loafing around for a bit, we grabbed Sam and went to this pizza and chicken place right around the corner. "Best pizza in the world." - Maysa. We ordered the vegetarian...with every kind of meat they had. And pineapple. It was pretty awesome pizza. Maysa also ordered a liter of beer, and she didn't want any help drinking it! Well, she got a little help, but put up an admirable fight. It was the perfect end to the day.

Our 'al gusto' pizza

Well, we're done with our smoothies now, so we'll sign off and go galavant until dinner, when our mama is going to get us some pollos a la milanesa 'muy ricos' and we'll have a family dinner tonight. Until next time.