¡feliz cumpleaños! Deecree

[greytop]

Hope you are having a good day in Peru. Must be heading for Spring there?
May you have many more and keep us entertained with your posts.
Brian

[deecree]

Completely missed this post, I was in Chile at the time renewing my Peruvian tourist visa.
Thanks greytop.

Yes, spring is coming, here in Lima that means less clouds, more sun.
In the mountains that means more rain and less dry days (though weather here there is better messured in hours).
In the rainforest spring means... very little!

I'm looking forward to some sun, I arrived here from a British winter into a Limeño one.

[que]

Hey Deecree,

I may have missed this info as you may have posted it else where.

I was just wondering what you are doing in Peru. Are you helping out on a project somewhere? If so what is it, and how has your spanish improved since you arrived?

I was looking at sometihng similar, in places such as Cusco. Any feeback on where to go, who to go through would be interesting.

Cheers

(happy birthday for the other day by the way!)

[deecree]

No, no project at all, though I would be up for it if I get the chance.

I actually met a Peruvian girl whilst at university and after a year together, during my final year, followed her back here - I had always wanted to live in another country and this is a pretty interesting choice. I have been here for a few months now and loving it. I keep a blog (http://enperu.blogsyte.com/) and direct people to this page (http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=87) for an idea of what I think of the place.

You won't find much in the way of volunteering work in a tourist center like Cuzco, at least not the really worthwhile stuff. With tourist prices at US$100 for a train ride, those who truly try can make a living.
I hear there are excellent things to be done in the north, in places like Tarapoto (I once read about a project there that sounded excellent, though I remember nothing more than the fact that I liked it and sounded worthwhile, sorry!)
Remember though, in places like this, its not the number of helping hands that is the problem (there are plenty of locals for that), its hard cash. If you look at some of these projects on the internet, they are more of a means of extracting a fee from a rich westerner in exchange for a life experience than about the actual work being done. This of course doesn't make it any less useful to the locals or any less of an experience for you.

On the Spanish, yes it has improved from what was a basic level to an intermediate level. I had never studied it in school and for only a few weeks in night classes. Living in a Spanish speaking household is extremely useful, but I find I learn more from asking why I need to say somthing than by imitation and practice. I really ought to make more use of this forum - I just wish I didn't have so much freelance work between my travels (I thought freelancing was easy. :()

[Edith]

¡Feliz cumpleaños Stuart!

This must be the experience of a lifetime! Especially since you take the opportunity to travel to neighboring countries as well. BTW, are the Peruvians and the Chileans still quarreling about the origins of pisco?

[deecree]

The Peruvians are not best pleased, as recently the World Intellectual Property Organization has agreed that the word/brand Pisco (a Peruvian city where Pisco the spirit originated from decades before Chile was colonised) and the Peruvians, when marketing the spirit to the rest of the world must refer to their product as "Peruvian Pisco". Now for the nation that invented Pisco, that's quite an insult.

My strong and patriotic views are laid out here: http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=92

:cool:

[Edith]

:D :D :D

Perú and Chile are like Holland and Germany... many people in Holland are still very upset about Holland's defeat during the 1974 soccer championships... :rolleyes: ;D

But, seriously, I'm amazed by the passion this topic arouses in people. A couple of years ago, there were true Pisco wars going on between Peruvians and Chileans at the forum of Isabel's Allende's website!

[Brian]

Happy belated birthday, Decree!

[deecree]

:D :D :D

Perú and Chile are like Holland and Germany... many people in Holland are still very upset about Holland's defeat during the 1974 soccer championships... :rolleyes: ;D

But, seriously, I'm amazed by the passion this topic arouses in people. A couple of years ago, there were true Pisco wars going on between Peruvians and Chileans at the forum of Isabel's Allende's website!

Holland's sporting defeat in 1974 doesn't cause the country to suffer a reduced GNP, whereas the Pisco brand being handed to Chile means the original version is not considered the same in the eyes of the world as it isn't allowed to be marketed as Pisco. It is therefore sold less, and Peru's economy is dented.
Remember Chile's entire national economy is based on the nitrate-rich and copper-rich land they took from Bolivia (and less so from Peru) and on a Peruvian spirit they have claimed as their own. The result is a rich Chile, a desperately poor land-locked Bolivia, and a poor Peru.

That's why it still arouses passion.

[Edith]

I didn't realize that, and I agree Perú could do with some extra income compared to Chile. Thanks for explaining! :)