Site Visits

Once a year my APCD Alfredo(Peace Corps Boss) makes a visit to my site. It’s a way to check up on things, see how I’m doing, etc. etc. Well since Tiffany and I share a site both of our APCDs planned on coming together – or so we thought. Turns out that both of them, their program assistant Mariu, Marko the ACD (Assistant Country Director) and Michael the CD(Country Director). Talk about a little pressure huh?

So they made their way here in the Peace Corps car – a new LandRover in great condition. We had lunch at Tiffany’s house, took a peak at my house and my room them went to meet the Artisians. At that point it was pretty late and we had to head out of town. It was really foggy, so bad that you couldn’t see the Church from across the plaza. By the time we actually got in the car you couldn’t see more that 8 feet in front of us. We took off and headed to Cochan to pick up Alex.
This time of year, the road between San Miguel and Cochan is often impassable. At times the mud gets so thick that the milk trucks can’t even go through. Well, we heard it wasn’t that bad this week so we decided, what the hell? Lets give it a go.

Oh boy... I think it would be in my best interest to spare some of the fine details from my blog. You never know who from PC is going to read this. But lets just say its was the most awful, dangerous ride I’ve ever been on. We got stuck, changed drivers more than once, a few people refused to stay in the car so they got out and walked in mud past your ankles, more than once we seriously almost tipped off the side of the cliff, and I swear one time we were at a 45 degree angle leaning into the side of the mountain. We had a designated person to pray, a car full of backseat drivers, and me in the way back taking fotos and enjoying every adventurous minute of it. Unfortunately the fotos are in Alfredos camera so I can’t post them. But if I ever get him to send them to me I’ll be sure to put them up.

The road to Cochan usually takes an hour. This time it took 2.5. By the time we got there everyone but me almost strangled Alex. She quickly jumped in the car and we headed on our way to Cajamarca.