Summer??? Really???

Since being a kid, I learned that the seasons are the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere from the Northern Hemisphere. Here in the Sierra of Peru I am sensing that summer is a misnomer however. Our temperatures are in the mid-sixties during the day, falling to high forties at night. Summer is actually the time for rain. January to March are not much warmer than the rest of the year, just wetter. I think the wetness actually makes the climate seem cooler than when I have visited in the summer (ours) months.

When looking at a couple of places to visit, the information said to forget going during the rainy season. The tourism board may not like that advice.

When the sun does shine here in the Sierra–Huancayo and Tarma–the day really warms up. We northerners need hats, sun block and sun glasses, which no one Peruvian seems to be wearing. The trick when going out for all day is to dress in layers and have an umbrella handy.

Given the fact that washing clothes is pretty much done by hand and no one has a clothes dryer, it is challenging to dry clothes during this rainy season. I have been messing for the last couple of days with getting jeans dry. First I hang them outside and then it starts to rain. So, I run out and get them and lay them over the ironing board. I repeat this several times, before giving up and leaving them inside to SLOWLY dry out.

The cool nights call for several warm wool blankets since there is no central heating of any kind. Peruvian homes generally have no water heaters either. So all that hand washing is done in cold water. The shower at Nataly’s house is similar to the one in Costa Rica. There is a kind of water heater rather than a shower head. It’s about the size of a cantaloupe. This functions sort of well depending on the day and time. The showering person has to discover by trial and error just the right point to turn on the water in order to get hot temps.

At Gladys’ house there is warm water until about 10 in the morning. After that, there is often no water at all until the next day. Gladys has a water tank and so has cold water all day for household needs. Given the fact of the rainy season, it’s hard to understand why water isn’t available all day. At least in Tarma, we always have water. Tarma’s water mainly comes from springs. Our handy man says that if you dig about a meter down in the lower part of town, you’ll hit water. Luckily we’re up the hill aways!

Gladys has gone off to visit relatives in Lima. She was complaining to a not-very-sympathetic-me that she is worried it will be too hot. Lima is about 20 degrees warmer than Huancayo and Gladys likes the cool temperatures. No one except the very rich seem to have air conditioning. I’ll be back in Lima for several days at the end of the trip and am looking forward to being warmer!

Oh, well, at least it is not snowing or icing like poor old Iowa.

Let’s Go Grocery Shopping!

One of the best aspects of a trip to Latin America is shopping in the open markets and the weekly ferias (street markets). Ever since I went to Uruguay way back in 1968, I have enjoyed the way Latin Americans provide fresh food for the populace. Grocery stores are only one of the options that people have and grocery stores are no match for price and freshness of the markets.

In Tarma we often go to one of the larger open air market stalls about 8 blocks away from our place. Natalie likes the fresh produce and friendly attitude of the owner/operator. Most of the market stalls are run by women, though not all. We can buy the usual veggies and also some from the selva (jungle) around an hour and a half away. The huge avocados come from there, as well as a variety of bananas. From the high valleys come many varieties of potatoes. The little yellow fruit in a husk called capulin is a good source of vitamins and you just tell the seller to give you $.30 worth and you’ll have all you need. The tomatoes are mostly Roma. We can buy enough veggies for the week for about $10, all super fresh.

For meat, we go to the covered market. We buy a whole chicken and the women at the counter cuts it up to Nataly’s specifications. Then we go to the beef area and pick out meat that we like. The butcher grinds it and weighs it in front of us and off we go.

At another stand we can buy a variety of grains and beans. Quinoa is popular in Peru, as is kiwicha or amaranth. I had trout covered in kiwicha and baked—-yummy. I guess both are actually seeds. Maca is a product grown near our area. It is sold in a powdered form. Gladys made a drink with maca, oatmeal, greek yogurt and a banana. Very high energy. Maca is technically an herb and sold in a flour-like form. It is called Peruvian ginseng. I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s in Iowa and on the package it says that it is a product of Junin, Peru, our place.

There are some folks who arrive and just spread out the few veggies they have on a piece of plastic. We generally buy the big avocados from the selva from a little old man who just brings in those and spreads them out on his blue plastic. Others in the market are selling sandwiches–pork is popular. There are many varieties of street food, though I’m not usually willing to try much. Neither Nataly nor Gladys do either, so I follow their lead.

However, food is not all you can find at the market. Tarma is called the City of Flowers. Huge gladiolas last up to three weeks and are found in a variety of colors. There are roses, carnations, lilies, geraniums, others I can’t name off hand. We buy big bunches for the sanctuary for Sunday services and we spend very little. When I visited the jumbo sized Catholic Church (an entire square block) down the street from us, I was impressed with how many gladiolas they use!

So, don’t hesitate to go to the open air market and buy your favorite or new veggies, fruits and flowers.

When You Don’t Have a Car

A car is a luxury for most Peruvians and the folks I know don’t have access to luxuries. Never fear, there are many ways to get around town or between towns without your own vehicle.

In Tarma I am living very close to the Main Street in town, as well as the Thursday market, supermarket and daily open air (and rain) markets. So, walking is the usual means of getting around. This means taking along a shopping bag or my trusty backpack.

If we don’t want to walk in Tarma, then the moto taxi, a bicycle built for three, is the answer. The driver sits in front and the two passengers behind him. ( I have only seen male mototaxi drivers so far.) It is like a motorcycle with a little tent built on it. For $.30 you can go anywhere around Tarma.

Want to leave Tarma? The moto taxi will take you to the transportation hub where you can take a car into Huancayo, our biggest town nearby at about an hour and 15 minutes. The cars are usually packing three in the back and one in the front. We each pay 20 soles or almost $7. Usually it takes less than 15 minutes to fill the car and take off! If you don’t mind a minivan, that will cost 10 soles or not quite $4, but will be slower. Buses to Lima leave from here as well.

In Huancayo I did some shopping with Gladys and we walked out about 6:30 in order to get to the wholesale market for a whole wheat homemade bread that she can only find there. She is an avid walker and would not spend a $1 for a taxi if she could walk. Another market that she likes for cheese and grains was too far for walking, so we took a taxi that cost about $1.50. On this shopping trip we looked in vain for a Frisbee for the teen group at the church in Tarma. The toy stores were all in the same area, a blessing because of the rain. I finally settled for a couple of plastic rings about the size of the Frisbee and they work surprisingly well. The only person who seemed to really know what I was looking for was a Venezuelan gal who informed me I would only be able to use one at the beach! We were quite wet when we arrived home, as it was raining cats and dogs, a usual occurrence here.

Here in Huancayo I see only minibuses running routes. No big buses like in Lima, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. I have only spotted one moto taxi. However, there are many, many taxis buzzing around town. Most charge from $1 to less than $2 to take you anywhere you want to go in Huancayo. Gladys left for a visit with family in Lima and took a very comfortable bus for a ride of around 8 hours, depending on the weather.

Trains are also an option for a few destinations in Peru. Tourists can plan a trip around the train running from Lima to Huancayo that gives amazing views of the Andes. It has no heating and the wooden benches get hard, so be prepared. It is also around 12 hours! Since this train leaves only once per month, you must plan your visit around its schedule. A band in uniform plays for you as the train leaves the station in downtown Lima. The band didn’t make up for the slow train ride. Once was enough for me. The train took forever to leave Lima, a city of over 11 million. The scenery is wild and rugged. I did enjoy very much meeting the Belgium family of five who were traveling around the world for a year, before relocating from Abu Dhabi back to Belgium. They had picked 10 countries and were spending a month in each. What an adventure for the two teen-age girls and upper elementary age boy!

Gladys and I tried the train from Huancayo to Huancavelica last May. It was another stunning trip, with lovely scenery going through a river valley. We stayed the night in COLD Huancavelica. Our hotel was nice, but no central heating. We walked around town, looking at a number of the many churches for which the town is famous. Had a good dinner at the Hotel El Presidente, where we should have stayed because it does have heat. On the cold early morning we hopped on board the train for the return trip. Again, no heat aboard the train. The trip is about five hours. Always dress in layers in the Sierra in Peru.

The train ride everyone takes is the one from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Pichu. The terminal used to be right in Cuzco. The first time I went, my nice hotel manager walked me to the train. I think he was pretty sure that the gringa would get lost. Now, due to train accidents in town, the departures take place at the new terminal about 15 minutes outside of town. My hotel helped me connect with a responsible taxi driver who also appeared on the dot when I returned the next day after having visited Machu Pichu. What a great guy! This train also runs along a river valley. It stops in several spots for hikers to hop off and join their guides for treks on the trail leading to Machu Pichu. Trekking is for the young adventurer, which I no longer am. I did find out that many treks use horses for the tourists, as well as native Peruvians who carry packs, tents and do the set up for the night as well as the cooking. Treks can take many forms it seems!

So, forget about your car when you come to Peru and rub shoulders with the natives as you enjoy a variety of transportation.