Leaving on a (midnight) jet Plane

Oh faithful readers our very last entry. We are homeward bound. We leave Buenos Aires at midnight tonight (Friday)and arrive in Sydney at 7.30a.m. Sunday. Perhaps we will apologise in advance for our cranky and bad behaviour when we get home. After all the beauty treatments we thought we were supermodels we know we will not look like them when we get off the plane. Not looking forward to the flight home. The plane is for midgets and as we are mus grande it is very cramped and also very hot. Vickie was prepared to throw herself out of the plane on the way over and after swapping seats Chris understood why. Hope you have enjoyed our adventures and see you in a couple of days.

Lost in Latina

Sorry no blog for a while. Did not think anyone would be interested now we are not saving the world. But a few requests from our loyal fans and we are back on the keyboard. Have been to Cusco and Macchu Picchu. Absolutely worth the trip. Now in Argentina and have turned into supermodels. We have both had manicures and pedicures and haircuts. Nothing too drastic. Chris looks the same as when she left. We have been to a Tango show and have both got Tango shoes now. Being resoled for walking as don{t think either of us would be able to get our legs into the position the girls get theirs. Went to see the cowboys yesterday. Then just shopping for two whole days. More expensive then Huancayo. Have started the treatments to rid ourselves of body lice, nits, worms,TB and Giardia. Think that is all although feel like old ladies taking heaps of pills every morning. Vickie would have liked to keep the Giardia for a bit longer. Home in two more days. Both can{t wait to get into our own beds.

Down Time in Lima

Not much to report. Arrived in Lima at 7.30 yesterday morning after an 8 hour bus trip in the pouring rain over the Andes. Thank God it was night time. Took another 2 hours for our legs to get out of the foetal position. Have been pretty lazy here. The people are bigger here than in Huancayo and seem to have more wealth. Lima is more expensive than Huancayo. With all this time on our hands here is a limerick. Dos Australiana Enformaras went to Peru
When they got there, there was todo to do
They did get so sick
Their waists no longer thick
Dan Manahan we have found the perfect place for you.

Leaving on The Midnight Bus to Lima

Well we have one more day in Huancayo. Nice to think we will have 24 hour a day hot water and a flushing toilet. Perhaps we will be used to throwing water at the toilet and will have forgotten how to press the button. We have said good bye to the hospital and gave them our unused gloves and uniforms. All the naughty boys in Kids Ward wanted to come with us. Sad to go but pleased as well. There seems to be some civil unrest at the moment. Lots of marches and pamphlets in the street. we fully agree with them. They need a revolution but can they wait until we get on the bus. Have still not met any other English speaking people so are starting to rehash old conversations with each other. We have no secrets. Had our portraits done by a great street artist so we thought we would share them.

Gone Native and joined the Shining Path

We had a great time in the jungle, water 24 hours a day and a flushing toilet. Much prefer it to Huancayo. The weather was warm not changeable like here. The bus trip took approx 6 hours to get there. Spectacular scenery from our double decker bus. We sat at the front up the top. We figured the death seats were the best. Some of the corners were a bit hairy and at one stage we thought the bus was going to tip over. Photos do not do the scenery justice. A jungle tour the next day had us eating termites and dancing in Shining Car??? clothing. Again spectacular views with lots of water falls and for lunch we ate what we were told was a small pig but on further investigation it was a large rodent.Tasted nice until we knew what it looked like. Peruvian TV were filming at one of the waterfalls which at first we thought we had wandered into a rebel group and were prepared to join. We figured their life must be better. Anyway one with his arm around Vickie is a famous Peruvian actor. We call him Rambo. The bus trip home with the locals was horrific. Single decker bus very crowded and will be lucky if we do not have nits or scabies. Suspicious bugs everywhere even on us. Had to shut the curtains because of the police but we do not really know why. Chris has Peruvian poohs and Vickie Peruvian Plerisy awaiting malaria as Chris got bitten by mosquitos. Still dragged ourselves to work today on the medical ward. Will keep you in suspense about that.

long live mother theresa

Worked at the hospital this week. Everyone has to be stamped to enter and have to show the uniformed security guards their stamps to exit. This is to ensure no one escapes without paying their bill. Have now met the Director of the hospital who congratulated us. We were not sure for what but just smiled and nodded. These pictures are of some patients, the pan room room and the bathroom and Vickie dealing with the hot water system or lack there of. Off to the jungle today and then working on the medical ward next week. The conditions there look even worse.
Vickie has been sick this week with wait for it a sore throat but it only turned out to be a head cold. We have both nearly been electrocuted in the home shower but it does warm you up after the water has been stone cold.
Thank you for the comments and emails. We have enjoyed the little sanity they provide. We cannot email everyone back as it is too difficult.

Infamos Enfermeras

On Monday met a very grumpy Aldo who finally took us to the hospital. After a 3 hour wait we gained our permission to enter all areas of the hospital. We commenced work in the Paediatric Ward. No hot water, the patients have to supply their own towels and toilet paper and only get washed and fed if the family does it. We have filled the family void for a number of children. Linen does not get changed no matter how dirty so we might get the sack as we have used all the linen. The pan room is in the bathroom. Family members usually attend to this and rinse the pans and urinals in the wash basin. No pan sterilizer exists in the hospital and one very old piece of torn mattress sponge is used to wash all the patients. Family members have to pay for all medications and dressings. They have to go to the pharmacy to collect all the medications and IV fluids. This is a public hospital and it costs 10 soles a day roughly AS$4-5 which is alot of money for the Peruvians. It appears some parents go without food to pay for the hospitilisation. Security Guards in uniforms with guns come around and do a head check of patients and staff. People who can´t pay are tossed out.
We snuck out of the ward (something we would never do in Stanthorpe) and had cafe with the hospital manager. Her shout. All though the conditions were pretty rough the children and mother´s seem to warm to us.There doesn´t seem to be a lot of empathy shown to them.
We are going to the jungle on Friday for 2 nights and have booked to go to Cuzco and Macchu Picchu from the 2nd April or so we hope as it has all been done in Spanish.
Sometimes we feel like this is a nightmare. English is not very widely spoken and the primitive conditions make us long for a hot shower, our own beds and tap drinking water but we have kept our sense of humour just.
No photos as we are in a different internet cafe and can´t read the spanish to hook the cameras up.

when the going gets tough the tough go shopping

Plans have changed again. Going to the hospital in the morning if things do not work out Betsy (the familys daughter who is a doctor)will arrange for us to go to another hospital. Because things have not worked out how we thought for our last week in Peru we are trying to make arrangements to travel to Macchu Picchu.Both of us have been to the dentist now and could be there every day as it is so cheap. $30 Aust for 2 fillings. May come back with movie star smiles.
Saturday our free tour (which we paid for)was to Chypalata. Saw the animal markets. Very sad. Have live sheep tied to the roof of a bus. Then travelled by taxi with nine people with chickens to an old church built in the 1600s by the spanish. Still original altars etc. Then climbed 360 very big stairs after lunch to view some ancient ruins. 6000 years old. Beautiful view very hard climb (lots of swearing). Got down the other side very quickly as our guide lost the path. Like coming down the front of Bald Rock only higher and lots of gravel. We survived just!!!
Our dry cleaning came back a little wet. Early night in bed by 7.30 then the disco next door started.
Today we have been to the cemetery and the markets again with Gladys. Very hard to buy clothing or hats that fit as we are so much bigger than the Peruvians. We are starting to develop a complex as they call us mus grande(very big). Some even laugh at our size.
Shower this morning not cold for once. We both have third degree burns.
Rains every day not heavy but fairly constant and the temperature changes from minute to minute-
We have had many laughs through our time here and the people are very good hearted.

trouble in peru adise

You may have wondered why the change of plans from the hospital to the kindy. We have had a difficult time here. On arriving the director informed us we needed advanced spanish (US$240 each) to work in the hospital. This was new information to us. After heated debate and Chris had her say we are to commence work in the childrens hospital on Monday Afternoon. We will continue going to the kindy each morning and to the hospital each afternoon. We were ready to pack our bags and go travelling instead. All the donations have reached the needy as we made sure of this and have taken photos. We believe the work they do is of value but foreigners are often seen as a source of income ( but not us as they now know). Our host family is aware of the difficulties we have had and have supported us through this but it is hard for them as one of the daughters works for the organisation. We have been careful not to make trouble for her as their income is limited. The conditions the children at the kindy live in is very sad. Raw sewerage runs into the creek they drink from. A lot of sexual exploitation of the children happens in the surrounding corn fields. The children are snatched as they walk home. Some come to kindy with no food, The toilet is a hole in the ground and there is no running water even for the 4 hours a day we get it. The area they play in is unsanitary. Pigs, Chooks and dogs defecate there as well as the children. However the joy on their faces when they recieved your donations has made this trip worth while. The organisation has plans to build a new kindy and we have seen evidence of another one they have built.
On a lighter note Chris has been to the dentist after breaking a tooth and we are both going this afternoon as he was very cheap and Chris is now in love with him. Sorry Rod!! We have found a dry cleaners as we have worn the same clothes for three days. Very hard to hand wash in the few hours of water and then it rains and takes a few days to dry.
Been to the city centre and love the shopping. No postcards as it cost 42 soles for 6.
update maybe hospital monday morning now and no kindy.

professors in huancayo

We have turned into professors. The children at the kindy call us professor and even tell us when they have to wee wee. The kids are fun to play with and even enjoy our singing. Our spanish is no better than when we left but we can buy furmers,aqua and cafe by ourselves. The altitude is not too bad first couple of days there was some very odd swelling. The water goes off every day from 10 a.m. till the next morning so no night showers for us. The water is not drinkable either unless it is boiled.
Our host family is serving us traditional peruvian food and there has not been one meal we both have not enjoyed. Very healthy diet. Lots of rice and corn. Going to the jungle with our mother on a week end.

huancayo at last

Arrived Saturday after a 7 hour bus trip. Comfier than the planes. Even had a hostess to serve us lunch. Our host family are lovely and the mother speaks as much english as we do spanish but we get by. Went to the markets with her yesterday and yes we did see guinea pigs flies and all. Her name is Gladys and has two daughters Paula and Betsy. Peruvian food is fantastic and we are bringing Gladys back with us. Spent the morning at a kindergarten in a very poor area of town. We are not going to be working at the hospital ñow. Our programme is Kindy in the morning, Spanish lessons until lunch time, home for another Gladys cooked meal then we teach english in the afternoon. On the weekend we are going to a hospital out of town. One Doctor for three thousand people and we are going to give him our donations from the hospital. We have given a lot of the donations to the organisation to use where they see fit. This morning the children at the kindy were given the pencil cases from the convent and some lollies. They were so excited. The orphanage recieved the socks,hats etc and some lingerie Chris had bought in Buenos Aires we had forgotten to take out of the suitcase.

Arrived in Lima by the skin of our teeth

Hola.Here we are in Lima after throwing out our immigration passes in Buenos Aires. Then last passengers to board. Aldo and Natalia collected us at the airport. Lovely people who can get our sense of humour. The taxi ride to where we are staying was pretty hair raising. Short tour of Lima then a 6 hour bus ride to Huancayo. Slept in time to the all ñight disco over the road. Have both learnt to use our hands even more when speaking.No photos to post as the port wouldn´t work on this computer.

Buenos Aires

Arrived at 3p.m. local time that s 5 a.m Stanthorpe time so have been up for 24 hours straight. Got the bags on the plane after a little bit of re organising and a customs search. They were suspicious over the red rooster bags Thought we were starting our own enterprise Lesley s letter saved the day and us from jail.

on our way

here we are in brisbane with our very heavy luggage hoping we will be allowed on the plane without cavity searches. The amount of donations we have recieved has been amazing so we will be nude for the next five weeks as had to ditch the clothes to fit in all the goodies. Both pretty exhausted have to be up at 4a.m. Stay tuned for more

Off On Our Adventure

Coca tea and Guinea Pig Our new diet

Nearly time to go. Have been overwhelmed by the support we have recieved. This is our itinerary.
8th March 5.30am. Brisbane to Sydney
10.30 a.m Sydney to Buenos Aires
13.05p.m.Arrive Buenos Aires Local Time. Time difference13 hours behind
9th March 1940 Buenos Aires to Lima
2220 Arrive Lima Local Time Aldo is picking us up. Time difference15 hours behind
10th March Transferred to Huancayo in the Andes Altitude 3270 metres and meet our host family.
12th March Commence our volunteer work
12th March-8th April Flitting around Peru saving lives
8th April 2345 Lima to Beunos Aires
9th April 0600 Arrive Beunos Aires
Free day Sleeping and drinking
10th April Sight seeing tour during the day Dinner and Tango that evening
11th April A day with the Argentinian cowboys, music and dancing
12th April Shopping with any money we have left and maybe a bit of tango practice
13th April 2359 Local Time Head to Sydney
15th April 0800 Arrive Sydney
15th April 1105 Depart Sydney
15th April 1235 Arrive Brisbane and ready for the long drive back to our loved ones and work.

Anyone going to IGA while we are away please remind Morgan to feed and water Monty