Where Is Ron?
Latin America, 10 November 2008 - 3 March 2009
Ron in Sipascancha, Peru, November 2008
Paraguay, December 2008
28 December 2008
Afton, Virginia, USADear family and friends,
I hope everyone had a fine Christmas. I enjoyed Christmas Eve with Sharon and Derrick and Simon and Leo at their house in Charlottesville, and then they and some friends were at my house for dinner on Christmas Day. And for the last two days we have had unseasonably warm weather, a respite from winter temperatures. I haven't even needed the wood stove!
Laurie and Steven happily report that, after a meeting in the village on Christmas morning, they seem to be back on track with their project in Mandorani, a neighborhood of C'orao. Laurie says, "so today we spent christmas morning in the village of mandorani meeting with the 20 families of our new (and improved) stove project. we met at the home of victor, the secretary of the village and were joined by children, women and men, not to mention chickens, pigs, puppies and dogs. what was very cool is to see and feel the difference of a community actually motivated and ready for a project such as this! we all discussed all facets of the project including, the type of stove, (previously discussed when we did the testing of the stoves as to how long each type took to boil water, fuel used, etc.), what we wanted to do (the exams, the education, home visits), what we will provide (the stoves parts, the education, the retention cooker and the people to build the stove) and what their part is (to meet with us 1-2 days, to allow exams on all family members, to use the stove correctly, to have their adobe, clay and 30 soles). so we had a lot of participation, great questions and comments, and plenty of applause! we go back the 8th of january to get the list of names and the money and then we begin the process of buying materials. it was a very merry christmas for all."
I asked what materials they were going to use for the stoves, and her response was, "the stove model will be made of the same materials as tomas' [Note from Ellen: Tomas is the person whose stove they were so impressed by when they visited C'orao the day before we left Cusco]. this includes clay (arcilla in spanish), tierra fina (ie., fine earth), hair from various sources (pig, cuy, people), and a liquid from some cactus. (this liquid will harden it and make it waterproof.) all i know is that his model now over 1 1/2 years old is holding up well without cracks, but he also maintains it. it won't be a rocket really. (hopefully the rocket folks don't get insulted here). basically after our tests the one with the rocket did not prove to be much better than tomas'. basically the two took the same amt of time and fuel to boil the same amt of water from a cold start. so because of this we are going with tomas' design but with two burners as he says this will provide better pressure (i think he means "draft".) and because we are bringing retention cookers to this community also, this will essentially free up a burner for warm water to wash with. more so we are going with what they want based on their needs and not on just what we think is better. you would have loved the reception we received after so many descriptions of being ignored!"
As you will see in his report from Asuncion below, Ron hopes to get his Brazilian visa in the next several days, but is not yet sure of his next travel plans. [Note added later: In a message on 29 December, Ron said, "Just back from the Brazilian Consulate. I had to also buy a Bus ticket to Brazil in order to get the Visa and the price went up $30. They tell me I should be able to pick up my passport and visa on Friday before noon. That is New Year Eve. I have a ticket out to the falls at Foz do Iguaçu for 9 am on the 1st day of 2009. I want to see the waterfalls before continuing to Sao Paulo." Foz do Iguaçu is at the point where Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina come together.]
Love to all,
Ellen
28 December 2008
To see photos from Paraguay, click on the thumbnail at the left.
Asuncion, ParaguayHello, my dear,
You can remember how cold we were in Cusco, wearing several layers under our fleece and jackets. Well it got colder in La Paz which was higher than Cusco. But on my trip East over the mountains and into the low lands of Bolivia and across the flat lands of Paraguay it feels like I have gone from Winter to Spring to Summer in a few days.
La Paz changed a lot between the day and the night - from warm to cool.
Cochabama was like a late spring day. Just so pleasant to walk around in the day and evening. I think I would have enjoyed hanging around for a while but with visas to get and to meet George and Barbara on Jan 15, I had to keep going. The only thing wrong with the weather in Cochabama was the long heavy afternoon rain which kept me in my hotel.
But my arrival in Santa Cruz on Monday morning was quite a shock. Between the time I got off the bus and walked to a nearby hotel I was soaking wet - not from rain but sweating in weather that felt like a hot humid July day in Nelson County.
The 22 hour bus ride across the flat barren lands of Paraguay continued my summer experience. The terrain is very dry and the trees like shrubs. But as I continued east the grass keep getting greener and the trees taller until finally there were cows and horses grazing.
Asuncion was even hotter than Santa Cruz. I could feel the waves of heat coming up from the sidewalks and the street pavement.
So from weather like late winter to pleasant spring to hot humid summer in a few days. Now that is a shock to the system.
Here in Asuncion it has continued to be dry and hot. The river is way down according to what people here tell me.
I took a walk along the river one day at dusk to take some pictures. I started by walking down the road that went by the Presidential Palace on the way to the river. There were lots of soldiers everywhere but I was allowed to walk on by to where the river bends around the point.
Continuing to explore the way along the river I continued until I was turned back by soldiers who were telling me it was not secure. Maybe within a few hundred yards of the Presidential Palace. So I turned around and went back out the way I came in. I grew aware of a very strange sound - high pitched and continuous but sort of wavy. Like the cicadas around our ash tree when they make their songs in the spring or fall? I asked the guards and they responded with indications that the sounds came from birds although I could see none.
When reaching the road I continued parallel to the river along all the governmental buildings. At night they are well lit and quite beautiful.
There is a nice plaza kind of walkway along the edge between the buildings and I stopped and looked over the edge towards the river. In what I am guessing is a flood plain there were lots of slums built, with their own roads and walkways. The young children would come up from the slums to play in the walking plazas at the top. I noticed a few very young children in front of one of the buildings looking through a locked gated doorway. As I approached they scattered but I was curious to see what they were looking at and discovered a large beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the lobby of the building.
Peter, a friend who works at the low cost housing organization in Charlottesville where I serve on the board, was reading some of our messages and sent a message that his friend Gloria has a sister Meli in Asuncion and that I should call her. I did so and yesterday she picked me up mid-day and took me to her mother's house. Her mother had just picked up Brett, a Peace Corps Volunteer who had just returned as a civilian volunteer to finish up some the projects he had started here. We sat around the dining room table and exchanged some very fascinating stories of our lives and how we found ourselves together on this day in this place.
Peter had met Gloria on the plane when the Peace Corps sent him home. So every one knew Gloria except me. Gloria and Meli's mother is 79 and going strong. Very impressive. She promised to come visit when she visits Gloria next time. Gloria is living in Charlottesville and getting a doctorate from UVA. Peter, you will have to bring Gloria to dinner at our home in Afton after I get back. How about the middle of April when it is so beautiful?
Peter also recommended the boat ride to the southern end of Lake Nicaragua when I was traveling there a couple of winters ago. Amazing how a couple of sentences can affect one's travel experiences.
Meli then took me to a museum - Museo Del Barro - Centro de Artes Visuales. I wandered around looking at art and artifacts. Near the end I found an unusual large artwork taking up the whole wall in a room. It looked sort of like a painted wood carving which I could not understand. I took a picture and will send it when I get a chance.
After touring the museum I returned to the lobby and found Meli talking to a young lady, Lia Colombino, who turned out to be the manager of the museum and the daughter of the artist who did the work that I discussed above. In the course of the conversation she pulled out a book of her father's works and opened it to the two page picture of the artwork that I could not understand referring to it as - The Next Supper. Lia showed the picture on the back of the 10 MIL currency and explained that her father's painting was done about a year after the revolution and the people in the picture were still fighting over power; the painting reflects the political cannibalism during the transition.
Ellen, I will bring one of the bills home and send the picture when I can. [note from Ellen -- the photo is included in the Paraguay photos linked above] Lia said there is a web page but not very good yet. You might be able to find it on google.
Meli made my day. Thanks Peter and Gloria. Visiting in homes is a rare treat. And to be shown around town by car was also a treat. Meli has a wonderful philosophy about staying active and hopes to produce short movies. She is spending her Christmas holidays here and will be returning to her job in Miami at the end of the week.
A bit about the currency. I withdrew two and a half billion Guaranies from the ATM. So now I am a multi-billionaire. The 10 MIL bill with the artwork is worth around US$2. The 100,000 which is 100 MIL is around US$20. My favorite wonderful steak dinner with trimmings cost me less than 50 MIL - around US$10 at the Bolsi restaurant. Took me a bit of figuring to understand what I was holding in my hand.
The slightly less than two weeks since we both left Cusco I have been traveling at a speed that I do not really like. I would rather find some small place like Cochabama and hang out for a couple of weeks. But the need to get my visas for Paraguay and now Brazil have kept me on the move and in the capitals where the embassies are. I have completed all the paperwork for the Brazilian visa and will take it the consulate tomorrow morning and hopefully have my visa tomorrow (Monday) or Tuesday. Then I will have to decide how to handle travel on New Year's Eve. Will I stay or go. Undecided. But it looks like bus connections will take me through Sao Paulo.
And it is generally flat here!!!
Love and miss you,
Ron
Forward to Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil
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Last updated: 4 January 2009
