Tourists turned stove builders in Peru
Not many trips end with the feeling of having made a significant difference for real people with real needs. But I recently returned from such an experience in a remote community in northern Peru. A friend introduced me to the tour, a part of a larger tour company’s sustainable ecotourism offerings, in December. The idea of helping and meeting others who lived in a different culture really appealed to me.
Our group consisted of 3 travelers from Canada (Heather, David and myself) and a tour guide from Socio Adventures. The purpose of the trip was to build a brick and mortar stove for a family that currently cooks everything over a campfire.
A suitable stove saves lives
The World Health Organization reports that indoor air pollution from acrid smoke rising from these internal fires is associated with one death every 20 seconds in the world’s poorest countries. The brick stove eliminates smoke and reduces the amount of wood needed to burn by 50 percent.
Our journey began when we flew from Lima to Cajamarca, a city in northern Peru. We were greeted at the airport by Ben and Celida, representatives of a small outdoor adventure company called Socio Adventures. There was a bit of time to experience the city before the next phase of our journey. Cajamarca is considered one of Peru’s hidden gems and the main square is the same place where Francisco Pizarro’s men captured the Inca Atahualpa in 1532 and overthrew the Inca Empire.
music and mountains
The word “adventure” took on a new meaning when we departed Cajamarca on a bus for a 7-hour trip to a smaller northern community known as Chota. Non-stop Peruvian music on the bus was the backdrop to the many stops along the way for people to get on and off with their wares, as well as vendors getting on to sell something to eat or drink.
It may also be that the music was intended to distract us from the terrifying moments when we traversed very narrow paths and winding hairpin bends high up in the Andes (and occasionally had to stop because the children had built rock statues in the middle of the mountain). the way.) The mountains are quite impressive in places and you want to have your camera handy to capture some of the beauty on film.
differences love
When we finally got to Chota, I immediately noticed that people were intrigued by our differences and staring at our white faces and/or white hair. We stayed one night at the El Ángel hotel which was very close to the main town square and the local market. However, it wasn’t until the next morning that we realized that the large square behind our hotel, visible from the tall windows of our room, was actually the prison yard!
Our dining experience that night at a nearby restaurant was our first experience with authentic Peruvian food. Corn, potatoes and rice are the mainstays of a meal and there were many interesting options and combinations of these with different sauces, vegetables, herbs and chicken on the menu. “Cuy” (guinea pig) is a specialty in Peru and of course it was also offered.
Early the next morning we boarded a taxi truck for the last part of our journey to the community of Cadmalca, 45 minutes from Chota. Our luggage and two of our travelers opted to ride in the back of the truck to enjoy the scenery and have direct contact with a couple of passengers who “hopped in” along the way for a short drive to their community. It took a moment at our destination for us to realize that there was no road to our Lodge and that we would be climbing the green slope with luggage in hand!
However, Mercedes and Enrique, local Socio Adventures staff, were awaiting our arrival and immediately collected our bags and directed us. A group of curious children also appeared to greet us and we began our presentations to the families of Cadmalca. Ben and Danielle provided strategic interventions with Spanish/English interpretation, and I quickly realized that language was not going to be a barrier to making connections with these very understanding people.
The Blue Lodge was a welcome sight! I was expecting quite rustic accommodations but this newly constructed building had a large dorm type room on the ground floor that housed the men and a beautiful large room with a wooden floor, double bed, 2 singles, plus a sink on the second floor for the women. We all appreciated the full bathroom with ceramic tiles and a large shower with hot water; toilet; sink; Electric plug.
safe dining
One of the main concerns of people traveling to a third world country is how to avoid illness. Tips include: don’t drink water or ice, avoid raw vegetables and salads, stay away from shellfish, only eat fruits that need peeling. In Cadmalca the special needs of travelers are integrated into the accommodation. Sterilized water is available to drink. The food is prepared in a sterile kitchen by a young woman named Felicita who had attended cooking school in Lima. Her menu was well balanced and consisted of delicious Peruvian dishes.
starting construction
After lunch we start to build the chimney for the stove in the patio of the Lodge. No experience required. We got good instructions and diagrams and help from Mercedes and consultation from Ben. The chimney was built from corrugated tin (which had to be flattened and then folded into a circle and riveted shut). The next morning we climbed the fertile hills of Cadmalca to our family’s house: Nestor and Georgina and our helper, Absilon, carried the finished fireplace.
We all feel excited and maybe a little nervous. Nestor showed us the old kitchen shack and the blackness of the walls and ceiling from smoke. He then showed us a new adobe room that had been recently built especially to house the new stove.
The building materials were already on the site and together with Heather, Absilon, Nestor and Georgina we determined the site for the stove. By noon we had completed the first phase (of the 4′ x 2′ brick and mortar stove). The 2 children, Jeanette (8) and Kevin (6) ran home during lunch to check on the progress and we instantly connected with their exuberance and enthusiasm.
We were welcomed into the house for a mid-morning “coffee break” and served tea or coffee and fried corn chips. It didn’t take long for us to warm up to each other and we had some really fun times as we struggled to ask questions and learn from each other with a very small repertoire of Spanish/English vocabulary.
The adobe house had a dirt floor, a table covered with a lace cloth, 4 chairs, a cupboard with some dishes and food. Georgina has 3 sewing machines and there was a rack hanging from the ceiling filled with her knit and knit items for sale. There was no bathroom or hot water. This family of four has a very small piece of land on the side of a hill to graze their 2 sheep and 2 cows.
At the end of the morning, in gratitude for our help, I was given a gift from the family: a bag containing 3 live guinea pigs! My surprise, I hope, was balanced by a true understanding and appreciation of the meaning of this offering. The guinea pig, or “guinea pig” as they are called in Quechua, is an important source of protein for these families and has a long history in Inca traditions. Out of respect for the family we made arrangements with Felicita to prepare the animals for our lunch the next day!
The next morning we worked diligently as a team and just in time the stove was completed and the fireplace erected. wow! We were all so excited about the finished product! The stove is 4 brick tiers high, filled with rock with a brick built opening at the top for firewood. The opening is surrounded by stone and mortar and a steel cooking plate is placed on top.
permanent reminder
When we finished, I asked Georgina if we could carve our initials into the soft mortar somewhere on the stove. I had already decided that Heather and I should write something in large letters right in the center of the fireplace, the fireplace that she will tend to day after day. We write: “THANK YOU!” with our names on both sides.
The highlight of this company for me came right after our presentation to the family of some gifts we had brought from home. Georgina stood up to make a little speech and I found myself crying! She said that she didn’t know how to express her overwhelming gratitude to us for what we had done for them, but that we should know that no matter where we were or when, we would always be in her heart.
As his words were translated and I looked around, I saw that we were all crying. I had come to offer help to a family in need and left feeling much richer for the gifts of friendship and connection that had been established. The great differences of language, culture, religion, power, socio-economics, had disappeared and we experienced the true joy of a ‘heart to heart’ effort.