First Day: SJ vs. the Mountain

Hey Everyone,

Back from dinner, and after some downtime and recouperation I am able to share how our first day in the mountains was. Our trek thursday began with the trucks arriving at the Saranga Hotel already strapped with the pipes that would be used in water irrigation by the indigenous mountain farmers. We loaded up the two pick-ups and the taxi cab that came with us and headed out of Chiclayo. Driving in the city is a little crazy; lanes and stop lights are more of a suggestion here. Once we got out of the city we headed through the neighbouring areas on what I assumed is a highway, although it was significantly different than the 401. After about an hour\hour and a half we reached the base of the mountain, also our stop for lunch. However we ran into a slight complication with the road, as part of it was covered with the river that was running through it. No problem though as our drivers simply plowed through and we made it to the other side. It was a thrilling experience to say the least. After a quick lunch and some photo´s of the river we loaded everyone, bags and all, into the two pick-ups and headed up the mountain. The windy roads up the mountain almost seemed surreal at first, but like Sean put it, roller coasters will never be the same again. About an hour later we arrived at the village where the trucks were dropping us off as that is as close as they could get us. We were finally able to appreciate the mountainous view from a stopped position, and it is something that even now I cannot explain ho beautiful it was. From there we loaded our gear onto our backs and began the hike to our home for the next three nights. The hike started off nice with a downhill slope through a gorgeous forest setting and thankfully lots of shade. We passed multiple rivers which Megan decided were easier to walk through than above using rocks. Of course we needed to get over a mountain so the terrain took a change in direction from nice and flat to can ground really go that steep? It was one of the hardest things I have done in my life. I am sticking with the story that the air was significantly thinner in the mountains and that is why I ran out of breath climbing this behemoth of a landmark. We all found it rough going up but stuck together and made it over the mountain. It was really nice to see how everyone looked out for one another and made sure that they were doing okay. However once we got to the top we quickly found out that there was still quite a ways to go before we hit the village. After another of the longest hours of my life I made it to our new home. It consisted of 3 houses that the local families stayed in and a larger community house that we used as home base. Modest is an overstatement when describing this village. The houses were made of clay bricks and sheet metal roofs, and the ground was caked and dry around the village. What was truly shocking and amazing all in one was the contrast of this village to its surroundings. It was so easy through the next few days to forget where you were and look out and see the most beautiful countryside I personally have had the priveledge of seeing. The mix of the mountains, clear blue skies, and the fresh clean air had enough of us smiling constantly throughout the weekend. We were greeted by the families of the village and headed up towards where the supplies we brought would be put to use to build a Pilca (a water storage system which they use for irrigation for crops). The President of the village, Marcos, welcomed us and thanked us for not only providing the materials for this project but coming to actually visit and get to know them. Through our translator Rebecca we thanked them for the experience they were providing us and they were helping us more than they would ever know. After these past three days, that could not be closer to the truth. We went to work right away and we quickly found out the true meaning of a hard days work. The twelve of us worked as hard as we could after a 2+hour hike until the end of the day. I could not believe how efficient the farmers were at their work. Jordan and I could barely keep up moving dirt from the site working with the elder of the community who had to be at least 60. It was a very humbling experience. We were able to wash up and wipe off the dirt from the afternoon of work before dinner. I forgot to mention that we were served goat and some potatoe dish for lunch, and the same goat showed up for dinner with rice. Other than Sean and I, the goat didn´t get great criticism, but I though it was amazing. Two meals in a row maybe not, but it was still very good. The locals came in to see us every once in a while to see how we were doing, drop off some coffee or sleeping mats, but for the most part left us alone. Near the end of our trip we were able to really get to know them and they became more comfortable around us. We headed to bed early as we were all thouroughly exhausted.

Something that dawned on me somewhat the first day but significantly as we headed home on Sunday was the similarities between these locals indigenous farmers and us. They were completely untouched by North American society, yet they shared so many similar habits and traits as if we were at home doing the same thing. It was one of the greatest realizations that I have experienced so far on this trip. This was definitely not the experience I was expecting, but it is certaintly one I will never forget.

Thanks for reading and buenos noches.

Jason