Back in Minnesota, today I would be recognizing the summer solstice and perhaps catching a bit of soccer with the World Cup on the tv. Here, in Peru, it is winter solstice and fútbol. I was the first to breakfast again. I continued my adventurous eating and tried new fruits. While I looked out the restaurant window, I noticed the dog walkers had dressed the dogs up in Peru jerseys in anticipation of today's game. The servers were also dressed for the game. Apparently, businesses even close down. We were surprised to see that the restaurant we had reservations with, was near a bustling crowd of people...a large screen was televising the big game! The Plaza de Mayor Lima was packed. in addition to the gigantic screens showing the game, there were also inflatables, mascots, and a lot of police officers. Peru was down when we arrived. Unfortunately, they never recovered. There were a lot of disappointed fans, but they were gracious in defeat. Tanta had excellent food! I have not been disappointed yet. Today's lunch, Mi Suprema de Pollo Maryland (fried chicken with a fried egg, over creamed corn served with french fries). Next, we hopped on the bus for a school visit. Our first school visit was canceled due to the game. However, our afternoon school was Carlos Wiesse in the north Lima district of Comas. The drive took about an hour from Miraflores. The further out we went, the more prevalent the poverty was. In fact, the streets were filled with people selling things (almost anything you could imagine) and vehicles navigating the traffic. When we arrived at the school, security unlocked the gate and escorted us inside. I wasn't expecting that. Once inside the school grounds, we met the adminstration and our student tour guides. Our Peru Crew split into smaller groups to observe a class. I attended religion. Although this is a public school, there is no separation between church and state. In fact, religion is a required class. Eighty percent of Peruvians identify as Catholic. I found many suggestions of the importance of Catholicism. There was a designated space for students to pray and crosses displayed throughout the campus. After our classroom observation, we were invited to be part of a panel. We were encouraged to ask students questions, and they, also asked us things that they were curious about. I was impressed by a young man who taught Joelle a traditional dance, and especially by how quickly she picked up the moves! There was also a young woman who asked a few controversial questions regarding our opinions of current events. She then sang for us, and had many of us fighting back tears. Her determination and curiosity was inspiring! After a few pictures, selfies, and exchanging names of our favorite rock bands, our visit came to a close. On the ride back, I was amazed by how many buildings had political ads painted on them. Many homes were built little by little. As families were able to, they built on to their homes. There are so many houses high in the hills. Some children walked an hour or so to get to school. In addition, many students worked to help out their families. Carlos Wiesse has two sessions early- or afternoon to accommodate the students and their families.
The evening was open so Diane, Elise and I explored Miraflores. We made a stop at an Italian restaurant (because they waved us in) and eventually ended up at BarBarian. There we had choripapas (hot dogs and fries) and quesadillas. I had to post a picture of us with the helmets on . Such a fun night!
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