Rats in the Roof

June 8^th, Wednesday, Cieneguilla

I’ve been in Peru for one week today. I’m not what you’d call a native, per se, but I’m finding my feet. I tried out my 15 sole bottle of wine last night. Wine connoisseurs should quit reading at this point. I drank my glass of vino out of a coffee mug and stuck the cork back in the bottle to close it up.  You get what you pay for is an accurate statement, it wasn’t bad though, the taste a little sharp, but I had a nice tranquil evening. I read some, did a little writing, watched about half an hour of The Universal Soccer commentary where the main commentator talked so quickly that his Spanish sounded like one incredibly long word, and went to bed early.

I got up this morning with a sense of need to get things done. How American of me, right? I’m looking for the balance between doing and being. There has to be a way to live in the Now and still plan for the future. I find myself thinking, “Okay, what next?” So while I was planning the After This part of my life, I saw the sun peak out from behind the clouds and turned off my computer and went and soaked up some warmth.

I was there in that moment and nowhere else. I think I also got sunburned.

There are a lot of birds that flitter through the grounds. Yesterday I saw a hummingbird. Today I saw a pretty red bird with dark wings. He was skittish, a little camera shy, and didn’t let me get very close. Here’s the best picture I could get of him.

The green parrot who made three swoops across the pool for a drink said he didn’t do photo ops and flew away. I watched some yellow butterflies cavort and wondered what the three buzzards high up and circling were up to. I think the creature that makes the “weoh, weoh” sound which I thought was a frog is actually a bird. I’ll have to figure that one out. I’d kind of like to see a frog though. I’m not looking for one to kiss and turn into a frog, but I suddenly think it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one. When I and my sibs were kids we used to find them, pick them up, and then run quickly back to the house to wash our hands when they peed all over us. Good times.

Geraldine and Jose spent the morning trying to figure out how to keep the rats from taking over the main house’s roof. I’d seen a rat cross the beams in the little covered porch I was writing from a few days ago. It made Negra go crazy. She wanted to tear it limb from limb. I got up to see what she was barking at and saw the brave rodent thumb its nose at her and disappear into the darkness. It was a little bigger than the rats I’ve seen in the States, but fortunately not as big as an ROUS.

I made a banana, maca, Chocolate Green Super Food, ginger and water shake this morning. Unfortunately for me, the blender bottom was loose and I lost about 1/3^rd of my breakfast. I’ve been spoiled to my VitaMix whose bottom doesn’t unscrew (someone this paragraph is starting to feel really dirty) and forgot the important life lesson of: Always Check that Blender Parts are Secure. I tuck this away in my head for future reference. I don’t think I’ll forget again. Food is too precious a commodity to waste by stupidity.

The climate in Cieneguilla is much easier on my skin than Colorado’s was. In Colorado I felt I needed to invest in lotion stock, but here, I hardly ever even think about it. Per Walter’s suggestion I use Avon Skin So Soft to ward off bugs. So far it seems to be working.

Casa Del Gringo has a family staying here; a husband, wife and their daughter and the wife’s parents. The man is from California and the wife is Peruvian. They’re taking pictures by the pool near where I’m working so I offer to take a full group photo. The man asks me where I’m from. I tell him Colorado. But sometimes I feel like I’m from nowhere. Maybe home is where you are. Home is where you go.

I get my first thing by mail today. I'd asked for a pony and a puppy and got both! (Tim Christian! You’re the best!! Cheers and thank you!)

Walter crosses the yard and says, “It’s a miracle.” Mail delivery is iffy if anything here. I’m pleased. I need to figure out how to send letters and whatnot myself.

It’s Wednesday, somehow the day’s name doesn’t really matter. I’m not living by a clock.

Walter says he’ll take me to the orphanage tomorrow to meet the children. There are also some ruins nearby. So I’ll be sure to take my camera with me. Nos vemos mañana.