Guayaquil and Ayacucho

Our last night in Guayaquil we celebrated with room service and lots of cable.

Here is some typical Ecuadorian potato soup made with three kinds of potatoes and avocado.
We slept for a few hours before getting up at 2:45AM.  The hotel had a shuttle so that was easy.  We had a 6AM flight to Lima.  Immigration in Lima was much faster than the week before and GeGe and I both got the green light (literally) at customs which means no luggage search.  We hung out in the airport wondering if our 3:15 flight to Ayacucho would actually go as they are often canceled for no clear reason.  We were encouraged when we were allowed to check our luggage. Not only did the flight go but it ended up leaving a few minutes early much to our delight. The trip takes only 50 minutes right over the Andes .  Here is our little plane and me pretty happy to be back in Ayacucho.

It took us a bit to get a taxi.  The airport is very small.  The taxis inside the gates always want more money than those waiting on the street so we went to the street but none were there.  GeGe ending up calling a taxi company.  They charged us half of what we were quoted inside.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and feeling the altitude.  Ayacucho is at around 9020 ft and we are about 500ft higher in our neighborhood.  I have had three cups of coca tea and feel OK.  Coca gets a bad rap since it is used to produce cocaine but the plant itself is very helpful for combating the effects of altitude.  You can chew the leaves, drink the tea, or eat coca candy.

Here are some pictures of where I am staying which is also the compound/house where the school is.  If you have been following my blog for a few years then you may have seen these before.

  The kitchen, you can see my computer on the table.

My room for the summer.

The back yard, with two buses, and my laundry on the line.  Hooray for clean clothes. GeGe has a washing machine which is a luxury around here.

The neighbors, extreme poverty and they make the best honey I have ever had!
That's it for now. We are off to eat puca in a bit and I will probably have to have some street ice cream as well. Tomorrow back with the kids.  I'm focusing on assessment this year, lots of planning with GeGe.  Hugs for you all, thanks for following along. C