Los Cuatros Estados Unidos

Monday August 24, 2015

We got up today and had breakfast at the hotel. They served the usual- eggs and bread with jelly/butter. We headed over to meet Jeffree and the rest of our tour group for the day!

We hiked to Gocta Waterfalls today, one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Measuring over 700km, this waterfall was not well known to outsiders before 2005 because the locals feared a curse from the blonde mermaid that occupied the falls if they revealed it's whereabouts. 

It took about 2.5 hours from the van to the base of the waterfall along a well maintained pathway. We were lucky enough to have another beautiful day of sunshine as we explored the edge of the Amazon Jungle. The group of Europeans that we traveled with on Sunday opted to go swimming at the base, we decided to eat snacks instead.

Our guide Jeffree was full of fun facts and ensured us that if we came across a snake he would protect us from it!

That tiny stream of water about 5km away from us is the waterfall!

We hiked the trail with a Peruvian family and I couldn't help but snap a picture of this pose. They provided plenty of entertainment.

We celebrated the successful trek with fresh pressed sugarcane juice. It is certainly an unusual color, but the taste was nice- sweet but not overwhelming. The woman who makes it pressed a fresh pitcher while we sat and drank ours. It was refreshing after the long hike.

It was another wonderful day exploring the Peruvian highlands/Amazon jungle area. We boarded our van back to Chachapoyas after we ate lunch. We showered and boarded our bus to Trujillo at 7:30pm. A beautiful, exhausting weekend in Peru complete!

Today's Theme: Danger

Sunday August 23, 2015

Today's theme: Danger.

We were greeted at the bus station and escorted to our hotel a few blocks away. We got private rooms, and a comfortable bed after sleeping on the bus was welcomed. After very short naps, we ate breakfast at 7:45 and walked to the tour agency at 8:30.

We met our tour guide, Geoffrey, who spoke English to our foursome and Spanish to our European counterparts. The 8 of us, plus Geoffrey and our driver piled into a van and took the scariest drive any of us have been on.

We raced along a paved, then dirt road at a speed that had us holding onto our seats. Aside from the adrenaline rush and silent prayers, the drive was gorgeous. We traveled up and down winding roads on the sides of the mountains, and along a tributary of the Amazon River. We stopped about an hour in to order our lunch from a small restaurant for the trip back. The drive continued another hour to our final destination of Kuelap.

The inhibitants of Kuelap were the Chachapoyas or "People of the Clouds" who occupied present day Chachapoyas from AD 800 to 1470 before they were conquered by the Incas. Thought to be fierce warriors, shamans and prolific builders who were responsible for one of the most advanced civilizations in the Peruvian jungle.

The ruined city of Kuelap sits atop a limestone mountain, southeast of Chachapoyas. It is the best preserved and easily accessible Pre-Columbian archeological site in the district. It is often over shadowed by the similar Machu Picchu, but the lack of tourists made for a very serene day.

Built between AD 900 and 1100, this well preserved city is made up of more stones than the Great Pyramid of Egypt. A 700 meter long, 6 to 12 meter high wall surrounds the oval city. It has 3 entrances, with walkways so narrow that you have to enter single file. This was a defense tactic; a single file line of attacking soliders were very easy to defeat. The expansion of the Inca Empire in the 15h century was met with great resistance from the Chachapoyas.

                                         

Inside the city, it is approximated there were 400 circular structures that housed up to 3500 inhabitiants. A Canadian archeologist, Morgan Davis, reconstructed a model of one of these homes that is present today but will destroyed in the future to return the area to it's original state.  The homes still have stones where food was prepared, rocks laid into pits in the ground where food was cooked and even areas where they kept the guinea pigs (to eat, not just as pets!)

                                

El Tintero (Inkpot) is a cone like structure that was filled with animal bones, thought to be sacrifices to their God. Recent advancements also indicate it may have been used as a solar calendar.

Two large tombs in the city have yet to be explored by researchers and human bones can be seen through the holes in the stone walls. Several houses had tombs that were dug into the ground, as they believed it was good to be close to your deceased loved ones. 

The beauty of the Keulap Fortress is outdone only by the 360 degree panoramic views surrounding it. In the matter of two days we went from the sandy shoreline to the tops of mountains; the diversity of Peru's landscapes are incredible!

The 14 hour bus ride to Chachapoyas caught up with us by the time we finished another gripping two hour drive back to the main plaza, and we got to bed very early. Kelli slept an impressive 12 hours in preparing for our hike to Gotca Waterfalls tomorrow!

DISCLAIMER: Weekend trips were not funded by the generous donations given to Northwestern University SAA to make this trip possible. Individuals paid separately for these events.

Jackie Chan Movie Marathon

Saturday August 22, 2015

Our first weekend started with hard boiled eggs, toasted bread, cantaloupe juice, fried plantains and coffee.




The only bus to Chachapoyas leaves Trujillo at 4pm, so we had the morning to explore closer to home. We caught the public H-Heart bus to Huanchaco. These buses are medium size and a man stands at the door and essentially scoops passengers up into the bus so it doesn't have to make a complete stop. Luckily, a group of four is impossible to pick up in this fashion and they had to make a complete stop to let us on. The bus ride was about half an hour long out to the small beach town.

We walked along the beach and Victor Largo, the drag of buildings and restaurants along the shore. We arrived around 10am and almost everything was closed. It was peacefully quiet compared to the noisy streets of Trujillo. The shore around the small pier is littered with giant pelicans and fishing boats called caballitos de tortora ( little horses). The name of these neatly crafted reed boats comes from the way they are ridden, with the fisherman's legs dangling on either side of it like a horse. They only last a few months before becoming too waterlogged to use.

We walked to the edge of town, then headed up to Santuario de la Virgen del Socorro, a beautiful red and white church that sits above the town. Built between 1535 and 1540, it is thought to be the second oldest church in Peru. Unfortunately it was closed, but the view showed how expansive the seemingly sleepy small town actually was. We sat for awhile listening to the songs of a daily mass that resonated up the hillside then took our time strolling back to the shore, coming across several soccer pitches and colorful houses.

                             


The quiet town we had arrived in was beginning to bustle as it approached noon. The town draws tourists (gringas is the term they use for white people, which was the same in Africa) and many surfers. The relatively calm ocean makes this an easy place to learn to surf. As we set out to find lunch, we acquired a dog shadow. There are numerous stray dogs through Peru and while he was cute, we were eager to get rid of him and any chance of a rabies shot.

The restaurants here are accustom to to influx of tourists and hire a man to woo you into their establishment. We were turned off by this pushy approach and instead found a balcony with a view of two competing restaurant woo-ers that provided entertainment. Huanchaco is thought to be the birthplace of ceviche, and given its shore front property this isn't a surprise. The dish is raw fish, onions, spices and a lot of lemon, served over uca and sweet potato. In the US it is often served more minced, with tomatoes and peppers served with chips.  It was delicious. The main course of seafood (we split between lightly breaded and "fish nuggets") was exceptional. Lunch finished with a fruity ice cream.




We caught the H bus back to Trujillo and although it was the same one, took us far longer to commute back. We rushed back to the house to finish packing up for our trip to Chachapoyas. Our travel agent, Lenin, escorted us to the bus station which was modern and clean, and we boarded around 4pm.

We sat on the top level in the front rows which provided a great view of our travels but also a terrible perspective of our proximity to other vehicles, pedestrians and buildings and it often felt like we were going to crash. The way they maneuver these large buses through cities is truly impressive. I should note that they play movies and music on the buses, but at incredibly loud volumes. The four audiology students did not appreciate this one bit.




We stopped for dinner around 8pm and had chicken in a wine cream sauce with rice, jello and after dinner tea with anise cookies. Tea was a licorice-honey flavor and did not sit well with anyone else, but I didn't mind it.

On the road again, we drove through the night and arrived in beautiful Chachapoyas around 6:30am.

DISCLAIMER: Weekend trips were not funded by the generous donations given to Northwestern University SAA to make this trip possible. Individuals paid separately for these events.

We Are Unicorns: The International Audiology Seminar

Friday August 21, 2015

Today was a big day! We presented at the second International Audiology Seminar put on by Northwestern University SAA and Vive Peru.

Of course the day started with breakfast. (Toasted bread with cheese, fried plantains, cheese, tart juice, and coffee.)

                             

We made our way over to the university at 8:30 to help the other Vive Peru employees and students get set up. Ultimately the turn out was over 100 people; comprised of medical professionals, teachers, and the general public!

Rachel began with an introduction to audiology telling them about what audiologists do and basic testing techniques. Next, I presented on conservation techniques. While conservation is important for everyone, we felt this topic was particularly important due to the limited audiology care available in remote areas of the country. I reviewed OSHA and NIOSH recommendations for noise exposure, what sounds may be harmful to hearing and ways to prevent noise damage. Mary Catherine presented on early identification of children with hearing loss. She reviewed milestones that parents should be looking for in their developing child, and the appropriate steps to take if a parent suspects their child may have a hearing loss. 

We then took a morning break. Beef and chicken empanadas and Inca Cola were served. Inca Cola is the color of Mountain Dew but tastes like bubblegum! It is a more subtle flavor of bubblegum than we expected, and we were pleasantly surprised!

The second morning session started with a presentation on communication strategies by Kelli. Learning good communication strategies such as reducing background noise, facing the person who is speaking, and speaking in a clear, elevated voice may be the only options available for those who can not afford other treatment options. Then, Rachel spoke about teaching students with hearing loss. She reviewed common signs that a teacher should look for that would indicate a student may have a hearing loss. She then reviewed strategies to help that student in the classroom, such as preferential seating, using visual cues and reducing background noise as much as possible. The morning session ended with general ear healthcare by Mary Catherine. She reviewed proper ear cleaning techniques, protecting against head trauma and  the importance of maintaining overall health in preserving your hearing. 

We took a break for lunch at home. Mercy prepared soup, a fish with cream sauce dish and served strawberry jello. :)

                             

The second session began with my presentation on tinnitus. The etiology, evaluation and rehabilitation options were discussed. Low cost options such as stress relief via mediation or yoga and reducing caffeine and alcohol intake were reviewed. The final presentation was a series of case studies by Kelli. She reviewed the signs and symptoms of presbycusis, meineres disease, acoustic neuroma, tinnitus and auditory neuropathy disorder. These cases can act as a reference for the doctors and nurses in future diagnoses. The seminar concluded with an hour and a half of round table questions from the audience. The audience showed particular interest in prevention, general healthcare and conservation and a lively discussion ensued. Each participant was given a certificate for completing the seminar, similar to continuing education hours. 

A class of nursing students

       Just a few of the many people who came out for the seminar!                                                                    Kelli signing certificates

It was wonderful to see this seminar grow so much in a single year. The attendance doubled, those who attended included even more medical professionals and they showed a sincere interest in bringing audiologic care to their communities. Members of the audience spoke to our group about expanding next year's trip to include outreach to their local communities, schools and medical facilities. We are extremely excited to see the advancements that will be made in another year's time. 

It was a productive, exciting but also exhausting day for all of us. We headed home for dinner and to pack for our adventure to Chachapoyas this weekend! {Side note for those who are concerned about my marathon training- I got in 16 laps around the church across the street, which I think is only around 4 miles- but a run is a run! :)}

Dinner was pasta and mandarin oranges. 

                        

Countdown to the seminar

Thursday August 20, 2015

It is our last day  of practicing for our big seminar tomorrow! The other students who are staying at our host family's house informed us that all the volunteers for Vive Peru get off from work tomorrow to attend the presentations, which is adding to the nerves a little bit. :-) There are over 100 people signed up for the "pre-registration" so there will potentially be a big crowd!

We got a bit spoiled for breakfast this morning. We had cheese (!), fried plantains (that tasted just like banana chips), eggs, bread, coffee and a tart juice.



It was another productive morning at the office. Below are a few pictures of the office itself. Rachel (who started Vive Peru) runs the organization out of the downstairs of her home.

 


We continued to work on our scripts for the seminar with the interpretor and packed the folders for the attendees. They get copies of each of our powerpoints so they can follow along and take notes. 

Lunch was a vegetable noodle soup and a cabbage-vegetable-beef mix served with rice.




We headed back to the high school to give two more presentations. The students were younger today and one class was very willing to participate, while the other was more reserved. Overall, they went well and we are having more fun as we get more comfortable with the material.


 

                                                               

We celebrated another successful work day and presentations with ice cream (note from the last post that I've been really missing sweets in my diet) from a small shop called Aldodiego & Co. They had a variety of savory and sweet flavors. We enjoyed chocolate fudge brownie (with a touch of saltiness) and coco tostado (we're still not entirely sure what this flavor is to be honest). It was a nice treat before dinner, and we enjoyed it with our friend Katy!

Dinner was a beef and broccoli mix with rice. We had apples, bananas and mandarin oranges with evaporated milk for (second) dessert.




Tomorrow is the big seminar day so we are practicing scripts and getting to bed early! It is supposed to start at 9am, but Peruvian culture tends to run at it's own pace so we're expecting it to be closer to 10am. Wish us luck!