The last full day

What a day!

This morning, we woke up and breakfasted as usual, and then headed to the town of Tioyacu, where there is a nice soccer field and a river with a great natural pool. After an intense game of soccer (my team lost), we changed and headed into the water - which was rather cold! There was a dam of sorts built which made a great slide for intertubes. After spending time there, we traveled to our next destination, Yacumama (mother of the water), where we saw a small zoo-type exhibit (monkeys, a predatory cat, some parrots) and then headed off to another spot on a river to do some eating, relaxing, swimming (wading for me - the water was frigid). It was a nice day. Upon returning, we have simply been relaxing and so forth.

Today is our last full day in Moyobamba. From my point of view, it is nice to be coming home. Experiences here have been so rich and so educational (and rather fun as well), and I am getting anxious to talk about them in English, to see the family I haven't seen in weeks, and sleep in my own bed. But it is easy to feel at least a little bit sad about leaving, of course. The Vargas family is our new family. And their house is, indeed, a home away from home. There is now within me an urgency to get more done here. Not in the American, get-ahead, help-people-and-have-something-to-show-for-it way. It's more of understanding how much need there is here - not need to be indoctrinated with American culture, but need for some necessities. Public health. Clean water. Good schools. Access to computers in school which could mean better jobs. So, I think what I want to say with these somewhat parting words is that any of you who have had even a moment's thought about coming should follow that instinct. You can be part of making a big difference here - and you wouldn't believe how fun it is. You wouldn't believe how fun it is to laugh at your ineptitude at Spanish, to eat more plantains than you ever thought you could, to gain new family. It is fantastic and no less.

As promised, here are some pictures from the computer lab:

And with that...

Goodbye, Moyobamba. It has been a wonderful three weeks. I imagine I may write again in the blog to reflect after being in the States a while, but this (for now!) is goodbye.

Bendiciones a todos - Peruanos, Americanos, todos. Gracia y paz.

Happy trails -

sch