"On the Trail"

The Journals from the Road

Sunday, Nov. 26, 2000: The crowds come out! Sunday Night Live -- Home of Nelly and Alberto, Lima, Peru

Tad here, (Frank´s update coming soon.)

This morning I awoke and quickly packed up my stuff. I was ready to head out of Alfonsos. No harm done but I was tired of urinating in the makeshift shower (no toilet and that´s where he wanted me to go) and wondering when I was going to need to use the hole of dark doom in this abandoned house. It had worked out and I was blessed with a good nights rest but I was ready to search for a step up.

I stopped for a fruit salad breakfast and as I was eating asked the owners, Nelly and Alberto, if they knew of any place I might be able to put up my tent. Alberto said I need not search any further. He has an upper level of his house, under construction, and it has a room with a concrete bed in it. That sounded good and I just got a better feeling about being with this family. It was a bit of a challenge hiking my bike up their stairs and then throwing my bags up the next level but I had my own, open air, half constructed room and I was very happy!!

I got to meet many of the aunts and uncles as it turns out that this is a casa familiar with all of the extended family in the various rooms. After some introductions, and a few good laughs, I settled in and then decided to head out and work on the website. After about 4 tries I finally found a cybercafe with a working CD-rom and I loaded up my programs. I designed a volunteer page that invites PeaceBike viewers to help PeaceBike grow, bigger and better!

That was fun but I was ready for a walk by late afternoon. I met a gal named Janet and she helped me find a bus to the center. She also told me about an art exposition that was going on downtown.

With the help of this older fellow who just happened to have a guide for the exposition that he demanded I take, I found five different expositions! They were all free and what a wonderful experience. I was transported into new realities many times tonight. A few images.... multimedia music/image presentations, a rapid fire-images of hate and hope-video, houses with floors of grass and furniture constructed out of pain-relievers, a prison interview-interactive video that really made me think I might take the "visit those in prison" suggestion in the Bible literally. The 2 hours I spent experiencing this left me disturbed, intrigued, full of questions, and reinvorated. The artists were national and international! What a treat!

Then out into the Plaza Mayor where there must have been 2000 people just strolling, many in pairs, enjoying watching other people and being together. I followed the crowd to a nearby park with these circular amphitheaters. I stopped at three, each with their own variety of Peruvian music. One group entertained with dancers, young boys with feather headdresses, and young girls with baby dolls and clay pots...shaking, rolling, spinning...very lively, playful, and skilled!

I felt like I got a weeks work of culture in about three hours and I was heart-full and ready for a quite walk and bus ride home.

The bus ride was packed full but four or five passengers made sure to help me find the right place to get off. A woman who got off at the same spot even offered to help me find the place I was staying at. What kindness and care for the new guy in town! Feeling at home in Lima!! Thank-you God for the guides and helping hands along the way,

TAD

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