Pay to Pee...

Okay... Now I've seen it all. Yesterday we went to the Indian Market and we had to use el bano (the bathroom.) Well, if you gotta take a whizz, it'll cost ya. 50 centinos to be exact. I've got the receipt to prove it. You even get a small supply of toilet paper when you pay the nice, little Peruvian man. How convenient!

The Indian market was fun. There are probably over 100 shops all selling the same Peruvian goods. What makes it fun is trying to get the best deal. I bought a beautiful hand embroidered purse for 30 soles, which is about 10 US dollars. I also bought an Inka Cola t-shirt for about 3 US dollars. Inka Cola is the local soda in Peru. It's yellow in color and tastes like cream soda. Not bad.

My volunteer group at Los Martincitos visited a man named Demetrio who is 95 years old. Let me tell you that his living condition are not fit for man nor beast. He house doesn't have a full roof and he's has a dirt floor. There isn't any electricity or running water and his bed is infested with fleas. Demetrio is a short, malnourished man. He wore pants that were too big for him, several sweaters, a hat with a Donald Duck patch sewn on it and his shoes were on the wrong feet. Despite all of this, he is a determined man with a stubborn spirit. I suppose you have to be to live in these conditions. Much love to Demetrio.

Another volunteer in my group is working at Mother Theresa's Center for the Dying and Destitute. She has been working with the elderly at the center for the past week and a half. When she went to work today she found out that one of the men that she had been working with passed away in the night. She went to the funeral today, but she's a bit down. I'm sure it's hard to lose a new friend.

That's all for now. Adios y gracias!