Rural Homestay, Tres de Diciembre
Before we left Canada, we had organised the week of spanish lessons, followed by five days of rural homestay living with a rural family. The idea was to improve our spanish further but also to experience a lot more about rural life in Peru. We are living with a family in the small community of Tres de Diciembre. Each morning we commute approximately one hour via colectivo back into Huancayo to continue our spanish lessons, and then return to the family home at lunch time. Into our third day now, the experience has been tremendous and humbling. The main "man of the house" Ruben has been our host, but many members of his direct and extended family live in houses close to us with cultivated plots in and around the homes. The houses are extremely rustic. There is electricity for lighting but cooking is done over a wood fire and there is no running water or hot water at the moment. We have found out we are the first backpackers to live with the family. Each day, Ruben is hard at work improving the facilities. A toilet seat and lid was added, but the toilet still does not flush. A shower head heater was added as well, but at last try was still not working. The additions are being added I think to reduce the culture shock of people like us visiting. We are actually extremely comfortable and safe, and within a day of being with them, there is lots of joking and conversation with our rudimentary spanish and lots of hand signals. Ruben and his 88 year old mother have also taken to adding phrases and words from the local Quechua language which just confuses us completely. The food is basic, lots of potatoes and rice, always together. Ruben and his family however are extremely friendly and hospitable. Each afternoon we have been taken on long walks meeting new members of the family and seeing more of the countryside. In the photo from left - Ruben, Hernestino, Patri, Sara and Jeremi.
Before we left Canada, we had organised the week of spanish lessons, followed by five days of rural homestay living with a rural family. The idea was to improve our spanish further but also to experience a lot more about rural life in Peru. We are living with a family in the small community of Tres de Diciembre. Each morning we commute approximately one hour via colectivo back into Huancayo to continue our spanish lessons, and then return to the family home at lunch time. Into our third day now, the experience has been tremendous and humbling. The main "man of the house" Ruben has been our host, but many members of his direct and extended family live in houses close to us with cultivated plots in and around the homes. The houses are extremely rustic. There is electricity for lighting but cooking is done over a wood fire and there is no running water or hot water at the moment. We have found out we are the first backpackers to live with the family. Each day, Ruben is hard at work improving the facilities. A toilet seat and lid was added, but the toilet still does not flush. A shower head heater was added as well, but at last try was still not working. The additions are being added I think to reduce the culture shock of people like us visiting. We are actually extremely comfortable and safe, and within a day of being with them, there is lots of joking and conversation with our rudimentary spanish and lots of hand signals. Ruben and his 88 year old mother have also taken to adding phrases and words from the local Quechua language which just confuses us completely. The food is basic, lots of potatoes and rice, always together. Ruben and his family however are extremely friendly and hospitable. Each afternoon we have been taken on long walks meeting new members of the family and seeing more of the countryside. In the photo from left - Ruben, Hernestino, Patri, Sara and Jeremi.