Steve and Sandy take on the Incas

Hello Blog Followers. We are Steph's parents, Steve and Sandy Wessels and we are guest bloggers. We just got back from our visit with Steph and we want to share our experience with you.
Stephanie left home June 4, 2009 and we hadn't seen her since, so we were excited to have the opportunity to visit her in Peru. We decided it would be a once in a lifetime experience – believe us – it was!!!!
We left Cincinnati May 7th around 1:30 pm. After stops in Miami and Lima we arrived (luggage didn't) at 6am on May 8th in Piura, Peru (a city about an hour from Steph's village). We were tired but we immediately perked up when we saw Stephanie and we finally got to hug and kiss her. She looked just like our old curly headed Steph-but sounded different – speaking a new language with ease and a very convincing accent.
The next day was Sunday, Mother's Day. Our lost luggage was found and we headed off to Steph's home base, Vice. Vice is a small town on the rim of the Northern Desert of Peru. It is a poor town by Western standards but one that is filled with wonderful people with a great sense of Peruvian hospitality. We first met Steph's host parents, Rosa and Hugo and their son Dixon (20 yrs old). They operate a restaurant from the first floor of their home. They were extremely gracious and gave us their room to stay in. We went to mass at a beautiful little church where we met more of the locals. We were starting to realize we were the new Gringos, being so white and a bit taller than anyone else. We could definitely feel the stares...but they were not negative, just inquisitive.
After mass we went to a big family lunch to celebrate Mother's Day… grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and lots of Peruvian food and we mean lots. It became obvious that family is very important to the Peruvian culture.
The kids could not have been sweeter. They were all so interested in trying to speak English and they could not understand why Stephanie could speak Spanish but her parents couldn't. After dinner we went to the big sporting event of the day – the soccer match (they call it futbol). It was a match between Vice's best team, Muni, and a rival from a nearby town. It was pretty intense. The opposing fans beat drums throughout the game and when you least expected it there would be a loud explosion, like a small bomb went off, at which time everyone would look at us and laugh because we were in shock every time and they were accustomed to it. Thank goodness Muni won.
Later in the evening we crammed (really crammed) 13 people in a small car and rode to a nearby town to eat at a "favorite chicken" restaurant (not KFC).
The next day we travelled by moto (3 wheeled motorcycle – need I say more) to meet Steph's artisans. Each group was very gracious, they all gave us food, lots of food and showed us their products. One group had a special surprise for us ...Pepe, the burro (donkey). They had us get on the cart then they took us around their village like we were celebrities. Everyone came out and waved to us, one couple brought out their twin baby girls for us to hold. It was so sweet. The last stop served dessert and wine (we were running late, so they had some wine before we arrived) and they were ready to have some fun. Everybody wanted to dance with Mr. Wessels and have their picture taken. It was really fun.
The next morning after the usual wake up call we were on our way to Piura where we bought tickets for a van ride (15 people, no air conditioning...we were in the way back) to our next destination, Punta Sal. Punta Sal is a resort on the Pacific Coast in the middle of the Peruvian dessert. It was a 5 hr trip that we made in 3 1/2 hrs....you know what we mean. It was a roller coaster ride through the mountainous dessert region of Northern Peru. The mountains were unusual but beautiful. The ride was worth it, the resort was very nice…We finally could relax and enjoy just being with Stephanie. We laughed talking about food we missed at home and we hadn't even been there a week. We were glad Steph could have a little bit of luxury, she sure deserved it.
Friday we left Punta Sal in a private cab (windows open) heading to the airport in Piura to catch our flight to Lima. Lima is a city of 7 million people. The ride from the airport was breath taking. Peru is building a new multi lane highway along the Pacific Ocean that winds along the cliffs and shoreline. There were lots of surfers and hang gliders. After we checked into our hotel we had a mission to accomplish... find the nearest Papa John's Pizza (they are the only American pizza in town). It was delicious!!
Saturday morning we toured Lima. One of the highlights was seeing the changing of the guard at the President's Palace, very impressive. On the way to a very upscale mall (girls gotta shop with parent's money) we went through some very poor areas... very eye opening. In the evening we went to a beautiful water park, more like a fountain park with about 15 different fountains... some with lasers and music, some for kids to run in, some just to be amazed at. We wish we had one in Cincy. A great photo op.
On Sunday morning Steph went on an 8 mile run (she is training for a half marathon on July 4th), when she got back we went on a walking tour of Lima. There were lots of artisans displaying their work. The weather in Lima was very hazy/smoggy and damp. Stephanie said she has never seen the sun shine there. We ended up at the Corner Pub, a favorite spot for Peace Corps Volunteers and Americans in Peru. We relaxed and watched the Celtics beat the Orlando Magic. Sadly it was our last day; we said our goodbyes at the hotel and again waved to our curly headed Stephanie as our cab pulled away... lots of tears to the airport.
We cannot express in words how very proud we are of Stephanie and the work she has done and the sacrifices she has made. Her work as a Peace Corps Volunteer will not only benefit the village where she works but will have an impact on her life for years to come. We miss her dearly and love her and support her.
We hope you enjoyed our blog. Thank you for following Stephanie's blog and supporting her in her Peace Corps service.
Adios

**Editor’s Note: I asked my parents to write the blog for their visit so I’m not going to make too many comments, but I do want to go into a few more details. For example, when we arrived to Chalaco to visit my artisans there, all 20+ of them were waiting outside the Casa de la Cultura and applauded us as we got out of the moto. They proceeded to take my parents around on a donkey cart stopping at the houses of every dignitary in town to take pictures. One of the funniest moments I’ve had at site, for sure. From there they took us inside and fed us a HUGE plate of fried seafood, yuccas, and chifles (similar to banana chips) – all of which had some not so pretty consequences later for our stomachs. It was interesting because the artisans didn’t eat any of it themselves, they all sat on benches surrounding us and watched us eat. Kind of awkward.
Overall I think my parents got a great Peruvian experience. As far as my site goes they definitely got it good. They were forced to dance in front of people without knowing the steps, they had to eat all the food on their plates so as not to offend anyone (I had to basically force them to do this), they sat awkwardly with people without knowing what was going on, little Peruvians put on performances for them, they had their fair share of public transportation, and received more than they could give.
On my side of the visit, it was such a relief to have them come and see what my life is like. There is no way to appreciate it without coming and seeing it yourself. I experienced a reverse culture shock myself when they were here – sleeping in an air conditioned room for the first time in almost a year, paying what I consider a huge amount of money to travel to my site in a taxi instead of the much more affordable combi option, and being able to let my guard down with people who really knew me. I didn’t realize how much of a strain it can be to live in another family’s house. Sure, they’ve pretty much become my family, but there’s nothing like being with the real thing. I also realized how different things are at home – things have changed gradually for me whereas they were seeing things for the first time. It was a very special experience that I and my host family won’t soon forget.