So where to begin to best express the reality of this place and what awaits you as an experience.
When you arrive, three rules are shared with you by the couple (the women and Paul) :
- Do not have sex with the locals
- Do not accept alcohol from the locals
- And do not smoke and walk in the street with alcohol
But now, after my departure,
… read more a fourth one has been added:
- Do not socialize with the locals.
And that's where things get a bit confusing. I'll try to explain it to you as best I can, diplomatically and without resentment.
The announcement (which was the one presented when I contacted them) from this couple implies that this experience consists of:
- Building the earthship (which would be almost finished)
- Helping maintain the botanical garden and the Casa Green (where there are some fruits and vegetables)
- Sharing their knowledge on water recovery in the village
- And also contributing to development and beautification: notably by organizing language classes with the children.
The announcement also shares with us the fact that it's also an opportunity to experience a "part of Peru a little off the beaten track as well as to expose the locals (especially the youth) to people from different countries and cultures."
Very interesting, isn't it? This mix of gardening, DIY, and socialization and sharing with the people of this village!
I arrive on a Friday, the woman welcomes me with one of her friends. She speaks French as well as other languages that she masters very well.
She offers me tea and a piece of cake and then shows me my room, which is in another small house 3 minutes away so that I can settle in. And leaves, unfortunately without leaving me the keys and without warning me that there is no dinner here.
Well, I guess it quickly. Luckily I had some snacks and I went to bed early.
The next day the woman has to leave for Lima. So I find myself alone with Paul for a few days.
Everything is going well, I discover the different gardens/plots. The rhythm is accessible especially due to the bad weather. I find myself doing some unpleasant tasks like cleaning the fridge... but I don't complain. Little by little I get to know the people of the village: children, especially a family who lives right next to the botanical garden, and whom I start to see every day, so we start to get along well. Little by little, we organize games in the afternoons with other children. It's great, they seem happy, it warms my heart.
I also make friends with other adults in the village, whom we inevitably come across several times given the size of the village ;) There are some people that I end up greeting every day and especially this little grandmother who is very isolated.
Paul shares with me that he is delighted with all these links that I create with these people.
We try to organize English classes, but unfortunately with the rain, the children do not come. But little by little, the children come to see me to ask me, so we say great we will be able to organize some.
These first two weeks are punctuated by mornings helping outside with Paul and often afternoons bringing a little joy to these inhabitants of this small village.
The woman returns two weeks later, in the meantime, two new volunteers arrive, we all get along well, the atmosphere is very pleasant. But with this return, that's when things start to become a little more difficult. I still have a hard time understanding today.
One morning, we are all seated around the table, and I share that one of the children came to see me yesterday because he would like to have an English lesson. I ask if anyone would like to do it and when could we organize it? As we used to talk about it with Paul, and as described in the missions of the announcement. Unfortunately, this idea is VERY strongly disliked #redacted text#. And tells me that we absolutely cannot organize that it will create jealousy in the village. Very shocked by her reaction I try to explain to her that I do not understand because it is what we have been doing with Paul for some time now. #redacted text#. I leave the table very shocked and sad about what just happened.
#redacted text#
The next day, in the evening, we go for a walk and on the way back, we stop at the store of one of the abuelitas that I know. It's an opportunity to introduce her to the new arrivals and to get news of her cows that she lost a few days ago. The news is good, she invites us to sit around her table. I buy a beer and offer it to the girls who are there. One of the girls goes back to the house and I tell her to offer the others to come if they feel like sharing a moment together with the people of the village.
2 minutes later, Paul arrives with another volunteer. Great! I offer them a drink and to chat with us. Paul chats with us and leaves us. But he reminds us a while later that we have to go back. It's fine, it was the right time for us.
As we return, the woman and Paul ask me to sit at the table. She is sitting on the table above me who is sitting on a chair with Paul.
And then they start to explain to me that we cannot do that. That it is forbidden to become friends with the people. That they don't know what I can say about them. That then there will be gossip. That socialization with the people here should stop at hello, how are you. I have a hard time understanding everything they say. And not because of the language barrier. I ask questions to try to understand:
#redacted text#
Etc.. etc..
I continue to ask questions to try to understand, #redacted text# completely disoriented with this situation that makes no sense to me, I decided to take leave to discuss it calmly the next day.
I must admit that I did not sleep all night. I try to question myself, to understand what's wrong, what are they afraid of? I think back to the rules shared at the beginning of the stay. Who is supposed to protect these rules?
#redacted text#
So there you have it, I couldn't find any other way to explain my experience.
I invite this couple to change the description of their ad to better explain the project. I also invite them not to lack coherence between them. Also, to warn that where the volunteers sleep, there is no shower. #text redacted#
And I sincerely thank the volunteers present for their support during this painful moment.
If you still want to go there for a visit, give my regards to: Naomi, Adin, Logan, Karina, Leysi, Denis, Elyes, Sebastian, Maripaz, Rumy, Rita, Saul, Cesar, Nina, Gisalda, and all the others.
And if you want more information, feel free to contact me