Right now we are in a small town outside of the main city of Chiclayo. Times here are tough, and there is very little work for anybody. Most people are living on the poverty line or below. A walk through the streets reveal people with crippled hands or legs hobbling from one place to another, motorbike taxis lined up along the sides just waiting for somebody to pay the measly fare of one solis (30 cents USD), and vendors that all sell the same thing vying for your attention on the chance that you may buy something from them. In this land of hard times, every cent counts.
Continue reading “Peru – A Simple Life”
Now in New Zealand
Today I am in New Zealand, tired after a long day of travel yesterday, but happy to be here. During my short 3 days that remain I hope to catch up with at least some of the many people that I would love to see while here.
Things went wonderfully smooth throughout all of my travels, from checking in many bags on a one-bag flight without any extra charges or problems and being able to check them right through to Auckland from Brisbane, to having a hotel room and meals supplied for me by the airline because of the delayed flight, and then being upgraded to business class on my flight to New Zealand.
Now, if only I could get some sleep.
Times that Change and Times that Don’t
Only five minutes ago I received a phone call from my airline telling me that my flight from Australia has been delayed. They have changed the time on me and now, instead of leaving early in the morning, it is scheduled to leave 9 hours later… in the evening.
This flight leaves from Sydney, so I needed a flight from Brisbane to get there. Fortunately, I booked early enough to get a flight from here on the same morning, that virtually was a connecting flight. It was perfect because my bags could all be booked onto my international flight from Brisbane and I only had to walk around with my cabin bags while in Sydney.
A call to the airline about my very early flight reveals that to arrive in Sydney at any reasonable time would cost me at least $300 more (on a flight that cost a total of $110), or I could pay an extra $100 and gain another 2.5 hours of sleep in the morning. Sleep did not seem that important to me, so my flight out of Brissy is still the red-eye special, requiring me to check-in at the airport by 5am.
With my first flight unchanged, my next flight greatly delayed, I now seem destined to wander the hallways of the Sydney International Airport with two massive bags, a guitar and a digeridoo plus my cabin bags, all trying to slip off each other as they are pushed along with some sort of trolley bearing wheels that always want to turn left.
I love flying, and I love being in the air, but sometimes, the waits in-between are tough stretches. Well, at least I will have some instruments with me, perhaps I could try my hand at busking.
Last Days in Australia
The six weeks that I had to spend in Australia have now come to a close. Within a couple of days I will be in New Zealand for an extended weekend and then back in Argentina. My time in Australia has been good, and although it was a shock to the system when I first arrived, I have really started to get used to the lifestyle and culture of this place once again.
Australia’s Coat of Arms, as seen on Parliament House in Canberra.
During my time here I have travelled only a little bit, mainly choosing to spend time with friends and family. The joy of sitting down in lounge chairs with a cuppa in the hand, chatting about anything and everything, is without comparison.
Since I have arrived, there has been no updates and no news about what has happened during this time here. So the following posts show some quick views to what transpired during these six weeks.
Celebrating Mother’s Day – Twice
The day after John’s party, our family got together for Mother’s Day… twice. Welcome to our crazy family.
Dad playing "swords" with Brod at a beach BBQ.
The Secret is Out – I’m In Australia
That is right. I am in Australia right now, after having flown the 18 hour trip from Buenos Aires to Sydney and then another short flight to get me to Brisbane.
So why am I over here? Although I was always planning on returning later this year, I came over earlier in secret to surprise my eldest brother John for his birthday party. The idea was to walk up to the door and totally surprise the guy.
To be sure that there was no leak whatsoever, I told virtually nobody about my journey. Everything went very smooth until the very last days when he somehow found out about our secret. But nobody knew that he knew until after the party, so we all had a good time anyway.
Now I am here for about six weeks before returning to my land of Argentina via a short stopover for a week in New Zealand. If you want to get hold of me, then details are on the contact page.
John’s Birthday Party
The main reason that I came over to Australia was to celebrate my brother’s 40th birthday. Although my and Brodie’s arrivals were supposed to be a surprise and he found out, the party was a lot of fun with friends, relatives, and family all present.
The birthday cake with a delicious and rich flavour.
The Return to Australia
After having said all of last year that I would return to my home country of Australia this year, I never expected that it would be so early in the year. When my dad approached me about the possibilities of coming back for my brother’s birthday, and the dates seemed to fit perfectly into the way my year was shaping out, there was no reason not to go.
So on the 2nd of May, I climbed aboard an Aerolineas Argentina jet and 18 hours later, with a stopover in Auckland, I was in Sydney airport. What mixed feelings that brought.
Waiting at the Sydney airport.
For one it was great to be back in the country where I was born, with so many things so very familiar. However on the other hand I was now far from my home of Argentina, and the people that I cared so much about.
The shocks of Australia after being away so long…
Hanging Out With Friends in Buenos Aires
Taking Advantage of the City
The first thing I did after arriving in Buenos Aires was enjoy a good amount of time on their super-fast Internet. There is something about big cities that seems to allow the Internet to be really fast, and after using Internet in the towns for a while, it seems like a big luxury to be able to watch the pages fly up almost as fast as I click.
Of course, the other great thing about a big city is the variety of things that can be found in them. So I also have taken advantage of the shopping here, finally finding some music that I had been looking all over for, and picking up some other bits and pieces that had been needed but not urgent.
So with the “city stuff” done, it was time to head over and catch up with my friends. Most of them hang out on the YWAM base in Ituzaingo, so that was my first port of call and I stayed here a number of days.
Catching Up with Friends
It was great to enjoy an “asado” (BBQ) on Monday with Ramon and Myrta with so much steak and meat that we could not finish eating it all, even though we tried. Monday was a public holiday all over Argentina. It seems that Labour Day/Day of the Worker is celebrated in a great part of the world, with Australia, Argentina, China, and other places all taking the day of May 4th as a national holiday.
On Tuesday I made the opportunity of catching up with Hyrullo and Nilufa who had recently returned from a trip to their home country of Uzbekistan where they were able to catch up with family and friends. We enjoyed a large lunch and lots of conversation during the course of the afternoon.
Finally, Sergio, my good friend who had helped me with all of the paperwork for my bike, and in whose name the bike is currently registered, came over to visit me at the base. He and his family are only down in Buenos Aires for a short time, after which they are heading off to Africa.
During our time together, it did not really dawn on me that this was the last time that I would see Sergio until I visited him in Africa, until right near the end. It was a very hard and sad goodbye, to farewell such a dear friend for what was effectively the last time I may ever see him.
It has been great to see many of my good friends during this time.
Air-Conditioning Installations
When the opportunity to hang out with my brother Joseph came along in the form of helping him install ducted air-conditioning units in houses, it sounded interesting. After helping him out for a while I discovered that this sort of work is actually very enjoyable and gives a great sense of achievement at the end. It also was great to get a better understanding of just what it is that Joseph gets up to every day.
One of the bigger units in a "rough install", before the house is completed.
I’m not sure that I could call myself an air-conditioning man, but it was fun to learn and chat and hang out with Joseph during those times.
Measuring up for one of the ducting holes in the ceiling.
Preparing the ducts on the ground makes life a lot easier.