Reflejando . . .

I was originally presented with the choice of working in Lima, the capital of Peru and home to over 9 million people, or Chiclayo, a town that I had literally never heard of. I decided right away on Chiclayo for a hodge-podge of reasons. I think I was under the impression that going to a smaller, more out of the way city would give me a chance to get to know the "real" Peru. This of course was a ridiculous assumption since there's really no such thing as a "real Peru. Peru, like any other country really, is full of a wide range of realities, none more authentic or true than the other.

What is life like in Oregon, for example? That would depend on if we're talking about the dairy farmer in Woodburn, the banker in downtown Portland, or the transient (or law student) in Eugene. Each represents in their own special way what Oregon is about.

I've spent the last 24 hours in Lima, and the one thing that I've enjoyed is not standing out. In Chiclayo people stared, mostly because of my height and giant shoes. On Monday I went and did some house visits in the rural areas of Chiclayo. At one point a young boy came out of his adobe home, looked up at me and said to himself in disbelief, "¿Tan grande?" as if to say, "people come in that size?!"

But in Lima I'm just another guy. There are enough tourists and caucasian Peruvians to blend in and go unnoticed, which is nice.

I'm currently sitting in the airport, waiting to make the last leg of my trip here in Peru. I'm headed to Cusco where I will learn a bit about what Nexos does there, and get to see Machu Picchu. I've got the full range of emotions brewing. I'm excited for Cusco, but more than anxious to get home to my wife and family. At the same time part of me is sad about leaving Chiclayo and the people I met there. In review, that's excited, anxious, and sad.

I'm about to board, I'll post more tonight.