weekends in site

I decided to stay in site longer than usual because I've been so busy. I am teaching monday through friday, so the weekends are my only down time. At first I thought I might be bored on the weekends, but they have been pretty busy as well. The first weekend I went to a wedding up in one of the caserios. I didn't know many people there and it was freezing. I went with my host parents but luckily they were as cold as well and not in the mood to party so we left pretty soon after we ate. We were still there 6 hours and left at 11pm, but parties here start late. The next weekend I went with my host family to the house where my host mother grew up. It's over an hour walk away and it's in a caserio that I had never been too. I almost didn't want to wear my rain boots because it was so sunny out, but they advised me too. I'm glad I took their advice because the walk was almost entirely in deep mud and I had to do my best not to fall. The sun also quickly turned to rain, making the mud even worse. I am constantly amazed at how sunny and beautiful it can look one minute, and then 30 minutes later the clouds and fog roll in, along with the rain. It was nice going on a walk with my host family because my host sisters, having grew up on the street of Cochán, and now after living in the city of Trujillo, aren't as accustomed to walking in the campo as others. We went to the house to pick sauco, a fruit they have here, but unfortunately there wasn't any to be found. However, on the way back we came across a ton of poporos, another fruit that they grow here. We spent a good hour picking the poporos to bring back and make mermelade. When I say we, I mean, they, because I watched. I am amazed at how easily they can pick fruit way up high with just branches and a twirl of the wrist. The next day it was off on another excursion. On of the girls that I'm friends with wanted me to go to her house. I had been once before, about a month ago, but I was unsure of how to get there. I made her come into town to get me, and then we walked the 30 minutes to her house, while she crocheted while walking, and I did my best to catch up and not fall. The day at her house turned into another photo shoot and I took over a 100 pictures of them in different outfits. Below are a few photos from the trip to my family's house in the campo.

The camino. This mud was particularly delicious. It's the kind that doesn't look too bad but one wrong step and you find yourself calf-deep in mud and have to try really hard not to lose your boot.

Crossing the river. Johana looks like a clown because they didn't want to get her clothes dirty from all the mud.

Peeling potatoes for our lunch.

Out in the campo with my host sister. Sure it looks like a beautiful day but 30 minutes later those pretty clouds rolled in and along came the rain.

The elusive ripe poporo. Usually I just see green ones.

The inside of a poporo. I am just happy to see fruit.

Picking poporos. I am modeling the traditional bag that they use here. Well they don't really use them in Cochán anymore. Just a few old people still have them. They are extremely common in San Miguel, the provincial capital.